Outfit of the Day 12/20/2012

Silk Alexander McQueen-esque scarf, $11 from Rue 21 last year; grey silk button-up blouse from a "fill a bag for $2" thrift store; dalmatian print Vince Camuto belt from Ross (discount store) for $12.99; black skinny jeans.

 

My Halloween Christmas Tree

I just got my laptop back from being repaired after being broken for ever two weeks, which is a long time to be cut off from the internet and thus the world, in my case. Anyhow, here's my little Christmas tree. It's Halloween themed, just like I have always wanted. (The boyfriend actually approves-- and he's pretty grinchy.) This is our first year doing it, so the ornaments are kinda skimpy, but we plan to buy more next Halloween.

Some of the ornaments were recycled halloween bric-a-brac, a few were thrifted, and the lights and other ornarments were collected over the past few months on sale at The Christmas Tree Shoppe and KMart.

Enjoy your holiday, everyone!



P.S. You'll be pleased to know that our two cats have been knocking it down and stealing the ornaments non-stop. Ugh.

Kat Von D starts a weekly fashion vlog on YouTube

I have tried to focus mainly on blogging with my own original content lately, but I just have to share the news about my personal fashion idol, Kat Von D. Like her, hate her, whatever -- but the girl's got style. Just get a load of her shoe "closet" (which is actually a shoe room). I wish I had space for the shoes I have now, let alone an entire room.



She also has a great informational video on mourning jewelry here, something I adore but can't afford (at least not authentic antique mourning jewelry). This is a subject I am very interested in. If I may add to the little lesson given in the video, in centuries past, women were expected to wear black for up to  year after their husbands died as a visual display of widowdom and grief. Those who could afford it often willed money to be used after their death to pay for mourning rings, which might have the departed's initials, portrait, and many times actual hair from the body, to be distributed to their loved ones. I think that is fascinating.

Kat Von D has stepped away from the reality show world, but is still very busy! She is still tattooing at her very own shop, High Voltage Tattoo in LA. She is also working on an album, finishing a new book, and designing a new line for her fashion brand, Kat Von D Los Angeles.

 

My New York City Shopping Trips Part V: Search & Destroy Vintage in Saint Mark's Place

5. Search & Destroy Vintage

25 St. Marks Pl
(between 3rd Ave & Astor Pl)
New York, NY 10003
Neighborhood: East Village





This store is awesome. Located in the famed punk neighborhood of Saint Mark's Place, Search & Destroy might look intimidating to the passerby, but I felt like a kid in a candy store. I wanted to buy so much, but we were pressed for time and in desperate need of a restroom. The prices were reasonable (in New York City terms). I found an awesome 60's avant garde print polyester dress marked $24. There was a pair of velvet Doc Martins. I kid you not. It is a cramped inside, not that it was a small store, but more that there is just so much stuff. They sell vintage and new items for an alternative client base. Right up my alley, and, they happen to be right across the street from another awesome Saint Mark's Place institution, Trash and Vaudeville.

Final thoughts: A must see!

 

My New York City Shopping Trips Part IV: Hamlet's Vintage in Greenwich Village

4. Hamlet's Vintage

162 Bleecker Street (Greenwich Village)

New York, NY 10012





I heard about this place from reading positive Yelp reviews. From the way people raved about it, I pictured it as a large, open store. In reality, it is one itsy bitsy room. There were a lot of costume-y pieces that I couldn't see being very practical -- more like those things you buy with the best of intentions, and then you never actually wear them out. (I have this child's size kimono that I thought was just so rad in the store, but now has been living exclusively in my closet for a year.) There were some cool things, like authentic vintage military jackets, but what a lot of people may not know is that army surplus stores sell vintage military clothing too, for waaaay cheaper. I did see some metallic knit sweaters that tickled my fancy, but I didn't buy anything here either.

