Shop Your Life!

I needed a few days of R&R this week and took off to the Niagara Region. I just happened to be there on the most beautiful days of the year so far and enjoyed some wine tasting/ tours and some cider drinking in the sun. It was lovely.

One of the mornings I was lounging in my VERY comfortable bed and caught the Marilyn Denis show. This particular show was on how to "Shop Your Life"- so OF COURSE I was interested!

It was a great show on How to reuse old paint that you have lying around, how to shop the food in your refrigerator, and how to make money selling things that you don't need/use anymore.

But, my favourite part? Tips on having a successful Clothing Swap. As you all know (I hope)- I am a HUGE Cothing Swap fan. So I am beyond thrilled that this segment made them look fun, easy, and something anyone can do with their friends (because it's TRUE).

I also like the suggestions made on how to have a great Swap- they referred to them as Style Swaps, which makes them seem a little more high-end in my opinion.

** Have them at the end of seasons. 

I definitely agree with this point. As she noted, it is already a time of transition and it is a perfect time to remove the things from your wardrobe that you would normally just pack away for the following year.

** Invite your friends.

Don't leave out the pregnant friends, either- it's a great spot to get clothing for that time (and the time after having children when nothing fits). She says (and this is one of my tried-and-true points) do not stick to one size. She also notes to always have a belt handy (another one of my tips- check out the finds from my last Clothing/ Style Swap HERE). Many of those items only looked good on me when belted.

** Everything goes in the dryer.

I've never bothered with this tip- but if you and your friends are wary of bugs (bed bugs, lice, moths), you can put everything through the dryer to kill any unwanted visitors.

** Wear a bathing suit under your clothing.

She recommends this so that you can try on clothing easily without waiting for a washroom/ change room.  I recommend wearing leggings and a tank to, myself for the same reason. Whatever works for you. In my experience, we've never batted an eye while friends got down to their skivvies, either. ;)

Check out the Style Swap segment at the beginning of Tuesday's Marilyn Denis Show:

 http://www.marilyn.ca/video?vid=851754

Blessings, friends. 

In My Closet- A Thrifted Graphic Tank And Grey Leather Clutch

Well friends, the Re-Source Thrift Shop has done it for me again!

Now that the warmer weather is coming, I've been trying to replace the black flip-flops that I lost in Cuba. There really is nothing like a pair of black flip flops to throw on for the beach, park, walking kids to school, etc.

Not only did I leave with a pair of black flip flops (tags still on), but I found a fabulous graphic tank, as well as a beautiful grey clutch with brass detailing.

Tank- $4 Re-source Thrift Shop

 

Grey Clutch- $5

Black Flip-Flops- $2

Here I am wearing the graphic tank with the clutch.

I like the look of it tucked into a simple black pencil skirt with black tights and booties.

Skirt- Clothing Swap Find- FREE

Necklace and bracelet- JustOne 

 

With a longer pencil skirt, I tried rolling my booties down. I liked it and it gave the illusion of a longer leg.

Here is what they usually look like when I wear them:

Picked up these booties at Talize for $9.99. Seen here.

Here is how I wore the tank to church that day-  by adding a neutral cardigan.

Cardigan- Cast-off from a friend, so FREE.

Purse- Cast-off from cousin's wife, so FREE.

There you are friends. How I built an outfit from a $4 tank, a free skirt, a free purse and a free sweater. 

I highly recommend checking out the Re-Source Thrift Shop. They had live music playing on Saturday. How great is that? It is run by volunteers, which means that the prices are still VERY reasonable on clothing and accessories. Especially kid's clothing, FYI.

Check out their facebook page here. 

Happy thrifting!

Blessings.

In My Closet- After Another Successful Clothing Swap

Well, a few of us had yet another successful Clothing Swap.

There really is no down-side to a night out with some lovely ladies, clearing out your closet, and scoring some new items for yourself.

Here are some of the great items I grabbed this time. I also snapped up a mint top and a REALLY comfy sweater, but I felt that you didn't need to see EVERYTHING. 

 I decided to wear the same accessories each time. All thrifted, of course. The nude heels were thrifted last summer at Value Village for $7.50 (50% off $14.99) also seen here.

 

This dress is just one of the comfiest things that I have ever had on. It is definitely destined to be a favourite of mine.

 

This dress will likely be a summer-time staple of mine. It is really light and airy. And the colour is lovely, yes??

 

I really like that this dress is different than anything else in my closet. The neutral, khaki colours will be great with some LIGHTLY-sun-kissed skin this summer, I think.

 

Pretty sure that this dress got passed over because it kind of looks like a shapeless sack. 

 

But as soon as you put a belt on with it- it's absolutely adorable! 

Wide white belt- thrifted ages ago.

 

Like the dress above- I felt like this top had very little going for it. But, as soon as you pair an interesting belt with it- it's really cute!!

 

AAAAAND....there were actually some shoes that fit!!! 

How great are these peep-toe wedges? I can't wait for warmer weather...especially seeing as its April 3rd and there is a ton of snow on the ground. :(

So there you are, friends. FIVE free outfits and a pair of shoes. Not too shabby for free, huh??

Not to mention, the fun times had:

Finished shopping- on to eating!

New Mom and Mom-to-be's looking for new items.

No rumours- that's ginger ale in that glass!!

Shopping.

More shopping.

Shoe shopping. With an audience.

Yes, I totally grabbed this adorable bikini. It even looks great OVER my clothes!! Haha.

 What are you waiting for, friends? Plan a swap with your friends! 

For tips on having a successful Clothing Swap you can read this post that I did in December 2012 here.

Bessings.

