Shopping Plan: Week 6

After last week, I had $68 left in my shopping budget for the month, plus $90 in unspent birthday money.  I got some awesome new things this week with it.

First off, two fabulous new things that didn’t cost me anything.

Yellow Jade necklace from Mei Mei’s Jewels
Gift from my boyfriend

Gap filled: Colorful necklaces

This beautiful yellow necklace was a birthday gift from my boyfriend.  I’ve really been lacking on bright and colorful necklaces, so this will help to fill that gap.

B.U.M. jacket, gift from To Much Information

Gap filled: Mid-weight structured jacket

Nurmiusr of To Much Information sent me this jacket that didn’t fit her, and I love it.  I own hardly any jackets, so this will be very useful on those days when I need a little extra warmth.

On Friday, I went shopping in Sarasota with Kate.  It was a lot of fun, and we both found some really great stuff.  I’ll go into more detail on Monday, but here I’d like to show off the awesome stuff I got.

We started off by going to SPARCC Treasure Chest.  This is a really great thrift/antique store with reasonable prices and a pretty broad selection.  The proceeds from sales all go to the Safe Place and Rape Crisis Center, which helps women who are victims of domestic violence of sexual assault.  I had my best finds of the day at this store.

Dress: Ann Taylor, $12
Brooch: $11
Grey belt: $4
Leopard Belt: $6

Gaps filled: Semi-formal dress; brooches, belts

I picked this dress off the rack, and almost immediately put it back.  It’s a size smaller than what I usually wear, so I assumed it wouldn’t fit.  I decided to try it on anyway, because it was so lovely.  It fit perfectly, and when I saw that it was only $12, I knew that I had to get it.  I don’t have many dresses for quasi-formal occasions, so this will fill that gap perfectly.  I’m thinking about dyeing it darker, making it a little more blue-purple.  Anyone have tips for dyeing silk?  Has anyone ever had a dry cleaner dye a dress before?

I also got those two belts and a brooch, because you can never have too many belts and brooches.

Purple Blouse: Target, $3
Teal Necklace: $6
Brown purse: Axcess by Liz Claiborne, $7

Gaps filled: 3/4 sleeve blouses, colorful necklaces, brown purse

Right next door to SPARCC was Mustard Seed Thrift shop.  This was totally the type of thrift store I picture in my mind when I think of thrift stores located in areas with lots of retirees.  There were equal amounts of crazy kitsch and super awesome stuff.  I found this lovely purple cotton/modal blouse.  Technically it’s a maternity blouse, but I’ve hemmed it and taken the sides in a bit since this picture, so you can’t really tell.  I am so in love with that teal necklace, and I think I’ll be wearing it a lot.  The brown purse fills the gap of a brown “leather” purse.  I’ve been looking for one for a long time.  I’m not ecstatic about the fact that this one isn’t real leather, but I love everything else about it: the shape, the pockets, the adorable polka dot lining.  Even though it’s not leather, I’ll be using this one for awhile.

So I spent a total of  $49, this week, leaving me with a total of $19 for the rest of the month, plus my birthday money.

(Note:  I just got a new job this week, and my original plan allowed me to increase the amount I’m allowed to spend per month to $200 once I got a full-time job.  I’m going to wait until next month to increase the amount, since I won’t get my first paycheck until then.  For now, I’m only raising it to $175, because this job only lasts until June.  That will still give me enough extra money to start adding to my professional wardrobe.)

“Wildflowers grow all by themselves”

Some people like to dress in head-to-toe black for the entirety of winter.  To me, that just feels too depressing.  I like lots of fun and happy colors in my outfits.  The only time I  ever wear head-to-toe black is at funerals.

I wore this outfit to my nephew’s’ 2nd birthday party.  I wanted to be comfortable and warm, since there would be lots of standing outside and kneeling down to play with toddlers.  The length of the dress and the leggings helped to preserve some modesty, while the boots, sweater, and scarf kept me nice and cozy.  I think I’m going to be wearing this scarf I just got at Anthropologie quite a bit.

I always get my nephews and niece books for their birthdays, because I feel that books have greater long-term worth to the children than toys, and most of them have plenty of toys anyhow.  I got my nephew Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type, and it was so cute, because when his mom gave him the gift to open and told him who it was from, he got confused and tried to give it to me.  I eventually had to open it for him and show him the book to explain to him that “No, this is actually for you”.  Too adorable.

Do you like to dress colorfully in the cold months, or do you prefer neutral ensembles?

