Pocketful of Joules

In my imagination, I’m one of those people with beautify painted nails. However, in reality… I never really bother with making them pretty. My toenails are painted year-round, but my fingernails are typically just trimmed short without polish.

I got a gel manicure in September for my brother’s wedding and it looked fantastic, which made me want to be one of those pretty nail girls again. A long, long time ago I tried Jamberry. I liked them fine, but found the removal process tedious. Which brings us to Color Street.

Color Street nail polish strips are actually made out of 100% real nail polish, just in thin strip form. You apply them to your nails much like I did the Jamberry strips, but when it comes time to remove them you just use normal old nail polish.

SOLD!

They were running a buy 3, get 1 free special, so I ordered: Penny Lane, El Dorado, Only in Vegas and Rio Red. They cost $12 per pack for 16 strips. Penny Lane not included in the photo, because I ripped that one open to try.

Once they arrived, I googled around and found this application video. I wiped each nail with the provided alcohol wipe, lined up the polish strip and applied it just like the video. I was able to get two nails out of each strip. So, since there are 16 strips in the pack I can get 2 full manicures and also use the leftovers for accent nails. Which brings the cost per use down to less than $6 for a manicure… not too shabby.

I found that the strips go on quite easy and look A LOT nicer than when I attempt to paint my own nails. Here is it after my very first try of doing a full set:

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by pocketfulofjoules (@pocketfulofjoules) on Oct 29, 2018 at 12:15pm PDT

By the way, it is REALLY hard to take a good fingernail photo. I even looked up a couple nail polish hashtags to figure out how those ladies do it. This is the Penny Lane color, and I actually really like how it’s kind of subtle with a little shimmer.

Here are my nails exactly one week later:

I totally copied this ‘fingernails on a phone case’ pose from Instagram people… Anyways, as you can see, there was some wear on the tips but no huge chipping issues. Many people say they get 2 – 3 weeks out of their set, but I went ahead and removed them after a 1 ½ weeks. The removal process was just like removing normal nail polish and my cheapo no-name polish remover did a great job.

I was planning to use these before my sister’s wedding on the cruise, but when I went in for a pedicure I splurged and did a gel manicure as well. However, once I rip the gel manicure off (no, I don’t pay to get it removed and yes, I know it ruins your nails to rip it off) I’ll stick some Color Street on my nails until they look pretty again.

Have you tried Color Street nail polish strips? What do you think of them?

Disclosure: This is not a sponsored review. I was not compensated in any way and all opinions are my own.

It’s bimonthly Clothing Purge Report time! Rather than just showing you what I purchase, I also like to show you what items leave my house and how I sell or donate them. I also like to do a purge round-up to keep myself thinking about what else can be purged from my closet!

You can find my previous Clothing Purge Reports here:
Clothing Purge Report: August & September
Clothing Purge Report: June & July
Clothing Purge Report: April & May

Here’s my criteria for where I sell:

• Poshmark/eBay: items that are in perfect condition.
• My Instagram page: items that are in perfect or near perfect condition. I’ll typically post a collage of what I’ve listed elsewhere.
• Facebook Sale Groups: items that are in perfect or near perfect condition in specific brands, such as Anthropologie, Boden, and Stitch Fix.
• ThredUp Clean Out Bag: items in very good condition, but not perfect enough for me to sell on my own.
• Donate to Thrift Stores: items in good condition or showing wear.

Poshmark
I had the majority of my sales on Poshmark, with 8 items selling:

I thrifted both green sweaters and decided that I no longer loved them, so I sold them for a profit. The sparkly heels are gorgeous, but I’m at the point where ALL my heels have to go. I bought these at TJMaxx and broke even on the sale. I was going to donate the black flats (I have a replacement pair that I like better), but decided to list them and see what happens. Boom, $12 is better than nothing!

The spotted tote was from Causebox and I knew I’d never use it… so it was nice to get a little of my money back for that (Causebox costs $50 per quarter for the whole box). I’ve had the Fossil organizer for ages and it never met my needs, so that got listed and sold too. I bought the Anthropologie sweater skirt a couple years ago and wore it a handful of times, but it always made me super warm, so I listed and sold that one too.

