Old and New

This post is about all things old, new & new to me things! I have a lot of clothing items that are old, meaning I've had them for more than 4 years give to take, not like high school old. If you still have some of the clothes you wore in high school ( you know who you are) get rid of them!! Nothing good can come of keeping it!

I love buying timeless pieces that can carry over into multiple seasons & last year after year. You can even make some trendy pieces last many years if you buy the right ones. I bought a pair of black skinny jeans about 6 years ago at Ross on clearance for $9. I still wear them all the time & they haven't gone out of style.

So this outfit I choose to wear out to lunch with my parents in hopes it old pull me out of my sick funk was a perfect mix of new & old.

Green cardigan -OLD-the clothing swap last year
Feather long sleeve shirt-NEW to me-Goodwill
Dark Skinny Jeans-NEW to me-Goodwill
Booties-OLD-Macy's clearance 2 years ago
Coach cross body bag-NEW Christmas present from my sweet hubby along with a matching IPad case & wallet he picked out all by himself!

FYI if a cute outfit, curled hair & lunch with some of your favorite people doesn't make all your cruddy sickness go away you might need to go to the doctor, bleh! Not how I wanted to spend my New Year's Eve but what is a girl to do?! So for now Thrift on thriftygrls!!
P.s. if you have a super cute outfit you found at a thrift store please email me I would love to have a guest blogger post about their cute thrifty finds!

Year End Wrap Up

Wow has it already been a year since we started this crazy challenge?! Yes it has, one long, crazy challenging year. Not only did we start the "thriftygrlchallenge" but I started a blog, which happened to be more challenging than I thought!

My sisters & I started this "thriftygrlchallenge" a year ago & we did it!! We got creative & stuck with it to see it through. Even my older sister Marie who found out she was pregnant, started shopping at consignment stores for maternity clothes!!

I had someone ask me if I was able to save a lot of money, my answer is yes & no. I would answer yes because being able to get name brand tops & a pair of name brand jeans for $20 at Goodwill is more than I would've got at a regular store even from a good clearance rack. I answered no because I just found other things to spend the money I saved on! Ha ha
However I love how my style has changed! I feel like my style really reflects who I am now & that is how every woman should feel when you get dressed every day!

So the "thriftygrlchallenge" is officially over but not forgotten. We have decided to continue with it for the most part but if I want to buy a $6 perfect yellow color sweater from Old Navy at an after Christmas sale I will and/or have!! Besides it was fun and I think it will be more fun when we don't have any specific rules to follow. I will continue my blog. I hope to only improve my entires & to post more, which is a lot easier to do with my Christmas present!

So for now I leave you with the outfits that didn't make it into a blog post! Thrift on thriftygrls!!!

Goodwill Hunting

Since I started the "thriftygrlchallenge" blog, I have had a lot of people ask to go thriftiness with me. So a couple of Sundays ago some friends & I decided to take a field trip after church to a Goodwill we had never been too. We picked one of the Goodwill stores in Atlanta which is about a 30-45 min drive for us but totally worth the trip!

There were about 5 of us that went and some of us brought our daughters. We had a blast! We helped each other look for stuff and helped each other pick out outfits!

I had a list made up of a few items I was looking for. One of which happened to be a tweed jacket. I have been searching Goodwills & thrift stores for a few months now looking for the perfect one. I had even looked at this Goodwill & had no luck. While I was waiting in line for the dressing room m good friend LB yelled across the store to me & held up the most beautiful piece of clothing. There it was the perfect tweed jacket!!! I had totally overlooked it!

I have worn that jacket twice in this week already! I seriously love this jacket!!! I can dress it up or go casual but I am still looking chic & polished!!! If I hadn't gone with a group of girls I would've missed out on some good times but also my jacket! Two sets of eyes are always better than 1 especially when you are shopping for thrifty finds! Nobody left Goodwill that day empty handed. We are already planning our next trip!

