Posts Tagged ‘clothing’
My Lucky Finds
Posted on: January 5, 2013
Yesterday I went thrift shopping and found a few items, then headed to Burlington Coat Factory.
I loved this pastel striped sweater by New York & Company so much I actually paid full Goodwill pricing of $4.99
This is a Navy & White striped 2 pc set by Ann Taylor Loft that was half price at just $2.50.
At Burlington I went in search of sweaters that were longer to wear with tunic length tops….
This was $14.99, but I used a 20% off coupon. This has one hook and eye up at the bust line that if worn that way covers a majority of the top underneath. I have some hook and eyes and plan to add one more at the waist line, which opened it up and was a much preferred look.
This black one by United States Sweaters was $16.99 and I was allowed to use a second @0% off to lower that price. This comes with a belt and looks good with and without it. I like the versatility and think both these sweaters will serve me well.
This hounds-tooth jacket was purely an impulse buy and not at all my intention when shopping. I have been wanting a hounds-tooth coat and earlier in the season had fallen hard for a Calvin Klein one with leather trim. It was $400 and outside my budget, but I literally couldn’t stop dreaming about that coat. I don’t normally dream about fashion, so this was unusual. Anyway back to this little number. I was swayed by this one because of the $19.99 price tag and the chic look of the collar. It is definitely not a coat for freezing temperatures, but then again it is suppose to be in the 5o’s next week… I was able to use a 20% off coupon on this as well.
This last one is another Rachel Zoe trench coat via QVC. I already have this in both black and khaki and have really been resisting purchasing this red one. But alas I failed to resist and succumbed. It was on clearance for a long time and I kept watching it. When it got down to only the XS and said there were just a few left I couldn’t let it go The XS barely fits me, but is wearable and in the right size for my goal weight. The other two I own in Small and it will still work with the weight loss. I snagged it for 4 monthly payments which made it even easier to say yes. It is now sold out in this color, but available in others, here.
Dear Readers, I hope you have a wonderful weekend! I think I may be heading to take my 17 year old son to the doctor as this sinus stuff does not seem to be getting better. I am sneezing and have a runny nose this morning and pray I am not getting what he has…
Linking up with Look What I Got hosted by the Penniless Socialite and The Tiny Heart, so time to investigate some new bloggers…
Hounds tooth, what can I say? LOVE IT! I can not seem to get enough of it. I really don’t own a lot of it, but am constantly finding myself drawn to it. Wondering perhaps if I shouldn’t seek it out in a purse or other accessory so that I can wear it more often… Now, that’s a thought….
Now for the original inspiration…. I really liked this color shirt underneath and just the casualness of adding it to a pair of jeans…. This was originally from CACHE, but is coming up as no longer available….
My version! Now come on you didn’t expect me to do a black and white hounds tooth, when Navy can be found? I happened upon this lucky find while thrifting and could not be happier that it was navy instead of black. Don’t we all have enough black in our wardrobes? Not that I have anything at all against black…
I opted to add a scarf to this look since it felt more like me than the original … Please take notice of my pattern mixing here as I am brand new at this concept… Loving this so much just have to add another pose
and one more, this time with a hat, to really be more like myself…. I definitely can see me doing this look for a casual night out with friends.
I am actually feeling kind of sad that I only have one more day left in this Challenge! I might just have to make this a regular feature for my blog….I love it, this is my blog and I get to play with it and design it any way I chose!
Don’t forget to come back tomorrow for the final day of this week long Challenge and to vote for which outfit you like best?
As always Dear Readers, your comments are welcomed and appreciated… head back to the top of this post to leave your comments, I look forward to reading them!
I specifically searched Pinterest for something to wear my olive jacket with since I hadn’t worn it yet on my blog. I was attracted a lot to the contrast of the brown boots with the black pants. I know that for my petite body that all black would elongate me, but don’t want to limit myself too much. There is just no fun in sticking to such tight rules…
Here is the original Inspiration, which can be found at http://ajourneyinstyle.blogspot.com/2012/10/safari-green-and-stripes.html . I prefer this look for my body type with a thinner belt and down lower….
.In my version I opted for vertical stripes and my heeled cowboy style boots. I chose those boots for two reasons… First of all it more closely matched the color of my belt than my tobacco colored flat boots and secondly, they are a little lower down on my leg line and I thought it might help elongate me,
So far, I have to say, I didn’t have as much fun with this outfit as I did the previous two and think looking at my next two, that this will remain my least exciting one. I guess no coincidence that this is on hummppphhh day! I am happy to wear my olive jacket! I also think this look really is most flattering and I will definitely rock this one again!
We are having really nice weather this week and in the sun it actually feels too warm for the jacket layer Took this on Monday when I had a photographer home and the high for the day was 73 degrees….Seeing so many other bloggers dealing with snow right now and feeling lucky since I don’t like it much….Of course on Tuesday we had rain and the temp dropped to 46.
