Lets go Hunting....Goodwill Hunting

IM BACK!! The blogging vacation is over, and I lived through a birthday, a bachelorette and a wedding. Phew! Let the relaxation begin. Anyways, here is my latest confession....

Confession: I am obsessed with thrift stores.

I kid you not. And not just for home items to revamp. I mean for clothes... for me! When I was unemployed a few years ago, shopping for clothes was pretty much out of the picture. Until I figured out my little shopping secret: Thrift stores. Ya huh! Goodwill, Savers, Plato’s Closet, Garage Sales. No place is off limits. Since then I hadn't dabbled in my thrift store shopping too much, until recently (ok since having Colton and realizing nothing fits like it used to) and now I am mildly addicted.

There is something to be said about getting such steals on clothes. Maybe it’s the cheapy inside me or the thrill of the hunt, but I LOVE searching through the racks to find previously owned gems at a fraction of what it would normally cost. I love it!! And the best part is that people never (until now) know that I love to shop there. Think what you will of me, but I have no problem wearing something owned by someone else (especially when it costs $3.99 and looks brand new or even has the tags on it). Just last week I had been on the hunt for some skinny belts to wear over some cardigans. I checked the mall and was VERY bummed to see places wanted 9.99+ for a tiny little belt. Try again! I knew I could do better than that price. Enter Savers (ahhhhh the heavens open and shined upon me bargains galore) Not only did I grab a black skinny belt for a mere buck ninety nine BUT I also snagged a royal blue cardigan (to wear with that lovely purchased belt for $3.99) AND a skinny braided brown belt(1.99). WHAT WHAT?? I love deals like that!

Then last night stumbled into my old friend Goodwill (it had been a while with the new Savers hogging my attention right around the block). Giving myself a $10 challenge I scoured the racks for a good hour and ended up with 3 lovely nuggets: a camel/brown striped scoop neck sweater (Old Navy), a grey and green striped boyfriend cardigan (Mossimo) and a navy/white (Jcrew) striped top (I love me some stripes, especially under jackets!) and the grand total was.....$10.37 HOLLA. I think I made out great!! And since I am VERY selective when I thrift for myself (especially the tops) to made sure they were in good/new condition (FYI -jeans, dress pants, blazers, jackets also make great thrift store buys) I was quite impressed with my purchases!!

One of the things I have found in my close thrifting adventures, is that searching for classic pieces by well made companies are key. I am still kicking myself over this amazing white blazer from Nine West and was under $10 and looked BRAND NEW, but it was a tad bit snug. Knowing I planned to lose more weight I should have bought it cause it would have fit perfectly now. Drat, oh well, lesson learned. I find it also helps to have brands memorized, so I know when I see Mossimo it’s from Target, Faded Glory from Wal-Mart, Apt. 9 from Kohl’s, and so on and it helps to decipher how good of a deal I am actually getting. $7 from a Mossimo item, not a great deal, since I could probably get it brand new for the same price at the store. But $2.99 now that is something I just might snag. As a personal rule, anything under 5.99 is typically a clothing bargain for me, since the majority of retail stores rarely have much below that. The only "problem" I run into is that it makes regular shopping tricky. I have a hard time spending at normal stores cause I know, "well I am sure I can find something similar in my closet Savers or Goodwill for WAY less" although I guess that’s not really a "problem" to have, now is it?? Lol

Oh and did you know they run deals? That’s right, last night at Goodwill was 50%off anything with a purple ticket (mine were all blue... bummer) Savers does a Monday night 25% off AND has a Savers card similar to a shoppers club card like at Wegmans.


Anyone else out there enjoy the thrill of the thrifting hunt? I tell you, once you start, and realize the clothing/home/baby gems to be found, you will be kicking yourself for not trying this sooner :)

This is how we do....

Confession: this is how i put together an outfit...

**Side Note: I lOOOOVE clothes and all things clothes related, like shoes and jewelry and scarves and etc. And on the occasion i get asked by friends to help put together or shop for an outfit, so i thought i would share the tips I use when putting together something to wear. And this BY NO MEANs makes me an expert on what to wear because, HAVE YA SEEN ME?!?! I definitely have my “what was she thinking” moments and I am sure I could land on the “Worst Dressed” List , but I don’t mind. This is fashion and I am learning as I go!! Ok, so right, back to my tips on how i put together an outfit...

