Two "Top Ten" Favorites on my Frugal Fashionista list

I am "Lovin' Leather at Frugal Fashionista prices."
Come check out two of my latest finds and see why I finally took the leather jacket splurge.

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Frugal Fashionista - one stop shopping

Frugal Fashionista is back, and ready to roll.

(If you're new to this series, begin at the beginning by unpacking your reservations on a Frugal Fashionista wardrobe. )
I heard your cries, I received your emails, and trust me, it's not for lack of clothes to show you.

I just thought you might have wanted a break from my frugal fashion trips, but obviously not.
Always forgetting to take pictures when I was wearing the outfits was the problem that I encountered in doing these posts.

Oh yes, and then there were the dogs...



And the kids...


Enough excuses...on to what you've been waiting for.

I am doing a two part post for this one.
I have decided to take you through a typical thrift store outing and show you what I look for.
Everything I am wearing in these pictures was from one shopping trip last week.
My goal of this post is different. It's not to put together my cutest ever outfits, but to show you how you can mix and match while spending pennies on the dollar.

As you are reading, try and guess how much I paid for it all.
You are going to drop to the floor!
I approach my wardrobe much like I do my couponing and stockpiling.
Many local thrift stores offer discounts on certain days.
On Sunday at my local store, one colored ticket is always 75% off.
Keep that in mind as you guess. I only looked at that color.



With winter right around the corner, I love to look for new sweaters, turtlenecks and comfy clothes that I can wear to football practices. I need to be warm, but I don't have to look frumpy.
This Banana Republic sweater is perfect, and can easily be dressed up with a scarf or jacket. These Limited jeans are a bit too short for me, but you'd never know it once I rolled them up and made them capris. Now they fit perfectly and they look like they were made to be capris.
If you have great ankles - show them off. :)



A classic green Gap turtleneck will give me so many options.
Here I paired it with the comfiest, down vest by Lands End.
Yes, it looks brand new. Another sign that Lands End is total quality.

The Anne Taylor brown pants were a steal, and hopefully after I wear them they'll stretch out a bit. ( I didn't try them on, and typically I do.)
The only other option is to lose the eight pounds I've gained in the last few months - ugh.




Here is the same turtleneck and pants paired with two jackets that were UNDER one dollar.
Do you see how different all three outfits look just by switching them up a bit?
Our NC fall days don't always necessitate a heavy coat, so these are perfect.
Jackets like this are a typical find at most thrift stores.

One of my favorite finds of the day was this great black dress. If you've followed this series at all, you know I have a thing for the perfect, little black dress. I have about ten of them.
Please.no.lectures. Just being honest. But, I wear them - a lot.
When something like this is so comfortable that you can sleep in it, I buy it...regardless.
And this is one of those finds. I wish you could see my drop down pink necklace more closely.
It's perfect with the V-neck, but if someone gave me a big chunky pink necklace, I think I'd prefer that instead.
It would make more of a statement and bring out the pink accents.
This style looks great on almost any body shape.





I love, love, love this classic Eddie Bauer turtleneck. I'm so disappointed that we didn't get a better picture of it.
Like Lands End, Eddie Bauer quality is so fabulous that it always appears new, while the look never goes out of style.
Now, I admit, this orange vest was an impulse buy...
I am a "summer," and "summer" skin tones don't wear orange. (Regardless if you buy thrift or new, you must find out your skin tone.)
But it's fall harvest time, and I want to be festive.
Yet more importantly, this was a BRAND NEW suede vest with the $69.00 price tag still on it and I got it for $1.50. I'm just saying.
As long as that orange isn't against my face, I'm fine with it.
I'll wear it to the pumpkin patch and take my pictures with fall orange pride, and them probably pass it on to someone else. It's cuter in real life. :)



Yes, this was taken moments ago as I just got back from football practice and was sporting my cute Hanes hoodie and Liz Claiborne tank.
If I dress to exercise, it sometimes gives me the false sense that I might actually walk during my boys' practice. :) Exercise clothing is expensive, but I find fabulous items for pennies. Probably because people like me fizzle out on their New Year's Resolution quicker than they'd care to admit.

Now imagine that I didn't just get back from football practice, and that my hair was done in a sleek updo.
Oh, how I love this white dress from The Limited.
Simple, elegant and classic.
Again, comfort is key and this one passes the "nightgown" test as well. Can you see why I have started wearing dresses more? Seriously, this dress is more comfortable than any pair of pants I own. Don't be surprised if it doesn't end up as a night gown after I get tired of it.
When you spend $1 on something, who says it has to be an elegant dress? Why can't it be a nightgown...hee hee.


