I realized that I do in fact have quite a few readers as I've checked my stats lately. (I see you!)
[Even though not many leave comments. And I do encourage commenting :) Please don't be shy. I appreciate each & every one I get. It makes me feel that I am doing something right LOL.]
Anyway, I want to ask all of y'all out there what kind of posts that I do are your favorite that you would like to see more of. So, drum roll please... My first poll here at MissAmyShops.com. Please share your opinion & help me keep making this blog better & more interesting. I mean, of course it's already interesting to me but c'mon - I don't do it just for myself! It's to help, encourage, inspire others, even if it's something as shallow as fashion, right? So, please take part & clue me in.
All Layered Up
- 1/29/2009
[Mini-rant: I don't know why but Blogger keeps resizing my outfit pics so they are tiny. For instance, this one should be the same width as the deet shot below it. Well, I'm migrating to Wordpress soon so I'm not going to spend any time figuring it out. Apologies for the diminutive outfit shots in the meantime.]
Anyway... do you love the bedhead? Sometimes I rock it and sometimes... not so much. I really thought I was clever with the layering in this outfit. The grey top is from Target clearance and was around $3 or so. The sweater is ancient & from Walmart's clearance rack - $3. And I wear it constantly. The skinnies were from TJMaxx, as well as the shoes & belt. Vest is from Target - guess what? Clearance. Surprise!
I am so all about these colors layered together & layers in general, lately. Browns & greys plus olive = yum! And I've been obsessed (as you can see) with studs & giant fake gems.
Cape? Poncho? Dramatic.
- 1/28/2009
So, I scored these verrrrrry wide leg & looooong jeans at TJMaxx/Marshalls recently - I'll tell the truth, the 2 stores blur together after a while, since I shop at both so much. Anyway, the jeans were about $10 & the poncho sweater was $20 (I sprung more than normal since it's so dramatic!). I actually cleaned up on that particular trip ending up with about 3 pair of pants/jeans plus the poncho & a really cool burn-out white tee.
The tee is from the thrift ($4) so is the necklace ($10?). Shoes are Born from TJ/Marsh ($39).
The deets: Wearing 2 sterling bangles (ebay - $10 each?), wedding rings, sterling hoops from Grandma (priceless).
As I was browsing the T to the J today I was thinking of my best frugal fashion shopping tips. They are pretty simple:
Comb through the clearance racks &
Be willing to try anything.
If I find something interesting & cheap (ahem, inexpensive), I take it home & make it work! It forces me to be creative. So take some leaps & have a wardrobe adventure!
Oh Sally Jane, you constantly outdo yourself! I am in love with the first two dresses, espesh the first one. What lovely colors & watercolor-like feeling.
Accessories - More For Your Money
- 1/26/2009
I've been buying way more costume jewelry than in the past and fewer new clothes. There are so many things I have found on clearance at Target & Walmart that I am just in love with.
I think it's really worth it to buy inexpensive jewelry that makes a statement. You can change the entire look of any outfit with it instead of buying a new outfit.
I've heard more people are doing this to save the bucks now that we're in a downturn. Have you been buying more accessories, fewer clothes? Or something else? Please share with the rest of the class - I know I would love to get some new ideas!
At left: Unisa heels: $20 (part of my after-Christmas splurge), green bead necklace from Walmart: $3, pewter/gold-ton necklace from the gun show: $12
Garden Fresh Salads - From Our Garden, Really
- 1/22/2009
I've blogged about my black thumb & our little garden before. The following is mostly my husband's doing. He takes care of the garden.
We were ecstatic at the salads that we were able to make from our own little bit of land. Everything came from the garden except the croutons & dressing. :) There is lettuce, tomatoes, radishes, green peppers, hot peppers & basil. Sigh... I wish I could have one every day.
Tahari Sequins for Day
- 1/21/2009
This tank is another post-Christmas splurge. I actually bought 5 tops plus a couple other things at TJMaxx & ended up returning, ironically, the most normal & inexpensive of the 5. I kept the Malandrino sweater and this awesome silver sequined Tahari tank top ($22). The sequins are clear which gives it a very subtle, unique effect.
