May I Have Your Attention Please?

Forget the Oscars, the BAA's (Blogger Appreciation Awards) is much more exciting. I was given this award by Jean over at Dross Into Gold. Thanks Jean!
I'm telling ya', if you've got a piece of clothing that you think has seen the end of the line, consult Jean before you do anything drastic, like throwing it away. She does wonders with this stuff and turns them into wearable, fashionable, drool worthy garments. 

 Here's what I need to do before accepting the award:
1.  Thank the person who nominated me by linking his/her blog.
2.  Answer the four questions below
3.  Award the Blogger Appreciation Award to fellow bloggers

4.  Let the Bloggers know that you have nominated them.

Questions:

1. How long have you been blogging?
2. Why did you start blogging?
3. What type of blogs do you like to follow/read?
4. What is the one thing you’d like to improve on as a blogger?

1) I started my blog in January of 2012. It was a resolution of sorts.
2) Blogging is a way for me to connect with other thrift store shoppers and see how they style their fabulous finds.
3) For now, I only follow personal style blogs but I wouldn't mind checking out a few decorating blogs as well.
4) Lately, I'm trying to improve on letting my photos do the talking. They're supposed to be worth a thousand words right?

Now for the hard part, new awardees:

Evil Dress Maker
Practical Paralegalism
Pink Calico
Shy Biker
These are all fun ladies, that I wish lived nearby because I know they'd super fun to hang out with...Oh well... I'll settle for reading their blogs, it's the next best thing!

Fill 'er Up!

Ladies, I'm going to make you a promise right now. I will NOT wear a maxi in my next post even though I'm filling my closet to the brim with them lately. But seeing as how I just started wearing them this summer, I feel the need to experiment. It's like trying to find the right pair of jeans or a bathing suit. The perfect maxi has to emphasize some things while camouflaging others. I like this one because of it's length, pockets and wide elasticized back. I tend to avoid bold, high contrast prints like this one, but for some reason,  this just felt right. That being said, does this dress make me look like a gas pump?

You gotta love rural Virginia with its relics from bygone eras. I wonder what the price of gas was when these were in use.

There's still a few places around here where you pump first then then pay for the gas. Can you believe it? But don't even think about driving off without paying! It'll cost ya!

I was trying to stand up straight here, but ended up with a snooty look. But you all know I'm not that type right? Not this gal who shops Goodwill and yard sales.


Elle maxi dress: thrifted

St. John's Bay purse: thrifted

Christian Dior slides: thrifted.


Hope you all had a great weekend and get a chance to stop by
Thrifters Anonymous,
Visible Monday and
Monday Mingle.

I Feel Like a Brazillion Bucks!

Hi folks. Before I launch into my post I want to take a moment to thank Jean over at Dross Into Gold for nominating me for the Blogger Appreciation Award. It's such a great feeling to receive such a thing from a fellow blogger. I'll be preparing my acceptance speech for later this week. In the mean time, drop by Jean's. She really does turn dross into gold!


For the past few weeks I've been dimly aware that Macy's has been running a campaign in the fashion magazines called Brasil featuring colorful, tropical, beachy type clothing. It's super cute and the kind of thing I'd wear in a heartbeat (once it's made it's way to my favorite thrift store). I happened to be in Macy's this past weekend in search of some basic black pumps - not an easy thing these days with all the color going on. This particular store was promoting the Brasil line with Latin bands and professional dancers throughout the store. I must say it was lively and entertaining.
When I got dressed that same morning I had no idea that this would be going on or that I would even end up in Macy's. I happened to be wearing a white maxi dress with colorful, tropical looking insets  and a denim vest with bright embroidery detail ( do I even need to mention everything was thrifted?). I felt like I fit right in with the theme of things. Naturally, I had a look around at some of the items and felt a huge surge of satisfaction when I looked at the prices compared to what I spent on my "Brasil" clothes. I felt like a brazillion bucks!

     See you all tonight at Monday Mingle, Thrifters Anonymous and Visible Monday.

Wednesday Workwear

Hey folks. This is what I wore to the J.O.B. yesterday. I work in a medical setting, so as you can probably guess that means no shorts, open toe shoes or bare shoulders; capris and maxi's are also a no - go. Even nail polish is frowned upon because it hides dirt that could be under the nails. Result: Fairly conservative dressing and that is pretty much covered up by my long lab coat. I try to inject a little fun when and where I can with some color, interesting patterns or fun accessories. This is yesterday's attempt.
I'm really stuck on this orangey/red color I'm seeing everywhere. So, when I  spotted a bracelet at a the Goodwill in that same color, I jumped on it. And the belt I bought new and it wasn't even on sale! (can you believe it?)

 Do you have to dress a certain way for your job?

Leopard print cardi: thrifted
Striped shirt: thrifted
Tommy Hilfiger pants: thrifted
Steve Madden belt via Dillard's
Bracelet: thrifted
Born zebra print clogs via Dillard's

Orange Crush

Do you have an item of clothing you just adore? I sure do. It’s this orange dress I thrifted a couple of months ago, first shown in my post “Shop Like a (Thrifty) Fashion Editor, Part 1”.  I’m just now getting around to wearing it and boy did I ever wear it; literally all weekend: out to dinner Friday night, most of Saturday while running errands and all day Sunday. I just switched accessories and shoes. And because it’s a strapless number, I wore different tops each time too (just wasn’t in a bare shoulder/back mood this weekend).

 I think it may actually be capable of casting a spell on whom ever looks at it, because I’ve never gotten so many compliments on a piece of clothing.  So, let me know if you get a tingle down your spine, see stars before your eyes or feel I should be president of the United States after looking at it! LOL! Yes. It certainly got a workout and came out like a champ every time. This is the Sunday version.

