The Advantages of DIY

thrifted dress (re-designed by yours truly), thrifted Gap shirt,
belt from Wish (closed), Banana Republic wedges, Forever 21 earrings

Would you like to know a little secret about this skirt? Once upon a time, it was a dress. I bought it fully knowing that I would have to alter it if I ever wanted to wear it. I just couldn't pass up the beautiful fabric. Before I transformed it, it had a strange wrap-around skirt, full 80s sleeves, a high neckline, and buttons on the back. I wish I'd taken a "before" picture, but I'm not lying when I say I wasn't going to wear it unless the shape was totally different.

I must have had the dress for almost six months without touching it. I almost forgot I had it until I was on Pinterest one day and stumbled across this photo. I thought to myself, "Wow, I really want a floral skirt now." Then, I remembered that I already had a floral dress and decided to make it a weekend project. It definitely took some vision, but I'm so happy with the results. After I cut off all the parts I didn't like, it was as easy as sewing the seams back together. I didn't have to mess with any elastic or zippers, which made it that much easier.

What do you think about my dress-turned-skirt?

Domestic Distractions

thrifted shirt, Gap skirt, Banana Republic wedges, vintage scarf

So far, I've kept up with my resolutions to start exercising and stop shopping. I know it's only been a week since I've started jogging, but it's already been about three weeks since I've bought an article of clothing. I'm not lying when I say that's an accomplishment for me. If you know me at all, you know that I'm a shopper at heart. I'm just trying to stay busy so that I don't even have time to think about shopping. It was easy this past weekend because we were out of town, but it's been harder to keep my mind off it since we got back.

All I can think about is the Goodwill Blue Hanger outlet and those huge bins filled to the brim with treasures for me to find. It's kind of a problem.

I kept myself occupied yesterday evening by convincing my boyfriend to help me finally put away our Christmas tree and clean out our extra closet. Then, I cooked dinner and folded the laundry. If domesticity is the only thing keeping me from shopping, I'm all for it.

Back to the Grind

thrifted top, skirt, and necklace, Gap denim jacket, Banana Republic wedges,

This post disappeared and deleted what I'd written. Here it is again!

A Very Good Friday

Old Navy shirt, Gap jeans and wedges, Forever 21 earrings

I haven't worn these pants since last summer and I was pleased that they still fit. Not that I really thought they wouldn't, but it was definitely reassuring. I really wanted to showcase my awesome floral wedges and figured white jeans would do the trick.

I'm so excited about this weekend because I finally have a day off! I've been working every weekend at the bridal salon since I started in January (minus the weekend I took off for the Texas Style Council during SXSW). I'm so ready for a weekend day off and it's finally arrived! Now all I need is a whole weekend off, but that's probably not happening anytime soon.

Have a happy Friday and enjoy your weekend, everyone!

Lazy Day Off

thrifted Ann Taylor blouse, Gap skirt, Nine West tights from Marshalls,
earrings and boots from Forever 21, vintage coat from Cream Vintage

It's my first day off after working ten days in a row and I've been deliciously lazy. In fact, I'm still in my pajamas and wearing my glasses. I made myself a great breakfast and enjoyed my coffee in an actual mug instead of a travel coffee cup. I plan to have a stress-free day and avoid all the things I don't want to do, i.e. clean the apartment and figure out my loan consolidation stuff. Instead, I'll paint my nails and plant the seeds I bought a few weeks ago. For now, I'm off to lunch with Matt for a pre-date to our fancy dinner date tonight.

Oh, and Happy Valentine's Day!

Conflicted

thrifted skirt from Goodwill, Gap tank top, Forever 21 bolero and earrings,
 Montego Bay wedges from Payless

I  was wearing this outfit while working at Gap and had a customer tell me I didn't look very "Gap". I wanted to snap at her, "What does it matter what I'm wearing?", but of course I didn't. Instead, I laughed it off and said, "Well, I like to mix my thrifted finds with my retail purchases. At least I'm wearing a Gap tank top!" It got me thinking about the sad fact that I'm expected to look a certain way at work. I don't have a problem with looking put-together and professional, but I'm not OK with being expected to have a certain "look". It just makes me feel weird.

Please tell me if I'm overreacting.

More Basic Black

Gap shirt, Halston Heritage skirt from Julian Gold,
necklace from Target, Montego Bay wedges from Payless

Oh boy, do I love this skirt! It's so flowy and soft and it makes me feel like a million bucks. It's definitely one of the best purchases I've made in a long time. At the same time, it's one of the LAST purchases I'll make for awhile. I can't ignore the fact that I'm broke and all. But, I couldn't deny that I needed this skirt. Let me explain...

Since I started my new job at Alfred Angelo, I've realized that I lack professional clothing. When I worked at Cream Vintage, I could wear whatever I wanted, which was awesome but not realistic. My wardrobe is filled with fun, casual clothing that wouldn't be appropriate to sell wedding dresses in. I needed basics that can be remixed with the clothes already in my closet and this skirt definitely fits the bill.

