Summerfair

Hat, Charlotte Russe. Dress, Body Central. Cardi, J Crew (via swap). Flats, Steve Madden. Necklace, vintage. Purse, thrifted.


Summerfair was awesome! I particularly enjoyed my bowl of beer and the performance by the Blue Ash Idol adult champion.

Think It Was the 4th of July

Hat, Cappell’s. Shirt, Bitten. Shorts, NY & Co. Shoes, Aerosoles. Bird necklace, Pangaea. Arrowhead pendant, thrifted. Bag, Forever 21. Cardi (pictured below), Mossimo.


Just a day of swim practice, grocery shopping, and cleaning the house. (And listening to too much Chicago.)

I Tried

Dress, vintage, thrifted, and shortened three inches. Belt, Gap (thrifted). Earrings, thrifted. Pumps, thrifted. Purse, thrifted.


Earrings (in case you couldn't tell). All jewelry was $1 and these were part of a 2-pack, so they were only 50 cents!
I tried, I really tried, to create an outfit with only $20. I found everything but the purse last Saturday at the St Vincent de Paul shop on Colerain Avenue. My receipt is incredibly hard to decipher, so I can’t tell you how much each item cost, but the total (including the bag I found at Goodwill a few years ago) was under $16.

I blew my budget when I took the pumps to the shoe repair shop for new heel tips. The shoes are all leather and have very little wear, but the old plastic heel tips had disintegrated with age. New tips set me back $10.65, putting me over the $20 limit.

Despite exceeding my budget, I was excited to wear my 100% thrifted (if not less than $20) outfit to a showing of Brother Bailey’s Pageant of Moral Superiority and Creation Science Island Jamboree. My newly renovated shoes never made it to the show, though. After about 30 minutes of wear, my feet were killing me, and I changed into some back-up sandals (not pictured, but definitely more than $20 alone, even at TJ Maxx).

As I expected, the shoes were the troublesome element of a $20 outfit. Still, it was a good exercise in thrift, forced me to consider secondhand shoes, and was an education on how much of a bargain (or not) shoe repairs can be.

I received an incredible number of responses from readers with photos and links of their own $20 outfits. I’ll post a round-up just as soon as I can so you can see how they dealt with the tricky footwear issue.

Later

Blouse, Bebe. Cami, NY & Co. Jeans, Express. Scarf, swap. Studded cuffs, Hot Topic. Purse, Liz Claiborne. Peep toes, Wet Seal.

I feel rather meh about this outfit. But LATER today I change into my $20 challenge ensemble. (And, guess what...I thrifted shoes!)

Archibald Maximilion

Scarf, Camp Foster PX “mall” (embellished by me). Belt worn as a necklace, thrifted. Dress, To the Max. Studded pumps, Oh Deer! Bag, Payless.

This is another outfit inspired by Archibald Maximilion and all the other girls on Wardrobe Remix.

As usual, clicking any of my photos opens a new window with a larger version of the picture. However, my bra choice today was rather unfortunate and you may not want to see it in detail. Bumpy bras under thin jersey = fashion disaster.


I slung the excess chain from the belt-worn-as-a-necklace over my shoulder for the day. I liked the look of the "tail" in front, but it tended to pull the arrangement off center.

Butter

Blouse, Daytrip. Skirt, Side x Side, thrifted, shortened, embellished. Belt, Gap (thrifted). Pumps, Delicious. Earrings, Pangaea. Watch, Mudd.

Hi Ho

Cardigan, To the Max. Dress, swapped, vintage, and shortened. Pin, swap? Peeptoes, BCBGirls. Bag, No Boundaries. Belt (visible below), thrifted.

It’s Tuesday, so it’s time to wear this cardigan again. For all of those that admired the cardi but were unable to find it online, I saw it for sale at the Wal*Mart on Colerain (Cincinnati, OH) this weekend. I assume it is in stock at other brick and mortar locations as well. The sweater comes in black and gray and the sizes run small.

No Rain

Jacket and bracelet, Forever 21. Dress, vintage, thrifted, and shortened. Belt, came with a Jones New York dress. Booties, Sigerson Morrison for Target. Earrings, Claire’s.




I’m afraid the bootie picture is Target’s, not mine.
I get a bit paranoid whenever I wear these brightly colored, suede booties. I think even a little rain might be the death of them. If I’m faced with a downpour today, I’ll stash the booties in my bag and run barefoot through the puddles.

Summer Movie

Jacket, London Jean. Embellished top, Express (thrifted). Tank, Merona. Jeans, Gap. Sandals, Franco Sarto. Bag, Caprice (thrifted and vintage). Earrings, Target.

Maybe you’ve noticed that I like wearing dresses and skirts, particularly during the warmer months. But I hate wearing them to the movie theater because I inevitably freeze my ass off. I’m remembering to wear pants to the movies tonight. A jacket is a smart addition, too.

Unnaturally Green

Waistcoat, H&M. Blouse, Express. Skirt, Herman Geist (thrifted and shortened). Peeptoes, Wet Seal. Enamel bracelets, Target. Gold-tone bracelet, swap. Bag, thrifted and vintage.



A while back, I dismissed “choose your favorite outfit” polls as “tedious,” and Stephanie N objected. I promised her a poll “next time,” so here is a recap of the ways I’ve worn this little velvet skirt and a poll where you can select your favorite.

Which outfit with the Herman Geist skirt is your favorite?
	Pretty Pretty Princess
	WR Inspired
	Little Balls
	Brief
	Gamine
	Give It Back
	Green Crinoline
	Nude Legs
	Stripes Over Florals
	Unnaturally Green
pollcode.com free polls

The Sincerest Form of Flattery

Blazer, Forever 21 (via swap). Cami, Deep by Los Angeles. Skirt, Mossimo. Shoes, Miss Me. Necklace, World Market (adorned with a brooch from Burlington Coat Factory).

I’m totally smitten with and jealous of Ally’s flower necklace. This was my attempt to capture a bit of its statementy, flowery essence:


I’m all about creative brooches use, but this is the first time I’ve pinned one to a necklace. I’ve seen Audi do it and the combination was also suggested in a recent issue of In Style. I suppose the idea finally rattled around in my brain long enough to come spilling out again.

While I was looking for the link to Audi’s post, I found Already Pretty’s “how to” entry on making an entire necklace of brooches. I’m copying her next.

I’ll claim the idea of using a brooch to nip in the waist of a top as my own, though. I was so flattered to see other wardrobe bloggers borrowing my trick.

(It's probably a bit difficult to see here, but I have a small, pink brooch gathering the material at the back of this blazer for a close fit.)

Chiffon in Chains

Cardigan, To The Max. Blouse, Charlotte Russe. Jeans, Express. Metal necklace, Target. Faux pearls, thrifted. Chain belt, thrifted. Pumps, Oh Deer!

Today is sort of Vintage Society/Archibald Maximilion/(and dare I say)Rachel Zoe inspired. (Yeah, Rachel doesn't get a link. I figure you all know who she is.) After yesterday’s brief ensemble, it feels nice to swaddle myself in layers and ruffles.

Little Bit

Dress, Sele. Obi, Sugadaminka (via ebay). Shoes, Nine West. Bag, Liz Claiborne. Earrings, Target. Jacket (below), London Jean.

The short hemline, cropped jacket, and flat shoes make me feel very small. Like I’ve taken a piece from the wrong side of the mushroom.