Pocketful of Joules

My November thrifting was small… but mighty. I only had the opportunity to go to one thrift store this month, but I found three fantastic items!

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

Lucky Brand hooded tie-sweatshirt thing, $12

First up is this Lucky Brand sweatshirt, robe, tie-thingie. It is made out of sweatshirt material and has both a hood and a tie… and I’m calling it a fancy house robe topper. When I get home and immediately change into my comfies, I stick on leggings/sweatpants/pajama pants, a t-shirt, and this thingie. And it’s wonderful.

Striped Sweater $5.89

This is the kind of sweater that I thrift, wear the bejesus out of until it’s misshapen and pilled, and then donate and the cycle starts all over again. This one is a pretty moss green with black stripes and I’ve already worn it to work once over a black t-shirt and jeans. At less than $6, this was perfectly priced for something that will get plenty of wear.

Rene Lezard skirt, $4.89

This skirt was the amazing thrift score of the month! It was grouped in with the mediums, but I loved it at first sight so I decided to try it on even though my butt is firmly in the large category. It is some sort of amazing faux leather material, but feels like super soft actual leather to me. The inside tag said 36, which according to European conversion charts should be around a 10 in US sizing. I did some research when I got home and this brand is an upscale German brand with similar skirts on their website selling for 299 – 399 EUR, which is $320 – $430. HOLY. MOLY!

As it is, I just think it’s super cool and can’t wait to pair it with some black tights, boots and a sweater!

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

I’ve shared a lot about thrifting here on my blog and on my Instagram account, but I don’t think I’ve ever talked much about WHY I thrift.

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

View this post on Instagram

Love this from @ajtheillustrator! I did a quick thrifting stop this afternoon and found three fun pieces to add to my closet. Check out my stories to see them all! #thriftstyle #thrift #secondhandstyle

A post shared by pocketfulofjoules (@pocketfulofjoules) on Nov 7, 2019 at 6:59pm PST

I thrift for many reasons. I very much enjoy finding high-end items for a fraction of their cost. I love trying new things without dropping a bunch of money on something that may not be a winner for me.

I consider it a hobby of mine and enjoy the ‘thrill of the hunt’ of scouring the racks to find that one item that rocks my world. It’s my personal time when I’m not taking care of anyone else… just me.

I’ve become quite a snob about quality and would much rather find a piece or two that will last and last, rather than buying yet another $5 t-shirt at a cheapo store that will be trash by the end of the season.

It’s also about decreasing landfill waste for me. To be able to save something that has been discarded and give it a new life is awesome. I love to buy something that has been created, worn, and discarded… instead of going for something new that would take more water, more chemicals, and add to the carbon footprint.

I still shop in regular stores, but over the years I’ve found myself buying new less and less.

And this is why I share my thrift hauls. To show those of you who haven’t tried thrifting yet that you can find some super awesome amazing items at the thrift store.

So, go pop some tags like Macklemore and share your thrift scores too! Tell everyone you paid $7 for that dress (with pockets, of course) and make sure to tag me at @pocketfulofjoules so I can oooh and aaahhh over them.

{Warning: this is the original version — not the clean one — so there are bad words}

Do you thrift? Why or why not?

I honestly don’t remember the last time I dressed up for Halloween at work.

Maybe never?

Well at my current job, apparently they do Halloween. And by *do* Halloween, I mean they have a Halloween-themed movie playing in one of the conference rooms at lunchtime AND they pick a costume theme for the year.

The theme for this year is… villains.

I thought it would be fun to participate, so I racked my brain for a good villain. Preferably something I could do with normal clothes and maybe a couple accessories.

And I came up with:

• A black top and skirt
• Red shoes
• Fuzzy jacket (off Poshmark for $18)
• A wig (off Amazon, also $18)

Cruella de Vil!

I mean, come on… the girl loves a little black dress with a pop of color. Sure, she has an unfortunate obsession with harming puppies… but I do try to nibble on Ollie every so often!

Here’s my take:

And here I am at work today… chillin’ like a villain:

The wig is just okay, but the rest of the outfit is simply fabulous baby!

Happy Halloween!

I spent the first weekend of October at my friend Lindsey’s house, so we made sure to take some time to visit some new-to-us thrift and consignment shops. I think we visited 3 or 4 shops within two days? And I found some fabulous scores for fall!

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

Bird and bowl canvas, original price $80, paid $16.50

Do I need another canvas for my house…? Probably not. But when I see something I immediately love, I buy it and figure out where it will fit in later! This cute little bird canvas still has the original $80 tag on the back and I paid $16.50. It found a home on one of my kitchen wall pretty much as soon as I got home.

Lucky Brand perforated black booties, $17.50

I love Lucky Brand booties and have a brown pair from a couple years ago that I have worn time and time again. This black perforated pair are super soft with the same low heel I like on my brown pair. Similar boots sell on the Lucky website for around $120, so to score these for less than $20 is pretty fabulous. I’ve already worn these a few times and plan to wear them many more times this fall and winter.

Loft blue slub cardigan, $15

I love a slouchy oversized cardigan and this one has fun floppy sleeves. I pretty much wear this type of cardigan over a t-shirt every weekend, so this will get plenty of wear. I like the nubby fabric and this might even look kind of fun over a long sleeve shirt with the sleeves poking out.

Soft Surroundings gray cardigan, $20

I keep finding Soft Surroundings lately! This super soft open cardigan was priced up at $20, but it is perfect for my daily get-home-and-immediately-change loungewear and/or for a top pajamas layer when I’m chilly. I’ve already worn it a half-dozen times and plan on wearing it out over the winter.

Chicos leopard cardigan, $7

I’ve been on quite an animal print kick lately, which I guess it good since all the style bloggers are saying animal print is “in” right now. I couldn’t resist this Chico’s cardigan for just $7. It is super lightweight and I think I’ll pair it with a solid dress to wear to work. I can also see it topping a graphic tee shirt and jeans for a cute weekend look.

Pottery Barn vase, original price $29, paid $12

Another item from the home section that I just couldn’t resist. Once again the original price was still on this for $29 and I bought it for $12. I already  bought a pretty spring of fake flowers and added it to my dresser.

90 Degrees striped zip-up, $15

I love stripes, so when I saw this zip-up hoodie with stripes AND thumbholes, I had to give it a try. It is a nice thick fabric which will make it a great layer for the colder weekends.

All in all, I had a pretty wonderful thrifting weekend. Basically ever single item I bought this month has already been put into rotation in my closet!

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