Spring Fashion Finds

Don't take my absence from blogland as a sign that my bargain hunting has been on hiatus. As the amazing staff at Consignment Originals can attest, I am probably as (if not more) familiar with the stock/ layout of the store as they are. I have developed a definite routine during my C.O. outings: first stop is the $1 and up racks (scouting both the ladies' & the juniors' sections for myself and my girlies). If my cart isn't filled after those racks, I hit the 50% off goodies. Rarely do I venture to the full-price areas; not because the prices aren't incredibly reasonable, but why go for reasonable when you can...with a little more effort...go for ridiculous?!?
I have so much catching up to do, but I did snap pictures of a few of my recent finds this afternoon.

Navy & white Ann Taylor Skirt ($4), New
Cream ruffled Dimri top ($1)

Black H&M skirt ($1.70)
Royal blue Tweeds top ($1.70)

Geometric silk, shift dress: Mark. ($3.20)
And the major score of the day, which will have to wait patiently in my closet until next fall...a gorgeous heather blue, cashmere/ wool jacket. I think this may be handmade because it has no tags....70 cents!!!! 

Night on the Town

I am normally not a huge fan of "bubble dresses". I tend to gravitate toward more classic styles and this particular design feels a bit too trend-of-the-day for my taste. When I saw this dress at Consignment Originals, however, the vibrant color and silky fabric were simply too enticing for me to pass it by. When I tried it on at home (more often than not I break the "ALWAYS try it on before you buy" rule...particularly with consignment items that can't be returned. My rebellious nature at work!), I was SO pleased that I didn't pass this beauty by. It looks pretty darn good!

Eliza J: royal blue cocktail dress~ $5.80 (Retail: $138)

Retail Cost: $138
My Total Cost: $5.80
Savings: 96%

Retro-Mod

LOVE this retro-60's look! I would pair this fabulous dress with a pair of black tights and ankle boots.

Max Studio: geometric dress~ $5.20 (Retail: $198)

Retail Cost: $198
My Total Cost: $5.20
Savings: 97%

Boho Chic

This is one of my favorite...and most exciting...finds from Consignment Originals. The top is very flowing and feminine. I saw the embroidered jeans (Zac Posen for 7 For All Mankind) and thought they were fun & flirty, but nearly fainted when I discovered the original retail cost! Normally, I wouldn't spend more than a few dollars for previously owned jeans, but these are really unique and the retail cost inspired me to stretch my typical spending limit.

Tramp: lavender peasant top~ $2 (Retail: $68)
Zac Posen: "Havana" embroidered jeans~ $6.40 (I still can't get over this, but there were only 250 pairs made, exclusively for Neiman Marcus. Retail: $700...Yup, you read correctly...$700!)

Retail Cost: $768
My Total Cost: $8.40
Savings: 99% WOOHOO!!!

Transitional Fall Outfit

I bought all of these pieces at Consignment Originals. This is a terrific "transitional" outfit (Translation: it can carry you over through those in-between times, when the seasons change, by adding a piece for a layered effect). The top and skirt, worn with a pair of sandals or flats, are perfect for the spring/ summer months. For the fall, I would add the jacket and a pair of tights & boots. The vibrant coral color works perfectly for the warmer weather and the neutral khaki jacket tones it down a bit for the fall.

Max Studio: coral sleeveless top~ $1.60 (Retail: $79)
J Crew: coral floral print, A-line skirt~ $2.40 (Retail: $138)
Old Navy: tan cotton peacoat~ $1.60 (Retail: $68)

