Pocketful of Joules

When it comes to my thrifting fun, I still make mistakes. Many times I get so excited to see something fabulous that I don’t stop to think about whether it would actually play nice with the rest of my wardrobe. Or my figure. Luckily, at thrift prices it’s not a big deal when I make a mistake. Typically, I will either resell the item or just re-donate it so the next thrifterella can enjoy it.

Instead of focusing on my thrifting mistakes, I thought it would be fun to pick out my top winners over the last 6 months! You can find all my thrifting posts here: Thrifting Fun.

I went through all my posts from January to June and picked out my 6 favorites:

Dr. Scholls Glendale Wedge Sandals, $7.99
Thrifted in February

I picked these cute wedge sandals up on a February thrifting trip and then packed them away until the weather warmed up. I really like that the toe strap and ankle strap are a mix of braided fabric and leather. The wedge heel is also relatively low, which makes the sandals pretty comfy to wear to work.

A post shared by pocketfulofjoules (@pocketfulofjoules) on May 31, 2018 at 4:06am PDT

Coldwater Creek wrap dress, $4.90
Thrifted in March

I couldn’t resist buying this wrap dress in March because it fit really well and was under $5! It originally had a stupid fake ribbon belt on one side, but I snipped it off as soon as I got it home. It is a little longer than I thought I wanted, but now that I’ve worn it to work a few times I decided I like the length. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: you can’t go wrong with a pattered wrap dress. With just one item, you suddenly look like you put in a bit of effort!

A post shared by pocketfulofjoules (@pocketfulofjoules) on Jun 5, 2018 at 4:01am PDT

Eci dress, $13.40
Thrifted in March (Spring Break)

I love the fun green pattern on this dress! I’ve worn it with tights and booties when it was still cold outside and I’ve also styled it with sandals earlier this month. This dress is why I love thrifting – it’s perfect for work, looks professional and pretty, and it only cost $13.40!

A post shared by pocketfulofjoules (@pocketfulofjoules) on Jun 6, 2018 at 4:10am PDT

Loft Snow Leopard print car coat, $16.75
Thrifted in March (Spring Break)

I thrifted this adorable jacket over Spring Break… and then it totally snowed so that I was able to wear it! I LOVE this coat! It is probably my favorite find of 2018 so far because of its sassy snow leopard pattern and grown-up shape. As soon as it gets cold again, I’ll be putting this back into rotation. It looks equally cute with skinny jeans and boots and it does with a dress!

A post shared by pocketfulofjoules (@pocketfulofjoules) on Mar 20, 2018 at 10:36am PDT

Tahari Wave Patent Leather sandals, $8
Thrifted in April

I bought these Tahari patent leather sandals in April, but I’ve already worn them a bunch of times. They are super comfortable with the gladiator straps and no heel. The patent leather shine makes them look a little fancy, so I’ve worn them to work a few times with dresses and skirts. I also randomly walked almost 3 miles in them last week when I decided to go exploring for lunch… with no blisters!

A post shared by pocketfulofjoules (@pocketfulofjoules) on May 10, 2018 at 4:24am PDT

Zella Training Jacket, $6.99
Thrifted in May

I’m surprised that I don’t have a photo of me wearing this zip-up, because I’ve been bringing it with me non-stop to chilly restaurants. I’ve mostly been throwing it on over a t-shirt and jeans, or a t-shirt and jean shorts. It’s been getting lots of wear and I especially like the thumb-holes. When thrifting… don’t forget to check the active wear section!

Have you had any super thrifting winners over the past few months?

Over Memorial Day weekend I was clicking around Facebook and an advertisement for Inspiration Fit “Mystery Bags” kept coming up in my feed. After a few times of seeing it, I clicked though and saw that they were offering a grab bag of 3 – 5 items for $25. Each grab bag was said to contain “a combination of either tanks, shirts, sweatshirts, bags, headbands, etc and have a $100 value. You can find their website here.

I decided to take a chance on a Mystery Bag. The description suggested ordering up a size for a less fitted look, so I ordered a bag in an XL and checked the box for “I am a mom”.

Want to see what I got?

After placing my order, I never received any tracking information… and literally the day I checked in with them on Facebook my package arrived to my mailbox. My Mystery Bag contained four tank tops in four different colors: Hot Mess Mom, Don’t Make Me Use My Mom Voice, Fix Your Messy Bun and Get it Done, and Happier than a Seagull with a French Fry. Both the Hot Mess Mom and Seagull tops are currently on their website on sale for $14.95 and the Mom Voice tank is on sale for $24.95. So, $25 for all for was a pretty good deal.

