Thrifted Pinterest - Creative License

I'm taking a little creative license with today's outfit inspiration (I'm allowed to to that, it's my blog, so there!).   I ran across this pin and fell absolutely in LOVE with the skirt.  Man, oh, man how I love that skirt!  I could just see it hanging in amongst the other members of my imaginary closet (stuffed full of Lanvin and Alice+Olivia, of course).  It being close to $700, however, means that it will always be simply to be looked at, not purchased by me.

http://pinterest.com/pin/216806169534056398/

It reminded me of another skirt I had made with a similar fabric, just on a smaller scale.  The colors were similar, although maybe not as vibrant, and there was the same graphic element in the print.  Plus, since I already had the fabric on hand, the skirt didn't cost me a dime!

So, I paired that skirt with a plain tee and layered necklace, threw on some wedges, and was good to go!

Outfit Details:
Navy Tee: Gap, $5 (clearance)
Skirt: DIY, tutorials here (the ruffle I kinda figured out on my own...)
Shoes: Target, $7 (clearance)
Necklace: Body Central, $4
Various Bracelets: Icing by Claire's, $5 for all (old)

Grand Total: $21

What clothes have been hanging in your imaginary closet lately?

Kidlet Style - Mismatched

Well, the day I dreaded has come.  The day that my little girl wants to dress herself.   I would love to say I'm one of those moms that lets her three year old pick out her own clothes all the time, or let her wear her pajamas out in public just because she wants to, but I'm way too OCD for that!  But, some days I let her raid her dresser drawers, and this is what she comes up with:

...at least her hat and sweater 'match'....

 

Rollie Pollie!

Little A is still too small to voice her opinion about what threads she wears, but I'm pretty sure she wouldn't complain even if she could talk!

Bellybutton!

Outfit Details for Big A:
Hat: unknown brand, $2.50
Sweater: Garnet Hill, $5.50
Shirt: hand-me-down
Shorts: Circo, $2.50
Leggings: Circo, $1.50
Shoes: Old Navy, $5.50

Outfit Details for Little A:
Shirt: Zutano, $3.50
Leggings: Circo, $1.50

Rug: unknown brand, $8.50

Total (minus the rug): $22.50

All clothes and prices (except Big A's shirt) are from our local Once Upon A Child.

OOTD - Little Helper

I got to have an assistant for these outfit pictures!

I love her little cheesy smile!  She definitely has a big personality packed into that little body.  Kinda like this outfit... that's a lot of color in two pieces of clothing!  But I love the color combo, and it definitely helped wake up the day a little bit.

Outfit Details:

Shirt: thrifted, $3.50
White Tank: Wal-Mart, $4 (old)
Jeans: JC Penney, $15 (clearance)
Shoes: gifted
Earrings: Icing by Claire's, $3
Bracelet: Icing by Claire's, $2
Headband: don't recall (old)

Grand Total: $27.50

Fair Trade Friday - Go Shopping!

Happy weekend's eve, people!  I had a whole post thought out, and was about to write it, and changed my mind at the last second.  Instead of what I was going to do (I can save that for later), I want to encourage you guys to go outside and go shopping!  The rain has stopped, everything smells like wet dirt, and you can almost see the sun.  If you are in the NWA area, here's some shops I would recommend checking out:

The Global Shoppe: Located inside Mama Carmen's Espresso Cafe, this little retail corner carries products from great companies like JOYN (you know I love them!), and Sasa Jewelry, plus you can order a delicious Chai Latte or Cappuccino to sip on while you shop.  What could be better?

The Mustache: This little shop on the Square carries a whole range of products, including items from Sseko sandals, Mata Traders, and a specially made line of printed products from JOYN festooned with, you guessed it, mustaches:

JOYN Mustache Clutch

Goodwill: You know I love me some thrifting!  I went shopping the other day, and spent more than I intended, but I did find some amazing stuff, like a tan Pendleton blazer for $2, or a pair of burgundy Nine West heels.  Plus, there's four stores just in the NWA area alone, not to mention the hundreds of other stores across the country.

So, seriously, go outside and go shopping!  Indulge in a little retail therapy (I truly believe this is a real thing), while helping people both in our country, and across the globe.  Enjoy your weekend, everybody!

Thrifted Pinterest - Zooey

Today's Thrifted Pinterest is brought to you courtesy of another blogger who re-creates high end looks with more affordable pieces.  She happens to show up quite a bit on my Pinterest feed, so I thought I'd take it one step farther, and re-create one of her looks with thrifted, resale, or DIY pieces!  I'm talking about J from J's Everyday Fashion, and here's the outfit that inspired me:

http://pinterest.com/pin/216806169533718968/

When I put my outfit on, I realized I really needed tights with my skirt, since it seems like it's always super windy when I decide to wear it, and there's no way I'm wearing a skirt on a windy day without something under it!

I then realized I really needed to change my shoes, not because I don't love them, but because I looked like I was attempting to be a Zooey Deschanel impersonator!  Case in point:

Don't get me wrong, I love Zooey!  She's adorable, and I want quite a few of her outfits, but that just wasn't the vibe I was wanting on this particular day.  So, after all my tweaks, here's the finished product:

Outfit Details:
Shirt: Old Navy, thrifted, $3
Skirt: DIY from dress, Plato's Closet resale, $6
Tights: Target, $5
Boots: Plato's Closet resale, $18
Necklace: F21, $5
Ring: Charlotte Russe, $3

Grand Total: $40

Who's your favorite celebrity (or non-celebrity!) style inspiration?  Leave a comment and let me know!

