Thriftanista in the City

Thrift store clothes have the worst hanger appeal. Things are wrinkled. Sometimes they're dusty. Sometimes items are haphazardly placed on the racks. That doesn't mean they aren't gems. That's how I felt about this vintage red sweater with the amazing balloon sleeves.

I have been wanting to sew a pair of ankara pants for a while but I'm too lazy to make them from scratch. I opted to refashion a a pair of basic drawstring pajama style pants that I already owned. All I had to do was cut some length and take out some of the fullness.

I found what appears to be a vintage silk Japanese pajama top. It's much too fancy to sleep in so I'm wearing it as a kimono. It's a great topper for my beloved black turtleneck that I am still wearing even though we out of the deep freeze.

I have a black turtleneck obsession. It's my favorite winter accessory this year. The neck coverage is greatly appreciated and black matches all the things. It's an essential basic when you have a closet full of wacky prints and colors.

I am a work in progress forever and always. My fitness journey has ups and downs. The holidays were particularly hard but I'm getting back on track and sharing tips that are helping me. This post is sponsored by Dannon Oikos -- my snack choice for the new year. I hope you will be inspired. Last year, I managed to keep up with my exercise routine.  I do at least 60 minutes of sweaty movement per day. I can count on my one hand the number of times I actually missed a workout. I did it even though it's still one of my least favorite activities. I tolerated it for the greater good. I want a healthy, hot body.

I'm still chiseling away at my overstuffed closets. I have a few donation piles. I'm slowly listing on Poshmark. I'm also doing some makeovers. Last week, it was the jewelry . I'm still not done but I'm making progress. This week, I discovered a long forgotten vintage thrift store find - a blue and black shimmery polyester dream. I made a cut and turned it into a top.

Thrift store outfits are so much fun to pull together. I love how ever changing and unique my closet is. I thought I had left plaid flannel in the 90s but the thrift said nope. This Illa Illa shirt hit me with the pockets and I had to have it.

Like a lot of you, I am on my 'new year, new me' organization mode. My first project is getting my jewelry under control. I've accumulated quite a bit of thrift store jewelry. I've noticed a rather sizable amount going into the 'maybe' pile. These are the pieces that I never wear but I'm just not ready to get rid of yet. While organizing, I thought up a few simple repurpose hacks to get me interested in wearing the old pieces again.

Classic blazers are one of those thrift store staples that every closet needs. One of the great thing about blazers is that it can become a coat when you trying to get cute and don't want to drag around the big puffy that is so needed right now. I like mine because I can stuff several layers underneath it and it all fits.

I know every year feels like the year went by too fast but 2017 seems to have really flown by. I've finally accepted that it has come to an end and I am very much looking forward to a new year of possibilities. This year, I really want to focus my attention on staying organized, increasing my income and taking myself out on the town.