Question!

I have no photos for today...so instead, I want to know from you!


If you thought you were going to be going to a beautiful, tropical climate for a few weeks, what would you bring with you?


Please leave a comment on my blog or facebook page! Include links!


Here's the bathing suit I would take: 

Vintage Inspired Bathing Suit - Unique Vintage $75

Oscars!

So I watched the Academy Awards last night and thought I'd pick my favorite and least favorite gowns!


BEST:


Hands down, Octavia Spencer! It was flattering and elegant and perfect. The icing - SO glad she won, much deserved. 

WORST:


Rooney Mara. Just. Dreadful. 

Honorable Mention:


Emma Stone - I'm not sure if I like the dress or just thought that this adorable actress stole the show!

An EPIC adventure!

A few days ago my lovely sister in law told me about a new thrift store that just opened up - EPIC Thrift Store! Not too far from my house.


So after I picked up my daughter from school and hit up the bank, we stopped in to check it out! I didn't have a lot of time, plus three of four children with me, so I didn't have optimal shopping time. I did, however, manage to find a great top and the kids, of course, snagged a few carefully checked out toys. 

First, the store! It's huge - as large or larger than some of my favorite Savers locations. It was replaced an old Michael's craft store, so the flooring was a little nicer. 

That's my 9 year old...Vanna White!

It was clean and bright, and the clothes were sorted by COLOR! Savers used to do that and stopped, so I really appreciated being able to sort through based on color. 

My only real complaint was that kids clothes were not sorted by size. They were sorted by color, but I would have liked to have seen them sorted by size as well.


Then I found this!

It's a flirty spring blouse in ivory with coral and purple flowers. I've been looking for something like this! It is an Elle brand so it came from Kohl's and the retail was probably around $30 (and that's figuring in Kohl's almost constant % off sales.) I got it for $3.

I also found this Old Nave super lightwight t-shirt to wear under it! It's the perfect companion piece...I mean, I love all these chiffon tops, but  finding appropriate underclothing is a challenge. This top - $1.50 - and I can easily wear it alone as well. SCORE!


We also picked up some shorts for the girls - $1 and $2 and some random play set pieces for my son - $2. My daughter picked out some maraccas - $1.50 and this cuddly oversized beany baby for $.70! I call it Ella Blue (Beyonce would be so proud!)

So...I'm getting brave...here's the top in action!

Elle Floral Top - Epic Thrift Store  $3, Old Navy Under T - Epic Thrift Store  $1.50, Mens Lucky Brand Jeans - wardrobe from a film I worked on $125, Floral Slingbacks - Citi Trends $17, Sea Shell Bracelet - JoAnn's Fabrics $4

And some other styling ideas, thanks to POLYVORE! I love polyvore...it's like paperdolls for adults!

Freakishly Frugal Friday

Every once and a while, I stumble upon a deal that is simply amazing. Practically free, really.


Occasionally they'll clear out old inventory at Savers and offer a certain tag color for $.99! And I found this classy blouse! Something for a performance sometime I think. 

And this next one I got 1/2 off of $1.99! Mustard is one of my favorite colors and this is a fun piece! I think I'll probably ditch the belt, though. 

Spring Romance!

I think I mentioned it before, but I'm really feeling the romantic floral/lacy thing this spring! So I picked up this little ensemble at the thrift store the other day!

Flirty dress! $8

With lightweight sweater - $8


And now I just need these shoes: (But I gotta find them for waaayyyy less than $50!)

Can't wait to wear it!

I thrift so I can splurge!

Well, let me define splurge...

I feel like I've gotten a really good bargain if I spend under $10 on a great top or sweater, less if I'm at a thrift store. $12 is usually my threshold for blouses and tops if new.  Jeans - $12-15 new, $5-7 used. Shoes - under $10  used and under $20 new. Dresses, gowns - I'm a little more flexible, but a casual dress under $15 used or new...but I rarely ever shop for dresses new except dressy clothes for performance. But even most of those I score at thrift stores wink, wink...

So while I understand a great many women think nothing of dropping $50, $75, $100 on a great top, I'm just not that girl. So for some people, splurge will still mean cheap. 

So here's my splurge that I wore Saturday to see a show with my hubby - a wonderful date night! 

First off, SHOES! I actually select a lot of my outfits around my shoes...is that weird? I guess because so many times I have the perfect outfit then not the right shoes, but I digress!