Retail Cost: $285
My Total Cost: $5.60
Savings: 98%

New Direction

In my typical "here today, gone tomorrow" style, I have...once again...allowed life's busyness to overcome my ability to put "me time" anywhere on the list of daily to-do's. Thus, my absence from blogland. Also typical of me, the absence of these connections leaves a distinct void in my daily routine. Don't get me wrong: I ADORE my husband (and can hardly believe that we're creeping up on our first anniversary), my step-daughter fills my heart with joy (and lots of laughter) and my own children (the ones I birthed) are adjusting beautifully to the wonderful town we now call home: Cheshire, CT. Segue to my new adventure...
One of the first things I set out to do, in Cheshire, was to scout out the local thrift/ consignment shops. Surprise, surprise! Fortunately, I didn't have far to look. There is THE most fabulous consignment shop right around the corner from our house: aptly named, "Consignment Originals". I personally think that's a bit of a misnomer and would rename it "Soup to Nuts Consignments" if anyone was seeking my humble opinion...which they're not. At any rate, Consignment Originals carries EVERYTHING you would find in a Salvation Army or Goodwill, with a few MAJOR differences: they are HIGHLY selective about what they accept, the store is organized & clean and the staff is fairly knowledgeable about the stock they carry. There are some other terrific, local places to hunt for treasures, but it looks like this post is leaning toward being a CO devotional.
With the economy showing little evidence of a dramatic turnaround, I've really noticed an influx of people willing to put aside their prejudices against second hand shopping, in lieu of jumping on the "less is more" (when it comes to spending money) bandwagon. IT'S ABOUT TIME! Anyone who knows me, even casually, will attest to the fact that I wouldn't abandon the thrill of bargain hunting for anything. An aside: I'd be happy to put that proclamation to the test by volunteering to win the Powerball jackpot of 148 million dollars this Saturday!

I must admit that I practice a bit of reverse snobbery when I see these articles or news segments on high-end fashions for less and am scoffing at the "amazing finds" they pull together for "only a few hundred dollars". I am fairly confident that I could outfit my entire family of five, for at least a season, for less than $300. Okay, realistically...not counting shoes, but that's primarily due to the fact that neither my husband nor my children relish the idea of slipping their puddies into footwear that has been gently loved by someone else.

I thought I'd shift the focus of my blog ramblings (was there ever truly a set focus to my blog???) to some of my fashion finds.

All of the outfits in the picture were from Consignment Originals. The total retail cost (approximately) is just under $2,200. What did I pay, you might be asking yourself? Less than $50!

TOO Sweet!

This is the first weekend, in a month, that John and I had a "no kids" weekend (it took me years to admit that I do enjoy the weekends when my children are with their dad...and not feel guilty about it). Yesterday, John suggested we stop by an antique show at a local boarding school. Yet another reason I married this amazing man...he truly enjoys rummaging through treasures with me. The show was jam-packed with table after table of over-priced lovelies: fun to look at, but well outside the parameters of "reasonable" impulse purchasing.

One of the last tables we visited had a set of to-die-for red (pink?) and white transfer ware that had me climbing over other (more well-behaved) potential customers to get to. What really caught my eye was a huge pitcher & washbasin that was in the center of the display. I have wanted a set like this for as long as I can remember, but have never seen just the right one...until yesterday. The price on the pitcher was, as I feared, not even close to budget friendly. Sensing my interest, the vendor quickly approached and explained that the price was for the entire set: the pitcher and washbasin, a three-piece soap dish, a cup, a smaller pitcher, a small vase (toothbrush holder? ) and.....a chamber pot (which I had, embarrassingly, mistaken for a one-handled soup tureen. To which the vendor responded: "Remind me not to come to dinner at your house". :::blush:::). Suddenly, the price seemed far more palatable, but still not low enough to actually swallow. I very reluctantly walked away from "my" gorgeous set and proceeded to think/ dream/ ruminate over each & every piece for the remainder of the evening straight through this morning. I am normally such an "out of sight, out of mind" girl, so this obsessing was really out of character for me...a fact that didn't escape John's attention. I must have had a wistful look on my face this morning, because he suggested we got back to the show to fetch my beautiful set. YAY and WOOHOO!!!

When we got to the show, the parking lot was jammed, so I suggested (with no ulterior motive whatsoever) that hubby park the car, while I run in to make sure we could still use our tickets, from Saturday, to get in. I bee-lined it to the table that housed my transfer ware and could see, from across the auditorium, that the set was gone. I didn't even need to approach the table for verification...it was just gone. My poor husband walked through the doors at that (untimely) moment and immediately recognized the look on my face was one of bitter disappointment.

Unbeknownst to me, he had another plan, but (wisely) decided he'd better come clean quickly. He handed me a note (too mushy for public consumption), written on...the receipt for the pitcher/ washbasin set, which he had snuck back to buy yesterday afternoon.

What a guy! So far, I've had no luck finding the perfect resting spot for my stunning set. I'm not sure 1.) if I should keep all of the pieces together or 2.) exactly what Emily Post would say about displaying a chamber pot in one's dining room. Decisions, Decisions :-)

Nine Months???