Ok, so that was all purchased in one shopping trip.
Remember, it doesn't always happen like that, but I am fairly consistent in popping into my favorite stores and I have it down to such a science that I could dress almost any of you in a complete wardrobe for under $100.

Come with me next time as I show you how I look through the trash and come out with the treasures.

Did you take a guess at how much all of this cost? Remember that I ONLY looked at the colored tags that were marked 75% off, and the majority of the other items in the store were full price.
I am going to duck now because I know you are going to throw tomatoes at me.

All of it...under $12.
I know...it's not fair, but just love me anyhow. :)

Frugal Fashionista - wedding style

Are you new to the Frugal Fashionista series? Begin here.

Considering I have beloved family members who appreciate Frugal Fashionista finds as much I as do, it would not come as a shock to you that our recent wedding gathering sported total yard sale finds, GoodWill, Consignment and hand me down attire from my four nieces, mom and sis in love.

Remembering and detailing my own frugal wedding will be a post in its own.

My GoodWill dress was another brand new find at our local "rich people's" Goodwill. And yes, I am covering up the size, not the price. :) It was $79.99, but marked down $49.99.
My price...$5 (then take off my 10% Preferred Shopper Discount...$4.50).

My mom's dress wasn't second hand, but she has spent a lot of time in China as a short term missionary and while she was there, she had this vintage suit made for her at a definite yard sale price. It's still classy after many years which is an important reason to invest time finding a few quality core wardrobe pieces that will last for years.

My sister-in-love dresses to that point. These black pants are six years old, and she bought them at our "Rich People's" Consignment Store in town. Paying a bit more for items at Consignment Boutiques is a given, but are always guaranteed (like-new) high quality designer brands that are no more than 1-2 years old.

These pants are versatile, classy and can be dressed up or down. The rest of her outfit is also all second hand, but accessorized with some perfect jewelry, this outfit is complete.

Considering I didn't take these pictures with a post in mind (what was I thinking), I would have brought the young men forward, tucked in their shirts and featured them a bit better. My three sons with the pink, black and burgundy shirts are all dressed for success in outfits totaling $6. Since my teens are growing so quickly, the thought of buying their pants anywhere but second hand never crosses my mind.
Scoring like new Banana Republic grey pants for $3.75 at GW, $1 Lands End Khakis at a yard sale, and the burgundy Banana Republic shirt all just made my day.


My daughters, learning the art of being Frugal Fashionistas, at their finest,

Frugal Fashionista Conference style

Every time I hit "publish" on these Frugal Fashionista posts, I get a little sick tummy feeling.
I feel crazy putting myself out there as a Fashionista, especially when I know that 99.5% of the things in my closet were purchased second hand. Then, I ponder your past comments and it enables me to hit that button.
Do you know how it thrills my heart when people share that they have walked into a Goodwill for the first time since reading this series? Or that you've shopped your closet and realized that you have core wardrobe pieces that were forgotten?
One of my favorites was my reader's comment that told me her husband thanks me for saving their budget, and his wife needs to hang out with me more often. :)

Honestly, that is why I do these posts. To give you permission to think outside the box. You are not alone if you desire to get that budget under control, and sacrifice to do it (although, for me...it's so fun...it doesn't feel a bit like sacrifice.)
Most of society screams, "You must dress, decorate and purchase this..." to succeed.
My heart mourned last week when I actually had someone say to my face, " I would never wear something second hand... it feels so desperate."
(Diving into what the root cause is of those feelings will be a separate blog post .)

Had I not been secure in the why's and how's of why I dress, decorate and live frugally, that comment would have given me quite a few sleepless nights, and hurt feelings. Instead, my heart was sad for her. I love knowing that money doesn't drive who I am or where my worth lies.

Please know, that if you have never walked into a Goodwill or purchased an item from a yard sale, you are still my kind of sweet friend. Many of my closest friends just laugh with me (or at me, actually) when they hear how excited I get about scoring an amazing treasure for a $1.
For me, it's not about what we purchase, where we shop or how much we spend, it's just getting to the heart of the matter.
Why do we spend the way we do? Why are the majority of Americans living with maxed out credit cards? How can we live in freedom from financial bondage in a society that puts such pressure to "Keep up with the Joneses."
I haven't taken the time to dive into some of these personal finance issues, but I will as I share my "Riches to Rags" story this fall.