New Catherine Malandrino Sweater
- 1/20/2009
Here's an outfit with a new sweater I picked up after Christmas. It's Catherine Malandrino & I got it for $20. The extra-awesome part about it is that it's long enough to wear as a dress but tucks up under itself nicely to be worn as a top as well (shown). Drawback is it's DCO - that's dry clean only - blurgh... Hate that. But as it's versatile & cheerily bright (plus waaayyy soft) I will put up with that.
Below is the close-up. Not to show you my gigantic rack LOL. But to show off the cute pins I scored at Walmart after Christmas. I got both for $5 & they are a-dorable! I def need more - must keep eye out... Shoes: Liz Claiborne zebra stripe flats ($20) Jeans: Enyce ($15) Tank: Hanes ($5 or so) Sweater: Catherine Malandrino ($20) Pins: Walmart ($5) Headband: Claire's ($5, if that)
Eternity Scarf
- 1/19/2009
Here's a view (finally!) of the DKNY Pure eternity scarf I nabbed over Christmas break. The outfit is not the most inspired but I really wanted to show the piece on.
I really dig it but I must admit I fell into the "lusting after an item because of a brand name" bit. When I saw it was DKNY Pure I had to have it despite the $29 (sale) price tag. (I normally would never spend that on a scarf - I live in Florida for f's sake.) But I've been lusting after a bit of Pure since I spotted one of the bags from that line. It was perfect - so basic, so, well, pure. I did pass on the bag due to the price but I suckered myself into this scarf since I was in after-Christmas spending mode. Despite the label lust, I still quite like it & picture it having a place in my closet for a while. Hopefully the next outfit I wear it with will be a little more inventive.
Close up of details - DKNY Pure scarf, handmade sterling necklace (by me!) with an agate talon and a ring to match. The outfit details:
LizFlex heels, Willi Smith trouser jeans, Jonathan Martin top, DKNY Purse scarf
I got it to sell, then tricked myself into trying to keep it. Then, of course, I realized that it is entirely too slouchy for me :) I'm just a structured bag kinda girl. It's very rich feeling & I almost tricked myself into trying to keep it again while I was listing it. Save me from myself, please! This lipstick for your wardrobe is starting at $10 - jump on!
Below are two smaller nylon purses that I'm selling as a lot. I started them at $0.99 so someone is gonna snag a deal on these. Their really cute, I'm just trying to thin out the pack a bit.
As of now, I'm going to taper of my ebay selling & focus on blogging & bringing you as much new info & fun as I can. I realized I'm crap at selling on ebay & actually lose money since I shop so much more for myself while I'm shopping for things to sell. It's gotten me in a bit of trouble I'll tell you. I will be putting up the occasional listing when I weary of bits from my closet, of course. I always like to know my overflow goes to a loving home! :)
P.S. I had to empty out my closet this weekend since we are doing new flooring in it and I realized just how many things I own. I'm tempted to only put them back in the closet as I've worn them. That would be a very disciplined way to do it. However, it's all in such chaos right now, I'd probably end up just shopping for more instead of slogging through the mess if I tried to do it that way. :) It's a nice thought about closet cleaning though, isn't it?
"Shopstyle is a really cool community where you can create a Stylebook, a Wish List and more. Plus you can sign up for Sale Alerts to go to your email on the brands & items you choose. Pretty nifty little site."
Four Dollar Joy
- 1/16/2009
I am super in love with this tee I found on the clearance rack at Target. It's very lightweight, drapes well & is a bit dressed up with a small row of metal sequins at the neck. It's also long enough to wear with these skinny I.N.C. pants I found at the thrift for $4.
Bongo wedges, $15, Marshalls clearance hat - $5,tee - $4, Target clearance Cynthia Rowley sunglasses: $15, TJMaxx Mauritzio Tauiti patent bag: (this is where I spend my money) It was around $50 or $60 bucks. I originally bought it to sell on ebay but no one bought it so I kept it. Yay me! It's a wonderful, roomy bag that takes any outfit up a notch.
P.S. Last night I was in Target again. They took 30% off the clothing clearance prices at the register. Run, don't walk! The savings was substantial & they have so many great things.