Oh so denim

I LOVE denim! It really is a very versatile fabric. You can always dress it up or dress it down.
On a recent day I decided to really test this theory and wear it to work. So I got my denim shirt as seen here 2012 and paired it with a pair of trousers or work pants as I like to call them.

 I really don't know why I waited so long to do this. Lately I've really been trying to mix up my "work" wardrobe. Something like this denim shirt looks nice but it is still comfy. Therefore I have a better day because I'm not uncomfortable in some stuffy outfit. Well at least that's my reasoning.

 skinny trousers: Express on clearance about 3 years ago; denim shirt: Walmart 2 years ago on clearance; purse: Flea Market in Sea Haven, CT; shoes:bought by my hubby on our 1st date( he knew the way to my heart) on clearance at Target.

I know I've said this before but it is amazing how creative and stylish you can get with your wardrobe when you just recycle and reuse your same clothes you already have. I love my style now more.

Fall

Wow it really has been almost a month since my last post! After being off work for a week and completely unplugging I am feeling pretty good!  I was lucky enough to spend some time at the beach this past weekend and some time with family. It is stuff that is good for the soul you know?!

This week I sat down with a friend and she said it's something about the fall, with the leaves changing that makes you kind of want to turn over a new leaf and start new. I totally agree & Fall is one of my favorite seasons!!! I love the summer but when it comes to an end I am not sad to see it go because I know it's boot season!!!! Not to mention it means pumpkin spice lattes make their appearance on the coffee scene! I am a true fan of anything pumpkin but that is a topic for another day.

Today we are going to talk about Fall in Georgia. Sometimes we get a good cold front and sometimes we are left with summer. Try wearing boots in the summer temps it ain't pretty people I don't care if it is Thanksgiving . Luckily we have had a hint of some cooler temps and so boot wearin ain't been so bad.

I have needed some new inspiration in my wardrobe so I took a trip to the Goodwill. I got lucky and found some really cute pieces. One of which I wore today with some boots to church.

Top- NY & Company $4.94

Jeans- Old Navy skinny from about 2 years ago
Boots-Bass Outlet from about 3 yrs ago


Can you tell alot of my clothes are ones I've had from forever?!! However one piece I am wearing is something that is very special to me. My mother in law gave me that cuff, it belonged to her mother. It is a copper cuff and it is absolutely gorgeous!
So there you have it, a few new pieces from the Local Goodwill & I have new inspiration for  my Fall wardrobe!

Southern Chic

 I had wanted a Gingham print shirt for about a year before I actually got one. I had seen one in the J crew outlet and I patiently waited for it to be on sale. So a year later the same gingham shirt in the Jcrew outlet was still more than I wanted to pay for any shirt. It was only like $36, but still that is way more than I want to pay for any shirt. Every time I go in there I would look at it and all the other button up shirts around it would be 15% off but not that one! So when I walked into the Bass outlet last September and they had one on sale with an additional 20% off I finally bought my gingham shirt.

 I wore an outfit to work this week that I have seen in many different variations on Pinterest.  I paired my gingham shirt with a black bubble skirt I scored at Wal-Mart of all places years ago. I only paid $5 for it and no I am not ashamed of shopping the clearance racks at Wal-Mart, just sayin!

Gingham shirt-Bass Outlet $17

Bubble Skirt-Wal-Mart $5

Shoes-Goodwill $6

 

I got so many compliments at work on my outfit. It really makes a girls day, ya know?! One co-worker said I looked very "Southern Chic",  I like that term! I did feel like I could go watch a SEC football game and look every bit of a southern bell. Only thing is my team colors are Red & Black so this outfit won't work for my team!!

GO Dawgs!!!

Edgy

So remember when I said I went on a road trip to unclaimed baggage but ended up doing better at the Goodwill in the town? Today I'm going to show you how accessories can give an extra ump to any outfit.

