hope you all had a wonderful holiday! we drove 16 hours {straight} back to michigan to spend the week with our friends and family. it was a wonderful time of catching up and seeing so many people we love. (and i, of course, hit up goodwill while i was back!)
my thrifting has now gone to the next level. i now have an "account" at goodwill. yep. you heard right. goodwill has a rewards card and now i will get 25% off after i earn so many "points." (can't remember exactly how it works. but if you happen to be at your local goodwill, ask them for details!) at least it's a reasonably cheap hobby, right?!
i scored some great deals recently during a thrifting trip. hope you enjoy this video highlighting a few of them!
today, i'm inviting you into my living room for a chat sharing some of my favorite products from the drugstore recently. it combines two of my loves {thrifting} + {beauty & make up products}. all of these items are $10.00 or less. i have included links below the video, as well. enjoy!
i'm back with another thrifting haul video for all you lovely readers! Goodwill here in Connecticut is a bit more expensive than Michigan, but i have found some amazing deals {lots of name brand items in great condition}. here are some of my most recent finds:
{what an awkward still frame to stop on, youtube...}
you can check out my other thrifting haul video here.
i checked out the Goodwill around the corner from our new home here in Connecticut this week. wow! talk about thrifting heaven! they had such a huge selection that even after an hour, i still had more to explore. i'm sure i'll be back {very soon}. here are some of the treasures i found...enjoy!
if you missed my first video (a headscarf tutorial), you can check it out here.
my top ten thrifting tips has been one of my most popular posts to date. i've come up with a few more tips to pass along to all you bargain hunters. enjoy!
unfortunately, when thrifting, you need to have a different mentality than retail shopping. i never assume that a piece of clothing is in perfect condition. make sure you check for holes, stains, zippers and/or seams coming apart. there's nothing worse than scoring a great deal just to get it home to find damage that you overlook. {talk about a kill-joy}
// keep a running list.
it's so helpful to keep a list of items you desire to add to your wardrobe. then, when thrifting, you can stay focused on what you really need. i just started using the wunderlist ap for the iphone. i have a list on that ap called "want to add to my wardrobe." no matter what store i'm in, i always have my handy list with me. here are a few pieces i'm hoping to find {hopefully thrifting}:
// ask for specials, find out the deals & return policy.
lots of thrift stores have weekly specials but may not advertise them blatantly. it always helps to ask an associate. you don't want to be missing out if a particular tag color is on sale. and if you were thrifting on a particularly emotional day, be sure you can return your impulse purchase a few days later.
//if you are buying shoes, wear them around the store.
can i get an amen? anyone else bought shoes and thought oh yeah, these are super comfortable, but then you wear them for more than 30 seconds at home and your feet start screaming?! i share this tip from experience. just stepping into a shoe is NOT the same as walking in them.
here are some other helpful thrifting tips posts: one, two, three.
if you are new to style of a songbird, you should know that i am a die hard thrifter. the majority of my wardrobe is from thrift stores (mostly goodwill). below is my favorite thrifted outfit from this summer. {i've worn the striped maxi skirt so much. even for our photoshoot}.
this week, i stumbled upon a wonderful online resource for all of us thrifters! it's called The Thrift Shopper.com. it's filled with helpful thrifting tips, a discussion board and a search engine.
there is a page where you enter your zipcode and it lists all the thrift stores near you. not only that, but each store has a link to their website, and reviews with the categories of selection, pricing, organization, customer service and cleanliness, as well as written feedback from fellow thrifters.
since my hubby and i just moved to a new state, this site was super helpful for me to start my thrifting adventures! hope you can find some great new places to shop through this site. enjoy!
don't you love something that can be used in more than one way? i love using household items for something other than their primary purpose. well, when my mom and i spotted this beach cover up at target, we immediately thought "you could put that over leggings as a tunic too!"
so without further ado...i present to you the dual purpose bathing suit cover up!
{please don't mind my squinty eyes...i swore i had them wide open...}
friday snuck up on me this week! recovering from our horrible travel experience via united airlines took up the majority of monday for me, so i almost feel like i skipped a day! either way, i am thrilled for the busy day i have planned...including pedi+mani and dinner at bonefish grill with friends!
here are five highlights from my week:
five.
this art journal page really inspired me & was imprinted in my mind this week.
when we were in connecticut last weekend, we got to swing by trader joes. i am so excited to be able to shop there soon! their frozen food section alone is incredible. plus they have so many interesting snacks, cheeses, veggies, everything.
three.
remember this post about my winning streak with blog giveaways?
well...unbelievably, i won another giveaway this week!
and best of all, it was from one of my favorite blogs.
aren't the earrings pretty? i can't wait to wear them!
two.
anybody else take advantage of frappuccino happy hour at starbucks? (3pm-5pm, 1/2 off frappuccinnos!)
one.
i was so excited to see these black jessica simpson wedges at goodwill. so comfy. so cute. and my size. oh and did i mention they were $3.99?!
i scored some great deals this weekend at goodwill. i was looking specifically for some summer items, tanks or sundresses to wear to our upcoming new orleans trip! here's my haul:
i love the ruffles along the neckline and the gathered waist of this adorable sundress! and, floral is SO in. score!
the colors in this dress just make me happy. it's like wearing a piece of art! (and it's super comfy!)
this top is perfect with a cream cami and bold accessories. if you've been reading my blog for a while, you know i loooove coral. so this top was a no brainer.
isn't the detailing on this dress SO perfect? it's cotton, so very breathable for warm summer days and the intricate detailing on the back dresses it up for a night out!
have you been thrifting lately? find any great deals?
friday afternoon is my prime thrifting time. this past friday was no exception. i looked through most of the clothing racks, and found a great pair of black leggings for 3 bucks, but i felt my heart pulling me to the shoe section...
so i followed.
i tried on a few pairs of super high heels.
