Tag: fashion

A Little Procrastination For The Win

On By thefunkyfrugalistaIn thriftingLeave a comment

Because the weather is calling for rain on Thursday, yesterday was the only window I had to get the yard mowed. I couldn’t think of anything I would rather not be doing. Luckily Hannah was awake so I talked her in to driving into Kilgore with me when I dropped Jackson off. Thrift store visits were promised.

We arrived in Kilgore at 9:50. The thrift stores didn’t open until 10 so we had a few minutes to go visit the Shakespeare Garden that I had noticed was in bloom. If I were a student here and had time between classes, this is where you would find me sitting on a bench reading.

I would love to have a space like this at home.

There are twinkle lights around the fence and solar lights throughout the paths that I would love to see lit up at night. I bet it’s just magical. They have added a free little library.

I picked up a book by one of my favorite authors.

It came with a bookmark that is just so cute.

It was finally time to hit the stores. The rule of thumb is that if you find something you want to buy you must try it on. Then you need to ask yourself if you really love and will you wear it. Hannah had several things at both stores but after trying everything on she only came away with 2 items. I don’t know about anyone else, but I love to see what treasures people find. Here’s mine. (I never show what Hannah or Jackson buy unless I specifically ask them and in this case I didn’t)

The only non clothing items we bought. The food container is to replace the one that Donny accidentally dropped at work and it hit just right and shattered. The frame is made of metal and Hannah really wanted it for her room. We just need to cut our a cardboard backing for the glass.

I had in mind what I was looking for. I needed to some summer shirts to fill in my wardrobe.

A good off white sleeveless basic.

Do I like shopping at Target? No. Do I love their Universal Thread V-neck tees. Yes. They just fit so well. I have several that I’ve found at this particular thrift store.

A good basic brown tank. Do I have 2 more brown ones, yes, but they are all in different fabrics. I love brown. It’s my wardrobes black. I don’t like wearing black. It looks very harsh on me. I really think it just stems back to owning an embalming service and having to wear black all the time.

This is my favorite shirt out of the bunch. I normally do not like stripes, but I think because this shirt has vertical ones I like it better. It’s loose and airy so it will be perfect for Summer.

Red tags were 50% off so these were only 4 bucks. I love light colored jeans in the summer. These are cropped and slightly distressed so they are going to be a good addition.

Last, but not least, I found this great belt that I wear slouchy around my hips.

But Stacy, you just bought a brown belt. Yes, I did, but this one is a completely different brown color, has silver embellishments and I can wear it different ways.

I bought 6 items so when I got home I went through my closet and chose 6 shirts that I haven’t worn in forever and I just didn’t love the way they fit. They will be getting donated.

And because I am documenting my outfits of the day, this is what I wore.

Ugh, I need to clean Jackson’s mirror. Because it was 65 degrees I chose my wide legged cropped jeans, a linen shirt and by Born clogs. It’s a simple outfit, but Donny said, “oh you look fancy”. What he really meant was that I didn’t look like a hobo. I’m trying here.

After mowing the lawn (I did change into my holey tank, running shorts and Crocs for that) I was exhausted. It may have been cloudy, but the weather turned up and it was almost 90 with super high humidity. I haven’t really cooked an honest to goodness meal since I was sick. I’ve been working into getting back into the kitchen and actually enjoying making meals. Night before last I roasted a chicken with carrots and onions and made mashed potatoes. Not a grand meal but it was good. It’s hard to get motivated when the kids are seldom home during dinnertime.

Last night I baked some french bread and made crawfish etoufee. It was so good and I’m really sad that we only had enough leftovers for Donny’s lunch today.

Donny stepped in the night before to carve the chicken because that is not my forte.

French bread is one of the easiest breads to make and it’s perfect for dipping in the etoufee.

I don’t use one recipe. I just kind of combine several. Etoufee is also so easy to make. I believe that the secret is in the roux. It was delicious and I’m bummed that we all ate most of it last night so there weren’t any leftovers.

Now I’m going to go see if I can figure out what is happening to one of my cucumber plants. It’s turning yellow. I didn’t see any bugs but I think I need to take a closer look. If anyone has any suggestions please let me know.

Downtown Market Day

On By thefunkyfrugalistaIn Longview, txLeave a comment

Saturday was ETX Market Day. Hannah and I didn’t have anything going on so we decided to see what it was all about. The weather was perfect, breezy and cool. The market was crowded but not too crowded.

There were so many interesting booths selling everything from jerky to terrariums.

We each bought a necklace. Mine was a sun and moon with an obsidian stone.

I finally talked Hannah into letting me take a picture.

After we had walked through all of the tents we decided to just walk around downtown. We love our downtown area. There are so many cool new shops. We finally have a zero waste store.

One of our favorite places to take a little break.

There is a vintage store that we have always wanted to go to but it’s never been open when we’ve been downtown. Today it was.

