Gold and Seafoam

Gold and Seafoam.............

made a comeback for spring...and I couldn't be happier about seeing more of it around. It's one my absolute favorite color combos! Style magazine did a little feature in their March 2012 edition, and I'm linking up a few of my favorite pictures and outfit combos that I've seen on the internet below. Here's how I did it (vintage and thrift, of course!) with two dresses that I purchased for under two dollars each, along with vintage gold accents and a fun hat!

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...And here are some images that I found online to inspire your seafoam and gold endeavors!

Fab outfit from www.LoveMaegan.com

And some random images to inspire--my apologies to the original owners of these photos because I've had them stored in a folder for a while and was unable to find the sources to credit.




So there you have it. See what you can thrift to put together a dreamy, minty color combo. So vintage, romantic and feminine. Love it!

Collections

Collections

It's a hoarder friendly way of saying, "I'm obsessed!"

But really...sometimes I just love to get all my items out and put them in a big pile and roll in them.

OK, maybe I just roll in it with my eyes.

What do I collect?

-Vintge clip on and screwback earrings

-Vintage Brooches

-Owls and Mallard Ducks

-Marushka Screen Prints

And all kinds of household items. Behold, a feast for the eyes! I probably don't need to tell you that all of these items were THRIFTED (not antiqued) for less than a few dollars each. The most expensive item was the Marushka print, at $4.50.

(BY THE WAY, that's a wooden DUCK PHONE you are looking at. And if you aren't already jealous enough, THE FREAKIN' eyes light up when it rings.)

Thanks for peeking at the blog today. I'll see you tomorrow for an outfit post!

Hodge Podge

A cute little ensemble I wore to the studio a few weeks ago...

A little of this, and that…

It's been an interesting week!

I haven't had much time for the jewelry giveaway that I had planned, plus a few other DIYs, outfit shoots and "Thrift Trick Imposter" blogs. But it will come soon enough...

The weather has been absolutely (and unseasonably) gorgeous, warm and sunny here in Michigan--we're on a streak of near eighties for a week! It's just unreal! Though the warm rays of goodness have caressed my soul, we've been awfully sad here at our residence after our dog of 17 years, Joe, turned up missing just over a week ago. He was a friend, our first "baby", and a wonderful and faithful pet. We feel strongly that he may have went somewhere to "pass on" as older animals sometimes do. Wherever you are, Joe...we love you!

Anyhow, I thought I'd share a few random pictures with you that didn't transpire into full blog entries of their own. I'll be back this weekend to share some fun things and hopefully to post multiple entries. Enjoy!

Home made lentil soup with greek yogurt and cilantro...

And strawberries on sale!

Marked 1966, I bought this cute little mod coffee mug for .49 today...

Affro curls...had a little fun with my hair on St. Patrick's day, though I didn't end up wearing this green dress!

(It was my second attempt at a hair DIY that I've since talked about here at the blog...and it still didn't turn out quite as well as what I had hoped, or how the original DIY post did. My hair is somehow against tiny curls! Haha! But it was fun and definitely an overall "vintage-y" seventies curl...and I really enjoyed it! It took me over FIFTY small rollers.....Whoah mama.)

The outfit from the pieces pictured above. OH...and the epic tiger in the vocal booth. DUDE!

My band Chantron is getting ready to release a new single. I'll let you know when it's ready!

Black Floral Birthday

Vintage Dark Floral!

I found this pretty vintage blouse at the thrift store the day before yesterday for $1.50 and decided to put together an outfit with it for my birthday today! In the A.M., I paired the blouse with black slacks, red heels and a black blazer. For the P.M. and out to dinner, I matched it up with a black pleated polyster skirt, the same heels, a yellow clutch and a side bun with vintage sunglasses. (Also, the lovely little vintage coral clip ons I thrifted here, a while back.)

100% Thrifted--everything!

Well, I lied. The bright green cocktail ring is a NEW, cheap, fun piece of costume jewelry...but it was only 1.50...had to add something funky to "throw off the scent"...

Used shoes? Yes please.

Bling!