Now, let’s talk about the bridesmaid dress. It can be so hard to sell items with feelings attached to them. I wore this dress at my brother’s wedding in September and I knew I’d never wear it again… so typically I’d stick it in the back of a closet for a decade before finally getting rid of it. This time, I forced myself to list it ASAP because I figured that since the color is still selling on the David’s Bridal website, there may be another thrifty bridesmaid that could use one at a discount! This dress was originally $180 but I’m pretty sure I got it on sale for 20% off or something. I listed it on Poshmark for $85 and accepted an offer within a week for $75. MUCH better than letting it sit in my closet and take up space!

I ended up making 8 sales and my total earnings were $250 before Poshmark fees (20%).

Facebook Sale Groups
I belong to some brand-specific Facebook groups: Boden Mamas B/S/T, Anthropologie BST, Non Crap Mama Clothes, Rothy’s BST, Stitch Fix b/s/t Large and Stitch Fix B/S/T. If you are interested in joining any of them, you need to submit to join and then the administrator will approve each person (I am not the administrator of any of these groups).

Items sold on Facebook groups:

• Stitch Fix top – wore a few times last year and no longer love, sold for $29
• Stitch Fix funnel neck sweater – bought a few years ago and no longer wear, sold for $38

My total earnings for my Facebook sales were $67. I love selling through Facebook Groups because I don’t have to pay any Poshmark or eBay fees, just a small PayPal fee for the sale (usually a couple bucks). So all I have to subtract out is postage costs and the rest is MINE ALL MINE!

How did you like my bi-monthly ‘what I sold’ posts? Did you find them helpful? Do you have any clothes selling tips?

November was a wonderful thrift haul month! I was able to stop by my *favorite* thrift store, as well as go on a girl date to a new one. I scooped up a bunch of great finds… so let’s check out this month’s haul!

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

Lauren Conrad sequin cardigan, $9.99

I’ve been low-key looking for some sort of sequined or beaded cardigan or jacket. I’ve seen them styled with jeans and a t-shirt and I love the way it looks. However, I can’t really see me rocking this look anytime other than the holidays, so I didn’t want to spend much on trying this trend.

This one is by Lauren Conrad (a brand sold at Kohls) and it looks like it had a retail cost of $60. Of course, you basically NEVER pay full price at Kohls for anything, so take that with a grain of salt. I did a quick search, and there are a few of these for sale on Poshmark in the $20 range if you are smitten. This one was marked at $9.99 at my local thrift store and appears to be brand-spanking-new, so I had to have it. I think it will be great for a little sparkle this holiday season!

Dana Buchman dress, $14.99

I admit, this dress doesn’t look very exciting on the hanger. I picked it up because I liked the lightweight jersey fabric and the muted color palette of black, brown and cream. I wore it to work earlier this month with a black blazer and my persimmon Rothy’s:

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by pocketfulofjoules (@pocketfulofjoules) on Nov 8, 2018 at 6:01am PST

I love it styled this way and can also see it paired with a black cardigan, black tights and booties for when it gets a little colder.

Soft Surroundings cardigan, $6.99

I follow a few thrifters/resellers on Instagram and I’ve heard them say that Soft Surroundings is a great purchase to flip. Other than that, I totally was not familiar with the brand. I saw this lightweight open cardigan hanging on the end of an aisle and recognized the name, so I figured I’d give it a try. The fabric is super soft (kind of like the Soma pajama pants I love) and it was only $7. I later did some quick googling and found it on the Soft Surroundings website with an original price of $69.95 (currently on sale for $50). I’ve added this one to my pajama drawer and I’ve been wearing it on lazy days/nights around the house.