To be honest, I like the shirts but I’m a bit disappointed at the lack of variety! When they say the bag would contain “a combination” … I was thinking that meant I might get a couple tank tops, a t-shirt and a headband! They must have learned from their Memorial Day sale, because now when you pick Mystery Grab Bag on their website it gives you more options like: form fitting tanks, flowy tanks, true mystery bag and crewneck t-shirts.

Anyways, let’s talk about the sizing. THIS is an XL:

Not much room in there, huh?! It will be fine for lazing around the house, working out and going to the beach. So I’m okay with that. But I did want to give you a heads up that you might want to go up TWO sizes for a comfier fit!

As it is, I don’t really need four tank tops. So, I’m giving two of them away to you!

Here are the two I’m giving away:

Both are size XL, which I think fits more like a fitted large. All you have to do is just leave me a comment and tell me which shirt you want. I’ll randomly pick winners and mail them off to you!

6/11/18 Update: Randomly chosen winners are Stephanie and Krista! I’ll send out an email today to get mailing addresses and pop them in the mail!

Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored post.

Apparently my May thrifting was all about Jack. And shoes, shoes, shoes! And a dress. And some workout clothes. Anyways, let’s get on with checking out my May thrift haul!

{Pssst, you can read about my previous thrifting adventures here}

Thrifted for Jack:

Clothes:

Gerry Swim Trunks, $2.99 (retail $13.99)
Cat & Jack Uniform Shorts, $3.99 (retail $14.99)
Converse sneakers, $7.99 (retail $35)

I’ve mentioned before that I like to have a couple pairs of cheap swim shorts around for when Jack goes to summer camp and inevitably ruins them. I thought these were super cute and at only $3 it made sense to snap them up. The uniform shorts are in unworn condition and I think they’ll be good for our cruise next December. They’re a plain front (rather than cargo shorts), so they will look nice with a polo or button up shirt. As for the sneakers, whenever I see an almost unworn pair of Chucks in a size or two up from what Jack is wearing, I buy them! Sure, he isn’t in a size 1 yet… but it’s only a matter of time before he has a growth spurt and suddenly needs bigger shoes!

Fun Stuff:

Hot Dots Grade 1 Reading, $4.99 (retail $24.99)
Kid’s Mosaic Stone Kit, $5.99 (retail $15.99)
Ice Age Mini Skateboard, $8.99 (retail $29.99)

With summer coming up, I’ve been looking for some fun workbooks and stuff to keep Jack engaged with his sight words and help him with his reading. This Hot Dots set is super cool and perfect for his age. I’m not sure if this has been used, because all the pieces were in the box and there were no batteries in the pen. I just added a couple AAA’s and we were good to go. As soon as I gave it to him, Jack was sounding out words and using the pen to make it buzz or talk back to him. So glad I scooped this one up!

The mosaic stone kit will be a cool summer project and is totally worth the $6 I paid to keep him entertained for a bit. As for the skateboard, Jack has been asking for one on and off for a few months. This Ice Age mini skateboard is brand-spanking-new in the plastic and even comes with a cool carrying case. As soon as I got it home, I ordered a safety gear set off Amazon (knee pads, elbow pads, wrist pads). I’m saving this one to give him on his last day of school and he’s going to totally freak out in excitement!

Thrifted for Me:

Rag and Bone Standard Issue Lace-Up Sneakers, $5.99 (retail $199)
Sesto Meucci Nudara Woven Leather Sneakers, $7.99 (retail $264)
Keds Love Taylor Swift Heart Sneakers, $5.99 (retail $55)

Okay, so I got pretty lucky in the shoes aisle! I first spotted these super cute Rag and Bone sneakers and immediately grabbed them. They are a great neutral gray color and are super comfortable. There were a few scuffs on the rubber, but soft scrub and about 60 seconds of scrubbing got them back to looking brand new.

While browsing the shoe section, I found one of the Sesto Meucci Nudara Woven Leather sneakers and tried it on. I immediately loved it and went on the hunt for the other shoe! I looked EVERYWHERE in that aisle multiple times and just when I was finally ready to concede defeat, I FOUND IT! I knew that this brand tends to be pretty pricy, but I had no idea how expensive it was until I did some homework. These exact shoes retailed for $264, which makes this $8 find the deal of the day!

Ked’s loves Taylor Swift and so do I! These cute little heart Keds are basically unworn, but missing a little gold heart charm. I’ll wear these all summer long with my jean shorts!

