Other Babes in Thriftland - Beth

Welcome to another day of Other Babes in Thriftland! Today's special guest is Beth from The Fashionable Adventures of Bethie the Boo. I met Beth for the first time a couple of months ago at the Two Birds styling event. She is SO sweet and you can all probably tell that from all the lovely comments she leaves on my posts. I'm hoping to hang out with her again soon! Don't forget to stop by her blog and say hi!

Hi Babes in Thriftland readers! My mom raised me to love a good deal and for that very reason, I love thrift shopping.  I love the thrill of the hunt and I love proudly declaring that I only spent a small amount on certain items.  I also like thrifting as a way to try out current trends without making a huge commitment - if the trend fades or I don't like it, I'm not out too much money!

One of my good friends and I hit up two thrift stores near us every Labor Day - most thrift stores around here do half off sales on holidays - it can be a madhouse, but we pack our patience and we find amazing deals!  We usually dress in a cami and a skirt so we can pull stuff right in the aisle and then we don't have to wait in line for dressing rooms!

Thfited: the dress! See the original post here.

I also like shopping at consignment shops like Clothes Mentor - they have great deals on name brand clothing and it's great for shopping for nice clothes for work.  They are unique too in that they will give you cash on the spot for your items instead of waiting until it sells.  Thanks to Megan and Nora of two birds I have also discovered the local shop b. ( a resale shop) and I love shopping there too - they even have vintage and I have recently discovered that I love vintage - but am also finding that just because it's vintage doesn't always mean it's cheaper!  Fortunately there are great deals to be found at b. and also through Megan and Nora's shop, so I've been able to add some awesome vintage things to my wardrobe at some awesome thrifted prices.

I'd say at least 50% of my wardrobe is thrifted and I love every bit of it!

Thrifted items: blazer, skirt, shoes. See the full post here.

Love this outfit!! Thrifted items: pants but the shirt and necklace are from B. A Resale shop so that is pretty close to thrifting!

Thanks so much for contributing, Beth! Don't forget to pop over to her blog and say hi for me! Remember if you want to participate just send me an email at babesinthriftland@gmail with your pictures/blog link and a story or tips!

Favorite Finds Friday - Polka dot skirt

Happy Friday! I just wanted to drop a big hint that my birthday is less that a week away and so if you want to send me presents, better order on Amazon ASAP! Just kidding (not really, I love presents). I'm throwing myself a theme party because I've never met a theme party I didn't like. This is my last birthday in my 20's (YIKES!) so it will be a 20's theme party. I know, cool right? Anyone who lives locally is more than welcome! This doesn't have anything to do with the pictures below but I wanted my wonderful readers to know about my birthday. Expect some birthday themed posts in the next week probably including some embarrassing childhood photos. You're welcome in advance.

Anywho, this skirt is such a fun color! It literally jumped into my cart at the thrift store. I've debating whether or not to shorten it but I've just been too lazy.  Here is 2 ways I've worn it on the blog!





Have a great weekend!

Other Babes in Thriftland - Allison

Hola! Como estas? Bienvenidos a Other Babes in Thriftland! (It's almost Cinco de Mayo, just roll with it). Today's lovely lady Allison from (dot)luv and is a friend of mine IRL. She is super sweet, throws a great party, and always has the best vintage/thrifted outfits. I'm always so jealous of the pretty vintage dresses she wears! Allison has a style all her own and always looks put together. Plus, a girl who can rock super short hair is awesome in my book! Pop over to her blog and say hi! 

Hey guys! My name is Allison, and I am a self-confessed thrift-a-holic. It all started years ago in college, when I had no money to spend, but still had that looming urge to buy pretty new things each season. We have a Savers not far from where I went to school, and now work. I tried it once back then, and it has been my all-time favorite ever since! Sure, I've gone to pretty much every thrift store in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area (and some beyond), but I find myself going thrifting after work about once a week when I've had a particularly long or stressful day. I have a very bad habit of carrying that stress around with me outside of work, and by taking my mind off of it by scouring the racks at my local thrift store really helps me let it go. It's visual distraction at its best. Most times I leave without having purchased anything (this, after years of buying things, then purging them to make room, then buying more... I just dont have an apartment large enough for that anymore!). But sometimes, yes, sometimes Savers is like a little gold mine, all just waiting for me to dig through it! You could say, thrifting has become like meditation for me. 

Oh, and I could never pick just one single most favorite thrifted outfit, but this one is one of my current favorites, with ALL of the things I'm wearing being thrifted. Can you believe it? It does happen!

