Please Meet TattooAnnie

I promised a special little something to my 100th follower over on the Twitter a while back, and while that didn't exactly create a stampede to the ol' poorly-updated blog here, I did sign in today to the pleasant surprise of that milestone. Thank you to fellow Etsy seller TattooAnnie for being my 100th lovely regular reader! Previously blogging about her time as an American new to Japan at Akarui Days, TattooAnnie is currently crafting beautiful jewels, hair accessories, buttons, etc. in the TattooAnnie Etsy shop - like these delicious bobbies in some of my favorite colors:

While she could surely do more than justice to her own version, TattooAnnie wins a pair of custom-made chandelier earrings in her choice of colors and finding style (and gigantic-ness). Examples of my own work here of course...

So... I have been devouring design blogs of late as I contemplate a home equity loan or line of credit with which to supplement my already-dwindling savings in order to remodel my really, honestly, crappy little condo. If you have any experience with one or the other of the options for the loan, do leave a comment! But, to that end, the only shopping I've been doing is for carefully-planned full weeks of menus (fresh produce supplemented by my CSA share) and attempts at container gardening and de-purplifying the decor so my fiance feels less like he's moved into my house and more like we've begun a new life together. Right? But yeah, not working all that well; we'd like to renovate enough to rent or sell so we can have a fresh page to start on together.

K'na mean? Have you gone through the move-in process without the benefit of a clean slate?

Congrats Annie and Thanks to you and all of my lovely readers! Happy giveaway winning!

Flowers in her hair - Floral clips for any budget

I've been completely enamored of flowers in the hair since... well, probably since the first time I saw Niecy Nash on Clean House many years ago. STOP THE FOOLISHNESS AND MAYHEM! She's just gorgeous and amazing and I frankly don't give a damn if they're too popular now or too "young"-- I think she sparked a fantastic trend. The look is sort of forties-pinup or sexy Spanish mamacita; I believe just about anyone can pull it off with almost as much panache!



Some of the most beautiful clips available are also astronomically priced, especially the larger handmade gorgeousness on Etsy. Thankfully there are still some stunning examples on the lower-end range. Check out my Treasury East of the best options from under $1 to $16:



There are hundreds of hair flower sellers, of course, at all different price ranges and levels of embellishment. I like variety, so I've purchased a good number of affordable, everyday accessories. I do, of course, like to daydream about owning some of my absolute favorites (if money were no issue; these are all $30+):

Mandizzle is featured frequently in treasuries and the front page-- due equally, I am sure, to her beautiful creations and... er... rather pleasing visage:

I just want to eat her right up. Yes, please.

EverydayFairytale designs by Gwen Paja are covet-worthy, from her jewelry and gorgeous ruffle-embellished tops to classic bridal hair accessories, which she models her gorgeous self, too:




WhichGoose carries clips, crowns, tiaras, combs and just about anything else a nontraditional bride could ever want. I particularly love the vine crowns and the ethereal photography:




I can't wait to see some new items from Perch52's shop (she assures me more are coming soon!) because this incredible velvet rose comb sold, rather tragically not to me, and I haven't seen anything else quite like it


Have you embraced this trend or are you over it? If you love it, do you stay inexpensive/ mass-produced with CVS and Old Navy cheapies, or have you bought handmade? Have you tried making your own? I've been experimenting a bit with combining different colors of silk flowers with complementary beads and feathers-- it's so much fun and fabulous for someone like me who loves matchy-matchy!




Some other good online resources are flowerclip.com (great selection but very much mass-produced, it seems) and amiclubwear. I get compliments on the grey feather fascinator I ordered from them every single time I wear it, and it was about $11.

Happy hair accessory shopping!

Wicked Thrifty Shopping Spree: Arsenal Mall

It's been a long, long time since we set foot in a mall. Secondhand only, for a long while. Too long a while. Kiddo was at a birthday party this fine chilly Saturday afternoon, and with no fiance around to complain about the browsing time in the clearance section, it was an ideal shopping day. The Arsenal Mall in Watertown, run by the Simon company like many of the Boston area malls, is certainly not the highest-end nor classiest shopping center, but it has a couple of our favorite discount stores, and we could walk to it. Theoretically. If it weren't freezing out.

