Posts Tagged ‘Thrifting’
Weigh In Day
Posted on: April 16, 2013
- In: Mom On the Go | Neutrals | Purple | Spring Outfits | Weight Loss
- 6 Comments
I so wanted to go back to bed after I stepped on the scale and saw that I was up a pound... It’s par for the course during that wonderful time of the month… Last month it didn’t happen and I thought good, I’m ready for this chapter of my life to be over.. Unfortunately, this month is making up for it in water weight and bloating…
No worries, next week I’ll lose 2lbs… or so the pattern has been... Just so frustrating when I worked out like a maniac this week. I did my Fluidity ballet bar workouts 5 days, used 8lb weights for a good circuit of exercises daily and ran on the trampoline(to protect my knee) every other day…
I chose a very casual look to match my depressed mood. The skirt is Chaus via ebay(I own an identical one in a larger size and was thrilled to find this one!) The mocha sweater( via Chadwicks, no longer available) has a cute hood and purple in the print so I added the shoes and necklace in that shade. I’ve had these ruffled ballet flats for a few year now and love them as they have a great sole and are by M. Patrick purchased at DSW on clearance. Aigner purse was thrifted for just $4. Jean Jacket was thrifted as well…
The purple heart is a charm I bought in NY when I had my store. I went to BJ’s after my WW meeting and ordered prescription glasses and sunglasses. I wear contacts when I go out,but prefer glasses for hanging out at home. You are sure to see those in the future. I was long overdue for glasses, but kept putting it off as unimportant since I only wore them at home. I use to wear them to work as contacts are not always comfortable when I have sinus issues, so I am looking forward to having a choice again!
I should have ironed this skirt, oops!
Linking up with Random Wednesday & What I Wore Wednesday
Dear Readers, I am grateful that my weight gain was not more as in the past it has been up two pounds during my menstrual cycle… I am grateful to be getting new glasses. I am grateful for my luck when thrifting today. I am grateful that despite my mood and my lack of sleep(my husband has taken up snoring this week and woke me up 4 times!), that I still pushed myself to workout this afternoon I am grateful that my sinuses were much better today!
Plans for the upcoming week is to continue the exercise, drinking lots of water, increase vegetables and proteins. I didn’t have the Caprese Salad Tuesday night as life happened and I didn’t make it to the store until very late. I had a baked potato with cheese as I had 12 points left for the day and that is comfort food for a stressful day!
Wednesday’s Food Plan
6-8 glasses of H20!!!!
Breakfast– 2 hard-boiled eggs & grapes w/ 1% milk
Lunch– Baked Zucchini stuffed with Cherry tomatoes, mozz cheese, Ital Seasoning & Olive Oil w/ green tea
Snacks- 2 Laughing Cow cheese wedges, Apple, 1 Pc Dark Chocolate
Dinner- Grilled Chicken Breast & Yellow Squash, Tomotoes, Italian Seaoning & Parmesan Cheese Casserole w/ green tea
Spring Has Sprung
Posted on: March 31, 2013
I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend! I have some hope that Spring is upon us as the temperatures Sunday were about 60 and due for 70 tomorrow! The trees are all starting to bud!
This is my first look after the Take One, Pass It On Challenge, which was fun, but I lost inspiration and decided I was ready to move on.
I think I nailed the feeling of Spring with this look!
It was cloudy and spitting rain so no need for sunglasses today! This pink blouse is the one I bought on Friday when I went out thrifting and I know will become a versatile piece in my wardrobe. I am also wearing a new vest that I purchased on ebay in my quest to add vests into my style… Up until this point I only owned one brown faux fur one. Stay tuned as I have a great black DKNY one I purchased via ebay as well and of course my much desired moto one from F21 that I showed on Saturday’s Lucky Find post.
I think my favorite part of this look has to be my Aerosoles ballet flats because they are cute, but also have enough padding to be comfortable. I bought 4 pairs in different styles on a great sale in early fall when they were on sale for just $19.99, but for one day only had an extra 25% off sale. I only mention this to educate you if you are unaware, that signing up for e-mail alerts from your favorite brands or stores does pay off. One of my favorite store is Steinmart and they send me e-mail coupons all the time for an extra 40% off clearance items. At Christmas time I was able to pick up summer pants and capris using that coupon and paid $4 to $5 for them.