 I like this dress so much I'll be sporting it to Monday Mingle, Visible Monday and Thrifters Anonymous. Come join me. I'll be the one in the bright orange dress!

 

Country Road

Greetings all, from the back roads of rural Virginia. Today I’m taking my new camera for a spin and also showing off my thrifted  1980’s floral jumpsuit/skort/romper thingy. I got it last fall in anticipation of wearing it this spring. These things are so comfy to wear (but hard to go to the bathroom in) and the length suits my tastes.

I’ve commented on a lot of your blogs recently about how your florals have inspired me. I really meant it. If not for you, I may have never got around to removing the shoulder pads and changing out the buttons on this thing (it took all of 15 minutes) so that I could wear it without embarrassment .  A special thanks to Patti on her recent posts on 1980’s revival. Those were also a big influence. 

I’m still trying to figure out clever poses so the remote doesn’t show in my hand.

The girls at Monday Mingle may have some tips.

If I’d known that adding a vintage leather belt (thirfted), denim jacket (Eddie Bauer, clearnce) and espadrille wedges (Mudd via Kohl's) would update an outfit like this, I’d have kept all my clothes from high school!

But then what would I show off on Thrifters Anonymous?

I’m smiling, but all the while praying I don’t get a tick on me (it's that time of the year here). The day I find a tick embedded in my skin, is the day I will ab-so-lutely  FREAK OUT!

This old building is just fantastic and there's plenty of em' here. The peeling paint and multidirectional slats are so cool. Just think of all the old treasures that could be behind those doors.


Hope you all have a great week.
Happy dressing,
Style Agent 909

Dry Clean Only

I love my clothes, even if they are second hand. I treat each blouse, skirt and pair of jeans as if they're little pieces of royalty. They are lovingly washed and line dried. I usually iron them on the wrong side to help preserve the color. Delicate pieces are hand washed or put in a pillow case in the washer on gentle cycle...you get the picture, right? One thing I don't like to do is have items dry cleaned. Why? Well, when I pay $4.00 for a skirt, I don't want to spend two times that much to have it cleaned. But that's what happened with this Tommy Bahama silk skirt! I wore it three times and would have worn it a fourth until I spilled raw egg down the front (it's a long story). Normally I would have tried to wash it by hand but I like it so much and was really scared I'd ruin it if I attempted to do it myself, so to the dry cleaner it went.
     Fortunately, the egg came out, but do you know what the cost was? $6, plus and additional $2.10 (the pleats were 10 cents each extra). I now have over $12 invested in this skirt...pretty steep for a thrifter like me.
     I usually avoid situations like this by foregoing items that need to be dry cleaned or simply ignoring the instructions on the tag and washing them anyway.

9 times out of 10 the results are fine. This month I'm conducting a grand experiment. I'm going to wash something that should definitely be dry cleaned. I'll share the results with you ...good or bad. Cross your fingers!

     What do you do when it comes to "dry clean only" items? Avoid them, ignore the instructions or a little of both?
Any recent laundry disasters?
How about tips for removing stains? (especially oil) or laundry hints in gerneral. Do tell.

By the way, it's to the sink with a little Woolite and cold water next time this skirt needs cleaning!

Until next post, happy dressing,
Sincerely,
Style Agent 909

Shop Like a (Thrifty) Fashion Editor, part 2

Welcome back. This is part 2 of a 4 part series. Click here for part 1. One of my favorite magazines, InStyle features an article titled "Shop like a Fashsion Editor". Here's a quick recap of what it's all about. Three editors are given a budget of $400, $2,000 and $4,000 respectively. Each editor in turn shares what has “inspired” them and then goes about finding key clothing pieces within their budget. This is an ongoing thing lasting 4 months or so. The funds are spread accordingly, ie: approximately $100 of the $400 budget gets spent per month. Well, this segment is for the gal who's got a budget of $50.

This time around I was inspired a cute display of light house yard ornaments that I pass by every day at a local nursery.  You’ve probably heard me say before how much I love the nautical look and these scream nautical to me.

This month’s (April) selections were found at Goodwill and other various thrift stores;  and believe it or not, there’s even a couple of retail purchases too. 

My inspiration

Liz Claiborne striped pullover hoodie: 4.49 - Notice the little touches of orange?

Gruen Fashion Watch via hospital gift shop: 12.99 These bright watches are really trending right now. Love the way orange goes so well with navy. If you’re willing to splurge, Coach has a very similar version.

 

OP blue on blue dot flip flops via Walmart: 3.88 – So cute and beachy looking. These may only last through one summer, but I’m cool with that.

Vintage Simon Says navy and white sundress: 6.99 - I’m a sucker for this color combo and the swirl pattern is a welcome departure from the usual dots and stripes.

White Stag red ¾ length sleeve cardi: 4.49 – Red, white, blue…are you noticing a trend here? Can’t wait to wear this with the sundress.

Bill Blass Easy Fit white jeans: 5.99 – gotta have white jeans; they’re essential for the nautical look!

Parkhurst coral sweater:  5.99 – I couldn’t resist this color and the rolled, unfinished edges; plus, it’s 100% cotton, made in Canada. I've never owned anything made in Canada before!

Antonio Melani green zebra print purse: 5.99 – Ok, so this isn’t exactly nautical, but it’s good to mix the look up a bit don’t you think?


 Total for April: $50.81
                                                                       $99.32 remaining

See you all at Monday Mingle and Visible Monday.