Tag: thrifting fun

June Thrift Haul

Where my May Thrift Haul was quite sparse, this month’s thrifting treasures are much more robust! Early in the month I decided to take myself on a mental health thrifting day, where I took a 25% off loyalty member coupon with me to browse ALL the sections of the store. Then, this past weekend I hit up one of my nearby options and found some more winners.

Let’s check out this month’s haul:

J.Crew Tulle skirt, $3.59 with my coupon

We all know I love a tulle skirt. Give me a perfect condition, polka dotted tulle skirt from J. Crew in my size… I mean, come on. That’s a no brainer! Yes, this will look adorable for holiday events and paired with a top and cardigan for work. But, it is also going to get some weekend action with some graphic tee shirts! Here it is for a fit check with the shirt I happened to be wearing and it’s a winner.

And here it is as I wore it to work recently:

Lou & Grey shorts, $4.12 with my coupon

I was flipping through the athletic shorts section when a nice lady came up right next to me to put out some new items, so OF COURSE I had to double-back to check them out. Which is where I found these silky Lou & Grey shorts for less than $5.

They’re loose and comfortable and have zip-up pockets. You guys, I am OBSESSED with these shorts. They are so, so, so comfortable and I’ve been grabbing for them pretty much every day that they are not in the laundry. It has gotten to the point that I’m thinking I should stop by the Loft outlet on my way to the beach just to see if I can get a back-up pair!

Pleated Running Skort, $8.24 with my coupon

Did I pay up for this black, pleated running skort. Sure, a little bit. However, it’s so adorable! I love the built in shorts with pockets and the pleated skirt that is perfect for twirling. And honestly, my husband is kind of obsessed with me in running skirts when we go for our evening walks, so… worth it just to see the heart eyeballs look he gives me when I wear one!

Linen dress, $6.74 with my coupon

Yes, this linen dress is giving Victorian nightgown. But the linen fabric and the neckline were fantastic and I had a vision! I dyed it a rich green, chopped off the length, sewed up the pockets and hemmed the bottom with iron on hem tape.

And BOOM, for less than $7 I have a beautiful linen top in a color and cut that goes with so many items in my closet!

Gap top with flutter sleeves, $4.87 with my coupon

I thrifted another oversized v-neck Gap Top a few months ago and it’s been getting lots of wear, so when I saw this one with pretty flutter sleeves I needed it. It’s just one of those ‘dressy’ looking tops that go with everything – paired with jean shorts, styled with a skirt and cardigan, tied over a dress… it always looks good and cost less than $5 for all that versatility.

Vintage Allison Smith skirt, $7

I love that this vintage skirt has pockets, belt loops and buttons down the front. I don’t love that we are calling the 80’s/90’s vintage… Anywhoo. The ‘Made in Taiwan’ label points to it being more mid-to-late 80’s, but it looks like it’s never been worn and has been sitting in someone’s closet for the last 30 years.

Who doesn’t love a classic black skirt?! Here’s a quick fit check with the top I was wearing that day — which is linen dress that turned into a top from above!

Bailey 44 joggers, $6

I was paging through the workout bottoms and the second my hands hit the fabric of these joggers I immediately got excited. They are SO FREAKING SOFT. They’re a medium though and I can be anything from a medium, large or XL – so I was crossing my fingers that they fit me properly. And they do and I love them! Afterwards, I found them on the Bailey 44 website (here) and they sell for $158?!

Anyways, I’m obsessed with them and can’t wait until I forget I bought them only to find them in my drawer on a random cold day and fall in love with them all over again!

Okay, the next two items are projects….

No tag cotton/linen dress, $9

I know that this dress looks like a sack. There are no tags in it (brand or fabric), but it has the hand-feel of a very nice linen/cotton and it has French seams, which are typically found on higher-end clothing. The top fits nice and oversized… so of course, I decided to chop it off and make myself another summer top.

I did the big chop and ironed on the hem over the weekend and already wore it once this week (I forgot to take a photo). But now I’m trying to decide if I need to chop it a bit shorter.

Embroidered top, $7

I love, love, love the embroidery on this top. But I don’t love how the top looks on me. After trying it on with a bunch of different bottoms and considering reducing the ruffles and moving the bows in the back, I decided that it’s going to turn into a pillow.

Here’s a rendering by folding it into position:

Cute, right?!

May Thrift Haul

With May flying by, it’s time to talk about my May thrifting. Which is actually pretty lame. It’s been a pretty busy month, so I actually only had one opportunity to check out the thrift store. Let’s take a look at this very small thrift haul…

Talbots 100% silk pleated skirt, $9.99

That’s right. A perfect condition, 100% silk, pleated, vintage Talbot skirt. {dreamy sigh} Yes, I already own a skirt this color. But, for $10 I couldn’t pass up this beauty! It is so lightweight and flowy with a built-in slip and I think it will be wonderful to wear to work on those sweltering hot days that you don’t want to get dressed up.

And that’s it. That’s all I thrifted this month.

However, I did also buy something off Poshmark. So since it’s a second hand buy, I feel like it’s thrifting adjacent…

Lucky Brand dress, $30

This was listed as ‘like new, worn once’ and the seller accepted my $30 offer. If this dress looks familiar, it’s because I have it in a different colorway:

And it’s literally one of my favorite dresses that has been worn so much that my cost-per-wear is down in the single digits.

