Thriftanista in the City

After my Sears shopping trip , I went to Vintage Garage Chicago. I wasn't expecting to have another vintage  thrift haul  like the last one. Vintage from a thrift store is a lot cheaper than vintage from a market expressly for vintage shoppers. I knew the prices would be higher so I wasn't planning on coming home with anything. There was so much great stuff that I just couldn't leave empty handed. I found lucite and plastic bangles from 14th Street Vintage . I didn't really find these. I know the owner. She's a long time member of the Thriftanista Social Club and she always finds good stuff! Unbeknownst to me, I won a contest she had on her Facebook page for a free bangle. So I bought four and got one free!

As part of a sponsored post for Collective Bias, I had the opportunity to check out affordable fashion at Sears and express my Sears style . I went in search of the perfect outfit for an alfresco dining experience. I can’t wait until the weather starts cooperating because a lot of my summertime activities involve outdoor eating at restaurants, festivals, and cookouts. Surely, I’m not alone?

As a stay at home mom, my day is basically running errands, going to the playground, cooking and procrastinating about cleaning. I spend a lot of time in comfortable, casual clothes. As we transition into spring (effin cold in Chicago), I'm finding that my closet hasn't quite caught on to this style. Are cowboy boots appropriate for walking to the grocery store?

This post is sponsored by Invisalign but opinions and metal braces are my own. I’ve always been pretty self conscious of my smile because of my overbite and getting braces was always in the back of my mind. I was just waiting for the right time. This past year, I developed major issues because of my overbite. The end result would be my front tooth falling out. Having buck teeth, I can deal with. A missing front tooth, I can not. I ended up with  metal braces  because I didn’t think clear braces would work for me. It wasn't until I attended an Invisalign Teen StraightTalk event that I was set straight about a couple of my assumptions: Assumption #1: My  dental issues  are far too extreme to be fixed by clear, removable plastic.  As it turn out, Invisalign’s treatment is not limited to mild cosmetic cases. Due to many advances in its proprietary technology, Invisalign can effectively fix crowded teeth, widely spaced teeth, open bite, crossbite, ov...

Wearing yellow pants aren't the only way to punch up your spring wardrobe. Fly accessories will also do the trick! These thrifted must have accessories are in my closet but they could be in yours... 1. Yellow Clutch Purse A bright yellow clutch can only accentuate your outfit. Wear it with all black. Wear it with all white. Wear it with all colors in between. It's the perfect pop of color to perk up an outfit. I found this one at Vintage Garage here in Chicago. It's yellow leather! It sports a yellow plastic frame and a yellow lining. Love! It cost a bit more than I like to pay but I just couldn't resist the bold, bright color. 2. Sunglasses Sunglasses hide a case of the "squintees" and shield your eyes from the sun or the glare of a bright yellow purse. They are also a great  had a late night warm weather makeup. If you don't want to go full face on a hot, humid day wear sunglasses. They add depth with no contouring required. Don't we...

Bright yellow pants are the perfect trend for spring and summer. Since you may not be sure about wearing pants as bright as the sun, it's also the perfect trend to thrift! Pants from several decades and in many styles can be found at the thrift store. You are bound to find a great pair. Plus, the price is always right. I've said it before but I will say it again. Thrifting is a great way to experiment with trends without breaking the bank. Bright yellow pants aren't for the tame though. Don't wear yellow pants if you're trying to camouflage your lower half. All eyes will be on that gorgeous...sunshine! Having a serious love of the color yellow is helpful too. How can you look anything less than stunning wearing your favorite color, right? If yellow is your power color, this is the trend for you! Thrift Tips If you're all set to pop some thrift store tags and find a pair of bright yellow pants, keep these thrift tips in mind: th...

My ankara maxi skirt is really a dress. It's an a-line dress I made when I actually sewed the fabric instead of hoarding it. It's a Vogue Michael Kors pattern that I've sewn several times but I could never figure out how to adjust the stinking bust to accommodate more than a B cup.  It was always unflattering on top and caused extremely flat uni-boob.  I normally keep my sewing projects even if I don't wear them. I wear this dress maybe once a year.  I was prepared to swap it at the party  but no one wanted it. Perhaps, they could tell there was a uni-boob situation? I put it back in the closet to age. I woke up yesterday morning with an epiphany... Why don't you wear it as a skirt? Some people wake up ready to change the world and I woke up thinking about a dress. Real deep. I know.  I took the neck tie off and tucked in the halter and voila! I have a new maxi skirt and it has a really high waist. It's playground...

