Nifty Thrift Picks of the Week (01.29.08)

Sharing my weekly faves from the Nifty Thrift flickr group where people post pics of their nifty thrifty finds. In other words a weekly spot for me to publicly covet the finds of others :)

safe travels

decrepit
Originally uploaded by simple moth

I can't decide which I love more... simple moth's thrift finds, or the way she photographs them.

Pillow! Pillows! Pillows!
Originally uploaded by Library Fashionista

These would be perfect for the couch of my dreams, which looks a lil' something like this :)

100% Thrifted Pick of the Week (01.28.09)

originally uploaded by trash.picker.

I am loving how trash.picker has paired these thrifted jeans with a lovely be-ribboned blouse and vintage t-strap pumps to achieve that perfect balance of laid-back and prim. I’m a huge fan of the casual/comfy-yet-interesting/stylish mode of dress and I think this outfit exemplifies that just beautifully.

The black bow ribbon and t-straps really pull the whole look together and that hint of green in the socks is a cute unexpected touch. The entire look is adorable, and being a “jeans girl” myself (dresses and skirts are fun and pretty and all, but I’ll probably always be most comfortable in a well worn pair of jeans :) I’m more than a little jealous of the great fit of this pair.

jeans at the thrift store,
originally uploaded by mbkepp.

While I do love wearing jeans, I’ll admit that I find the jeans racks in thrift stores overwhelming and daunting and usually tend to avoid them completely. I hate that you can’t really scan the rack for the “right item” to jump out like you can with other clothing items.

That long wall of denim requires time and patience for sorting through in order to turn up the hidden gems. Unfortunately, time and patience happen to be two things in short supply while thrifting with a toddler. I know you other mamas know what I’m talking about.

I’m so inspired by this wonderful ensemble though, that I’m thinking I need to get Lucas to watch Clover one of these days so I can get out on my own for some thrifting time dedicated specifically to wrestling with the dreaded jeans rack. Hmm… I do have a birthday coming up… the perfect time to cash in!

P.S. – Things have been a little crazy around here lately with friends visiting from out of town, our house in shambles due to the major kitchen expansion and remodel which finally started (woohoo!), trying to fit some science-related consulting work in, and to top it all off Clover has come down with a nasty cold of the keep-you-up-at-night sort… hence the lack of posting. Hopefully things will calm down soon and I’ll be able to find some time for blogland again!

Nifty Thrift Picks of the Week (1.22.09)

Sharing my weekly faves from the Nifty Thrift flickr group where people post pics of their nifty thrifty finds. In other words a weekly spot for me to publicly covet the finds of others :)

vintage cat eye glasses
Originally uploaded by wickedpen74

Dictionary of American Underworld Lingo
Originally uploaded by Mads Boedker

foxies
Originally uploaded by dropstitch

100% Thrifted Pick of the Week (1.20.09)

oh say can you see,
originally uploaded by http://www.flickr.com/people/26087868@N08/.

What can I say… it was a special day and I’m feelin’ the red, white, and blue ;) Not to mention, Caroline has put these basic pieces together in such a stylin’ way. The tiny floral pattern with the horizontal stripes, the blue on blue belting of the skirt, and don’t even get me started on those shoes… perfection.

Check out the 100% Thrifted flickr group for more fabulous fully thrifted outfits.

P.S. Happy Inauguration Day! Have you seen this amazing photo series yet? (found via Sally Jane Vintage)

On my wishlist...

A perfect pair of brown leather lace-up granny ankle boots:

Images: facehunter (1 & 3) and Superfantasticpicturetime (2)

Three inspiring outfits bookmarked over the past months... talk about inspiration to boot ;) I've been searching high and low for a pair for ages now.

Ah, what would thrifting be without that particular type of shoe that continues to elude? There always seems to be one, at least for me there does. These are proving to be especially elusive though, as I've come across next to none that are even the wrong size, which makes finding a pair and having them be my size seem even more daunting.

I'm pretty stubborn when it comes to this sort of thing though so I'll continue to search... refusing to give up hope. Should that change, there's always Etsy (photos link to source):

... oh so tempting!