Is it possible that it has been nine months since I last updated my blog? Oh my...

A lot has happened, in my life, since I last visited my own blog. August was a wonderfully exciting month for me (and the kids), so that seems as good a place to begin as any.

On August 19, I got engaged to an amazing man who I had been dating (off and on) for a year and a half. From the moment of our engagement, through New Year's day, life has been an absolute whirlwind of activity. We immediately started searching for a house (to rent) that would accommodate all of us. John has shared custody of his beautiful 10 year old daughter and we needed to find a house with enough space for the 5 of us to live comfortable...add the dog, to the mix, and we were facing a tough challenge. Our house hunt was proving to be a futile & frustrating undertaking and we were ready to give up (and stay in the house John and Tess were renting) when our realtor showed us one last option that turned out to be the home of our dreams...more about that later :-)

John and Tess moved into the new house on October 1. The kids and I followed on October 31 and I've been busily nesting ever since. Nesting was squeezed tightly in between planning our (very small) wedding, preparing for Thanksgiving & Christmas, taking our honeymoon to St. Croix and hosting a family Christmas party on New Year's day. That list is slightly out of order, which shows how my head is STILL spinning. We were married, in NYC, the day after Thanksgiving. The kids were scheduled to be with their other parents on Christmas, so we flew to St. Croix on Christmas Eve morning and celebrated the holiday, with the children, when we returned, on December 29th. PHEW....did you manage to follow any/ all of that?

Since I STILL haven't learned to correctly arrange pictures in my blog entries, I'll post a few wedding pictures now and save the others (house, honeymoon, etc.) for another time.

Oh, how good it feels to get back to blogging! I've truly missed this element of my life and am excited about reconnecting with all of you!

I am IN Love!

No, no, no sillies. You have not missed something exciting with regard to my ongoing search for Mr. Right. Speaking of which, my best (guy) friend and I have hatched an idea for what is sure to be a Get-Me-On-Oprah bestseller: a he said/ she said guide to internet dating. Brilliant, no? Once again...I digress. The object of my affection for this evening is the tiered cake stand I made. I have seen these all over blogland and have been dying to make one for myself. I had the three plates and today I ran over to Salvation Army to find the candlesticks. I figured "Sally's" was about the only place I would dare to go with my fever blistered face. I lucked out as they were just stocking the shelves with new goodies from the back. Fresh pickins'! I found several pairs of brass candlesticks that I will use for other projects and was about to call it a day when I came across these colorful ceramic cuties...that just happened to match the plates I had set aside for the project. I LOVE the way they look with the whimsical trio. I'm going to follow the lead of other bloggers, I think, and use my new creation for holding jewelry!

Anthropologie Inspired T-Shirt

Who doesn't just drool over the clothing and accessories from Anthropologie? The price tags don't exactly fit into this single-mom's budget. With a little ingenuity and the right materials on hand, I did (in my humble opinion) a fair job of replicating one of their fun t-shirts. I took a plain black tee and added some ruffle down one side. Cute enough, thought I, but why not go a little further? I popped a few silver buttons on the ruffle and VOILA! Drab to fab in less than 15 minutes. Oh, for the ruffle I just cut strips (2" wide) off of one of my daughter's outgrown t-shirts, sewed them together to make one long strip (approx. 4' long). I handstitched down the center of the fabric, then gathered it up into soft ruffles. Easy shmeasy!

Magnet Board

This is a project I borrowed from a fellow blogger, but I can't recall who (my apologies!). The original was made with a piece of aluminum that was purchased at Lowe's. Being bedridden certainly didn't allow for a trip to the hardware store, but I happened to have a new cookie sheet that I just got from Dollar Tree. I wrapped the cookie sheet, in fabric and used my hot glue gun to secure the corners/ edges. Although the back will be facing the wall, I decided to glue a piece of coordinating fabric to it...just to give it a more finished appearance. I added a simple knot bow to the top and a ribbon hanger to the back. I already have a ton of magnets, but decided to make a few that would match the fabric I used. The total cost of this project is probably less than $3!

What to Do?

I've had this really odd double candlestick for years and it always looked slightly "off" when I tried to use it...kind of like Mickey Mouse ears with candles plopped on top. I realized I could easily transform it into a decorative vase using two glass cylinder containers and a bit of apoxy. Gotta say: I'm pretty pleased with the way it turned out! After the glue set sufficiently, I tried it with some turquoise stones and some silk roses. Not liking it so much. I remembered I had some cream potpourri and dried pod thingys...much better!

