It has to be a record for me. I went to the semi annual flea market in our area last week. The flea market that I look forward to every spring and every fall. It’s a must-do event. But this year was very different for a few reasons.
For one, my friend that I have gone with every single time for umpteen years was sick and couldn’t go. I knew it wouldn’t be the same without her but I would go it alone. Another hindrance to my shopfest was the fact that I had just purged a LOT of stuff in my garage sale and the thought of bringing a bunch of stuff back in when I don’t sell anymore put a damper on grabbing up finds.
And then there was the heat. And humidity. There have been plenty of times that we’ve gone and shopped in scorching weather. But without my buddy, a record short time of three hours shopping in 90+ weather was all I had in me.
I only spent $9! But I did bring home three items I love.
A uniquely shaped, tall skinny birdcage.
A monogrammed, footed silver tray. I love its long, thin shape.
And a snakeskin box purse. The straps are worn worse than the rest of the purse so I will replace them with black or dark brown leather straps. I might touch up a few worn spots on the purse with shoe polish. Then I will put it in my rotation of vintage purses that I actually carry on occasion.
I’m starting a new series this fall that I think will be fun. It just may show up in my very next post. Here’s a little tease…
Everyone gets tired of their wardrobe from time to time. Clothing options can sometimes become boring for me even after it seems like I just shopped the mother lode. Right now I have other things I have to spend money on. Sigh. If I had Christmas money to spend right now, and I were going to do some clothes shopping, here are two outfits I would put right in my closet.
If you’re in the same boat ~ tired of your wardrobe, getting the itch to buy some new clothes but it’s not in the budget ~ allow me to share a tip I have used to reignite my enthusiasm for the clothing and accessories I have to work with. This is a great winter weekend project. You’ll need to allow about two hours (give or take) to do this exercise but it will be so worth it.
1. Pull out 4 or 5 of your favorite layering tops (underneath layer). Choose tops that have some kind of detail front and center like lace, shirring, cutouts, etc.
2. Pull out 4 or 5 top layer pieces > jackets, see-through tops, button-down shirts, low-cut tops, etc.
3. Decide if you want to put together dressy outfits or casual (or both) and choose 4 or 5 bottom pieces accordingly (pants, skirts, shorts, jeans).
4. Now comes the fun part. Take each top layer piece and pair it with any of the under layer pieces that coordinate in color or style, keeping them on the hangers or laying them down in sets.
5. Add a bottom layer piece to each paired combo.
6. This step is crucial and I urge you not to skip it: Try them on! Yes it will take time but think of it as a shopping trip. Combinations that look good on the hangers might not look great on you, and vice versa. Things like length of top, cling factor, fullness and structure dictate how they will fall and mesh together. This is where it takes patience but once you find a combo that works you’ll have an outfit that flatters and you will feel great in it.
7. In my experience, some pieces go with everything and some don’t work with anything. Those in the second category (I call them loners) are pieces that I either get rid of or, if it’s something I really love, make a note to find something to pair it with next time I go shopping.
8. This might be my favorite part of the whole process. Once you have decided what works together, lay out your winning outfits and go to your jewelry stash. Play around with different pieces, try out-of-the-box color combinations, layer up on necklaces and bracelets. Take a fresh look at your cache and use it to the fullest to bling up your outfit.
9. At this point in the process, it may be a good idea to take pictures of your outfits, because if you’re like me, once everything is back in the closet you’re likely to forget (or not see) the exact combinations you put together.
10. You will be amazed at the new outfits you discover if you think outside the box. Now you can look forward to the next event in your life, be it coffee with the girls, date night or Sunday church, knowing you will feel pulled together and polished.
Just because you don’t have any immediate plans to go on a shopping spree, that doesn’t mean you’ll never buy anything new again. With the eventual shopping splurge in mind, I created two shopping checklists ~ one for your clothing and one for your accessories ~ for you to print and keep handy to stay tuned in to your closet and accessory “inventory”.
Use this checklist to take inventory before you shop. Just write “Have” or “Need” in the spaces to help you decide what CLOTHING to buy.
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Use this checklist to take inventory before you shop. Just write “Have” or “Need” in the spaces to help you decide what ACCESSORIES to buy.
Do you have any tips for overcoming boredom with your wardrobe? Do share!
Hey Readers! I hope you’re having a fantastic week. Summer is flying by, and I’m trying to soak it in before it’s gone. I love to thrift shop year round, but in summer it takes on a different form. Yard sales! Where the picking is plentiful if you can bear the heat. Here are some things I scored while thrift shopping a few months back. I will add the two vintage handbags to my growing collection. I carry them often and it’s fun to change them out for different occasions. I also sell them off occasionally. I never pass up a chance to pick up a great frame. The finials, drawer handles and escutcheons will find their way into a jewelry design at some point.
What are some of your recent thrift finds? Do you ever carry or wear vintage?
If you’ve been to my blog before, you’ve probably picked up on the fact that I love to thrift shop. What other activity combines girlfriend time, adventure i.e. thrill of the hunt, and shopping without breaking the bank?
