after you’re done here, go read miles, papa and me. it’s a blog i’ve found recently that i absolutely adore. cora writes about her and her family (her hubby and little baby boy) in portland, or. they’re cute and hip and thrifty. cora is creative and writes candidly (not to mention, she is absolutely beautiful!).
a couple of weeks ago she hosted a giveaway for one of her necklaces she sells in her etsy shop. i had already snooped around her offerings and had fallen in love so i eagerly entered a comment for a chance to win. i was hoping and praying that this would be mine. i mean, there’s a difference between entering a giveaway just bc free stuff is nice and entering a giveaway bc you are seriously coveting the giveaway piece. i was coveting.
and can you believe it? i won! the gods at random.org–or however she chose her lucky number–must certainly have been looking down on me with favor that day. it arrived in the mail soon after and i haven’t taken if off since. it is so amazing. take a look (“molded from an english sparrow skull, this solid metal pendant is made from melted bullet casings which are melted down to make recycled brass”):
excuse the myspace photo op. it’s really hard to take photos of yourself with an SLR in your outstretched hands without looking like a total narcissist..
recently i went through ramona’s clothes to see what still fit and what was still weather appropriate. she was still wearing cold-weather clothes even though the temps have been in the 80s. to boot, she had outgrown most of her warm-weather clothes. seeing how it’s been six months since it’s been consistently warm weather, i’m not sure why i found this surprising. she was in need of some airy dresses and lighter bloomers.
to the thrift store we went! and i think we cleaned up. for no more than $15 i got all of this loot:
my two favorite pieces are the orange tunic with wood buttons (made in india) and the vintage chambray jumper with orange stitching.
what i learned on this thrifting outing was that it doesn’t hurt to look in the boys section. i always take a quick peek in the boys clothes in case i find something for max or august or one of the three baby boys expected to arrive in august (all of my friends are pregnant, it feels like). i found this tunic and knew immediately it’d be going into mo’s dresser.
another tip for baby clothes (which breaks my rule of looking for thrift store clothes for yourself) is to quickly browse through other sizes as well. often baby clothes get mislabeled and can be found in the size sections three months up or down from where your baby is at. vintage clothes, especially, often don’t have tags on them so the workers seem to eyeball it and often don’t eyeball it too well. i’ve even looked up in 2T and found some things that ramona has rocked. i never spend too much time in these sections, though. just a quick glance to see if there are any fabrics or colors that catch my eye.
here’s ramona in that tunic over the weekend:
happy thrifting!
my minka moo,
before i say anything i must say this: be yourself. this is the most important style advice anyone has ever told me and, i am confident, the most important style advice anyone will ever tell you.
you have probably noticed by now that your mother is not incredibly stylish. i mean, i know a few tricks and follow a few rules but i don’t believe the words fashionable or stylish or trendy have ever been used to describe me. and even though you will roll your eyes at me when you are in jr high bc you cannot believe your mom is not as cool as other moms (trust me, it happens to all of us jr highers) you must realize that i still have style. it’s something i’ve been working on through the years. it goes back and forth, spot on and missing the mark, changing course every few seasons, always with the goal of finding a style i feel most comfortable in. i’m not talking comfortable like socks with sandals (you’ll have to talk to your pops about that one) but comfortable as in the previous paragraph: what makes me feel most like myself and allows me to creatively and honestly convey this to those around me. my style is my wardrobe, surely, but it is also my reactions, my communications, my writing, my causes, my home, my community, my conversations, my actions, my relationships, my habits. it is what i choose to do with these and in these spaces that convey much about my style; lets us know much about others’ styles. and so, because i cannot tell you what shoes will be the best for next season or why one-shouldered tops are apparently acceptable again (i really have no clue about that one) i will share with you some of the “style” rules i find myself more or less following almost most of the time.
smile. but only when you mean it. but find lots of excuses to mean it.
do not read beauty magazines. they will only make you feel ugly (this is a quote from jewel that’s stuck w me).
you will worry a lot less what others think about you when you realize how little they do. pops (the man who will walk in public with sandals and socks) says this all the time and he got it from eleanor roosevelt.
get plenty of sleep and drink lots of water. but don’t forget to find some nights to stay up late and have fun with friends over many bottles of wine (in due time, of course).
buy good quality. buying something bc it is on sale or inexpensive is a false economy (read walden for more information on that). buy what fits, what flatters, what lasts. be picky about what you give a home in your closet.
change your hair color. cut your hair. it will always grow out or back if you don’t like it. also, find a good stylist whom you like and respect and stick with them. don’t be afraid to spend some moola on a hairstyle that makes you feel fabulous.
trends are trends. stick to the classics. or don’t. your mama’s style is pretty much jeans and a t-shirt. maybe some fun shoes and red lips. but if you wanna sport a mohawk or mismatched patterns or lots of glitter, go on with your bad self.
find your own personal outlet of expression. own it.
be kind to people. all people. expect others to be kind to you and others. speak up when injustices occur.
don’t be afraid to leave the house without makeup on. i mean, i usually regret it but it’s totally ok. if you’re in a pinch remember: mascara first. then lips. then cheeks. but remember that you’re beautiful without any of those.
wear sunscreen.
feel free to reinvent yourself — college or travels or moving to a new city are good for that. but do not lose yourself or mask yourself. this goes back to my first point: always be yourself.
i love you. love, mama.
read other letters to ramona bean over here, here, here, here, and here.
this post is done in collaboration with sakura bloom. the sling i am wearing is the essential silk in midnight & pebble. the beautiful photos are by grey paper photography and were taken on the rooftop of linger.