The elusive grey boot we found at Famous Footwear (finally!!!). Amiclubwear never sent the suede we ordered, but did send a refund. Sigh. These Steve Maddens were in the clearance section, a bit steep at $40, but we had a $10 off rewards coupon, so really $30:


Another view:

Yummy!

In order to qualify for the $10 off we did have to find another pair to get us up to $50, and we spotted these quite-unlike-anything-we've-ever-had cone-heeled brogue-inspired lace-up slingbacks by Hot Kiss for $15:



They're a little bit Fleuvog-y and librarian-nerdy without being too over the top with the crazy heel-- this one is a bit more timeless and less daring. Love the classic slingback shape and wingtip detail, and the hidden platform. They seem very comfortable, too-- we'll see after a long day hustling around managing an office!

Filene's Basement was a treasure trove for us today...

How about a gorgeous fall coat for $7.76??


Detail:



Ahhh... favorite colors, long-beloved pattern, cheaper than a skein of the poly/wool blend yarn it's made of... yes, please. Thank you, clearance goddesses.

Also, a divine teal float-away hem cardigan by Energie for $4.16!



This silhouette seems to do really well for camouflaging a bit of a mommy belly. Necessary sometimes.

Going with the bright theme, we couldn't resist this hanging-out-at-home top by Seven in a sheer hot pink cotton/poly blend with burnout velvet detail, at $3.19:


We also picked up some incredibly comfortable jeans in a deep aubergine heathered denim. So soft, so perfect a fit-- wow. They're a bit high-waisted compared to most modern jeans, and that seems to be the idea-- they're Not Your Daughter's Jeans brand, $11.96 No low-rise. But they're not really mom jeans either-- they're crazy comfortable but fairly flattering-- no major pooch. They have some kind of space-age flattening mechanism up front. Woot! .

Following the one-in, one-out theory (well, maybe not precisely, but in this case), we're going to toss (Goodwill bag) the $10 bright purple jeans from Metrostyle ordered not too long ago, which we really never wear. This is a much lovelier shade of purple and more flattering cut.

This lace tunic from DKNYC was marked down to a criminally low $6.79, down from MSRP $90, so even if we don't wear it and end up cutting it up and refashioning it for Edge of Seventeen, it was a good investment piece:


Detail:




From the clearance bin, some gorgeous tights-- purple butterfly-embroidered fishnets, $7.98, and 2 pairs of footless opaque for $5.96:




Then, on to Marshalls, where we found another long-coveted item (joy!), the black-and-white patterned cardigan, also in a float-away hem, by Kenar, $20:



...and also a great black tiered lacy sequined gypsy skirt by Max Studio that will most certainly be re-used to create something fabulous, for $7, which did not photograph at all, sadly.

Lastly, we finally gave in (though we weep inside) to the whole granny-panty-shaper-thing that Trinny and Suzannah (of the BBC's What Not To Wear) advocate. We have a couple of shorts-shapers, but what the hell, we'll give the Spanx-type panties a try. We reserve the right to not throw out all of our lovely matching bikini/bra sets just yet :( (It seems a bit extreme). Leopard $3.99, by Native Intimates "Confident and Beautiful," Black $7.99 each, by Maidenform.



We hope this isn't too bad for the soul, owning unattractive undergarments. At least they're not white or nude. And as the girls say in "What You Wear Can Change Your Life," while seduction is not a possibility whilst wearing these, they can be whisked off in the bathroom, and the mere mention of negatory (we coined it) knickers is likely to send any potential man-friends into a swoon that will incapacitate them from noticing any potential lumps and bumps under your dress ;)

Incidentally, a wickedly-figured Spanish chick saw us browsing the shapers (she was a customer, not an employee) and basically told us, with gestures and "Comprendo, Si?" which ones to get that would help with the muffin top. With-- um, demonstrations. On both of us. Erg. She was super nice, though... but she did pull up her shirt, and pull the waistband of her leggings to reveal that she, too, was wearing said shapewear and did not in fact just come into this world rocking flawless curves. Thank you, senorita!