My Saving Grace

For the last 36 hours, I have been (virtually) bed-ridden with a raging case of nastiness. Yup...that's my official diagnosis...according to my own professional opinion. It began Thursday evening with a suspicious tingling numbness on my lower lip, which quickly turned into a small bump in the same spot. By yesterday morning the tingling bump had morphed into a full-blown fever blister. I am SO tempted to be more graphic in my description (because I HATE this evil growth to the core of its nasty being), but I will refrain from crossing into that T.M.I. territory...for your sake. As if the cold sore isn't bad enough, I'm running an impressive fever and have a handful of swollen glands under my chin/ behind my ears that feel as if I've had marbles implanted under my skin. Okay, that should be enough whining to elicit an appropriate amount of sympathy. Ohhhh, let me just say this: if you've never experienced the discomfort of a fever blister, let me tell you...it HURTS!!!!! Aside from being absolutely hideously conspicuous, it just plain hurts! I made the near fatal mistake of checking WebMD for information and found, to my absolute horror, that I can expect this bad boy to linger for at least a week!!! Guess who's not venturing out, in public, anytime soon? Lord, forgive me for my vanity...but, c'mon!
My saving grace has been spending hours upon hours weaving in and out of my favorite blogs, collecting fabulous project ideas along the way. I have to apologize upfront: I did not keep track of where I gathered my inspiration from, therefore I am unable to give proper credit to the creative ladies who have kept me company on my sickbed. I am a firm believer in "giving credit where credit is due", so....I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!

Go Ahead....Laugh!

Happy (belated) Easter, dear friends! I hope your day was filled with all God's blessings, sunshine & chocolate! The kids and I spent a wonderful day with my brother and his family, in Trumbull. The added bonus was that we were joined by my best (guy) friend, Glenn who always adds a bit of spunk to a social gathering. Lots of laughter, love & food...which always tastes better when someone else is doing the cooking. Thank you to my wonderful sister-in-law for playing hostess...yet again. It's her fault for having such a welcoming home.

The weather was absolutely picture perfect. Segue coming....the things I am compelled to photograph are silly & strange. Yes, I did take some pictures of the kids enjoying their Easter egg hunt and the adults chatting before the feast, but those are fairly unimaginative. What truly captured my attention was a patch of funky green & red moss that was growing on the side of my brother's little fish pond. (I would have photographed the fish, but my brother was pretty sure they'd all perished). What would have been really entertaining is if someone had thought to take a picture of me, taking a picture of the moss! There I am, dressed in my Easter finest (flowing floral skirt, pale yellow top, strappy sandals)...sprawled out in the grass, hiney sticking up...trying to get just the right angle. I could here murmurs of a scheme to push me in, coming from somewhere behind me, but I was on a mission. Fortunately, I did manage to capture a few images before the "Let's push her in the fish pond" plan came to fruition. I also managed to take a few pictures of flowers and such, but they weren't nearly as captivating as that spot of moss!

Out of the Mouths of...Men!

Just in case there are any men reading this post, I will be as delicate as possible, in my description of my fun-filled doctor's appointment yesterday. Ohhh, this is going to take a bit of creativity. Okay...

For any of you ladies who have hit that "over 40" mark, you know that things just start happening, to your body, that are 1.) uncontrollable, 2.) inexplicable and 3.) unpleasant. Everyone is unique, so I'm sure these "things" run the gamut. One of my "things" is....ummmm....hmmmm...boy, this is tough to put delicately. Let's just say that the number of days/ month when I am NOT in need of feminine hygiene products is exponentially smaller than the days I AM in need of them. 'Nuff said? I decided it was probably a good idea to call the dr. yesterday when I realized (for the third consecutive month) that I'd had an 8 day break between my last two "visits".

I'll spare you the gory details of my dr's appointment, but I was struck by one thing: as I'm lying (laying? that is one grammatical usage question that always stumps me) there, on the paper-lined table...feet in stirrups...cold "jaws of life" thingy firmly in place....lights, camera, action! My ob/gym, whom I love, is performing a most uncomfortable procedure somewhere in my Southern region and I am trying valiantly not to jump off the table and poke him with something sharp in his tender spot! As I'm squeezing the poor nurses elbow (like she had anything to do with the discomfort I was experiencing!) and trying to be a big girl, he says to me..."You're okay. I'm 1/2 way done". Half way done??? Really??? Is he kidding me? I'm supposed to be consoled by that??? At that moment I knew, for certain, that kind of statement could only be uttered by a person who never could and never would be on the receiving end of such an invasive & uncomfortable procedure.