 While at the Goodwill I lucked up and found these really cute belts for $2. One particular one kind of reminded me of something Carrie off Sex in the City would wear so I bought it. It has bronze studs & is every bit of " edgy". For $2 it was worth buying & finding something to wear it with. Doing the "thriftygrlchallenge" I've had to learn how to use accessories! It has made such a difference in my wardrobe.

I have actually been able to wear it with more things than I thought. With in the past 2 weeks at work I've work it twice! Once with pants and once with a dress that I got at a certain Clothes Swap.

 Multi colored shirt-  GAP clearance last Christmas-$6 this might work also Multi colored shirt
Navy Ann Taylor Trousers- Goodwill-$4.92 I refuse to put a link to the real price because I only buy my work pants at Goodwill. They are so cheap & just like new!
Belt- Goodwill $2

Dress- Target Free via Clothes Swap
Wedges-Vera Wang for Kohl's clearance last year- $13

So there you have it...work style with a little edge!!! I can't help but feel sassy with that belt on!

P.S. I don't put links with comparable prices because I would like to encourage you to look at a Thrift store first for an item you might be hunting. Then go to retail stores as a last resort! You really do find plenty of good items you just have to be willing to look!

Confession

I have a dirty little secret that I have to tell you....
I have cheated on the "thriftygrlchallenge". It only took me 7 months! Here's how it all went down...

I was shopping at the outlet malls with my kids & sister. My sister wanted to go into Banana Republic outlet so we did. Then I saw it an awesome wrap dress on the clearance rack for...$12!!!!!!!!! I took it in the dressing room just to see if it would look as good as I had hoped it would. Of course it did. It fit perfectly, even better than I could imagined!! It hid what it needed to hide and hugged what it needed to hug! To say it fit like a glove would be an understatement!

I made a decision to just buy it. It would be a great investment and it was only $12!! That is how I am justifying it no matter how wrong it was! I am only human here people and that is the reality of this challenge. We all have things that are our cryptonite & Banana Republic Outlet clearance happens to be one of mine!


Dress- $11.97 Banana Republic outlet:; shoes-$5.94 Nine West from goodwill

So one of my coworkers told me it wasn't really cheating because I got it at such a good price! I feel guilty about it anyways so I am going to not tempt myself anymore! I will be sticking to the "thriftygrlchallenge" for the rest of this year! I have gotten so much out of it and I am proud of us for making it this far!! So what do you think Worth the cheating?!!!!                                                      

Which Cost More

In the summer when I was growing up I use to LOVE watching the Price Is Right. My favorite games was the one where you had to guess which one cost more.

When I was getting ready for church today I kind of had my own little version of that game. I recently went on a day trip to a lovely place called Unclaimed Baggage with a friend. I came away with more things for my kids than I did myself but I really racked up at the Goodwill down the street. I know crazy to think we drove 3 hours through mountain roads just to end up at Goodwill but it was worth the trip!! I guess I'm just a hardcore thrifter like that!

One of my favorite items was a snakeskin printed dress & a pink belt that I wore today. I paired them with a pair of Pewter wedges that I got at another store I LOVED to shop in BTGC ( before thriftygrlchallenge) but now only go in for their shoes. They have the best deals on shoes as you are about to find out.

So here's the game Guess Which One Cost more: The Dress, the belt or the Shoes...

Dress- $5.50- Goodwill

Belt- $2.00- Goodwill

Shoes- $13.00-Rugged Warehouse

So if you guessed the shoes you were right!!

Still I'm pretty excited about a whole outfit costing $20!! I Love Thrifting!

