Wallet-friendly Wednesday

It's been quite a long time since I shared a Wallet-friendly Wednesday post (or any type of regularly featured post, for that matter). On and off throughout 2009 and 2010 I would chronicle my Wednesday Salvation Army thrift store hauls (Wednesday being half price day). Even though I fell out of doing this, today's loot was too good not to share!

I was feeling good about today's thrift trip even before setting foot in the store, but really couldn't believe my eyes when I saw this green wool blazer. And in my size, too! I almost bought one from L.L.Bean last week, but didn't want to part with so many pennies. This one only set me back $2.50. Pictured next to it is the newest addition to my cardigan family: a slightly over-sized, tweedy merino-cashmere blended, elbow-patched specimen of coziness! I happily forked over a few dollars for it.

My dad has a nice collection of both blue and clear glass bottles and while he usually just finds them (in the ground, in old houses, at the dump, etc), I don't mind spending a little bit when I come across nice ones such as this. For 20 cents, I'll probably use it as a vase. What about those porcelain puppies, you ask?

One is a pencil holder and the other a pencil sharpener! 98 cents for the pair. I know, it takes a moment for the awesomeness to sink in.

Wallet-friendly Wednesday

It's been a great while since I've done one of these posts. That being said, today I was inspired to share some recently thrifted items that were largely inspired by a film that's pretty much held my brain hostage for the past few days. Never Let Me Go.

The filmmakers seemed to take great care in creating a film where the visual beauty nearly rivaled the poignancy of the tale being told. While the idyllic scenes of the English countryside can momentarily make you forget the movie's premise, the story is a story of sadness. Through and through. I won't delve into particulars in case you haven't read the book or seen the film yet (both of which I would highly recommend doing). What I will say is that I was overwhelming struck by the film's wardrobe, particularly those of Carey Mulligan and Sally Hawkins, and even more so by the sweaters and knits. I couldn't find many photos, especially of those items I would have liked most to share, but trust me when I say that they were superb.



So, with all of this on my brain, I went thrifting this afternoon certain that I would strike cardigan and pullover sweater gold. Hopefully in utilitarian yet feminine styles, warm earth tones, and preferably vintage. Funny how those things work out, because I did. Well, for the most part. And this being Wallet-friendly Wednesday and all, I didn't break the bank. With tax, I spent $3.97.
Let me show you what I found!




I can't wait to get these beauties washed so I can start wearing them! Three cheers for sweater weather!

Movie poster photo from reelmovienews.com
Movie stills from foxsearchlight.com

Wallet-friendly Wednesday

It's been six months since I've shared my thrift store finds in one of my Wallet-friendly Wednesday posts. Wow, six months. One of the things I missed most during my blogging hiatus earlier this year was sharing my thrifted and second-hand goodies with others who can appreciate such things. I've been debating over whether or not to do Wallet-friendly Wednesday spotlights with some of the clothing items I picked up during those six months. I may just end up working them into regular outfit posts instead. We'll see.

So, without further ado here is my most recent find -- a beautifully embroidered blouse for 99 cents:

While this blouse is practically perfect in every way (ah, how'd you like that Mary Poppins reference?), I was thinking about tea staining it. What do you think? I'm not sure if I am going to attempt it because the ink on the label has worn away leaving the garment material a mystery. I believe tea staining is best suited for cotton or cotton-blend fabrics. Hmm. Perhaps I'll just look for a more suitable blouse to try it with and leave this one alone.

P.S. I'd like to acknowledge and say hello to my new followers and readers. Hello! *waves* Thank you all for your kind words and comments. I have been a bit unorganized and tardy in returning your visits, but I will soon :)

Wallet-friendly Wednesday

Welcome to the first Wallet-friendly Wednesday Accessories Edition. Here is what a few of my recent trips to the Salvation Army have yielded in the pin/brooch department:

A charming hand painted duo that has me dreaming of spring!