I am really enjoying this challenge and can’t wait to photograph the next two outfits… Come back and visit tomorrow to see the next Pinterest Inspiration….
Gratiude: I am grateful for unseasonably warm weather and the sunshine Monday when I took the photos…. I am grateful for the conversation with my daughter today. I am grateful that I already have most of the items needed to make Thanksgiving dinner…
As always Dear Readers, your comments are welcomed and appreciated, just head back to the top of the post to leave your comments….
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Today is the outfit I am most excited about ! Ever since I rewarded myself for reaching the halfway point in my weight loss by purchasing a faux fur vest, I wanted to wear it with a dress.
Remember Tuesday is Weigh in Day and my results are at the bottom of this post....
The Inspiration Picture:
This was actually a catalog photo that I enlarged, sorry for quality…. I so wanted to curl my hair and have it be wavy for my version, but time didn’t allow for that…. I am a busy home schooling mother…
My Version is not as boho as the inspiration dress, but the rule for me was not purchasing anything to complete this challenge. I feel great in this one! I am disappointed that the feeling I have in this doesn’t translate into the photo as it doesn’t look fabulous… I have to say it makes me look heavier than I am and after losing 35 lbs, I certainly don’t want that… I feel so good with the swish of this dress and downright sassy, so going to try this once I am down another 19lbs and at goal. I must say that I wore this out to the Verizon store, BJ’s and Sam’s Club and did notice some admiring looks from women,so I guess it was better than I thought.
Had to include me trying walking in the photo instead of a still pose…
Since I recently picked up this snakeskin dress while thrifting, I had to try this look as well because the first dress was flowing and had volume while this one has a straight cut. Well, after yesterday’s post and now this, you can see I really love animal print and always have. It is so great how much the vibe of each of these changes with what dress you use with the vest. This is the first time wearing booties and tights with a dress. I think the lower boots work well here…. I love challenging myself to try new things and I am proud of myself for doing so! I will wear this look again, soon….
I know for me that I only used two dresses that were in the browns in keeping with the inspiration photos, but the options really are endless..Such a simple look anyone can do. I hope I have inspired you to go search out your dresses and play in your closets and have some fun! It’s more fun than therapy….and better than eating mindlessly…
Weigh In Results- I lost 1.2 lbs this week which is a relief because I stress ate yesterday to the tune of three 7 point bags of chips… This is the first time I did anything like this since March.
Gratitude-I am grateful that my almost 17 year old son (November 17th) has matured and is very focused on school and is so adamant that we go to college night tonight. I am grateful any time my children become self-motivated and I get to see them taking responsibility.
Dear Readers. Your comments are appreciated and welcomed so please CHIME IN ! Comments can be left at the top of this post, thank you!
Next week, November 12th -16th begins my first challenge inspired by the lovely ladies at You Look Fab. The challenge is for this week to find five Pinterest photos and use them in my own interpretation to inspire an outfit. My outfits will be loose interpretations using colors that are paired together on some and closer matches should my wardrobe provide the needed items. I am not buying anything to complete this week long event.
Below are the five inspiration outfits :
This was an easy pick for me as I am a lover of all things animal print. I also own an orange sweater I recently thrifted.
I purchased a faux fur vest as a reward for my weight loss and have not worn it yet. I am itching to do this one most of all. This has a very boho print dress that doesn’t represent anything in my closet, but I like my version.
I really wanted to incorporate an olive jacket into this challenge and think this is a good one for me to conjure up. I like the matching belt and boots here. I do think her belt looks up a little high here…
I recently bought a navy hounds-tooth jacket at the thrift store and searched Pinterest for an inspiration that would give me a reason to wear it in a casual way.
I just love maxi skirts and wanted an excuse to wear one. I will definitely not be wearing strappy sandals in my fall version of this.
It was very difficult to pair down which five I was going to do. I spent an entire day perusing Pinterest for inspirations and going back and forth from my computer to my closet pulling items... I am excited to be doing a challenge and hope you will join me daily for this adventure.
I was quite surprised that I did not choose anything with a scarf in the look as I love them. I think there is pattern enough in all but the last look that makes a scarf totally unnecessary and that is a learning experience for me.
In searching through my closet I decided not to go shopping any more this season. I own A LOT of clothes. Once I reach my goal weight I would like to invest in some colored skinny jeans, but other than that don’t need much. I will have to alter some of my favorites and will need the money for that instead. Thrifting is an addiction and therapy in some ways for this stay at home mother who didn’t take care of herself for years…. So, think I will restrict myself to purses and shoes and belts. I already hear myself protesting and making a list of Christmas presents to tell everyone I want….