Sensory Sunday - 5/5/13

Guess what?  It's Sunday!  I'll keep it short today, since we're about to head to a birthday party tonight, but here's some stuff I've run across this week:

What I'm Listening To:

Lindsey Sterling.  Seriously, she's awesome.  How does someone manage to have so much fun playing an instrument?



What I'm Watching:

Okay, I haven't actually seen this yet, but I'm pretty excited to go see it.  And I'm not really a Matthew McConaughey fan (What? Grace, that's practically female heresy!!!), but this movie looks great.  I'm looking forward to shelling out some dollaroos to see it.



That's about all for this week's Sensory Sunday, I'll see you guys back here soon!

Fair Trade Friday - Oh, baby!

Hey guys, happy (snowy) Friday!  Can I just say how much I love having two little girls to get dressed?  It's just this flurry of pink and ruffles and anything sparkly or emblazoned with an owl or elephant (or giraffe, or hippo.....).  I do have to say, though, after seeing all the cute little boy stuff come through my workplace, a little gentleman would be a lot of fun to get dressed as well.  He'd be rocking suspenders and/or cardigans on a pretty regular basis!  In the spirit of all things baby, here's some great products for the littlest of little ones that I've run across lately:

First up is this sweet little hoodie from Origany:

Origany Double Layered Hoodie

I just love the sweet little details on this little hoodie, which is made in Peru from organic cotton that adheres to some pretty rigorous standards.  Origany makes it a point to only use organic cotton that's been grown in fields that have been pesticide free for at least three years, not only for the impact to the wearer, but also because of the environmental impact on the people living and working near the fields.  Plus their stuff is adorable on top of all that!

If you're planning on decorating a kiddo's room, or even a room for a grown up, check out these awesome rugs from Node.  They are handmade by artisans in Nepal who are taught literacy and skills on top of being paid a fair wage, plus the sale of the rugs also support a school of 260 children and an orphanage of 19.  You can also send a photo or other design to the company, and have a rug custom made for you!  Out of the rugs already made, this one's my favorite:

BEAR

I just love little cuddly animal characters!  Speaking of which, check out this hoodie and blankie from a company known as Joobles:

Joobles Jiffy the Giraffe Cardigan

Joobles Roar the Lion Blankie

Aren't those the cutest?  I just love the vibrant colors and happy animal faces on Joobles' products.  Plus, everything is hand-knit in Peru, where the employees are paid fairly and receive breakfasts and school supplies for their children through the Fair Indigo Foundation.  The home site that carries Joobles also carries some great adult clothing as well, such as these ballet flats for mama.  Mother's Day is coming up, after all...*cough cough*  *wink wink*

Last up on my baby wishlist is this amazing diaper bag/purse from Better Life Bags:

BLB Molly

Now, I already have a beautiful diaper bag that I received as a gift, and I love it!  However, if I were ever in the market for another, this one would be at the top of my list.  Not only is it beautiful, these bags are completely customizeable, and the story behind the company is even better.  I'd prefer not to paraphrase, so here's what the About Us section of the website says:

"Welcome to Better Life Bags!  I'm Rebecca.  A mom to an adorable little boy {Jonah}, a precious baby girl {Clara}, and a wife who is still in love with her husband.  To say that I sew and sell bags is simply not the entire truth.  I sew and sell bags with the intention and desire that each bag would make lives better.  Not the lives of my customer {although I do hope that you LOVE your bag}, but the lives of those who could never even dream of affording a Better Life Bag.

Here's our story:

I was expecting my first baby in the summer of 2009.  Disappointed with the diaper bag styles and choices in my price range, I set out to make my own.  After posting pictures of the bag on Facebook, I got a never ending string of orders and custom requests.  People were designing and creating the bag of their dreams {and not just diaper bags}.  I had hit a hot button... CUSTOM BAGS.

But the bags are not the focus of my business.  I desire to use my business and the platform it gives me to help others.  Since Better Life Bags started, I had been giving a percentage of the profits to low income entreprenuers in developing countries through Kiva.org.  I still plan on doing this in moderation.  However, I also want to invest in the community God has placed us in currently.  We moved to Detroit in April 2010 to invest in a small community here called Hamtramck.  With 27 different languages spoken, a median income of $23,000, and housing values falling by 80% there is much need here.

We hire women, who otherwise could not work, to work for us.  We pay them a living wage and watch them gain dignity, honor, and respect.  Watch our video here.  We also give 10% of our monthly GROSS income to low income entrepreneurs in developing countries through Kiva.org.

Thank you for visiting my shop.

xoxo,

Rebecca"

Is that not the coolest thing ever?  They also have a ton of other options on the site, including laptop sleeves and crossbody bags.

Well, that about sums up everything I wanted to share with you guys.  I'll see you back here in a couple days for another edition of Sensory Sunday, where I share what I've been listening to/watching/thinking about with all of you!  Enjoy the weekend!