I am used to vintage stores here in Pennsylvania, where there is a gotta-have-it item at every turn. I usually have a hard time not spending too much at vintage stores, because I want everything, but this trip I just didn't have any luck. Granted, I am cheap (or as this blog would suggest, thrifty) but I am willing to spend more on a unique vintage piece with character. Vintage stores sell a lot of what you can find in thrift stores, but the draw is that they have the crème de la crème, the best of the best, weirdest and funkiest vintage finds. That's why people are willing to spend more.

Final thoughts: Worth checking out if you have the budget and you're in the neighborhood, but it's very small.

Related articles

• My New York City Shopping Trips Part III: Monk Thrift Shop, Greenwich Village (thriftycent.wordpress.com)


• My New York City Shopping Trips Part I: Bleecker Bob's Record Store (thriftycent.wordpress.com)


• How-To: Shop and Wear Vintage (fabsugar.com)

My New York City Shopping Trips Part III: Monk Thrift Shop, Greenwich Village

3. Monk Thrift Shop

Address: 175 MacDougal St
New York, NY 10011





 

This, admittedly, was not on my list, but I was drawn in my the signage. Honestly, it was disappointing. Things were expensive, making it more vintage boutique than thrift store. There were some high end designer items, like Michael Kors, Tory Burch, Gucci, and D&G. However, a lot of items (weirdly enough, especially the designer items) were in bad condition -- tears, stains, and missing buttons and hooks. Everything I liked was upwards of $100, which threw me off because there were posters saying"Dresses $9." I saw none. They did have a lot of legit vintage clothing, however. They also have men's clothing. I didn't buy anything here, but I enjoyed sifting through the racks.

Final thoughts: Pass on this one. Too expensive for the quality of the items.

My New York City Shopping Trips Part II: Greenwich Village's Curated Goodwill Store

My record shop craving having been fulfilled, I now wanted to seek out some thrift stores and swanky vintage boutiques.

2. "Curated" Goodwill Thrift Store 

Address: W. 8th Street between MacDougal and Sixth Avenue





In my pre-trip research, I read this article about a curated Goodwill store in Greenwich Village. With all the talk of Ferragamo, vintage Dior, Ann Taylor, and other name-drops, I was so excited to check it out, I could hardly keep my pants on. Maybe I just have bad luck, but the only designer items I saw were in the window display, and those there being held for a silent auction. The window had some 90s Jimmy Choo clogs and Kate Spade heels, but nothing really relevant to current trends.

Don't get me wrong, you can certain tell that someone was hand-picking all the items -- there wasn't any junk or damaged items like you might see in your average Goodwill, but all in all, it seemed like it had already been picked over. It is in a swanky neighborhood with a lot of vintage stores in the vicinity, after all... but, it was still fun to look. The store was clean and well organized, which is impressive, considering the amount of people who are in and out each day. Long story short, I left empty handed.

Final thoughts: Check it out if you're in the area, but don't make a special trip.

Related articles

• Are thrift stores getting too pricey? (thriftycent.wordpress.com)

 

My New York City Shopping Trips Part I: Bleecker Bob's Record Store

From Saturday to Tuesday, I stayed with my mother in New York City, where she lives. (You can read her blog here.) Before heading up there, I had spent a few hours researching vintage boutiques, record stores, and thrift shops that I might want to visit while in the city. Let me tell you, there are so many of these stores in NYC, it feels overwhelming if you want to narrow it down to a doable number, and there wasn't any good reliable list of vintage/thrift stores to fall back on. Anywho, one click led to another and I ended up finding a bunch of stores with addresses on Bleecker Street, so I decided to make it easy on everyone with me and just try and shop on and around that street. I didn't get to every store I had on my list but I did get to see quite a bit. Here is what I did.

1. Bleecker Bob's Golden Oldies Record Shop

Address:118 West 3rd St, New York, NY 10012 (Greenwich Village)

Hours: Sun-Thur 11-1am Fri-Sat 11-3am (Crazy weird hours, right?)



