Category: Thrifting Fun

August Thrift Haul

The summer is coming to a close with back-to-school activities on the horizon and the promise of cooler temperatures. I had the opportunity to check out a couple thrift & secondhand stores this month, but was super picky about what I brought home with me.

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

J. Jill dress, $10

To be honest, I’m not entirely sure if this dress is a winner for me. I like the loose fit and the tiers of the skirt. However, it had a super weird and shrunken slip inside that I cut right out with a pair of scissors. What is giving me pause is the print leans a bit… cottagecore. With that being said, I washed it immediately and wore it the following weekend day with a knotted shirt over it:

I do like the way it looks with the layers, so I’ll probably keep this one around and play with it a bit. Worse case scenario, it gets re-donated back to the thrift store.

Cable & Gauge cardigan, $6

I wear these cardigans all the time to work, and I don’t own this color. It’s hard to tell in the first photo, but it’s a pretty dark greenish-blue. So, for $6 it was a no-brainer to add it to my closet. I actually think I did own this color once and it got too worn and pilled (even with my fabric shaver). Anyway, this one will certainly get some wear.

I already wore it to work this month:

Talbots denim top, $10

I’ve been playing around with tying shirts over dresses, and I thrifted a solid denim top that I have been loving lately. On my ‘thrift list’ was to find a polka dotted version, but this one is so much better… because they aren’t polka dots, they are tiny little hearts!

I mean, how adorable is this?! I’m looking forward to pairing it with skirts and dresses for work.

Athleta Zephyr Shell, $20

When I think of Athelta, I think of exercise clothes. However, after finding my favorite new pleated skirt from the brand it has opened my eyes to their fantastic workwear! I found this Athelta tank top at a consignment store and it is super cool – the neckline and bottom have a cotton band finish but the center is very silky. It’s tone-on-tone black and I like the fun details. I did some research and it’s called the Athleta Zephyr Shell tank top and came in a few different colors and one print. It is part of their ‘travel’ collection, as it has SPF 50, washes and dries quickly, and doesn’t wrinkle.

The shirt fits a little boxy, but I really love it and how different it is from anything else in my closet. I’m imagining pairing this with dark jeans, a cardigan and a long necklace for a fall Friday at work. I think it would also look super cute with the right kind of skirt. Or even a pair of my stretch crepe Eileen Fisher work pants. Love this hidden gem!

Frye Veronica Short Slouch Boots, $60

While checking out a thrift pop up store with my friend, I found these Frye boots shoved under a table. No size. Great condition. $60. And… they fit. I did a little research and I’m pretty sure they are the Veronica Short Slouch boot (retail $298) — I didn’t NEED them, but they will be fantastic for fall!

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July Thrift Haul

This month, I’ve been feeling super burned out so I decided to take a Friday off as a mental health day. It was very much needed and of course, two of my stops on my free day were to a couple of my favorite thrift stores! I did some dressing room snaps while shopping too, so you can see how each item fits.

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

J. Jill linen cardigan, $3.99

I love this pretty pink cardigan from J. Jill and I especially love the oversized tortoiseshell buttons! I wear cardigans year-round, so this lightweight linen version will fit right in with my wardrobe. Similar cardigans are on the J. Jill website for $79-89, so this one for just $4 is a steal.

BeachLunchLounge blouse, $4.99

I went into the store with a thrift list and one item was a short-sleeve, button up shirt in a neutral color/print that I could tie over dresses. I actually found a bunch of options, but decided to go with this blue striped version from BeachLunchLounge. I’m familiar with the brand because I see it often when shopping at TJ.Maxx or Nordstrom Rack. I’m pretty sure this is the Spencer Shirt, which is still being sold on their website for $58. The fabric is fun and crinkly and it looks fantastic knotted.

SEDA Modell Severin Daners skirt, $2.99

I did so much googling on the brand, and as much as I can tell it is a German brand vintage skirt. I love the fabric and the print is super cute — to me it feels very ‘Kate Spade’ with the floral. For just $3, I couldn’t pass up this fun midi-skirt and it will be great for work with a wrap top, or paired with a blouse and cardigan. I wore it to work last week and you can see it in action here with a simple wrap top and bright sandals!

