Thriftanista in the City

Hey there! I celebrated another birthday on Tuesday. It was a pretty low key day. V and I checked out two out of the way thrift stores. No major haul but I did buy some goodies I will share later. In the evening, E and I went to dinner on our 4th post baby date.  One of the best gifts ever! Earrings - Handmade by girlgetalife Ring - Jay Clay Jewelry Dress - Rachel by Rachel Roy (thrifted) Purple pumps - Type Z  Hamming it up on the way to Nellcote Nellcote is a new West Loop restaurant specializing in french, italian, and spanish fare. Food p0rn begins now.. The bread is made with flour they make themselves. Shaved asparagus salad. Excellent flavors.  Halibut with egg and caviar I don't normally mess around with unscrambled eggs but I thought I would try something different for my birthday. Delicious. The caviar made the dish a little salty but I enjoyed it. Rabbit wrapped in bacon. Isn't everything delicious wrapped in ba...

A couple of weeks ago, I attended an  Oscar Mayer Selects luncheon at the Southern .  I was treated to a cooking demo and taste testing of "southern" style hot dogs prepared by Chef Cary Taylor. Chef Taylor teamed up with Oscar Mayer to put a new twist on traditional hot dogs. Using one of the newest additions to the Selects line -- the Chicago style hot dogs,  he created: The South Side - topped with fried green tomatoes, dill pickled okra, and piccalilli relish The Pit Stop - topped with smoked pork butt, georgia peach mustard BBQ sauce, and chipped cole slaw The Kentucky Burgoo - topped with summer succotash, pork fat mayo, and fried okra I've never been much of a hot dog person but I do love southern cuisine so I was excited to give them a try. I was pleasantly surprised. They were very all very flavorful, fresh tasting and filling. The hot dogs are also all beef and have no artificial preservatives. Chef Taylor, me and the dogs The hot dogs! ...

I need a camera lesson for real. My old camera had a setting that worked well for indoor picture taking. Now I just keep fiddling and fiddling and the pics keep getting grainier and grainier. I took to the streets again. Of course, I have my sidekick with me. Take 1: What are you up to, V? Take 2: Nice diaper bunch, V. Take 3: Done! Camp shirt - Old Navy (thrifted) Print wrap dress - unknown (thrifted) Wood heel sandals - Simply Vera by Vera Wang (thrifted) I'm giving away goodies from the Makeup Show! Go claim a freebie  here .

Last weekend I attended The MakeUp Show, t he largest professional beauty event in the Midwest.  This was my second time going. Last year , I was so overwhelmed by the people and all of the great brands represented. Since I am absolutely not a professional, it was complete overload. This time around I had the opportunity to go to the blogger preview the day before and learned a lot about the show, some of the products, and what is new in the world of makeup artistry from James Vincent. I also received a big bag o' goodies! While at the show, I was specifically interested in snagging a couple of Lip Tars from  Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics .  I  just love all the bright colors and cool names. The products are also 100% vegan and cruelty free. I bought Hoochie and Beta. I tried on Hoochie while sitting in my car. I stopped by Senna to see what they recommend for my sparse half brows. My mom has completely sparse brow...

Pleated front. Nice full legs. Nips the waist. Extra roomy. It came with a matching shirt that I'm sure to never wear.  I was going to wear it so you could get the full effect but...no. The print is kind of ridiculous. Rose, bird and the eiffel tower? Huh? They remind me of Ms. Celie's one size fits all pants.  Sparkle tee - DZ Cropped pants - Strenesse (thrifted) Leather belt - Coach (thrifted) Wedge sandals - Nine West (thrifted) Look at that spread!!!! What's the weirdest print you've ever worn?

Something kind of epic happened here in Chicago thrift world last week. Salvation Army had a 3 day (it was 2 but they extended it) .87 per pound sale. Holllerrrr! I've drooled over countless post about NYC's Housing Works by the pound sales. I've scoured "the Internets" looking for such a local sale. The closets I've ever found is in Wisconsin.  Finally it came to be. I am certain I had something to do with it. Law of attraction. Ask. Believe. Receive. All that! I only went one of the days. The schedule went crazy in a good way so I couldn't make all 3 days.  My total "weightage" was 5 pounds (10 items) and the cost was just under $5 with tax. Let me say that again. $5!!!!! I gave the cashier a $5 and she gave me change back. What I Thrifted Gretchen Scott silk dress  Retail $289 two pair of AG jeans  Retail $128 - $245 Sam Edelman quilted ballet flats  Retail $184 Vintage a-line striped skirt ...

Since I buy with my heart, I end up with a lot of pieces in my closet that I don't know what to do with. Sometimes they never see the light of day until packed up and sent off to be recycled. This jumpsuit is one of those pieces. My intent was to sell it but it has some defects and I love it. It's on the outskirts of my comfort zone with it's totally 80s vibe but I'm ready to rock it. I'm just working on accessories that won't make it look so retro.With what though? Black or brown accessories? What would you do? SN: I have my new camera. Now I need to figure out how to operate it.

I hope this pic doesn't make your eyeballs hurt. I've been playing around in Pixlr. I tried to turn my cluttered background into a deconstructed abstract artsy backdrop. The things I do sans camera. I dusted off this picture from last month that was never posted. This is me on a day hanging out with V. It's an easy comfortable dress and the heels aren't that high. They aren't good for strolling but my feet were fine getting in and out of the car running errands. The dress was absolutely free. My neighborhood had a 5 day free market. Did you hear that? Free stuff!!!! You can drop off or take. I did both. I actually scored the dress on the way to the free market. One of the members of the  Thriftanista Social Club just happened to be walking to the market too. She asked if I wanted to look through her drop offs first. Of course I do. So not only was it free, I didn't have to throw 'bows for it. It gets a little crazy when "free" is ...

Over the weekend I attended opening day of Vintage Bazaar. A monthly pop up shop hosting over 150 vintage vendors. I managed not to melt while perusing every single stall. So many unique items to see with every step. What I Wore The purple floral shirt was purchased last year. No idea what I paid for it. I'm sure it was under $3.  The short shorts were bought in the same haul as the floral capri pants . I have plans of dyeing them because my whites always end of a mess of stains by the end of the day. You know what I love about them though? Check out that rise. It's at my belly button. The high waist and short length make my legs look really long. My waist looks tiny too. I can't stop singing the praises of high waisted bottoms. Looking forward to the next big comeback. Hawaiian shirt - Kelii's of Hawaii Shorts - Dockers Peep-toe sandals - Kenneth Cole Reaction What I Saw entrance to the outdoor market shoes I want those Stuart Wei...