Look at how blinged out these gold high heels are! Can't wait to wear them this summer....bought both pairs (plus two others) in this blog featured at a two for one sale at Lakeshore Rescue Mission Thrift in Grand Haven, MI. If there's anything I love more than vintage rhinestones...it is rhinestones on shoes.

OH! And this bullcrap article popped up on yahoo…

20 things (YAHOO says) you shouldn't buy used. (Whatever).

(By the way, I no longer see the comments on this news article available to read--but boy did I see them when it was first posted. This article got HUGE amounts of negative feedback...almost everyone reading seemed to have the same viewpoint that I do!!!)

I went on a rant about it on the Thrift Trick Facebook page (see the thread here), but I can't believe how ridiculous this article is. YES, we are all smart enough to stay away from used underwear, swimsuits, cosmetics and medicine at thrift stores...I hope.

But shoes, hats, tires, camera lenses? GIVE ME A BREAK! As I griped on the FB page, this insatiable consumer attitude is exactly why our world is in such turmoil.

I mean, seriously, does every human in this world need something that literally just got pried off a plastic mold? Are you really too good for something that has been gently used?

I've been buying and wearing used things for my entire life (I'm 33 years this Friday) with absolutely no ill effect. Yes, I clean my used items well. No, I've never caught any "germs" from anything. I can say with honesty that many purchases that were "new" items have caused me much more grief in the past. Been buying used tires FOREVER. Fantastic! No troubles! Used SLR lens in great shape for cheap? Hell yeah, bring it on! Vintage hats? Yes please. People do know that hats can be sanitized and washed, right? Or tossed in the dryer, sprayed with Lysol, air dried? Germs and parasites are living creatures. They can't live on fabric forever without a host. Duh. (Never found one creepy crawly in any of my clothes or hats secondhand). Oh, but that entails WORK. It would be easier for an underage child in China to just make an entirely new hat, right?

I'm not saying I don't like new things. It's just that I appreciate the character, conservation and usefulness of thrifted, upcycled and recycled items. If you're reading this blog, you're likely of the same mind. If so, do this world a favor, and stand up for the treasure in this world that is not trash!

DIY Glitter flats!

glitter! glitter! glitter!

I was reading Real Simple March 2012 and I came across this page of adorable glittered shoes. I love glitter everything, and shoes are no exception.

I'd come across many, many glitter tutorials in the past, so I thought why not give flats a try? I'm not going to do a full tutorial here because there are so many great ones out there (I'll link a few) but I will tell you about my experience and SUGGEST that you go out to a thrift store and pick up a thrifted pair of shoes to try this out on! It's a great way to recycle and that way you won't stress if it doesn't turn out perfectly...

i could roll in this glitter! teehee!

I started with an old pair of flats. Of course, I removed the jewels from them to use on another pair! Then I coated the shoes using a paintbrush with craft tacky glue (there are many different brands, a lot of people prefer "Modge Podge".) I sprinkled multi-colored regular chunk glitter all over, then dipped my brush back into the craft glue and "pressed it" into the shoe carefully, sort of "packing it in". After it was tacky, I looked for thin spots to put a second coat over. I've also read tutorials that say to mix the glue with the glitter, but I find that very hard to spread and a bigger pain in the butt. Naturally, you'll want to put some newspaper down or do this in a sequestered area. Honestly, I didn't make much of a mess. Don't worry...

the craft glue dries clear!

so cute and oddly enough, the glue and glitter are flexible--no flaking!

...and I have plans to "glitterfy" other things, because it was so fun. You should try it!

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GLITTER TUTORIALS:

Here is a tutorial from Polka Dot Bride using a fine glitter (I prefer the chunk myself!): http://www.polkadotbride.com/2011/10/glitter-shoes-tutorial/

Glittered Sneakers from Martha Stewart (Now I want to do a pair of my Chuck high tops!!!):http://www.marthastewart.com/856703/glittered-sneakers

Another glitter flats story (I chose this one because the author made me laugh when she said that "...anyone expecting her to create a perfect layer of Modge Podge can go punch themselves in the face"....hahah! : http://hellomoye.com/2011/01/18/diy-glitter-flats/

Into the closet: favorite and recent vintage dress finds

I cleaned out my closet…

And it felt so nice! I grouped things by color, print and/or accent color, organized all my blazers and skirts, and "dumped" two garbage bags of ill-fitting, outdated or non-functional clothing! Thank you, SPRING BREAK!