All my new favorite things are at Target in the home section!
Made by Umbra (who always makes the best stuff) they are a lovely mix of gothic & sleek contemporary. Which just happens to be the look I'm going for - how convenient!
I know I will be queuing up when they start getting marked down. I hope there are some good things left when that happens. (It's against my religion to pay full price. The religion of cheapness & good deals, of course!)
Eye candy below:
Update: Some of the Umbra products are on sale this week of 1/18-1/24. Check out the giant clock - it's one of my faves!
Laced Back Shirt from Baggy Shirt Recon
- 1/13/2009
I've had this shirt (which is originally from Target but I found it at the thrift with tags still on) for a while & have worn it a bit. I like the puffy sleeves even though they're not in any more. But the fit is just way too baggy on my. My waist gets lost in all the fabric & then the sleeves just add width on top of that.
So, what I will be showing you here today is one way to make a top more form-fitting around the middle. It's definitely a rough way to do it so this is for all of you out there who really dig the rough re-con!
Supplies: baggy shirt, needle/thread or sewing machine, scissors, ribbon
Behold - the puffy shirt:
I pinned down the edge on either side seam - wrong sides together. We are making an exposed tube type section down each side:
Sew along the line - with a tank you could go straight up to the armpit bit with this top, I curved the seam a bit to end right at the armpit.
Now, take scissors & make cuts, perpendicular to your seam. Be careful not to cut through the thread or the whole thing will unravel. Also, do the same to the other side & make sure to line up your cuts. We want an equal number of cuts on each side - they need to be in pairs.
From here you can start threading your ribbon through the sets of loops. You're probably starting to recognize this technique now, huh?
Just use the ribbon to lace the shirt as tight as you desire. You could use the ribbon in the front instead for another take on this.
So, there you have it! A more flattering, snugger shirt than before. Total time was around 15 or 20 minutes.
Yes, you get some extra loops but I think that adds to the one-of-a-kind charm of the DIY.
I will try to work it in an outfit soon so you can see it on a human!
Well all, as always, let me know if you give it a whirl!
Yes Man
- 1/12/2009
I saw Yes Man on New Years Eve with a friend. I absolutely loved Zooey Deschanel's character's style - it's a cross somewhere between the cool mod girl blogger Miss Karen & Sally Jane Vintage (who incidentally, has a post about Zooey & the new issue of Lucky right now - how lucky!)
I laughed. A lot. But if you're not a Jim Carrey fan the movie is still worth seeing, if only for the fashion. Here's the trailer. You don't see loads of Zooey in it but it gives you an idea...
New Social Links
- 1/10/2009
I have updated the Helpful Links lens I have over at Squidoo. I added a Social Stuff section. So far there are links to online party planning resources but there will be more to come! So check it out!
Pictured at left is what the shredded soap looked like - I little like pasta. Excuse the color, the camera made it a little yellower that it really looks. I just thought it looked funny & decided to share LOL.
So, I've really enjoyed the liquid soap that I made. It smells great & seems to clean just as well as the kind I buy at the store. It's a little thick but thins as you shake the jug like she tells you to do.
If you can boil water, you can make this & save yourself tons of money. More for shoes, I say...
I saw another tutorial for a no-cook version of powdered detergent which I'm considering trying but you really have to shred the soap much tinier for this version. Not sure if I'm up to the challenge. I think the boiling/liquid version is fine for me. Do let me know if you try the dry version out though! I'd love to know what you think about it.
Outfits with New Scarf
- 1/07/2009
I read on SavvySugar today that many of us are buying fewer clothes but more accessories to change them up a bit in an effort to spend less. I highly endorse this.
Accessories almost always fit, no matter how many pies & cookies we've had. Therefore they are my mainstay loves!
So, this post is all about outfit inspirations based on dressing up extremely basic pieces. Oh, please note the scarf - it's new & I am really diggin' it. It's very watercoloury besides being super soft & warm.