***i’m going to start posting thrifty ideas each thursday. i thought i would jump on the alliteration bandwagon and share with you finds, tips, tricks, and thoughts on my favorite hobby: thrifting and being thrifty. aka, how one with veuve clicquot taste shops on a moet & chandon budget, and other ways to spend and save money wisely on the finer things in life***
my two main sources for buying clothes on a limited budget are the thrift store (i have a secret one that i don’t tell anyone about) and buffalo exchange. buffalo exchange has been a great resource for jeans (j brand, levi’s), sweaters/cardigans, and dressy tops. occasionally i’ve been able to find some good basic tees and one time scored a great pair of steve madden loafers that i live in (typically, though, tees and shoes are what i buy new). the thrift store is where i let myself have a little more fun: vintage blouses with wilder prints and loud handkerchiefs. i want my wardrobe to be classic but i also like a pop of color here and there and some statement pieces for my friday nights at linger. especially if the item was only $1.99. the thrift store is also where i’ve made some great finds that are well worth the search and the pennies spent: gloverall jacket, burberry scarf, christian dior silk blouse, dooney & burke leather satchel. oh man, it’s the hunt and capture that i love so much.
last week i did some thrifting and here’s what came home with me (L to R):
- vintage polyester leopard print, faux leather, shoulder pad amazingness
- blush colored express blouse
- vintage silk christian dior blouse
- badgley mischka silk handkerchief
- paisley handkerchief
- black/purple/green scarf
- vintage flower handkerchief
and for ramona bean:
- oshkosh b’gosh overalls
- baby gap faux fur stole
how’d i find all these? well, i have two babies with me so i don’t have all the time in the world to peruse each rack and item. i have a loose system i follow to make sure i can cover as many clothes as i can as quickly as i can.
1. stick to your size. i basically shop in just the medium section. if it’s a rack of a style of clothing i know i can go up or down a size i’ll look at small and large items too. but always medium and never anything larger than large. and unfortunately, my luck with small is not what it used to be since i’ve given birth.
2. stick to your colors. i wear mostly neutrals. so i look at the blacks, browns, grays, and sometimes navys. my thrift store does a great job at grouping like colors together, so this makes it easy on me (and one of the reasons i stick with this store).
3. know what to look for. in between my preferred sizes and colors i will glance at the offered items as i walk to my next section. i look for good quality fabrics, unique patterns, distinguishing features, and will give these items–if found–a once over. i’ve found a beautiful pendleton coat that way, which i was able to sell and make some moola off of.
4. know when to break the rule. i love scarves, jackets, and blouses (as evidenced above) so i will break the above rules to find something i love. i look at all the scarves (easy to do since they are grouped at the end of each aisle) and give myself more time to look at more colors, sizes, and patterns when the blouse section rolls around. since there’s never too many of them, i look at pretty much every jacket there is.
5. know when to say no. after i’ve gone through all the racks, i sort through what’s in my cart (or piled on top of the babies). once i have all my finds in one place it’s easier to compare and realize what i actually really want to take home with me. sometimes i’ll get home and realize it just wasn’t what i thought it would be (i rarely try the clothes on at the store). i either take it back for store credit (the thrift store gives me ten days to do so) or take it on to buffalo exchange for some extra cash or store credit (that’s one for another post).
thanks for stopping by thrift thursday. hope that helps some of you. i’ll take any suggestions for future posts you might like to see or thrifting advice you have.
also, that christian dior shirt is up for sale… email me if interested.
hooray! i’m so excited guys bc ramona and i and this little blog were selected to be one of the contributors for sakura bloom‘s sling diaries. leigh, over at marvelous kiddo, is hosting (along with sakura bloom) a fashion show of sorts featuring blogging mama’s who wear their babies.
i’m still learning more info but basically each month until august, ramona and i get to play dress-up, wear those beautiful sakura bloom slings, and take photos to write a blog entry around our look choices for the theme they’ve assigned us each month. a curatorial team from sakura bloom will select their favorite photos from my posts (and the other participating bloggers) and pin it to their pinterest board. (see other projects they’ve done here and here).
funny thing is, i first learned about sakura bloom from marvelous kiddo while bean was still cooking away in my belly. i won a sling from one of her giveaways and that luck really encouraged me to explore babywearing and different ways of getting around w ramona. here’s a post of me trying out the sling for the first time w ramona (i’ve since learned how to wear it better).
we just got the themes emailed to us and i’m brainstorming ways to best and most honestly portray what they mean to me as a mama that loves to wear her baby. i know i’m not such a slouch with my style but i wouldn’t consider myself a fashionista; i’m certainly not on the cusp of all the trends. there’s a little bit of anxiety thinking of good-looking outfits while making sure i’m not trying too hard or end up conveying someone i’m not. all in all, this will be really really fun. and i can’t wait to find out what other bloggers are also part of this.
disclaimer: i am NOT being paid for this. i AM receiving two free slings from sakura bloom. they have not asked me to say anything nice about their product or their blog. i am writing these things bc i genuinely do love sakura bloom slings and marvelous kiddo.
welcome