I did not get a shot of the exterior of the store, but this is a good one. The prices were reasonable and based on rarity and condition. The place was not picked over, as is the case with a lot of record shops. The majority of the records are organized alphabetically/by genre, so you didn't have to dig for all eternity if you had something particular in mind. I spent more than I normally do on records, but I was on vacation, so I got crazy. I bought The Ramones: End of the Century ($24), Kraftwerk: The Man Machine ($13), and a Siouxsie and the Banshees single Cities in Dust ($10). These are bands that I have never found on vinyl in any of my travels, and they are three of my favorite bands, so it was worth the money. Sadly, the Ramones album skips (not sure if it is my record player or what, because I can't see a scratch).

Final thoughts: Go there!

Scenes from Pirate Weekend!

Renaissance Faires are great places to see unusual fashion. My boyfriend and I went to the Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire twice this summer. We ate large haunches of meat and we are not ashamed.

Here are some highlights:



Two lovely girls with pretty hair!



Falconry.





Crazy synth-goth boots. They were very alarmed and confused when I asked if I could photograph them for this blog, but they were just crazy enough to let some weird girl take pictures of their shoes for what they could only hope was a real blog. I just love ridiculous shoes. Is that so wrong?!



Jolly minstrels.

And, me and some friends:



I am wearing some mildly pirate-y garb -- a silk red and black striped blouse with a black denim 90s vest with leather trim, both thrifted from Goodwill. Stay tuned for a post with my haul of goodies, which includes a poison stash necklace. The merchant suggested that it might also store that which Eric Clapton so famously sung about. I prefer poison!

I love shopping at weird festivals like this. I always find such unusual items, like a teeny tiny white leather satchel. At our RenFaire, there are vendors who make custom leather boots, corsets, blades, glassblowers, and even people selling animal bones.

I'd love to see photos that you guys have of your experiences with Renaissance Faires. Do you dress up? Comment!

Related articles

• The Ren Faire (theradula.blogspot.com)


• 33 Absurd Things I Learned At The New York Renaissance Faire (thegloss.com)


• Opening Day of the Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire (sherriepalmer.wordpress.com)


• Wolfwhistle Leather Braced Filigree Belt: Love It or Hate It? (fabsugar.com)

It ain't cheap, it's chic!

“Never use the word “cheap”. Today everybody can look chic in inexpensive clothes (the rich buy them too). There is good clothing design on every level today. You can be the chicest thing in the world in a T-shirt and jeans — it’s up to you.”

-- Karl Lagerfeld (Chanel Designer)

Stumbled across this quote on tumblr. Clothes are just clothes -- it's YOU that makes them great.

Are thrift stores getting too pricey?

[caption id="attachment_985" align="alignnone" width="640"] Items for sale in my etsy store![/caption]

It has been quite awhile since I last visited Goodwill, so I thought I'd make the trip this evening. I got some really amazing finds this time, and I am really excited to get it all cleaned up and ready to photograph for you all. (Though they were great finds, they need some serious TLC -- including dry cleaning.)

But... something is bothering me. Every time I visit Goodwill, I see the prices go up and up. Intellectually, I understand that stores like Goodwill and Salvation Army bolster valuable charity programs. That's awesome! However, these stores are selling used goods, often in need of dry cleaning, laundering, and sometimes repairs. Today I saw six fall and winter jackets that were priced at $50. That's essentially retail price. Sure, they might be real leather, or "vintage," but that doesn't mean they're worth the price of a brand new jacket. Many of these coats had dirt, stains, and tears on them. This is absolutely ridiculous. Just because an item is made of leather doesn't mean its worth the price of a new garment. Just because an item is old enough to qualify as vintage does not mean it is worth the price that a curated vintage boutique would charge. Vintage shops sell items for higher prices because the items are still chic and fashionable and still in a wearable condition. No one is going to buy those jackets. They were in cuts and designs that are not translatable to today's fashion, and they were stinky and in very used shape. Shouldn't the price reflect that? Is Goodwill getting greedy? Who is determining these prices? These are all DONATED ITEMS. $50 is just too much.