Dear Readers, What are your special ways to save on your fashion items? As a mother of four, I have to create my style in create my style in a savvy way, but don’t mind that as I love the thrill of a deal! I welcome and appreciate your comments!
Linking up today with Watch What I am Wearing and Visble Monday and Monday Bloom. I highly recommend you explore some of the lovely ladies !
Gratitude: I am grateful that it is Spring Break and things are easy and fun with no real bedtimes or schedules to keep! I am grateful that my friend asked me to write her a recommendation letter, as it was my honor to do. I am grateful for a dryer to replace my current one that is not heating up… I am grateful to my oldest son for running errands for me. I am grateful for time with my family and the Easter holiday to remind us of what is important.
Loving Sarah’s idea for a remix challenge and joining the party late, as she did it for February… After 3 days of mostly neutrals, I decided it was time for a little color….Well, more like a “PUNCH” of color!
But first here is the previous day’s look:
And now for the PUNCH OF COLOR
If you are a close observer you may note that I actually carried over three items from yesterday, the leggings, ballet flats and purse… You have to admit that fuschia is quite an influx of color compared to the three previous looks! This was a perfect Mon on the Go look for my day of homeschooling, laundry and a quick walk to the grocery store with my homeschooler…We love going for walks some days and since only in year 2 of homeschooling it still feels special to be out and about during traditional school hours.
This tunic is by Motto, a QVC brand and no longer available as I snatched it up last year when it went on clearance. Both the jean jacket and purse are thrifted finds.. I could never have imagined how much I would come to love this Nine West purse. It is just the perfect size to grab and go and adds another pattern element. Well worth it’s $4 price tag.. These ballet flats are by Anne Klein purchased at DSW over two years ago and a favorite of mine.. I may have to look out for their replacement as this may be their final year…
I hope you enjoyed this burst of color because I do and may just have to carry over that tunic for tomorrow’s look… I have a method to this as I am working my way towards my St. Patrick’s outfit without having to take a break in the challenge…
Dear Readers, do you hate it as much as I do when you have to face replacing a favorite pair of shoes? If you are a blogger are you feeling as grateful for the extra daylight that allows for more opportunity for picture taking?
Linking Up with Look What I Got, stop by and see what other fabulous bloggers are doing…
Gratitude; I am grateful for the breakdown with a child today that led to a break through..(just wish I would remember that the breakdown means a break through is coming around the corner) I am grateful that my husband got his check a day earlier than we anticipated. I am grateful for the walk to the grocery store with my youngest and the memory of how much my walks with my father are a part of his legacy. I am grateful for finding this remix challenge and how much fun I am having with it… I never said how long I was going to keep this going….
Brown & Red
Posted on: December 9, 2012
This look recieved the most enthusiastic reaction from my husband. I was rather surprised that he liked the tights and booties look. His praise wasn’t just one comment and even went so far as to suggest that my dress idea for his Christmas party lacked this kind of interest. Notice my new haircut and color, I love it!
Now it was quite a surprise that my husband was so enamored with this look. I stripped off the jacket and belt to show him just the dress and he then became even more impressed with how I had styled it. He wasn’t sure he even would have taken a second glance with just the dress…In fact he complimented my vision in buying the dress.
I almost felt bad that this was not an outfit I had chosen for a night out with him. In fact he was getting ready to head to work when this entire discussion took place. I knew he loved this jacket and that his favorite color is red, so his reaction really shouldn’t be so surprising except that he isn’t usually so enthusiastic about my clothing choices. Complimentary, yes, “over the moon”, no…
I have to say that his reaction sure made it easy for me to hold my head high and walk with confidence on my outing… I must have been beaming as I noticed a few looks from a couple of men around my age at Panera Bread…. Definitely going to repeat this outfit on a day when my husband and I have time together.