Total shopping high!!! Some major wardrobe holes filled, some potential creations underway, and a few staples and long-coveted items gotten for a ridiculously low price. Lower than Goodwill, much of it.

We were sad to not have a chance to hit the new-ish 2-floor F21 nor the brand-new Ann Taylor Loft Factory Store (!)... But... next time....

Hope you had some great bargains this weekend if you went shopping!

Tell us all about them if you did!

If you're from or have visited the area, have you been to the Arsenal Mall? What do you think?

Work Wear This Week

We had a bit of Polyvore fun with recreating our work outfits this week. They say "dress for the job you want, not the job you have," and that advice has hit home recently since we have been trying for a job title change to something involving "manager." We want to cover up and look more professional than we usually have in the past, while at the same time still enjoying putting outfits and colors together...

Work Wear- Tuesday by ThriftyStylist featuring Forever21

Silk blouse, Victoria's Secret, Jan 2010, $35 (now on sale for $33.99!)

Tiered ruffly skirt, TJ Maxx, 2007(?), $15

Lace tights, unknown, about $5

Black pointy leather boots, Off Broadway, Summer 2009, $30

Black ruffly cardigan, H&M via Goodwill, $4.49

Work Wear- Wednesday by ThriftyStylist featuring Petite Collection sweaters

Teal-green featherweight sweater, H&M via Raspberry Beret, Summer 2009, $17

Plaid pleated skirt, Free People via Goodwill, December 2009 $4.99

Teal tights, Vera Wang at Kohl's, January 2010, $9 (do not recommend- not opaque, ran immediately)

Same black boots as above, $30

Turquoise rose/feather hair clip, Summer 2009, SweetXcessories (Etsy), $7

Earrings - similar style by me (DesireeDesigns)

Work Wear Thursday by ThriftyStylist featuring GAP tops

Grey blazer, Calvin Klein (interview emergency Spring 2009), $49.99

Pink wool straight skirt, J.G. Hook via Goodwill, November 2009, $4.99

Grey tights, drugstore or Payless (?), about $5

Magenta ribbed crewneck sweater, Victoria's Secret, Winter 2008, $14.99

Peeptoe slingbacks, Hot Kiss via Famous Footwear, summer 2008, $15

Earrings and necklace featuring vintage jet glass by me

Clearly, we still gravitate toward a matchy-matchy aesthetic, and, with very few patterns in our wardrobe, tend to colorblock one solid with lots of black if we're not matching. Not so fashion-forward, evidently... but we still really love each of these outfits! We'll keep trying to be more adventurous in our remixing and in purchasing printed garments!

How do you reconcile your personal style with needing to look professional? Any tips and tricks?

Happy outfit-planning!

How You Can Help Haiti

It's sobering to think about the tragedy of the recent disaster in Haiti, when most of us would much rather just have shopping and our own petty problems on the brain. Bloggers like Fashion for the Economically Challenged have posted about their efforts to divert some of their "fun money" to charity-- a great idea indeed. Here at Thrifty Stylist Boston there has already been a (not well-adhered-to) ban on buying new clothes... but there are still holes in our wardrobe and we honestly believe we need the occasional Goodwill trip in order to get through the work week. But, because we're generally so frugal, we do feel in a position to donate to the aid effort. If you are able, here are some terrific ways you can give.

First, for the sake of a few PICTURES in this wordy blog, check out the new Etsy shop HeartsForHaiti, where over 1500 items have already been sold and another 900 have been donated so far to raise money for relief efforts. Proceeds are going to Doctors Without Borders, whose facilities in Haiti were destroyed in the earthquake and therefore need your help more than ever. Our favorite items include

This gorgeous embroidered skirt from Malam in Paris:

...and this beautiful tree print from TheHauntedHollowTree in Pennsylvania:

Work is coordinating an employee donation program with a corporate match (organized by a new employee-- ask at work if your company hasn't pledged to help and maybe they will do the same!). We will be donating the proceeds to Partners In Health, a "grass-roots" health organization that has already been working in Haiti for many years.