Re-Cycle

When I was planning my wedding,  I knew from day one I had to wear Hot Pink Satin Peep Toe heels. I love hot pink and I was really excited to find the perfect shoes to match what I had in mind. So I started searching everywhere and after about 2 weeks of online searching and store searching I found them

and here they are in their debut

I love those shoes! I really wanted to wear them again but didn't know how to pull them off without being too formal or looking like I was going to the club. If you know what I mean?! Then I saw this pic on Pinterest  (the most wonderful website EVER)

Pinterest Outfit

And it gave me an idea for an outfit where I could re-cycle these shoes back into my wardrobe!  I have a striped shirt almost just like that I got on clearance after Christmas before "thriftygrlchallenge" or BTGC.

striped sweater-ON, jeans- old, heels-re-cycled wedding shoes

I didn't wear the jacket because it is about 100 degrees here in Georgia right now. However I am looking forward to the Fall when I can add the jacket for yet another chance to  re-cycle these heels!

Little Blue Dress

So I just had a b'day & I got a little spending money. I made it go as far as I could but one item I was the most excited about. A little blue dress from Old navy that only cost $15. It is the softest t-shirt material and can be worn with wedges or flat sandals depending on the occasion. You know I love a versatile piece of clothing.

One such occasion I wore it was in Savannah, Ga on a little trip with my husband. I wore it to dinner with some flat sandals becuase I knew we would be walking on River street & I wanted to be comfy.  My "LBD" (little blue dress)was a perfect outfit for dinner & walking down river street at Sunset.

dress- Old Navy $15 of b'day money,
necklace- Into Navy also seen here

View from River Streett in Savannah

into navy

So this year the color Navy has been EVERYWHERE! You can see it in all the home decorating magazines & fashion magazines. I have caught the bug as well. There's nothing more classic to me than the color Navy & it really seems to be the new black for summer & spring.

I live about 30 miles south of Atlanta. I love going to the city for any number of reasons but on a specific day a couple of weeks ago a friend asked me to go to the Goodwill in Atlanta. I think there are a couple but the one we went to was off of Buford highway. This friend has been there before and never come out empty handed.

I was super excited to say the least. I had my list all planned out of the items I was looking for. To me that is very important so I don't just go crazy & buy stuff I won't wear just becuase it only cost about $6. I have been looking for a navy blazer for a while. Everytime I would go into a thrift store I would always look, so I was on a mission.

Lo & behold I found a navy blazer. Not just any navy blazer but an H &M navy blazer that fit like a glove. It was like Christmas & I had just gotten that one gift I REALLY wanted. I have really have to stop myself from wearing everyday but there are so many ways & looks I can wear it with it's hard. For now I will leave you with just one of many looks I am wearing with my navy blazer. Jeans, striped tank, wedge sandals & a turquoise necklace



Navy blazer-Goodwill $6, jeans-old ,striped tank old-Gap, Turquoise Necklace-CR $5 of  b'day money

 

Beach trip & shopping

I have been shopping all along on this "thriftygrlchallenge" at thrift stores all over the place. I haven't stepped into an actual clothing store to buy myself anything since the end of December. however when I got some money for Mother's day to spend. So I went into a store and found me some new summer shirts. It felt good and considering they were on sale it felt even better!

  My cousin invited me & my girls to Panama City beach with her & her daughter for a couple of days. It was kind of last minute, so my hubby did some juggling in his "Super Budget" & made it happen. That's why I love that man, even though Dave Ramsey ain't got nothing on "Super Budget" just sayin. So plans were made & we headed out this past week.


In between being beach bums & pool bums we ventured out for some shopping. The girls of course got the all time favorite air brush t-shirts ( I had to seriously talk myself out of getting one) & did a little shopping. Before we left my wonderful parents gave me some early b'day money so I was able to enjoy some more shopping as well.  You will be seeing ALOT of all my new purchases really soon!! We all found some great sales & took advantage of them. Even on vacation it was nice to show the girls how much your money could stretch.



Fla/Ga line

We really had a great time. I think we have kind of decided it would be a cool tradition. I love spending time with my family & I think it is so important that my kids value too. Here are some other pics from our trip. Enjoy cause we sure did!!!

