New Year.....New Focus

Well Happy New Year everybody!  

I had a WONDERFUL Christmas!  And for the first time in YEARS, I just didn't want the Christmas season to end.  It was great having all the kids home, baking, cooking, playing cards, eating junk and laughing a LOT!
But now it's time to get started on 2013 and I'm excited about that too!  While my blog has always had a prominent thrifting theme; I see that topic taking even more center stage this year.  What has started out as a hobby has become a bit of a mission.  With all my heart, I believe that we can dress EXACTLY how we want without incessant shopping or patronizing the fast fashion retailers.
Most of us know we can "make do" with thrifting, but I believe that we can also build an enviable wardrobe through 90% thrifting and 10% thoughtful retail purchases.  And while we're doing that, we're cultivating our own personal signature style, not following trends, but identifying, embracing and creating our own aesthetic.  
So, that being said, I want to start my first post of the year with just what I was talking about.  Below is what I wore yesterday and can I just say, that much to my delight, everywhere I went I just collected compliments!!  Well, my boots collected most of them!  

Dress:  Soft Surroundings, thrifted  Over the knee boots:  Jessica Simpson via TJ Maxx  Jacket:  Thrifted  Black Slip:  Vintage, thrifted   Bag:  Cynthia Rowley via TJ Maxx

I purchased these boots last Christmas on clearance at TJ Maxx for (insert drum roll here)  $56!!!!!  That's right girlies!  All leather, over the knee, high heel, corset back boots for only $56!  They absolutely elevate everything that they're paired with!!

I thrifted the dress a few months ago and wear it often as a blouse, dress, belted, loose, you name it! As you can see from here, and here, I wear it quite often.   For $4.39....it was a no brainer!

And one of my favorite things.....my new bag!  It's the only new purchase I wanted to make this year.  I'll save the story of this bag and why I think it's important to make a couple of well thought out retail purchases a year for another post.  But lemme say here and now, I. LOVE. THIS. BAG!!

I'm linking up to Patti's Visible Monday today, so please be sure to check out all the very visible looks from your friendly bloggers!

Again, I ask everyone reading this to please consider taking the "Shop Secondhand First" pledge that Bella has started.  Please take a read and while you're at it; feel free to take a look at this article on Refinery 29 regarding the fashion industry's reliance on underpaid, overworked and very often abused labor.  I simply can't, in good conscience, turn a blind eye to ramifications of  our aspirational, fashion/trend, consumer driven culture.  I truly want to be a part of the solution or at the very least, don't want to be hypocritical.

And last, but for me, not least.  I'm going to be spending more time this year working on my eBay store.  I'd be tickled to death for you to take a look!  And while you're at it, be sure to check out Bella's goodies on eBay AND Etsy.  And Terri has some fabulously fun pieces on eBay that you won't want to miss!

A small closet = BIG opportunity!

A recent move and closet down sizing has prompted Patti to reexamine her wardrobe and making the most of what she has.  

Believe it or don't, I have less closet space in our modern condo than in our historical cottage! Ohs noes, I shall have to edit the wardrobe yet some more. And the old one-in, one-out rule will still apply unless I can find a way to freeze-dry my clothing and then just add hot water to revive it! (Remember freeze-dried coffee? So cool at the time).  (source)

While initially, a smaller closet may seem cause for some serious concern; there is a pretty bright silver lining! How much of what we have in our closets are we really over the moon about?  Can we open the door to our wardrobes and smile at what we see there?  And the biggest question:  How much of what's in there do we actually wear?

The reality is that it's better to have 10 things that you LOVE to wear and feel fabulous in than 50 items that are uninspiring.  

So, on that note, when I came across this dress at a recent yard sale, I was all set to list it in my store.  Not believing it would fit, but curious, I tried it on and WOW!  I just love it....the shape, the black & white scheme, the pattern....all of it makes for a piece that makes me smile grin!