I found these - $17. There's this little store in a strip mall not too far from my home. I rarely buy clothes there, but shoes and accessories - yes, please! Many of my favorite shoes come from that store. Most of my "splurge" shoes, actually. And often the ones I get the most comments about!

Flirty, feminine pieces have been really speaking to me this year. The moment I saw them, I knew they had to be mine!!

But, then...I didn't really have anything to wear with them. I mean, I'm sure I could have found something...but I wanted something special. So I was out shopping for some fabric with my honey for our current project and I found the perfect blouse. So I also splurged on it. Another $17 at Raphsodielle. 

I paired it with some boot cut blue jeans and my classic denim jacket. And had a wonderful night...can't wait to wear it again!

Super Sale Day!

Several times a year at those random Monday or Friday holidays like Presidents Day, Labor Day, Memorial Day, etc... Savers, my favorite chain thrift store, has a sale where all clothing, shoes and accessories are 50% off!


Now I should explain that my main purpose for attending today's sale was to shop for costume pieces for my current costume project. We hit 5 different Savers locations and found lots of great stuff for our show!


I picked up several great items as well, so I thought I'd share a few with you today!


First, though, I wanted to let you see a few that I passed on. When I first started thrift store shopping, I would kinda just buy anything that looked like a good deal. I ended up with a bunch of things in my closet that I just ended up giving back to the thrift store because they didn't fit or flatter me or were just too dated or whatnot. So I've learned to edit...regardless of how sad that might be sometimes.

I loved this skirt. The pleats, the pockets, the fabrics, the colors, the colorblocking. But it was too small and too short. Even at half price - $4 - it would have been a waste. 

I also loved this sweater! The perfect summer sweater. Soft, lightweight, a great color - fun! And while I sometimes can wear a medium, my large bosom was too much for this delicate sweater. I even thought that maybe I could just wear it open, but I used better judgement and passed it by, willing it to someone who will wear it well. With the right shoes and accessories.


So, here are a few things I bought! There were a few gowns I bought as well, but the photos didn't come out, so I'll save them for later.

#1 This is a simple black knit blouse with some crazy fun epulets on the shoulder! $3.50

#2 Green Floral Print Skirt - Can't have enough casual skirts for Las Vegas summers! $2

#3 Black and White Polka Dot Blouse - this is my favorite! It's hard to find button down shirts that fit me. Love the gathered sleeves and belt! $3.50

Shoe steals!

I have several favorite stores that I always make it a point to stop in at when I'm in the neighborhood. One of them is called Raphsodielle and they feature fun clubwear and trendy fashions. Good deals can be found, but most things I feel are overpriced for my frugal ways! But they are much cheaper then the mall or a high end department store.


Many times, they have a table up front with clearance shoes. And one fateful day just before Christmas...I got 3 pairs of BRAND NEW shoes for $22 (including tax!)


Please excuse the bad photos, but check out the sassy black platform heels, the jeweled red creations and the awesome brown booties. They were all 75% off of between $25-30 dollars! So the black and brown shoes were around $6 and the red ones were $7. Yeah. I SCORED that day! I wear the black shoe a lot because I especially love them. 

(Remember from yesterday?)

But be careful! I actually purchased those same boots in grey a while back...but got them home and found out they were 2 different sizes! Yes, they were on clearance for $5, but they didn't do me any good in the wrong size! So CHECK those clearance shoes! And ALWAYS try on clothes...occasionally something is on clearance because the size is miss marked! Which can be a good thing or a bad thing, depending on if you've tried it on first. And if you're really lucky, you'll end up with a bargain that says it's a 5/6 when clearly, it fits your size 10 butt!

Dressing Up

If you haven't figured it out yet....I'm a performer. Yup. I sing, act and "move well" onstage (meaning, I really don't fancy myself a dancer but I have to "dance" sometimes, but I digress)

So allow me to share with you a few of my fabulous performance wear finds!

#1. Red-iculous!

I was doing a production of Smokey Joe's Cafe and we needed to change up the finale costumes, so I decided to put all the women in red. And of course, mine was the last red dress to find! At the last minute, I found this beauty at Ross, in the clearance section for $9.99. You can find some great deals at Ross, Marshalls...etc. You just HAVE to look! I don't think it was in the clearance section nor with my size... look in every section! It takes time, but I can't tell you how many times I've found a treasure because it was in the wrong place. Oh, and the shoes will be featured tomorrow...look how cute they were - $6! These photos are from a Christmas show I wore the outfit in. For Smokey Joe's, I wore black pumps...a little more fashion forward.