All thrifted! I love it! Thanks so much, Allison! 

Remember, if you want to participate, send an email to babesinthriftland@gmail.com with pictures or post links. Also, it's always more fun if you include a story/tips/why you thrift.

Other Babes in Thriftland - Lori

Hi Friends! Today we have Lori from A Little Slice of Special. We recently "met" via commenting and reading each others blogs. She is super sweet and I can't wait until we have our lady date soon. She is a dog lover, vintage/thrift lover and she is kicking ass in her goal to get in better shape. So, head over to her blog and say hi!

Thrifted item: The dress! I love this! View full post here.

Do you know how hard it was to get a Missoni item from Target? How amazing is it that she got this sweater at the thrift store? Only 4 bucks!! View full post here.

This dress isn't thrifted (she got it from Forever 21 via Lulu Letty) but I just love this picture and her scooter!

For your tips for the day, look no further than a great list of thrift stores she compile here! If you live in the Twin Cities (or are planning a visit), check it out!

Thanks so much Lori for the great list and being a great person! Remember, if you want to participate, just send an email to babesinthriftland@gmail.com. Send links to your post or pictures of your favorite outfits or pieces. Also, include tips/a story/why you thrift.  Hope to hear from you!

Other Babes in Thriftland - Vang

Welcome to another installment of Other Babes in Thriftland! Today's babe is Vang from My Lovely List. I had the pleasure of meeting Vang at the Junk Love sale. She is super sweet and just started doing outfit posts on her blog. Go over and say hi! She wanted to share some really great thriting tips with you so here goes!

Tip #1: Patience is key

When I first started thrift shopping, I was overwhelmed by the sheer amount of clothing at the thrift store. Being patient is essential when shopping at thrift stores. Some of the best items are found after meticulously combing through racks and racks of clothing. 

Tip #2: Make it fun

Sometimes, I feel an unspoken pressure to search for that really great "find" at the thrift store. It's the same type of pressure one might sense while shopping on Black Friday to get the best deals. But when I go thrift shopping without expectations, I am more at ease and the experience is more enjoyable overall.

Tip #3: Thrift with an open mind

One of my favorite thrifted items is a vintage floral dress. I had seen it more than a few times during my regular shopping trips and had previously dismissed it. The dress had big shoulder pads, a bright floral pattern, and looked unflattering on the hanger. But when I finally decided to give it a try, I fell in love with the full skirt, the hidden side pockets, and the cute buttons on the front of the dress. Also, it was easy to alter what I didn't like about the dress after I took it home (I removed the shoulder pads). 


Thrifted item: the dress! See the full post here.


Thrifted items: Blouse, skirt and belt! View full post here.

Thanks for the great tips, Vang! I think even veteran thrifters can use that advice!  Head over to her blog and tell her I said hi!


 Remember, if you want to join in the fun just send me an email at babesinthriftland@gmail.com with a link to your favorite outfits. If you want to share some tips or a story like Megan, that would be great too!

Other Babes in Thriftland - Nora

This has been so fun for me! I just wanted you all to know this. Just in case I run out of people to feature :)


Today we have the lovely Nora from Two Birds (you saw her sister Megan last week). Nora is the younger and somewhat quieter of the two but just as fun. Not only is she very sweet but she will pick up guys for you, show you her sweet dance moves or serenade you with some karaoke. Definitely a friend worth having! Nora (like Megan) has such a unique sense of style and you can really see it in the items she gets from the thrift stores. Some things I would look at and have no idea what to do with it but she always makes it into a great outfit. 

Other than my sister, megan bird, my mom is the biggest thrifter I know. We had to learn our mad thrifting skills from someone, right? But, my mom thrifts so much that whenever my daughter, Mimi, and I walk into a particular thrift store (which happens to be my mom's favorite), Mimi always looks around and says, "I want to see grandma"! It's as though she thinks grandma lives at the thrift store and is just always going to be there. (and if you ask my dad, he might claim this to be partially true). Oftentimes, we do end up running into my mom while we are shopping, so she is really not helping me to dispel Mimi's belief that grandma makes her second home at the store. so, while i don't know who thrifts more, Megan or my mom (i definitely come in at a close third), i do know that Mimi has never thought megan lived at the thrift store. and that is saying something. although, i think someday, when Megan and i are retired and constantly out thrifting, our future grandchildren will think the same about us!

Here are some of my favorite outfits!