Linking up today with all the lovely bloggers @ Visible Monday and Watch out What I’m Wearing, so please stop by and check a few of them out.
Gratitude: I am grateful that I finally figured out what to wear to the Christmas party. I am grateful that my three kids got together and raked the leaves. I am grateful for my own inner drive to recommit to the Fluidity exercise program. I am grateful for the support of my family and friend Sue who endured my search for the Christmas party outfit.
Outfit Total -excluding necklace – $37.00
Dress-thrifted $3.50
Jacket-ebay$12.50
Boots- Aigner $10.00
Tights-$5
Belt-thrifted $2.00
Purse-Nine West thrifted- $4.00
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!
My Lucky Finds
Posted on: October 26, 2012
Just have to say so glad today is Friday. This week I just have not been sleeping well and that makes for a less focused me…I think I should have just done what my high-schooler does and nap everyday… He literally comes home gets a snack and passes out on the couch in the den. Tv and conversations all around him don’t matter a bit. I would need to be in the dark bedroom with a fan for noise to sleep and am quite jealous that he can doze off so quickly. Hope my sleep pattern just goes back to something better next week..
Half price days at the Salvation Army are fun…. They even opened the doors 15 minutes early for us. Tried on a lot of clothes this time and put back most of them. It is hard to buy clothes knowing that my weight loss will continue. It really shouldn’t be this difficult to commit when the items are never more than $3.50.… I will have to replace an entire wardrobe by the time I get to my goal, which is hard since I had leather blazers and things I really love. As I get close to my goal, I will not be thrifting and just making one replacement purchase per week. What I am looking forward to is after Christmas sales since I should be reaching my goal in January. Good way to replace major things in an economical way.
I did pick up two skirts and I really like them both. The brown plaid kilt really appeals to my Scottish heritage. As a child my mother always made sure I had kilts and I have such fond memories of them. Of course back then, I wore more the classic navy and green paid or green with a thin line of red and yellow… This brown one really said Fall to me and I can see fitting it into my style. I am happy to say this one is too tight and should be perfect for my goal weight!
In the past two years, I have really embraced color into my style and this yellow plaid skirt really appealed to me..I love the A-line and pleats on this one and can’t wait to wear this one, but need to loose just a tad more weight to feel comfortable in this one..
Can’t go wrong with a snakeskin print dress! I know I’ve said this before, but I could wear dresses and skirts daily, I just love feeling feminine, flirty and sassy. I will probably say this again in the near future….A big thank you to my thrifting partner who discovered this dress.
I styled this dress with a black jacket and boots just for fun, but left out my face, as today I was dealing with migraines and didn’t look so great…
These two jackets were recent eBay purchases in an effort to get shorter jackets to work for my petite height..
I love this chocolate color and the fit is great! It is a duplicate of a green one I wore previously.
This black one is the one pictured above with the snakeskin dress. I love that it is casual and even has a hood. I think I spent about $15 on this with free shipping.
Last of all is these green reptile Nine West pumps. I see these for warmer months, but when thrifting you snag the good stuff when you see it and don’t always purchase in season.
I think I will not thrift at all next week to save my budget for a faux black leather moto jacket. it has been on my wish list and will be a lot better investment. Of course I will have to buy it tight, in anticipation of my future weight loss. I really can’t wait to hit my goal weight and not have to worry about this anymore.. I am so going to celebrate reaching my goal!
Gratitude- I am grateful for the weekend and a break from blogging and homeschooling. I am also grateful for the opportunity to relax and hang out with friends.
I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!
Comments are greatly appreciated and may be left by clicking on the Leave Comment at the top of this post!
Hit or Miss
Posted on: October 25, 2012
When I put together outfits to photograph, I try them all on and think I am set for the week. Then I go look at the photos and I am not always pleased with the results. There really is something so different from the way things look in the mirror and what a camera lens reveals. How can they be so different? I am just grateful for this experience and what I am learning from dong this blog. While I don’t dislike the above outfit. It is not spectacular. I love the dress and the jean jacket is one of my favorite pieces. I think that the dress is in such subtle shades and the jacket helps. Would love my dear readers to give their views here, just be gentle and kind as it is really hard to put yourself out here like this….Any suggestions to take this to a different more lovable level?
