Blue, Green, and Gray

The only non-thrift items in this outfit are my olive green tank (layered under the blouse) and gray socks. The main pieces (other than the hat which you've seen before) were all scored half-off on Friday at the Salvation Army. Here's the break down:


I had been on the lookout for a secretary style blouse for awhile and as far as what I was hoping to find, this one pretty much has it all. Gray is a favorite, so the color is perfect. It has a lovely sheerness and drapey quality that I like. Most of all, I love that even with the wonderful feminine details like the puffed sleeves and the ruffled collar, it's not too frilly. (cost: $2)

The little coat is a perfect spring cover up. It's actually Liz Lange Maternity for Target. I love the way it fits though. It also has wonderful details like the peter pan collar, the fabric covered buttons, and the gathering. Most of all, I love that it has pockets! (cost: $2)


I couldn't believe it when I spotted these boots. I'd been wanting a pair of combat style boots ever since I saw this picture in an old issue of Lula magazine. They look black, but close up and in the sun, you can see that they are actually a very dark green. (cost: $2.50)


Dickies carpenter pants are just an all around great basic that can pretty much go with anything and I really like the way these fit. (cost: $3.75)

It seems obvious now, but not until I got everything home did it even occur to me that all of these pieces could be worn together. Not bad for just over ten bucks!

Nifty Thrift Picks of the Week (4.14.08)

Sharing my weekly faves from the Nifty Thrift flickr group where people post pics of their nifty thrifty finds:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/76982768@N00/2398494757/
Originally uploaded by joulesstar

Vintage suitcases are one of those items that seem to be on every thrifter's wish list, thus making them increasingly difficult to find. Not only are they beautiful to look at, evoking travel images of a more glamorous era, but functional too, both for travel or as home storage containers, and they look particularly nice stacked in groups. So many things make this case especially covetable: the size, the shape, the color, the perfectly worn decals... spectacular find!

feedsack baking cups
Originally uploaded by Oliveark

If you saw last weeks picks, you are probably now on to the fact that I'm pretty much stoked on anything cupcake-related and have been from a very young age. These wonderful baking cups are no exception. I love how the little patterns really do look like old feedsack cloth and they bring back wonderful memories of birthdays gone by! Yes, that was me :)

Reading Charm
Originally uploaded by land bridge

The Girl Reading Book charm on this $2 Goodwill bracelet is just too sweet for... well... words. As a kid, I loved going to the library. I can still recall the seemingly endless rows of books, how their spines crackled when I opened them, and the slight musty scent of their pages. I can't wait until Clover is old enough to appreciate books as so much more than just something to chew on. Since becoming pregnant, passing by the public library now sets off romantic notions in my head about what it will be like to take my daughter there and get to experience it all over again through her.

Sacks

The new window displays are up at Sacks. Fantastic as usual. The theme of the first window is Vintage and the second is Art. I know they are a bit difficult to see with all the reflection, but the close up shots below turned out better, and for fun you can play "find Missa" in the reflections : ) hint: I'm wearing a white knit hat w/ two stripes and a pom pom.

The Vintage window is my favorite. Lots of neat old stuff and that sewing machine is pretty incredible. The pics can be enlarged for a better view.

The cover of this book is absolutely beautiful and the teeny floral painting would be a perfect addition to my budding collection of small paintings. I'll have to go back and see if anyone has reserved it yet.

You've just gotta love Vintage House Wife in her heels and pearls, vacuum in one hand... empty martini glass in the other... ahh, simpler times...

...and I do believe that IS the buffalo stance being thrown down by Chic Parisian Girl... aww yeah.

The Necklace

Today I am wearing my all-time favorite piece of thrifted jewelry. I spotted this necklace a couple of years ago in a case at the VNA Hospice thrift store. I like its short length and the pendant is so sweet and unique with a gold-on-black image of a girl in what appears to be a night gown, kneeling down to pick flowers with a little butterfly hovering just above her shoulder. I think I only paid about a dollar fifty for it.