What a perfect time to pull out some of my favorite and most recent vintage dress finds! You'll see each dress has its tag/designer in the corner. Vintage hunting tip: check the tag. I can spot true vintage from across the room; however, if you're not sure--check the tag! Vintage type-fonts and embroidered tags (or NO tags at all!) are the telltale sign of true vintage.

Don't pay a million dollars on Etsy...roll your sleeves up and dig a bit! You can find great vintage at your local thrift store. No dress on this page cost more than three dollars and 4 out of 6 were only $1.59.

Vintage Toni Todd

I love this piece. So pretty and the rhinestone buttons and belt accents just knock it out of the park for me! Pretty and glam spring pastels...

Vintage Willow Ridge

I love this little blue and purple paisley shirt dress. Get lots of compliments on it whenever I wear it. Right when I went to snap the pic the wind picked up and the dress began to dance for me! :)

Vintage Miss Shaheen

How awesome is this mod peacock print dress? Hot.

Vintage Stuart Alan

I like the fringy cowl neck on this super soft knit vintage. Great piece for layering in fall and winter with belts and sweaters!

Vintage Leslie Fay

I love the idea of perking up this hot pink 80's short sleeved shirt dress with slammin' red heels and long, wavy curls...great summer look!

Vintage Schrader Sport

Late 70's nautical/sporty striped shirt dress! I love the collar pop with super bright red. Should have pressed the wrinkles out before snapping the pic...oops! This outfit would look great with red heels as well..possibly with a cute red knit cap or beret or tight curls.

Thanks for looking today and let me know what you think!

Which of these dresses would you like to see in an outfit?

Tea Time: Ideas to upcycle thrifted teacups!

Upcycled Teacup Fun!

I LOVE teacups and dishes. It's so hard for me to walk away from them in the thrift store--even in incomplete sets! I always think of gifts, tea for one, or crafting projects! The good news is that you don't have to feel guilty about a teacup purchase if it was only 99 cents at a thrift store. They make an adorable gift and you can feel great about recycling something that would otherwise end up collecting dust on a shelf somewhere...

The picture above is a gift for a friend that I made, and the first idea for vintage or upycled teacups in my blog today, which features ideas from other blogs or websites that I discovered!

As you can see, I made a Teacup Planter ( shown above). The delicate little yellow rose teacup and matching saucer was a 1.49 at a local thrift store, and I potted a baby Petunia that was a cutting from a larger plant. I have many babies going from parent plants in my house for just such occasions! Read on to discover some other ideas for vintage china that are not only creative for the tea fanatic but just plain cute for anyone!

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Teacup Bird Feeder

How darling! Check the tutorial here from www.IntimateWeddings.com

Upcycled Teacup and Teapot Lamp

I'd love to try this. How cute for a kitchen, library, or den. Instructions here from www.CopyCatCrafts.com.

Cupcake in a Teacup Pincushion

Oh dear...how CUTE! What a nice gift for a seamstress. My mind starts to wander as to what else you could stick in there...and what about a real cupcake with a candle for the tealover? Maybe something special like a bergamot cupcake...oh yes....

Tutorial here from Instructables.com.

Upcycled Teacup Candle

These are so precious. I'm not one for candlemaking, but I have an idea on how I could actually do this craft with pre-made candles melted down, using the same base and wick. I will update you...going to try it soon!

Tutorial here from www.Blog.Nature.org

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OTHER IDEAS NOT PICTURED HERE:

-Teacup and saucer as a jewelry container for rings or small earrings

-Broken or smashed china and teacups for use in mosaic art

-Teacup as a candy dish (nice gift--fill with Bergamot French candy?)

-Chandeliers and even bracelet bangles (anyone ever try that? I'd like to know how!)

--Fill with coffee beans and stick decorative pens or pencils for the coffee lover's desk at work!

Have other ideas? I’d love to hear them—leave a comment!