Cable & Gauge cardigan, $5.99

I’ve talked about my love of Cable & Gauge cardigans many times! I’ve bought them at Nordstrom Rack before and whenever I see on in good condition I thrift it. They are just a great lightweight cotton cardigan that never seems to pill or stretch out. I love the pretty hue of this one and for just $6 it was a no-brainer to add to my collection.

Vanessa Virginia Tidal maxi dress, $7

I have an eye for Anthropologie. I spotted this pattern as I was walking up to a rack of dresses, wrestled it out and wasn’t even a little surprised that it was a brand sold at Anthro. It’s my gift. {I wish I had a really cool gift, like flight or winning the lottery, but this one is cool too}. I originally offered it to my friend who was thirfting with me, but it was too big for her – oh darn – so I had to keep it for myself.

This one is the Tidal maxi dress and it was sold at Anthropologie in 2014 for $148. Like my other Anthropologie maxi dresses, this one is made out of a super soft jersey and has pockets! I can see styling this alone with sandals for a beachy look, or with a cardigan and booties for something more work appropriate. It would also look super cute with a jean jacket. I found the exact same dress being sold on Poshmark from $42 – $78, so for just a $7 investment I can wear it a few times and sell it for a profit when I get bored of it.

M.M. LaFleur Rachel dress, $7

This was my ‘holy crap’ thrift moment of the day. I’ve never seen M.M. LaFleur in the thrifting wild before, so I was pretty excited to see this piece. M.M. LaFleur is known for their ‘bento boxes’ which is their approach to a professional work wardrobe. Similar to Stitch Fix or Trunk Club, their stylist will put together a box of items for you to try on at home. I’ve been drooling over their boxes for a while but can’t do it, because they are just too expensive for me.

Their prices range from $100 for a work top to $325 for a dress and they carry sizes 0P – 22W. I’ve seen used M.M. LaFleur dresses on Poshmark in the $130 – 215 range, but without ever seeing them in person I wouldn’t want to commit to buying one secondhand.

I’m pretty sure this dress is the ‘Rachel’ dress. It looks like either the malbec or the boysenberry color (you can see it here on their website). The original price was $240 and I thrifted mine for $7. The fabric is very thick and stretchy and there are little snaps inside to hold your bra straps in place.

Let’s talk about sizing. This dress has a tag saying it is a size 16. And THIS is my theory on why it is at the thrift store… it is NOT CLOSE to a 16! I’m typically a 10/12 and it fits like a glove. Like, it couldn’t possibly fit any better… sure I have to throw on some shapewear to smooth down my tummy, but it’s AMAZING. I think someone must have bought this and it didn’t fit like the size they expected, so they donated it. Or maybe they shrank it? Why wouldn’t they return or exchange it? Who knows… probably the same reason I’ve found DVF dresses with the tags still on them while thrifting.

Any which way, their loss is my gain because this is the perfect work dress.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by pocketfulofjoules (@pocketfulofjoules) on Nov 6, 2018 at 3:54am PST

I wore it to work already and styled it with a beaded sweater and leopard print flats. I can also see trying it with a skinny belt and blazer. I did throw on some shapewear (the undies that go up to your bra and smooth your tummy a bit) and that helped keep things contained enough that I felt comfortable.

Boden blazer with floral silk lining, $6

Okay, I totally bought this just because I was immediately in LOVE with the floral lining. I mean, HOW adorable is that?! This blazer is exactly my Boden size (US10) and is a pretty basic and comfortable little black blazer. You can keep the cuffs down for a solid black, or turn them up to show the pink lining!

Loft romper, $10

I’m not a romper girl. I actually kind of hate rompers because I think they look like a grown ass woman is wearing a child’s outfit. BUT. I love this one. Oops.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by pocketfulofjoules (@pocketfulofjoules) on Nov 8, 2018 at 9:18am PST

This was on the dresses rack (and marked with a dresses tag, making it $10) and it was a Loft size large with a tie top and drawstring waist. I decided to try it on a whim and was totally surprised that I love it. Of course, I tried it on again when I got home and didn’t love it quite as much… This one is going into the closet for me to try again when it warms up next summer.

