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

The Green Military Sweater

It's 9:27 p.m. and I'm exhausted.

This post's shortness will be approximate to my sleepiness. 

 Green Jones New York Sweater

$3.50

Thrifted from the Goodwill in Florence, Kentucky.

 I was drawn to the juxtaposition of the military style/fitted structure with the soft texture.

I'm contemplating dyeing it black to make it more versatile...thoughts?

It may not look like cotton, but it is, 100%! 

Digging the shoulder details.

Bonne nuit de Cincinnati Thrift!

Oh! Darling Vintage

 

Every weekend I learn about a new place to shop for second-hand items.

This time, it was about the adorable vintage shop,

Oh! Darling Vintage

 on the south end of Monmouth in Newport, KY.

This is my first post about a vintage store, so you may be thinking, why vintage? Or you may be a robot who doesn't think, but acts based on a series of 1s and 0s.  Either way, I'm going to tell you my opinion on the matter.

I'm a fan.

You can find vintage items in thrift stores, but often they are scarce and likely in non-pristine condition.

Unlike thrift stores, shops specializing in vintage items are much more particular in their selection of stock.  Oh! Darling is no exception.  In fact, I would say their pickiness is their strength as, like a child in a candy-encrusted jewelry store, I wanted everything I came across.

If you're not already an avid thrifter, vintage shopping can be a nice way of easing into the process of buying second hand. Lately, when I've been chatting with friends about thrifting, they tell me they just don't have the time for it.  I can respect that.  If you know exactly what you're looking for, i.e. a pair of low-rise, straight-leg, mid calf, cherry red cotton pants, you may be searching for a while.

Vintage helps bridge that gap between the massive ocean of worn items and neatly-organized, mass-constructed sweaters in every color and size.

Vintage shops pay attention to current trends and find the original items those trends originally derived from. It's a great place to find accessories that feel modern, yet genuine, in terms of design, materials and construction. 

The shop feels very 50's, 60's and 70's, with muted accessories and bright clothing.

 I rarely find cute, LARGE purses at thrift stores, so I almost hugged this display when I came across it. 
Just another perk of shopping vintage.

 Had I not been chaperoned, I may have taken home every beaded clutch and doctor bag.  Can you blame me?

This display took me back to childhood, with its yellowed storage tins and vintage Butterick sewing patterns.

 Digging the vibe: purple walls and Dinsaur Jr. playing on a burned C.D.

 The widow display reads "His, Hers and Home," a perfectly simple description of what the store offers.

Oh! Darling may be small, but their selection is hand-picked and packed-in without feeling claustrophobic.

Lots of great clothing, shoes, dead-stock, hats, bags, arts, and an obscene amount of vintage match boxes.

Check it out!

Oh! Darling Vintage

937 Monmouth St.

Newport, KY 41071

Tue-Sat noon-6p.m.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Oh-Darling-Vintage/194423460595933

The Cozy Professional

 

For me, the way I dress dictates the way I act.

Clothing with more structure, i.e. pencil skirts, a jacket, heels, tells my brain"tush to the cush(ion)." Sweatpants on the other hand, make me want to lay my head down on anything plush, feathered or otherwise non-hard. I will forever maintain that glasses are the sweatpants of the face, as my eyes refuse to concentrate on email when encased behind glass. If your eye balls can rise above it, congratulations, your head is more talented than mine.

As an American, I often feel we live a life of extremes.One of the beautiful traits (that I perceive) of generation Y
is that we are able to step back and say...

HEY. Where's the happy medium?

(in work, relationships and here, with clothing)

The Pink Shirt

$4.50

(Read about it in other posts:
with a mustard pencil skirt or when I made the purchase.)

 As a professional, my goal is to look pulled-together, modern,
and unexpected yet comfortable.

Ninety percent of the sweaters I own are from thrift shops as they are found
in abundance because they show less wear than a t-shirt or pair of jeans.
BUT last year I was craving a high-low sweater.
I found this incredibly soft one at Old Navy ($5).

Skirt, Gap Outlet ($10)

Thrifted choker  necklace ($1).  In the previous shot
you can see I made it longer by adding a normal chain to each end.
This helped to balance out the collar.

I'm a big fan of texture.

Beautiful cameo bobbi pin my friend Rebecca made.

2009 flashback: socks with heels add comfort and dimension to an outfit.

2005 Heels from Target ($19)

Bonne nuit de Cincinnati Thrift!

Shopping with...Cory

 

BREAKING NEWS

Cory Deal, my fiancé, wanted to go 

thrift shopping.

 

We decided to explore a new store, at least new to me.
This thrift store had been recommended to me by a co-worker the week before.

Goodwill in Anderson Township (right on 275 on Beechmont)

 

 The parking for Goodwill wasn't massive, but the adjoining lots made it feel that way.

 

The Goodwill location has an enormous amount of stock (and customers).

Great selection of shoes, including a healthy dose of brand new Target stock.

I wish I was cool enough to have organ skills.
Oh, and a vehicle with hauling capabilities.

 

 

Most of the area Goodwills have daily specials. 

 

Just like the Florence Goodwill,
this Saturday was 50% off of clothing.

Thrifting 101: throw everything you like in the cart
and narrow-down items at the end.

All 5 dressing rooms were packed
so I opted for trying on jackets in the aisle.

 This one was a winner!
More to come on this jacket later.

One of the main reasons for this trip was
to prove Cory WRONG.

In high school, Cory was a left tackle on the offensive line. Number 67 to be exact.

As you can see he still wears that sexy frame (hands off ladies and gents)

and when shopping, often finds it a challenge to fit his shoulders.

Our mission was sweaters. 
There was an entire rack of big and tall sweaters,
approximately 30 or so, in sizes ranging from XL-4XL.

 "Give me your tired, your poor,
your broad-chested and sweater-less."

Cory tried on a sweater and caught the spirit.
(spirit not included in price).

I love a man in a cardigan.

 The winning sweater. 

$3.49

Thanks Cory!

Until next time, bon nuit!