Thriftanista in the City

Thanks to Cosmedix for sponsoring today's post and treating me to a relaxing afternoon of mask application and mingling with fellow bloggers. I tend to have dry, sensitive skin so I keep my skin care cleansing and moisturizing routine pretty simple and basic. My skin gets pretty angry when I apply new things. A new crop of pimples or a patch of dryness usually follows. The older I get, the less effective my simple routine seems to be though. Even with my increased water intake, my skin is still incredibly dry. This melanin along with a monthly breakout leaves lingering dark spots.  I'm starting to see a few lines too. Too much smiling and laughing, I guess.

I still buy clip-on earrings from thrift stores. Some of the styles are just so unique and fun. I have a special fondness for aurora borealis costume jewelry. However, the clip-on part can be a hassle. If they're loose, they fall off. Wear them too long and your ears will feel like they're going to fall off. Luckily, changing them to pierced post earrings is really easy.

I was going for straight denim on denim but was bored with the look. The colors were too close together to be interesting and the proportions were off. The cropped shirt and low rise jeans were just showing too much skin for winter that feels like spring.

It's always a struggle to find quality denim with a perfect fit. Slim-sation heard my cries and gifted me with a pair of their perfect custom fit with Shape Recovery Technology jeans. As the length was rather long, I chopped the hem and added an on trend fringe.

Big 80s shoulder pads aren't always a keeper on those thrift store finds but they totally work on this dress. They add a bit of edge to the floral print. I hacked a lot of length on it and that was the only change it needed. Once I shortened the length, it became a very wearable piece.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Walmart. Roses are red. Violet's are blue. Patti LaBelle Banana Pudding is a delicious dessert for your Galentine, Valentine and you too. We all know Patti LaBelle can throw down in the kitchen. Have you tried her cookbooks? Insanely delicious. It's no surprise Patti's sweet potato pie went viral. The berry cobbler and peach cobbler are pretty tasty too. My heart nearly skipped a beat when I saw Patti LaBelle banana pudding!

Thanks to SheKnows Media & BlogHer17 for sponsoring today's post. Opinions and excitement about visiting Orlando for the very first time are my own! I'm super excited that BlogHer17 is in Orlando this year and that it all goes down on my birthday weekend! No one tell Violet but we've decided to make a family trip out of it. While I'm having conference fun, V and E can see what that Disney World stuff is all about.

The downside of weight loss is not being able to fit some of my favorite thrift finds. I loved the bright color on this orange vintage skirt. I rarely wore it because it was a little big and I needed to adjust the waist. Three years laters that's what I did. Going down two sizes made it completely unwearable as is.  Not only did I fix it but I made two ankara print skirts out of it! Here's how the magic happened.

Polyester skirts from the 70s are amazing. I found this one doing an amazing job at being a wool blend except this puppy hasn't suffered from shrinkage, moth holes or any of those other pesky problems of natural fibers. No wrinkling or fading. It's in absolutely perfect condition.