Intellectually, I understand that stores like Goodwill and Salvation Army bolster valuable charity programs. That's awesome! However, these stores are selling used goods, often in need of dry cleaning, laundering, and sometimes repairs. I am forced to wonder if they realize that it's not just the people on the receiving end of the charity efforts who stand to gain from these types of thrift stores -- there are a lot of people who do all their clothing shopping at second-hand stores because of low income. A lot of families cannot afford to buy retail, and stores like Goodwill offer them a chance to shop for a variety of styles, brands, and seasons that would not be available to them otherwise. They get a chance to have some say in their personal style because of the variety second-hand shops offer.

How do you feel about this issue? Personally, if I want something bad enough, I will buy it anyway. The fact that part of the sales go to charity makes that easier, but now that they're upping the prices on more mundane and generic items as well, I am disheartened. Is the art of the thrift store hunt in danger? Let me know what you think with a comment. Click the text bubble next to this entry's title to chime in.

More Eyeball Jewelry: Eyeball Ear Cuff

 



I am eyeball obsessed these days. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that I work for an optometrist? And for some crazy reason, eyeballs are all the rage right now. I found this rad ear cuff on eBay. Seriously, people, eBay is the new frontier for fashionistas. There is a lot of crap to dig through, but you can find some real fashion gems on eBay. I got mine from this seller for $1.49.

About a week ago, I got this lovely bracelet in the mail, also from ebay:



 

The next piece I need is an eyeball ring, which I am in the process of making, once I get the ring bases in the mail. Thanks eBay!

 

 

Small End of Summer Yard Sale Haul and Yard Sale Tips

 



 







 

Went to a few yard sales today with my grandma, who has recently started her own etsy shop. I haven't had much luck at finding good stuff at yard sales this summer, but today my luck changed.

I found an awesome old bag that I assume was for a camera. It's real leather, but the strap is very dried out and it's cracking, so I will probably have to replace it. The best part -- it was free! Then I found a wicker handbag at a Mennonite garage sale for $0.50. Not too shabby. At one garage sale, I found a neat bag of old Halloween decorations, which had these two blinking buttons that you see pictured above. Not pictured, I found three pairs of vintage earrings that need some TLC, 90s Tupperware brooches (I know, weird), and an old advertising yard stick for my workspace/craft room. (Oh, yeah, I made myself a work space that I will have to share with you guys. It's furnished completely with second-hand awesome-ness, including a mid-century TV stand I found on the curb and carried home.)

Yard Sale Tips

1. Here's a good tip I learned from my grandma -- a lot of yard sales start on Thursdays, so it's the best time to get the good stuff. Antiques dealers and vintage hunters get their early for the best stuff. They're your competition!

2. Late Saturday afternoon is the best time to get cheap prices, because sellers are ready to throw in the towel. They are probably more willing to negotiate, and start throwing items to the curb, free to anyone who wants them. Being late has its advantages!

3. Check the free boxes! That is where I find the weirdest, coolest stuff. I found that cowhide bag in a free box. Once, I found an 1800s Bible that sold on eBay for $60. So, you just never know! Just be shameless and raid those boxes! Remember, they want that stuff gone.

4. An effective  haggling maneuver at yard sales is bundling. If a seller has items marked higher than what you'd feel comfortable paying, suggest a single price for multiple items. Take them to the seller and ask, "Would you take $5 for all of this?" and insert your offer as you see fit. The seller feels like they are getting more money and you get more for your buck.

5. Try to see the potential in an item, while still being realistic. For example, today I saw an awesome black wool coat that looked like it was from the 40s at a garage sale. It was marked $5. I thought about haggling, but I smelled it, and it smelled like mildew. Mildew is a difficult thing to get rid of, and in the end it was going to cost me too much, so I decided to pass.