The woman who owns it has been there for 36 years. She’s only open 4 hours a day which explains why we have never been able to shop there. She has some absolutely beautiful pieces, but here’s the weird thing, 98% of the items don’t have prices. She just told us that if we find something we like she’ll let us know how much it is. I would also like to note that the BIG difference between a thrift store and a vintage store is $$$$$. We did find several things that we liked. Hannah ended up with 2 chain belts and a hand crocheted shawl that is really pretty. I found a peasant skirt and a belt. I still like thrift stores better, but it was fun shopping here. I guess you pay for the experience.

I do love both pieces though.

Speaking of vintage, I wanted to wear a bracelet with my stones one. I had completely forgotten about my raw brass cuff. I got it on a Spanish class field trip to San Antonio when I was a junior in high school. I really like the way it works with the bracelet. I love shopping in my jewelry drawers. Saves a lot of money.

Summer Sandal Dilemma + Mini Thrift Haul

On By thefunkyfrugalistaIn Frugal LifeLeave a comment

I purchased a pair of the two strap dupe Birkenstocks 4 years ago from JC Penney. I think they were around $30. I wasn’t sure if I’d like the double strap sandals so that’s why I just picked these up on sale to give them a try. I ended up loving them and wearing them almost every day during the summer. Well, they were getting quite worn out. The sole had come out of the left one and they were cracking.

Obviously they weren’t genuine leather, but for being what they were they lasted a lot longer than I thought they would. It was time to replace them so I started looking online. I really like the White Mountain footbed sandals. I have a pair I got almost 3 years ago that are still going strong. The leather is thick and it took a while to break them in, but now they are so comfortable.

White Mountain does carry the double strap sandals, but since I was getting them to take on our trip and I was going to be walking quite a bit in them, I knew I probably wouldn’t have time to break them in. I did a little more scrolling and landed on the Birkenstocks. I had heard that they last 10+ years, so I bit the bullet and ordered them to be shipped to Journeys so I could just go pick them up.

They were cute. They were comfortable. They were, however, not genuine leather. I guess I just didn’t read the description as well as I should have when I was ordering them. Now, I’m not opposed to non leather shoes. It’s just when you pay $117 for sandals you expect them to be leather, not Birko Flor. (fancy way of saying vinyl) So I did a little research on the Birko Flor and this is what I found.

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So, I’m paying a whole lot more for these that are going to last the same amount of time as my cheapo ones from JCP. That didn’t sit well with me at all. I’m not a brand person and only chose the Birkenstocks because of how long they last, well, the leather ones anyway. I did a little more googling and saw that Kohl’s (one of my least favorite stores ever) had a pair that were leather and on sale. I drove to Kohl’s, tried them on and immediately said YES. So comfortable. Fit me better than the Birkenstocks. (I think they are narrower and just fit my food better)

No break in period and I was able to walk all around Galveston in them. I’ll say that’s a huge win. Plus, they were only $37! I love a good bargain. I was able to take the other ones back to Journeys to return them with no problem.

Yesterday Hannah was wanting to go to some thrift stores to find add some pieces to her wardrobe that would work for layering. While she found quite a bit, I only came home with 3 items.

I found this round mandala printed throw, table cloth, wall hanging, I guess it can be whatever you want it to be. I just have it here for now. I love it because my favorite colors are yellow and orange.

We needed another laundry basket because my second one cracked and it pinches me when I use it. I like using to because it just seems to get the laundry done faster. I wasn’t looking for one, but I saw this and since it was only $1.99 I grabbed it.

It looks brand new and feel sturdier than any I’ve seen at the store. I thought the label was different than any I’ve seen.

After a quick Google lens search, it turns out that it’s a vintage laundry basket that goes for a pretty penny on EBAY. Who knew.

Last, but not least, I found a orangey red top that I’m wearing today with my wide leg jeans. (yes, I washed it when I got home)

Comfort is the name of the game.

Swap Out

On By thefunkyfrugalistaIn OrganizingLeave a comment

Today I swapped out my warm weather clothes for the colder ones. I hadn’t meant to do this task so early in the season, but Hannah needed a brown turtleneck which I thought I had (I donated it last season it turns out) and the weather has started cooling off quite a bit. It’s a chore I am not fond of doing because I share a very small closet with Donny. If you ever see a video of small NYC apartment closets you get the idea.

I decided to pare down my wardrobe quite a bit. I tried every single item on to make sure it fit well and I still liked it. I ended up with a trash bag full to donate. I’m always nosy about how people fit everything into a small space and what all goes into that said space. So here is my take on it.

These are my sweaters. I pared them down quite a bit.

I love jeans. I added some brown cords and my olive velvet pants. I think these will definitely get me through the winter months.

I love this denim jacket. I’m keeping my down coat in the storage bag until it gets a lot colder. There’s no need for it to take up precious space.

These are my cardigans and skirts. I love cardigans because they are the perfect layering item for our weird weather.