Dress: Boden (via Ebay)
Sweater: Ralph Lauren (garage sale, re-conned)
Leggings: Target
Boots: Fluevog Heather (via Ebay)
Scarf: Anthropologie
Purse: Timbuk2

Quote: Fancy Nancy: Explorer Extraordinaire!, by Jane O’Connor

Shopping Plan: Weeks 1 & 2

February 1st marked the beginning of my Great Shopping Plan of 2010 (which is really just a budget, but calling it “Great Shopping Plan” makes it seem so much more fun).  At this point, I’m allowed to spend $125 a month on clothes, focusing on (but not limited to) shopping local, second-hand, and handmade.  I also created a list of 50 wardrobe gaps to concentrate on this year.

So how did I do the first two weeks?

One of my favorite places to shop in Tampa is Revolve Clothing Exchange.  As I’ve mentioned before, you can bring in your clothes that you don’t want anymore and get store credit for items that they accept (thus the Exchange part).  I had a nice bit of store credit after a recent closet cleaning, so I got a few things.

Gap Denim Jacket  $12 (free with store credit)
Gap filled: Structured Jacket

Sparkly Rampage Vest  $10 (free with store credit)
Gap filled: Sparkly Awesomeness

Salmon tank: The Limited $4
Blue tank: Target $4
Seafoam cami: Old Navy $6

Gaps filled: Layering tanks/camis

Okay, I realize that Sparkly Awesomeness wasn’t technically on my gaps list.  But I have been wanting something sparkly for awhile, and this vest is just so awesome and unique (and polyester-free!) that I had to go for it.  This counts under my provision of buying things that I love.

Since February is my birthday month, Anthropologie sent me a lovely coupon for 15% off my total purchase.  Armed with a bit of early birthday money, I went to my local Anthro ready to shop.  I ended up being a bit disappointed, because several of the items I really liked had more than 50% polyester content, which is unacceptable to me, especially at Anthro’s price point.  I’ve always loved Anthro for their quality fabrics, and it really concerns me that they’re starting to use more and more polyester, yet still charging the same prices.  If I’m going to spend $88 on a blouse, it better be cotton, modal, silk or linen.

Anyhow, gripes aside, I managed to find some gems:

15% b-day discount included)
Catch and Release Scarf: $28
Road Tripping Belt: $33
Blouse: $34 (on sale)

Gaps filled: Blue scarf, waist cinching belt

I really love the things I bought.  I’ve been eyeing this belt since it went online, and I really needed a black waist-cinching belt.  I’ve also really been wanting a light blue scarf, and this one is really cozy and delightfully unique.  The blouse doesn’t really fill any gaps, but it looks gorgeous on, and will definitely be a staple in spring and summer.

So, everything I bought at Revolve was on store credit, so it doesn’t count against my budget.  I spent $95 at Anthro, and $50 of that was birthday money, so only $45 count against my monthly budget of $125.  That leaves me with $80 for the rest of the month.  Not too bad.

ETA:  Because some were interested, the items that I skipped out on at Anthro were the Rivers Rise Top and the Percussive Cardigan.   It really is a shame, because both items looked gorgeous on, but I just can’t stand the feeling of polyester against my skin.

“I’d make a few changes”

I just got this denim jacket last weekend at Revolve Clothing Exchange.  I’ve been trying to find the perfect denim jacket for awhile now, and I had some store credit, so I figured I’d go for it.  I don’t really think that it’s “the one”, but it fits well (as opposed to my old one, that was way too tight in the shoulders), so I’ll try it out for awhile before deciding if I want to invest in one that I like more.  I will definitely need to modify it by adding some pockets though.  It just feels weird to me to wear a jacket without pockets.

I bought this Boden skirt during my shopping ban last fall.  It’s actually the same design as one I already had, but instead of being one size too small, this one is one size to large.  It’s much easier to alter garments that are a bit too big for you, so I took in the waist and hemmed it about five inches (post coming on that soon!).  I might still take in the waist a bit more, because I’m not completely happy with where it sits right now.

I decided to wear my Fluevog boots with this outfit, because a) it was too cold to wear pumps and b) I like how it matches one of the colors in the skirt.  I’m still not quite sure what I think of flat boots and skirts though.

I have to admit, while I love how each of these pieces looks on their own, now that I see the pictures, I’m not crazy about how they all looked together.  I’m not sure exactly what it is that turns me off.  Maybe if the jacket had been a bit more cropped.  Or if I had tucked in my blouse.  Or if I had worn heels instead of flats.

What do you think?  How would you style this outfit differently to make it work?  Or do you think it’s fine as is?

Tee: American Eagle (thrifted)
Jacket: Gap (via Revolve Clothing Exchange)
Skirt: Boden (via Ebay)
Tights: Hue
Boots: Fluevog Heather
Scarf: Target
Purse: Vintage (via Advintagous )
Earrings: Efy Tal

Quote: If I Ran the Zoo, by Dr Seuss

ETA: The boots I was wearing in today’s post were Fluevog Heathers.  This is unfortunately a discontinued style.  I found mine by searching on Ebay for “fluevog boots”.   I saved the search, so that Ebay would e-mail me new items that fell into those search terms every day, and after watching for months, I finally managed to snag a pair in my size.  Fluevog has a pretty good range of sizes, but since these are discontinued, it’s really a matter of watching and waiting.  If you click on this link you can see all the boots they currently sell.

