Thrift-spiration: Beyonce's Style

Beyonce photo via: Instyle.com

Jacket, Love of Jesus Thrift ($1); Cumberbund/obi belt, Goodwill ($4)

I am an avid fashion magazine reader, and I have been for years. Although I'm not what I (or anyone!) would call a fashionista, I've always admired Beyonce's everyday style.

Not only is she a curvy, beautiful woman, but given this year's MTV VMA's, she seems like a really good person, too.

Anyway. (Man, I keep getting off track! It must be how easy it is to type on my new Goodwill Outlet USB-computer keyboard...no more scrunched hands!)

So lately, I keep seeing these pictures of her in larger-shouldered jackets. It totally works for her, and I wanted it to totally work for me. So this past weekend, at the Love of Jesus Thrift Store, I found a perfect grey blazer- brand new- for $1!

I think it has a very Beyonce-inspired look.
What do you all think?

Always,
Amanda

Thrifting- By the Pound?

Now, as you've seen just from my posts so far, I have been to many, many Goodwills. I love that they can all be so different, depending on the size, location, how new it is, etc.

But I'd never been to a Goodwill Outlet. Until this past Saturday, that is.

Wow. If you have one in your town and you've never been, you NEED to go!

We're talking bins and BINS and...more bins. All full to the brim with clothes, knick-knacks, shoes, belts, bags, books- pretty much anything you could imagine.

And most everything they price by the pound. Yes, you read that right. When you reach the cash register, you drop your treasures into a bin on top of a scale, they weigh everything and come up with a price. I think at the one I went to everything was around $1.25/ pound except specially marked items.



I got some great deals there: A Dell USB-connection computer keyboard that makes writing SO much easier on my tiny computer, a Victoria's Secret silk robe, and a Talbots navy blue cardigan that I know will get TONS of wear this fall.

My total: $3.85. Gotta love shopping by the pound! (Unless, of course, you were planning on buying weights or something...)

Always,

Amanda

Picnik's a Picnic!

So ever since starting this little blog (oh, about a week ago...) I have been trying to find cheap (free!) photo-editing software that I didn't need to download. (I have one of those netbooks that has NO storage, but is soooo cute :))

Anyway, I found a good site that's going to make my posts a whole lot cuter/easier on the eyes: Picnik.com.

It is super-easy to use and has all sorts of fun tools to play around with. Def not as advanced as Photoshop, but a whole heck of a lot cheaper!

I hope everyone had a great weekend!



I leave you with a photo of my beautiful Foley + Corinna Jet Setter Jr. bag (eBay, $60) with vintage men's tie around it, edited on Picnik.

Pretty, huh?

Always,
Amanda

Treasure Hunted; Treasure Found!

So, as you all know, I went on a shopping (thrifting?) spree yesterday, searching for a couple things inspired by current trends and Forever 21. (A store with prices so reasonable, it really could be said to be one or two steps up from thrifting...)

Anyway, I was semi-successful in my search- I found more than half of what I was looking for!

I visited (aka: dragged the hubby to...) two Goodwills, a Salvation Army, and the Love of Jesus Thrift Store. (So have to do a post about this place...it is simply awesome. No other words.)

Here are my finds:

From top left, clockwise:

1) Bangles, all: Love of Jesus Thrift Store ($1 total for all of them!)

2) Cumberbund (to use as belt, obi-style!): Goodwill ($4)

3) Plaid long sleeve shirt: Goodwill ($2)

4) Vintage-y pink plastic necklace: Salvation Army ($2)

Total for all Forever 21 thrift-spired items: $9! I'd call that success- wouldn't you? :) Have a great Sunday everyone!

Always,
Amanda

PS: I got some other super-cool stuff, too! Be on the lookout the next couple days as I reveal my awesome finds and crazy, madcap thrift-ventures! (Too much? Probably. OK, adventures, then.)

Thrift-spiration: Forever 21

So, I am looking to the Forever 21 Web site for inspiration this weekend. I figure, 1: they always are up-to-date on current trends (which happen to be fairly vintage-inspired at the moment) and 2: if I don't find like items in my thrift search, I can afford to buy the real deal! Awesome. So, here's what I'm aiming to find this weekend:










Items, all Forever21.com

1) Crotchet-type scarf, the softer the better!
2) Cute, slightly Navajo-print short-sleeve sweater
3) Obi-style belt
4) Slightly fancy bangle (Plastic! I can wear it! Hate being allergic to metal.)
5) Vintagey sunnies (Sooo 70s, right? Love it!)
6) Slightly fancy teardrop necklace
7) Cool printed bag
8) Plaid button-down


I think I may have a shot at at least a couple of these! I'll let you know what I find :)

Always,
Amanda

Yes, I Realize This Cardie is in Every Post.