Sheesh, I didn't mean to climb up on a soap box, but can you tell I am passionate about this?
Now, onto my Frugal Fashionista...conference style outfits.
I am one that takes five minutes to pack, but when I looked in my suitcase after those five minutes, I found 3 outfits all in black, with spurts of color from the wraps I chose.
Hmm....I realized I needed to brighten it up a bit, and this outfit certainly did that.

Thursday -
I bought this skirt at a yard sale months ago. $1 with the store tags still hanging.
Since I wondered if it was a bit too bright, I had yet to wear it. But I wanted to wear those awesome red shoes and couldn't find something that worked...it was HOT outside.
When I matched it with an all white sweater, it brought it all together.

Limited white cardigan - $2, yard sale
Green tank - $1, yard sale
Skirt - $1, yard sale (with tags)
Awesome red shoes that my sis found - $2, yard sale
Total for the outfit: $6

When my daughter saw my skirt with the store tags, she gasped and said, "Mommy, you bought that new skirt just for your conference?"
I replied sweetly, "What do you think?"
" I didn't think so," she smilied. :)

Just so your in the designer fashion know, "they" say that red is the new black. You can wear it with anything. :)

Friday -
Both days I left my camera in the hotel room...what was I thinking?
Here is my attempt to recreate my Friday outfit...today.
At the Blogger Meet and Greet, one of my new favorite bloggers, Tina from Antique Mommy, gave me the once over and said, "You don't look like you're frugal." Love her!

You know how much I love wraps of all kinds.
Many people feel as if they can not wear black. They claim it washes them out, which may be true, and that makes me sad because I love black. Well, my suggestion is to spruce up all things black with splashes of vibrant color.

Long Gap shorts - $4 - Good Will
I love these because I can go from ultra casual to a night on the town look by adding heels (not that I get many of those, but hypothetically speaking ;).
Black tank top - $1 at Carolina Thrift (with the store tags still attached).
Everything in the store was 50% off, and I had a total bedlam moment as the whole store flooded while I was there. It is quite the story. :)
Shoes (pictured at the top of post) - $4 Goodwill.
Wrap - free from a friend who knows I love them and was going to give it to Good Will.
I should have spent a bit more time making sure the wrap wasn't crooked, but this gives you a sneak peak at how they are very versatile in their look.

On Saturday, I left my room at 8:30am and didn't make it back until midnight.
Sweet Stephanie from Dayspring/(in)courage took this for me in the wee hours.
And no, I didn't plan to match the carpet.

I found this dress the day before She Speaks at Goodwill for $5.
When you hit a larger thrift store, one tip is to look at the rack that the employees have recently wheeled out. Those are items that have just been donated that day and typically employees unpack bags/boxes at one time. and hang that grouping on the same rack.
If you happen to hit the jackpot of someone with designer clothing in your size, they will all be in that one spot. It doesn't happen often, but when it does...it ROCKS!
Another place I look is the dressing room rack where people have just put back what they don't want to purchase. This is how I found two fun dresses. Someone with great taste, in my size, took the time to search through for some gems. For whatever reason, she didn't want a hand full of items, and I loved everything she returned to the rack.

For those of you who have a predetermined concept of Crocks. Take a look at my shoes...aren't they adorable? Yes, they are high heeled Crocs and they are SO comfortable.
No, I didn't get those second hand, but I got them free, does that count?
It was really chilly in the hotel, so sweaters were a necessity. I would have worn a green cardigan, but since I had already worn green the day before, the $2 Limited white sweater was all I had packed.
There's a big girl moment with this dress. Those of you who follow me, know I am passionate about great style with modesty. This is the shortest length dress I own by far, but it's still fun and length appropriate for the day, although maybe not "business casual."
I had a cute suit coat and pants picked out for my speaker evaluation group that evening, but when our blogging session, which included the launch of (in)courage ended late, I didn't have time to change.
Guess what one of the comments was about my appearance on evaluation? Inappropriate for speaking...skirt too short.
Ah yes, the irony there wasn't lost on me. ;)

Sunday - I wore a cute pink top and black pants, but after having to redress today for my black/green outfit, I was not taking the time to do that again. So I stole this picture from Emily.

Stephanie from DaySpring, The Nester, Especially Heather, Jen, Holley, Emily and Dawn

Thanks for coming along on my Frugal Fashionista conference style edition.

