Thriftspiration Thursday: Pretty in Pink (And more!)

GUYS. I AM SO SORRY.

     I KNOW I've been SUCKING at blogging lately. And I know this is the second time I've apologized for it, how can you trust me anymore, I'm pathetic, how dare I come crawling back like a stray dog, etc. But I promise you this blog is still important to me, and it WILL live on.

Enough of that, let's pick back up with another Thriftspiration Thursday...

     You know how I said in my last TT that I love the 90's? Well I do, but the 80's I have always despised. The music blows (some exclusions apply). The clothes are tacky (NO exclusions apply). The movies are cheesy. I've never understood why people are so obsessed with it. It's just a mess of bad synth lines, shoulder pads and gremlins; why must it be the theme of every sorority rush party?

     These WERE my thoughts on the 80's, until the 2010s came around. And I know people have been saying this since 1990, but the 80's are coming back! And the movie Pretty in Pink can be used as hard-hitting evidence. Mixed patterns, tons of accessories, lots of layers. Crazy, eclectic styles were huge back then, and they are huge now. They are also VERY thrifty-looking, as you can see in the picture above.

     I also just really like the movie itself. It's got a good, real, touching plot line, surprisingly enough. I laughed, and I even cried! (I also relate to Molly Ringwald's character on a personal level. She's funny, has an awesome style, is a high school outcast and boys won't leave her alone. Obviously me.) If you haven't seen it: First of all, where have you been? And second of all, watch it! It's on Netflix, you fool! Who hasn't seen every movie on Netflix these days?

Anyways, I hope you liked my second Thriftspiration Thursday, but if you are one of those people who's yelling "Booooo, get back to teaching me how to thrift shop!" at your computer screen (Yeah, I can hear you. How? The world may never know...) I have a couple quick shopping tips to keep you satisfied for now:

1. This may seem obvious to some, but I didn't even think of it until recently. A lot of you, when thrift shopping, look through every single thing on the rack. I do this too, but I didn't realize how much time I was wasting just by looking at things I can tell I obviously won't wear just by seeing the side of it hanging on the rack. At the very least, eliminate pieces of clothing that are colors you know you would never wear. I can't stand wearing pink, yellow, heather grey, hunter orange, white and lime green. That might not be your same list, but you get the idea. Form a color "hate" list and just don't even move the hanger to look at them. It saves time when you're shopping on a tight schedule.

2. This is for my petite readers: Did you know that the kids section of Goodwill is HALF the price of the regular stuff? There's some stuff on those racks that doesn't look half bad! And no one eeeeever has to know it came from the kids section. Think you might fit into a kids size Large or XL? Give it a whirl! Not to mention I've found some really cool t shirts there. My Japanese Star Wars shirt is my prized possession.

3. A lot of people are hesitant to buy electronics at Goodwill because they think they won't work, but technically the Goodwill employees are supposed to test all electronics before putting them on the floor. So, in my professional opinion, electronics at Goodwill are pretty trustworthy. But if you NEED to be sure, look around for an outlet in the store and plug it in for a test run! 

Until next time, my dears. (which hopefully won't be too long from now)

-Your Thrifty Godmother

Thriftspiration Thursday: Fiona Apple

I've been wanting to do something like this ever since I started my blog; a weekly post about people or places or things that inspire me, and may hopefully inspire you. So, here goes. I guess I'll start with my all-time favorite person:

     Not to sound like one of those people, but I really love the 90's. Not just because I was born in them. Not just because of Nickelodeon cartoons. I don't claim to be a "90's Kid". I just genuinely love and respect this part of history on so many different levels. The style, the music, the movies. From Beck to Buffy the Vampire Slayer. From Goosebumps to "Groove is in the Heart". It's all one big, beautiful, flannel dream to me. But the centerpiece of my 90's fantasies is without a doubt Miss Fiona Apple. I don't know what I love most about her...

      I love her style. Always trendy, with F*** the system undertones. Sleepy-sexy, in a hippy dippy kind of way. Certainly enviable in many modern circles, and a very easy look to get at thrift shops. 

     I love her music. Especially her lyrical style. She writes kind of like like Taylor Swift, if Taylor smoked weed and read old English literature. Romantic and girly with a trippy, dark-poet twist. She actually came out with an album last year called The Idler Wheel is Wiser... and I highly recommend it. Gorgeous. But my favorite album of hers is Extraordinary Machine. If I were to have a movie made about my life, the first song on that album would be in the opening scene, and the last song would play as the credits rolled. I want that last song played at my funeral actually. It makes me laugh and cry on a regular basis (I'm not even kidding, friends and family. Remember that. I truly want that song played at my funeral. Okay this is getting weird, moving on.)