$0.50

$0.40

A sweet seashell!
$0.25

♥ My cardigans will be happy adorning these little beauties! ♥

Wallet-friendly Wednesday

For this installment of Wallet-friendly Wednesday allow me to introduce to you a 99 cent tweed skirt:

My wallet took a small risk with this purchase. A stain roughly the size of a quarter was quite noticeable on the skirt's front. I've been known to pass up stained garments while thrift shopping if I can't justify it price-wise. Depending on what the item is, I have a varying range of what I'd be willing to pay in attempts to clean it. At 99 cents (wee!), I decided it was a gamble worth taking and it was. All the stain needed was a little pre-soak treatment :) So, this leads me to ask all of you: do you purchase stained items while thrifting and keep your fingers crossed they'll come clean or do you leave them on the racks?

Here I am trying to remain calm and collected despite the wind and blowing snow... then I just couldn't take it any more and burst out laughing. Running back into the house promptly followed!

Cardigan: gift (TJ Maxx), Shirt and necklace: H&M, Skirt: Salvation Army, Tights: gift (Ann Taylor Loft), Shoes: old Payless

I found these mary janes tucked away under my bed. I've had them since high school (roughly 2002-2003, I think). Whenever I wore them with white tights or trouser socks my friends always called them my Alice in Wonderland shoes.

Wallet-friendly Wednesday

I've been super excited about these two Wallet-friendly Wednesday finds ever since I picked them up! I'll be wearing each item over the Christmas holiday weekend, but wanted to share a little preview until the outfits are blogged.

The picture doesn't do the pencil skirt justice as it's really a beautiful royal purple color (opposed to the bluish tint it seems to have here). Hopefully I'll be able to capture the color better next time. It's sure to be a staple in my wardrobe for a long time to come. Little perks: it's 100% wool and cost only $4.00 (originally from Talbots, too. Goodness knows how much it initially sold for).

I don't think I've ever mentioned here how much I adore paisley prints. (Note to self: remember to share paisley sundress next summer) This blouse was an absolute steal at... get ready for it... 49 cents! With green (my favorite!) as its base color, it immediately captured my heart. After giddily showing my mother the blouse she remarked, "Oh, Ship'n Shore! I haven't seen that tag in a long time." She seems to think it could be from the 70's or 80's. Maybe the 60's?

Just out of curiosity, if anyone has any more knowledge about this it'd be greatly appreciated :)

Wallet-friendly Wednesday

Today's wallet-friendly finds are a $2 dress and $2 cardigan. I feel a bit like Laura Ingalls in this dress, hence the pigtails. I would have opted for braids, but securing hair ties at the ends of my super fine pin-straight hair can sometimes be a difficult feat to achieve. Anyway, I love everything about this dress from the color to the fabric weight (a little on the thick side, but not heavy). It's 100% Emily approved. Other than my own spin on a Little House on the Prairie look, I could probably pass as a frumpy cat lady with the addition of the over sized cardigan. Don't worry, I'm not picking on myself. I'm perfectly fine with this or else I wouldn't have worn it ;)

Dress and cardigan: Salvation Army,
Belt: gift from Erin, Minnetonka moccasins

The sweater originally had gold colored crest-like buttons which I switched out for something a little more suited to my tastes. Other than being very warm and snug, this cardigan has another great thing going for it: pockets. If something has pockets chances are I'll like it.

P.S. Yes, we received our first round of stick-to-the-ground-and-all-other-cold-surfaces snow. Appropriately, it fell on December 1st which has come to my understanding as being the unofficial start to winter in the minds of some. Not for me though. It's still fall until the calendar tells me otherwise.