Considering that when I add up the total amount of money spent on four outfits, and it totaled $25, I don't care if someone thinks that's desperate...I am desperately in love with what that does for my yearly clothing budget. :)

Posted at Rhoda's

Frugal Fashionista shoes at their finest...Mod Podge Marvel

As I get ready for a jam packed weekend, I just had to share one of the best examples of a DIY Frugal Fashionista at her finest.
A new reader, Charlie, sent me this and my mouth dropped WIDE OPEN!
Talk about thinking outside the box.

"Hey, I am sending you 3 pictures of my very favorite shoe. I have to tell you that I found these babies for 99 cents at "Cato Fashions" on clearance, and the bottom of them was a plain brown wedge heel. BORING!!! So, I took some scrapbooking paper that I was saving for a special occasion, Mod Podge, and an hour to create the most fabulous shoe a girl could ever have!"
Can you believe that? Charlie used Mod Podge!! She ROCKS!! How fun are these? Now, I'm trying to figure out what shoes I can spray paint. :) Isn't this DIY amazing?
Now before you tell her how awesome this is, she wanted to make sure new visitors didn't come thinking they were getting a cutsie decorating blog. :) It's called Operation Shrink Charlie's Butt and she just tells it likes it is. She doesn't mix words and is one crazy, fun, loving woman on a mission to lose weight and bring others along with her for the ride.
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*Also, my brother just reminded me that there is an 80% off code for Restaurants.com good through the July 31. If you're not familiar with these wonderful frugal dining options, see my Restaurants.com post for details. Make sure you read any details on the coupon.



80% Off w/every $25 Gift Certificate Order when you use code NAPKIN. Pay $2 thru 7/31/09 only at Restaurant.com.

Sensational Silk

New to the Frugal Fashionista series?
Begin with designer wardrobe on a frugal budget.

I made a mistake this week on vacation. I walked into some high end retail clothing stores that I haven't frequented in years. My reason? To literally start pricing some of the items that I am featuring every week, and make sure I am up to date with the latest trends.
You know where that browsing landed me? With a huge case of the "gimmes."
Give me one of those and oh, let me just try on one of these. Did I need a thing? Absolutely not!

The benefit of that shopping trip was that I have a lot to process about how consumers are so influenced by the ploys of these amazing marketing groups. Quite a few thoughtful posts are swimming around in my brain about personal finance and all from a little"harmless" browsing.
I didn't purchase a thing, but that didn't stop me from being "convinced" that I needed quite a few new items.
Bottom line: Remove yourself from temptation. :)

Now, on to my thrift designer outfit of the week. I apologize that it's only one. The Frugal Fashionista was not thinking ahead and I went out of town without my other pictures....oops.
In the past, wearing silk has scared me. It's the kind of fabric you wear once "you've arrived," and my bus has yet to get there on time.
On top of that, silk is truly special. Just think how amazing it is that God's remarkable creature, the silkworm, worked especially for us so that we can wear something really fancy.
I surely wouldn't want to hurt his feeling, so when I came upon this BRAND NEW (yes, tags still on) 100 Silk, Coldwater Creek dress at Good Will for $6, I hatched, I mean snatched it up without a protest. I did it in honor of the silkworm. :)
This is a style that is forgiving with any figure. If your arms aren't your favorite feature, don a cardigan or wrap. Since I have fallen of the wagon with both my exercising and my eating, the pounds are slowly creeping back on. I plan to remedy that soon, but in the mean time, this style hides a good ten extra pounds with it's straight lines, and my weight gain is barely noticeable.
Here is another example of how the right piece of jewelery makes an outfit. This $2 purple yard sale find necklace doesn't go with much, but I am thrilled that I didn't pass it up because it completes this outfit. Simple, yet elegant.
Again, imagine my excitement when I saw these like new shoes at a yard sale the weekend after I purchased this dress. I am disappointed I can't share the brand (since they're in my closet and I am not, :) but I do know they were made in Italy....yes, only the best of Italian Leather for my silk dress.
Shoes - $2 and I doubt they were worn more than once - no visible scuff marks or any signs of wear.
Total for this head to toe designer Frugal Fashionista outfit? $10

Frugal Fashionista Fashion Show

Welcome to my Frugal Fashionista Fashion Show.

For this week's Frugal Fashionista, I am giving you a "real life" look at what I wore each day.
As always, every single piece of clothing and accessories have been purchased second hand at yard sales or thrift stores. I purchased ALL of my outfits this week for a total cost of $28 for the entire wardrobe. This definitely "works for me."
I was at a home school conference Monday through Wednesday, so my choices needed to be a bit more dressy than sweats. :)

Monday - I dealt with my love of black dresses last week, and I should have just said that black pieces in general are my "go to" items for times I am in a hurry or indecisive. If I am rushed and have only minutes to get ready, I know that I can grab any variety of black pieces and it creates a classy look.

