Three dollar necklace and a two second trick!

$3 DOLLAR NECKLACE 
and a {2} SECOND TRICK!

I was so pleased to find this pretty little turquoise and gold statement necklace at Family Dollar for three bucks! They seem to always have fun, bold jewelry for under five dollars, and I couldn't resist this twisted bead piece when I saw it. (It came with matching earrings, too!) I honestly could have picked up the white version with minimal guilt at that price, but I decided to let it stay on the shelf. They also had purple and black! The rest of the outfit is one hundred percent thrifted. I've really been digging all black lately!

HERE'S MY 2 SECOND TRICK:

I tie my dress shirts!

I love wearing high waisted, long skirts. Often, I pair them with collared shirts so that I can also rock bold bib necklaces and scarves. For me, letting the shirt tails hang out looks sloppy and adds a lot of loose girth--not something I love to do. If I belt them to accentuate my waist, I can sometimes end up with a bit of a peplum look, and depending on the shirt, I might like it. I'm still not always thrilled at the way it shapes my body. For that reason, I often tie a knot in the shirt instead! I leave the last button undone and tie it right at my waist. It's a little bit of a feminine, vintage look, and I feel that when you do it with more of a formal piece like a high waisted skirt, it looks quite polished too! Make sure to tie it at the smallest point of your natural waist line...and watch the curves appear. ;)

Wild Thang at Fat Chix

 WILD THANG AT FAT CHIX

This morning I stopped in to Fat Chix Coffee Cantina in Grand Haven, Michigan. If the coffee doesn't wake you up...the decor certainly will!  What a fun little place on Beachtree street.  The coffee is moderately priced and of good quality, and the ambience of the place is quirky, down to earth and completely sub-pretentious. 

It almost seems unfair to shoot in black and white there.

I love the "pay yourself, make your own change" vibe on the everyday coffee counter. There are goodies of all kinds stacked literally from wall to wall; from gourmet sauces and Trader Joe's odds and ends to sweet rolls! Speaking of sweet, this precious guy was checking me out this morning as I hauled my tripod to and fro. I never did catch his name.

This outfit was 100% thrifted! The black skirt is something I've been favoring alot lately. It's just SO great with busy prints of every color, and it's a flattering cut for me! The tiger print mock turtleneck was a Hope's Outlet find this week for $1.49, and I'm loving the black microsuede wedges I bought at Goodwill for $6 brand new. They were a clearance item from Target (Merona). This wonderful little color block suede vintage clutch was from St. Vincent DePaul's, averaging at 15 cents from a recent "bag sale" score.

One of my favorite things about being out and about for outfit/thrifting posts are the locals I get to chat with. People are so responsive and friendly in this area. If I could only remember to keep large stacks of business cards with me, everywhere I go...

It's kind of fun to do your bracelets OVER the sleeves sometimes. I do get a little OCD on occasion though, when trying to "push my sleeves up" for everyday tasks.  Having something constricted there can push me into a freakout. Haha!

Hope your weekend is off to a great start! If you find yourself in need of a little shock therapy tomorrow morning, try Fat Chix in Grand Haven. Keeps the old eyeballs open!