Doesn't she look hot here? Thrifted items: sweater, skirt, tights and boots. Wow! View full post here.

Love the blue and the orange combo! Thrifted items: Shirt and belt (the dress used to be mine!) See full post here!

See what I mean?! Thrifted items: that blazer! View full post here!

Love this weird shirt and the baby bump :) Thrifted items: shirt, boots, necklace, belt. View full post here!

I hope you loved Nora's style as much as I do! Don't forget to check her out over at Two Birds and tell her I said hi!

Remember, if you want to participate (please do!) then just send me an email to babesinthriftland@gmail.com and send me links to your posts or just the pictures. Please share a funny story or thrifting tip too!

Other Babes in Thriftland - Megan

I am so excited to feature this next lady with you all. My next Other Babe in Thriftland is Megan from the dynamic duo of Two Birds.  She is actually a good friend of mine IRL.  Not only is she one of my thrifting idols, she also gives great advice, is super funny and really nice. She always finds great things and her house is filled with all her cool treasures. I also love her ability to take something that may be ugly or weird by itself and make it into a cool outfit. See picture 1. Could I make that shirt look cool? Probably not. Such is the power of Megan.

When I asked her to share some thrifting tips or a story, she told me this: "So I go to the thrift store so much that one day I was shopping and I spotted a faux fur coat. Since I (love love) love faux fur, I ran over to it so no one could grab it before me. Only then did I realize that the coat used to be mine, I never wore it and I was the one who had donated it to that thrift store."  Now who hasn't done the same thing? I've gone to a store, picked up a cute shirt only to realize I was drawn to it because it used to be mine. Oh man.


Thrifted items - shirt, bracelet and shoes


Thrifted items - Shirt, skirt and belt


Thrifted items - shorts, belt, shoes and bracelet

Doesn't she find the best stuff?  Go and check out her and her sister, Nora over at their blog and say hi for me!  Remember, if you want to join in the fun just send me an email at babesinthriftland@gmail.com with a link to your favorite outfits. If you want to share some tips or a story like Megan, that would be great too!

Other Babes in Thriftland - Megan

Another Wednesday, another thrifty lady! Today we are joined by Megan of Feathers and Freckles. I found this lovely lady through Two Birds and I've been loving her blog and her style ever since.  A lot like Maggie, she really chooses pieces from the thrift store that mix so well with her other wardrobe that you can't tell which is which.  This to me is the sign of a great thrifter.  She is also very sweet and didn't think I was a big weirdo for emailing her to participate in my feature. I hope to meet her in person someday! Take it away, Megan!

I've been a thrifter since middle school, long before thrifting was ever cool. I can remember lying to my friends about where I bought something because I didn't want to admit it was used. I always worried someone would say, "Hey, I donated that exact shirt to Goodwill. With that exact same juice stain!"

Now that everyone has realized that buying unique clothes for dirt cheap is actually awesome, it becomes harder to find things. I go to my local thrift stores often (meaning, enough that they know my name), and I am not afraid to dig... or stalk the occasional hipster waiting for them to put something down.

I was able to put together this spring ensemble from a thrifted J. Crew dress and LOFT cardigan, and with a few accessories it quickly became one of my favorite go-to outfits.

See the original post here for more photos!

Isn't she so pretty?! Well, I hope you enjoyed Megan! Go check her out here and see more of her great style and mad thrifting skills. Remember, if you want to be a part of the fun, send me an email to babesinthriftland@gmail.com with your post, story/tips and blog.  Have a great week!

Other Babes in Thriftland - Thrifted Shift

Hi all! Welcome to another addition of Other Babes in Thriftland. This has been so fun so far, I hope you all have enjoyed it too. Today we have Thrifted Shift! I have never met her IRL but I think based on her style and what she writes in her posts, we would get along well! She was the first person to send me an email about joining in on the fun!  She has a really cool thing on her blog where she calculates the cost per wear to show how much worth a specific piece in her wardrobe has. How great right?

I had a hard time picking some of my favorite outfits from her posts but here they are!


Thrifted items: T-shirt, jeans, cardigan and the boots are from Ebay! Love this look! Full post here.


Thrifted items: the dress! Full post here.




 She gave some great tips on why she wore this outfit while thrifting! Check out the full post here! First of all, no coat despite the rain- nothing extra to carry. Second, bag worn crossbody for maximum arm maneuvering and freedom to elbow (just kidding!) Third, non-bulky form fitting pants so removal is unnecessary for trying on dresses and skirts. Fourth, basic black tank underneath cardigan so removal is unnecessary for trying on tops (I'm not a germ-o-phobe, but I don't feel comfortable wearing used clothes until they've been washed in my home!) Finally, shoes that slip off easily. 