Airbrush shirts

one of my new shirts- $16-Kohl's

my girls & I

mini- Makeover

  Ok so I've been a little MIA. If you are a mom and have children that are in school then you pretty much know the madness that ensues the last 2 weeks of school. I say madness because between class parties, awards programs, new grade orientation, end of the year sports stuff, etc.... I believe all moms lose their minds a little bit. It's like hanging onto a roller coaster for dear life waiting for it to end so you can breathe!! In all the madness I was able to take time to work on a lil' project.

My friend Erin is one cutie pa-tootie.  She is one who I have longed to get a hold of & update her style. So when she started an internship for her master's program & asked if I could help pick out some new threads for a professional look I was beyond excited!!! Now I use the word makeover loosely (hence the word mini in front of it) just because we are taking baby steps. I am a get-r-done kind of girl and I know I could overwhelm someone who might take things a little slower. So we have started with basics IE:  professional wardrobe, and maybe soon we can post  with another mini-makeover part 2!!

I had my work cut out for me. Her style is a little sporty and casual. That doesn't translate into "professional" very well at all. So we started at the outlet mall. We ended up finding some good things for her to incorporate into a "professional" or "casual" look. We started with a basic pant that was light gray in color. Then we found some cute tops that would go well with the pants so she could mix & match.

 We only took care of the wardrobe aspect on this trip. As to not overwhelm, Erin, we agreed that accessories could come later, along with a new stylish cut. I mean the ponytail is her signature look but I think a nice "Lob" would compliment her face well!~ Like I said baby steps, baby steps!!!

 Now we did not shop at the thriftstores becuase it can be hit or miss and she needed some clothes ASAP. Though we did go straight to the clerance racks and shop from there. Everything she got was on sale, she did not pay full price! Take a look at the semi-final product below. It is still a work in progress but I will be back with some updates to this mini-makeover!!

Proud Mommy

Last week my daughter Katelyn attended her 8th grade dance. It was explained to the students that this was not a "Prom" and all dresses must follow the school dress code!! So as a mom of an 8th grade girl we had out work cut out for us. It started out she was going to go with some friends but when some girl drama came up ( which always does with 8th grade girls), she decided to go with a boy. This one boy had already asked her but she had initially turned him down, that's my girl!

We feel it's important at her age for us to start meeting these "boys" that are interested in our daughter. So we invited him over to the house. Now my husband is usually the king of awkward moments. He tends to say the most inappropriate things in conversations with other people. It drives me crazy and can be downright embarrassing at times but it came in quite handy at this meeting. I did feel bad for the boy but he handled himself very well!! So she found a good date!

 I had found the dress at goodwill.  It was my Easter dress. Being the "thriftygrl" I am, I thought this might be perfect for the dance. It's not too formal but not too casual.I wore a cardigan  & that will make it dress code appropriate!  I would just need to talk her into this idea of borrowing a dress from her mom for a school dance. Katelyn has kind of been into this "thriftygrlchallenge" with me. She has been interested in buying some of her clothes at thrift stores too. So when I mentioned the idea to her she was excited!

The evening of the dance we met her date and his parents for some pictures. Of course there were other girls & boys there taking pictures too. As I looked at the other 14 yr.old girls, I couldn't help but look at my daughter and have my heart filled up with pride. She looked exactly how a 14 year old should look sweet & innocent. Some of the girls were dressed like they were 21. I feel like in today's society the girls are in such a hurry to grow up. Katelyn still likes her American girl dolls & wants to go into the toy section in stores. I love that at her age she is just her. She doesn't care about all the girls around her and what they are doing, she just does her own thing.

She had a blast at the dance! I couldn't have planned a more perfect night for her. Her date was a true gentleman, and she had the biggest smile on her face the whole night. She danced, talked to her friends and twirled in her dress ALOT!! How sweet it was for me to get to see her so happy at the end of a perfect night for a young lady!!! I am leaving you some pictures of my Katelyn at her 8th grade dance! I am so proud of the beautiful young lady my daughter is becoming!! I might be doing something right after all.



putting on the corsage

goodwill dress & old cardigan