Cozy and Comfrey

COZY AND (B&W) COMFREY

I'm digging the combo of black and white and "comfrey", or forest green for Spring! It's a Pantone 2014 color and it's really great with my favorite, monochrome! The cute fitted black Gap dress shirt underneath the angora crop sweater (also secondhand) is from Lakeshore Rescue Mission thrift and was only $2.99. I'm also loving the green cross body satchel, 100% leather, that I picked up for $3.00 (thrifting, of course!).

This may be the last day of March, but I'm excited to announce that my Spring fashion run with Holland Rescue Mission will continue! I can't wait to "Thrift Trick" more spring outfits and share them with you! Hope that, wherever you are, you are enjoying a little sunshine!

Dark Floral for Spring 2014

DARK FLORAL FOR SPRING 2014

I LOVE dark floral and I love the idea of mixing it with black for spring--it feels very Dolce & Gabanna to me and there are plenty of dark floral patterns trending out there this season! Bright colors, aztec, moto jackets and dark/vibrant patterns are all in regular rotation as part of my spring attire, and this bright floral skirt--along with the fun black and gold clutch and little rhinestone flower ring--(from Lakeshore Rescue Mission Thrift) were the perfect edgy, spring fueled ensemble for a spring wedding I attended this weekend in Chattanooga, TN. Congrats to the sweet wedding couple for a lovely day and the union of two awesome people who I'm so glad I've gotten to know! (PS--I thrifted the cute red and white polka dot glasses while I was there, and they've quickly become my favorite...)

Skirt + Ring + Clutch = $5.00

The neat graffiti wall is JJ's Bohemia in Chattanooga, TN. =)  




CHECK OUT MY "PINSPIRATION" FOR THIS LOOK HERE:


    

Aztec Moto

AZTEC MOTO

I really love this Aztec scarf that I picked up at Lakeshore Rescue Mission Thrift, and it's just enough of a bright pop that it pairs well with all black--even this brand new Mossimo moto jacket I thrifted for $6! Yahoo!

Plus, it's right on point with the Pantone spring color charts for 2014 (not that you can't wear any color at any time) with the hues of:

Comfrey, Sand, Paloma, and Cayenne!






  






MORE MARCH MAGIC FASHION IS ON THE WAY!

Pinspiration: Aztec for Spring 2014

PINSPIRATION: Aztec For Spring

My next "March Magic" project, sponsored by Holland Rescue Mission Thrift Stores, will be spring fashion inspired! I'm taking inspirational outfits from the runway, seasonal trends and classic spring fashion from my Spring 2014 Inspiration board and recreating themMY way; thrifted! 

I wanted to share with you today one of my passions this season: bright prints for spring--specifically, Aztec! The images in this blog post can all be found on the Pinterest board.

Tomorrow I'll show you an outfit I put together with an Aztec item thrifted from Lakeshore Rescue Mission Thrift, and you can expect to see more of the outfits and ideas I have pinned come to life with secondhand clothes and accessories from Holland Rescue Mission Thrift Stores!

Stay Tuned!

 

Bathroom Makeover: Final Pics!

BATHROOM MAKEOVER!

I'm excited to announce the final pics from my bathroom makeover, sponsored by Holland Rescue Mission and Lakeshore Rescue Mission Thrift!

I love the way it turned out; though it was a simple and quick makeover, my bathroom went from being a hodge-podge, mismatched space to being much more pulled together. The yellow, black and white seemed very fresh to me, and I was pleased to do the entire project for less than $50!

BEFORE AND AFTER

I was INSTANTLY enamored with this adorable vintage fixture in an orange "creamsicle" shade...it seemed to compliment the rest of the color scheme well, and it casts a mellow light on the bathroom at night, perfect for a lengthy bubble bath! ;) $6.99 was the "damage", if you can call it that...




I fashioned a nice new shower curtain out of a bit of scrap fabric I found at Lakeshore Rescue Mission Thrift; it was a nice heavy polyester/cotton blend in just the right shade of grey.
It was literally the perfect size; I simply hemmed both ends and cut slits for the shower curtain rings, and paired it with a new liner for a few bucks. Voila!

 

A thrifted glass globe, dollar store flowers (hint: snip your faux flowers and rearrange them for an upgraded look in vases or floral arrangements), secondhand mock rosemary plant and thrifted frames are gracing the "throne", so to speak...haha!

PUT A (thrifted) BIRD ON IT!




I replaced many containers around the room with thrifted glass decanters and jars (the blue you see above is mouthwash, and I added a vintage shot glass for swishing as well), and it felt so much more fancy. It's always nice to recycle the unsightly plastic packaging.



I was really inspired by the yellow and grey chevron on my Pinterest inspiration board for the makeover.
I found this print online and just popped it into a thrifted frame!

The chevron stag head is sandwiched between two secondhand frames showcasing a few "powder room" inspired shots of my favorite starlet, Marilyn Monroe.

