So, yeah, I kind of messed up my plan to be a better blogger this year, huh? I have excuses, I'll even share them with you! I was super sick and off my game for nearly 3 weeks in February, barely came near the computer. When I got right, I had a week of catching up to do before I got the worst ear infection of my life at the beginning of March. I was given no pain meds and wound up tethered to my bed for a week!
*sniffle* Feeling sorry for me yet? Haha, I didn't think so. ;) So here I am, with very little to report on the style front. Unless you want to hear about my sick wear which was very uninspired. No big shock there, hehe.
So, my news now is this, I'm writing another blog, I'm going to keep this one up and running and will update anytime I have something to say about thrifting/style/organization but for now, there won't be much going on there, since the Hubby is officially unemployed, as am I. Scary. Anyhow, there's no money to be thrifting for fun.
For the time being I can be found over here. I'll be blogging about living on unemployment benefits (hopefully) until jobs are found. :) Wish me luck!
Showing posts with label style. Show all posts
Showing posts with label style. Show all posts
Sunday, March 31, 2013
Monday, January 7, 2013
Picking a Style or Switching It Up
So, do you use thrifting to keep up your style or do you use it to help you try out new styles without paying a fortune for it?
I keep telling myself that I'm going to use thrifting as a way to try new colors and introduce a bit more bold, but so far, I've been fairly unsuccessful. Not because those things weren't available at my local stores, they were. I just seem to lean towards neutrals. Over and over again. The closest I got was a dark pink/purple t-shirt that had an ever so slight puff on the sleeve. So slight that you couldn't really notice it. And it was a t-shirt, which is my staple.
Honestly, the most bold and colorful thing I thrifted in 2012 was my makeup bag. Which I love, but I can't wear.
I know going in to the store I should have a good idea of what I'm looking for. About half the time I'm on target with that. Or maybe I'm half on target all of the time. I can go in and know I'm looking for tops. Or prints. Or core pieces. But I can't seem to go in and say, I absolutely must leave with a red top and something with print. I think it's because I feel it's force. On the flipside, if I don't force myself to try out this new stuff, I'll never really commit to being more stylish! Ahhhh! What do do what to do.
I'll keep my eyes open to see what's popular this year and I'll try and go in with a more focused approach. I am always looking for cardigans (I never find any in a size or style that flatters) and I'd like to find scarves. Everyone is wearing scarves now and I'd like to try it out, but not at $20-25 a pop. So far, no luck there.
I have gotten a couple of great core pieces (brand new jeans, khaki skirt, khaki shorts and a jean jacket). This makes me wonder, maybe I've got this thrifting thing backwards? Should I shop the thrift store for the core pieces and leave the accessories and fads for other stores sales? I hadn't really considered that before, but it seems like it could be a possibility.
I keep telling myself that I'm going to use thrifting as a way to try new colors and introduce a bit more bold, but so far, I've been fairly unsuccessful. Not because those things weren't available at my local stores, they were. I just seem to lean towards neutrals. Over and over again. The closest I got was a dark pink/purple t-shirt that had an ever so slight puff on the sleeve. So slight that you couldn't really notice it. And it was a t-shirt, which is my staple.
Honestly, the most bold and colorful thing I thrifted in 2012 was my makeup bag. Which I love, but I can't wear.
I know going in to the store I should have a good idea of what I'm looking for. About half the time I'm on target with that. Or maybe I'm half on target all of the time. I can go in and know I'm looking for tops. Or prints. Or core pieces. But I can't seem to go in and say, I absolutely must leave with a red top and something with print. I think it's because I feel it's force. On the flipside, if I don't force myself to try out this new stuff, I'll never really commit to being more stylish! Ahhhh! What do do what to do.
I'll keep my eyes open to see what's popular this year and I'll try and go in with a more focused approach. I am always looking for cardigans (I never find any in a size or style that flatters) and I'd like to find scarves. Everyone is wearing scarves now and I'd like to try it out, but not at $20-25 a pop. So far, no luck there.