1. Start with a look: Sexy, business casual, comfy, dramatic etc. Use this to stay on focus when looking through your wardrobe. It helps to ask, does this feel _____? (whatever the look is chosen?) or “would _______ wear this?” (enter name of person who makes you think of the look you are going for)

2. Do your research: Find photos of people that you think emulate that style and take note of what they are wearing. Is it a color or an article of clothing that conveys that look? Is it the hair or shoes that complete it? Did they play up one thing and down play something else? What was it about the outfit that made you stop and notice?

3. Pick what looks good on you: Even I struggle with this. I am often tempted to pick something based on the latest fad, instead of choosing something that I KNOW looks good and works with my body type. So make sure to stear clear of things that although are the current trend, may not look good on you. Example, I have a super short waist, large chest and long legs. So a big belt worn around my middle looks gross on me because it actually hides any waist I have! So i try to stay away from it. But V-necks tend to look really good on me or even the “cross boob” style (no not the official name, but I bet you know what I am talking about) so I like to wear those!

4. Pick a statement ______: this could be a color/color scheme, a necklace, a headband, an article of clothing, a belt, a funky scarf, a pair of snazzy shoes, ANYTHING!! Let your imagination and mood run wild here!

5. Play up that statement piece: Let the item from #3 be what people notice about your outfit. Did you buy a bold funky necklace or scarf? Play that up by downplaying the rest…simple top, maybe a cute jacket, jeans and simple jewelry. Or a fun hat and neutral top with jeans. Or maybe a bright Kelly green top with gorgeous white jeans love it!

6. Be confident: if you get the rest wrong, then get this one right. Because who cares if people like what you have on, if you like it and it makes you feel good, then GIRLLLLL ROCK IT!!

Disclaimer: No, I don’t do this everyday for everyoutfit, or else I would look far more put together than I do, BUT on the days I have time, yes, those 6 steps are my thought process. And next time you see me go ahead and ask what my “statement something” or my “outfit inspiring look” was, and see if I have an answer for you!

**As an additional tidbit, what has saved me TONS of money is to shop when I am don’t need to. Yeah I know sounds counterintuitive but bear with me. If I wait to shop until I NEED an outfit then chances are I will spend an entire weekend combing the racks and spend 10xs more to get my outfit then if I just pick up great sale items as I see them. For example the other week I got 2 great necklaces for $4 each! Now sure I probably didn’t need them BUT when the time came to look for a funky piece of jewelry I didn’t have to spend $15-$20 bucks on a regular priced item or even settle on a piece that I wasn’t truly in love with. Now I am not encouraging people to go on a shopping binge but I am saying keep your eyes peeled. If you’re at the store and you see a great deal on a dress, think twice, its wedding season, there are a lot of work functions and get-togethers to wear it to, and if you can, grab it. It will save you LOTS of time and LOTS of money because you got it on sale. And then you can gradually build a nice and inexpensive wardrobe!! OH and never underestimate the power of Goodwill. I have purchased MANY a great pair of pants or skirts there and for super duper cheap!!

Leggings Schmeggings....

Confession: IMHO (thats In my honest opinion) leggings aren't pants....

I know, some of you thinking i am crazy and some are nodding along and thinking "thats right girl, preach it". The former can stop reading and the latter can keep going :)

In my defense, i love leggings! I think they are adorable and make for a cute outfit....when.wore.right. lol People, people people... leggings are just glorified stockings!! They are thick, skin tight STOCKINGS!! Just because they are not sheer does not mean we can not see camel toe when your shirt isnt long enough! Nor does it mean that they get to be worn as an alternative to pants. They should be wore as STOCKING alternatives! Would we not cringe if someone wore a cute top and followed it up with spandex bottoms??same thing folks. Here is a good legging vs pants check: ask yourself "if i don't wear anything other than this top, can people see my 'gina??" if the answer is yes, then sorry, you should be wearing real pants. If the answer is no, then go ahead and throw on the leggings and wear 'em proud!! Now lets move to the ever popular "jeggings" (not to be confused with skinny jeans) jean colored tights... again, cute, as long as your camel toe is not flashing loud and proud!! COVER IT ladies!! if you MUST wear a shorter shirt ATLEAST make it cover your butt and lady parts! Same thing goes for jeggings, if you wouldnot wear sheer pantyhose with that top, then nope, jeggings (in my opinion) are not ok. I know a lot of people have jumped on the bandwagon and i have no problem blaming Hollywood and their "anything goes, for anyone" mentality when it comes to dressing. But this one has gotten a bit out of control. Im tired of going to the mall and seeing far too many people in a regular (not extra long) tshirts and leggings or better yet hoodies with leggings and a pair of ugg boots with FULL makeup ( please as if you rolled out of bed with full makeup on...) and the sad part is not all of them are 15yrs old, majority are well above and old enough to know better! Now there are two "exceptions" ....1. excercise gear, aka "yoga pants" , are okay, same concept although generally only worn to the gym and home and occasionally to WegmansWalmart\Tops... we all know you are working out and in a hurry and not trying to look "cute" or make it a "look"... no problem there (unless you are trying to look cute and are trying to make it a look! But thats a whole different blog....) 2. children. Need i say more? Who's with me?!?!