RBX Stratus Space Dyed Hoody, $6.99 (currently on sale for $24.99)
Yogalicious Overlapped Back Tank Top, $3.99 (retail $22.99)
Zella Training Jacket, $6.99 (retail $99.00)

I love some almost-brand-new workout clothes for a steal! They’re actually still selling the exact hoody online, so it must not be very old at all. The tank top has a nice high-neck (to keep my chest protected from the sun on summertime runs) and a split back.

I love the quality of Zella workout clothes and have bought a few pieces from Nordstrom and Nordstrom Rack. This Zella Training Jacket is super cute with mesh cut outs on the arms and upper back. It also has extra-long sleeves with thumbholes, which I LOVE. It was super dusty/dirty though, so as soon as I got home from the thrift store I threw it in the wash and then let it air dry. It’s super similar to an all-black version they are selling on the Nordstrom website for $99… so WIN! I’ve been throwing it on every weekend since I bought it to keep warm in chilly restaurants.

Vince Pencil Stripe Relaxed Long Sleeve top, $4.99 (retail $95.00)

I love Vince, but usually when I find an item I like it’s still way too pricy for me. This cotton top is so soft and oversized. I can see wearing it with a pair of skinny jeans this fall with a little half-tuck for some shape.

Zac & Rachel floral blouse, $5.99 (retail $23.00ish)

I’m not familiar with this brand at all, but my friend says she gets it at Marshalls. I really like the colors in this top, the tab-sleeves and the longer back. I think it will look great with my skinny black trousers for work in the fall!

Anthropologie Moulinette Soeurs dress South Shore Dress, $11.99 (retail $138)

I know my Anthropologie brands, so when I saw that this soft jersey dress was Moulinette Soeurs I threw it in my basket. This dress was at Anthropologie in March 2017 and came in a couple different patterns. It has a higher neckline, cap sleeves and a scoop back. I initially bought it to sell it on Poshmark or the Anthropologie Buy/Sell page, but once I tried it on I almost changed my mind… I didn’t love it 100% though, so I went ahead and listed it for $40 and sold it within a couple hours!

Land’s End Home Chenille Blanket, $7.99 (retail $69.95)

I did a little browsing down the bedding aisle because I tend to collect quilts and saw this pretty grass green blanket. The Land’s End Home tag looks a little old to me, but they have almost identical blankets currently on their website for $69.95… so maybe it’s not really that old? I’m of the mind that you can never have enough fuzzy blankets, so this one came home with me to live in our den.

I’d love to hear your thrifting stories! Did you find a diamond in the rough (literally or figuratively)?

I’ve been keeping clear of Boden lately (besides swimsuits) because I was trying to purge my wardrobe for a bit before adding new items. They must have noticed my absence though, because they sent me a postcard in the mail for 20% off any full priced item.

Well, don’t mind if I do!

So, after a bunch of clicking around the Boden website, I saw this beautiful dress:

Source: Boden.com

It’s called the Kassidy Jersey dress (find it here) and it comes in black, navy, a blue print and an orangy/red print. The original price is $150, but I suspect it will go on sale any moment now. There are currently 28 reviews with an average of 4.5 out of 5 stars, so I decided to try it out. I had a promo code and shipping is free, so I figured WHY NOT?!

I like it because it has a faux wrap top, which tends to be very flattering on an hourglass body type. It also has a runched waist (which is great for belly hiding) and elbow-length sleeves (which is great for tattoo hiding). I originally was going to order the orangy/red print, but had concerns that it would clash with my current hair color… so I ordered the Navy Summer Leaves pattern. OH, and it has pockets!

Let’s talk about sizing. I’m 5’7” and depending on the brand I wear a 10 or 12 in dresses. For Boden’s jersey dresses, I usually wear a US10.  However, this dress length was listed as a bit longer than I would have liked. So, I decided to order a US10 Petite for a bit of a shorter skirt length. I figured that I could always hem it myself if I wanted it shorter, but at least this way it won’t be down to my mid-calf.

Here is Kassidy Jersey dress on me:

I love how Boden knows how to make a flattering jersey dress that magically makes me appear slimmer AND makes me look put together with basically no effort. The jersey is a nice weight, so it hangs really nicely. I’m really glad that I ordered a petite, because I like the length of where the dress currently falls. The only thing I’m planning to do is add a few little stitches at the bust, so that the faux wrap doesn’t open too low and show off my bra. Other than that, this is basically my perfect work dress!

Do you enjoy my Online vs In-Person posts where I show pictures of how the item appears on the website model vs on me?

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