lois stole my jewels!

not really, i gave them to her to hold for me.

what am i talking about? 

why lois my jewelry holding mannequin of course! 

i saw her in an antique store and knew i just HAD to have her but they wanted too much. so i waited a few months and then when i went back she was gone.

Noooooo! :(

but i asked the woman working if she'd been sold and she said she thought the woman who owned that booth just took her home cause if things aren't selling she'll switch 'em out so the booth looks fresh and just bring them back in a few months. she offered to call and i waited patiently to hear that the awesomeness was still up for sale. 

as a rule i'm just not a bargainer - i feel weird asking someone to let me have something for less than they've priced it and obviously believe that it's worth... but i **really** wanted her so i went for it.... and got her for half the original asking price! whoot!

the lady at the shop said i should name her and then before i could even think, she deemed her name to be lois and it stuck! 

when i came home with her in my arms all smiley and giddy and such the boyfriend admitted she was cool but wasn't so keen to having her live in the bedroom. i said we'd just try it for one night and if she scared him or came to life in the middle of the night and killed us then i'd move her (or be dead, i suppose!). 

well, lois hasn't killed us yet and she still sits on my dresser (along with the disembodied hand that holds my rings that my grandma gave me) and we're one big happy family. 

this story holds true to most of the crazy things i place around our house: he objects... i say it's just a trial... days and weeks pass... and then one day he goes, "you know, i can't imagine the glitter unicorn not hanging in the hall above your deer collection! 

ha!

but seriously, it's a glitter unicorn! who can deny that?!

je vis pour la mode

if you read my post "dear jcrew" then you know i have a deep love for jcrew's fall line. well, i went by the store a few days ago to check it out in person and i fell in love with some of their graphic tees with french phrases on them - specifically one that had the phrase "c'est la vie" beaded across it in a very simple font. i also fell in love with the models in the catalog who were wearing them with high waisted pencil skirts and skinny belts. want. want. want. 

but... i simply cannot pay $40 for a tshirt. 

so, i made my own version! 

DIY! punk ethos in action! my boyfriend is so proud.

it was really quick and easy. i just found a simple drawing of the eiffel tower online and added the phrase "i live for fashion" in french - printed it out backwards onto iron-on transfer paper and ironed it right on an old tee i got for $3 on sale at Target (the ones in the sleepwear section are the best cause they are the tissue tees)! 

voila! 

took no time at all and i was done in time to get him to snap a few quick pics and debut it for his brother's birthday dinner. it feels so good to get compliments on a look and get to brag that that it is entirely thrifted (with the exception of the heels which i got at TJ Maxx and the tee which, as i mentioned, is originally from Target) and somewhat handmade.  :)

ps - it's truly "fresh off the presses" in the pics so it's pulling funny from being stiff but i'm really excited to see what it looks like after it's worn-in and been washed a few times - hope it fades a little and gets soft so it will have a slightly more vintage feel to it.

pps - if you enlarge the middle photo you can also glimpse the amazing charm necklace the BF gave me for our anniversary - it's vintage and has an anchor, heart and cross for faith, love, and charity respectively. love!

haste, not waste

quickest of all quick posts:
firstly, THANK YOU for the compliments on my new 'do! i'm so grateful!
secondly, how freakin' amazing is this dress i scored thrifting today?! i feel like *such* a hitchcock babe in it!
sorry for the crummy photos - was very quick and BF was getting annoyed cause i was being bossy about how i wanted them shot... oopse! **thank you BF!**

tah- dah!

here's the kicker.... twas only $4.50!
oh, the FAUX fur coat (all acrylic - i swear!) is also thrifted ($20) along with the sunnies and the shoes are about a decade old and i believe were a complete steal from TJ Maxx

night rider... bikes that is!

tonight the sunset was just too gorgeous and pink to miss!

the BF and i went with our sweet ellie to eat mexican food for dinner and as we drove down the hill towards home the sunset was so awesome that we all agreed we just had to drive up to "the lookout" to catch the rest of it before the sun went totally down. there is a spot not far from us that sits high on the hill and overlooks the city and usually the street of very expensive mansions has a security gate that closes it off from the public after 6pm but sometimes its open and you can drive up there and see all the gorgeous sunsets you can feast your eyes on while cruising slowly down that road - no stopping though... private property... peesh!
anyway, ellie and i struck a deal that if she'd ride bikes with me and take some pics i'd mend the rip in the dress she was wearing - deal! so we cruised up and down my street on our bikes enjoying the evening post-rain and it was so much FUN! it was the perfect time to ride - just at dusk and a little bit cool outside so as you zoom down the hill on a bike the breeze feels perfect against your skin and reminds you of summer days spent outside as a kid just before your mom called you in for the night.
here's the hair - not very flattering under street lights but i'm pleased with it - and my bike: yeah, that's right, i drive a jaguar!