The only problem is… I accidently bought the wrong size. The dress I own and love is a size large and the new green version is a size XL. Oops. Normally a little extra fabric isn’t a big deal with this type of fit and flare dress, but it actually does look much too big on me.

So I need to make a decision:

  • Relist the dress on Poshmark and buy a large when one pops up.
  • Add a belt and call it a day
  • Sew the bodice area and waist a bit smaller, so it fits me better.

Since I already own the new dress, I’m leaning towards option 3 and customizing the dress for my shape. So it may be added to my sewing pile to attack some time over the next few weeks!

My Arizona Spring Break Thrift Haul

We just got back from an amazing spring break trip to Arizona, and I’m working on putting together a series of blog posts to share all our adventures. But while I’m organizing my thoughts, I couldn’t wait to show you something fun…

Let’s talk travel thrifting!

One of my favorite things to do on vacation (besides eating all the delicious food and seeing the sights, of course) is checking out local thrift stores. It’s the best way to score unique souvenirs that actually mean something. They’re usually way cheaper than gift shops, way cooler than anything you’d find at a chain store, and every piece comes with a little story. Also, my husband is super into it too… so it’s a fun family activity for us.

So before I dive into our adventures visiting the Grand Canyon, hiking the Granite Dells and the fact that it SNOWED one day and we were in shorts the next, let’s check out some thrifted treasures!

Zara skirt, $3

I found this new with tags Zara skirt and was intrigued by the parachute-type material, stretchy waist and deep pockets. It’s marked as an extra-small/small, which is ridiculous because it fit my body just fine. Apparently it sold for $69.90 at Zara, but all skirts were just $3 at the Prescott thrift store. Everything was priced so cheap there – my husband bought 2 tee shirts for just $1.50 each!

Anyways, here is the skirt on me:

It’s flowy and comfy and I like it a lot. My original thought was that I’d hem it a bit shorter, but I may wear it a few times at its current length before I make my final decision.

Vintage skirt, $7.29

I accidentally overpriced this on my Instagram share, but found the receipt while typing up this post and it was actually less than $8. SCORE! And yes, I know that this skirt leans a little hippy-dippy. Mid 90’s Joules would have LOVED this skirt and honestly, so does 2025 Joules.

Here it is on and I ended up wearing this outfit for our travel day from Prescott to Scottsdale to the airport and to home.

This skirt is just so eclectic and lightweight and I love the different fabrics. It’s a vintage brand, so probably from the mid-90’s and I can’t wait to it with tank tops and graphic tee shirts this summer!

Vintage skirt, $9

Yes, I was on quite the vintage skirt kick on this trip. This one is another vintage label – most likely from the 1980’s or 1990’s, with a gorgeous flow and pretty detailing. It’s a smidge loose in the waist, but that’s an easy fix.

Here it is paired with a graphic tee:

I love the mix of soft and tough! It’s such a pretty color in person and the fabric is super soft but thick enough that it has a bit of weight to it. I do feel like this one could look quite dated depending on how you style it, but I really like it with a graphic tee shirt. I’m looking forward to experimenting with styling this one with other items in my closet soon.

Everlane sweater, $7

You guys. I’m OBSESSED with this sweater. I love the long cuffs and the stripes and the chunky 100% cotton knit. I’ve actually eyed this sweater on the Everlane website, but it’s $110 so I hadn’t pulled the trigger. I was concerned that the medium would be a little too fitted, as I like my sweaters oversized, but it’s actually pretty fantastic:

It looks pretty darn cute with the skirt and I’m sure it will look fabulous with jeans and joggers too. I almost hope we get a few more cool days before summer hits so I can enjoy it, but I’m sure future Joules will appreciate it when she re-finds it in the fall too!

Acme cowboy boots, $25

One of things I was *hoping* to find while thrifting in Arizona was a pair of authentic vintage cowboy boots. At each store, I checked both the women’s and the men’s sections, because I actually prefer the fit of men’s boots (they are wider and you can stick some big, fluffy insoles inside and wear comfy socks). Each store had a couple pairs (at least), but they were all either in terrible condition, the wrong sizes, or marked at $50 or higher.

And then, at a Goodwill in Sedona, my husband pointed me towards these! Vintage leather Acme cowboy boots for just $25!!!

And they looked kind of terrible:

But I had hope that they just needed some love. And conditioner. So I grabbed some boot conditioner and mink oil at a local boot store and went to work. First, I scrubbed all the dirt and yuck around the edges with a scrubbie and water. Then, after letting them dry for a day, I massaged on some boot conditioner and let it soak in. Then, I gave each boot a really good rubdown with mink oil and let it dry for an hour or two. I buffed it down and then gave it another coat of mink oil. One more buffing. And BAM.

Gorgeous and the perfect amount of worn/broken in! I kind of wanted to wear them home on our last day, but they went into the suitcase for the ride. In order to finish preparing them for real life, I just need to add a pair of squishy insoles (which I have already) and also throw on some comfortable socks!

We had so much fun with our Arizona vacation thrifting and I can’t wait to wear all my new treasures. And once again, staying in a VRBO with a washing machine is so helpful. I was able to launder all of our new finds before packing them back in our suitcases to bring them home!