I have gotten a couple of great core pieces (brand new jeans, khaki skirt, khaki shorts and a jean jacket). This makes me wonder, maybe I've got this thrifting thing backwards? Should I shop the thrift store for the core pieces and leave the accessories and fads for other stores sales? I hadn't really considered that before, but it seems like it could be a possibility.
Sunday, January 6, 2013
Style in the New Year
Part of my goal in starting this blog last year was to find some personal style. I've made some small steps, but I've still got a long way to travel. I have a hard time seeing past single items. I rarely see clothes in layers. I see a v-neck sweater and I think..good with jeans. Done. Then I look around at style blogs and see people with 3 & 4 layers of shirts, plus accessories, bags and shoes to match and realize how far I still have to go.
There's nothing wrong with my casual t-shirt and jeans style, it works for me and the life I live. Carting kids to school, cooking dinners, going to doctors appointments and the grocery store don't really require an involved wardrobe, but I'd still like more from my clothes. Or from myself, I suppose it's not the clothes fault I haven't got it all figured out yet. Hehe.
One of the issues that I seem to constantly struggle with is whether or not an outfit or style is too "young" for me. Now, I'm not even bordering on old yet (I'm 36), but some of the fashions out there that are really cute, seem to be designed for someone much younger than me in mind. It could be my imagination or it could be that I just see them in photos of women who look very young. For instance, skinny color pop jeans. They're everywhere! I can't turn a corner without running into someone wearing a pair, that being said, I'm not sure I've seen anyone over 30 in them. If I have, then they were very young looking!
Another issue with some of the more popular styles is that I don't ever seem to look right in them. I'm talking about maxi dresses. I've tried on a dozen of them and I'm always left feeling short and dumpy. The seem to be better suited for wearing to bed then for wearing out once they're on my frame. Maybe a maxi skirt is the way to go instead?
So, my options are to keep dressing the way I do and feel moderately dissatisfied with it or I can go outside my comfort zone, be uncomfortable, but slightly adventurous. One thing I do know is that I won't be able to figure out these outfits on my own. I'm going to be looking high and low for inspiration(pinspiration, really, since that's where I'll be starting my search) It'll be slow, maybe one outfit a month, but that's probably a good pace for a fashion noob like me. :)
There's nothing wrong with my casual t-shirt and jeans style, it works for me and the life I live. Carting kids to school, cooking dinners, going to doctors appointments and the grocery store don't really require an involved wardrobe, but I'd still like more from my clothes. Or from myself, I suppose it's not the clothes fault I haven't got it all figured out yet. Hehe.
One of the issues that I seem to constantly struggle with is whether or not an outfit or style is too "young" for me. Now, I'm not even bordering on old yet (I'm 36), but some of the fashions out there that are really cute, seem to be designed for someone much younger than me in mind. It could be my imagination or it could be that I just see them in photos of women who look very young. For instance, skinny color pop jeans. They're everywhere! I can't turn a corner without running into someone wearing a pair, that being said, I'm not sure I've seen anyone over 30 in them. If I have, then they were very young looking!
Another issue with some of the more popular styles is that I don't ever seem to look right in them. I'm talking about maxi dresses. I've tried on a dozen of them and I'm always left feeling short and dumpy. The seem to be better suited for wearing to bed then for wearing out once they're on my frame. Maybe a maxi skirt is the way to go instead?
So, my options are to keep dressing the way I do and feel moderately dissatisfied with it or I can go outside my comfort zone, be uncomfortable, but slightly adventurous. One thing I do know is that I won't be able to figure out these outfits on my own. I'm going to be looking high and low for inspiration(pinspiration, really, since that's where I'll be starting my search) It'll be slow, maybe one outfit a month, but that's probably a good pace for a fashion noob like me. :)
Friday, January 4, 2013
Hair Styles
For lots of years (the ones since getting married and moving around so often), I've not had a steady stylist. I'd try different places and never get inspired by what the stylist did with my hair. I'd let it grow out til I couldn't stand it any more and then try again. The end result? Bad haircuts and worse, unruly grown out locks.