A much cleaner, less cluttered sinktop...

I like that the mirror is reflecting the zebra print curtain... :) This mirror was inspired by this pin--I loved the vintage, atomic design. This piece was new, but clearanced at Family Dollar for only 10 dollars.

 

I gave up my hanging tools for this little chevron lined basket (also a new but clearanced item marked $5 at Meijer) and I'm currently hiding it away. So far, I don't mind having to dig it out to style my hair...

The shelf storage looks SO much better when hid by this sheer zebra print curtain (plus a tension road, a purchase totaling $8)!

This little tray was shown above; it was also inspired by a Pinterest pin on my inspiration board!

Overall, this makeover project went incredibly smoothly and was VERY inexpensive. I really love the process of pinning and looking for secondhand or thrifted substitutions. Not only is it eco-conscious, but it is incredibly wallet friendly! When you shop non-profit thrift stores like those from Holland Rescue Mission, you can also feel fantastic about every penny going to a great cause.

Have a super week and stay tuned for more "March Magic" in my next series, 

coming this week at Thrift Trick!

BEFORE: The "before the makeover" pics of my bathroom!

BEFORE THE MAKEOVER

Look, it's a toilet! Haha!

If you've been following along, then you'll already know that I'm teaming up with Holland Rescue Mission Thrift Stores and Lakeshore Rescue Mission Thrift for a series of fun upcycled and thrifted projects called "March Magic"! My first project is the Upcycled and Thrifted Bathroom Makeover. 

A few days ago, I posted my design inspiration for the bathroom; yellow, grey, black and white. My goal was to use almost exclusively thrifted items! I did make a few new purchases, and I'll list them and price them in my final "showcase" blog, which is coming soon. 

Back to the bathroom in these pictures... 

Ugh, this bathroom has needed some help for a while. I keep it tidy and it isn't the most HIDEOUS thing I've ever seen, but it's definitely thrown together. The cheesy, cheap shower curtain was something I picked up at a discount store for just a few dollars to dress up the sheer shower liner, and honestly, I never really cared for it much. The rugs (not pictured) mismatch and there was never really a color scheme.

Honestly, I like my bathroom space for the most part; it's fairly decent sized for an apartment, and it's tucked away nicely on the end of the house.  One thing that ISN'T my favorite, though, is the exposed storage. Underneath these recessed (and exposed) cabinets is a small space I keep my scale and hamper in, and everything is visible. Though I keep it somewhat organized in bins, I'm not sure that I really want this "hanging out", so that was part of my considerations for a makeover.

 

The lovely Veronica Lake! I do love my pinup girls. I'm thinking of making a switch to only B&W pictures in the bathroom though, and these mismatch frames are going into storage.

 

 

This tangled mess is where I hang my hairstyling tools. I know, it's an eyesore! But I like having them at arms reach because they are used every day! I've been considering several different storage options for these in some of the DIY posts I've been searching through on my Pinterest Inspiration board.

AHHHH! NASTY CLUTTER!!!!

Little brick doorstop kitty. ;) This little gem came home with me after no one purchased it at the Thrift Trick fashion show  in December of 2012, and when the back of the door is loaded with bathrobes, she holds it open. =) I do love my apartment, but the lack of closet space is a big bummer! Therefore, I have many items hanging on hooks, and it gets a little maddening.

We'll see what stays/goes/comes when the makeover is final....

SEE YOU THIS WEEKEND!

It's an upcycled and thrifted BATHROOM MAKEOVER project!

Image credit at a lovely little design blog, Flourish Design + Style

UPCYCLED AND THRIFTED BATHROOM MAKEOVER PROJECT!

I'm so excited to announce that part of my "March Magic" series sponsored by Holland Rescue Mission thrift stores is a bathroom makeover! It seemed like the perfect "Spring Cleaning" project--quick and really, quite necessary for me. You see, when I moved into my apartment last year, I took care to decorate just about every room thoughtfully (and you can see my thrifted and vintage decor/layout here), with the exception of my bathroom. That's why it was left out in the tour, haha! I'm manning up in my next blog to show you the "before" pictures so you can get a better idea, but first, I'd like to show you some of my design inspiration!

I've put together a Pinterest Board entitled "Thrift Trick Bathroom Makeover Inspiration", and with the exception of a few minor purchases (such as a new shower curtain liner) I'm decorating the entire thing with thrifted items from my sponsor, Lakeshore Rescue Mission Thrift! (One location of three Holland Rescue Mission stores).

You might notice that I've gone with a distinctly yellow/grey/black and white theme! I'm very attracted to the clean and bright qualities, and though I'm not planning on painting my white walls, I'd really like to bring some color in!

There are even more fun DIY ideas on the Pinterest board that I'll be using as well...make sure to visit and comment!

Here are some of my favorite images--click the image to visit the pin!