Thriftanista in the City

Here's a quick tutorial on how to diy your very own fascinator. I've been a fan for quite some time. I made a few some years ago with a plastic headband as base. The stretchy headband works out so much better. It's sturdier for my heavy locs. The feathers would fly off of the headband every time I took it off. You can go extra derby style with lots of feather or tone it down with just a few. My fascinator pinspiration photo on the left is more subdued and appropriate for an everyday look. As you can see the inspiration, the old one, and the new one all vary so go ahead and experiment to find the right version for you!

Many thanks to Cottonelle for sponsoring today's post, and keeping my bum clean! Now that I've over shared, let's move on to a more fun topic. I find Kentucky Derby fashion really interesting. The matchy-matchy colors, big hats, and white gloves are right up my fashion alley *swoon*. Pretty Woman was on the other night. I saw outfits in the derby scene (just say no to bandage dresses with thigh high stockings) that I would wear today. Trends recycle and so do I!

I purchased this Mother's Day gift thanks to a compensated social shopper amplification for #CollectiveBias and #FamilyMobile. Walmart has the  cheapest wireless plan  available for families which is I why I picked up a Nokia Lumia 521 while stocking up on toiletries. Mother's Day and the Non-Techie Mom aka My Mommy My mom is not tech savvy at all. Our family was last on the block to have a microwave and a VCR. She would still be operating a 110 camera if she could find the film for it. She switched over to cds about 5 years ago. Digital download? Forgetaboutit.  My mom is retired. Who has the time to keep with all that technology stuff?

I received a guiltless ice cream scented trio of lip scrubs to review -- strawberry, chocolate, and vanilla. Every night I hear "Mommy, can you give me a lip scrub?" Violet is smitten with my Good Earth Beauty lip scrub .  Me thinks she's accidentally on purpose nibbling on a sugar crystal or two.  Good Earth Beauty is an online beauty shop that only carries natural and organic products that are not tested on animals. Products are chosen and personally tested by the staff and they have everything you could possibly need for bath and body including soaps, moisturizers and even makeup.

You know what makes me happy? Finding J. Crew at the thrift. As far as name brands go, I am a fan and they are retail worthy. If I had those kind of pockets, I totally would. The quality is spectacular and it's classic and oftentimes a bit quirky. Like me!  I always buy J. Crew when I find it. The pieces are pretty timeless and they have great resale value. Not a bad way to spend $5.

I love to thrift on vacation. I like to visit new stores and generally check out the culture. It does take a bit of planning to make sure you're not wasting a moment of your holiday. I've included tips for success plus my finds from a trip to Las Vegas.

Thanks to Dollar Tree for partnering with me and giving me this first look at   Dollar Tree's Summer Fun  collection.  Summer will be here soon and I definitely want to get a jump on all the new products available at Dollar Tree because once it's gone it's gone. Naturally it goes fast as everything is $1!  I learned my lesson a couple of years ago when I tried to buy tree decorations the week before Christmas.

I attended Chicago's Shoe Lover party hosted by DSW. Guests were treated to appetizers, cocktails, and new shoes. Yes, that really happened. In addition to a fabulous party, I got the scoop on all of  the latest shoe trends at great prices available at DSW .

When I originally viewed the  Stitch Fix  Klout perk, I didn't think it was for me. Basically it was $20 savings off of a box of clothes. The stylist fee is $20 so the "perk" is trying on clothes at home. Not much a perk in my eyes. After all, one of my last Klout perks was an absolutely FREE  Darby Smart  box.  I received so many compliments on the orange cowl neck dress , I thought I'd share more about it and the other goodies in my Stitch Fix.

I'm very pleased to present this sponsored infographic, A Beautiful Bond, detailing the intricate relationship between fashion and charity. It highlights the charitable side of some of the most iconic designers in the fashion industry today.

SAHM style got a a little fancy. The weather warmed up and I didn't want to wear the standard mom casual jeans. It's still a little chilly on the legs though. No socks but I am wearing leggings underneath the skirt.  My look is comprised of 3 pieces of thrift gold. You know the ones. It's so absolutely perfect you cannot believe someone would donate it.

Beyond excited to have been chosen by #CollectiveBias, the social shopper media company, for a compensated tour of #MyMarianos newest location in Ravenswood. Mariano's is the best  grocery store Chicago  has to offer so I was ecstatic to be at the Ravenswood store on grand opening day!  Other than summer, this is the most anticipated arrival of the year. I know I'm not alone. My Facebook feed was buzzing with the great news. I met a friend at the train station and he said everyone from the train was heading straight to Mariano's located right next door to the station.

Thanks and hi-fives to Coupons.com and hosts  Still Blonde after all these Years  and  ModlyChic  for sponsoring this Fashionista event. Glad to share my Easter dress remix tips and an amazing giveaway! Every year, my sisters and I received new dresses for Easter and I continue the tradition with Violet. As for me though, I have a fairly new dress in my closet so I don't want to buy another one. Well, I do but that's not thrifty. It's been a high splurge month already!

Thanks to Global Influence for this sponsored post giving me the opportunity to share my experience with Simple® skincare products and share details of #Saturdate with Beauty. Simple® Skincare is one of my absolute favorites and the cleansing cloths have changed my life! I attended a favorite things party a while ago. You bring your favorite items and share them with friends. One of the items I brought was Simple® cleansing cloths. They are the perfect solution for my lazy bedtime skincare routine. I use them to remove makeup and it's gentle and effective enough to remove eyeliner and mascara around eyes. They are also fortified with Pro-Vitamin B5 which helps to restore, soften and smooth skin.

After complaining to a friend that I couldn't find my tribe, she told me to build my own. I took her advice and worked to do that through this blog, creating Thriftanista Social Club , and opening a thrift store this year --  The Thriftanista Closet . I also happen to be a lover of parties and good times so I host Thrift Ups! and other events to connect with the tribe face to face.

True story. I had no plans of shopping during our Goodwill Thrift Up! . I was going to just move around, take pictures, mingle, and keep the time. However, the thrift spirit rose in me. Once I saw everyone filling their carts with finds, I couldn't help myself. I spent $75 between both of our stops. I bought 19 items including 5 skirts, 4 tops, 3 pairs of pants, 2 jackets, a pair of shorts, a dress, a  romper, pajamas, and sandals! Goodwill Thrift Haul Seychelles Fearless thong mini wedge sandals Never worn and still available online thong sandals . They were a smidge to small but I bought them anyway because I knew I could find a good match for them. Sold them the next morning on Instagram .