     I love her general outlook on life. I don't know how better to explain this than show you her acceptance speech from the 1997 VMAs. 

     

(The video really is embedded here. 

If you can't  see of from your phone, sorry. 

Look it up.)

If you're not obsessed with her yet, I don't know what your problem is.

     Anyways, that's your thriftspiration for the week. Check out her music, really. And study her style. Maybe you'll fall in love like I have. 

See you next week with more thriftspiration. And maybe a real post or two.

Your Thrifty Godmother,

Leah

Just stopping in to say Chai...

     Sometimes all I need to motivate me is a tasty beverage. 

     I've found this to be true in many cases. When I don't feel like doing homework, a cold coke can give me the kick I need. Paper to write? Better go get a Peace Tea from the gas station. And last time I had to clean my room, I made a gallon of pomegranate Arnold Palmer to start me off right. Well tonight I was planning on cleaning my room again and stumbled upon a recipe on the internet for a homemade chai latte. I didn't have and/or didn't have enough of some of the ingredients so I've made a recipe all my own and it turned out quite nice. So nice, in fact, that I decided to share it with you. I know it has nothing to do with thrift shopping, but it does have to do with being fiscally intelligent, which is a huge part of the thrifter's lifestyle. The ingredients to make 20 of these costs about how much it would cost to get 4 or 5 of them at Starbucks!

     It was too cozy and delicious to motivate me to clean my whole  room though. It mostly just made me want to cuddle up on the couch and enjoy it. I'll have to try it iced next time and see if that helps...


Leah's Home Made Chai Tea Latte

Ingredients:
(I totally eyeballed all of these so I have no idea what the actual measurements are. You can eyeball it too. I guessed here to give you some ballpark proportions. Do what you want. Exact measurements are for squares!)
2 cups water
2 bags of Chai Tea
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp pumpkin spice
1/2 tsp allspice
1 cup milk
1 cup French Vanilla coffee creamer
1/8 to 1/4 cup brown sugar

Directions:

1. Fill small saucepan with 2 cups water. Bring to a boil. Add 2 bags of tea, and all of the spices. Stir for 2 minutes and set aside. Let the tea bags continue to steep.
2. In another small saucepan, combine milk, creamer and brown sugar. Let it heat enough to dissolve the brown sugar.
3. Combine milk mixture and tea mixture in mug. I did it almost exactly half and half. Maybe slightly more tea than milk.

And there you have it! An easy, cheap, delightful drink! Impress your barista friends! (We all have at least one.)

Feel free to experiment with the recipe and let me know what you change (so I can try it too!) I'm sure I'll end up doing it a bit differently each time I make it. What's great about this recipe is all the ingredients are so tasty it will probably turn out wonderful no matter what!


As my friend Danny would say, "I got nothin' but love for ya, brother." (or sister)

Yours truly,
Thrifty God Mother

P.S. That closing line is a quote from my favorite move. Guess what it is?

Just a Small Update So You Don't Get Worried

   

 

  So I just realized that it's been almost 2 weeks since I last posted. 2 weeks! You all must have thought that I fell off the face of the earth. Well guess what...I didn't.

     My absence from this blog has been caused by 3 things: 

     1. My work schedule has blown up in these past couple weeks. Back to school is a crazy time at my job. Leaving me a lot less free time for blogging and thrifting, and thrifting and blogging, and what not.

     2. For some reason when I get onto my computer the Blogger composition dashboard isn't working. So in order to even write a blog I have to either borrow my sister(who is never home)'s laptop or type one from my own phone which is very strenuous on the eyes and neck.

     3. Writer's block...No, Not so much writer's block as much as a complete lack of material, really.

Well anyways my good friend Callie who is also a huge fan of my blog told me that the material doesn't matter. That I could write pretty much anything on here and people would read it. So I guess we'll see if she's right?

I'm just gonna fill you all in on my most recent thrifty misadventures real quick...

     Last Saturday my mom and I drove down to Lawrenceburg to shop in the Worlds Longest Yard Sale! I can't believe I had no idea that this existed. Apparently  it's happened every year since 1987! It's a yard sale that goes all the way down the Highway 127 corridor, starting in Michigan and ending in Alabama!