I initially tried it on as a dress and MAN!  was that thing short!  At least for me!  And while my husband does love my legs and loves for me to show them, I just don't think I'd be comfortable risking showing sooooo much more!
Paired here with J Crew leggings and flats, it feels very gamine (something I'm really not!).  

And shown here with my favorite black leather skirt (thrifted) and suede boots that I got in a recent swap with my daughter, I changed it up a bit by pairing it with a thin leather belt (thrifted).


For years now, I've been saying that I could make an entire wardrobe out of black and white and still keep it interesting.  Pieces like this make it easy!

And I just can't help but mention that I don't have $5 in this whole outfit! 

 The skirt was thrifted at a church clothing drive that I helped with and I paid $1 for the dress at a yard sale about a month ago.  The details on it are amazing....truly a boutique piece!

Same dress.....different day

In yesterday's post, I wore this thrifted dress as a long top over black leggings and boots.  Today, I wanted to show another way that I wore this within the past couple of weeks.  

Worn with a slip (this dress is REALLY sheer!), an ivory scarf from my husband and my Nine West high heel boots....


On my way out, I threw on a dark wash denim jacket that I've had for about 10 years!  It's still fabulous!!

I can also picture wearing this as a dress again with my over the knee black boots and a black tuxedo jacket.  A perfect date outfit!

It's so much fun to come up with different ways to wear a piece that I love!

EB: What I'm Loving In My Store Now

Vintage Oxblood Sweater

This sweater just makes my heart happy!  It's vintage and in oxblood, the fab color of the season right now!   The embroidery is just magnificent and what can I say?  It was love at first sight!   By the way, check out Bella in her oxbloody fabulousness!

Seychelles Booties

Well Helllllloooooo Lovah!  I just ADORE these booties!!!  And truth be told, they'd be in my closet to stay if they weren't just a tad too big.  I imagine them paired with tights and worn with EVERYTHING!!  You know who does the bootie thang better than anyone I know?  Patti!!!  Check out her bootie-liciousness here, here, and here!

 Sweet Vintage 80s Pastel Blouse

Oh the sweetness!  When I came across this blouse, I just knew I had to get it.  The pastel like colors, the double breasted look, the virginal collar......it all just WORKS!  I imagine styling it with a pair of wide leg jeans.  Or maybe a pair of dark gray cigarette pants and some pointy toe heels.  I also envision skinny jeans and boots and a leather jacket to toughen it up a bit...like a good girl gone bad!  You know who I think of when I see this?  Shey!  Shey has a way of doing  sweet and still keeping it grown up looking....even.....dare I say SEXY?    That's what I see in this blouse:  girl and woman combined!

I'll share more of my other favorites soon, but in the meantime, feel free to check out my store.  I'm running a sale right now, and I also offer a best offer option on all my listings!  

By the way, please be sure to check out Terri's listings !  This BCBG cardigan dress/duster is heavenly!  I can see it with a great slip underneath and belted or even worn open over jeans and boots and a tee!  Or what about these Betancourt flats?!  LOVE them with a pair of cigarette pants or a pencil skirt and sweater!  Completely classic!

You can also check out Ms Bella!  She's letting go some of her fabulous finds, and how great are these platform sandals?  I think these would be so cool with sweater tights and a midi skirt!  

Big love and hugs to you all!

You Should Be Dancing.....YEAH!

Music and dancing have been a part of my life since I was a little girl.  I don't mean dance like ballet.  I'm talking free style, get your groove on, can't stop this train, my my my boogie shoes dancing!  I LOVE TO DANCE!!!

And if you think YOU might like dancing, but feel a bit timid or self conscious; I might be able to help! For  your dancing education and pleasure, I'm supplying you with some of my favorites with a bit of instruction with each.   Don't even THINK about how you look.  Trust me.  You look FABULOUS!

Just play along and you'll see what I mean!

1.  Word Up by Cameo
     To Do:  Hit the play button and then just stand in front of your computer.  Don't intentionally move, just see what parts of your body start moving when the music plays!  I defy you to listen to this and NOT move!!  And around the 3:40 mark is when you may even come unglued!  (Telling on myself here!)