Wallet-friendly Wednesday

I'm still working on the layout and planning of this feature. Some Wednesdays I've been sharing my finds right away while others are a showcase of what I've found on past and previous outings. I'll fall into a groove with it eventually, I'm sure. With that said, today's installment is a $2.00 dress I picked up last week:

Cardigan: H&M, Tights: Hue via Marshall's, Shoes: Target

I'm absolutely smitten with this floral print! It can easily be worn with an array of colored tights and cardigans. The possibilities are near limitless. Also, it's the newest addition to my ever growing polyester/rayon blend dress & romper collection that makes me feel like I'm in an early '90s teen sitcom. Hehe!

And, just to mix things up a bit, here's a sneak peek at what's coming next week:

Wallet-friendly Wednesday

While growing up, my wardrobe was regularly infused with my older sister's hand-me-downs. Excitement always overcame me as I pilfered through the piles of clothes picking out the things I wanted most. Even when she didn't have cast-offs to send my way I would sneak through her closet anyway. Little sisters are good at that, I think. ;) I started thrift shopping in high school in order to find those unique and one of a kind pieces that are hard to come by in commonplace mall stores. We all know that trips to the Salvation Army, Goodwill, and the like can be a hit or miss, but it's always fun looking forward to the possibility of finding something special without creating too much strain on our wallets.

Today's trip to my local Salvation Army was more or less a miss day. I was tempted by a black velvet jumper, but passed on it because I couldn't really see myself wearing it a lot. I was disappointed by a green tweed blazer that fit in the arms and shoulders, but was too big otherwise. Even with the 50% off Family Day discount, I couldn't justify buying something that just didn't fit. I did, however, make one little purchase. And I say little because I only spent 25 cents.


A maroon skinny belt! I am pretty thrilled about this because it nearly matches the maroon tights in my previous post. The day I wore that ensemble I remember thinking it would be nice to have a dark brown or maroon skinny belt. All I had to do was wait a few days. Thank you, Wallet-friendly Wednesday.

Tell me, have you ever found exactly what you were looking for thrifting or otherwise?

Wallet-friendly Wednesday

This installment of Wallet-friendly Wednesday features yours truly wearing her most recent finds rather than showcasing them on a clothes hanger.

Two Wednesdays ago, I ventured off to a Salvation Army I hadn't visited for a few years. This particular store is a little further out from my usual shopping radius, but I decided it was time to pay it another visit. I'm glad I did as I came away with two lovely vintage skirts.

Exhibit A cost $2.00. Look at the autumnal houndstooth print - I love it!

Hat and shirt: H&M, Belt: gift from Erin, Sweater tights: TJ Maxx, Shoes: Macy's

Exhibit B cost $1.50 and still had its original tags attached. Isn't it great when that happens?

Hat and sweater: H&M, Belt: thrifted, Locket: gift, Shoes: Target

I have a few more recent wallet-friendly treasures to share. I like this whole ''theme post'' idea, so even though I'm not a consistent blogger, expect to see me updating on Wednesdays at least ;)

Wallet-friendly Wednesday

I love thrift shopping on Wednesdays. Well, thrift shopping at the Salvation Army that is. Wednesdays are delegated as "Family Day" with mostly everything ringing up at 50% off. Would you believe that I paid a dollar apiece for those darling sweaters pictured above? Believe it! My heart went a-flutter when I laid eyes on the short-sleeve purple sweater and I knew then and there it had to be mine. You see, several years ago I thrifted a very similar sweater made of a bold, borderline electric blue yarn that I ultimately ended up giving away. I've been missing it lately and now have finally found a more than adequate replacement. Let's move on to the cardigan. Oh, the cardigan with its sweet little collar and gorgeous green-blue color. Ladies and gentlemen, I am in love. It fits like a dream, too.

Have you come across any great thrifted surprises lately?

If this particular Wednesday couldn't get any better, I ensured that it did by sipping a pumpkin spice latte and listening to Grizzly Bear on my drive home. Thrifting + coffee + Grizzly Bear = an all around happy day. On a whim, I did a search on YouTube this afternoon and found a clip of Grizzly Bear's performance of "Knife" from when I saw them live a few years ago. It was a great show.