499 Dress Sale today!

Hello! Things are gearing up to be a fun day today! I'm down on 2nd Street getting the space ready for our 499 Dresses benefit sale tonight. Here's a sneak peek:

Every dress has a story. The purple dress on the left was a handmade dress worn to prom in the 70's. The pink dress was worn by a woman when President Johnson was being sworn in.

We'll be at 2nd and Colorado from 3- 8pm today. Come by and say hi! Perhaps you'll score a new to you dress with an amazing history.

Crave!

Have you heard of Crave, yet? In most major cities, there is a Crave guide, which is a book showcasing 100+ women-owned, locally based businesses. Adored Austin is one of the businesses featured in this year's Austin edition:
A couple years ago, when the first edition was out, I would see the Crave guide at various Austin boutiques and salons and thumb through it, taking copious mental notes about all the great, small businesses inside. This new second edition came out last night, and I spent the evening soaking up all the great business advice and oohing and ahhing at all the pretty pictures.

I consider myself to be fairly in the know about this wonderful city, but this book is full of new (to me) businesses that I can't wait to explore. There's salons, non-profits, jewelry designers, boutiques, life coaches... as far as goods and services go, you name it, it's in there. Best of all, it's all Austin, all women-owned, all independent businesses. Bonus? In the back of the book, there's a slew of exclusive discounts! Holla!

Anyway, y'all know I love Austin and you've made it clear to me that you love it, too, so that's why I thought it would be a good investment to grab 50 Crave guides and offer them for sale to my local readers.

If you'd like to buy a copy, simply fill out this form and I'll have it shipped out to you within two days:

[order form also available here]

I can't believe I own this...

The last time I went to Langford Market, the store manager Davina had this crazy jumpsuit waiting for me. Davina is an amazing sales woman. She pushes me to try things on that I wouldn't normally try on and she tells me the truth about how things look. Davina: "I love it!"
Me: "Does this... is this... a dropped crotch jumpsuit?"
Davina: "It is, but with some chunky shoes you could work it! Right?"

Me: "Maybe! And I think if I blur my eyes a little, these are elephants! Oh, Davina, you know I love animals..."
The details- date: 20 Sept 2011occasion: Buffalo Exchange and Savers runjumpsuit: Langford Market (made in the USA)Texas necklace: c/o Maya Brennersandals: Lulu*s

Let's meet this Thursday!

How do I not have a photo of the amazing dresses that Intern Rachel and I wore to the Austin Fashion Week awards? They were over the top and they were wonderful and they were only $5.00. We got them at the 499 Dresses benefit sale the day of the awards show, and as soon as I find my lost memory card, I'll be sure to show you how smashing we looked.

Anyway, I wanted to share something exciting with you. This week is Tribeza Style Week and on Thursday the 2nd Street District will be hosting a really fun boutique crawl from 5 pm- 8 pm. Two of my favorite shops are on 2nd Street: Plain Ivey Jane (a "Nordstrom Rack" price point and concept but it's an adorable, independent boutique) and my lovely longtime local partner Langford Market (lots of affordable, made in the USA clothing there!) and they'll both be having promotions and drinks and fun.

But even more exciting is the fact that my friend Theresa from Tess Dress and I will be hosting another 499 Dresses benefit!

To quote Theresa (because I can't say it any better!):

"This is an absolutely un-missable opportunity for anyone who loves vintage clothing. Beautiful, gently-used vintage dresses will sell for $5, $10, and $15 (bargains!), and the money raised will fund the creation of The Winding Road to Recovery, a documentary film about disabled returned veterans who have turned to cycling as a means to overcome their injuries.

At our Style Station, we will have wardrobe stylists on hand for personal fashion consultations. Sharon of hunt.gather.style, Sydney of Closet Cravings and Laurel Kinney of Trophy Boutique will show you how to integrate your treasured finds into your existing wardrobe - and how to make these special dresses your own!

