Thriftanista in the City

The three things that help me achieve goals and manifest a fabulous new year include naming the new year, figuring out where my true passions are, and creating a vision board. These strategies may not work for everyone so I invited a few friends over to share their tools too. I hope that you'll find an approach that resonates with you and helps you achieve greatness in the new year. Peace, Love and Happy New Year!

This year flew by for me and I can't believe 2016 is a few days away. It's been a wonderful year of thrift style and growth for Thriftanista in the City. I stepped out of my comfort zone a few time and those posts turned out to be some of the most well received posts of the year. My top two posts of this year were actually written at the end of 2014. The most popular post of the year was also my personal favorite. Lists and style diys were quite popular this year in general. The following posts had the highest number of page views in 2015.

I'm beyond thrilled to partner with  Shops Around Lenox  for the annual Jingle Bell Frock showcasing holiday party wear from fab'rik. I mixed my stylish new pieces with a touch of vintage.  I love to put together fancy casual looks that are glam yet comfortable. fab'rik had just what I needed for a Christmas party I attended over the weekend.

This sponsored Mode post contains useful information all savvy thriftanistas should know. Opinions are my own. As thrift shoppers, I think it's important to know how to spot fakes with you buy them secondhand. I've taken a chance on a few bags including an estate sale Louis Vuitton Speedy bag that was $40. Luckily it was the real deal but I didn't thoroughly inspect or know what identifying marks to look for when I bought it.

We all know the obvious use for toilet paper but it does come in quite handy in other ways to. It's ultra convenient and compact when toning down lip color to a matte finish. I'm going through a matte lipstick phase and I'm not going to spend money replacing my lippies collection when I already have my perfect shade, lots of toilet paper, and translucent powder.

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #WaterMadeExciting #CollectiveBias This content is intended for readers who are 21 and over. I'm ringing in the new year with champagne in hand and a do better mindset. My goal for the new year is to make better choices. Better choices with business. I'm striving to work smarter and not harder. Better choices with pleasure. I'm saving up for more travel and spending less time shopping. Better choices with my diet. I vow to drink more water and be conscious about what I put in my body. Of course, I'm only human and this human enjoys wine, cocktails and spirits! I won't be swearing them off in the new year but I am finding ways to go lighter.

I'm in the thrift store mirror hemming and hawing about whether or not to buy the poncho top when a fellow thriftanista gives me the nod. Her approval is what I needed to move forward with my purchase. I'm glad she intervened. Thrift store friends are the best at enabling. They are always on team "get it, girl".  

My cozy, broken in sweatshirt from the last thrift haul was fine the way it was but the diy spirit came over me and it was in my line of vision so it received a makeover. I designed an appliqué in PicMonkey and created a graphic sweatshirt of my own likeness.

It seems that I have a thing for vintage shirtdresses. I have one with horses and one with polka dots and now I have this one with an awesomely 70s print. It instantly upgrades my jeans outfit of the day. What initially attracted me to the dress was the bold colors but I also love the unique buttons and choice of green topstitching. 

This is a sponsored blog; while the views expressed here were genuinely mine, consideration was paid to me to review this film. In My Father's House is a deeply personal tale that explores themes of fatherhood, forgiveness and personal redemption. After buying his father's childhood home, grammy award winning hip-hop artist Che 'Rhymefest' Smith goes in search of his father and discovers his father is a homeless alcoholic living only several blocks away. Che and Brian (Che's father) reunite and try to build a new future. IMFH won Bentonville Film Festival's Jury Award for Best Documentary.  Bentonville Film Festival 's mission is to focus on content that exemplifies the growing diversity of the American landscape. BFF provides a platform to significantly increase the commercial value of content produced by minorities and women. Because of their efforts, I was fortunate enough to catch an Atlanta screening of this award winning film....

Holiday parties and events are in full swing. You may be dressing up a bit more than you normally do and struggling with putting your outfits together. Remixing outfits already in your closet or finding a few secondhand pieces may be the way to go. Here's how you can keep your holiday look festive and stylish with thrift store finds.

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #eHolidays#CollectiveBias Gift giving can be hard. There are some people, like my mother, who have it all which makes the gift giving process kind of difficult. This is where  TheGiftCardShop.com comes in. Not only can you find the perfect gift for the person who has everything, you can also send photobooks for FREE!  It's the holiday letter but so much more!

I don't just remix thrift store finds. I love the classics and I love making them my very own by adding a personal touch. Chocolate chip cookies are a classic. They're delicious and easy to make especially with Nestle Toll House cookie dough. I gave this classic a new spin by adding the festive flavor of candy canes and turning the cookie into a decadent truffle.

For once in like a million years, I am under budget in a thrift haul! I was over my $20 rule but my average cost per item was only $2.58. I bought 14 much needed tops, four dresses, two skirts, a pair of pants, and a coat! My annual Black Friday thrifting was off to a late start so I only visited one thrift store. It was one I had never been to so it still felt like an adventure. The store was super quiet too which is a major plus considering the after Thanksgiving hoopla going on.

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #MinionsMovieNight #CollectiveBias One of the highlights of my summer was going to the theater with Violet to watch  Minions  © 2015 Universal Studios. All rights reserved.  We are big fans of Illumination Entertainment's Despicable Me and Despicable Me 2. Obviously, we are extremely thrilled about the December 8th DVD release. Because we are super fans, I am pre-ordering Minions Deluxe Blu-Ray edition online on Target.com where you can order it online and pick up in store.