Three Ways to Wear Snazzy Shorts

Summer is finally here, which means time for sunshine, evenings on the deck, awesome thunderstorms, and SHORTS! Yay, finally the season where I can show off my perfect legs and have to remember to shave at least once week! Said no one ever.

Shopping for shorts has always been a pain for me. They are always too long, too baggy in some areas, too tight in others, or too expensive for something that I'll only wear several months out of the year. So when I find a pair of shorts that are perfect, I wear the crap out of them. In my summer shopping adventures, I was so excited to see that shorts with fun prints on them are all the rage this year! Such a nice break from my go-to jorts. When my fellow blogging buddies Stephie and Madeline and I were trying to think up a summer trend to feature for our seasonal posts, we threw around several ideas before deciding on printed shorts. So much fun, so many options, and easy to dress up or down!

I was so excited to find these Ann Taylor shorts at Goodwill for $3.99 on a lunchtime thrifting trip-- definitely one that I went back to the office to brag about. Did people care? Probs not. I sure have been getting some good wear out of these puppies with all of these toasty days we've been having. I love that shorts with a looser fit is in and daisy dukes are out because it makes me feel like I can wear heels and not look like a hooch.

I would say with all of our snazzy shorts, curly hair, and funky jewelry we are ready for the weekend! Happy Friday everyone, and don't forget to stop by Thrift and Style and Style Me Thrifty to say hello!

Thrifty Furnishing

As if I need more reasons to go thrifting, I now have a house to furnish and can't help but let my imagination run away with me when I see crappy tables, chairs, and lamps just begging to be refurbished like I see so many of my blogging friends take on (and make look so easy!). It's up for debate whether I will be the next reupholstery expert or if our house would just look like a middle school craft fair, but sometimes I'm lucky enough to see things that are in great shape, look cool, and actually match our decor. It's probably better that way.

Enter these end tables found on a lunchtime jaunt to Goodwill.

When I saw these hanging out by the register, I was actually lugging a DIFFERENT end table up to the check out line, but I pretty much gasped and dropped it once I saw these. Despite a little dust, they are a solid set of awesome looking end tables, and for fifteen bucks each I couldn't pass them up.

It was hard to not go back to the office and gush about my find as to not look like a crazy hoarder lady, so I guess thats what blogs are for. 

Hello, Summer.

Here in Central PA, we have two seasons: summer and winter-- when it's not unbearably cold it is unbearably hot, with a few comfortable days thrown in between. 

With little warning, summer has arrived at full force. Dressing up at these temperatures seems a bit redundant considering I'm just going to sweat off all the makeup and feel uncomfortable, but I've been trying to find ways to keep my summer looks simple yet stylish. Not to mention I get a wonderful sense of accomplishment when I wear an outfit that was (almost!) completely thrifted and super cheap.

I mentioned this blue tank from the Allentown Goodwill in this post, where I also told the story of the beloved flower bag, which has become a staple of my wardrobe (seriously! It goes with EVERYTHING!). The shorts are from Gabriel Bros. in Altoona, (which if you have never checked out, you need to--think TJ Maxx meets Ollie's. I promise, it's great.) which are Express brand that I got for eight dollars. Why were they so cheap? Because they're missing the button. When I wear them, I just fasten them short with a fun brooch--this one is from Clothes Mentor, a new consignment shop that just opened in State College. The seed necklace was a garage sale find from many, many years ago that I'm pretty sure sat in my dress-up trunk all throughout my childhood. 

Since my curly hair does not react well to the summer heat, I've found my go-to summer hairstyle that I have been doing almost every day since the temperature has skyrocketed--it's just a quick and easy messy updo where I just twist go crazy with bobby pins. I also (was just talked into buying at the salon) bought some awesome Redken Radiant Sea Salt spray that adds great texture. Come on--it smells FANTASTIC, and the girl told me it would be perfect for Jamaica. Plus, I had a 20% off coupon. 

What are your staple summer looks?

Blue on Saint Patrick's Day

Yes, I know it's St. Patrick's Day and maybe I should be doing a green-thrifting-finds post.

But quite honestly, I didn't even know it was a holiday until I woke up and saw all the 'Kiss me I'm Irish/Drunk' Facebook statuses. On top of that, we also have the hype of PSU basketball in the NCAA tournament. Oh I've got spirit, yes I do--can't you tell? (Although I did fill out a bracket this year for the amusement of my fabulous fiance...and today was not nice to it.)

I'm in my apartment with my roommate, Hannah, who has the same amount (maybe even less?) or school spirit as I do. I just don't really buy into the same excitement as most of Penn State does about a lot of things--football, THON, drinking holidays. I like tailgating. I support charities and have enjoyed doing plenty of community service. I like to go out and drink. But when these things are blown out of proportion into something that is idolized by most of the Penn State population, that's when it becomes irritating to me.

Anyway! The point of this post isn't to bash these things. I want to share some of my latest shopping adventures. And they don't go along with the green holiday.

Like I said in one of my Texas posts, I checked out the San Antonio Goodwill. Yikes. I didn't even feel safe getting out my camera when I was in that neck of the woods so I didn't even want to snap any photos.