Flower Girls

I was SO excited to receive another wonderful Milla package full of amazing goodies over the weekend! This will be my final package from Finland as she is in the midst of preparing for her big move to the States, YAY!

The thought that, in theory, I will be able to drive to visit her somewhere is pretty exciting, granted it would involve traversing a few states, but still, the route up through Northern California, Oregon, and Washington is definitely up there on the list of ideal road trips and has been officially added to my vacation to-do list!

Of course, I absolutely adored every last item she sent, which included this wonderful vintage dress:

In its current state, the dress is way baggy on me but I think it should be pretty straight forward to take in the side seams so that I can wear it on its own come Spring.

Until then, my solution is this little lacy knit cardigan acquired years ago from a local consignment shop combined with my shiny happy sequin belt from Salvos to make it appear a perfect fit! This outfit also happens to be 100% thrifted :)

The material is so soft and light, it's seriously like wearing vintage sheets! It may actually be a nightgown, I'm not sure, but I am sure that what makes it truly incredible is the hidden awesomeness that is revealed when taking a closer look at the swirly "floral" print:

Pretty psychedelic lady faces with swirling hair floating in flowers!!! Did I not tell you?!?! She knows me so well ;)

Also, my purple rose pendent from the swap I did with Skye is perfect with this dress :)

I love it! Thankyou Milla... you are the best!

P.S. As soon as this crazy warm January weather disappears, I've already put together an outfit involving that wonderful plaid wool item so stay tuned!

Nifty Thrift Picks of the Week (1.14.08)

Sharing weekly faves from the Nifty Thrift flickr group where people post pics of their nifty thrifty finds. In other words, a weekly spot for me to publicly covet the finds of others :)

prison
Originally uploaded by simple moth

Two Finds
Originally uploaded by anja louise verdugo

hobnail
Originally uploaded by simple moth

100% Thrifted Pick of the Week (1.13.09)

9 Jan 09, originally uploaded by acatofimpossiblecolour.

This week’s pick happens to be another story of a big frumpy dress happened upon by the right girl in a thrift store. While most of us probably would have passed this dress right by without a second look, kudos to Andrea for seeing its potential (though I happen to know that this girl has a bit of a thing for polka dots ;).

All it took to transform it into this vision of loveliness was a little shortening and belting. The red shoes were a really cute touch, and for me the icing on the cake is definitely the added bow in contrasting polka dots, just brilliant. I really like how it makes the solid white collar stand out. Well done Andrea, you are an inspiration!

Winter?

Can you believe it was actually warm enough to wear this yesterday? Seventy six degrees... in January?!?! A little Spring teaser I guess. I thrifted this skirt for $2.50 at the Salvation Army the same day I got my lil' denim jacket. Yay for plaid with pockets! :)

The awesome butterfly belt was a gift awhile back from the amazing queen of all things thrift-y, Apron Thrift Girl, thanks Selena! She came across it while thrifting and thought I might like it, right she was!

I finally took a picture of what I ended up doing with the paper garland I purchased at the crafts fair from my friend Julianne. Originally, I was going to string it on the curly willow branches in the corner, but they were too wispy. So I ended up hanging it above our bed instead. I love the way it frames the window.

I wore the little denim jacket when it cooled off in the evening, but for most of the day I didn't even need it.

I tell ya, this kid just can't get enough of being in front of the camera, I wonder where she gets that? ;)

A day at the park

I thrifted this little jean jacket from the Salvation Army for 5 bucks recently. It's actually a large from Gap Kids, I think it's got just the right amount of crop and it's great for layering too. (If interested, the photo links to my wardrobe remix post where full outfit details are included.)

We've been having some unusually lovely winter weather lately. It's supposed to get up to 70 degrees today and 75 tomorrow, woohoo! This was what I wore Friday afternoon when I took Clover to the park to enjoy the nice sunny day :)



We did a little self-timer photo shoot under the oaks by setting the camera on a fence post before heading up to the lake to visit the ducks and geese.

