Best from the Bedroom Mirror

I was perusing old cell phone photos and came across some rather cute outfits from a few years ago. Not the best quality, but I've got to say - I'm digging my own taste from 2012. Even if I have no idea how to hold my hand on the phone while taking selfies. 

Mad Men, mod-style jacket, dress, and hat suit. AND the gloves! 

 

Gold shoes #FTW always.

DADGUMMIT, Fashion!

Small town fashion icons. Posing in front of the local grocery store with some lively getups!

And if you don't already have a windbreaker with an aquarium scene printed on it, you should probably invest in one. I have two! Thank you, yardsales. 

Elven-chic

I am really into Elven-chic. I just love a little fantasy mixed in with modernity. It can go horribly wrong if you overdo it, but I definitely don't mind busting out my medieval faire wear year-round. Currently, I am really into shoulder pieces. I've only got one of my own, (it's more Xena-chic) but these are some great examples of beautifully worn shoulder jewelry.

I basically have to wear sleeves. I hate sleeveless. So as an alternative, I would love to get my hands on some of these. Probably going to make some with some chain and jewelry wire. ;)

My Jeff Gordon Birthday!

I measure my birthdays by NASCAR driver numbers. 24, means it's finally my Jeff Gordon birthday!

I wore a super vintage, old lady sequined dress that spent most of the night raining beads onto the floor, with a western style wait belt to keep it from looking frumpy around the waist.

We went to the Piano Bar, Rockey's, which is my favorite place in Gainesville. They were a big fan of the dress, and I even got to impersonate Aaron Carter all night. So much fun.

Emma Stone, you fox!

Dang you - beautiful, wonderful, fashionably flawless Emma Stone! Why you got to make we want to cut my hair again? I'm finally growing it out, but this look just make me want to lop it all off again!

Which, by the way, I ALWAYS cut and dye my own hair to save money. Always thrifty. And the more you do it, the better you get at it, too. It will always grow back - don't be too afraid to experiment! You can always start slow by trimming your own split ends off. Thinning shears are wonderful for starters, too.

Con*sigh*ment

Consignment. It's more expensive, and it's hard to resort to after frequenting bag sales and thrift shops that practically give you beautiful things for free. But it's totally worth it if you are looking for gifts, or for something special to wear out, or if you just don't feel like wading through all the ugly at thrift stores to get the goody.

How consignment works - ordinarily, one person runs a shop, and multiple sellers pay a percentage to have their items displayed in the shop. The shop owners makes a small percentage, and the rest goes to the original owner of the item. This is why consignment, generally, is non-negotiable.

I found this really amazing beaded necklace for $9 at a consignment store. I have been so spoiled by thrift that I almost didn't buy it - even though I have never loved a piece of jewelry more. Don't get so caught up on thrift prices that you can't bear to shop regularly without buyer's remorse. You've got to #treatyoself sometimes. 

Vogue Throwback!

This was on of my favorite spreads in Vogue of all time. Mostly because this kind of style is practical outdoors, as well as timeless in its aesthetics. Flannel will never truly go out of style, in my opinion. I loves me some outdoorsy woman look. Makes me yearn for camping! It's almost most fall... almost.

Wood'nt it be Nice?

Wooden jewelry is my favorite kind of jewelry. Of course I enjoy a good set of gaudy plastic earrings (straight out of the Babysitter's Club) or simple and elegant pearls from time to time, but hand-carved, wooden bangles and necklaces are my go-to. 

I find these necklaces and earrings in the jewelry cases at thrift shops all the time! The little old ladies are always saying, "well isn't that lovely... but I couldn't pull it off." They always seems a little reluctant after they see me trying them on to part ways with said jewelry, but eventually, they usually determine that I would take good care of them. :)

Technically, I found these panda earrings at the flea market, but they were such a bargain - $1! 

The best way to wear wooden jewelry is with your hair up and a plain blouse and shorts. They're just a great accent when trying to make your outfit cater to the summertime. I get so many compliments when wearing this stuff... I just wonder - why haven't big name jewelry makers jumped on this yet?

Classic Chevron

To a lot of people, chevron is a new thing. But while at my grandma's house the other day, she showed me tons of old chevron prints that have been in our family since my great granny was in her prime.

This vintage, sequined, chevron print shows how timeless and classic chevron really is. And I got it at a bag sale... a whole bag stuffed full for a dollar! Check your local churches to see when they have bag sales.

Here I am with two lovely coral-clad friends wearing this dress. I used a brown cloth belt to make this dress less fancy for the occasion. Plus, I love mixing black and brown. ;)

I over-accessorized for New Year's Eve in Nashville, TN! I like lots of big chunky jewelry, even with outfits that already have enough flair. During wintertime, I like to dress as if I am a straight up Xmas tree.

High-Heel Safari

Shoes are by far, the hardest thing to find at thrift stores. Far too often, I find a really cute pair - but not in my size. I have size 9.5 - 10 clodhoppers, so it's extra hard for me to find shoes to hold my massive feet. I'm always dreaming of having a size 7 foot. Lucky for me, these eclectic 1" heels actually fit me! :)

I'm not normally a fan of zebra print, or mustard... or bows for that matter - but all of these elements together work fantastically for me. My go-to theory of dressing myself: the less it matches the better it is.

You could, of course, always invest in shoe clips (those are always lying around at thrift stores) or make some yourself to dress up any heel!

The Lovely Beads

My closet is chocked full of beaded garments and gowns - I am totally obsessed with what my mom and I call my "ice skater dresses." They're hard to wash, but easy to come by at thrift shops. Beaded dresses used to mingle with the other items on your everyday rack - but nowadays, you'd expect to find these gems on the boutique rack for anywhere from $5 to hundreds of dollars. 

The shoulder detail on this dress is fantastic, but expect to get caught on people when doing a lot of hugging.

Here I am wearing my dress at an art show for Gainesville Fashion Week. 

Unfortunately, the previous owner of the blue dress gutted that tag, but the cream dress, surprisingly, is made by Cache.