Tonight, after work, I went out to dinner/ Goodwill shopping with the hubby. (I gave him two options: Goodwill or Forever 21. He picked Goodwill :))


On the way to Red Lobster, I realized that my whole outfit was thrifted! All in different thrifting expeditions! I'm going to stop using exclamation points now! OK, now.


Anyway. I got the quilted little blue clutch tonight at Goodwill, but the rest of the outfit got me from cheddar bay biscuits to handwipes at RL :)


Hope everyone has a great weekend! I have to work tomorrow morning, but after that, I am def thrifting...


More tomorrow!


Always,
Amanda

Outfit details: Yellow shirt, Salvation Army ($2); Cardie, Diversity Thrift ($2); Jeans, Goodwill ($6); Clutch, Goodwill ($1.25); Sandals, Goodwill ($4)


PS: Meet my hubby, Josh: Photographer/Slightly Resistant Thrift Buddy

Thrift Crawl Destination: Bradenton, FL

Photo: infoUSA

My first and favorite thrifting destination is Bradenton, FL.

I discovered a ton of thrift shops on the way home from a beach trip at the end of my senior year of high school, which was about 5 years ago. (Wow. I'm getting old!)

I've found some of my favorite old items at these shops (funky shoes! crazy cups! butterfly clasp belts!), but unfortunately, most of these have been lost along the way. This post is actually making me want to fly to Bradenton for the day just to thrift with some of my oldest and dearest friends...

Anyway, for those of you still residing in the sunshine state, here are a few diamond-in-the-rough thrift shops that you should definitely check out!

1. Goodwill 4720 E State Road 64, Bradenton, FL 34208
   (941) 749-5905 (Always a reliable source for random and awesome things! And this one is one of the better ones, for sure.)
   
2. Community Thrift Shop 5704 Manatee Ave W, Bradenton, FL 34209
   (941) 792-2253 (This one is tucked away, but trust me, it's worth it to stop in here. They have additional percentage off of goods that have been there awhile, which means double deals for really interesting stuff.)



3. Trinity Thrift Store 3306 Manatee Ave W, Bradenton, FL 34205
   (941) 746-8379 (Pictured above, this is a small, United Methodist-sponsored thrift store that has everything from 25 cent costume jewelry to very well-priced furniture. I got the butterfly-clasp belt mentioned above, a leather men's wallet, and some rockin' sunglasses at this tiny store! And I've had friends find some pretty cool old CDs here too.)
   
   
4. Manatee Memorial Aux Thrift 4517 Manatee Ave W, Bradenton, FL 34209
   (941) 745-2047 (The cool thing about Manatee Memorial is the room full of books and magazines for super cheap! They also have been known to have a bin full of freebies at the checkout counter. This is definitely a must-stop in a Bradenton thrift crawl!)

Debut: Old Navy Sweater!

Wow. So, I'm a dork...I haven't had a chance to wear the Old Navy sweater from a couple posts ago, and it's been hanging in my closet looking all cozy and comfy and...ME :) So, I decided to put it on and have a little impromptu photo session in our tiny laundry room! (Yeah, for those of you who don't know me yet, I am most certainly a dork! Proof below...)



Cardigan: Old Navy, thrifted ($2); Huggable Hanger: wedding gift; Linen pants: Old Navy ($10)



Good night!
Amanda

Goodwill Shopping...Online?

Just recently, I discovered that Goodwill has an online auction site.

Um, how did I never know this?

Apparently, Goodwills from all over the U.S. list their fanciest things on the shopgoodwill.com auction site and bidders have at it. It's sort of like a thrifting eBay...for too lazy/tired/not-willing-to-deal-with-others people!

I looked through the clothing options and found this really cute vintage purse (why purses are under clothing, I have no idea) that I would love to have. If only the layout of the site made it as user-friendly as my beloved eBay.

Photo via Shopgoodwill.com

Anyway, if you can figure out how to use it, you should check out the site! And if not, it's still kind of fulfilling just to look through all the random stuff. :)

Always,

Amanda

Cute and Comfy Cardigan

This past week I had a couple days off of work and I went to a LOT of thrift stores. But by far the iffy-ist (Is this a word? If not, oh well...) and yet one of the most interesting to visit was Diversity Thrift.


