It's a Cinch

There is something that I just love about outfits that accentuate the waist. No, I'm not talking about shirts that are too tight that show your extra cookie bulge. I mean your actual waist, you know, where women used to hike up their pants to in the 80s?

 

The great thing is that not only is the high-waisted look back in full force, but it's easy to pull off the look without being dowdy. I love skirts worn at the waist with a pretty shirt tucked in. However, the skirts that I bought at the peak of my wedding bod have unfortunately become a little snug, and I've been resorting to wearing the dress pants that I bought before wedding season that now fit me again. (Yay?)

 

I dont know about you, but I've never really been into dress pants. I dont know if I've got a weird body or am just not buying the right kind, but I just feel like they are so unflattering. Hugging at the butt but no where else and just overall boxy. I just can't help but feel like I'm back in my working at Wegmans or server days when I wear black pants. However, instead of a polyster polo or white button down shirt, I try and wear tops that I can nip in the waist to show at least a little of my girly figure.

Now for the breakdown of this outfit.You've seen the striped top in previous posts, and this pink sweater/shrug is Express brand that I found at Unique. This belt actually came with the striped shirt, but I rarely wear it. However, it was the perfect thing to pull the outfit together today so I didn't look like a giant rectangle. I know it's still August and as much as I would like to dress like Fall has arrived, this outfit was a little cozy when I stepped outside for lunch today, but was perfect inside the arctic tundra of the office. 

Also--how about this bracelet?!

 

I found this in Bethlehem, PA last month at an adorable little accessories shop (where I also bought sunglasses that broke a few days later--sad face). It's another one of those things that I wear at least once a week. Big baubley accessories have that affect on me.

New Orleans Memories

All day at work today on the TVs around the office I kept catching glimpses of New Orleans being slammed by Hurricane Isaac and it's hard to believe that just a little over a month ago we were strolling along the streets that are usually packed with people at all hours of the day. 

While vacationing in the French Quarter, it was hard to imagine that the entire city was under water just seven years ago. Ian and I were lucky to have a family member living in New Orleans who took us around to the sights outside of the French Quarter, including the 9th Ward where we saw homes that had been rebuilt after Katrina, most still bearing the spray painted sides after they had been searched. 

Many of the homes were completely rebuilt and restored...

....while right down the street, entire neighborhoods were still abandoned. 

My thoughts and prayers go out to everyone affected by the storm. It sounds like although the damage in New Orleans this time around was nowhere the magnitude of Katrina, but the photos and videos from there and surrounding areas are devastating. 

Take an extra moment tonight to be thankful.

50 Shades of Red

Several months ago, one of my best friends who now lives in Pittsburgh texted me to tell me that she found a red purse in her grandma's closet that she was going to give to me. I knew I loved it already--I mean, what is there not to love about 'red' and 'purse'?

I finally got to see this friend last weekend for her engagement party (CONGRATS COURT!) and she was finally able to pass the bag on to me! Naturally, I went and Googled it, because I love to know the story and value behind bags I thrift (or snag from random friend's family members). This is a Daisy Fuentes purse that you can find at your friendly neighborhood Kohls. I love the bright color not to mention this is probably the roomiest bag I own! It might look on the smaller side, but I felt like Mary Poppins when I was able to fit my hairbrush, a book, my wallet/keys/phone, and a can of soup for lunch. Stuff just, like, disappears inside this thing.

You may be thinking "Oh, there's that orange bauble-y necklace--again. Does she wear any other accessory?"  Because I wear this necklace every day (or so it seems) I was a little hesistant to pair the orange accessory with a red bag, a red striped shirt, and newly-dyed reddish hair. And red nails. 

OK, I actually wasn't hesitant at all.

 Somehow, it all worked and it was a perfect outfit for a cooler-than-usual August day where my bangs didn't stick to my forehead.

The shirt is an American Eagle top that I got from a store in Everett, PA called Addictive Apparel, a discount name-brand clothing store I discovered while I lived in Bedford for the summer. The skirt came from a thrifting adventure at Unique several months back and is one of my workplace wardrobe staples, mostly because I no longer fit into the skirts I bought at the peak of my wedding bod. However, along with my new job came a free employee gym in the building which I have yet to utilize, but it will happen...next week.

A Super-Duper Belated Birthday

I've been seeing a few blogs in the past week or so that have been celebrating their blog's birthday. You know, those blogs that have been around for six months or a year and already have 500 followers and 80+ comments on every post? Not that I'm bitter. Really, I'm not!

Just for kicks and giggles, I went back to see when I posted my first rambling as The Funky Junkie. I knew it was sometime in the summer several years ago, and maybe if I was lucky I could catch the anniversary and do a mushy birthday post.

Turns out it was on July 29th, 2010. I just missed it! Kind of....by a lot.

Deciding to blog about thrift stores and vintage stuff two years ago seemed like a unique idea at the time, and was brought on by prompting from Ian and my dad to have a space online where I could write about things I loved, as I so eloquently put in my first blog post:

"About a year ago, in the midst of a particularly boring semester at Penn State, I decided that instead of countless hours of Facebook and TV (2012 Commentary: that has not changed.), I wanted to do something productive with my extra time and passiono for writing. After some browising and inspiration, including many viewings of Julie and Julia, I took a leap into the world of blogging.

