My Style: August 2024

Maryland weather is doing what Maryland weather does… one week it’s in the high 90’s and the next we have a beautiful week in the mid 70’s. This month also had lots of fun events, such as a sister’s weekend in DC, an outdoor park birthday party, a family photo session, a week in Ocean City and a friend’s bridal shower. So, it’s no surprise that the month flew by!

Let’s take a look at my August looks:

Same dress, two ways. I purchased this black eyelet dress this month from Nordstrom Rack because it was on super clearance, I had a $10 off voucher that was going to expire, and I love how it fits me. I wore it to work first, and paired it with a beaded mustard-colored cardigan, brown belt and silver sandals. Then, I re-styled it for a weekend dinner in DC with my sisters — same belt, black sandals and a mustard colored purse. I can’t wait until the weather is a bit colder and I can pair it with boots and a denim jacket!

Here are two work looks from the month and… I think I hate them both. At the time, I was digging the floral embroidery paired with the striped skirt, but now it’s just not doing it for me at all. I’ve styled the thrifted striped skirt twice so far and both times it’s just giving me ‘meh’. I’m going to give it one more try and then decide if it’s hitting the chopping block!

Sames goes with the color combo with the blue top and rust-colored skirt. As much as I want to love that blue top, I just don’t love wearing it. I’m going to add it to my Poshmark closet so hopefully someone else can enjoy it soon.

Here are three very different looks that were worn this month. I’ve had that beaded dress for years, but I don’t think I’ve worn it since 2019! I pulled it out of the closet for my friend’s bridal shower and it was a perfect mix of comfortable, dressy and cool for some extra hot weather! For the middle outfit, I styled a handmade linen skirt with a simple t-shirt for some errands and loved it. And the last outfit is proof that sometimes I just wear shorts and a t-shirt.

Here are three work outfits I liked this month. The blue brushstroke skirt was on the chopping block, since I haven’t worn it in years… but I decided that it’s a keeper. I really liked it paired with a simple t-shirt and embroidered cardigan for work. As for the second outfit — this is the third time I’ve styled this secondhand floral Johnny Was top and it really does go with everything! The wrap dress was an easy way to look professional when I would have rather stayed in bed.

New vs. Secondhand Tally

This month, I count 11 items that I purchased retail and 16 items I purchased secondhand! Of those 11 retail items, 5 were purchased more than 5 years ago.

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August Thrift Haul

Once again, I’m mixing both thrift finds and consignment finds in this monthly update. I only get the opportunity to do some consignment scrounging a few times a year, so I wanted to be sure to share some of my HOLY WOW finds.

Let’s start by checking out some home goods!

MCM Bamboo bowl, $12

You all know how much I love me some mid-century modern, so this bowl was an instant YES from me. It’s a MCM bamboo fruit bowl, but I have it sitting next to my reading spot as an adorable catch-all for my reading glasses, bookmark and chapstick.

Pink Gooseberry Pyrex bowl, $8

Pink Pyrex for less than a tenner?! That’s a ‘start the car’ moment for me. This was happily added to my Pyrex collection!

Rifle Paper Co x Corkcicle travel mugs, $18 each

Sigh. It was like these were just waiting for me to find them. I looooove Corkcicle mugs (they keep your cold stuff cold and your hot stuff hot) and I also looooove Rifle Paper Co’s floral designs. So, when I saw these two ‘new with tags’ travel mugs for $18 each (retail $40 each), I immediately added them to my arm full of stuff I was juggling. And I have used one of these pretty much every single day since I bought them (and washed them) for sipping my cold ice water all day long.

Nemadji Pottery wedding vase, $16 and Southwestern Sand pottery vase, $18

Did I need these? No. Did I immediately love them and want to add them to my desk where I could stare dreamily at them while thinking about all our Arizona and Utah adventures? Yes.

Okay, now on to the clothing purchases!

Torrid dress, $15

Once again, a ‘new with tags’ item, this time it was a $60 dress from Torrid. It’s such a happy orange color and even has pretty embroidered detailing on the bust, so I figured I’d give it a try. I already wore it to my niece’s birthday and plan to get in a couple more wears before summer disappears.

Gingham Skirt, $10

I liked the tiered gingham of this skirt and the fabric is a great weight too. However, I knew immediately that I hated the runched waistline and I planned to chop it off and add in some new elastic. It was a quick and easy project and now I have a super cute gingham skirt for all my twirling needs.

Sorel sandals, $20

This was the ‘I didn’t know my closet needed these’ item, because these were ‘new with tags’ and a great deal, so I bought them on a whim. However, I had no idea how much I needed a pair of comfortable metallic sandals… because I’ve worn these probably a half-dozen times since buying them this month.

Swedish Hasbeen Huarache Debutant sandals, $6.79

YOU GUYS! These are an insane find at Goodwill and I can’t believe they are in my size and in perfect condition. Swedish Hasbeen’s are so timeless and so freaking expensive. I tracked down this particular style and it was released as part of their Spring/Summer 2016 collection and they retailed for around $300. It looks like someone bought them and just let them hang out in their closet unworn for 8 years… because they are absolutely perfect. I’m imagining how cute they will look paired with tights and skirts this fall!

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Back to School: 4 Tips to Make Your Life Easier

Source: Photo by Elena Mozhvilo on Unsplash

It’s that time of year again – we just received our class assignments and school supplies lists for the upcoming year. We don’t go back to class until after Labor Day, but according to my social media timelines some kids are already starting to head back!

Here are a few of my tips to help make the back-to-school craziness go a little bit smoother:

Tip #1: School Supplies Upgrade

Order these labels and stick them on EVERYTHING: Avery Durable Labels.

I’ve been using them for years on school supplies, lunch boxes, water
bottles, plastic containers, ice packs, etc. They are dishwasher safe and hold
up really well after dozens and dozens of washes. I even have a water bottle
from 2 years ago that STILL has the label on it with Jack’s name. These things are invaluable, so keep a pack on hand!

Tip #2: Throw in a Load of Laundry

Hunt down the backpack and lunchboxes your kiddo(s) used last year, throw them in the washing machine and wash them on cold (add a few towels so you don’t waste any space). Then, let them hang dry so that they’re all ready for the coming year. Even if you bought a brand-new lunchbox and backpack, DO THIS ANYWAYS with the old ones. That way when a container of peaches opens up inside their lunch bag and makes everything sticky, you’re prepared with a backup until the new one is clean again. If you have a hard lunchbox (rather than the squishy kind), stick it in the dishwasher for a nice back-to-school bath.

Tip #3: Reintroduce Shoes

If your kid is like mine, they’ve been wearing sandals, flip flops, or crocs
all summer long. However, at our school it is required to wear sneakers on PE days. Well, Jack hasn’t put on socks and sneakers in months, so each August I have him try on his sneakers to make sure he hasn’t grown out of them.

Flow Chart 1: If they’re too small, you now have a couple weeks to
find a new pair. Find them, buy them, start wearing them to break them in so they are ready to be worn for a full school day.

Flow Chart 2: If they still fit, reintroduce shoes and socks to your kid.
According to Jack, socks are evil and so hard to put on after three months. So, we start wearing them sparingly before school starts to get the whining out of the way early.

Tip #4: Do a Clothing Fashion Show

Yes, I know it’s still 90 degrees in Maryland. However, when you realize
your kid grew out of all their pants and long sleeves it will be cold outside
and you’ll be stuck sending your kid to school in capris. Do a quick try-on of
pants, long sleeves and jackets so that you have a couple months to hunt out
sales and gather what you need.

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