And, to get that perfect fit, visit our ‘Alteration Station’ on-site for a personal fitting with Norma - of ‘Sewing by Norma’ - and arrange for alterations to personalize your new dresses even further.

Come along to the sale, buy a dress and take your own little piece of fashion history home … all while making a donation to a very worthy cause."

I'll be on hand to flip the racks with you, and Intern Rachel and I have personally selected the inventory. There's some great day dresses as well as some outrageous stuff, too.

Please come. Let's be friends in real life. Finally. I've always wanted to thrift with you!

If my blog hasn't motivated you to thrift store shop, yet...

Whenever I travel, I love taking time to poke around the local resale shops and charity stores. I've had some great luck in Atlanta, Boston, Monterey, and in my small hometown of Seymour, Indiana. Of course Austin is home to some great thrift stores, but we by no means have the market cornered on awesome thrift store finds. I recently asked some of my blogging buddies to share their own favorite thrift store finds, and I've been so excited to show them to you (be sure to click on their name or photo to visit their own blogs, too!):

1. Suze (of Miss Vinyl Ahoy): 1970's coat. St. Vincent de Paul. Westland, Michigan.

"I wear [this] pretty much all the time in the winter. I found it at a thrift store for about $7 and was shocked. It looked like someone bought it in the 70s and never wore it."

2. Kate (of Iris Inspired): Handmade circle skirt. Goodwill. San Diego, California.

"I loved the perfect sunny yellow color that was sure to bring a smile to anyone's face when they saw it. And wearing it made me feel like a million bucks. It was the kind of skirt that begs to be twirled in."

3. Desiree (of Distinctly Desiree): vintage Italian leather riding boots. Friends of the Inn. McKinney, Texas.
"These boots were the VERY first item I thrifted nearly two years ago. They were 1/2 off of $4 and I couldn't NOT buy them. They are the softest leather ever and even thought they weren't my normal size, they fit."

4. Amanda (of Already Loved): Authentic Ray Ban Wayfarers. Goodwill. Pensacola, Florida.
"Last February, I gave my pair of Ray Bans to a friend who really wanted them. As much as I loved them, I had plenty of other pairs of sunnies. A couple weeks later when I was visiting family in Florida, I found an authentic pair of Ray Ban Wayfarers for $4.99! I couldn't believe my luck. That was last April, and I still wear them all the time!"

5. Sarah (of Small Town Chic): 50's style dress. Salvation Army. Massachusetts."I love this dress. I love the style. I love the color. I love the fabric and the uniqueness of it. But most of all, I love that this is the dress that I wore for my maternity photo shoot, just 4 weeks before my baby was born... This dress may not have held such importance to whoever owned it before me, but it will always have meaning in our little family."

6. Emily (of The Daily Fashionista): 60's dress. Goodwill. Portsmouth, Virginia.
"I basically love the way it fits my body. In my area it can be rare to find vintage gems in such good condition and also fit like a glove. The dress was also my first red item in my wardrobe in practically forever. Red has always been a color I've veered away from, but this particular red makes me cherry and happy."

7. Meredith (of Yours, Mine & Ours): J.Crew riding boots. SPCA Thrift. California.
"I've always wanted real live J Crew boots and when I stumbled on a pair of soft black leather ones for 8 bucks I just had to have them. There was one small catch though: this year I'm not shopping for myself at all. In order for my hubby to know to buy them for my anniversary present last May I had to hint my head off. He eventually got the hint, score!"

8. Leslie (of Life Told By Leslie): Vintage silk dress. Annie Laurie's Antiques. Cape Girardeau, Missouri.
"I saw this dress on display outside the store blowing in the breeze on a clothesline. From the street I could already tell that I loved the print and the cinched waist, so I stopped and went in to try it on--perfect fit! I love that it's silk and fits so wonderfully. You really can't find a dress now-a-days that's this kind of quality, and only $10!"

