Quite LOVELY

So I finally made it over to Lovely during my lunch break today, and I'm in LOVE.  I went in search of a secondhand dress to wear in a wedding (how cool is it that the bride isn't making us all match).  I found a beautiful black dress by Calvin Klein, priced at $55...only a fraction of the cost I would have paid at David's Bridal or the like.  Plus...I didn't have to break my 2011 rules.  :)

While I was there, I also found this beautiful vintage dress by a Texas designer named Gertrude Arzt.  I wanted to learn more about Ms. Arzt, but apparently she passed away last January...and there's not much to find online.  I'm told the dress is a rare find, and at only $22, it might be the best thing I've purchased all year.  I heart Lovely for so many reasons.  The store is full of quality items that are reasonably priced.  They carry everything from designer labels to high quality vintage.  The store is this old remodeled house that is terribly cute.  I really can't wait to go back for more!  I think I've found the store that will carry me through this challenge, and maybe even inspire me to go further.

I'm so lucky to live in a city that embraces the thrift store.  There are so many great places to shop here for secondhand fashion.  It's my goal to make it over to Feathers Boutique and Laced With Romance in the next month or so (and of course, back to Lovely!). 

What's Golden

Yes, I really do need another pair of gold shoes...they've had me doing a happy dance with this song in my head ever since I put them on!





Photo by FJP



It's like this...when I was a girl, I remember these gold pumps that my stylish grandmother owned. Back then, I thought it was so granny-ish and uncool...and maybe it still is. But, what I've discovered  is...GOLD GOES WITH EVERYTHING. It all started during the hunt for wedding shoes (which I purchased 4 pair...or more?). Gold seemed like the best choice since I had already bought this amazing vintage gold leaf necklace from Room Service. So, for several months, I was on the hunt. I bought gold gladiator sandals, gold oxfords, and finally this beautiful pair of gold ballet flats (which ultimately, was the perfect pair for the big day). And now...hand-me-downs from Ginny. Adorable gold kitten heels by BCBG.  I'm so excited about these shoes...because they are free...and they fit...and they are so cute...and they will go with everything! And, that's GOLDEN. 

I Can't Tell You Why

Yeah, this is personal...and so fucking what.

I think part of the reason is the full moon...but aside from that, I can't tell you why.  There's this overflow of emotion that I can't really express...a tangled feeling and so many questions without answers.  I've learned to move past regret...but, sometimes... 

I think that a part of me will always be missing because I'll never really know what happened to you.  But, I know you'll always be there...as long as my memory serves me well.

"You can go where each day takes you...

Someplace I can't find.

But don't leave my mind...

You can go where I can't find you...

There's no space, there's no time...

But don't leave my mind."

Vantage Point

I've had such good luck with a particular EBay store, Vantage Point Vintage.  Over the last month, I've purchased a half dozen items...and all of them have been absolutely wonderful!  Most recently, I got this awesome 80s tunic.  I wore it tonight with a pair of jeggings and batwing sweater to a party.  It was so comfy and cute!

I also bought two more tunic/dresses with the last purchase.  I can't wait to wear these.  

(Photos from Vantage Point Vintage)

EBay shops like this make me so excited about the year to come...there are so many unique treasures out there to discover!  It's so much fun to shop like this because you never know what you're going to find.  And...you never have to worry about showing up to work or a party sporting the same outfit as one of  your friends...because everything is basically one-of-a-kind.

19 days into the challenge...and going strong! 

Good Week

Monday started off with a thrifty lunch to Gucci Goodwill, where I found 1 cashmere turtleneck sweater and 3...yes, 3...dresses!  Since this is only a 4 day work week for me, I decided to make the rest of the week Goodwill week, and wear each of my new-to-me dresses. 

Tuesday I sported my "new" Ann Taylor trenchcoat jacket dress, which still had the tags on it when I found this gem at Goodwill.  Yes, it bears a strong resemblance to the Raiders of the Lost Ark dress I bought a few weeks ago, but I just couldn't pass this one up.  I have to say, it kept me warm on my way to work today, even with the arctic front that blew in overnight.