If you want to choose another organization, make sure you check it on a charity rating list such as Charity Navigator, so that you can be sure the largest percentage of your gift will reach the intended recipients. Contrary to popular belief, the American Red Cross is one of the lower-rated groups with only three stars (out of four).

Another terrific idea is to participate in a microloan program. You may have heard of Kiva, where you can pledge to donate or just lend $25 or more to help fund a specific entrepreneur and help to pull them out of poverty. With an incredible repayment rate (almost no defaults) and a "teach a man to fish rather than hand him a fish" mentality, it's one of the most exciting organizations around. While Kiva does not have any current loans in Haiti, check out a similar organization called FINCA, currently working in Haiti and rated four stars. One of the most fascinating features on the FINCA site is the "impact calculator" which allows you to estimate the prolonged benefits your donation may have.

Whether you save some of your shopping money or donate out of savings you already have, please make an effort to help-- Haiti is one of the most impoverished nations on Earth and will not be able to recover without massive relief efforts. If you've already donated please leave a comment sharing your favorite charity!

Happy helping!

Best and Worst of February's Lucky

Hello dear readers,

Long time no blog!

The "real job" has gotten distressingly busy over the past few months, so forgive us for the hiatus.

We were inspired to post today by the February issue of Lucky magazine which showed up in our mailbox on Monday. It's a bit of a wispy issue-- looks like they've already talked about most of the winter fashions-- but there were a few exceptional features.

First off, we are dying and absolutely in love with the new "Diva" collection from Doc Martens. We spent the entire span of our teenage years in nothing but 8-hole Docs in purple, black and green... (still own the green ones but they're not so comfortable anymore, sadly, as we didn't take care of the leather). We were stunned and thrilled, therefore, to discover that Doc has updated their offerings with these amazing, kinda-granny-boot, kinda-Victorian, still-very-Doc heels (sorry the jpeg doesn't do them justice- check out the link):

Drool-worthy, for sure (unless you just hate them, we suppose).



We were also struck by (and had to discuss) the juxtaposition of both some of the BEST styling we've seen in a magazine with some of the very WORST. Different fashion editors, so perhaps that explains it, but really there is just no excuse for this hideousness:

Really, Andrea Linnet? Really? A DENIM QUEEN suit? We care not that the pants are technically silk and not jeans-- this is a denim suit. And it's fecking hideous. We'll forgive her the transgression since the rest of the spread was fairly tasty and inspired, but we hope that no one, NO ONE, will be seen in such a combination, this winter, spring, or any other time, except in a 1970s-era Halloween costume. Thank you.

On to the loveliness:

What we adore:

-Delicious boots

-Knee socks peeking out of boots (our absolute favorite trend this season)

-Richly-hued skinny jeans (acceptable to us if tucked into boots, or if you're going for a Hepburn look with ballet flats and can pull it off-- not really otherwise)

-Floppy grey hat with floral headband worn over it. Farking genius! Adorable. We die. Grey is our new favorite color, believe it or not... it's so versatile and lovely. Especially grey tights. We don't really wear hats- they're awfully itchy- but maybe we'll change our habits. Off to Etsy to look for affordable felt hats and floral headbands!

We could take or leave the sweater and bag here, but something similar that is a bit more our taste would definitely work.

What are your thoughts on these and other current trends? Love 'em or hate 'em?

Trends We Love: Lace Pencil Skirts

This month's Lucky Magazine presented an Arden B. lace pencil skirt that's absolutely gorgeous, yes, but as we recall was also very expensive (and is no longer available, anyhow). Here it is:

We absolutely adore lace in any form, and this silhouette is just awesome. But... since you couldn't have this one even if your wallet said yes, let's turn to Etsy!

$17 at Happy'sVintageCloset, marked size 12P/31" waist
(we might snap this one up, yowza!)