What do you think about my new favorite skirt?

Wishful Thinking

Gap sweater and jeans, thrifted vintage blouse from Goodwill, Zara wedges

Let's pretend for a moment that I'm not a recent graduate, broke, and in debt because I want to talk about all the awesome shopping that's happening here in Austin this weekend. Two of my favorite shopping events are going on this Saturday and Sunday—Le Garage Sale and the City-Wide Garage Sale. It's too bad (but good for my wallet) that I'm working all weekend or else I'd be at both sales on both days. If you'll be in town and don't have any plans for the weekend, please go to these sales so I can live vicariously through you. Now, allow me to tell you a little bit about them.

If you're a fan of shopping at local, independent Austin businesses, Le Garage sale is for you. Tons of local boutiques and stores (including Dog and Pony, Kendra Scott, Langford Market, Goodie Two Shoes, Strut, and so many more) get together in the Austin Convention Center to sell their awesome items at lower-than-normal prices. It's a great way to be introduced to all the great local businesses Austin has in one single place.

If you're a fan of buying antiques, vintage clothing and accessories, and unique knickknacks, the City-Wide Garage Sale is for you. Local vendors set up booths in the Palmer Events Center to sell their vintage collectibles for much lower prices than what you'd pay in a brick and mortar vintage store. The last time I went, I got some amazing vintage jewelry for very cheap and my best friend, Jackie, bought two beautiful vintage dresses for $8. Tip: If you print out a copy of the Vintage Around Town Guide, you can get in for free!

Did I distract you long enough to make you forget I wore almost this exact same outfit not too long ago?

Little Black Dress

Gap dress, Zara flats, Forever 21 necklace, vintage bracelets

When Matt saw my hair up like this, he asked me if I had any little fake birds to put in it. Normally, Matt doesn't have the best ideas when it comes to fashion and hair, but I realized it wasn't a half-bad idea. It might be kind of cute to pretend like my ballerina bun is a nest and put a little bird, a couple of tiny eggs, and a few twigs in it. I probably wouldn't wear it out because I'd get the "are you crazy?" stares, but it might be fun for a photo shoot or something.

This dress is the first purchase I've made using my employee discount.since I've been back at Gap. I held off for two weeks, but as soon as I saw this dress the morning we got it in the store, I knew I had to try it on. I really hoped it wouldn't look good, but of course, it fit wonderfully. It's the perfect go-to little black dress that can be dressed up or down. I love it so much that I wore it two days in a row after I bought it. And I'll probably wear it again this week!

Personal Style

thrifted vintage skirt and Nine West wedges from the Goodwill Blue Hanger outlet,
Gap shirt, thrifted belt from Goodwill, Forever 21 necklace  

This outfit is the perfect representation of my style. It's feminine, yet casual and includes something from all the different places I like to shop. I often wear a combination of thrifted and/or vintage pieces and items from my retail guilty pleasures like Gap or Forever 21. I like when I wear outfits that perfectly represent me, especially when it's not planned. It's a really good way for me to understand and define my own style. Having a blog definitely helps, but it's always interesting to look back at the outfits I wore two month ago and already forgot about.

By the way, this will be the last post with me wearing my glasses. After a whole week, I'm finally able to wear my contacts again. I was getting tired of having to push my glasses up my nose whenever I bent down and not having any peripheral vision.

Now, on to the more exciting news...I was featured in The Daily Texan last week! I helped my good friend, Jessica, out with her article, Locals give winter wardrobe advice, by giving her my tips for dressing for the bipolar Texas winters. She also asked me to be the model for the article, to which I gladly obliged. The online article looks great, but the printed version was even better because they had a full-body shot of my outfit. I have 10 copies, so I'm tempted to cut myself out like a paper doll or make a bookmark for my boyfriend. Stay tuned for a DIY...

I have to thank Jessica again for such a fabulous article. She recently started her own blog, Sparkle & Stripes, and I highly suggest that you check it out. She's got a really great sense of style and the cutest eyeglasses ever.

My Gap Getup & Glasses Glare

Jeans, shirt, and cardigan from Gap, wedges from Walmart, vintage necklace
from the Austin City-Wide Garage Sale

It was weird not going back to school when everyone else did this week. Instead, I've been working all week and trying to stay on top of all my online duties. In addition to working at Gap and Alfred Angelo and running my blog and Etsy store, I've also been writing for Broke & Chic. Of course, I've been writing about shopping secondhand, which is one of my favorite subjects. Admittedly, today's outfit is not a good representation of how much I love to thrift, but what can you expect from someone who has a discount at Gap?

My latest article for Broke & Chic is about the differences between thrift stores and consignment stores. Sometimes, it can be difficult to understand all the options for buying secondhand clothing and shoes, so I wanted to help those folks who are still feeling confused. Check it out over at Broke and Chic and be sure to like them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter to say up to date on the latest posts about looking great for less.