I was really fond of this outfit in the mirror, but think the sweater is one I should hold off on until I lose some more weight. I think it doesn’t show my curves at all and over emphasizes my bust… This skirt and sweater are ones I thrifted and intended to use as my body shrinks, so will revisit this combo in the next two months…. I really think it has potential… The best part of this photo and why I didn’t just ditch this picture is my purse. It is a Dooney and Burke, given to me by a good friend. She asked me if this was my first Dooney and I replied that it will probably be my only one.
I just don’t spend lots of money on purses… Remember I am a stay at home mother of four. There are a lot better ways to spend that kind of money. For example contacts for my 16 year old, shoes for my 21 year old daughter in college, pants for my growing 12 year old or even a night out at the movies for my two youngest, my husband and I, not to mention taking my 12 year old homeschooler to the Aquarium. All real expenses that were very recent…
The great thing is that I don’t feel at all deprived for not spending hundreds of dollars on a single purse. I am so blessed in my life and that is just something that has never really mattered to me. Gasp, I know what kind of fashionista am I? A passion for clothes and a love for styling them is all it takes to be a fashionista and I have an infectious love of both those.
Gratitude- I am grateful to all my children who are open and share themselves with me. I am grateful for the breakdown with my son’s theater group that opened up a discussion that allowed me to heal him and bring us closer…
Comments are appreciated, my apologies that you have to return to the top of this post to do so, I would move it to the bottom, but couldn’t find out how….
Tomorrow is A Lucky Find Day with my purchases of the week, mostly thrifted items…!
My Lucky Finds
Posted on: October 12, 2012
These cords are so soft , I wish I could post pictures of me wearing them, but I purchased them a size smaller than my current weight in anticipation of the continued weight loss journey. They are from Chadwicks and are available in limited sizes http://www.chadwicks.com/products.asp?sku=40233. I love the pumpkin color! I bought them in regular length to wear with boots, but they do come in petites.
While talking about Chadwicks, which I love, here is the link to a sweater I purchased from them earlier and I just love the corals, browns and green in the print. http://www.chadwicks.com/item/40050/407503/floral-print-cardigan-sweater-misses One more thing don’t forget to search online for coupon codes when placing an order as there are usually some pretty good ones.
Now onto my thrift store scores. These shoes, just really looked special to me. My intention is to wear them with pants and tights and just have to toes peeking out from pants. To me they almost have a menswear inspired feel to them. What do you think?
This sweater is my attempt for shorter tops to elongate my legs and disguise my petite body. I love the color and the texture. It is a Talbots Petite. I don’t know if this will qualify as the chunky sweater trend, but it is my intention without bulking up. When you are on a weight loss journey this trend is not ideal. Does it qualify for the trend, please chime in!
Next is another Sfera sweater must have been donated by the same person as my previous one. Researched and found out this is from a Spanish design house of affordable designs. Can’t go wrong with olive….
This skirt is my favorite piece this week. As much as I confess that I love pink, I would have to say chocolate brown is right up there with it. If I can’t eat it, I might as well wear it! This skirt was bought for one very important purpose… To force me to tuck since it has buttons that need to be highlighted. I vowed to look for details like that and will search for more. Ann Taylor tag on this is sewed on upside down…
Now, due to my realization that I need more cropped looks to accommodate my petite body, I recently went on a search on Ebay to see what I could find. These just came in the mail. I love the jade green color of the mohair cropped jacket. The color of the red one is so fun and it is the perfect length. Should I change out those white buttons?
Gratitude- I am grateful that my only daughter will be home today for fall break from college and infuse some much needed feminine energy into our home.
I am really looking forward to taking my daughter for some “shoe shopping therapy” to release the stress of her senior year!
I hope my finds inspire you in some way. If you are petite and trying to maximize your outfits to elongate you, please share your tricks.
Have a wonderful weekend!
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 