Nautical Thrifting Nonsense

  

So I know what you're thinking...

It's the end of December, it can't be that warm in Cincinnati.

Well, you're right.  

These photos are from November 17th when it was still 60 degrees out.

I've been a little lax on the blogging.

It's 35 and snowing here, which I find to be wonderful.  

 I've started making "Thrift Lists."

These lists contain items that I'm looking for that have no real deadline. 

Here's my current list:

Bookends, artist portfolio, wedding dress and a striped shirt.

I have yet to find any of these. 
I've tried on quite a few wedding dresses and striped shirts, but none have been right.

I did however, find these lovely striped sweater.

$2.50 (half off) at Goodwill

Preppy really isn't my style

 so to counteract that vibe, I mixed it with more stripes. 
This is actually a dress a bought for Mexico last summer.  It was $18 at T.J Maxx.

Walking is one of my favorite activities. 

It's possible that I've just aged myself 60 years but

I don't care.

One of my favorite perks of my new job is being able to walk home.
I knew I needed new shoes that would be work appropriate and comfortable enough for the .7 mile stroll.
Don't know if I mentioned this before but,

I'm a boot person.

$69, Clarks from Nordstrom Rack

Stripes on stripes on stripes.

     

 Side note. 

My hair is not actually long enough the pull the bun off smoothly. There are ruffly 3 billion bobbi pins holding up the back. Fun times.

Bon nuit!

Thrifting Tips: Taming the fashion

Often people complain they don't know how to mix thrift or vintage into their wardrobe without looking costume-y. 

Here are some tips inspired from the outfit at the left.  And, yes, I've worn it out in public.  Last time it was to Target on a Friday afternoon and no one looked at me like I was confused about which century it was.

• To keep an outfit balanced and realistic, surround bright colors with neutral colors.  

• Mix bold, vintage silhouettes (such as high waisted pants) with modern shapes (such as high-low tops).
• Contrast, contrast, contrast! I can't stress this enough. Different textures, shapes, eras keep an outfit feeling fresh.  When in doubt, add an of-the-moment accessory, such as statement boots or a day clutch.

Daytime Disco

Check out these

high-waited, wide-legged, yellow polyester pants

I purchased at St. Vincent De Paul in Newport.

The pants are actually 1/2 of a suit, but wearing both pieces together would look costume-y.
Seriously, I considered wearing the entire suit for Halloween as
"the (wo) man with the yellow hat" from Curious George.

Yellow Suit: $7.99 at St. Vincent De Paul in Newport, Kentucky.

Gray High-Low Sweater: Old Navy, winter 2011, $5.

As you can see, this outfit is very slouchy.  To counteract that,
I've put my hair up in a ballerina bun, added disco-worthy heels, and a

short pearl necklace.

  This is one of my favorite necklaces.  I get compliments on it every time I wear it: I still have
never seen anything similar.  Purchased for $4 at Blackberry Exchange in Columbia, Missouri.
(Shop online at Blackberry Exchange here)

When I came across these pants, I immediately thought of my mom. 
In the seventies, she made her own pair of red polyester pants. 
If I remember correctly they were flairs.  I still think this look reads very seventies.
Shout out to Rose!

Homage paid to the original disco queen!

With wide-leg pants, wearing heels help elongate the legs. 
I went for my sliver, snake skin, peep-toes. Disco never dies!

Happy thrifting from Cincinnati!

Fixing Thrifted Items: The Jewelry Box

So the truth is that I found this jewelry box at a garage sale 

when I was in 4th or 5th grade. 

 As you can see, it has the artistic touch of a 5th grader. 
Not that that's a bad thing, I was simply ready for a more mature, and of course thrifty, approach.

 I decided the most effective, in terms of time, cost and aesthetic,
was to paint the wooden jewelry box.

The first step was removing all the stickers and magazine cut-outs.

 As you can see, for the most part, the decorations were easily removed. 

I dipped a cotton ball in some nail polish remover and took off the rest.

 I used a pure white craft paint that I've had for at least 4 years.  It cost me $4 from Michaels.
A basic acrylic paint would cover better, but cost slightly more.

 After one coat of paint.

 After two coats... the finished product! A beautiful, "new" jewelry box.

 I love the high contrast of the orange and white.

An easy, pretty and affordable fix for a useful item. 
The total cost would be 10 dollars in you didn't have an items on hand.
(nail polish= $3, craft paint=$4,  used jewelry box=$3).