2.  To Be Real by  Cheryl Lynn
     To Do:  Okay, with this one, it's all about the lip sync!  You don't just listen to or dance to this song....you PERFORM it!!  Your turn!  (Doing some desk dancing with this one!)

3.  Pumped Up Kicks by Foster the People
     To Do:  Okay, with this one.....don't even get up out of your chair.  As I'm sitting listening to this one, it's all in the shoulders....a variation on the shimmy, you know what I mean?  Just get your shoulders into the beat and BAM!  You're there!

4. Got to Give it Up by Marvin Gaye
     To Do:  This one's all about the feet!  It just makes you want to shuffle a bit!

or maybe this'll show you what I mean!

5.  September by Earth Wind & Fire
     To Do:  I've saved the best for last!  The greatest band EVER!  I got to see them in concert with my sweet husband a couple of summers ago and I've got to tell you:  It was an almost spiritual experience!  You don't HEAR EWF's music.  You FEEL it.  You EXPERIENCE it!  But here.  See for yourself and this is a total dance free for all!

Okay, I know I said that was the last one, and it was as far as the dance lesson.  HOWEVER, one of my favorite lines from a song is from Dancing in the Moonlight by King Harvest.

"We like our fun and we never fight

You can't dance and stay uptight

It's a supernatural delight"

I wholeheartedly agree!!

Scarves & Jewelry: Combining the Two

So as I'm taking pictures of a slew of scarves that I'm now selling in my store, it occurred to me to combine my favorite new necklace (the large cuff necklace at the top of the picture below....thrifted for $5!) and this gorgeous silver scarf.  The scarf itself seemed like jewelry to me, so to combine them just seemed so natural.  I think it makes for a GREAT statement look - the perfect way to add some drama to a neutral outfit!

Start with........

These are all of the ones I own.  I inherited the bottom two from my mother.  I rarely wear them, and now I'm wondering why!? 

* Side Note:  Don't we all have things we love in our closet or jewelry box that, for some obscure reason, we never wear them?  I'm making it a point to pull those things out and actually wear them and not just love them from afar!

Dress up a basic black dress with a touch of drama.  Of course, you could use any scarf you have.  Long rectangle scarves work best for this....to keep it a bit more casual, you could use a really colorful or whimsical scarf.

The scarf can be knotted around the neck cuff in a variety of ways. 

Simply folded in half and draped over the middle.

Wrapped around a couple of times and then tied in a square knot.

Use that same square know and double back the scarf ends to form a fluffy bow.

Don't want it draping down the front?  Why not wrap a silk scarf around your neck cuff and then tie off in the back?  

Of course, the neck cuff need not even show.  Use a large square scarf  and gather one end and drape over the front of the cuff.  Pull it down as much as you want for a bib effect.  You can then cinch the waist, like I've shown in the picture....or you can tuck it into a skirt or slacks.  I've shown this worn OVER a cashmere blend top, but you can wear it with nothing underneath (just be sure to cinch it firmly enough that the girls stay put!)

Put a jacket over it and you've got a peplum-ish look.  It's also a great way to take advantage of the great prints scarves offer without the price of a full silk print blouse! 

And finally, for now, tie your scarf like a men's necktie around your cuff necklace.  I used my thinner necklace that is actually shaped to lay flat on the neck.  

The more gorgeous scarves I find, the more I want to use them, but wearing them around my neck just gets too hot!  As Pam can tell you, scarves are a great way to get more mileage from the basics that you have and mix things up in your wardrobe.  I rarely see her without a scarf and she ALWAYS looks immaculately well dressed!

So please let me know if you give this a shot!  It's given me a renewed motivation to think outside the box where my scarves are concerned!

By the way, everything in my store is 20% off right now!

Can you REALLY machine wash leather???

From my recent experience, I'd say YES!*

A couple of months ago, I sold a gorgeous suede skirt through my store and the buyer sent me an email letting me know that, because she is allergic to perfumes, she washes EVERYTHING even her suede and leather skirts.  WHAT?  How can that be?  Everyone knows that you have to go the dry cleaner to get those skins cleaned!