A Quick Video On How Cheap Clothing Is Killing The Planet

A few of my friends have tagged me in, or posted this video to my facebook timeline.

Its DEFINITELY an important one to share with everyone.

This video explains how that cheap $8 shirt takes it's toll on the environment and the workers making it.

I always say: If the price seems to good to be true...it is. 100% of the time.

If it doesn't cost YOU, it DID cost someone:

-Their resources in the area which they live in.

-Their time away from their family (working long hours for a measly wage).

-Their health (horrendous working conditions) and in some extreme conditions, their death. Think back to the textile building collapse in Bangladesh not that long ago.

From grist.org: WHY YOUR $8 SHIRT IS A HUGE PROBLEM:

Try the options mentioned:

-Buy less

- Buy from ethical shops

-Look for durability (look for items that you will wear over and over again) 

-Don't trash it (recycle it). Donate it or turn it into rags to clean with.

- Don't wash it so often. A huge reason that clothing is such a drain on the planet and it's resources is how much water/ energy we use to wash it all. So, "Get a little dirty".

I love their ending to the video.

Remember that your $8 shirt has a lot in common with Danald Trump.

It's obnoxious.

It's bad for the environment.

And it comes in an unfortunate shade of orange.

Peace, friends.

How To DIY This Spring's Shoulder Cut-Out Trend

If you've been seeing a lot of tops with the shoulders cut out of them-it's not seamstress-error! ;)

It's this spring's big trend- so get your beautiful shoulders on display, ladies!

Here are my favourite how-to's for repurposing a thrifted top- or one that you already own- to try out this season's fun trend.

I'm going to post them in order of easiest DIY, to most difficult (at least in my eyes).

 

  

 

How easy is this shoulder-cut-out DIY? Just use some scissors and some glue! You can find the whole tutorial here.

This DIY looks similar the first tutorial- although it looks like she just made a straight cut along the seam of the shoulder. Then perhaps used some thread to gather the bottom of the sleeve. So easy!

I absolutely LOVE this DIY. She simply rips the seam and sews it by hand. I love it because when the shoulder-cut-out trend is over, you can very easily re-sew the shoulder closed again! Check out the tutorial here.

This is a DIY for those wanting more of a dramatic cut-out look. She cuts out the shoulders and sews them by hand. Tutorial here. 

And here is a more labour-intensive DIY. Actual meaning- you need a sewing machine for this one. Its still pretty simple. Check out the tutorial here.

And here is a No-Sew Fendi-Inspired DIY video using metal studs:

Thanks for reading, friends! 

If you've been inspired, and try one of these DIY's- please share with me!!

I plan on trying the seam-ripped one, for sure!!

Blessings.

 

In My Closet- My Awesome, Thrifted, Acid-Wash Jeans

This past Sunday in church I received countless compliments about how great I looked. 

My self-confidence went through the roof and I just FELT great! 

The only thing I can think of for all of the compliments HAD to be my recently thrifted, flash-back-to-the-eighties, acid-wash jeans that I had on.

They ARE rather fabulous. ;)

Just had to share:

 

Acid-Wash Jeans- $7.99 Talize

Shirt- Cast-off from Cousin-In-Law, FREE

Grey Wool Boots- $20 Facebook Buy And Sell Group (also seen here and here) 

You know when you find a pair of jeans with the perfect amount of stretch, that fit you like a glove and make you feel fabulous? 

That is this pair to me. They likely bring me back to a time when acid-wash was the coolest- a simpler time for me. When all I had to worry about was getting my homework done and how I could get that cute boy in my class to like me.

I hope for all of you, my readers, that you may find that special pair of jeans as well. That make you feel SO good, that people stop and tell you how great you look. 

And I hope that you can find them thrifting. THEN the joy is even greater. At least for me. 

Peace and blessings, friends. 

 

Scarves As Shirts, Belts, And More...

A few weeks ago my friend, Danielle, texted me this photo. She said that she thought I would love it for an idea for my blog. She was right!

 

Is there anything quite like a scarf? We all have several, I'm sure. Different sizes, shapes, colours. 

When thrifted, you can update a simple, ordinary outfit with an on-trend scarf for just a few dollars!

I love the idea of using a long scarf as a top, like in the photo above. I also love how she made sure to keep it asymmetrical and uneven. That just adds to the casual, cool vibe.

I decided to look for other photos of scarves used as shirts. These were my favourites:

Not sure anyone other than Madonna's body would look as gorgeous in this scarf-shirt, but had to share. Also- her hair is AMAZING in this photo, no??

This is more like a kimono-type top, but I love how easy it is. Just drape a large rectangle scarf over your shoulders and belt it at the waist. 

 

This look is similar to the one above, but the blanket scarf has a different shape to it. It also is made from a thicker, sturdier fabric- so you end up with more of a warm-sweater-feel, rather than a light and airy feel in the middle photo above.

I also saw some great ideas for wearing scarves as belts. I did this all the time in my 20's. Perhaps its time to try this again...

 

I love the pop of yellow that this scarf adds to these 2 outfits. This would be an easy way to bring in the colour of the season to any outfit. 

 

I love this classy, dressed-up version of using a scarf for a belt. Easy and beautiful. If you used a dark scarf over a coloured dress/top, it would be quite slimming!

 

I thought that this scarf-belt tutorial was unique and cute. I'll have to try this! 

I also really liked this repurposing idea for scarf storage. There are ALWAYS shower curtain rings for sale at thrift shops.

And I also liked this video for more ideas for how to wear scarves as shirts, dresses and more:

Well, I hope you all got some great ideas for new ways to wear scarves. Check out your favourite thrift shop for some on-trend new looks!

Blessings.