I don’t really have what you would call a green thumb. Instead, it’s a running joke with my husband and son that I basically kill all plants that come to live in our house. However, I am okay with succulents. For a while. We have a variety of succulents and little mini cactuses that are faithfully living in our house right now.
So when I saw that a cute local shop was having a Preserved Moss Art Frame Class for a project that “requires no care”, well, it seemed like the perfect fit!
I had hoped to attend with a friend, but it was sold out before she could sign up. So, I went solo and it was still super fun! Each person received a little wooden frame, glue, assortment of moss, and extras like pine cones and dried lavender.
We were encouraged to lay out our plan before gluing, but for me it worked best to start at the bottom of the frame and glue each piece on as I went. I added a little here and there. And then, shoved in a little more. Once I got all the moss as I liked it, I added in the little extras.
I really like the little clump of pinecones in the bottom corner and the fingers of moss that reach out over the top of the frame. I actually love it so much more than I even thought I would. And it was a super fun and easy project to do!
Which makes me think I should add more little artistic classes to my 2025 schedule. After a month/months of feeling like I’ve been running around like a crazy person, I actually felt like ME for a while.
I’m going to be honest with you all, I’ve been doing the absolute bare minimum when it comes to getting dressed this month. It’s freezing cold outside. There’s been a few snow storms. We all are feeling a case of existential dread. So yeah, not much in the mood for sparkles and tulle right now.
So, for January, we get a mix of comfortable looks. Here is what I looked like most of the month:
Lots of jeans and sweater combos. For the two skirt looks, both had warm fleece lined tights and knee-boots underneath to keep me from freezing. A higher heeled ankle bootie would have looked cuter on the far right outfit, but I was running around all day and the boots served their purpose.
I did have an outfit that was a surprise winner this month:
The black denim jumpsuit was an absolute surprise for me. I’ve always been firmly on team NO JUMPSUIT, as I like to be able to pee whenever I want without struggling with getting naked in a bathroom. I was trying on a few items at Target (of which I bought nothing) when I saw this one on the clearance rack, so I grabbed it just for poops and giggles. I figured, I could always send a funny dressing room photo to my husband.
Instead, I absolutely loved it! The fit of the jumpsuit + the wider leg silhouette + the softness of the denim + the magical fact that it fit my torso and my legs all combined to make it a winner for me. I wore it that weekend with a striped tank top and black boots (on left) for a Costco run/date with my husband and I was FEELING MYSELF. I wore it again with a berry colored tank top (just trust me, it’s under the scarf), a flowy scarf and sparkly Doc Martins for a moss plant art activity the following weekend. Adorable + keeps me warm = love it!
New vs Secondhand Tally
This month is quite the surprise — since I started my tracking last year, this is the first time I count more retail items than thrifted items! I count 14 items that I purchased retail and 10 items I purchased secondhand.
It’s the first thrift haul of 2025 and I can’t wait to share it with you all! Once again, after taking a look back at my thrifting for the year, I’m trying to stick with my goal of being super picky with what items I thrift. However, I’m also trying to keep in mind that if I love something I need to just buy it. Some of my favorite items over the years are items that I wasn’t necessarily looking for… but loved anyways.
Here’s what I thrifted this month:
Merona Cardigan, $5.50
Okay, so at first glance this cardigan isn’t anything special. It’s Merona brand, which was carried at Target from 1991 – 2017. At the time it was introduced at Target to help them compete with department stores, but ended up replaced by their current ‘A New Day’ collection. However, it is actually a pretty great little cardigan.
It’s 100% cotton and has a fun pattern going on. I can see it over a solid t-shirt for work Team’s calls, over a graphic tee on weekends, or paired with a swishy skirt for more of a kitschy look. For $5.50 it will be fun to play around with!
Coldwater Creek embroidered jeans, $9.50
I’ve been on the hunt for a new, comfortable pair of jeans, so I was touching all the jeans at the store to check out brands and washes. I saw that this pair was from Coldwater Creek, which initially piqued my interest, because that brand tends to be made really well. Then, I saw the adorable embroidery at the bottom of each leg and I was sold.
The company releases different versions of these embroidered jeans every so often and they are priced around $100, so YAY for this steal. I’m looking forward to wearing these in the spring with sandals and sneakers.
Cactus hat, $3.50
While I’m not a huge baseball hat person, this cactus hat was too darn cute and I absolutely needed it. For those of you who may be aghast at purchasing a secondhand hat, it went straight into the washing machine (on cold, with everything else) and then formed it back into a hat shape and let it air dry.
Banana Republic scarf, $6.50
It’s been cold and snowy the last couple weeks, so I found myself drawn to the soft and snuggly scarves. I really liked this chunky two-tone version. It has the Banana Republic tag on it and is 70% wool and 30% cashmere, which sells at the store for anywhere between $100 – 200 depending on the sales. This one went directly into a lingerie bag and then thrown in the wash (on cold) and then to the dryer. It’s so soft and it will be the perfect topper for the chilly days we’re having right now.
Stitch Fix sweater, $9
This sweater was new with the Stitch Fix tags still on it. It’s just a nice, mockneck Henley sweater that I found in the men’s sweaters. This is a great topper for telework days, as it’s easy to layer and will look professional when I’m surprised with the random Teams call. I like the pretty cranberry color too, so this will get lots of wear this winter.
Homemade quilt, $15
This quilt was my absolute favorite find of the month! After months, if not years, of checking for handmade quilts… I found this one. It is an absolutely gorgeous handmade queen sized quilt in the ‘Trip Around the World’ style of quilting. This quilt took somebody hours and hours and hours of loving work to make it.
Just for fun, I checked Etsy for ‘Trip around the World’ quilts and they range from $325, $500 and over $1,000 due to the labor in creating them. I love the shades of blue in this quilt and it has been soaked in Oxyclean, washed and now is part of my ‘snuggling on the den couch’ nest.
