Thrift Find!

Two weeks in Alabama gave me access to THE MOST AMAZING thrift stores.  I managed to not buy everything (space was limited) but did end up with some great stuff!

The haul

 So you can see I ended up with another coke crate (I need to make another spice rack!!) as well as yet another globe (I'm obsessed, I tell ya).  I also picked up a few other things that require a closer look.

HUSKER DU!  I played this game a million times at my grandmother's house.  It's basically a fancy game of match, and since Avery's loving match nowadays, I thought he might be ready.  On the corner of the box, the ad says you can enter a contest to fly to Denmark.  I think I'll enter 25 years later...

I'm planning to hang up old sheet music as art, so I'm always on the lookout for pretty sheet music with interesting titles.  That Naughty Waltz sounds scandalous.  If I had a piano (hint hint for Christmas, Jon) I'd play it.

I love this giant metal letter B!  I put my shoe next to it, so you can see it's a really good size.  It's all types of construction metal, so it looks pretty awesome.

I must have passed a bazillion other thrift/antique malls on the way back through Tennessee and Virginia, but I had Dash in the car with me, so I didn't get to hit any of them.  BUT, maybe now that Jon is back, we can do some more weekends in the country and I can get back to that area.

Buy anything fun recently??

Thrift find!

I'm not sure where this lovely lady is going to go, but I couldn't just walk by her in the thrift store.  It seemed rude.

Fixin' My Stitch - Month 5

Month FIVE of getting Stitch Fix!!  If you need to know what it is, check out Month ONE...and then see what I got in TWO, THREE, and FOUR!  Check out what I got!

First in the box was this sweater:

Soft, big, chunky.....just how I like my men (ha ha, not true).  I loved the feel and the color, but I couldn't get over these:

Once I saw those, I couldn't help but think: It's a onesie.  And once I thought of a onesie, I couldn't NOT think of it.  Even when I dressed it up all different:

I just couldn't buy it.

Next was a tunic top in a neutral shade.

Nothing overly special, but I've been looking for a nice neutral-but-not-boring top, and this fit the bill, so I DID  end up buying this.

After that was another tunic top (sigh) but with a really fun print:

TWEET!

 I liked it, and even with a cardigan it looked cute:

But I did not like the rounded shoulder look it gave me without a cardigan.  I'm so picky.

So I didn't get it.

After that was a black dress.  I immediately didn't dig the fabric, but on it looked kinda cute and versatile.

But then I turned to the side and it did this:

Nope, not pregnant, but the fabric stood out so weird that it would ALWAYS look like this.  Pass.

And finally, a pretty dark wine colored top that just didn't blow me over:

Meh.

 So I passed on it as well. 

As you can see, not the BEST box I've ever gotten, but because the holidays always cost us some serious cash, I was trying to save a bit as well. 

If you love this idea and want to learn more and sign up, click RIGHT HERE (disclaimer: it gives me a bit of credit) to try it for yourself!

Fixin' My Stitch - Month 4

If you've been reading at all, you know I've been getting boxes of clothes from Stitch Fix. (See my first, second, and third!)  Here's what came in my happy fourth box!

Could I look more awkward?

This gorgeous shift dress in navy blue with gold zipper details on the front and back.  It fit snugly and the fabric was really fantastic.  However, I've got this stomach issue I'll be blogging about soon, and fitted right now pretty much says 4 month pregnant (which I'm not) so I just didn't want to spend $98 on something that was going to make me super self-conscious.  It was a reluctant return.

These great cranberry "Ankle Biter" skinny jeans.  Love the color, love the fit, love the versatility (dress em up, dress em down!)  I paired them with a grey T-shirt (my staple) and my new grey flats for a casual look and thought it was fantastic!  Keeper!!

Anyone remember my very first thing from Stitch Fix?  It was a great orange tunic that I kept. Well, as my friend Andrea pointed out, this is the exact same shirt, just in a different pattern.  And, I kinda love it!  I kept this one, but I'm set on tunics, so hopefully I don't get more (although it would be hard to turn down!).  I love the pattern, and, obviously, love the fit.

And now to a tunic I didn't like.  This pattern was weird (sorry, I didn't take a bigger picture of it).  But if you're going to send me two similar tunics, I'm only gonna keep one.  This was had a fit that wasn't as ideal as the polka dots, so it went back to Stitch Fix.

You're probably looking at the jeans, assuming I'm wearing the knit, assymetrical, zip-up jacket I got in box #2.  Well, you're wrong.  They sent me another one.  At first I thought it was the same, but it's not.  It's stylish, classy, well-made, and NEARLY IDENTICAL to one they already sent.  I was just sad cause it seemed like a wasted piece since I has already purchased something so similar.  I wasn't about to drop cash on another one.  Back it went!

