Thrifts and Gifts

Today's outfit was a combination of recently thrifted items and gifts. I found this sheer cream blouse at the Hospice Thrift this week for $2. The drape is nice and I love how tiny the collar is. Just one of those great basic pieces.

The gray pants (they're jean-like but much thinner and softer) are another great basic, given to me by my friend Julianne. Someone she knew was trying to find them a home and she took them thinking they might fit me. Turns out they fit PERFECTLY and are now the nicest pair of pants I own, brand new and very high quality from a boutique in Spain. I've been wearing them a lot lately, thanks Julianne!

For some reason I find this shot incredibly amusing. Maybe it's how I appear to be in complete denial of the fact that I have a child. Meanwhile she sits there plain as day in all her pink-striped glory pondering the quickened beeping of the strange blinking red light. Really, there's no denying such cuteness and cuteness of this magnitude can not be cropped, besides, she kinda matches bits of my patchwork leather bag ($1 from the romper rummage sale awhile back).

The GORGEOUS pinkish nude suede shoes and this really cool bracelet were swap gifts from the lovely and stylish Meg of the fashion maven. I saw the bracelet on this post along with some other pieces of jewelery that she made and commented about how much I liked it.

I was thrilled when she offered to do a swap with me for the bracelet, and even more thrilled when it showed up with these amazing shoes that she thrifted for just 3.99. They look barely worn and the suede is sooo soft!

I love the beautiful Gandhi quote and the simplicity of the bracelet which is what I was originally drawn to. I can wear it with everything and lately I have been, thanks Meg! :)

It seems I'm not the only one who is drawn to the bracelet though. Clover has taken quite the liking to it. She absolutely LOVES playing with this bracelet. I don't know what it is, but it's amazing! When she starts getting fussy now, I just take it off and hand it to her and she is instantly appeased. Meg, for that I thank you most, as it is a truly priceless gift (one that came in very handy today at the supermarket ;).

The hair was an experiment inspired by this lovely post by Milla at The Girl Who Married a Bear. I started off following the tutorial for creating the Gibson Girl hairstyle that she refers to at the end of her post, but then kinda started doing my own thing and one large hairclip, one small hair clip, one hairband, and about 8 bobbypins later this was what I ended up with.

Two more items from the Hospice Thrift this week. The bag was $2.50 and is the perfect size for carrying books and magazines. I was actually planning to go to the bookstore and buy this exact book to read on our camping trip this week. I was so excited to come across the hardback copy for $4, quite the savings! I keep wanting to start reading it, but I'm saving it for the trip.

Here's an outfit I wore earlier this week. The pleated turquoise skirt with pockets was another find from Hospice thrift for $1. I also got a like-new blue paisley sling for lugging around little Miss Clover for $3. The cool part is that I got the blouse, bag, book, skirt, and sling all for less than what the book would have cost me at the bookstore :D

These two lovelies were both gifts from family that coincidentally showed up on my doorstep on exactly the same day a few weekends ago. I came home to find the adorable vintage cardi waiting for me on my front porch, it wasn't until days later that I found out my sister-in-law scored it at a clothing swap for me.

After discovering the cardigan, seemingly left by a mysterious cardigan fairy, my mother-in-law showed up later that day with this lovely skirt that she thrifted for me. The skirt fit perfectly and twirls like a dream! I couldn't get over how perfectly the two items went together :)

And now I'll leave you with some cute overload. Clover has a skill she would like to demonstrate:

Look mom, no hands!... Could I be any prouder? :)