     As exciting as it sounds I actually came back from it with surprisingly little. I got a puffer vest, a pair of flats and an Elvis t shirt (that as you can see in the picture below my cat refused to get off of. I'll have to write a blog about my cat sometime. She's my friend, my guardian, my life advisor, but anyways where was I...)

 These are all great things, but I've come back from dinky little neighborhood yard sales with more stuff than that! I think the problem is that my mom and I got there at about 2:30, and the sales start at 7am. Plus the sales had been going on since Thursday, and it was Saturday. We could have done a better job planning out the shopping trip but at least now I know that it exists and I'll know how to prepare for next year! 

      As for thrifting I haven't had a ton of luck lately. Last Tuesday I spent 2 hours at 2 different Goodwills only to come back with a throw pillow (see above). It's an adorable throw pillow, but I really expect more of myself and my shopping abilities. I haven't tried shopping since then (mostly because I have no money). I'm sure I'll get my mojo back soon. In the meantime this throw pillow has inspired me to perhaps write a blog post on non-apparel thrifting. All I've talked about on this blog so far is clothing. There are a million other things to find at thrift stores! That post obviously isn't ready yet but I am working on it so stay tuned. 

I'll try to keep you all updated on my life more often. It feels good to write again even if it wasn't about very much. 

I love you all, my precious thrift angels.

Yours Truly,

Your Thrifty Godmother

Only Got 20 Dollars in my Pocket...

    Writing this blog is becoming expensive. 

     Ever since I started writing it I've found myself at Goodwill about twice a week. I do it for inspiration. I do it for motivation. I do it for you, the reader! 

     While you may be happy for me to shop all day every day, my wallet is not. I do not have a very high-paying job, and although my lovely parents provide a lot for me I do have a couple bills to pay every now and then. At the end of most months my spending money ends up being about as much as you would get from grabbing a handful of change from the bottom of a park fountain. 

     I've been pretty broke for a pretty long time, but through the frustration that comes with broke-ness, I am learning a lot about how to shop with discipline. And part of that is learning how to shop with a price range. It can be so hard when I find lots of cute things at once, but if I set a non-negotiable price limit for myself, I've found that it becomes much easier make smart shopping decisions.(with little to no buyer's remorse!)

     Setting a price limit for yourself may be a foreign and scary concept to you, but it's an extremely helpful life skill to learn. The beauty of thrifting is you rarely have to spend more than 20 bucks for a great outfit! Below I've put together examples of possible outfits you could get for 5, 10, 15 and 20 dollar price limits according to Goodwill's price list. Check em out and get inspired! 

$5 Limit

An adorable start to a wintery outfit! (Who doesn't match their socks to their clothes nowadays?)

Flannel: $3.00 

Hat: $1.50

Socks: $.50

Total (pretax): $5.00

$10 Limit

A fun, mixy-matchy summer outfit with great accessories. Slightly inspired by Katy Perry. (She's the reason I bought that cherry skirt in the first place.)

Earrings: $2.00

Top: $3.00

Belt: $1.50 

Skirt: $3.00

Total (pretax): $9.50 

$15 Limit 

Classic, vintage look. Perfect for early fall. You'll find a million cardigans at goodwill. Guaranteed. 

Cardigan: $3.00

Dress: $5.00

Necklace: $3.25 

Shoes: $3.00

Total (pretax): $14.25

$20 Limit 

 

Great for fall and winter. Stoner chic and fabulous. (Yes I did just say 'stoner chic'. I invented that phrase. Copyright pending.) I haven't actually worn this outfit before but now I really want it to be cold outside so that I can. And it doesn't even add up to exactly $20!

T-shirt: $3.00

Jacket: $5.00 

Pants: $3.00

Bag: $3.00

Shoes: $3.00

Scarf: $1.50

Total (pretax): $18.50

Let these outfits give you hope and inspiration! You CAN get great stuff even with a tiny paycheck! Go forth and shop with confidence!

Comment and follow if you wish!

Your Thrifty Godmother,

Leah

Frumpy or Friggin' Awesome: 7 common thrift finds that you CAN pull off!

     One very important rule I follow whilst thrifting is: ALWAYS have a vision for each item you purchase. (Seriously that's an official Leah Connolly thrifting rule. Write it down! Tattoo it on your neck! Remember it always!) Like today, I found this corduroy jacket at Goodwill. My heart always flutters for corduroy (because it reminds me of the 70s, naturally), but for some reason I wasn't sure about it. Then I remembered my rule, and started imagining when I would wear it and with what. As soon as I envisioned myself wearing it in the fall, with brown boots and a scarf, I had to have it. 