Sooner is Better Than Later

Once I got going on The Fashion Exchange's blog, I couldn't rein myself in.

Introducing, to my blogger friends...The Fashion Exchange

She's Baaack!

I know, I know....my periodic disappearing acts can be tiresome. It is never my intention to vanish in thin air. It just seems that...well...life happens and I find myself pulled in too many directions. Like most woman (particularly those of us who fall in the single mom category), it is often the things I love most that must be pushed to the back burner. Not conducive for maintaining serenity and recharging my personal battery, I must admit.
So, here I am...landing back in my comfort zone with an (hopefully) audible THUD! For those of you who might have been concerned that my life was in upheaval of the negative sort, rest assured, all is quiet on the Western front. I don't even recall what my last post was about, but I took a job working in the mall (YUCK!), at Sephora during the holiday season. I'm having a deja-vu moment, so I must have mentioned that. At any rate, they did offer me a full-time position, extending beyond the holidays. I managed to white-knuckle it through February and...for my own sanity...had to resign (can you resign from a position you've only held for 3 months???). I could go on & on about my reasons for leaving, but suffice it to say: I am NOT cut out for "corporate America". That term, in itself, is a bit of a joke because all I did was put a perky smile on my face and stand in front of a cash register for 8 hours at a time. Not a whole lot of room there to display my vast array of creative skills (stop laughing, ladies!).
As many of you know, my all-time favorite word is: SERENDIPITY and I especially love when it applies to my own life. Shortly after I left Sephora, my former employer & good friend contacted me about helping her with some public relations work for her two, AMAZING consignment shops. We've been working on sprucing up her website, expanding her customer base, etc. The cherry on top is that I got the opportunity to start a new blog that focuses just on her stores, The Fashion Exchange. WAIT...before you click on that link (to her store website), I need to remind you that I've never done a "real" website design before, so you have to be gentle with me. As always, though, I welcome any and all feedback you might have. I deeply respect the opinions of each & every one of you and would love the opportunity to grow from your experiences.
I still have a bit of work to do, on Janet's blog, before it is ready to "launch". I am SO excited about this new endeavour, so I'm sure I won't be bale to hold myself back for long.
Oh MY, it's SO good to be back. Funny how you never realize how much you love something until you spend some time away. Note to self: don't let this happen again...no more blog hiatus!

Merry Christmas

I will be working Christmas Eve, then heading, with kids in tow, to my brother & sister-in-law's house for a feast that I don't hve to prepare (WOOHOO!), sooo...

Merry Christmas to all and may God bless each of you!

I am so looking forward to catching up with your blogs as soon as the frantic pace of the holiday hustle & bustle has slowed down!

Minimalist Christmas

Although I have over 20 bins of Christmas paraphernalia, I decided...in keeping with my new approach to life...to take a minimalist's approach with decorating this year. Okay, part of this is due to the fact that said bins are scattered all over the state of Connecticut, at the homes of various friends who have lent me "storage space" for my overflow of belongings. We haven't gotten our tree yet, but that will happen tomorrow or Tuesday. I'm still on a mission to get Christmas postponed until March, but I seem to be running that crusade on my own!

Goodies From Abroad

Sitting down to write a blog entry is my reward for working crazy holiday hours at the mall, then spending my free time trying to induce some festivity into my home. Mission accomplished on both fronts, so here I am!

A few weeks ago, after a particularly hectic day at Sephora (***sidenote: with the state of the economy as it is, how on earth can people justify spending $34 for mascara???), I arrived home to find a parcel from my sweet friend, Monica. I don't know how it is that little surprises pop up, from Monica, just when I need a boost of spirit! Inside the package was a beautiful, pink beaded bracelet that adorned my wrist the moment I opened it and one of Monica's exquisite dolls. "Chloe" is (as all of her creations are) a work of art. She is such a simple girl, my Chloe, but the craftsmanship is so perfectly detailed. Thank you again & again, Monica, for this gift of love.