Now, it is in a scary part of Richmond (at least to non-natives like me), and while the pictures on the Web site look very clean and organized, it was not. Like, at all.


But once I got past all of this and quickly sorted through the racks and racks of clothing, I found a perfectly soft, cute printed Old Navy cardigan. For $2.



Once I grabbed that and high-tailed it to the checkout counter, I was done with my (probably only) experience at Diversity Thrift.

I guess the lesson here is: You may find some great things for super cheap at not-so-nice thrift stores, but sometimes it isn't worth visiting iffy places more than once!

Have a good one! (As us Richmonders like to say...)
Amanda

Why Thrifting?

Edit: Image added 10/10 :)

So, I've been reading blogs for awhile now, and as a journalism graduate I thought I'd enjoy having one.

My question was, what should it be about?

I love a lot of different things: magazines, writing, TV shows (Bones! NCIS!), home decor, etc. But something that I've always loved to do, that is especially useful in the recessionista age, is thrifting.

I used to go to the Goodwill and Salvation Army in my Florida hometown with one of my childhood friends, Lindsay. We would find all sorts of treasures...baggy pants, funky T's, funny old books. And it was always so much fun.

I guess what I like the most about thrift stores is that you never know what you'll find. Like I've said, one person's trash is another's treasure. And I believe that there's still plenty of treasure to be found.

I hope you enjoy this blog, as I'll share the treasures I've found along the way, as well as my adventures in the search of great deals and amazing days!

Love Always,
Amanda

Shoes!

Since I have to work today, I thought I'd get a quick post in this morning...

...on shoes! The Goodwill I used to go to when I lived in Orlando is my fave Goodwill in the world, full of nice stuff and always really nice shoes :)

So, although I don't wear heels EVER (I'm clumsy and can't walk in them), I do like the way they look. These are from past shoe try-ons at Goodwill Orlando!

Have a great week :)

Love Always,
Amanda

Shiny Shirt, Sandals, and Rose Shampoo

Whew. I had a LOOOOONG day of thrifting today. I decided that I would go to the Goodwill Web site and find all of the ones within 20 miles of my apartment and visit them all. In one day.

I ended up getting lost a couple times, because despite having a GPS, I have utterly NO sense of direction at all.

But anyway. I ended up discovering some new and exciting Goodwills and I found some pretty neat stuff!


A crazy, handmade, shiny gold top ($3) that is so soft and comfy you wouldn't believe it...

A brand-new Target laptop cover ($1) that is PERFECT for my new little laptop...

A book that looks hilarious and just my style ($2), Herbal Essences Rose Shampoo (my fave!-$1), and a make-your-own calendar kit ($3) for my Mom :)

Oh, and the brand new Mossimo gladiator-type sandals as seen up top. ($4)

So I would say it was a successful, if a little tiring, day.

The funniest thing I saw, when I was at the fourth and final Goodwill of the day, was a lady waiting by the employee door with a full cart. I stood there for a minute to see what she was up to. It turns out that every 20 minutes or so an employee would bring out a new cart of stuff- and this lady would follow them, blocking the cart with her overflowing one and taking out all of the best stuff!

I certainly don't have the time or patience of this lady, but I'm sure she got some great deals!

Oh, and I saw a couple snatch up a Kitchenaide stand mixer in white for a mere $10! It happened right before my eyes- I was in shock! Those things are worth a couple hundred dollars. And even if it didn't work- they're mostly just for appearances anyway, right?

Well, that's enough for today- I hope everyone has a great week!

Love Always,

Amanda

Wishbone Belt and Old-Man Suspenders!

Yesterday, my lovely husband and I took a mini-tour of the thrift stores in our town...2 of the Goodwills and 1 Salvation Army. (He doesn't love thrifting, but he's a good sport...and he usually finds something he wants, too!)I hit pay dirt at the first Goodwill- finding an awesome old eagle mirror ($3.25), a wishbone belt (as the hubby, rightly, dubbed it)($2), and old-man suspenders ($2)!

I had been looking for suspenders for quite a while- everyone keeps telling me to get some at Target, but for some reason, I always forget when I'm there. And these, though not skinny black ones as I've been looking for, definitely seem special to me. Who knows why!

I can just imagine them on some older gentleman, getting dressed up for a nice night out with his lovely wife of 50 years...

Anyway, let me introduce myself. My name's Amanda, and I am a lover of thrift stores, great deals, and writing. So here we are. I hope to keep up this blog and maybe be a pick-me-up in someones day, much as other blogs I read are to me :)

Until next time...

Love Always,

Amanda