So, 2/5 - not bad!  I'm happy most of all about the pants which add great versatility to my wardrobe and convinced me to throw out a pair of dark green corduroy pants I'm not sure I've ever worn.

Think this is a cool idea?  You're right.  Click HERE to start your Stitch Fixes as well, but be warned that rumor has it they are overwhelmed and can't get new boxes out February for new customers.  Totally worth the wait, though!!!

Fixin' My Stitch - Month 3

Welcome back to what-in-the-world-was-in-that-box?! It's time to take a look at what I got in my Stitch Fix Box recently! If you don't have ANY idea what I'm talking about, first, welcome! Second, click HERE and HERE to see my first two boxes, what Stitch Fix is and how you can do it too! (I'm not paid by them, just obsessed with them).

I'm always so happy to pull into my house and see the glimmer of a new box waiting for me :-)

After a particularly rough night with the kiddos, and with a sounds of a whimpering 1-year-old in her crib in the background, AND a phone with not enough juice for a picture without dying, I got started.

First out was this white top with leather stitching.

Bedspread from IKEA.

 Leather's the thing now, ya'll.  All the kids are going it.  So, I was happy to see such a trendy top.  But, I was wary.  Note how you can see my bedspread through two layers of shirt?  I'm of the belief that everyone hits an age where something is inappropriate to wear.  I'm 34, and I don't think I should be showing my abs in a crop top anymore.  Not that I can't pull it off, it's just not appropriate.  I feel kinda the same way about something being sheer, and having to get ANOTHER SHIRT to wear under it.  But, I tried it on with all kinds of things, as recommended to be sure.

In every one, it's clear that you can see right through this shirt, right?  Surprisingly, my bra wasn't that visible, but the line where my pants/skirt start was, as was my skin color.  I just didn't dig it.  By the time I covered up enough to be comfortable with a cardigan and scarf, I might as well be wearing a white tank top.  Not a keeper, but I did appreciate the simpleness and classic nature of the piece.  Just not for me.

Next was this sweater:

So soft, so comfy, so purchased!  And pairing with last month's leather pants?  I felt pretty hot, I won't lie.

Someone take me somewhere awesome now.

Third was a great brown/gold chunky sweater.  I love love love sweaters that do this on the sleeve:

That big, bulky soft feel makes me feel all snuggly.  Sadly, guess what else was big and bulky in this sweater?  My reflection.

The face says it all

I don't mind accenting my hips...in a good way.  But this was more of a "In case there's any confusion, this girl has some HIPS" way, and I wasn't digging it.  I styled it a bit, but making sure the sweater didn't unroll itself would have required some work, and I think we all know how I feel about work.

Effort?  I'll pass.

Fourth was a black, knit blazer, a great staple piece to throw on top of anything.

I love me a blazer, but the knit was so similar to last month's zip up asymmetrical jacket that I got, I felt weird buying another black jacket.  Especially when my coat closet looks like this:

Dark jacket much?

It also wasn't the most amazing fit, and the shoulderpads made me feel weird.  Pass.

 

Meh.  And last?  A cute pair of dark grey skinny stretch jeans. 

Grey, I promise.

At first, I was like "Ooh, grey jeans.  I don't have grey jeans!"  And I really did like the style and the color a lot.  BUT, with skinny jeans comes the need to make them stretchy, and while I feel like these were the correct size, the correct size is still too tight for me.  Similar to my knit dilemma, once they were on, they reminded me of the fit/feel of the leather pants from last month, which I already purchased. 

 Think this is a cool service (you're right!) and want to try it out?  Use THIS LINK to try (it gives me a $25 credit), get your box, and tell me what you got!!

Snapshot: Toy Storage

The living room toy selection seems to be growing on its own.

A quick trip to the thrift store landed this sweet basket which now serves to keep all the toys in check....mostly :-)

Fixin' My Stitch, Month 2

Perhaps you read about my new favorite thing to do last month, and by "do" I mean sit at home while people pick out clothes for me, send them my way, and I get to choose all Pretty Woman style.  Except my cat, Joey, plays the part of Richard Gere.

So, Month 2's box arrived, so I thought I would share what I got!:

First was this scarf - a lovely, shiny orange.  Perfect for fall.  I really liked it, but I ended up NOT ordering it.  I feel like accessories and jewelry aren't important enough to me, and if I want them, I'll grab them much cheaper at Target. (I just picked up an awesome scarf at Wal-mart today for $6.97).  This was about $50, so wise decision I think.  What's great about the process is that I can comment on what they send and tell them "Look, I'm not buying a scarf, so send me a piece of clothing" and they listen!