     My point in sharing that fascinating shopping tale with you is that there are many common thrift store items that many people would commonly pick up and automatically put back down. They may have a vision in their head of what it would look like on them, but what if it's an inaccurate vision?

     I couldn't think of a way to explain this to you all better than to just give examples. So today at goodwill, I found 7. Below are 7 items that could probably be found at any thrift store you go to, and some inspiration for how you could wear them. Enjoy!

     

1. The Sleeveless Button Up

Okay we all know I'm not a huge Miley fan (I once got brutally cyber-attacked by her fans on twitter for calling her a "redneck chipmunk"), but she wears this top pretty much the exact same way I would, minus the midriff: Paired with a slim skirt and funky accessories. It's cute, summery and surprisingly flattering when you don't pull your skirt down to your hip bones like our lovely Miley here.

                                                

                                                        2. The Puffer Vest

Like corduroy, I love these because they remind me of the 70s, but they're becoming a huge modern trend for cold months. Try with a flannel or a long sleeved t-shirt. I love them on boys AND girls!

3. The Denim Button Up

I mean, it'll make you look like John Mayer. If that doesn't convince you to at least try one, you have a couple things to learn. Girls can also look great in them. I have one that I love to wear with black jeans or leggings and bright accessories. 

4. The Plaid Skirt

I bought one originally inspired by Thora Birch from Ghost World, and I wore it until it fell apart. Looks amazing with a graphic tee, cardigan, black tights and boots. I also love the way the girl in this picture wears it. Could be 90s grunge, Could be classic vintage school girl. Depends entirely on how you dress it up.

5. The Floral Button Up

Always classy with denim and chunky jewelry like in the picture. I've worn them in the fall with a matching cardigan on top and loved it. There are so many colors in them that tons of stuff will match!

  6. The Cosby Sweater

Everyone says "Cosby sweater" like it's a bad thing. They can look so cute in the fall with skinny jeans and a Ked-like shoe. A great look for a cozy night in eating jello pudding pops with your friends!

7. The Penny Loafer

A sort of vintagey look with sweaters and button ups. Very 500 Days of Summer. Can work for warm and cold months with skirts and dresses. I freaking love wearing mine with this collared, sleeveless floral dress that I have that that buttons all the way up.There are mens loafers too that can be equally fantastic. Think James Franco or Joseph Gordon-Levitt for inspiration.

     Those were just a few ideas to get you started. I get a lot of inspiration from celebrities and magazines. You can get inspiration however you want. Use your imagination, try things on and go crazy! The possibilities are endless!

Comment and Follow if you wish! Love you all!!

Your Thrifty Godmother,

Leah

A Mini-Post about Mexican Ice Cream

Okay so I don't really have the time or energy for a full blog post today so I'm just gonna take a few minutes to share some fun things.

     First of all I got this lovely yellow lamp today at Goodwill for $4.50. I've been looking everywhere for a cute lamp to go with my new brown furniture. My old furniture was black and I had a black lamp to match, but it didn't look so good with the brown furniture. I love the yellow and I think it looks great with my room. I also got SIX magazines for $3.00 at half price books today! (I'm an extremely avid magazine reader. Particularly Allure and Glamour.) Half price books is a great place for smart shoppers to go for books, DVDs, CDs, vinyl records and magazines. Magazines are 50 cents a pop and they usually have pretty modern ones. I expected there would be nothing but issues of Southern Living from 2002, but every magazine I got was from either 2012 or 2013. I even got last month's issue of Allure! Good thing I didn't drop $3.99 on it when it came out. 50 cents is much better.

   Last night I was hardcore craving fried ice cream, and the only place I knew to get it was a mexican restaurant. Sadly, my boyfriend was not available to take me to one and pay for everything. (I know, how dare he have something better to do than buy me enchiladas and ice cream.) After coming to terms with the fact that real fried ice cream was just not going to happen, I turned to the pantry, looking for some sort of sweet substitute. I found cinnamon toast crunch, then realized I had vanilla ice cream, and before you know it, eureka! The crunchy cinnamon cereal paired with Vanilla ice cream, topped with honey, chocolate syrup and whipped cream makes a PERFECT faux fried ice cream! It was genius. And delicious. And CHEAP! I'll probably eat it every night for the rest of the week.

That's all for today! Comment and Follow!

Your thrifty godmother,
Leah