At left we have the detail shot of the the first outfit. Top necklace is from the thrift (years ago, probably cost a couple bucks), the second down (beaded) is from Walmart fairly recently. It was probably under $5 - I'm pretty cheap like that. The long chain necklace is also from Walmart. I think it was $3. The scarf was snagged during the after Christmas rush at Target. It was on clearance for about $7.
The outfit itself is made up of all very inexpensive pieces. The shoes (Sofft) were $15 on clearance at Marshalls. They're pretty recent buys. Pants - Larry Levine, TJMaxx $?, Tee - Marshalls clearance, Cardi - Gianni, either the T to the J or Marshalls. That is from a while back.
Another detail shot below - I'm trying to remember to take more of these as you can see the extras so much better than in the outfit shots.
Outfit #2 was worn on New Years Eve day and then to the movies later. The main pieces: Levi's jeans - which were given to me & a Ralph Lauren thermal tee from one of my fave stores, probably TJMaxx. It most likely cost about $10. I try not to spend more than that on tops unless they wow me somehow.
Shoes are Born. I paid more than normal for these even though they were on the clearance rack. I fell in love & I think I paid $46, I can't remember for sure. That is really splashing out for me as I try to spend less than $20 on any pair of shoes. One more accessory that I added to this outfit is the hat from Target. It was clearance (again) for $5. I almost bought another one that day at full price. I didn't get it but when I went back the next week it was marked down o $5 and I snagged it then. Yay!!!
One more special thing about this one: I wore the scarf like a vest/shrug. You can use any large square scarf to do the same - fold it in half & take the corners that are touching & tie them together. Then stick you arms through the holes. I think it ended up looking really cool here. A little dramatic, a little arty.
Leather Bag Re-con Earrings
- 1/06/2009
Here's a new & very simple re-con for you. I was (and am still) planning to use this leather purse for a bracelet project but in the meantime, I decided to make some simple leather earrings.
The bag I used is a Liz Claiborne in a really weathered leather that I wouldn't sell on ebay since it's kind of mottled & has a lot of, shall we say, character. It also wasn't working for me to wear it - it was a little too slouchy for me to find my stuff in. I will be using a piece of it for a bracelet but I have a lot left over that I won't need for that.
Sooooooo..... below are the main supplies - old used leather, old scissors, earring hooks, a rotary cutter & a mat. I also ended up using a safety pin and an awl to make holes & I'll explain that a little later. Oh, plus a couple tiny sterling beads & glue for finishing.
Begin by cutting the leather as close to the seams as you can. We want a nice flat piece to work with & as large as we can possibly make it.
Below you can see the piece I ended up with:
I cut out a diamond with the rotary cutter by making 2 sets of parallel lines that intersected each other. Then I used the first diamond as a pattern for the second.
You'll end up doing some trimming to make sure the two pieces are as close to identical as possible. Then, start making a hole with the safety pin where you will attach you earring wires.
After starting the hole with the safety pin you can finish making it with the awl. I tried starting with the awl but actually bent it - so be careful & take it easy on your tools :)
Then I bent the loop on the ear wire so I could fit it through the leather.
Just stick it through the leather & bend it back as much as you can to hold the leather in place but not too tight - you want it to have move to move & dangle a bit.
This isn't totally necessary but I glued a tiny sterling bead on the end of the wire to add a little polish to the look plus hold it on a little better.
And, voila! You have a handcrafted, large but lightweight set of earrings of recycled material.
Let me know if you make these - there are endless possibilities of awesomeness available here & I'd love to see your take on it!
Yeah, my husband freaked a little when he walked in on me cutting off the strap.
Until I showed him how really mottled the leather is on the bag. I wouldn't even give it or try to sell it to anybody. I got it at the thrift plus used it a bit myself despite the discoloration.
I definitely don't recommend cutting up a perfectly good purse. They are sacred objects after all. :)
I've eaten according to the Flat Belly Diet menus for pretty much 2 days now & have gotten to the gym for the first time in ages this evening. Feeling great!
For the record - I didn't pick the diet because of promises to flatten my belly (not sure I believe them anyway) or belief that it is in any way miraculous or easy. I picked it to follow because it has yummy sounding meals that are easy to make from mostly natural foods. They also include a MUFA (monounsaturated fat?) with each meal which helps keep you full - it's been working so far & I'm feeling good.