I thought I'd found my salvation in a small shop that was within walking distance. She gave me an incredible cut. Then I wanted to schedule my next visit with her, deciding 6 weeks would be fine. She was confused. Why would I want to come back so soon? (This is not boding well...) To maintain the cut, I told her. She bristled, but took the appointment. I went back, and wound up with a very different cut. Hmm. Didn't really love it as much as the initial one, but heck, she did great that first time, so I gave it one more whirl. Six weeks later, I was back in her chair and this time, it actually felt like she didn't want me there. Very. Very. Uncomfortable. That was the last time I saw her.
The problem still remained, I now had a crappy cut and my hubby was returning from Iraq in a month. Naturally, I wanted to look as amazing as I could (with my lack of style, I'm still searching for it, all this time later...and he loves me anyway).
I yelped and looked for places with decent reviews. I narrowed it down to a couple of places and then hemmed and hawwed for days. Finally, I took the plunge and committed to one. It was a bit further away, but I picked it anyhow. I got lost on the way, initially taking it as a sign that I'd chosen the wrong place, but I was now just days away from the hubs return and I needed a haircut. I found my way and was only a few minutes late.
The salon was great, cute, stylish and fun. So was Holly, my stylist. She took the time to sit and discuss my hair with me. In the end she gave me an amazing, current hair style. She didn't find it odd when I asked for another appointment and five weeks later, she gave me the same amazing hair cut. She's been doing it now for almost 2 years. I've never been disappointed. She's a rock star and I'm so grateful to have her!
Back in November, because of our financial crisis, I decided that I wouldn't get my hair done every five weeks until we knew we were in a better position. Somehow, spending 50 bucks so selfishly seemed wrong. I was practically teary when I asked Holly if she'd keep me on as a client if I went to appointments once every 3 months for the foreseeable future. She was awesome (as if I'd expected anything less), we discussed my hair goals (which included continuing to try to grow it out some, talk about good timing) and what would be the best thing for my hair over a long absence from her care. She gave me a cut, that involved taking off a bit of length, but giving it a new shape. It's been a little more than 2 months already and it's held it's shape, it's curl and still looks every bit as good as it did when I walked out of the salon 2 months ago.\
I don't know if I want to make this long breaks between visits a permanent thing. When we're doing better financially and don't have to be so thrifty, I'll be sure to go back to my 5 week schedule, other things I'll continue to do, like shop for bargains, thrift at goodwill. But for now I'll stick to my 12 week schedule and be thankful that I found such a gem. A stylist who is as skillful with people as she is with hair.
I thought I'd found my salvation in a small shop that was within walking distance. She gave me an incredible cut. Then I wanted to schedule my next visit with her, deciding 6 weeks would be fine. She was confused. Why would I want to come back so soon? (This is not boding well...) To maintain the cut, I told her. She bristled, but took the appointment. I went back, and wound up with a very different cut. Hmm. Didn't really love it as much as the initial one, but heck, she did great that first time, so I gave it one more whirl. Six weeks later, I was back in her chair and this time, it actually felt like she didn't want me there. Very. Very. Uncomfortable. That was the last time I saw her.
The problem still remained, I now had a crappy cut and my hubby was returning from Iraq in a month. Naturally, I wanted to look as amazing as I could (with my lack of style, I'm still searching for it, all this time later...and he loves me anyway).
I yelped and looked for places with decent reviews. I narrowed it down to a couple of places and then hemmed and hawwed for days. Finally, I took the plunge and committed to one. It was a bit further away, but I picked it anyhow. I got lost on the way, initially taking it as a sign that I'd chosen the wrong place, but I was now just days away from the hubs return and I needed a haircut. I found my way and was only a few minutes late.
The salon was great, cute, stylish and fun. So was Holly, my stylist. She took the time to sit and discuss my hair with me. In the end she gave me an amazing, current hair style. She didn't find it odd when I asked for another appointment and five weeks later, she gave me the same amazing hair cut. She's been doing it now for almost 2 years. I've never been disappointed. She's a rock star and I'm so grateful to have her!