Go check her out over at Thrifted Shift! Remember, if you want to join in the fun, send me an email at babesinthriftland@gmail.com and send me a link to your blog, your favorite outfit and some tips/stories from thrifting.  Check back next week for 

Other Babes in Thriftland - Emma

Hi all! Welcome to another edition of Other Babes in Thriftland! Today we have the beautiful and sweet Emma of Hello Emma! She has such a great sense of style that makes me very jealous. No matter what she wears, she just exudes a level of cool that I don't have. Not just stylish but also so nice and my friend IRL!  I'll let you tell her about her ideas of thrifting in her own words :)  Plus, she's wearing a skirt that I found but put in the swap I had. I think it suits her much better than me!

I am not as expert a thrifter as Erin and other bloggers I know, but every once in awhile I'll get the thrifting bug big time. Usually I'll make a list of very specific items I'd love to find to keep me focused, because otherwise I don't know what to look at first! This outfit features my absolute favorite thrift find ever: these awesome wedge Timberland booties shone out to me like a beacon at a local Goodwill a few years ago. Thank goodness they were my size! 

The striped t-shirt and straw bag have also been thrifted at various Minneapolis/St. Paul thrift stores. The straw bag is another treasure, found at "Fake Target" (which I found out about on Future Lint, thanks Christine!). If you live anywhere near the Twin Cities and have not been to this secret thrift store, YOU HAVE TO GO. It is in the basement of a regular Salvation Army, but is filled to the brim with overstock from Target - brand new stuff! - plus items they seem to have purchased when trend shopping. I think that's why the bag ended up there, once I found an Isabel Marant tunic for twenty buckaroos! So exciting.

Hmmm, now I've got thrifting on the brain. Guess I'll have to make another trip soon!

 

scarf: vintage

necklace: vintage

shirt: thrifted

skirt: swap'd, from Erin!

boots: thrifted

bag: fake target thrifted

I'll go thrifting with you!! Can you believe that this whole outfit is swapped/vintage/thrifted?! I hope you enjoyed Emma! Don't forget to check out her blog! If you want to be featured, send me an email at babesinthriftland@gmail.com with a link to your favorite outfit. Also, I would love to hear your tips, a story about thrifting or why you shop at the thrift store!

Other Babes in Thriftland - Maggie

Here is the first day of Other Babes in Thriftland and have some really great ladies lined up for you guys/gals so far. Do any guys read my blog? If you do, say hi. That would be kind of cool.

In case you blocked all of last week out of your memory, I'm featuring other ladies who's style I admire that are also Queens of the Thrift Scene. :) My first featured lady is Maggie from Dimestore Diamond. Maggie and I are friends IRL (in real life) and it's been so great getting to know her. She has such a cute style! I love when people wear outfits and you can't tell which item is the thrifted one. She always mixes pieces from the thrift store with pieces from stores like Anthropolgie to make a really unique and expensive looking outfit.  Go check her out! She sent me a couple of outfits but I liked them all too much to feature just one!

Thrift items: top and skirt.  View full post here. 

Thrift items: That dress!! Can you believe it?? As well as the purse. View full post here.


Thrift items: Top and shoes. View full post here.

Isn't she great? Special thanks to Maggie for being the first Other Babe in Thriftland. Look for more lovely ladies every Wednesday.  If you want to be featured, send me an email at babesinthriftland@gmail.com with a link to your favorite outfit. Also, I would love to hear your tips, a story about thrifting or why you shop at the thrift store!

Other Babes in Thriftland

Happy Wednesday!  I am looking forward to this and I hope you all will be too. I came up with a new blog feature! Every Wednesday (hopefully) I'm going to be featuring a lovely lady here on my blog. The only qualification she must have is to shop at the thrift store. I know a lot of fashionable people who shop either exclusively at the thrift store or a lot of items they own are from there. It will be a lot like my thrift week from the summer but with some new faces! Hopefully, you will be inspired to check out your local thrift stores and find some new blogs to read!

Tune in to see the first post featuring Maggie from Dimestore Diamond next week!



If you think you are a babe in thriftland then shoot me an email at babesinthriftland@gmail.com  Send me a link to your outfit and share either some tips, a story or why you like to thrift. Hope to hear from you!