$24 at RetroRenegadeVintage, size small/24" waist



$7.95 at Nuttinover20Vintage, size small/28" waist
(what a price! Major sale in this shop, too...)



$20 at LotusVintageNY, XS/S/26" waist (we die at the hotness)



$24 at ModPod (with matching jacket!) xs/26" waist



$16 at RedoRedux, M/L/30" waist



For the bold, $25 at Yesterdazed, Med/29" waist
(We think this could be very modern if styled a bit differently)

While we are really big on vintage for the obvious reasons of thriftiness and environmental soundness, we did come across a bunch of other inexpensive new options via this site TheFind.com, which we'd never heard of! You can search for anything and sort by price, relevance, etc., and so many options come up... We even found our own Etsy picks here! We're a little bit confused because the prices shown are lower than those when you actually click on the items... something to do with coupons, it appears.

$19.99, BisouBisou at JC Penney


$30.80, NYC Collection at Macy's



$24.99, INC International Concepts at Macy's


$17.99-$24.99, Worthington at JC Penney

$29.99, Newport News

Do you love or hate this trend? Hope you enjoy these picks if you do like it :D

Happy Shopping!

Vintage Sweaters and Sweater Dresses on Etsy $30 and Under

Hope you enjoy today's picks of thrifty vintage knits on Etsy that totally rock, in our opinion!

Striped bell-sleeve boatneck with highly unusual pattern at NoCarnations, Medium, $15



Pink ribbed v-neck sweater at SadieLynne, Small, $15

Ruffly Cherry Red "VaVaVoom" v-neck sweater at FireGrog, approx. M/L, $15



Purple cabled v-neck sweaterdress at LorrainesVintage, approx. S/M, $30



Purple crochet "hippie dress" at RedoRedux, Approx. Small, $16

Happy Friday and Happy Etsy shopping!

Vintage Party Dresses $15-$30 on Etsy

We've progressed from just not-ugly into the truly spectacular realm, just by venturing above fifteen dollars... there are so very many more absolutely stunning items in this price range  (although, we concede, still a tremendous amount of crap to wade through! Forty thousand listings, many thousand pages... which is why you let us do it for you ;) )

Truly, we found so much awesomeness that there's no way it will fit into one post. So. We're going to introduce some themes. First up, the holiday party dress. When you're saving your possibly-meager pennies to buy gifts for other people, it hardly makes sense to spend $100-$200 on a brand-new dress, or, goddess forbid, get yourself into debt that will make January bleak! Yet we're sure you lament, as we so often do, that you have absolutely nothing to wear! (OK so we thrifted two velvet dresses and two party dresses this year, so we're probably all set, eh?)

Presenting the most lovely, thrifty vintage party dresses to be found on Etsy for the holiday season (click descriptions under pics for full listing and/or shop homepage). 

Red Satin and Black Lace "Spanish Princess" at CallMeChula, Small, $30

Red Scalloped Velvet "Deck the Halls" at McGregorGirl, 6-8, $30

Red Chiffon Romantic Ruffles at MagicalMirror, 30" waist, $15

Long-sleeved velvet minidress at LOLAVEE, 6-8, $30

Emerald Green Long Velvet at SavoyBetty, XS/S $30 

Hunter Velvet "Under the Mistletoe" also at McGregorGirl, 7/8, $30

Blue Sparkly minidress at BeckyPlantsTrees, S/M, $15

Purple Velvet "Pretty Woman" which we just had to buy while writing this, from IonicRoost (sorry, and please send literature for Shopaholics Anonymous), but check out the rest of the awesomeness.

Fabulously Unique Lavender at WillowCreekSparrow, approx. M, $29

We do lament the lack of vintage in not-modern-Small-sizes. We apologize that everything here is so teeny, but we do hope that someone finds the dress here or in one of the featured shops. 

In any case, Etsy is still a great place to find gorgeous, affordable vintage. We'll keep sharing our finds as long as you keep readin' about 'em. Possibly longer ;)

Happy browsing and hot-party-dress-selectin'!