Clover is a huge fan of the swings. I think they're probably her favorite park feature.

I'm a huge fan of the hilarious static-effect that the plastic slides have on her hair :D


She's rapidly learning how to use those tiny little legs to their full potential!

My First Terrariums

I finished my first two terrariums with thrifted glass jars, a few succulents, and moss harvested from my own backyard. I'm so happy with how they turned out and definitely see more in my future :)

These curious little succulents came from The Home Depot of all places. I love the fuchsia and eggplant colors of the two on the left surrounded by the green moss. I gave this one to my friend Joey as a birthday gift.

I got the one on the right because it was particularly bizarre looking and I was interested to see what that bloom coming out of the center was going to look like, though I'm half expecting it to start singing "Feed Me Seymour" at any moment... I think I'll name her Audrey III ;)

Nifty Thrift Picks of the Week (1.07.09)

Sharing my weekly faves from the Nifty Thrift flickr group where people post pics of their nifty thrifty finds. In other words a weekly spot for me to publicly covet the finds of others :)

Originally uploaded by dominocat

Thrifted Vintage Paper Parasol
Originally uploaded by easystreetstudio

Dec. 8
Originally uploaded by Lisl S

Such lovely vintage finds, and that beautiful century old sewing machine still works!

100% Thrifted Pick of the Week (1.06.09)

Planet New Year, originally uploaded by missemma.peel.

While on the topic of New Years dresses, I wanted to share this amazingly adorable creation by missemma.peel. I see them all the time in thrift stores, cute little gems hidden within big ugly dresses. If only I had the skills, ala Andie with her prom dress in Pretty in Pink, to set them free.

Well, this gal’s obviously got the skills and was definitely looking Ravishing in Red on New Years Eve after unearthing this gem of a dress from what she describes as "a gigantuously hideous thing with puffed and tapered sleeves". With her red hair and the black accents it’s perfect, so nicely done!

Check out the 100% Thrifted flickr group for more fabulous fully thrifted outfits.

NYE Outfit Revisited

Since I didn't have time to get an outfit shot of what I wore out on New Years Eve, I decided to wear it again yesterday and take some pics. Luckily, the party we went to was casual. I would have looked a little ridiculous prancing around the Goodwill yesterday in full evening attire ;)

And what better way to ring 2009 than while wearing this little green dress, my favorite thrift find of 2008!

This coat had been hanging in my closet, unworn, since I found it at the flea market in the Spring. It was originally about 6 inches longer and had a really weird boxy shape that wasn't very flattering.

I folded the hem in on itself twice which just happened to be where the unseen zipper ended and pinned it there months ago. This brought it to just the right length, but my lack of confidence in my sewing machine operating skills and what to do about the fact that part of the hem folded up over the zipper, kept me from finishing the job.

I ended up hand sewing the folded hem to the inner lining and just stopped before the zipper so I could fold back the flap to zip the coat, this part is hidden anyway, and the stitching remains unseen. It took awhile to stitch, which is one of the reasons I didn't have time to take pictures (in true Missa form I waited till the last minute to perform the alteration). But, I love the way it turned out!

When I purchased the coat for 5 bucks, I assumed it was vintage. When I got it home and took a close look at the tag though, it struck me as more modern. A little internet sluething and I discovered that 'Elevenses' is a brand that makes vintage inspired pieces sold exclusively by Anthropologie. So, an Anthro coat for 5 bucks... not bad!

My New Years Eve...

Snuggling up by the fire with my sweeties :)

Being thoroughly entertained by the karaoke stylings of my wacky friends, and finding Ben's rendition of Carol King's It's Too Late quite delightful indeed. I was not part of the peanut gallery btw, I was busy trying to hold my camera steady while laughing silently.



Dancing,

picture taking,

midnight kissing,

and sipping champagne from a Dixie cup while savoring the greasy goodness of
a tater tot... does it get any classier?


Um... yeah, it does.

Looks pretty moist to me.

Joey, celebrating his cake aiming skills.

Clover, wondering what the heck is going on.

Such.Good.Times.