**top is F21 - coullots (spelling anyone?!) are thrifted and perfect for bike riding BTW- shoes are steve madden**

thrift tutorial

i usually prefer to thrift alone. i find it is very personal and takes both patience and attention. that being said, i often have friends ask if they can go with me and i say yes though few of them ever really pursue it and follow through. 

but if anyone is seeking advice about how to make a thrifting trip successful it's your lucky day because i have some! 

WHAT TO WEAR:

this is important because many stores don't have fitting rooms and you need to be able to try on clothes in a pinch. 

i like to wear a tighter fitting tank top. white is good as it won't distract from, or show through, what you are trying on and if it's tight then it's easier to throw clothes on over and still get a decent idea of the fit of the garment you are trying on. 

i also like to wear a nice flowy, wide skirt so i can try on pants or other skirts on under it easily.if you've got on jeans or a tight skirt then there's no way you are going to try on another pair of pants in the aisle of a thrift store in front of other people. 

that being said, the MOST IMPORTANT item is worn in conjunction with the wide skirt....

bike shorts, bike shorts, bike shorts! seriously, thrifting for clothes is great but wearing them before they've been cleaned is not! bike shorts provide the same benefit as the tight tank - a very close layer that doesn't interfere with judging a garment's fit- but also provides protection from well... the crotch areas of strangers' clothes. 

it takes a long time to pick through the racks at a thrift store properly so i suggest you wear flats - cute flats! they're also ideal for being able to quickly try on other shoes... but as with the skirt and bike shorts, this one is a combo too!

take or wear some nylon footies or socks. they'll provide the same layer of protection for your tootsies that the bike shorts do for your lady parts. then when you get home you can deodorize and alcohol wipe the insides of the shoes - or even replace the insoles if you need! 

now, WHAT TO BRING:

cash. yes, most stores take debit or credit cards but having cash on hand makes checking out faster and it helps you to make smart puchases. thrifting is tricky because things are priced lower than in a "regular" store and thus you can talk yourself into purchases you don't really want/need. many a time i've come home with big dreams of  "fixing" a garment to make it work when in all truth it just didn't work and should've been left on the rack. with a certain amount of cash in hand you can really decide what needs to spent and create and stick to a thrifting budget - afterall, isn't some of the allure that we are saving some money here?!

reusable bags. this is just responsible shopping - no matter where you shop. all the thrift stores i go to love to use an unreasonable number of plastic bags. bringing your own bag means helping the environment but also keeps you from looking like a "bag lady" leaving the thrift. i mean, you are a fashionable woman aren't you? and really, what is less fashionable than an armful of plastic grocery bags?

one thrift store i go to has great clothes but quite honestly it smells funny and most of the home-goods have a slightly "sticky" feel. i know i sound like a complete germ-a-phobe here but purell is a nice way to wrap up a thrift run. period.

and finally, an open mind. part of what makes thrifting fun is seeing the possibilities in clothes that other people would likely pass up! 

remember: one woman's "trash" is another's treasure! 

HAPPY THRIFTING!!!

tell me lies, tell me sweet little lies...

i have a hair appointment tomorrow so i guess i'm gonna take the plunge! wish me luck and i'll post a pic sometime soon... and as the title of the post suggests, i am very open to bold faced lies and flattery when it comes to this! ha!

thrift heaven - florals

somewhere in my fair city there lives a very benevolent, wealthy, stylish woman (i like to imagine it's mimi whom i'll certainly create a post in honor of very soon) who has been giving her clothes to goodwill for me to happen upon... it's thrift heaven! 

it all started about 2 weeks ago when i found this amazing dress that i immediately attached to said woman in my head and made up many a wonderful fantasy about how i would inherit her fabulous wardrobe via thrifting. i'll tell the story in a separate post later - cause it's one of my best thrift stories yet!

so... i've been stalking the goodwill hoping they'd put more of the mystery woman's clothes out for me to snatch up with no luck.... until today. 

i found a floral blazer that is really well made and well-cut too! (the label in it is giancarlo ferrari but it doesn't mean anything to me). it's a great spring floral but i need to find some way to spruce it up and make it youthful and hip... cause i think it could just as easily slide more towards granny if i don't watch it. what should i wear it with to give it a little edge?

**suggestions please**

so here's a post of florals: the gorgeous flowers my precious "lou" gave me straight out of her very own backyard and the new blazer -don't they just meld so well - maybe i should wear the jacket with one of the flowers in my lapel!

enjoy!