However, when I had arrived in SA on Sunday night I found an adorable purse in a funky shop while I was exploring the town. I needed a new carry-on bag (a much-needed replacement for a 90s era tote bag from my childhood) but the price tag on this one was a little more than I was used to spending on anything-- 40 buckaroos! Seriously. That's a splurge for me.

I decided to sleep on it and come back at the end of the week if I still couldn't live with out it. And as it usually goes when I do this to myself, I thought about it all. week.

So on Friday, my last night out on the town, I made the executive decision that I was going to go back and buy it. I didn't remember the name of the store, but I SWORE it was on the River Walk.

So two hours and several laps around the River Walk later, it seemed that the store had packed up and closed over the course of the week, leaving not a trace of it behind! It was absolutely nowhere to be found. Being the only person in the world without a smart phone, I did the old fashioned thing--called Mom to Google San Antonio stores, hoping that hearing the name would jog my memory.

Well, it sure didn't. After reading me ALL the stores on the River Walk, she informed me that there were tons of stores over by the Alamo.

"No, it's definitely not there. I know it wasn't that far away. Those are just all tacky tourist shops. Silly mommy!"

Well, wouldn't you know I somehow ended up by the Alamo. And just as I had literally stumbled across the Alamo on my first day, I stumbled across the purse store across from the Alamo. And bought my 40 dollar purse.

But that's OK, because I returned to PA to a brand spankin' newly opened Goodwill store with my aunt who was willing to drive across town to check it out at 8:30 before it closed at 9. That's dedication right there. I found this fantastic blue dress that I love to wear with tights as the weather (finally!) gets a little warmer. For eight dollas! That's more like it.

And yes, that is a bright red bra peekin' out there. I'll just never learn.

I don't typically wear blue, but this was too cute to pass up! I also snagged a blue and white tank that also goes well over leggings. Outfit post on that one to come!

Hannah's watching old Glee episodes and I am blogging on Saint Patrick's Day. Oh well--green doesn't look good on me anyway.

Polka Dots and Post-Christmas Depression

Helloooo to my freezing funky junkies!

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday and that Santa was as good to you this year as he was to me. I also hope that in the midst of the Christmas season stress and chaos that your family was blessed with the little things that make the holidays a memorable time of year. I know that for me, after the last minute gift shopping and the hoards of presents are opened, Christmas ultimately lies in the memories made with my loved ones: holiday party-ing with my girlfriends I've known since preschool, a day-long cookie baking marathon with my mom and sister, and spending Christmas Eve with my family, amazing fiance, and future family-in-law.

I've also had a slight change in my Christmas break plans, as a nasty bout of the stomach flu hit the Saylor household put a wrench in travel plans for the Chicago externship. I'm hoping to work out switching to do it over Spring Break. Although the break didn't quite turn out as we had planned, this now means two more weeks of relaxing, sleeping in, and wedding crafting! Not to mention I'll have someone to kiss on New Years Eve. ;-)

Yesterday I found myself in a bit of a post-holiday funk, so I sauntered down to Goodwill. In addition to a burnt red spring/fall coat and a hot pink blazer, I was drawn to some blue and white polka dots peeking out of the rack. It was a really neat cut, but the only problem? It was rocking some 80s, mom-tastic shoulder pads.

Hop in the mini van, kids!

But after some loving scissor cutting/ripping the shoulder pads out, as well as some seam ripping to let the collar open a liiiitle lower, it looked like a whole new shirt. The pearls, earrings, and makeup certainly didn't hurt either, I suppose.

Major to-do on this week's agenda: make and assemble wedding invitations. I'll keep you posted on the progress, and even let you see a sneak peak of my Microsoft Publisher creation!

Until next time...eat lots of leftover/stale Christmas cookies, play with your new toys, and don't feel bad for being sick of Christmas music on the radio.

The Red 80s-Tastic Jacket

About a year ago on winter break, I went on a Goodwill jaunt and decided I was going to venture into a new territory: sewing.

I bought an array of colors, patterns, and fabrics that I thought, by some stroke of genius, I would be able to transform into something fabulous. That five-year-old's polka dot frock would soon be an adorable mini skirt, the Marilyn Monroe tee would magically become a handbag, and those huge buttons on that 80s-tastic red coat would be great earrings.

After taking the scissors to the bottom of the polka dot skirt off and noticing all I had was a mess of cheap black and white satin imitation, I decided to give up my sewing efforts. And I hadn't even touched the sewing machine yet. Now all I had was a pile of ugly clothes.

Ah! But that red 80s-tastic jacket! I love red, and I love the 80s, I thought. I tried it on, just for kicks, and it fit like a glove. But I wasn't sure--it was a little out there; I had never worn anything like it. While the other sewing misfits were thrown in a bin, the red jacket hung in my closet to be judged. Every time I could potentially wear it, it was always the loser to whatever other jacket wasn't as much of a statement. I wondered, why did I even spend the two bucks on this? Something in me couldn't give it up, though. I needed some sort of a sign.

The sign came in the form of a celebrity. Sarah Jessica Parker. Not even two months later, I opened the latest issue of Glamour to find SJP sprawled on two pages in this:

No more confirmation needed. Wearing that red 80s-tastic jacket would make me look like I belonged on Sex and the City. It would turn heads as I froliked down the streets of New York with my shopping bags and zebra leggings.

So I now wear the jacket with pride. SJP may not know it, but her and I are a little like kindred spirits.

-Bren