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!

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!

Desk Makeover

As I was looking around my bedroom this morning, wondering where my creative juices have hidden themselves, I realized that I did work on a few projects during the course of my tumultuous summer. Perhaps if I share, I will get inspired again. That's such a Catch 22, isn't it? It's so difficult to charge your creative batteries when you're struggling with....life, yet (for me) the act of creating something new is the very thing that does recharge my batteries.

Okay....focus on the topic, Kimberly! I found this desk in the early part of the summer, tucked away in a corner of the Salvation Army. It was priced at $19.99, but it had been there for over a month, so it was reduced by half! Less than $10 for a piece with such potential...and it would fit in the back of my CRV...so I could take it on the spot. Irresistible price and immediate gratification...WOOHOO! It's a small desk, so I knew I could find a place for it. It has tons of little nooks & crannies, a roll-down thingy (please forgive me for being so technological with my terminology) and enough drawer space to hide my bills & paperwork.

As soon as I got it home, I gave it a quick sanding, spray painted it an antique white then "aged" it with sandpaper and a hammer. My kids always get a kick out of the aging thing: why do I spend so much time refinishing a piece, only to attack the finished product with an arsenal of potentially deadly weapons? A quick blast of black spray paint and the knobs & drawer pulls looked crisp and rejuvenated. I decided to decoupage the pull-out, writing surface thingy (here I go with the fancy terminology again) and was quite pleased with the way it turned out. I was not, however, as pleased with the way my pictures turned out, so you may have to use a bit of imagination on this.

I am off to drop off more job applications at the mall. Maybe...just maybe...today will be the day that I finally find a job!

Fit For a Queen

***Disclaimer*** The title for this post is stupid and really not at all "fitting". Forgive me, gentle readers as I try to recoup some of my wit and originality...it's been a while!
Following our most recent move (did I mention that this is the second move in THREE months???), I've had to replenish some of my basic household necessities (pots, pans, utensils, etc.). When move #1 took place, I foolishly got rid of any duplicates...not anticipating...well, just not anticipating PERIOD. As my list of "to buy" items grew, I headed off to the Salvation Army. I managed to stick to my list...until I saw this 3-piece, antique Christening outfit hanging (misplaced) amongst the table linens. In spite of its very tattered and yellowed condition, I was hopeful that I could revive it. With the help of my landlady, who is a skilled seamstress and lives downstairs, we stitched the frayed seams together. Okay, she did the stitching while I supervised the process. Although I was a bit nervous the gown would fall apart, I soaked it in a bit of OxyClean and put it out to dry in the sun for several hours. My landlady had heard/ read somewhere that the sun would bleach white fabric if you lay it in the grass...on a towel, of course. Something about the way the grass metabolizes/ photosynthesizes/ something "sizes" the natural sunlight. Don't know...don't care...it worked beautifully. All three pieces brightening to a very natural, antique white.
I originally had the ensemble displayed on a satin & lace hanger, but realized it would look adorable on my nameless teddy bear...who I still like to play dress up with. She really could use a name, now that I think of it. Any ideas? There I go, digressing again.
My creative juices have been moving at a snail's pace, but it felt SO good to have a little project to keep me occupied. Better still that I was satisfied with the outcome.

Thrify Things

I am continually amazed and inspired by the ingenuity & creativity of the ladies, whose blogs I follow...that's one of the perks of being part of this community. On the downside, my natural desire to scour thrift stores, The Salvation Army (a.k.a "Sally's Boutique") and Goodwill (no tag sales this time of year in CT) has increased exponentially as I come across all of your latest treasures. Yesterday was MY day to hit a few local thrift stores and I was fairly pleased with my finds. I say "fairly" because one of my favorite shops apparently has someone new doing all of their pricing, which has made finding real steals a bit more challenging. Good thing I find the thrill of the hunt as appealing as the outcome because I REALLY had to dig this time. My big ticket item was the 4 piece set of bathroom accessories...at $15, it was more than I would normally spend at a second hand store, but it matches my colors perfectly. The brass canister set, perched proudly on top of my 1940s stove, was only $2; so, it balanced out my splurge.