Total cost: $9.99
Sunglasses - $1 (yard sale)
Shirt - $1 (ys)
Necklace - $1 (ys)
Gab Shorts - $3 (thrift store)
Anne Taylor shoes - $3.99 (thrift store)

When I find shirts with a unique style twist to them, I snatch them up. I should have done a side shot because the fabric is cut longer around the hips and gives a unique look at the waist.

This is where you are thinking I'm trying to be "movie starish" with my sun glasses.
The truth? I had no make up on and didn't want to go apply some just for a picture. :)

A great pair of shoes elevates everything else in an outfit. For years, I didn't care a bit about shoes, so it's quite ironic that I now have quite a collection of them.
Five years ago, I rarely wore heels. Now I realize that the right shoe lengthens the leg, narrows the ankle, and slims the foot, or at least give that illusion (and isn't that what we care about)?
I still put comfort at a premium, so this heel is as high as I will ever go (and that's two inches higher than last year). ;) I will address choosing heels when Frugal Fashionista deals with shoes.
Tuesday - I love hues of green, and was thrilled when I found this silk shirt at the Salvation Army in Myrtle Beach (there is a total bedlam moment story with that purchase).

Total cost: $10.50
525 Shirt - $3.00 (thrift store)
9 and Company Capris - $4 (Junior League thrift store)
Hype brand shoes - $1 (yard sale)
Necklace - $0.50 (yard sale)
Earrings - $2

Ten hours earlier, this outfit looked much better...pardon the wrinkles. Again, another shirt with a unique twist. The sleeves are what got me. Look for those unique elements. This shirt was smooshed between a wrack of "trash," and I think I found a treasure from my hunt.
My day was just made when my youngest son pointed out that my feet looked like they were an 80 year old woman's. Ah...from the mouths of babes.
Over the course of two months, this entire outfit, with accessories, came together perfectly. Unfortunately, missing from the pictures was a fabulous blue/green bracelet that I wore for the day. This is a great example of the thrill of the hunt. I look for what I love and slowly outfits come together. The fact that I found so many things in the same color palette was just plain fun!

Wednesday - Am I going to say that this is the epitome of fashion?
No, but it's just fun, cute, and makes people happy when they see the pink. :)
My youngest daughter took this picture, and I probably should have checked it first. :) This spandex/nylon mix pink shirt is SO comfy, I could wear it every day. It's a style that looks great on every body size (even if you can't see it so well on this pic).

Total cost: $6

Shirt - $1 (yard sale)
Skirt - $1 (yard sale)
Croft and Barrow leather sandals
like new - yard sale $2
Jewelry - $2

Again, another fun, hot pink, casual look.
This dress is one I would wear around the house just because of it's comfort level.
And no, I would never wear the hat....it's actually in the Good Will box. ;)

Total Cost: $3
Dress - $2 (yard sale)
Flip flops - $1 (ys)

It completely matches my geraniums!
But shame, shame...this outfit is NOT complete without the necklace (which was left upstairs).
I forgot to get the picture in real time. :)

It has some beautiful bead work which makes it dressy enough for church if I throw a pair of nice shoes with it, but most of the time...
I wear it with these casual, flip flops. Now, is that a match or what? I found the sandals first, and then the dress. Yes, you can tell I wear these a lot.
Many people have remarked that their thrift stores are much higher in price than ours seem to be. I am thankful for the selection that we have, but I also don't buy things unless I feel that I am really getting a great deal, so that's what you are seeing. We have many thrift stores that mark items higher, but I have found the days when sales are offered or items are marked down, and only shop on those specified days. I can be much pickier at thrift stores because of the jack pots that I tend to hit at yard sales. That is where you will see your greatest values for any kind of items. When people have a lot of clothes to move, they will sell it to get rid of it, and then we can scoop it up and show it here. :) Thanks for letting me show my "scores."
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Posted at: Works for me Wednesday, Hooked on Houses...I'm hooked on frugal fashions. and
The Inspired Room\

I love seeing your Frugal Fashionista finds, but please follow these few "rules" so that everyone can join in.
1. Include your post showing us your Frugal Fashionista finds.
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3. Link back to Balancing Beauty and Bedlam in your post so everyone will know where to come to find all the other fashion fun.
Thanks for playing along. It's so fun to encourage everyone that Frugality can be Fun and Fabulous!