***Sidenote: i have TOTALLY broken the leggings rule, when pregnant! Canal Days comes to mind and the Puerto Rican Parade.... I completely regret the poor choice of a tank top with leggings (actually yoga pants) and a long sleeveless not-sure-what-you-call-it... maybe "back and side fat coverer"?? Anyways, lesson learned on my part!

It's a crazyyyy world out there....

Confession: Warm weather makes people crazy!!

So anyone who knows rochester weather, knows that the second it gets warm, is the second people break out their tank tops and shorts and hoochie-wear, even though the "warm weather" i speak of is low 50's, high 40's.Although what may not be as obvious is the unveiling of the crazies along with it. Yes, thats right, with the warm weather come the crazies. Well this weekend was one of those weekends where the odd and wacky were out and about. Saturday dawned with bright and sunny 50 degree weather and seemed like a perfect day to cruise the plaza and spend some of my hard earn bonus (boo ya). So alf and i wrangled up our gear and Colton and headed out for the 1 minute drive it takes from our house to the plaza. We got there and stopped first at Target for some 'Bucks coffee (for you not in "the know" that is Starbucks), then quickly trekked to Panera for some num nums. (i know, 40 in 40 beware at Panera, but i ordered a Power sandwich no cheese for a healthy breakfast...google it, only 300 and some odd calories, not too shabby). So we get into line, me then coltons stroller and alfie bringing up the rear.

SIDENOTE:
Now, you will notice, whenever alfie and i take colton anywhere, that alfie preferes to push the stroller. Why? Well what, may i ask, is cuter than a 5 month old smiley and flirty baby?? A 5month old smiley and flirty baby with his daddy! So to make him feel like he's still got it, I let him soak in all the "aww how cutes" and let him respond to the "what a happy baby" and "how old is this lil guy".

Okay, so we are in line and deciding to order, and i am staring up at the menu when i hear "Welll hello little guy, arent you just an adorble little thing", so I turn to smile and give the kind "thank you" when i see 2 very large, very saggy and very on display boobs, coming from the cougar who is mackin it to my husband and baby in the stroller. I smiled and said thanks, chuckling at the hot mess and thinking "ill let alfie handle this one" LOL. She then leans back down toward the stroller to again talk to colton and give him his first cougar booby sighting (poor kid). She mentions something about him being a boy and that she had 6 boys and like 4 girls, cause alfie and i later commented on how tiny she was for that many kids, but in hindsight, her tatas definitely fed 10 children and then kept trying to keep a conversation with Alfie as he awkwardly kept looking for a way out. Luckily he dodged a bullet cause we were next to order so the conversation was very short lived... unlike our NEXT crazy encounter at Chipotle.

Alf and I dropped colton off at the sitters after church on sunday (i hear you chuckling christy) while we went to Pittsford Plaza and grabbed a bite at Chipotle, which was a pleasant surprise since we didnt know there was one closer than henrietta. Anyways, we put in our order (tacos for Alf, and a salad for me) while listening to the cougar (again) in front of us. This cougar was a hybrid of sorts... young from the back but old from the front... she was wearing sweatpants with uggs, a tank top with a zip up and hat but had long wavy highlighted hair. But thats not the crazy part, so we are CLEARLY in line after her and she gets her very loud self through the line and finally to cashout and makes a comment to the cashier about a stack of faux newpapers (printed by chipotle with their news on it) by saying "wait, is this real???" the cashier says no, and she goes on to talk about how she was watching some reality show (she couldnt remember which) and the owner of Chip-olt-leee (we all know its pronounced with a "lay" at the end not "lee") was on it. She went on and on and on about Chipolt-lee and this show, meanwhile alfie and I am all the food preppers are watching her nonsense conversation and WE are waiting to cashout and eat. So crazy lady in her wanna -be- a- 15- yr- old ugg boots is taking her pretty little time and making a fool out of herself. Really!!! Some people just shouldnt be allowed in public during normal functioning hours. Finally, she leaves after a good 5 minute convo with us just staring at her, trying hard not to laugh. I felt like saying "is this real life" like in David after Dentist...ya know?! People are just bizarre!! And tell me...where are all these crazies FROM?!?!

