More Mundane Fashion Finds

Since I'm cooped up, in the house, with my son...who has been home all week from school...I might as well try to make up for the 2+ months during which time I was MIA. It also keeps me distracted from the disappointing fact that we had to cancel our trip to see my mom and dad in Maine this weekend :-( My son had strep and an ear infection, for which he is taking antibiotics, and has now developed a secondary viral infection that just has to "run it's course". That's medical talk for: hunker down and put your lives on hold until the ICK leaves the building!

Last week, while I was beginning to organize our cool weather clothes, I realized I had virtually NO sweaters. A New Englander with no sweaters? Blaspheme! I had several bags of the kids' outgrown clothing to drop at Sally's so...

Naturally, I waited until Wednesday (50% off all clothing, shoes & accessories) and I went with a mission: sweaters and nothing else. Miracle of miracles: I stuck to my resolution. I must admit, I did step outside of my own comfort zone, in that I chose very classic, traditional tops (almost :::gulp::: preppy!). Interesting, yet little known personal fact; when I turned 40 (3 years ago), I could no longer wear turtlenecks. Having my neck constricted, in any way, drove me to the point of nearly stripping off my top with no regard for my surroundings. Not good, so I decided to avoid them altogether. For whatever reason, the idea of a cozy turtleneck sweater appealed to me this year, so I started rebuilding my collection. I'm not stupid, though, I tried one on first...just to be sure the Pavlovian reaction was gone. Sure 'nuff. I was cured.

Who cares about all of that? What'd I get? Oh, before I get to that (for those of you who don't know me personally, can you just imagine what it's like to have a face-to-face conversation with me, the Queen of Tangents???), the main reason for this post is to, once again, try to woo those of you who are second-hand sissies out of your corners. Step into the thrift store light. Why would you ever choose to pay the ridiculous prices at the mall or department store when you can, with minimal effort, expand your wardrobe exponentially for less money. So what if someone else has worn it? That's what washing machines are for. If you're really cootie conscious, take it to the dry cleaners...you'll still save money.

Back to the regularly scheduled topic....ummm...which was....oh yeah! My haul of sweaters.

~Lime green, heavy cotton t-neck sweater with really cool slits up the sleeves (Ann Taylor)

~Colorful, cotton/ silk, v-neck sweater (Talbots)

~Plum, heavy cotton t-neck, cableknit sweater (Eddie Bauer) ***this was really a stretch for me as it was both a turtleneck and falls into the category of "purple", but it looks cute on

~Pale lavender (what's with this change in my taste), angora sweater with a really pretty cowl/ off-the-shoulder neck that has subtle embroidery...great for dressing up a bit (Sleeping on Snow...never heard of them, but I like the name AND the top)

**not pictured

~a paler green, silk t-neck sweater (Ann Taylor)

~a GORGEOUS, wide boatneck, Irish cableknit (Handmade)

Grand Total: $6.98

Yellow & Blue

I may have made mention of the fact that yellow, blue & white is my favorite color combination. The irony is: I don't ever recall doing a room...or any part of my home...using those colors. I was at Salvation Army, last Wednesday, for Family Day (50% off everything in the store) and hit my color combo heaven when I got to the linens section. Clearly, someone shared my love of these three colors and had donated a ton (no exaggeration) of goodies. Now, the "linens section" of Sally's is a bit of a misnomer. Fact is; the "section" consists of 4 industrial size rolling bins, into which all of the linens are dumped. You literally have to climb into the 8 ft. bins, hold your breath and dive for hidden treasures. Some ladies actually choose to take their shoes off first. Me? I keep 'em on for fear of getting impaled by a rabid curtain hook. Shoes also help with kicking through the mountain of tablecloths, sheets & window treatments.

Last Wednesday I was in luck when I spotted a layer of yellow and blue, floating on the sea of linens. No dumpster diving required! Woohoo!I managed to find, with minimal effort: a blue & white Waverly sofa cover, a plaid Laura Ashley bed skirt, a pale yellow hand knit throw and....my only disappointment...ONE thermal lined, Laura Ashley curtain. I found the matching tie-back, but not the other curtain. The pattern is so pretty and high-quality, though, that I figured I could eventually transform it into something fabulous. Now I have the beginnings of my yellow, blue & white dream room. I think I'll hold out until the spring to begin the transformation of my cozy living room. The best part...bed skirt: $.99, curtain: $1.99, knit throw: $.99 and sofa cover: $2.99. Divide that in half (because it's Family Day at Sally's) and my grand total was... $3.48!