The Green Military Sweater: Part II

 So I decided to dye my green sweater. 

When I found this sweater at Goodwill in Florence, KY, I loved the fit but wasn't crazy about the color.

See the previous post in the series here: The Green Military Sweater

Dyeing thrifted items has been an educational experience.

Problems I thought I would have, like even coloring or looking homemade, haven't been issues.
The challenges has been shrinkage (I'm guessing something to do with the chemicals in the dye)
and not achieving the total color. 
This was the issue with this dye. 

Believe it or not, I put the sweater on the left in black dye. 

As you can see, it came out dark green. 
The dye was for cotton and wool, so all polyesters, like the zipper and thread, did not dye.

You can see the zipper contrast better in this close up. 

Frankly, I'm glad it dyed dark green instead of black. That contrast would have been too harsh.

To read more about my different dyeing activities click a link below:

The Cardigan 

From Cincinnati Thrift, have a very happy New Year!

A Very Thrift-Y New Year's Eve

 When I go out for a swell time

I like to show less skin and more personality.

 For a fun and flirty New Year's Eve look, try a full skirt in a bright print.

Skirt, $2.50, St. Vincent De Paul in Mt. Washington.

Top, $7, T.J.Maxx

Shoes, $17, Target (circa 2002)

Mixing  prints may look difficult

but it you think of them as solid colors  it gets much simpler.  

Side Note: It's much easier to mix when you stick to one large-scale print.

 

 Check out my other posts on wearing thrifted, full skirts:

Full Black Skirt: Part II 

Full Black Skirt: Part I 

Wool Gray Skirt: Part I 

Wool Gray Skirt: Part II 

Have a happy New Year!

The Red Pants

 

I knew I wanted red pants this fall/winter season.

My first attempt at the trend was buying white pants and dyeing them red. 

These were my second purchase from St. Vincent De Paul in Newport.

Pants, $4

 

They are high-waisted, straight-legged pants with pleats in the front.

Due to this bold, dated look, I wanted to pair it with classic pieces to calm down the red

and of the moment items to bring it to 2012( almost 2013!)

  

Most of this outfit is thrifted.

Yellow lace puplum, $2, Goodwill in Florence Kentucky.

Black Cardigan, $15, LOFT.

 

Necklace, $2, Goodwill in Anderson Township

The chain on this necklace is rather long

so I tied the end (seen below) to draw the attention to my face.

 Here's hoping everyone had a wonderful holiday season!

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!