J. Crew Chambray Shirt with Pearl Snaps, $6.99

YEEHAW! This was another item from my thrift list – a lightweight denim shirt that I can knot over dresses. And this exact shirt is STILL being sold on the J. Crew website for $89.50. It is such a great, classic top and I can’t wait to wear it over my dresses and skirts as an alternative to my typical cardigan.

Rainbow hand-knit afghan, $3.99

You guys, I’m obsessed with this cute handmade afghan! I can’t believe that after someone took hours to make it with love… it ended up at a thrift store for $4. That just makes me so sad! Luckily, it came home with me and will join the other 10,000 blankets in my home.

Triominos Game, $2.50

Jack has been really into card games and domino’s lately, so when I saw this game sealed in plastic, I scooped it up immediately. It was only $2.50 and it should give us at least a few hours’ worth of fun.

Books, books, books, $11

Once again, I scoured the book section for books that I thought Jack might like. I will do ANYTHING to encourage reading in our house, and a fresh set of books usually does the trick. There are so many fabulous kid’s chapter books at the thrift stores and they are typically $1 – 1.50, so it makes sense to buy a bunch and just re-donate them when you’re done with them.

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June Thrift Haul & a Quick DIY Dye

I had a couple opportunities to go out-and-about this month, so I took some time to make a couple thrift stops. This month was apparently topsy-turvy month… my favorite thrift store was a bust and the thrift that typically is terrible had some fun scores. It just goes to show that you never know what you’re going to find when you go treasure hunting at the thrift store!

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

Books, books and more books! $10 total for 8 books

I struck out in the clothing section of my favorite thrift store, but the kid’s book section was on fire! Jack recently read The Lemonade War in school, so I picked him up a copy for him to keep. I also found another book in the series, The Bell Bandit. The rest of the books were just things I thought he might like.

So far, he has LOVED the Kids are Punny joke book, the Animal Origami book and the Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook. I will do anything possible to encourage Jack to read, so every time I go thrifting I pick up a few books to add to his collection. Eventually, they will be passed down to cousins or re-donated.

Halogen striped top, $5

Halogen is a Nordstrom brand and they typically have very well-made basics. This top is very lightweight (without being transparent) and incredibly soft. It has a kind of heathered stripes thing going on and at an XL is it nice and oversized. I like this one as something comfy I can throw on around the house with a pair of leggings or pajama shorts.

Eileen Fisher Crepe Side Zip dress/tunic, $7

You know it’s hard for me to resist a classic Eileen Fisher piece! This dark brown dress is a medium, but consistent with the brand it fits towards the larger side. The design is a little weird tough – it’s a dress with cap sleeves, but it has hidden zippers on both side seams. I found a couple photos online that show it much better:

Source: Eileen Fisher

From my online research, this one was originally sold for $238. It’s made out of the same washable crepe that I love from the brand – in fact, I have 2 pairs of slim pants and a skirt made out of the same material. I kind of like it styled with the slim pants in the photo above and I’m thinking adding a long necklace and sweater would complete the look. I’m going to experiment with it a bit and worse case scenario, it gets added to my Poshmark closet for someone else to enjoy.

Loft tiered dress, $7

I loved the crinkly fabric with the tiers on this dress. It just seems so nice and flowy for a hot summer day. I wasn’t able to try it on in the store, but it is a large and fits with some room to spare thanks to the flowy fit. The one thing I didn’t like was the minty color. It just didn’t look very good on me… so I decided to dye it!

My Quick DIY Dye:

  • Super important: put on gloves before starting!
  • I filled a bucket with hot water then added: 1 cup salt, 1 tsp Dawn dish soap, and 1 whole bottle of Rit Indigo dye.
  • I wet the dress, squeezed it out, and then added it to the dye bath.
  • I stirred it consistently for about 15 minutes while playing on my phone.
  • I then left it alone for 15 more minutes without stirring.
  • After a total of 30 minutes in the dye bath, I rinsed and rinsed and rinsed the dress until the water was mostly clear.
  • I threw it in the wash with a load of dark colored clothing on cold.
  • I hung it to dry.

The Rit dye made the color of the outer layer a beautiful blue, but didn’t dye the slip layer or the thread because they were made of polyester. I love the new color and the little peek of mint that you can see on the edges!

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