Wednesday I wore the adorable black dress with white polka dots.  This dress fits me perfectly!  It has potential to become one the favorite things in my closet...empire waist, A-line skirt...super flattering!  I paired the dress with an oversized grampa sweater to tone down the playfullness of the pattern and a neon pink belt for a pop of color. 

 

The dress put me in a good mood all day, and made me think...every girl should have something with a polkadot pattern in their closet. I found all these lovely photos from the We Heart It website.  Talk about some polkadot inspiration! 

Thursday was my final workday of the week, so it felt like Friday as I rolled out of bed in the morning, already knowing what I was going to wear.  My final thrifty outfit of the week is another fun dress I found at Goodwill.  I love this Anne Taylor dress because it's super soft and comfy and versatile for Texas weather.  I can wear it on a day like today, paired with tights, boots, and a velvet blazer because the weather is cold.  It'll also work great in the Spring and Summer without so many layers.

I finished up the week...my Friday off, with a super chunky and comfy secondhand Free People sweater that I bought on EBay (of course).  All in all it was a good week!  I stuck to the challenge, and felt great about the outfits.

Book Review - Love In the Time of Cholera

There's nothing I love more than a cup of coffee and a good book to start the day.  What I really hate, though, is starting a book and realizing that I'm not going to like it...then sticking it out until the end (just in case something brilliant happens), only to realize I should have quit after a few pages. 

Spoiler Alert:  I will discuss details about the plot, ending, etc.  If you plan on reading this book (which I don't really recommend), then skip over this posting.

This was one of those books that I had to force myself to read.  Once I start a book, I finish it no matter what, and this one was a real test of commitment.  The chapters were super long, with little dialog, and even though it was well written and descriptive, it wasn't enough to make up for the shortcomings.

I couldn't relate to and didn't really care about the main characters...especially the male lead, Florentino Ariza.  This guy spends 50+ years of his life pining away for a woman that shuns his love at the age of 20.  He spends the majority of his life screwing everything in site, even his 15 year old relative, who he seduces when he's in his 70s (gross, right?).  Later, he shuns the young girl when his old flame suddenly becomes available, and she goes into a deep depression, fails classes in school, and commits suicide.  Meanwhile, Florentino is on a never ending romance cruise with his old flame and doesn't have to suffer any consequences for destroying the girl's life.
   
Florentino just seems pathetic to me.  He spends his whole life working hard to move up in his job and create a respectable home for the off chance that his lifelong love will become widowed and spend the remainder of her life with him.  I just couldn't get behind this.  If I were Fermina Daza, I wouldn't have been the slightest bit interested either, especially if I knew that he was spending the majority of his time fucking anything with a pulse.  At the end, when he finally has the opportunity to seduce and Fermina, and they fall in love, he tells her he's a "virgin" because he's never been with anyone that he loved.  Forget the 600+ women he slept with throughout his life...that wasn't love so it doesn't count.  Really, this book should have been titled "Sex in the Time of Cholera."  This book is a best seller and one of Oprah's recommendations, but it just wasn't for me.

Best Dress

People that know me (and maybe even those of you who don't) know that I have an obsession with J.Crew.  I find that their stuff fits me perfectly, and it's always easy to find work appropriate attire there.  I think one of the most daunting parts of the secondhand challenge was knowing I'd essentially have to give up my J. Crew addiction for a year.  Which...let's be honest...is a good thing.  What I didn't realize was that I'd be able to get a J. Crew fix from time to time, via EBay.  I found this lovely dress online, and it's in great shape!  I love dresses like this because it looks like it could be a blouse tucked into a pencil skirt...but it's actually a dress!  Finds like these make it so easy to get dressed in the morning because it takes away all the guesswork.  And, because I bought this little number on EBay, it was only a fraction of the cost of buying new (even on super sale).

I paired the dress with some blue suede pumps that I bought in December (new) from J.Crew online.  I love these shoes because the heel isn't too high and I can wear them all day and my feet don't kill me by the time I get home.  They also have a really cute detail...they zip up in the back!  Love 'em!