In these tough economic times, I think we can all agree that when it comes to fashion, bargains are the way to go. I come from a long line of shoppers, and I hope to gain more readers who thrive on stepping into the musty disorganization of a thrift shop, the excitement in wearing old clothes with an unknown origin, and, of course, the thrill of a good bargain."

-The Funky Junkie, July 2010

The more I started blogging, the more I became a part of the blogger community which even led me to some new friends when we moved to Virginia. Every day I try to make my blog better, while striving to stay true to why I started it in the first place. That's why I steer clear of things like giveaways, guest posts, and ads. I don't think there is anything wrong with this stuff and it works for so many people, but it just doesn't feel like me. Obviously I'd be open to that changing in the future if I felt passionately about something, but for now I am trying to keep it simple, and ultimately, it's really not the numbers or the money that I care about.

Anyway. All this is to say that I love blogging, and even if I slack sometimes or write rambly posts like this one, I appreciate everyone who stops by and leaves a comment more than you know! So happy super-duper belated birthday to The Funky Junkie! And many mooooooore......



A Thrifty Lunch

I knew I was going to like my new job the day I discovered a Goodwill right down the street.

Today I went on a little jaunt with fifteen minutes left to spare of my lunch break. You know, just to investigate. I got a few weird stares because a) I was probably the best dressed one in the vicinity clopping around in my heels, and b) I was snapping pictures on my phone like a creeper. Like any good thrifty blogger, I can't go to Goodwill without taking pictures.

Obviously I will be going back when I have some money and more time, but from my first impressions this Goodwill store looks to be pretty solid! A little on the messy side, but who doesn't love a good mess to dig through? They had rows and rows of glassware and home goods, which is always fun to browse through, and from what I could tell the clothes seemed decent too.

On the way up the elevator I thought a self portrait after a whirlwind Goodwill excursion was appropriate. Because everything in the outfit was thrifted.

I'M SURE YOU'RE SHOCKED!

Wishing and Hoping

Signs that you wish it was Fall:

You start wearing sweaters and jackets as soon as the temperature goes below 75 degrees.

You cut your bangs on a whim because you figure that if you are going to go through the trouble to cut them, the weather should at least cooperate.

You wear a long maxi dress on a 90 degree day to an outdoor rally in Manassas for a certain presidential candidate that you won't talk about on the blog because you hate politics and don't want to be associated either way, but you figured it would be a fun day with the husband and Manassas has some cute shops and restaurants.

I bought this dress for 4.99 at Unique in Falls Church on a recent shopping trip with my mom and sister  because I loved the lightweight fabric and the stripes. There are no dressing rooms at Unique, so when I pulled it on over my tank top and shorts in the middle of the store, it felt a little tight but I figured it would be perfect once there was nothing else underneath. I was actually right. Even though it fits pretty snug, the zig zag pattern creates a slimming effect. Especially when I suck in my stomach a bit. 

Even though the fabric is very breathable, a long dress just wasn't the right choice for a hot day in the sun. By the end of the day, after standing for many hours packed very closely to people who did not smell very nice in the heat, I didn't care about sucking in my stomach anymore. That's the beauty of living in an area where you don't generally run into people you know. I didn't feel self conscious about letting a little belly poke out which people probably just thought looked like a little baby bump. (Hint: it's not.) I also had been vigilant about not letting my white bra show, but as you can see from the photo above, I didn't worry about that for too long either. The bangs ended up pinned out of my face too. 

So what did we learn here? Wishful thinking makes you hot. And for God's sake, don't cut your bangs in the middle of August.

The Attic: Consignment in Bethlehem

Oh hello!

Sorry about the week-long hiatus. I wish I could say I was doing something really fabulous or on some amazing trip, but really I was doing boring grown up things. Like starting a new job. YAY!

But we did actually go on a little trip this weekend. We headed up to Bethlehem, PA for Musikfest, a week-long festival of music and food that was a yearly tradition for my family when I was growing up. We hadn't been for several years so it was great to go back where I could actually appreciate the music, enjoy the culture, and not be bored because there weren't any rides....

Plus a weekend with family, shopping, and an amazing consignment shop that we stumbled upon in little downtown Bethlehem was just what we needed for a weekend getaway.

Oh you know, just polka dancing with my mom.

Isn't my sister just the cutest little thing?

When we walked up Main Street, it was pretty hard to miss The Attic--not only did they have a girl standing out front handing out coupons but they also had racks of clothes and a table of cute jewelry set up out front. Obviously my eyes were drawn to an $11.00 blue polka dot dress before even setting foot in the shop, so I knew there was much damage to be done...

And boy, was I right.

Not sure about the "LEGWEAR" sign...but so much fun glassware and knick knacks.

See what I mean? This place was not only just fun to be in, but the prices were AMAZING. I think my sister got a cocktail ring for around one dollar. They had an amazing variety of vintage and name-brands all for so very cheap. I could have gone much more crazy, but I settled on that polka dot dress that I initially snatched out front--it fit perfectly and with the 10% coupon it came to about ten bucks. I'll take it!

The Attic is awesome, and they also have an online store which is excellent for me...not so much for my wallet....go check them out!