Back in November, because of our financial crisis, I decided that I wouldn't get my hair done every five weeks until we knew we were in a better position. Somehow, spending 50 bucks so selfishly seemed wrong. I was practically teary when I asked Holly if she'd keep me on as a client if I went to appointments once every 3 months for the foreseeable future. She was awesome (as if I'd expected anything less), we discussed my hair goals (which included continuing to try to grow it out some, talk about good timing) and what would be the best thing for my hair over a long absence from her care. She gave me a cut, that involved taking off a bit of length, but giving it a new shape. It's been a little more than 2 months already and it's held it's shape, it's curl and still looks every bit as good as it did when I walked out of the salon 2 months ago.\
I don't know if I want to make this long breaks between visits a permanent thing. When we're doing better financially and don't have to be so thrifty, I'll be sure to go back to my 5 week schedule, other things I'll continue to do, like shop for bargains, thrift at goodwill. But for now I'll stick to my 12 week schedule and be thankful that I found such a gem. A stylist who is as skillful with people as she is with hair.
Monday, January 16, 2012
Intro to my (lack of) style
Eventually it had to come. The day I'd try to blog about my style. The truth is this...I live in jeans and tee shirts. That's it. Short sleeved tees. Long sleeved tees. Boot cut jeans, skinny jeans, jean capris. I pretty much only wore my Chuck Taylors or Running shoes up until recently. I bought a couple of pair of ballet flats and a single pair of boots.
I've promised myself that over the course of this year, I'll transform myself into someone who has a casual style that doesn't revolve solely around tee shirts. (I'm not throwing away my Animal or Smokey the Bear tees--forget about it!)
When I hit the thrift store last week I found two shirts and I love them both. I didn't take pictures in the grey one, but I will. Each of the shirts are a jersey/tee fabric, but neither is quite as basic. (Thank goodness) Today I wore the black one. Originally I had it on alone, but it was showing quite a bit more than I had intended so I wound up tossing a burgandy cami on under it (layering by accident?). The black top has kind of puffy sleeves and a bit of stitched detailing under the chest. Put it on with my capris and boots. There you have it.
Oh. Right and a necklace. Because I'm trying to fancy it up. I think this is one of two necklaces that I own. And I don't like the other one. So, yeah. Hehe.
Forgive my modeling skills. I've spent many years hiding from cameras so this will take some getting used to!
T-shirt--Design History- thrifted
Tank--Mossimo-Target
Jeans--Elle-Kohls
Boots--Union Bay--NEX
I've promised myself that over the course of this year, I'll transform myself into someone who has a casual style that doesn't revolve solely around tee shirts. (I'm not throwing away my Animal or Smokey the Bear tees--forget about it!)
When I hit the thrift store last week I found two shirts and I love them both. I didn't take pictures in the grey one, but I will. Each of the shirts are a jersey/tee fabric, but neither is quite as basic. (Thank goodness) Today I wore the black one. Originally I had it on alone, but it was showing quite a bit more than I had intended so I wound up tossing a burgandy cami on under it (layering by accident?). The black top has kind of puffy sleeves and a bit of stitched detailing under the chest. Put it on with my capris and boots. There you have it.
Oh. Right and a necklace. Because I'm trying to fancy it up. I think this is one of two necklaces that I own. And I don't like the other one. So, yeah. Hehe.
Forgive my modeling skills. I've spent many years hiding from cameras so this will take some getting used to!
T-shirt--Design History- thrifted
Tank--Mossimo-Target
Jeans--Elle-Kohls
Boots--Union Bay--NEX
Friday, January 13, 2012
Thrifted Styles for Kids?
As I've mentioned, I have two boys. They're 9 and 10 and don't care a lick about fashion. Still, buying clothes for them can be a challenge and it gets pricy. They grow fast, they're tough on clothes and they may not care too much about fashion, but I still want them to look decent.