#2 Silver Bullet

This treasure I also found at Ross! Again, I was looking for something for my Christmas show...I decided the finale should be silver and black. Did I have a silver dress? No, of course not! So, I went shopping. I tried on a dozen dresses, but as luck would have it, this $13 number (on clearance) was perfectly fitted and flattering. I also found matching shoes (sorry, I don't have a great photo) for $5 (also on clearance). The silver shrug was something I picked up probably a year before at Susie's Deals when I had to return something and they only do store credit. I think it was around $8. It was a larger and more jacket like, so I cut it down to a cute shrug. I LOVE this outfit! It's very flattering on me. Oh, I did add the stones which cost about $15. Yeah, I spent more on the stones than the dress...

#3 White as Snow

So, I know I started a trend...ROSS! Yes, got this dress at Ross as well. It was at the top of my usual spending range, $20. That was it's regular price and sometimes when you need something specific, you have to spend a little more. I needed a white dress for the Shades of Sinatra show I do. I ended up wearing it for Smokey Joe's as seen in the photos.

The shoes, though you can't really see them, were my splurge - $25. But again, performance wear and they go with EVERYTHING, so worth it in this case. The bracelet was $6 at Walgreens (go figure) and I made the headband with some trim I had.

My Spring Hunting List

Hey! Follow me on Pinterest! I love pinterest and I have a board called my hunting list...things I want to find at fabulous bargains! Let me share a few with you must have items I will be searching for as I do some shopping over the next few days.


1. Brown Boots w/Heels (I know I would only wear them a few times this season, but they should be cheaper to find and they'll keep for the summer!

2. Purse - I WILL find something wonderful. Maybe not this exactly, as $112 is WAY too much for a purse, but a nice shoulder bag...something with room for my trusty iPad!

3. I'm feeling very feminine this spring! Or I will, I mean, it's still February, but I live in Las Vegas, so we're getting up to the high 60's during the day already....anyway... I'm dying for a cute, lace dress with a proper sweater! Actually, I have a cute sweater... Love the belt, too.

And there's a few! I'll be hitting up my favorite Thrift Store Ultra Bargain day this weekend, so hopefully I'll have something to share!

First post - SHOES!

So you know those ads on the side of your facebook page about the shoes...just fab? Yeah. Kept clicking. Loved. Eventually, gave in.

Every shoe is $39.95. Which is way more than I like to spend on shoes. $20 is my limit and they better be pretty special to drop a whole Jackson on.

But then...there's a 2 for one sale...plus 50% off the first pair...

I COULDN'T RESIST! I got 3 whole pairs. 2 for performance wear and one sassy casual. With free shipping - that's $60 for 3 pairs. Not my most frugal pick, but for really nice, brand new shoes, not bad at all.

THE CATCH - you get signed up for a monthly service where they pick a pair of shoes and then send them to you unless you remember to tell them not to. So I'm not sure what I'm going to do...probably just cancel because I could buy a whole outfit (or 2) for $40. I'll keep you posted.

So, here they are!

#1 - The Blakely in Silver

I wore these on Valentines day with my Pink dress for a concert I did. I wasn't sure about the silver, but I ended up loving them! And in spite of 5 inches of heel offset by a 1 inch platform, very comfy and sturdy onstage! YAY!

#2. The Svetlana in Black

I've had my eye out for black sparkly's for a while so I decide to go with these! Also wore them on Valentine's day with my long red gown. My only complaint is that the gown stuck to them when I walked, so they'll probably be reserved for shorter dresses from now on. Also comfy and easy to work in. Again, YAY!

#3 The Harlow in Black

I was really excited about these ones - I've wanted some booties like this forever. Unfortunately, they are super uncomfortable and really hard to walk in. The pitch is too high I think. I'll give them a few more tries when I know I'm going somewhere I don't have to walk much, but really disappointed. 

So, 2 out of 3 ain't bad...and there's still hope for the Harlow...sometimes shoes just take some getting used to. 

It is fun shopping online...you can spend hours deciding what you want an nobody cares!