9. Meg (of Tiny Glimpses) : Her wedding dress (!!!). Frenchy's. Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada.
"... $9.50! What an amazing steal. We had to get the zipper replaced, but no other alterations were needed. I looked great on my wedding day, and no one was surprised to hear I'd found my dress at my beloved Frenchy's. Since the wedding, I was contacted by another client of my photographer's, asking if I was willing to sell her the dress. Instead, I gave it to her, and she's getting married this coming weekend, the day before our one-year anniversary. It warms my heart to think of this lucky find of a dress bringing joy to two women on their September wedding days."

10. Taimi (of Taimi to Get Dressed): mod dress. Buffalo Exchange. Somerville, Massachusetts.
"It was love at first sight when I saw this $5 orange dress at Buffalo Exchange last winter. It was on their vintage rack but there's no label on it so I'm not sure of its past. So mysterious! It fits me like a glove so I'm almost positive we were destined to cross paths... it's perfect for pretending you're a chic 60s actress in front of the mirror (I mean what? I never do that)..."

11. Jen (of Purse and Clutch): Delman boots. Estate sale. Tyler, Texas.
"... About a month ago, [my mom and I] stopped at an estate sale/consignment. Typically I find estate sales to be overpriced, but this gem was quite the pleasant exception. Among other treasures, I found size 10 boots (10! that NEVER happens!) in wonderful shape. They were in the original box with a price tag from the 70s of $185. My price - $5!! Turns out everything I bought was from the same woman with initials EH. What style she had. I love imagining what EH wore these well kept boots to! I think we would have gotten along quite well."

12. Heidi (of Literally Stylish): J.Crew Swiss dot Fontana dress. Goodwill. Stillwater, Minnesota.
"i love thrifting so much because there's always the possibility of finding really nice, high quality items like this jcrew dress. i snagged it at the goodwill for $6.99. i've only worn it a couple times (the first was to a big event hosted by my work), but each time i do it feels so special to me. i think that's the way all our clothes should make us feel, no matter where they came from!"

13. Kate (of Divergent Musings): Brand New Tracy Reese "Plenty" Dress (Originally from Anthropologie). Goodwill. Fremont, California.
"... The print on the dress screamed out to me from across the store and I just had to check it out. When I saw the tag, I nearly had a heart attack. It still smelled brand new, and the fit was perfect. I walked out of the store with this dress for only $10, when new it was near $250. To this day I still can't believe the deal I walked away with. It almost felt like stealing!"

14. Kelsey (of Snappy Casual): 1977 sports tee. Goodwill. Des Moines, Iowa.
"The Iowa vs. Iowa State football game is a big deal for Iowans. I didn’t grow up as a fan for either team, but I love this ISU shirt I found at Goodwill about eight years ago. It is by far the greatest thing I’ve ever thrifted. It’s from 1977, and was the first time the two teams played since 1934. It’s so special, I’m not even sure I should be wearing it."

Aren't these great finds? Anyone else have a story to add? If so, please feel free to leave your blog links below!

Psst- Are you motivated to thrift, yet? If you live in Austin, you'll have your chance to comb through some used dresses with me this Thursday from 5- 8 pm. More info coming soon!

Some of my favorite thrift store finds

I do a lot of thrift store shopping. I almost always go to thrift stores before I go anywhere else when I think I need a "new" outfit. Three of my most worn, recent finds are

1. my Minnetonka fringe boots:
Found at Buffalo Exchange in mint condition, these are my easy go-to boots when I'm running to the grocery store in cut-offs and a t-shirt.

$25.00 used vs $79.95 new

2. my Michael Kors runway watch:
Found at a Goodwill in Denton, Texas, I am convinced that a scorned ex-boyfriend took a box of his former lover's belongings and dumped them off here. His loss= my gain!

$40 used vs. $248.00 new

3. my 1960's lace dress:
Found at Thrift Town, this dress looks like something straight from the Free People catalog, but at just $10, it's 1/10th of the price.