If you join me on this venture by all means please post information in the comment sections so we may see your journey as well. Maybe some day soon I will learn how to do a link party but not this week….
Gratitude- I am grateful for the weekend and time with friends and family. I am grateful for Weight Watchers and the support in my weight loss journey. I am grateful for the people in my life who bring laughter into my world. I am grateful for the generosity and kindness of others.
Have a wonderful weekend and don’t forget to stop by on Monday as I begin my challenge.
Dear Readers, your comments are welcomed and appreciated
I have been waiting to show off this mint outfit. I bought this when I was heavier and the skirt was too tight. Here it is for the 80 degree weather. I love reaping the benefits of my weight loss. This top use to be too tight n the bust area….Weight Loss is a fun journey…. These photos were taken on Monday.
And here with the addition of a sweater for a cool air conditioning or as the temp drops in evening. I tied the sweater to create a shorter version in keeping with my new goals of dressing my petite body frame. I think it works….
Close up of the details of the top, which I love. I love feminine detailing or detailing of any kind for that matter…
If you click on this photo you can enlarge it for a better close -up, when I posted it larger myself it became distorted.
Outfit Details
Silk Blouse – Chadwicks online last year
Skirt – Chadwicks online last year
Sweater- TJ Maxx, ages ago…
Nude Pumps- Payless -recent
Snakeskin Purse- Marc Bower via QVC recent
Bracelets – vintage via Ebay
Tomorrow is Friday, which means “MY LUCKY FIND’S” from thrifting and other shopping. Come back and see how I did…
There is a story behind this dress…. I was grocery shopping at BJ’s when I spotted this dress hanging on an upper rack. I went over to the rack and proceeded to search for my size and tried to pull the hanger down, instead the metal flat part of the rack that is there to hide the hangers came tumbling down and smacked me in the center of my forehead. That thing was heavy and left me stunned, nauseated and with an instant swelling bump. I never even finished my grocery shopping, I felt so sick and then the intense pains set in. We waited around long enough to fill out the accident report and I went home.
They sent me a gift card and I went back for the dress, but this time, I made my husband get it down from the rack. To this day if I see something I like on that rack, my husband teases me if i like it enough to risk a bump on my head. I also purchased a mat for my kitchen that really does help when standing at the sink. The last purchase with that gift card was these chairs
I love the color navy and really wanted to get more than just a summer season out of this dress, so what better formula than to add a jacket, tights and boots.
Can’t even begin to express how much I love these navy boots. There are just certain things you acquire for your wardrobe that go beyond the basic black and brown that just makes you feel special and owning faux suede navy boots is one of those for me. Of course these boots are so FANTABULOUS (yes I meat to combine fantastic and fabulous to make a new word) that I also have them in brown and grey.Gotta have a close up of the boots…
I also like this green jacket, which I ordered from Ebay. I like the sparkle on the pocket, that it is stretch, short to qualify as a responsible purchase for my petite frame and that it is tight and will work as I continue to loose weight.
Gotta Love Stretch!
Another way I envision wearing this it so switch out the jacket for a dark jean jacket. but I must say that the green is a little more inspired and special. I can also see adding a pullover sweater over it , making it look like a skirt. The possibilities when you are looking to create a versatile wardrobe….
Outfit Details-
Dress- Rabbit, Rabbit – Bj”s
Jacket- Ebay- recent
Belt- Liz Claiborne NY – QVC
Necklace- Samuel B silver & sapphire – QVC
Botts- Kathy Van Zeeland
Purse- Liz Claiborne NY
I Hope you enjoyed, my story, my outfit and my navy boots…
. Do you own one pair of boots that are just not the norm that makes you feel special? Got a funny story about an item you’ve acquired? Leave a comment and share….
My Lucky Finds
Posted on: October 5, 2012
This week was a good one for thrift store finds. I love being able to get great fashions at affordable pricing. Since I am currently losing weight and unsure of my exact goal sizing this is a perfect solution. I don’t know if I have said this on my blog before, but, I LOVE DRESSES and SKIRTS. I wouldn’t mind wearing them everyday. I love feeling like a woman and embracing my femininity and there is no better way for me than dresses and skirts. Let’s face it dresses are the simplest way to have a great impact outfit. They definitely fit my goal of creating a Versatile Style wardrobe. I love that I can wear them plain, add a sweater and a jacket in fall and winter, wear heels, flats, wedges, boots, shooties and tights. The goal of pieces that can be worn for more than one season is easily done with dresses and skirts. I must say, I like dresses more and more now that I have dropped my weight.