Ohhh reallly??

So a friend of mine on facebook made a comment about how the female population who wears leggings needs to start wearing shirts that cover their camel toe...AMEN. This got me thinking of all the fashions that irk me. And here they are....

I can't stand those girls at the mall who have the "Thats right, i just rolled outta bed but look this good" but you have a full face of make up on! Yeah guess what girlies, you didnt fool anyone. We know that while you are wearing sweatpants, uggs and a hoodie, you took 30+mins to flat iron your hair THEN throw it up in a messy ponytail/bun thing AND THEN caked on eyeliner, Mascara, eyeshadow, foundation, AND lip gloss. You may have those pubescent, hormone infested boys fooled but the rest of us see past that "look". So come on, take the extra 5 minutes and actually put on an outfit OR skip the makeup and really just roll out of bed and head to the mall!!

Another "favorite" is the "hi i have 5 teenagers and they help pick out my wardrobe" Guess what mom.... you.are.not.a.teen.period. This means that yes you have to suck it up and stop shopping in the Jrs department, or Debs, or Rainbow. Grow old with class and elegance, you look 100times worse trying to stay trendy. Just admit defeat....no you can not wear leggings, or ponchos, or miniskirts. Embrace Ann Taylor Loft, the Limited, or Christopher Banks. Move on into the Misses, Petites or Womens section. Believe me, you will be so thankful when you look back at pictures.

And finally we come to the "hello my butt cheeks and crotch are juuuust about to pop out of these rediculously short shorts" Yeahhhh, I'm sorry but last time I checked we wore clothes over our underwear not just underwear around. It the inseam on a pair of short is virtually non-existant...its too short. Plus you tiny girls set a poor example for the not so tiny girls who also feel they have the right to sport that terrible style. It does not look good in a size 2 and it definitely does not look good in a size 14. Come on chicas! Here is an idea lets keep it in our pants! And by "it" my mean our cooters!! How about we not show everyone our lady parts.

So people lets TRY to think before we dress, so that we do not end up on this site....
www.peopleofwalmart.com

Black Friday :)

Confession: I did it. I braved the chaos that is black friday. And I loved it!!! OMG it was awesome! Ok so first off thursday Alfie and I went to my house for dinner and we discussed where were all wanted to head out to. The consensus was to hit "the plaza" aka Kohls, Target, Old Navy, etc. right there in webster. We planned it like this: Kohls opened first at 4am, then Old Navy at 5am then finish off with Target at 6am. I wanted to get a GPS unit, christy wanted to get a camera, and then we all wanted the various DVD and clothing bargains that were literally dirt cheap. So after dinner alfie and I had to head to his parents for dessert and games. We finally headed to our house at around midnight and stopped to grab a newspaper so we could realllllllly look through and grab coupons, and list where we wanted to go. We finally went to bed around 1am. Nice. I had my alarm set for 3:15. When it finally went off it was like christmas! that rush you get where even though you know you should be exhausted, you are awake and excited...yeah that was me! So i nudged alfie and told him time to get up and he rolled over. I got up and started getting ready. This time when I told alfie it was time to go, he replied with "umm yeah I think i am just going to stay in bed" PUNK! Talk about totally flaking out. Oh well. I left anyways! On the drive there, I gave both mom and christy a call and neither answered. I was starting to get annoyed at the thought that EVERYONE was punking out on me. But oh well. So i drove into the plaza parkinglot expecting a few cars, whatever. HECK NO....it was UN...REAL! The parking lot was full in front of kohls and all the way out to the first parking lot when you turn into the plaza (the one that everyone races through to cut over to target). So I parked and it was about 10mins to 4am. I waited in this crazy line for 10 mins in only my sweater and scarf (i didn't want to lug my coat around). And then the gates of shopping heaven opened. people didn't run as I was expecting, everyone was nice and just kind of walked right in. hmmm ok kind of a let down but whatever. I booked it in, doing my speed walk and grabbed a shopping bag. I grabbed my 1st pass GPS unit then susans gift, then a pair of "ugg" boots and headed into line. The line took about 10 mins to cash out....not too bad. Ok one store down 2 to go. By then mom had called me, saying her and christy and susan were up and heading to Old Navy to get jeans for $8-$14. can't beat that! So I headed over there to wait with them. In talking I realized there was really nothing I needed here at Old Navy so since christy reallllllly wanted the camera I would go over there and wait in line for her! So i headed over to Target. This was around 4:50. The line was to the left (as you face the store) all the way to the end of the starbucks seating area with the glass windows. So I am standing there chatting with the people in line and the girl behind me is telling us about the GPS units Target has and how she was going to get the one at Kohls (which I got) but her computer and electonice savy sister said the one at target was WAYYYY better, so Ok im sold, Ill get the one at Target and return the Kohls one. No biggie. By about 5:20 mom, christy and susan joined us in line and we all waited together til they opened. We plotted who was going for what, and how many to grab for ourselves and our new friends in line. Christy and susan were booking it to the back for the camera and me and mom were headed to the jewelry counter where the GPS units were. 6am hit and THIS was the pandamonium I was looking for. People cutting from the back and running to the front. Us yelling people were cutting!! People running to the back of the store to get their prized purchase! Susan was the legs for christy, by the time christy got to the back of the store susan was already in line... way to go snatty! I was second in line to get the GPS units I wanted and our friends from the line outside were 3rd and 4th!