$10 used vs. $187.00 new

Lest you think that Austin is an exceptional treasure trove of thrifted goodies or that I have unparalleled resale store prowess, I asked some of my online friends all over the country to show me their favorite thrift store finds. Check back later for that big post!

Way back, waaaaay back.

I am convinced that the entire world has major nostalgia just like me.
date: 13 Sept 2011 | occasion: lunch with my friend Dearing
blouse: thrifted, Savers | shorts: c/o Lulu*s | loafers: thrifted Eastland, Thrift Town (similar) | watch: thrifted Michael Kors, Goodwill | necklace: InPink (giftcard)
Almost all of my childhood relics have been deemed cool again. Evidence number one? Friendship bracelets:Evidence number two: Eastlands (Don't believe me? Check out their "retro classic/ limited edition section)I spied these at Thrift Town recently and was instantly hearkened back to the fifth grade when the only things on my Christmas list were three pairs of shoes: Reebok Pumps, Keds with baseball stitches, and Eastland loafers. The loafers became mine Christmas morning circa 1990foreverago and I wore them until the soles fell off. Remember the Eastland knot? And the way Eastlands would stain your socks yellow? No? Hmmm... were Eastlands only cool in the midwest?

I'm trying to predict which of my other childhood loves will see a resurgence in popularity. They've already brought back Alvin and the Chipmunks, Footloose, and My Little Pony. What's next? Banana clips? Plastic t-shirt ties? DIY puffy paint shirts? Oh, man. I hope so.

Running from paugh

If a person cannot wear a ridiculous headpiece to a fashion event, when, pray tell, does one wear one? After feeling a little off and dare I say paugh* during Austin Fashion Week, I decided to throw caution to the wind and wear whatever I darn well wanted to the Tribeza Fashion Night Out at By George last night:

*paugh- adjective. \ˈpɒ\ or \paw\, usually pronounced as a long, drawn out sigh.

definition: so oppressively ordinary that is causes physical exhaustion in the beholder.

So I did it. I wore a $5 vintage dress, my favorite sandals, and a fall-inspired floral headpiece that I made 30 minutes before the party.

date: 8 Sept 2011 | occasion: FNO
dress: vintage via 499 | headpiece: DIY | clutch: LV | wedges: Cynthia Vincent for Target
It was ridiculous -yes!- but it was me. I felt comfortable and confident all night long. I'd been struggling with my (lack of?) style lately, but after taking some time to reevaluate how I shop and why I blog, I finally feel like I'm coming back into my own. Apparently "my own" is a dash of bohemian with a huge heaping of laughter.

It feels good to be back.

Central Texas Fires

Over the weekend several areas surrounding Austin were (and continue to be) engulfed in wildfires. We live 30 minutes straight west of Bastrop where so far 25,000 acres have burned, more than 500 homes have been lost, and thousands of families have been evacuated with no way to know if their house is still standing or has been destroyed. As of this morning, this fire continues to burn with little to no containment. I can see the smoke plumes from my upstairs window and we live in the helicopter flight path, so we keep hearing news helicopters en route to see the scene.

[photo by Deanna Roy]

We're okay. We live within the Austin city limits and we spent yesterday packing a bag we can grab in a hurry, making a quick inventory of our belongings, and gathering tools in case a new fire breaks out and we are asked to evacuate. We live next to several acres of woods which is home to a large homeless population and our street is flanked by a field of dry brush. Though the weekend's wind has relented, the low humidity and lack of rain has not. The Austin area continues to be on high alert.

With that said, it seems a little silly to spend the day taking my outfit photos and writing about what I'm wearing. I hope you understand. I've filled out my Red Cross volunteer application and plan to see how I can best lend a hand.

If you'd like to help out, please see KXAN to see how you can give goods, money, or services. I have been told that money, time, and food are really the best way to help immediately.

If you know a displaced family who needs help, let them know my family has a guest room and extra bathroom available and I can watch small pets or kids while parents take care of business.

Stay safe, Austin. I love you.