A New Collection

I love a good thrifting trip with my buddies, but every now and then you just need a laid back, therapeutic solo shopping sesh. After dismantling our Christmas decor on Saturday, I proceeded to lay on the couch all day while Ian hit up the after Christmas sales. By Sunday, I was feeling a little restless so it was my turn for some post-holiday retail therapy.

I hadn't been to my favorite thrifting spot in FOREVER so I headed out in the rain to see what I could find...

In the true spirit of thrifting, some days are like a gold mine. Other days, all you seem to find are duds like this:

I think those little numbers speak for themselves. Also, can we all agree that $6.99 is a little steep for a shapeless 80s neon striped track suit? If you can believe it, I made it through the entire store with only a handful of items in my cart, none of which worked out after trying them on. So it was onto the books I went, where I decided right then and there that I was going to start collecting vintage cookbooks after picking up this awesomely retro 1968 Betty Crocker book. My New Years resolution, if you will...

This book is the COOLEST. Full of vintage graphics, classic recipes, and your typical selection of savory jello casseroles. You know, something for everybody!

Luckily, I found a 1975 Family Circle Illustrated Library of Cooking to add to my growing collection, and they are now proudly displayed in my kitchen. At less than $2.00 apiece, I have a feeling that this is going to be a dangerous new addiction....

Now this is a New Years resolution I can handle! Way better than trying to get into shape, right?

A Wise Investment

This is a story about investing in your future.

And I'm not talking about stocks. Or mutual funds. That's for husbands to do.

I bought this leather jacket at Unique in July on a hot, humid, rainy weekend. I was far from chilly while I was shopping, but no matter the season, I always make sure I peruse the jackets and blazers at the thrift shop. In my humble thrifty opinion, those are the BEST items to thrift. You can find unique pieces and excellent quality for an unbeatable price, and when the time comes to actually wear them, you have a closet full of too many jackets to choose from. In conclusion, pay a little more in July to reap your benefits in September!

As I was scanning the aisles of things I don't need, the leather poking out of the sea of tweed and polyester caught my eye. When I picked it up I fell in love with this jacket: the color, the somewhat puffy sleeves, and when I tried it on, it fit like a glove. Obviously it was meant to be. At $25.00, it was a little bit of a splurge for me (yes, $25.00 is a splurge. When you're not used to seeing price tags for over $10, these things are shocking) but I just couldn't put it down. I mean, 25 bucks for a leather jacket? Can't beat that.

Since July, I have been just WAITING for the temperature to finally dip below 70 degrees so that I could step outside on a crisp Fall morning ready to show this baby off to the world. The coat is what I believe to be a vintage Berman's leather jacket. After the little bit of internet research I've done, Berman's was founded in 1899 and was aquired by Wilson's Leather in 1988. Not quite Italian leather or the most prestigious of brands (more like 1980's American shopping mall) and I have seen Berman jackets go for as low as $9.99 on Ebay, but also as high as $150.00, likely depending on the age, quality, and style. 

Who knows if I might have overpayed for this a bit, but as long as it makes you feel good, right? I would love to know if anyone has had experience with this brand!

In other news, along with crisp Fall days and leather jackets come perfect weather for breaking out the Chi and frying my hair to a straight, sleek crisp! Happy days are here again!

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.