Thriftanista in the City

I’ve partnered with Dove to tell you all about their New Dove Dry Oil Collection featuring their Dove Dry Oil Beauty Bar and Dove Dry Oil Moisture Body Wash. We made it to spring successfully but if you're like me, the skin could probably use a little TLC. The cold air has been very drying. It's time to devote attention to the skin now that the heavy coat is put away and there's more skin on display. Dry, scaly skin is not cute. Softer, smoother skin is something every woman desires however 1 in 3 women suffer from dry skin and 98% of women feel more confident when their skin is moisturized vs. dry. Beautiful glowing skin can be achieved and it doesn't have to cost a lot or take up a ton of time.

Leopard print is not technically considered a neutral but it certainly should be. It's the perfect print to wear with most outfits from black to white and a few colors in between. I took advice from Chic Street Style in this Mode sponsored post and paired leopard print flats with patterns and navy. Brenna's best style tips for animal print pumps are listed below: 1. Black and white 2. Orange 3. Lightweight knit and boyfriend jeans 4. All black with a red lippie 5. White and beige 6. Camel and denim 7. Patterns and navy 8. Jewel tones 9. Solid colors and more leopard 10. Chambray and white jeans

I'm trying to get over my fear of messing up "the good fabric". Whenever I have a one of kind piece, I procrastinate about cutting it. I took the plunge and turned one of my african print fabrics into a full circle skirt using a very easy skirt pattern. I'm very pleased with how it turned out.

Remember that time I said I hate olive green? I take it back. This 90s vintage skirt is a keeper. It was a little tight the last time I wore it so I never revisited it in my closet until now. I toned down the drabness of the skirt with a lot of bright colors. 

This shop has been compensated by #CollectiveBias and its advertiser, Walmart Family Mobile. All opinions are mine alone. #DataAndAMovie If case you haven't noticed, I've been rebuilding my relationship with my sewing machine.  I taught myself how to sew and it gave me such a feeling of pride and accomplishment to turn flat fabric into something wearable. Before blogging and before Violet, I would spend hours holed up in a room sewing. Thanks to the world of streaming, I can now watch movies that feed my creative process and keep me motivated when binge sewing.

This peplum top is likely to bring on a sense of deja vu. Last week, I made a skirt out of this fabric . I sewed this top up yesterday morning. I'm really surprised that it came together so easy. I can never get sleeves right. I managed to get these on without too many mistakes.

The special part of the dress was the dazzling multicolor sequins. The shape didn't quite work out for me so I refashioned it into a crop top. Dresses that have an elastic waist are incredibly easy to separate. You have the option of making a skirt, a top, or both. I made a sequin crop top.

I like wearing orange on top because the color looks great with my skin's undertones. Overall, orange is just an awesome color which is why I didn't pass on these brightly colored pants at the thrift store. They're a nice change from plain old blue jeans. The cut of these pants in particular is also pretty amazing. They're not tight or too relaxed. Perfect for a casual day. If you're ever on the fence when you spot bright pants in a sea of black, blue and khaki pants, here's why you should absolutely grab them!

Life has been pretty busy and I haven't had a chance to just play around in my craft room. This pencil skirt is the perfect quick project. I feel so accomplished having knocked one out in about 15 minutes. It doesn't require a pattern and only has two seams.

When I get the urge to purge, I run from closet to closet like a mad woman throwing things in bags to cart off to Goodwill. I'm pretty good about letting go of pieces because I know there is more fabulous to be had. Despite my proclivity to fashion fickle, I know these key pieces will always have purpose in my closet.

My guess is that a lot of folks took a pass on orange polyester bell bottom vintage pants. When I spotted the pumpkin spice latte color at the thrift, I knew they were right for me. They were super long and missing the hem but I took a chance on them anyway. It only took me a couple of months to cut them down to my leg length. Now they are fabulous. These pants have likely seen four decades just like me. Just because they're older, doesn't mean they don't have more life to live. Just. like. Me.

I had a long weekend in Miami and briefly stopped at my favorite place to visit when traveling -- the thrift shop! I didn't leave a lot of room in my bag for a large haul. I was able to stick to my $20 budget due to limited space and the prices were insanely cheap. It was the cheapest and best looking Goodwill I've ever seen. It's one of the newer Goodwill Super Centers in South Florida. The outside was decorated in beautiful murals and inside it was clean, modern and well maintained. There was even an attendant in front of the dressing rooms.