Rachel Roy dress, $10

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by pocketfulofjoules (@pocketfulofjoules) on Nov 24, 2018 at 8:47am PST

I ran out to Costco on Saturday to prepare for our late Thanksgiving dinner and decided to make a quick stop at a nearby thrift store. I’m so glad I did, because they were having a Thanksgiving sale where all clothing and accessories were 50% off! I tried on a few items, but this Rachel Roy dress was a winner. It still had the store tags for $99 on it and looked super cool thrown over my jeans! I can see wearing this one with a flowy cardigan, black tights and boots. However, I kind of like it over my jeans and boots too…

Did you have any luck thrifting this month? Share your scores!

With the weather suddenly turning cold, it looks like it’s time for my fall favorites post. I resurrected the My Style posts in August when I did My Style: Summer Favorites and have decided to do them on a seasonal basis.

Much like my summer post, I went through all my posted outfits from September, October and November and picked my 4 favorite fall looks!

Outfit #1: Minnie Mouse Chic

How cute is this Girls from Savoy corduroy halter dress?! It’s an Anthropologie brand (now discontinued) and I love its retro look. The dress is a super soft corduroy and the halter strap is buttoned in, so you can detach it for a strapless look. There is even a built in petticoat! I found it secondhand for $39 and wore it to Disneyland for my Netflix DVD trip as a Minnie-inspired look. I did a quick search on Poshmark for Girls from Savoy dresses and this one popped up in a variety of colors – so if you like it, the chances are high that you can find one pre-loved. After falling in love with my red version, I found it in another colorway for just $28.  I’m packing that one for my upcoming cruise, so you’ll be seeing it soon!

For shoes I knew I’d be walking a ton through Disneyland, so I went with my leopard spotted Rothy’s loafers. They are super comfortable and I thought the spotted look went well with my spotted Minnie ears! These are currently my only pair of loafers, but I’ve been debating on whether I need a solid red version… (If you want to read ALL my thoughts on Rothy’s and whether I think they are worth the price tag, you can find my post here.)

Outfit #2: Fall hippie chic

This maxi dress got mixed reviews when I shared it in my Trunk Club post but I love the way it fits and the swish-swish-swish of the skirt as I walk. It’s the Maggy London Smock Shoulder Midi Dress, and it is currently on sale for 40% off at Nordstrom. I topped it with a black cardigan for work – I thrifted this one ages ago and wear it all the time. Since the dress pattern has so much going on, I kept the look simple with my dark green pointed Rothy’s flats.

Outfit #3: Pattern-mixing chic

I did a bit of subtle pattern mixing with this outfit – the beaded sweater, brushstroke skirt and sparkly chevron flats could have clashed horribly, but I feel like it worked! I found this beaded Nice Things by Paloma S sweater at a consignment store in September and I love how versatile it is! This skirt was a Nordstrom Rack find a couple years ago and I love it because it has a stretchy waistband and POCKETS! The amber metallic herringbone pointed Rothy’s were a recent purchase with some saved up referral credits and they are so sparkly in person. I have started calling them my princess shoes and plan to wear them a ton over the holidays!

Outfit #4: Ringleader chic

I feel like quite the fashionable ringleader in this outfit. I was originally planning to pair this blazer with a pink blouse and black flats, but was encouraged to wear red for a university event… so I switched. I grabbed a gold sparkly Joie sweater out of my closet that I got at Nordstrom Rack last year for a steal (it was $168 on clearance for $25!) and my trusty red Rothy’s. The blazer is by Didier Parakian and I found it at a consignment store when I was in Boston for a conference. This one was also a total steal… similar blazers go for $350 and I got this one for $35! The black pants are from my last Trunk Club trunk, they are the BLANKNYC The Great Jones High Rise Skinny Jeans and I LOVE them. They are super stretchy and comfortable and can be easily dressed up for the office. You’ll be seeing a lot of these this winter!

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. This means that clicking on a link may help me earn a small commission. Thank you to anyone who chooses to click through and support my blogging addiction.