Purses and backpacks get hung on hooks I have installed around the closet.

These hang behind the clothes.

Keeping everything organized by color helps me find items quicker.

It took 3 hours, but I feel like I got a lot accomplished. I was sick of trying on clothes by the end but I really think that it helped me get rid of so much. I’m so happy that this is DONE.

Mr. Whiskers was not happy about having to move as I was backing up tonight. He has a wound on his hip that he has been coming to me so I can spray it with antimicrobial spray. I have tried to bring him into the house, but he will have nothing to do with that. He does love back scratches and head rubs though.

Retail Fatigue

On By thefunkyfrugalistaIn thriftingLeave a comment

I do not like shopping. I find this ironic because I worked in retail for so many years. For many years I worked as a retail manager/buyer for a large company. I knew how much the actual cost of an item was and how much we actually sold it for. It would blow your mind to know what the actual margins are. I honestly could not wait to get out of that job. When we would get large orders, the off gassing of the dyes in the clothing would give me sinus issues and headaches. One time we got a shipment of specialty shirts and they smelled so bad, like dead fish. I called the company and they told us to just spray them with febreze and let them air out. Like what??? They sold after about a month of airing out, but I can’t help but think of what awful chemicals were uses to make these garments.

This past week I had to go out shopping for Donny’s father’s day gifts. We don’t really do anything big for each other on these days, but I did want to get him something. I knew he needed tshirts because his were looking a bit scruffy so I headed to TJMaxx. When I walked in it was SO crowded and the place was a mess. I turned around and walked out. Burlington is in the same strip mall so I walked down there to see if I could find anything. It was surprisingly clean and I did find a Tshirt and some snacks. That was enough for one day. I was exhausted just from going into 2 stores. Jackson and I did finish his gift buying in Walmart which wasn’t too bad.

He ended up with 2 tshirts, a ceramic coffee mug and some snacks.

Now here’s the funny part. I can go to thrift stores and estate sales all day long. Doesn’t matter if they are crowded or a little messy. I’m 100% up for it. I’d say that 95% of my clothes are thrifted. I just feel better knowing that I’m recycling and these garments aren’t ending up in some land fill. Jackson and I are working on a little project and needed some 4X6 frames. I headed to the big thrift store around the corner and picked up two for 3 dollars total.

I never look through the clothes at this one, but I had a little extra time and decided to see what they had. I found these super cute Kancan boyfriend jeans for 4 bucks.

I’m still looking for some denim shorts. I saw some cut off shorts at Walmart for $24.98. People, please!!!!! Buy thrifted jeans and cut them off yourself. That’s over 20 dollars you’ve saved.

I also found this cute vintage vest that I can wear over a tank top. I will always and forever buy my tshirts and thrift stores and estate sales. This one says “for everything there is a season” and It’s in excellent condition.

If you want to pay full price, that’s your choice. I saw a quote that really spoke to me. It said, take a look at everything in your house. That was once money.

Gone With the Wind

On By thefunkyfrugalistaIn Home lifeLeave a comment

The day of the eclipse we were supposed to be getting rain. A lot of rain. Luckily the clouds cleared for the eclipse. We were in the 99% totality area. It got dark enough to where the street light came on and the solar lights lit up.

Everything was going well until that evening when the storm hit us. It was bad. The wind was just awful. When we woke up the next morning we had lost power and it was still storming. The patio was taking on water which meant our laundry room was too. When there was a break I went out to see how bad everything was.

Our little gnome drowned. The wind and water had flipped all of our landscape timbers.

We had a stream running from the backyard into the front ditch that was already overflowing. But the very worst thing that happened was this

Our poor greenhouse was demolished. I thought we might be able to save it, but when everything cleared up yesterday and we went out to survey the damage, several poles had snapped. Donny had so many plants that he had painstakingly been taking care of. We moved most of them to the side garden, but it was just so heartbreaking. Hopefully he’ll be able to save most of them. We just don’t know yet.

The power was still out Tuesday, but luckily the storm had brought cooler weather. I’m thankful for our gas stove because I was still able to make breakfast.

And coffee, thank goodness

Since it was so dark outside because of the rain, I decided that I would just lay in bed and read. Bailey had other ideas though.

Yesterday and today have been absolutely gorgeous. We were finally able to get back to Kilgore to see if they still had the dress that Hannah had decided HAD to be her prom dress. She gets very overwhelmed when shopping so we lucked out and got the dress, shoes and jewelry at Everything that Blings, her favorite boutique.

Since I can’t post the dress yet, I can post a picture of her shoes since they won’t really show in the actual prom pictures. It’s so hard to find closed toe heels that she likes. (she does not like sandals) I happened to walk back to a corner of the store and found the perfect ones. They were the only pair and just happened to be in her size.

Prom is in one week and lately weeks have been flying by. Tomorrow we are going to practice hairstyles. Wish me luck!