Well, Kris (the buyer) was kind enough to elaborate on how she launders her leather.

     I always just use Murphy's Oil Soap.  If you haven't used it before, you can usually find it at 
     Walmart and at hardware stores.  Some grocery stores carry it.  My skirt is in the washer 
     right now.   I just use a couple of tablespoons or so.  Then I throw most things in the dryer and 
     iron them if necessary.

I couldn't believe it could be that easy, but really wanted to give it a try.  I have 3 Coach purses that have absolutely taken a beating and looked pretty bad.  Spots, coffee spills, and a stain of unknown origin on the smallest one that was actually thrifted.  I had tried everything,  leather cleaner, polish and they still looked REALLY bad.  Furthermore,  NOTHING could take that spot out of the the small Coach satchel.  

Having nothing to lose, my purses being unusable,  I started with my bright pink leather Coach purse.  I figured I couldn't make the bag look worse than it already did.  (I want to insert here that the older Coach handbags hold up much nicer than the newer ones, in my opinion.    I even purchased the Coach leather cleaner and it didn't help my pink bag that I purchased new for almost $300!)

The Experiment 

I put about 1/4 cup of Murphy's Oil Soap into the washing machine and put it on the gentle cycle.  I closed my eyes, clinched my teeth and dropped in the purse!   I was so surprised when I took it out and it looked fine, even BETTER with it still being wet.  The real test was yet to come.  The dryer.    I loaded up the dryer with a few towels and jeans to buffer the purse while it was being tossed around and set the dryer on the most delicate setting.  I decided to dry it just long enough for the inside fabric lining to dry.

I took it out while the leather was still damp and hung the bag on the back of a chair.  It air dried the rest of the way.

I can't tell you my surprise when I took the purse out and not only was it unharmed, but what an improvement!!!  So then I decided to do the next two together since they're both brown.

This brown Coach bag was already pretty worn when I received it as a very generous hand me down from a friend.  And that's cool, because in my opinion, good leather just gets better the more it's used. But it's the stains, water spots and fading that I just can't deal with.

This is the one I thrifted and can you see that?  Big greasy stain is nowhere to be seen!

The Final Step

My husband made a suggestion that turned out to be the crowning touch to the whole experiment.  He suggested that I saturate the bags in furniture polish (I always use furniture polish to clean a leather chair and ottoman that we have in our living room), and let it soak in.  Again, I was a bit apprehensive expecting all kinds of spots, but I covered the entire bag with the polish, rubbed in as much as I could and let just let it all soak in.

Worked like a charm!  Now it feels like I have 3 new bags!!  I have yet to try this with my suede and leather skirts, but I have a small suede skirt that I thrifted just for the leather to use in a project.  I'm thinking this will be my experimental skirt.  I'll let you know how it turns out!

Simple Instructions

1. Totally clean out contents of your bag
2. Set washer to gentle cycle, pour in about 1/4 cup of Murphy's Oil Soap (amount depends on size of bag).
3. Drop bag in, close lid and go have a drink to calm your nerves!
4. When washing is completed, remove bag and place in dryer along with a few other fluffy items that you don't have to worry about any fading.
5. Set dryer to the gentlest setting and keep checking about every 10 minutes, JUST until the fabric lining dries.  If there's no lining, just eye ball your bag and take it out when the leather is still damp but not soaked.
6. Reshape if needed and hang to dry.
7. When your bag is completely dry, spray the entire bag with a good furniture polish (Pledge?) and  gently rub in all over.  
8. Once again, hang to dry to allow the polish to set in.
9. ENJOY!

*Disclaimer:  This worked for me, but I can't guarantee these results for everyone who may try this.  Please launder your leather at your own risk.  Start out with something that is pretty much unusable to begin with. 

And speaking of leather, I've got some leather goodies in my store right now!  Be sure to check out the leather cross body bag that I just found!  It's like BUDDAH!