Next was this jacket.  OBSESSED.  IN LOVE.  Purchased immediately.  Odd, cause remember last month's jacket where I didn't like the asymmetrical zipper?  Well, this one is different because the material is less stiff so it hangs according to gravity, not the zipper and looks good zipped or not.  It was only $58, and I can see me wearing this A TON, so I snagged it.  As per my rule, I threw away a grey zip up hoodie from IU Law (where I did not actually attend law school) and replaced it with this sweet jacket.

After that, I tried on a printed tunic that was just "enh".  Not really in love with the pattern, fit, or style too much.

Fourth was a pretty grey sweater with cute pink patches at the elbows.  The card that they send with suggestions for how to style it had it with jeans (which looked good) and over a dress (which looked horrible).  Maybe I should have kept this, cause it did look cute with jeans, but I opted to not.  I just didn't love it enough.

Finally.  Leather pants, y'all.  Hells yeah!  These pants fit like yoga pants, but have a faux leather pantel running down the side.  Tres chic.  Purchased for only $48.

Pictured with last month's tunic shirt

So, leather pants and a sweet jacket for fall.  I love it.  Altogether it was $106 this time around, which I think we can all agree is not bad for pants and a jacket. 

As always, if you think this is something you might like to try, click HERE!  I get $25 for anyone who gets a box through this link.  Note:  It doesn't tell me who it is, so if you want to do this on the down low, I'll never know!!

Outdoor update

Why hello, cheap end-of-summer lanterns at Target!  $7 each, yo.  Next, I think I'm going to be brave and spray paint a design on the cheap carpet, as suggested by Vinnie.  Wish me luck!

Fixing my Stitch

Ok, not that anyone would ever pay me to promote anything, but this is NOT an advertisement.  I'm just in love with this new service I signed up for called Stitch Fix.

As much as I love design and dressing up, I suck at buying clothes.  Like I'm horrible.  When I decide I'm going to buy clothes, I ended up coming home from Target with 4 grey T-shirts and that's all.  So, I saw Jon's cousin's wife sign up on Facebook for Stitch Fix and I thought I would check it out.

Basically, you answer a ton of questions about yourself, and then a stylist sends you 5 things in the mail.  Keep what you want to buy and turn the rest back, free of charge.  It's $20 to get a box, but if you buy something, that $20 goes towards your purchase.  Also, they send a card with each article of clothing with suggestions on how to wear it.  I signed up, answered my questions and eagerly awaited my box.  Avery was kind enough to have hives the day it came, so I was at home during the day and he was napping when it showed up.

The box arrives!

Even cute on the inside!

I tried each article on, then paired it with some things in my wardrobe, which, in my opinion, is the BEST part of this.  Here's a little taste of what I got:

This great orange tunic top

Styling recommendations

After some styling

Blue floral wrap dress

Dress with heels

Grey diamond dress

Dress with heels

Faux leather jacket

Jacket on with some jeans

Nice skinny dark jeans

Jeans on

So what do you think I kept?

Well, I kept the orange shirt and the grey dress.  The jacket was nice, but I didn't like the asymmetrical color, the skinny jeans did not fit my post-baby belly the way I'd like, and the blue dress just wasn't fabulous enough.  I made a point of not looking at the prices until AFTER I tried on the clothes so I wouldn't back down.  And, oddly enough, I chose the two least expensive things.  The dress was about $48 and the shirt was about $58.  So, $106-20 = $86 for two really gorgeous pieces of clothes.

I threw the others in the postage paid bag and put it back in the mail, and then went to their website to check out.  I left some notes about each article of clothing so my stylist will have an idea of what I liked/didn't like, and scheduled next month's shipment.

I also made a point of tossing a dressy shirt and a dress in order to truly replace my tired wardrobe:

I think this was so fun and amazing for many reasons: 1) I don't have to shop; 2) I don't have to visit more than one store; 3) I can try on clothes with my own other clothes and accessories 4); the clothes, albeit more than Target's grey tees, are reasonably priced (the jacket was $108 and the most expensive); and 5) They really seemed to nail what I would like.  I realistically liked all the pieces, and some I wouldn't have even taken off the rack at the store.

So, again, it's not an ad, but if you're like me, you should check this out. And if you do, feel free to click HERE so I can get a few bucks credit if you decide to go through with it.  Then pay it forward!  Hope you like it if you try it - let me know if you do!