“Smile big and the world will smile right alongside you”

As you can probably tell, there’s been a whole lot going on with my blog lately, and it’s given me a lot of reasons to smile.  I made the shift over the weekend to using wordpress.org, and my blog is now hosted with Blue Host (which by the way, has an amazing support team, which kindly dealt with my frantic phone calls when I had a few hiccups in transferring the blog). Now I’m able to add a lot of useful features to my blog, as well as get into the HTML and CSS (which is exciting for me because I’m actually getting to use something I learned in school).

As you can see, I’ve changed up the look of the blog.  I’m going for a clean, simple aesthetic.  To keep the sidebar neat, my blogroll now has it’s own page.  If I missed your blog in the transition, please let me know and I will add it.  I’ve also added a Shop Local – Tampa page which features stores in Tampa that I like to shop at.  This list will continue to grow as I discover more local stores and interview them for the blog.  Pretty soon, I will also be accepting sponsors, so look for that announcement!

I’ve created an RSS feed for the blog through feedburner.  You can use this to read the blog through Google Reader and other similar services. You can still follow my blog with bloglovin, by clicking here or on the button in the side bar.  I’ve also added sidebar links to my Flickr, Twitter, Weardrobe, Chictopia, and Facebook page for the blog.

At the end of every post, you will see a few new features.  There is a green sideways v icon called Share This.  By clicking this icon, you can share a link to the post using a variety of services, including Twitter, Facebook, e-mail, Digg, etc.  There is also a new feature that shows three related posts (although they don’t always seem to be that similar, it can still be a fun way to browse old posts.)  Whenever you leave a comment on a post, a new feature called CommentLuv will link to your most recent blog post, if you have a blog.  All of these features will make the blog more functional, and easier to navigate for you.  Please let me know if you experience any problems with the new features, and I will work to fix them.

To talk briefly about this outfit, I continue to be amazed at how versatile both this cardigan and this dress are.  They’re pieces that I wear on a very regular basis, and every time there seems to be a new way to style them.   I’ve worn this dress at least three other ways this winter: once with my mustard cardigan and Dansko boots for a prairie feel, layered under a skirt and cardigan for extra warmth, and mixed with bright splashes of color for the weekend.  I’ve styled this cardigan as a bolero, and I’ve worn it open with skinny jeans and flats.  Since I have such a small closet, having items that can be worn in a number of ways is essential.

What are your favorite items in your wardrobe that you remix week after week?

Dress: Express
Cardigan: Fossil
Belt: from my mom
Leggings: Target
Boots: Dansko Nena (via Ebay)
Purse: Morelle Oyster
Short pearls: Coryell Design
Long Pearls: Garage sale
Ring: from my mom

Quote: Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon, by Patty Lovell

“Ready to kick up their heels”

I am continuing to adore this magenta cardigan I got for Christmas.  I’m discovering that drape cardigans are insanely versatile.  Last week, I wore it draped with a pair of skinny jeans and a blouse. For today’s outfit, I paired it with my little black dress and my goldenrod Malibrans.  Yellow and magenta was never a color combination I had given consideration before, but now I’m discovering just how great it is.

I love how the soft, light fabric of this cardigan ties up perfectly as a bolero.  I tried tying it back as a wrap sweater as well, but I didn’t like the effect, as it visually added bulk.  I love how tying it as a bolero adds a bit of waist cinching.

As you may know from previous posts, scoop neck of this dress is really low, and requires some layering underneath to be decent.  I originally tried a solid colored blouse for today’s look, but then I decided  that adding a bit of black and white pattern would complement the rest of the outfit best.

What color or pattern combination have you tried lately that surprised you?

Dress: American Rag Cie (via Revolve)
Blouse (under dress): Ann Taylor LOFT (thrifted)
Cardigan: Fossil
Tights: Target
Shoes: Fluevog Malibrans
Purse: Morelle Oyster
Pearls: Coryell Design

Quote: The Three Silly Billies, by Margie Palatini

“Lost… in the woods somewhere”

Don’t worry, I’m not actually lost in the woods.  Rather, this is a lovely field near my work that has somehow managed to escape development.  I’m still not sure how, because it seems that every bare piece of land in Tampa is quickly turned into the next suburban development or strip mall.  This type of background is what I think of when I think of how Florida really looks.  Everyone tends to focus on the beaches, but the majority of Florida looks a lot like this.  Oak trees, grassy fields, Spanish moss.  All this location needs is a few palmetto bushes, a little swamp, and a citrus grove and it would be perfectly quintessential Florida!