Vlog: Microdermabrasion Review

I wanted to let all of you know how the Microdermabrasion facial went last week.  It's such a girly thing to talk about that I decided to do this post as a video blog.  This is completely unedited, so while it's not real polished, think of it as just you and me just chit chatting!  By the way, I thought I could do this in about 2 minutes, but I'm such a stinkin' talker, I ate up 6 minutes!!!





I've got a couple of things that I'd like to blog about this week that your comments generated.  You all such interesting and varied make up routines that it made me think of the whole philosophy behind cosmetics.  I'd love to explore that a bit.  Also, as I mention in the video, I had my brows done through a method called threading that I want to tell all of you about, if it's unfamiliar to you.  I had never heard of it before I moved here, but it's FABULOUS and incredibly interesting!

So, until next time, much love to you all for stopping by!  Group hug girlies!

***Meaningless Numbers***

Silk blouse:  Thrifted and chopped off the arms, Skirt:  Thrifted, Shoes:  Lela Rose for Payless via eBay

I found this skirt at a new favorite local thrift store.  I saw it on the racks on a couple of visits and finally decided to just get it to sell because it has such great details....side zips that go all the way up the thigh, a great stretchy fabric and tailored seams.  It's a size 2, so as much as I loved it, I was fixated on the size.  But as I was in the dressing room trying on some other things, I eye balled the skirt laying in my cart and thought, "MAN!  I swear that looks like it would fit me!" and so I went for it and braced myself for a few moments of sweating, pulling, grunting and possible tears!

But guess what!?  BAM!  FABULOUSNESS was born!!!  It fit so great that I knew it was meant to be
AND an object lesson was learned.....

FORGET ABOUT SIZES.....THEY MEAN NOTHING

Perusing my closet, you'd find everything from 2 to 16 and everything in between!  That size 2 no more makes me tiny than the size 16 makes me full figured!  I'm just me and those sizes just don't mean a thing!  Makes you wonder why we put so much significance on a number, eh?  

~Everything old is new again....

Vintage Dress...Thrifted and sleeves altered

Liz Claiborne Sweater, Chico's belt (inherited from my fabulous mom!)

Two of my favorite bloggers who wear vintage almost every day are Vintage Vixen and Pull Your Socks Up.  They are so adept at being as comfortable in vintage as most Americans are in jeans and tee shirts!  While my own personal style is no where as adventurous as theres; I must say that my passion for vintage is growing.  For a number of reasons, actually:


Vintage connects the past to the present.  My vintage clothes remind me that someone in generations before me felt lovely in our shared article.   And in that partnership, I feel connected to the past.


Vintage gets back to the basics.  What is it that most women want, in terms of style?  I think it's to feel pretty. To express themselves, to be sure.  But don't we all love FEELING pretty, even if we're the only ones who think we are?!  Vintage clothes are an ode to being pretty, because they cut through political correctness and feminism and give us permission to just be pretty - no explanations needed!


Vintage is dress up!  Like dressing up in your mom's clothes when you were a little girl and feeling so glamourous in them.  Vintage allows me to play dress up without my brain saying, "Oh please Serene!  Just grow up already!!" I am grown up!  I'm wearing this to my grown up job, thank you very much!


Vintage is current.  And this really is the most important.  With so much "vintage inspired" like Modcloth and Anthropologie, why not just go for the real thing?  Modcloth and Anthro have such beautiful pieces!  I go in an Anthropologie store and just revel in all the beauty of EVERYTHING in the store EXCEPT the prices!  When I have picked up so many gorgeous vintage pieces for a song, why go broke buying inspired when I can eat well and look pretty wearing authentic?


My next post, I'm going to give some practical tips on wearing vintage and some bloggers to check out who really master this.  What I'm wearing above is a little black dress that I finally rescued from the local Hospice Thrift store after seeing it neglected and looked over during several visits.  I shortened the sleeves and funkeyed it up a bit and it's an absolute favorite!