After I got my GPS, I headed to the back electronic section to look at the DVDS and GOOD LORD it was crazy back there!! Everyone trying to get a Wii or Xbox or camera all had to wait in the same line. I just went to the DVDs instead of the electronics. They had all 6 seasons of sex and the city for $8 each!! normally they are 24.99!! CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT! so i grab one of each season :) Merry christmas to me! But it was just the experience of going through what you imagine Black friday morning crowds to be like, that made it well worth it. By 6:16 both christy and I were cashed out and in front of the store! 1hr waiting, 16 mins of shopping...crazy.Then I headed back to kohls to return the first GPS and then to Old Navy to look around and then headed home to go to bed. Christy and mom kept the shopping up. But as I lay in bed, my heart was still racing and I felt like I had just gone through the experience of a lifetime. It was crazy all the adrenaline that was going through me. I couldn't sleep so instead I woke alfie up (this was prob 7:20ish) and showed him my great purchases! Then forced him to take me to breakfast and then per his request, head to marketplace mall to do some shopping. i didn't get to go to bed until like 9pm that night but once i did i slept like a baby!

And that dear friends was my black friday experience! It was so worth it and I would totally do it again! It was the most excitement I have had in a while. :) I will definietly be doing it next year, so if you are up to it, join me!

Whoaaa thats HOT!!

Ok so in an effort to be frugal (yes thrifty but not cheap) we keep out heat low at the house and usually just wear sweatshirts or blankets when laying around watching tv. No biggie right? Well last year I purchased what I call "my blanket". My blanket is actully a sweater but its HUGE with a turtleneck collar and that microplush material. It is the most comfortable thing ever! So i tend to throw on "my blanket" and my slippers (those are actually slippers) and am super comfortable all evening. So last night I am all bundled up and decided to go to bed early (great decision cause i really woke up so rested!). Anyways, our bedroom is as cold as the rest of the house and the sheets were freezing so I decided to leave "my blanket" on when I got into bed. I fell asleep quickly. Alfie said at 9:10 when he came looking for me after him movie so we could watch House I was totally out! Now all I remember was going to bed in a freezing room with cold sheets under a nice and thick down blanket and waking up in HELL! No joke i felt like I was in a suana. I had completely fallen asleep in a thick sweater with pants, socks and down blanket. My tshirt was sooo wet (not damp but WET) and my hair at my neck had curled from all the sweat. It was nassss - ttttaaayyy ! Needless to say, I had to change into dry pjs in the middle of my night.

On a weirder note (yeah cause that first part wasn't odd enough), I had the most bizarre dream last night. This is what i remember from it: I was at this mall by myself shopping. Some guy came up to me, i don't know if he was bothering me or what but he told me I could hit him in the face. So i totally punched him. Like a good UFC knockout kinda punch. He was stunded and so were his friends and I think I hit him twice and said something about how I have a punching bag so I have a good hit. Like no joke this was a kick @$$ hit! Anyways, so then I got nervous that he was gonna come after me as I was leaving the mall that I said something to the girl at the icecream place (i guess we were friends and I was having icecream). She told me to go see her friend at NY&Co and they would help. I don't remember if it was a guy or a girl but next thing I know me, christy and someone else are attempting to sneak into my parents house. weird. Thats all I remember. But I was pretty impressed with my super punch.
Moral of the story: Don't mess with me, I can be pretty bad @$$ if I need to :)