Ingenious Ikat

I've been enamored with ikat prints lately, especially the fabrics in the Dear Stella Lanikai line.  I made a skirt already, and recently I decided to reupholster this great thrift store score with a darker printed ikat for my living room.  I bought this fabric for $20/yd at one of the fabric warehouses on Harry Hines Blvd in Dallas (great fabrics at those places!) and I think that particular store had it custom printed.  It's home dec weight and partly linen I believe.  I absolutely adore my new chair :)  I think I have enough left over fabric to make a throw pillow or two for the couch.  Love when things turn out like that...

Before:

After:

Thrift Store Lamp Update

I needed a table lamp for my dim living room so obviously I started combing thrift stores for the perfect one.  Unfortunately I came home with this....

Brassy, 80's, doesn't play well with the other collected furnishings (West Elm zebra rug, estate sale cedar chest, & boring beige couch that is).  So I decided to spruce it up with spray paint and see what happens.  A couple coats of Rustoleum later plus a new modern shade from Target et voila!

Much better!  I'm still working on clearing the clutter.  I think I have too many different shades of blue here, no?  Don't worry, it will eventually be all fixed!

Thrifty Thursday

Well I think I found the mother of all good deals at my local Goodwill yesterday!  While casually perusing the shoe aisle, I pick up a gorgeous pair of heels, which also happened to be Tory Burch and priced at $4.99, barely worn.  The bad part of this story?  Size 8.5, not my usual 6.5 to 7.5.  Oh well!  I did buy them and they are currently listed on eBay.  I'm terrible about making any money on eBay so we'll see how this venture pans out.


It's almost Friday!  Have a great weekend :)

Don't hate me because...

I bought a J. Crew sweater for $0.40 yesterday.  Black, 100% cotton, v-neck, my size.  $0.40!!

jcrew.com 

Or a Tory Burch black & white striped polo shirt for $2.00!

http://www.thisnext.com/topic-tory-burch-bernadette-striped-top 

It was a good day at the thrift store :D  I could have bought the J. Crew cheetah print calf hair mocs that I've always wanted for $10, but they were a size to big (wah wah).  Maybe next time!

Thrilling Thrift Store Find!

I went to my secret thrift store this past weekend and was happy to find a bunch of J. Crew items!  Since I'm really trying to stick to my b*dg@t (what a swear word!), I only purchased this skirt.  It's a 100% cotton Ikat Monterey drawstring skirt from Summer '09, MSRP $65.  I love skirts that have pockets!  It was only $3 plus tax.  I'm not sure what I'll wear on top yet...

Thrift Store Review: Goodwill Outlet in North Charleston, SC

When I first came across the Goodwill Outlet, I mused to myself, Outlet? How can it get much cheaper than regular Goodwill?  Well friends, let me tell you!  


Here's how it works.  You walk into the store, grab a cart, and find a giant bin to start sifting through.  You may prefer to wear gloves for this (eep!).  The majority of the items are sold by the pound!  That's right, folks, it seems like you're at the meat counter when you buy 14 pounds of clothes for $1.49 a pound like I did Saturday.   Sift through clothes, home decorating furnishings, kitchenware, furniture, shoes, books, computer parts, you name it, they probably have it.

I ventured into the North Charleston Goodwill Outlet and came out a very happy shopper.  I was originally looking for vintage bed sheets and men's button down shirts for crafts.  I came out with way more than I expected.  I may have realized I have a thrift store shopping addiction slash problem this weekend too :)


The store itself was in a run down looking area, but it seems better than where I lived in the Chicago ghetto around my school.  So I parked near the front and went in.  Inside it was bright, clean, and everyone was very friendly.  The pricing signs weren't very visible, but don't worry, you won't break the bank here.  When in doubt, just buy it!  This store was pretty large when you start wandering around.  Make sure you grab a cart because you'll never know how much stuff you'll end up grabbing.

Here's a few pics of what I got...all 14 pounds of clothes and bedsheets!  In my defense, I did buy a vintage Oleg Cassini beaded gown that weighed 4 lbs by itself.  I'm not sure where I'll wear it, but it's damn sexy! (Yes, I was the kid that was obsessed with Bob Mackie sequined junk).  

This link has a list of all the Goodwill Outlets.  Hopefully you can find one near you!
http://frugalliving.about.com/od/bargainshopping/p/GW_Outlets.htm

Thrift Store Review: Unique in Chicago, IL

Ta da!  Thrift Store Review #1 will feature Unique Thrift Store in Chicago, specifically on 31st & Halstead in Bridgeport.  Let me start by telling you, I saved the best for first!  This place is one of the things I'll miss most when I move away from Chicago.

So at first glance, the store isn't that welcoming.  The first time I went, I was accosted by a man selling "tamales, tamales, DVDs, tamales!"  I was a bit skeptical at first, but my friend Candace insisted we forge ahead.  I've never looked back!    Right past the door on the left is where they keep the designer purses behind a desk.  I'm not convinced all the purses are genuine, but some are and you just have to inspect them carefully.  They also have jewelry, DVDs, computer games, and other stuff right past this counter.  They have a wide selection of baby & kids' clothes, toys & games, craft supplies, housewares, dishes and other kitchen items, men's clothes, shoes for everyone, books, furniture, lighting, linens, and my favorite section - women's clothes.

The racks are extremely well organized by sections - skirts, pants, suits, long sleeve knit shirts, short sleeve knit shirts, long sleeve sweaters, etc etc.  Then they're arranged by color too!  In the middle of the store there's a lot of purses too.  I could spend a couple hours searching through everything to find my great deals.

If you have the chance, go on a Monday, which is half price day.  Everything is half the price of the tag that's been stapled (yes, stapled) onto the item.  This location opens at 6 am on Mondays too, so you have no excuse not to go!

Some of my favorite finds: 100% cashmere J Crew cable knit sweater $4; black leather Coach purse $7; numerous Ann Taylor skirts for around $3 each; tons of cashmere sweaters that I use in crafts (be watching for this later); etc...  How awesome does this place sound?  Love it!