I grew up in a little town about ten minutes north of Tampa, and it used to be pretty rural.  There were lots of cow pastures and citrus groves, and I used to go exploring in the woods behind my house.  Those woods are still there, but a lot of the cow pastures and citrus groves have become subdivisions.  It’s kind of sad; everyone wants to move to rural areas to get away from the crowds, but they just end up destroying the very thing that they were seeking.

I felt like my outfit had a warm, prairie feel to it, so this background really suited my mood.  I wasn’t crazy at first about having so many warm tones with the boots and the cardigan together, so I added blue accessories in the belt, necklace and bracelet to cool things down a bit.

Dress: Express
Cami (under dress): Old Navy
Cardigan: J Crew (Ebay)
Leggings: Target
Boots: Dansko Nena (Ebay)
Belt: Vintage (via Sherry’s Yesterdaze)
Purse: Morelle City Bag
Necklace: Chocolate Cake Jewels
Bangle: Thrifted?
Earrings: Modern Bird

Quote: Where’s My Teddy? And Other Stories By Jez Alborough

"The effect was charming"

This little bridge over a spring is in that park just down the street from my house, and I’ve always wanted to take pictures here.  It’s one of my favorite places to go to relax.  Maybe it’s the Pisces in me, but I adore the sound of rushing water.  This little spring flowing into the Hillsborough River has a tiny little waterfall right under the bridge.  I love coming here in the summer and dipping my feet in the cold water.

I absolutely love this outfit.  I wanted fabrics that were soft, drapey and just warm enough for the odd weather we’ve had in Florida lately (we went from temps in the 30s to temps in the 70s, and by the time this is posted it will be back in the 50s). I bought this cardigan with my Christmas gift card to Fossil, and I love it.  It’s insanely versatile, and I love the strong, vibrant color.

After cropping my skinny jeans, I knew that I would have to pair them with ballet flats for a classic Audrey look.

This gorgeous vintage purse is one of my latest Etsy purchases.  I’m finding myself strongly drawn to yellow lately.  It’s such a fun, cheery color.

I love how these photos turned out.  I definitely need to go down to the park more often.

Blouse: Ann Taylor LOFT (thrifted)
Cardigan: Fossil
Jeans: Express (re-conned)
Shoes: Born Sokal (Ebay)
Scarf: Target
Purse: AdVintagous

Quote: The Velveteen Rabbit, by Margery Williams

"Snuggles right down underneath the bedclothes”

This outfit came together quite nicely.  I was still feeling a bit run-down from my cold, so this outfit became all about warmth and comfort.  I wanted soft, comfortable fabrics all around.  Physically, all I felt like wearing were pajamas pants and a cozy hoodie, but that won’t exactly fly at work.  Combining leggings with a jersey dress, flat boots, a nice soft long-sleeve tee, and a cozy scarf wrapped around the neck made for the perfect formula of feeling comfortable while still presentable.

I really love how my hair is looking lately.  At the end of December, I went to a Bring Your Own Blow Dryer class at the salon I go to, Tribeca (which is pretty much the most awesome salon in Tampa, both in terms of their sense of ethics and in the fantastic style they have).  At the class, everyone got to sit down one-on-one with a stylist and learn how to style their hair at home.  I never really understood the concept of styling my hair with a round brush and blow dryer before, but now I’m addicted.  I feel like I can finally achieve the look that I want my hair to have.  Tribeca has these events once a month, so if you’re in Tampa, you should check it out.  The event is free, you get to sample delicious teas and attendees get a discount on any  products they buy while they’re there.

Oh, and I continue to adore these boots.  My nephew told me that he liked them too because they’re his favorite color.  Blogger tested, toddler approved.

Dress (as skirt): Express
Long Sleeve Tee: Apt 9 (Kohls)
Leggings: Target
Boots: Fluevog Heather (Ebay)
Scarf: Target
Necklace: Chocolate Cake Jewels
Belt: Thrifted
Earrings: Efy Tal

Quote: How Do Dinosaurs Get Well Soon? By Jane Yolen and Mark Teague

“Everybody feels better when they smile”

This was another day when I wasn’t feeling particularly awesome.  On sick days like this, nothing is as good as cheering you up as sunny cashmere.  So even though this outfit was a relative cousin of one I had worn a few days previous, it still felt perfect.  I went a lot warmer in tone than I usually do with this outfit, but I like how it came out.  I think the dark blue denim helps to keep it from being too earthy.

Being sick is no fun.  But if you can at least feel pretty when you’re sick and keep a smile on your face, that makes the day a little easier to deal with.

Cardigan: J Crew (Ebay)
Blouse: Target (thrifted)
Jeans: Express (re-conned)
Shoes: Dansko Sally
Necklace: Garage Sale
Bracelet: Bought at Classy Consignment
Purse: Dickies

Quote: I Love It When You Smile, by Sam McBratney