Casual Friday

I received a lovely gift in the mail yesterday.  My best friend, Stef sent me this awesome bicycle Tshirt as a belated Christmas gift.  It came in just in time for casual Friday at work, so I wore it with some secondhand jeans I recently purchased from EBay.  A few weeks ago, I tried on some Hudson boot cut jeans at Saks, and loved the way they fit.  What I didn't love was the $189 price tag.  So, I put my blossoming EBay skills to use to hunt down the perfect pair, at a fraction of the cost.  They are the perfect length to pair with heels, and fit just right.  I'm starting to wonder why I would ever shop anywhere else.  :)

So, thank you to Stef for my awesome gift, and to whomever decided they could live without these jeans.  I'll take 'em! 

Resolutions Galore!

My number 1 resolution for the year is to change the way I shop (through the Secondhand Challenge I've been writing so much about).  In addition to the shopping challenge, I also have a few more things up my sleeve for 2011:  

First, a reading resolution.  I have this shelf full of unread books at home.  There are currently 54 unread books...54!  One of my resolutions this year will be to read 1/2 of those books...and to not add more books to the shelf (via used book purchases).  I'll blog about the books throughout the year, as I read.

Second, a running resolution.  Every year since 2003, I've set a running goal for the year.  This year's goal is big: to run more miles in 2011 than I have in any other year.  This equates to 522 miles or more.  Also, I'd like to increase the frequency of my runs, so I'm setting a goal of running 2 times per week (or more)....so at least 104 runs this year.  This will help me reach the mileage goal, as well.

Lastly, I'd like to check 5 things off my "life list."  This list includes a wide range of items...everything from having a food fight to learning how to sew.  Throughout the year, I'll revisit the list, pick something, and blog about it.

I've set some pretty big challenges for the year, and I'm excited to see where it takes me.  What are your resolutions?

(Photo by Francis Joseph Photography )

Music Does Not Apply

I've been thinking a lot about how music purchases will fit into my 2011 challenge.  And, here's what I've come up with...music does not apply.  I went back and forth about this, but here's the thing...I love music, and I love supporting musicians.  I buy a lot of new music each year, and I don't think that I should stop supporting an industry that means so much to my life.  Sure, I could spend 2011 burning copies of music my friends have purchased, but that just doesn't seem right to me.  So...what I've decided is this...the purchase of new music is okay, and is not part of my 2011 secondhand challenge.  Sure, I'll still make loads of trips to Cheapo for used records, but I don't plan to stop with the new music downloads or anything like that.  My support of musicians is something I'm proud of.

So, there it is.  I wanted to put it out there at the beginning, so when I blog about some new record that I'm in love with, it won't be considered cheating...because it's not part of the challenge from the very beginning.  :)

On another note, I just made my first used clothing purchase of the year...all vintage stuff this time from the Ebay store, Vantage Point Vintage.  I can't wait until the package comes in so I can post photos.  Three days into the challenge, and going strong!

Hello 2011 - No Excuses

At the stroke of midnight last night my 2011 challenge began.  A year of buying only secondhand clothing, shoes, and accessories.  I logged in to my email account this morning, and the first thing I see...TEMPTATION.  An email from Nine West with the subject line "Your Perfect Excuse for January 1st...70% OFF!"  Well, I'm definitely not going to start the year off by failing my own challenge. 

I can already see that I'll need to make some adjustments to the mailing lists that I'm receiving...to avoid falling prey to this sort of thing in the next 365 days.  Wow, 365 days and counting!  Maybe the reality of this challenge hasn't really hit me yet...or maybe I'm still a bit tipsy from last night's CAKE concert at Austin Music Hall...but I'm really excited about this challenge.  There's something about January 1st that makes me feel as though anything is possible.  I hope that you all feel the same way, and that your year starts off with a sense of renewal and hope.

Now, for a few photos from last night's concert.  I wore a vintage sequin shirt from one of my favorite Ebay stores, Tin Roof Vintage, and carried my little black vintage purse from Blue Velvet Vintage, which is my go-to bag for nights out. 

All this made me realize that the best things - some of my favorite things - are second hand, unexpected finds...which gives me hope that the year to come will bring so many lovely discoveries.  Have I mentioned I'm excited about this? 

So, until next time...wishing you and yours a Happy New Year's Day!  And, whatever you've set as your New Year's resolution, may you find the strength and courage to keep it.  No excuses!