Some of my favorite things are items that I have found while thrifting, or as some call it, junkin’. My closet is peppered with vintage and modern pieces of clothing that I’ve picked up at places like estate sales, goodwill and other local thrift shops, vintage markets and yard sales. I have furnished (almost) my entire home, all 3900 square feet of it, with thrifted items. I’d love to show you some of my favorites but that’s a whole other post.
Here’s a pile of treasures I scored recently while hitting a thrift shop, a flea market and a yard sale. I got the bookend because I have a collection of old books and a thing for bookends. I plan to paint it, not sure what color yet. The pottery pig just spoke to me (weeeee) and for a buck I couldn’t pass him up. I have a metal boot just like this already that I use to hold my business cards. I’m sure I can find another use for this one or maybe I’ll sell or swap it.
The architectural piece will be used somehow, somewhere, and of course I plan to use all the jewels and brass findings in future jewelry design projects. I was absolutely smitten with the “R” piece.
I think I got a pretty good haul and I probably spent under $15 for the whole shebang. Do you love to thrift shop? What are some of your recent finds?
So I’ve sent out the invites to come to my Drop It or Swap It link up and I’m ready to swap! I’ve had some great swaps with Donna of Distressed Donna Down Home and Tina of What We Keep. But where is everybody? Come on girls, I really want to see what you’ve got! I’m not offering anything new this week since I have some fun things (I think) that haven’t been spoken for at past swaps. So here’s a recap of some of my things, all of which are available at this week’s Drop It or Swap It link up starting tonight at 7PM central. I have been purging my jewelry and am working up to putting a new, organized system of storage and display in my closet area. So here are 2 necklaces and 2 bracelets that should belong to someone else. The multi-strand multi-color beads are plastic. The bracelets are stone chips and are the stretch type.
If you would like to make a photo display like this one and would love to have all the supplies delivered right to your door, you need to come back and check out the swap! I’m swapping everything you need to make your very own sea shell photo display! Items from each of these categories, with hand picked selections from the tiles, buttons/jewels, and small shells categories.
And last but not least, this cute vintage beaded handbag. The white color makes it a good summertime choice. It’s a little bit of a fixer though. The clasp closes but it’s not a really tight hold. I think it might have to do with the hinges on the sides of the bag, not sure though. I think you could just add some velcro inside to ensure it stays closed.
Drop It or Swap It runs Wednesday through Monday (linky opens Tuesday night for early birds). I’ve got some new info to share with you at the party so I hope you’ll come back and link up! Click the image below to see more about how it all works.
This post is all about what I would like to swap this week at Drop It or Swap It. If you have been meaning to join in the new link up but haven’t yet, I encourage you to jump in this week! You can read more about how it works here.
Up for swap is this cute vintage beaded handbag. The white color makes it a good summertime choice. It’s a little bit of a fixer though. The clasp closes but it’s not a really tight hold. I think it might have to do with the hinges on the sides of the bag, not sure though. I think you could just add some velcro inside to ensure it stays closed. Okay so if you have something you want to swap for this vintage handbag, leave me a comment! The swap starts tonight at 7PM central and runs through Monday night at 9 PM. See you at the swap!
Happy Monday dear readers and friends! Has your Memorial weekend been good so far? I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all of the veterans, those that have served and are no longer with us, those that are still among us and those who are currently serving in the military. We owe so much to them for the immense sacrifices they have made to keep our country the good ol’ USA that we have known and loved.
Okay, ready for some fashion flips? This week is #42 of my weekly Monday series, Girls Want Pearls. Last week we looked at some easy ways to amp up simple cotton or muslin gift bags with the addition of pearls, doilies and burlap. This week I want to show you some super duper easy ways to give your summer handbag a mini makeover.
First I want to show you this fab vintage straw bag with velvet and pearl veggies and fruit. Can you believe the cuteness? I love the pea pods with their pearl peas. I’m not going to reproduce this look, though one certainly could. I’m going to flip the bag to the back side and show you some things to do with a plain straw bag.
Look #1: Add a colorful summer scarf. Just wrap the scarf around the bag and tie it in a knot. Then, take a strand of pearls strung on wire and wrap it around the knot two or three times and twist the ends together. You can mix it up and change out the scarf to go with your mood or your outfit. For the next look you’ll need a couple of belts and a strand of pearls on wire. This look is a bit more permanent as you will need to stitch the belts on in a few places. Wrap them around the bag, overlapping as desired, buckle the belts and stitch them on. I placed the buckle on the bottom layer belt onto the back side of the bag. Once you have stitched them in place, take your wired pearl strand and curve it around the buckle as shown. You can twist it on with the wire ends to secure or glue it on to the belt. Maybe you don’t have a straw bag. You can pick one up at almost any thrift store or yard sale, or try the look on another type of bag. I didn’t have any pastel belts but wouldn’t it look fantastic with a yellow and coral pairing, or mint and navy. Can you think of other belt types / combos that would work? Let me know in the comments!
I would like to invite you to come back Wednesday and link up at my Drop It or Swap It party. Come on ladies (and gents) I know you’ve got stuff you don’t wear or aren’t using anymore. Some other lucky girl would love to wear it or add it to her decor! Here’s a peek at what I’ll be swapping this week. Click the pic for more info about how Drop It or Swap It works.
Next week’s pearl post hint: She sells sea shells…
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