Generally speaking, I get them jeans from Old Navy when they do their $10 kids denim sale that happens in August. They begin their life as new school clothes and what happens from there... who knows. This year, my oldest got all 12's in August. He tried them on, they fit, well. We were happy. By November they were snug, but still wearable. December? Not so much. We were seeing sock on a daily basis. With no sales on jeans that I could find and not being thrilled with the lower priced choices, I wondered if kids clothes in the higher sizes made it to the thrift stores.
I'm guessing that those of you more familiar with thrifting already know the answer. It's yes! I had some good luck finding 2 pair of jeans in a size 14, that were stylish and in great condition. Seams in tact, zippers working, no wear at the knees or scuffs at the leg openings. Sold! Washed up and ready to wear, no more high waters for my kiddo. Each pair was 3.59.
See that little lump under the covers? That's my pooch, deciding her comfort was more important than my picture. She's a princess.
Anyhow, the color in the pic is a bit odd, but the bottom pair is nice and light with fading and a boot cut. The top pair is more charcoal than that washed out black that the pic shows. They're a straight leg and a slimmer fit.
I wasn't looking for shirts, we have plenty, but I took a peek, just in case. The store I was shopping had almost nothing in larger kids sizes (strictly speaking of shirts now). Tons of toddler sizes though. I will, of course, check again the next time I'm there.
Generally speaking, I get them jeans from Old Navy when they do their $10 kids denim sale that happens in August. They begin their life as new school clothes and what happens from there... who knows. This year, my oldest got all 12's in August. He tried them on, they fit, well. We were happy. By November they were snug, but still wearable. December? Not so much. We were seeing sock on a daily basis. With no sales on jeans that I could find and not being thrilled with the lower priced choices, I wondered if kids clothes in the higher sizes made it to the thrift stores.
I'm guessing that those of you more familiar with thrifting already know the answer. It's yes! I had some good luck finding 2 pair of jeans in a size 14, that were stylish and in great condition. Seams in tact, zippers working, no wear at the knees or scuffs at the leg openings. Sold! Washed up and ready to wear, no more high waters for my kiddo. Each pair was 3.59.
Anyhow, the color in the pic is a bit odd, but the bottom pair is nice and light with fading and a boot cut. The top pair is more charcoal than that washed out black that the pic shows. They're a straight leg and a slimmer fit.
I wasn't looking for shirts, we have plenty, but I took a peek, just in case. The store I was shopping had almost nothing in larger kids sizes (strictly speaking of shirts now). Tons of toddler sizes though. I will, of course, check again the next time I'm there.
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Thrifty Thursday!
Today was a busy day for me. I dropped the hubs off at work (we share a car and I wanted it today) and got the kids off to school. I feel like my whole morning was spent waiting to get to the thrift store. My dentist visit was painfully long! As my x-rays were being done and the cleaning was happening I kept thinking of what goodies I might find when I finally got down to shopping. Hehe. My teeth look great though. Totally worth the wait.
I'm mostly looking for cardigans and sadly there were none to be found today. It's okay though! I scoured the whole store and kept an open mind. I did find a khaki twill peacoat that I loved, but it felt a little funny buttoned. I think the button placement gave my chest an odd look, so I passed on it. I also found a cute short sleeved tapered jacket with a darling kick pleat in the back. But it was too big. *sniffle* I tried it on with the hopes that it might be workable, but no luck there.
Enough about what I didn't get! As I was checking out the skirts I came across a cute black running skirt. I've been wanting one, but I really don't want to pay full price. I was pretty excited to find it, but I felt a minor bit of hesitation regarding used workout wear. Don't ask me why, I'm not sure. I decided it was worth it and started to check out the seams and do you know what I found? Tags! Yay! Brand new running skirt for less than 6 bucks (TekGear-$5.29). Can't beat that.
I tried to be a bit more adventurous with tops, but I'm afraid it didn't really happen. I wound up getting a black top(Design History $3.59) and a grey one(Old Navy $3.59). *ahem* I had a couple of light multi-colored button downs in hand and I chickened out! I should have grabbed one of them, but there's always next time.