I you are making your health a priority & feeling better because of it as well. I know it's early days for me but I am feeling pretty energized. I will try to keep it up & continue to document the process.
Tomorrow - I promise, a post with a pic! Sorry, as a reader I know I hate dry, word-only posts..
Best R.I.P. Mags - Mostly From Memory
- I adore magazines! (Some people say I have a problem.) I remember Teen magazine inspiring me to tie a bandanna around the thigh of my jeans - that got me some weird judgements, I'll tell ya.
Anyway, misty-eyed reminiscing aside, I've been compiling a list of my loves that aren't made any more:
For Me - A younger, hipper First. Walmart now puts out a similar one now called All You. It's pretty good & chock full o' coupons as well but just a bit stodgier.
Mademoiselle - I don't remember this one for the great short stories by noted authors (one of which was Truman Capote, the man that brought us Holly Golightly) but I do remember liking it a lot. Also, note that Sylvia Plath had been a guest editor, contributing to her famous-ish book The Bell Jar. Check out the covers through the decades.
Budget Living - a very hip but frugal guide to all things life. God, I am missing all of these! Sigh...
I have to say, I stick very much to the mainstream as far as mags go. I will totally admit that. I have a hard time with fantasy fashion. Ironically Susie Bubble is one of my fashion heroes.
Dog Rescue at Christmas Time
- 1/03/2009
This was one of our Christmas presents this year. She came into our life on December 20, 2008.
I had taken the day off from work to be at home with my dad who was in town for the holiday. My dear hubby called - he works for the school system & a lady that works at one of the schools had found this cute little thing. She had loaded up her car for the day, left the doors open to attend to something else, came back & discovered this sad little mess inside her car.
She brought her to work with her & we ended up the proud owners of a new little dog. When we met her her hair was so matted that the groomers I took her to couldn't even get the clippers through it. We had to take her to a veterinarian who put her under so they could cut her without hurting her. She also was covered in burrs & tons of other nasty stuff.
So, the photos are her after the (very expensive) haircut. She actually looked like a kindergarten project gone wrong, like some little kid had randomly glued cotton balls all over her. And then ran her over with a lawn mower.
Any ideas what kind of dog she is? We've heard Lhasa Apse or Pekingese and we guess there's probably some Dachshund in there - she has a very long body & really short legs.
Anyway, she's a cutie & very sweet. She does like to get dirty - making her high maintenance, since she's white. But we're getting her a real haircut next weekend right after her second vet visit.
Good Things to Do on New Years Day
- 1/01/2009
1. Break down & put all your Christmas decorations away. I love doing this - it's almost like a meditation for me. I get to be totally anal & re-organize so all the new stuff (from after-Christmas sales) fits in with all the older but still dear to me things. Also, go through & get rid of a few things that haven't gotten used in a couple seasons.
2. Put the house back together. If you had guests or parties, this is a good one. I'm cleaning the guest bedroom bedding as well as adding a bedskirt to the bed in there. Plus getting caught up on our own laundry that we have much overlooked lately. Also, throwing out our rug that was a victim in the introducing of a new dog. But that's another story...
3. Get husband to hang stuff since he's around. I always end up saving up loads of mini-projects like this - I have so many things propped against the wall, waiting for his magic hanging touch.
4. Go through files & get rid of anything more than a year old. Not including the papers you need to hold onto longer - like mortgage info, etc. Find guidelines for that here. This is another of those projects I love to do on NYD.
Well, sorry for the no-photo post, but I'm still in my pj's & I'm not looking very photogenic. But I swear - one of my NY's res is to take more & better photos. Stay tuned...
I am so all about these colors layered together & layers in general, lately. Browns & greys plus olive = yum! And I've been obsessed (as you can see) with studs & giant fake gems.
The tee is from the thrift ($4) so is the necklace ($10?). Shoes are Born from 
Shoes: Liz Claiborne zebra stripe flats ($20)
A Franco Sarto in gorgeous lipstick red leather!
Another detail shot below - I'm trying to remember to take more of these as you can see the extras so much better than in the outfit shots.