Bonne Nuit!

Newport: St. Vincent de Paul

I love the location of this store.  Being right on Monmouth, it's easy to get to, allows for coffee breaks
and a stop at Oh! Darling Vintage.

Half the store is glassware, kitchen ware, kick-knacks, books and vinyl.

Old vinyl allows for cheap art.  3-m them to one wall for a 3-D wallpaper effect.
I've found a couple good Carly Simon records while thrifting as well.

The other half of the store is clothing. The wooden insets make the place feel like an old-timey retail shop. 

It is crowded, every aisle is one-way, but the stock is all in great shape. 
I bought an amazing wide-leg mustard suit for $7.

The dressing room has rules.

As you can see I'm not very good at following them. I bought those high-waisted red pants.

This store carries some furniture.

I'll be back soon.  Thanks Newport!

The Burlington Pike Thrift Store

 The Burlington Pike Thrift Store

is located is located right off the Burlington Pike (of course) on a side street.

It's adjacent to a sports bar (filled with friendly people and an ATM) and

The House of Curious Treasures.

This place is a local business owned by a very friendly and knowledgeable woman.
She gets most of her stock from her customers--- They buy and sell!

 Upstairs is clothing and bags. They have men's, women's and children's items.
The stock is small, reasonably priced and there is even a dressing room/bathroom.

 Downstairs is where the real treasures are.  Everything in here is hand-picked. 
I find the place completely wondrous, like your grandma was a secret thrifter
who was preparing for an apocalypse in which wooden frames,
milk glass, and kitchenware were wiped from the planet.
You can find impractical items such as curved glass candle stick holders
to useful such as an iron and streamer. I bought a coffee grinder and coffee saver tin. 
Both were in pristine condition and work perfectly. I'm looking forward to a return visit.

 This 1970's wood art is a gem I proudly display in the entryway.

 For more information on location and hours check out

Northen Kentucky Thrift Stores.

 Bonne journée à partir Thrift Cincinnati!

A Lesson in Dyeing

 

I bought this sweater when I went Shopping with Cory.

 

I'm a huge fan of cardigans as they were for work and every day life.

One of my number one criteria for purchasing an item is fit.

The print feels like a take on a traditional french toile.

This sweater felt very versatile to me.
Cory on the other hand thought the print was a bit too gaudy. 

 Although the print was beautiful,
I thought I might get more wear out of it if it were a solid color.

If you don't count tie dyeing, this was my first time dyeing any clothing.

I had read a magazine article a few years ago and it seemed pretty straight forward.
Their key tip was follow the instructions to a T.

I made the trip to JoAnn Fabricand chose this beautiful "China Blue."

I picked the Dylon brand because it could be done by hand instead
of in a washer and listed fabrics beside cotton.

Suitable fabrics: Cotton, linen, ramie and rayon.
Wool, Silk and polyester/cotton mixes will dye to lighter shade.

This sweater is 100% wool, so I knew it would dye to a lighter shade.

Items needs to complete the dyeing process.

1.  salt (4 TBSP)

2. Measuring spoons/cups

3. Some place to put the dye when dissolving.  I used two small plastic cups.  A large sour cream container would be perfect.

4. rubber gloves

5. a place to dye the clothing.  Dylon recommends a stainless steal sink.  I bought a $5, 10 quart bucket.

6. A utensil to stir the dye.  I used a large giant metal spoon.

 What I didn't think about:

The color was not strong enough to influence the dark brown, instead it simply replaced the ivory.

Dyeing by hand takes a couple hours.  There is the prep time: washing the item and leaving it damp; dissolving the dye powder in warm water then adding the dissolved dye water and salt to the bucket. Once the prep is complete, submerge clothing in the dye and stir continuously for 15 minutes.  I put my bucket in the bathtub as I knew I would make the occasional spill. After 15 minutes have passed, stir every couple minutes for another 45 minutes. Rise in cold water and wash again in warm.  Lay flat to dry, away from sunlight.

Total time dyeing: 1.5 hours

 What I wasn't prepared for was the bleeding of the brown.  This sweater had clearly been washed rarely by it's previous owner.  I washed it immediately when I brought it home and during the prep process before dye.  The brown muddied the dye slightly and so the blue is more muted than the package image.

 The finished product!

Sweater: $2.50

Dye: $2.99

Bucket and rubber gloves: $7

Total cost for a custom sweater: $12.49