Looking at trends and loving graphic prints is what attracted me to this dress. It gets bonus points for the burgundy coloring as well. Not to mention the fit is fantastic… Can’t wait to style this one! I never pay full price at the thrift stores for dresses, but this week broke that trend twice! $6.99
Another graphic print I found this week was this skirt by Geoffrey Beene. This skirt is a size 2 and has spandex. Knowing this brand ran big and with my continued weight loss goals, I decided to try this on and, lo and behold I got it all the way zipped up! Too tight yes, but definitely doable in the near future. My advice is to do what I did by comparing the skirt to a size 6(goal size) and seeing that they looked darned close. In the past I might not have done this and would have just looked at the size 2 and moved on. So glad I didn’t as I love this print. Half price at just $2.50.
This next dress is by ACG and a size 6. My friend pointed this one out to me and I almost didn’t try it. I was intrigued by the pockets, gotta love a dress with pockets! I also loved the print, but I was wary of the high neckline. I have an aversion to the current trend of sheath dresses for that exact reason. If you have a bigger bust, high necklines don’t flatter you, in my humble opinion. So once again trying things on is key. This dress was tight ,which is all I am buying right now, since I have kicked up the exercise and expect the inches to start falling off. I have to say I loved this dress and the neckline wasn’t so high that it covered my collarbone, so was flattering, and the open back was to die for! Anyway long story short, brought it home and tried it on with some Spanx and I don’t have to wait to lose weight! Gonna style this one very soon! Price $6.99
I have to say I love Nylon sweaters, no pilling and they last forever! This color was one I have wanted- SOLD! By Joseph A. Half priced at just $2.50
This top, I adore! It really feels like a statement piece. You really can’t tell from the photo but it is actually Navy with black lines running through it. Right on trend with the black/navy combo that I love. It is made by Stera and is very thick like a sweater and both zips and has snaps. For $2.50 I had to have it. Anyone know anything about the Stera brand?
And last of all, a new pair of shoes…. These are by Mudd , which I know is mostly a junior brand, but I couldn’t help it and snagged them for just $4.00. I had these on the bedroom floor right outside the closet and my husband noticed , picked them up and asked about them. He said he really liked these, I think he liked them even more when he heard the price tag! I am starting to wear heels more and like any guy, that is a turn on….
I hope that my thrifting journey inspires you and gives you ideas of your own because if it’s just “look what I got” then I have failed at my goal, which was to educate on what great finds are in thrift stores that can match with current trends at awesome prices. If anyone local is too intimidated to go thrifting alone, I can go with you! If not local, grab an adventurous friend and make a day of it!
I have to give a shout out to my friend Sue (my Weight Watcher Buddy) whose love of thrifting has inspired me to go back to something I had forgotten I loved! I have to say she has great taste and quite often makes suggestions for me. This week she even found me a cashmere black sweater. I have never owned cashmere and although it might have fit her, she turned it over to me. Now that’s a true friend… Love you Sue!
This completes week two of my blogging adventure and I am having so much fun! I intend to have a weekend full of family, friends and laughter. I wish you all the same!
I have a blog post planned for Monday entitled, ” Living in Gratitude”. Can’t wait to share my personal journey!
My Lucky Finds
Posted on: September 28, 2012
I use to own a consignment store that was called “A Lucky Find” so in tribute to that I will be calling my favorite purchases “My Lucky Finds” Some will be from thrift stores, since I go weekly…
This week’s favorite is an outfit, dress and shoes. The dress by Connected Apparel is in my goal size and was found at Sears on Clearance for $9.99 Picture doesn’t show the sparkle in the top of the dress. A very flattering cut to this dress! 
The Shoes by Westies were also on Clearance at Sears for $19.99 but because all shoes were on sale we got an additional discount for the low price of just $14.99. Definitely a date night look that my husband is greatly anticipating! Gotta keep working on my weight loss goal!
This dress is by One World and was on clearance at Sears for $14.99. Once again this is in my goal size and I have great plans to style this with jackets, tights and boots for winter and again for spring and summer. Love pieces that can be worn for two to three seasons!
A trip to Burlington Coat Factory netted the following two finds.
Hot Pink Pumps by Newport News were just $7.99, can’t wait to style these!
Forget a splash of red, I am a pink girl!
Brown Kaspers just $24.99. Very much like the black ones above, so won’t purchase more this style… trying to break my addiction to multiples.
Thrift Store Finds
Floral Dress by New York & C0 was a find at Goodwill. Cost was a mere $3.50 as it was purple tagged and half price that day. Love dresses that I can add sweaters , jackets, belts and scarves to accessorize.
These shoes have to my best thrift store find to date! (only been going thrifting for a few months). I scored these penny loafers for just $4.00. A steal for BASS brand new never worn(see the soles) leather classics! Looking for 1965 pennies to finish this look. Have great plans to style with jeans and my boyfriend blazer or tweed jacket and black leggings… the possibilities…
This concludes week one of my new blogging venture! I hope everyone has a great weekend!
Anyone else have an addiction to buying multiples they are trying to break?
Versatile Style by Tracey 