6.To build on the last point,  use all of your senses to help you make the right choice. Be realistic about whether you will give an item the TLC it needs. I have a lot of stuff sitting around that I said I'd fix up, but haven't. Don't be like me!

Good luck with your yard sales while the weather permits!

 

DIY Skeleton Hand Collartips

 

Took some leftover skeleton hands from crafts of years past, glued lapel pins to them and attached a chain. So easy, it's stupid. Saw the idea on tumblr. By the way, why don't you check out Thrifty Cent's tumblr?

 

 

I picked up this lovely collar necklace at a local antique mall called Route 30 for $5. The price seemed a little steep since it probably isn't any older than the eighties or nineties but it was one of those times where I felt like I'd regret it if I didn't get it.

And here are some snapshots of the jewelry I'verecently made for my etsy shop, The Betwixt Boutique:

For my rad readers, I have created a coupon code for you for The Betwixt Boutique. Enter coupon code THRIFTY at checkout.

 

Favorite Sandals of the Summer

I actually got these sandals back when it was still cold outside. I had an Amazon Gift Card I received for a work project, so I decided to splurge and spend it on these. At the time, I paid something like $39 for these. Excuse my awful feet. Ahem.

Blowfish /Seadream Flat Sandals 

Ebay Find: Metal Bird Claw Bangle

I very recently scored this sweet bird talon bangle on, believe it or not, eBay! I first saw something like this on Nasty Gal, a site I like to ogle but can NOT afford, and was intrigued but wrote it off as out of my bank account league.  And then, the amazing youtuber Jen Im of CLOTHES ENCOUNTERS wore a metal claw bangle in one of her videos. I saw how awesome yet effortless it looked on her wrist. When she said she bought it on ebay, I paused the video and went directly to ebay. I actually found the very same bracelet, bought it, and also found the one you see above. I paid $1.04 (including shipping!) for it.

And here it is with the rest of today's arm jewelry. The faceted stone ring is from Forever 21 (for $3.80) and the big weird red ring is from a dollar store in my local mall (for $0.99).

A quick update!

I've been through a whole bunch of crazy lately -- computer viruses, chronic broke-ness, and a broken camera. (Thank my cute new kitten for that one. Long story.) I am now plus one camera and minus all computer viruses but still broke (because of the new camera). But that doesn't mean I haven't been thrifting! It's going to take me awhile to catch up on all the treasures I've found and all the things that have filled my mind, but we'll get there.

Stay tuned!

New shoes from TJMaxx

I need some new heeled shoes for work, so I picked these up at my local TJMaxx, a discount clothing store, for $34.99, a bit more than I usually pay for shoes. They normally would have retailed for a higher price in a normal store.

In some cases, you get what you pay for, and cheap shoes just don't last.  At an event for one of my work-study jobs in college, one of my shoes broke, so I was stuck wearing my snow boots for the entire evening. The shoes were $15 from K-mart. Live and learn, right?

They remind me of these shoes I have been seeing on Japanese and Chinese fashion blogs:



 

Thanks for reading, thrifters!

Three Reasons Why You Should Give the Peplum Skirt a Chance

1. Instantly creates an hourglass figure.

• If you have broad shoulders, a peplum dress or skirt will balance you out.


• For those who have a little extra love in the tummy area (like me) it will help give back that hourglass figure by contrasting your waistline.


• If you have a slender frame (or even just a straighter frame), this will enhance your curves.

And the people does all of this without making your legs look bulky, because the skirt itself is typically fitted. Otherwise, it's just a ruffle. Peplum elitism here, folks.

2. Adds playfulness and femininity to an otherwise stuffy ensemble.



If it weren't for the peplum effect of the blazer, this look would be quite serious and a little too matronly for a woman of Kate Middleton's age. It also adds curves to her slender body.

3. It's readily available in thrift stores!



The peplum has been around long before the 1980s! It's the modern way to wear a bustle, representing a stark contrast to the loose-fitting garments of the 1920s and 30s.

Thanks for reading, thrifters!