(which always look super cute, but my feet start screaming after a few steps).
but then, spotted these:
that's right.
gray, metallic, peep toe boots.
woah.
i struggled in the mirror for about ten minutes trying to decide if i should get them.
they were so funky. and sorta weird.
but then a goodwill employee came up and said, "you HAVE to get those! if they were in my size, i would have already snatched them up!"
so $6.99 later, they're mine.
did you find any funky or unique finds while thrifting this week?
i know i wrote a post about color. but during my thrifting adventures this weekend, i just couldn't help myself with the incredible neutrals i found...
here's a snapshot of some of my favorite finds:
cotton grey mini skirt (normally 3.99--got it for 1/2 off :)
pattern on a great scarf
two comfy head wraps
oh, you know, scored an amazing faux leather jacket for $9.99 !!
asymmetrical zipper. (love!)
love the ruffles along the neckline on this grey dress
shopgoodwill.com offers a wide array of antiques and collectibles as well as new and nearly new items pulled from participating Goodwills' vast inventory of donated goods.
super cool, huh?
it's sorta like the ebay of thrifting. don't quote me but i think the bidding starts at a few bucks, depending on the item. you can search hundreds of items from across the country, but also locally.
check out some of the incredible items i found at a quick glance:
it's no secret. i love finding a great deal. whether it's saving a few cents at the gas pump, a dollar or two at the grocery store or clearance sales at the mall--my heart starts to beat faster and i can feel the endorphins pumping.
at least half of my wardrobe is from thrift stores, like the salvation army or goodwill. that includes shoes, accessories and every 'genre' of clothing: work out, casual (jeans + tshirts), fun and funky, and professional/dressy attire.
i have been a 'thrifter' for quite a few years. and i would love to share some of my strategies with you!
10. Never thrift in a rush or on an empty stomach. It's just no fun. Thrifting can be exhausting. In order to get my 'fabulous' finds, I search through basically the entire store. It can take quite a while, but it's also a stress reliever for me too. It's nice not to feel pressured to hurry, but to truly enjoy the thrifting experience!
9. If you have the time/energy, TRY IT ON. This works both ways. Sometimes a dress looks GREAT on the hanger, but when I try it on...it's most certainly a 'NO.' However, sometimes I will pick up, for example, a t-shirt in an XL (I usually wear a small/medium) and it fits great (lots of clothes at thrift stores have been washed and shrunk!)
8. Don't limit yourself to certain sizes. Like I said in #9, often clothes are labeled as a certain size but have been shrunk or stretched out by their previous owners. Sometimes (no fault of the store employees) clothes are put back in the wrong sections. I have found a few items that were my size in the completely wrong area. You never know where your 'fabulous find' is hiding!
7. Shop with an open mind. Even if you think you are looking for something in particular, you will often be surprised! You never know what treasure is hiding in the next section or row that you might have overlooked. You may just find something you never knew you needed or wanted! ;)
6. Don't just buy it because it's cheap. It's so easy to fall into this trap. Something is sorta your style, or kinda cute, and because it's 2.99, you can easily justify it to yourself. As I have matured as a 'thrifter,' I realize it's easy to grab items because they are cheap and say, I might wear this, someday. As my thrifting partner in crime, Kara, says: If you don't LOVE it, don't buy it!
5. Check the dressing room bars and 'new' item racks. I always glance to see if there are a lot of items hanging on the bar or rack right outside of the dressing rooms. Sometimes trendy shoppers have done all the hard work for me and scanned the racks for awesome pieces but they just didn't fit them. I always start there first. Also, as you become a 'frequenter,' you will notice when stores put out new items and where they go. At one of my favorite local Goodwill stores, they have two metal bars for all the new merchandise.
4. Find your favorite few stores and check back often! After visiting nearly every location of thrift stores around the area, I have found a few favorites. Most of them are close to my house (for convenience sake) and I become familiar with their inventory and specials (lots of thrift stores advertise their specials online now via Facebook or twitter or their websites!)
3. Don't forget accessories. Don't skip out on the jewelry, shoes, bags, and home decor sections. Sometimes I get so 'clothes' minded (ha) that I forget the smaller items (but they are often 'big ticket' items!) Check out the funky pattern on this Saks Fifth Avenue purse I got this weekend at Goodwill for $6.99:
2. See the potential and possible re-purposing of an item. I don't sew. So I'm totally not talking about altering an oversized shirt or hemming a pair of pants. However, Kara (thrifting partner in crime) made this adorable headband from a stretchy shirt.
And often times, I don't necessarily alter something, but just use it in another way. A prime example (which I mention in the video below) is folding a silk scarf into an adorable headband/headwrap. SO cute and SO cheap (usually no more than $1.99).
1. Set a budget. Yeah, this sounds like no fun. But sometimes, If I go in saying, I'm going to spend no more than $20.00, I won't walk out with a ton of extraneous items that I bought impulsively. Thrifting is tons of fun, but I don't let myself go crazy. :) It's actually kinda of like a game when you see how much you can get for a certain amount, like 15 or 20 bucks.
Some of my favorite thrifting finds from the last week:
my sweet chico's jeans with embellished pockets...$4.99
j c penny ruffled shirt (it's actually magenta...) $3.29
silk polka dot shirt from target (apparently i love ruffles) $3.29
i always wanted this shirt at target, but wasn't willing to pay 12 bucks.
SO i got it at Goodwill instead :) $3.29
purple gap sweater...so cozy. $3.29
Here is my television debut sharing some of my favorite finds from Goodwill...
{
-001.JPG)
-002.JPG)
.JPG)
-001.JPG)
-002.JPG)
-003.JPG)
-001.JPG)
.JPG)