Color Me Champagne

I found this lovely floral frock and pair of vintage shoes at the Welfare League thrift store last week. The dress was half off, so $2.50, and the shoes were $4.00. I really like the floral pattern and the muted tones of the dress. The shoes are slightly metallic but not too shiny and of course those little tie thingies are what make them so cute.

The dress is a little big on me so layering it over the turtleneck worked well and helped with the fact that it was a chilly day. Wearing it with my thrifted black boots and vintage denim coat gave it a more casual feel.

In keeping with the color them, I spotted this fantastic window display down the street from the thrift store:

Isn't she magnificent? It's like Jodi Foster in Taxi Driver meets a gilded Little Miss Muffet... brilliant! And, yes... those are pearls and a rubber chicken around her neck. I love it!

Nifty Thrift Picks of the Week (4.07.08)

Sharing my weekly faves from the Nifty Thrift flickr group where people post pics of their nifty thrifty finds:

Tell me how much you love this
Originally uploaded by catslye

Loving this sweet little capelet found at a Goodwill. The color is perfect and Ooh... those buttons!

green t-straps
Originally uploaded by Ramonah

I am crazy about these vintage t-strap pumps. So stylish, yet they look super comfy and would be absolutely perfect with that little capelet!!!

Tiny Pink Dancers
Originally uploaded by littlepinkstudio

The only thing better than a chocolate cupcake with cream cheese frosting would have to be a chocolate cupcake with cream cheese frosting, topped off with one of these lovely little pink ballerinas. Yummm...

Bric-A-Brac

noun: miscellaneous objects and ornaments of little value.
- ORIGIN French, from obsolete à bric et à brac ‘at random’.

While I do love the clothes, nothing beats browsing through the Bric-A-Brac section at a thrift store. I think this is because the essence of thrifting is really all about the hunt and those moments when you find that random item, "of little value" to someone else, that just makes your heart sing. It's that rush of realizing the overlooked value in something and getting it for cheap that keeps us thrifters coming back. It wouldn't be as fun if we didn't have to search through all kinds of weird crap to find these items... that's why we call them treasures.

Anyway, my point is that with clothes there is still the searching through crap part, even more so as it requires physical labor on the part of the thrifter. However, in the end you know that you will end up with a shirt or a dress or whatever type of clothing is hanging on the rack you are wrestling with. In the Bric-A-Brac section however, the possibilities are virtually endless and all laid out for you to leisurely gaze upon. It's the never knowing what you will find aspect, the "à bric et à brac" if you will, that adds to the excitement.

While taking these shots for my Easter post, I discovered the joy of photographing Bric-A-Brac. So I went back to the Salvation Army with my camera:

And not only does Bric-A-Brac make fun fodder for still photography, check out this little gem:

Oh, those Dapper-Dressed Rabbits, they steal my heart every time...

I ♥ Pramare´ Girls & Grasshoppers

4.02.08, originally uploaded by thriftcandy.

I found the most wonderfully worn in 80's T-shirt (SO soft AND the perfect size) in a drawer full of 50 cent T-shirts at the Welfare League thrift store. I love the color and the graphic is way cool... those Pramare´ Girls totally rule! Oh, and get this... it was half off day, so yeah...25 cents!!! Best quarter I ever spent... new fav.

But the best thing about the T-shirt really is that it goes great with my new plaid Keds grasshoppers from the Salvation Army ($4). Can I just tell you how in LOVE I am with these shoes? I'm leaving my husband for them... just kidding Lucas... but I really am quite enamored with them. How one pair of shoes can contain so much cuteness, I'll never know.

Speaking of cuteness... it appears Clover, in her thrifted matching dress, loves them too :)

Random Coolness

St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Store Mural

Originally uploaded by Kevin D. Hendricks

Found this awesome Minneapolis thrift store mural on flickr, for additional photos click on the link to Kevin D. Hendricks photostream, also here.