I did yet another DIY on the Salvation Army shoes. My granny flats went from faux leopard to studded faux leopard to gold studded flats. In what I think will be the final refashion, I painted them gold using a metallic acrylic from my Martha Stewart box o' fun . This is an attempt to inject some fun into my flat shoe game. I do not like wearing flats. I feel rather squat when I wear them but they are very necessary for my lifestyle. The temps are rising and I'm doing a lot more walking and hanging out at the playground. Traipsing to the park in platform heels ain't going to happen. My poor little left baby toe would surely fall off. You know what else ain't going to work at the playground? Low rise pants and jeans. I need full coverage, casual and comfortable. When I bend over, toddlers shouldn't be exposed to my plumber butt. I have to get my snazzy up in other ways. Hence, the striped tee, floral capris and flats outfit. I would not h...

In addition to sipping mimosas all day in my custom wine glass , I painted my nails on Mother's Day. As an extra special treat to myself, I played around with my Salon Express  Nail Art Stamping Kit . I've had it for a few months but was quite intimidated by it. When I tried to stamp my nails the first time, it was a big ol' glob of mess. Turns out I was doing it all wrong. The scraping part is a step you don't want to miss. In fact, it would be better to read the instructions. Which I did not. If you have a nail art stamper that isn't quite working out for you or you want to give it a try, let me break it down for you! Obviously you want to start off with a very clean manicured nail. I'm working with freshly washed hands. That's why my hands look like I've been sifting flour.  Next apply a base coat. I used Orly's Bonder because it rocks! It gives the polish something to stick to and hopefully last longer.  Apply two coats o...

I'm a big fan of packing light when traveling. I am one of those people that hates checking bags so I normally cram everything into a backpack and a carry-on. The backpack has my electronics and toiletries. The carry-on has everything else. I am that person slowing up the line and tripping people with my rolling carry-on.  If you like to take it all on the plane, here are 4 tips to fit it all in. They were very helpful on my back to (almost) back trips to Vegas and SoFabCon : Pick a color scheme.  By sticking with a color scheme, you can travel with less shoes -- a pair of heels and a pair of flats that will match everything you wear. It's also easier to get dressed because everything already goes together. In Vegas, I wore a lot of blue tones. I chose black, white, and brown tones with pops of color for SoFabCon. Pack dresses.  Dresses are an entire outfit! If they're knit, they're also easy to fold up really tight and throw on withou...

Mother's Day is approaching and I decided to whip up a quick and easy diy that will help facilitate Mimosa Sunday. Using paint and supplies received from  Martha Stewart crafts , I made a custom wine glass.  Mama likes wine. I'm not picky either. Red or white. Cheap or expensive. It's all good wine to me. I made a glass that matches my my point of view. You may not share my love of cheap wine and gaudy wine sayings on a glass so feel free to personalize in anyway you want. "DRINK CHEAP WINE" Custom Wine Glass Tutorial SUPPLIES  thrifted wine glass - etching cream - stencils - paintbrush - acrylic paint (optional) WHAT TO DO Prep glass by washing with soap and water. Wipe it down with rubbing alcohol. Apply a thick layer of etching cream to stem using a paintbrush.  Place stencil design and letters on glass. If I had to use the letter more than once, I applied a different letter as a placeholder. I did this freehand but you can use light...

Thrift rules work in retail too. If you like it, try it on . It may not suit your usual style or be your size but magic can happen if you just get it a try. For example, let's look at the shirt dress in my closet that hasn't been worn in 3+ years. When I saw this shirt dress at Macy’s, it seemed old-fashioned and matronly. I was looking for work appropriate attire and at the time it fit my vision of what corporate casual was.  I tried it on with the sleeves down and the matching fabric belt. Boring. I pulled the sleeves up and added a different belt and it became much more interesting. It was one of my favorite workplace dresses. Easy and comfortable. No ironing required. Yeah, I was in this puppy every other week.  Today, I’m a little more adventurous in my dress so I kicked it up a notch by adding my thrifted and awesome skinny leopard print belt that goes with everything! I pushed the limits a bit more with the horse pendant necklace whic...