I'm supposed to be working on my personal style, I'm hoping that perhaps I'll be inspired by some accessories or layering pieces somewhere so that I can do something less basic with them. I'm open to ideas (hint, hint). :D
I'm mostly looking for cardigans and sadly there were none to be found today. It's okay though! I scoured the whole store and kept an open mind. I did find a khaki twill peacoat that I loved, but it felt a little funny buttoned. I think the button placement gave my chest an odd look, so I passed on it. I also found a cute short sleeved tapered jacket with a darling kick pleat in the back. But it was too big. *sniffle* I tried it on with the hopes that it might be workable, but no luck there.
Enough about what I didn't get! As I was checking out the skirts I came across a cute black running skirt. I've been wanting one, but I really don't want to pay full price. I was pretty excited to find it, but I felt a minor bit of hesitation regarding used workout wear. Don't ask me why, I'm not sure. I decided it was worth it and started to check out the seams and do you know what I found? Tags! Yay! Brand new running skirt for less than 6 bucks (TekGear-$5.29). Can't beat that.
I tried to be a bit more adventurous with tops, but I'm afraid it didn't really happen. I wound up getting a black top(Design History $3.59) and a grey one(Old Navy $3.59). *ahem* I had a couple of light multi-colored button downs in hand and I chickened out! I should have grabbed one of them, but there's always next time.
Monday, January 9, 2012
Allow Me to Introduce Myself!
Okay, I'm new to blogging, thrifting, organizing and style! Kind of a recipe for disaster, since this blog is about about organizing and style (by way of thrifting), don't ya think? ;)
So, the basics, right? Well, my name is Nicci and I'm a SAHM to two sons(9 and 10). My husband of nearly 12 years is in the service and is a year away from retirement. We're deciding where to live when it's all said and done. Very exciting! I'm a bit of a pack rat and clutter is my nemesis. I recently lost 70 pounds and now I'm trying to figure out my personal style. Before the weight loss, my style goal was pretty much to hide and blend into the background as much as possible. My nature is shy, but I'm trying to find my way into being a bit more present in my life.
Chances are you won't see fantastic before and afters of my sprawling well decorated home because, well, it's neither sprawling nor well decorated. My goal this year is to declutter on a daily basis. I'd like to get rid of one thing (toss, donate, sell?) each day. I don't know if it's a realistic goal or not, but we'll find out!
Additionally, I'm going to start thrifting. I had made this decision sometime in December and thought it would be a good goal for the new year. As much clutter as I have, I still don't have everything I need. Be it clothes, kitchen ware, things for my boys or maybe even some creative organizational ideas, I'm hoping to find it via thrifting. Or bargain hunting, I'm okay with that too! ;)
Thanks for taking the time to read along and I'm looking forward to starting (and documenting) this journey!
So, the basics, right? Well, my name is Nicci and I'm a SAHM to two sons(9 and 10). My husband of nearly 12 years is in the service and is a year away from retirement. We're deciding where to live when it's all said and done. Very exciting! I'm a bit of a pack rat and clutter is my nemesis. I recently lost 70 pounds and now I'm trying to figure out my personal style. Before the weight loss, my style goal was pretty much to hide and blend into the background as much as possible. My nature is shy, but I'm trying to find my way into being a bit more present in my life.
Chances are you won't see fantastic before and afters of my sprawling well decorated home because, well, it's neither sprawling nor well decorated. My goal this year is to declutter on a daily basis. I'd like to get rid of one thing (toss, donate, sell?) each day. I don't know if it's a realistic goal or not, but we'll find out!
Additionally, I'm going to start thrifting. I had made this decision sometime in December and thought it would be a good goal for the new year. As much clutter as I have, I still don't have everything I need. Be it clothes, kitchen ware, things for my boys or maybe even some creative organizational ideas, I'm hoping to find it via thrifting. Or bargain hunting, I'm okay with that too! ;)
Thanks for taking the time to read along and I'm looking forward to starting (and documenting) this journey!
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