How Do You Shoe?

It is a rare day for me when I can walk into a Goodwill and find shoes that both A) fit me and my size 10 feet and B) are stylish.  Heck, it’s a rare day for me to walk into most stores and find shoes that fit those criteria.  It’s like all the people who share my foot size keep their shoes until they are worn to pieces.  Honestly, I don’t blame them.  Good looking size 10 shoes are hard to come by at a good price.  I wear mine until I just cannot wear them anymore.

But that rare day occurred!  It did!  It really did!  I was stopping by Goodwill to drop off my second load of stuff in our “we’re moving so we need to go through everything to purge when we don’t need” apartment cleaning.  Of course, I had to go in to see if they had a whiteboard for a craft project I am making for B, which of course led me to the shoe department.

Holy mecca of shoes day.  I think I tried on around 8 pairs of shoes, all of which could have been contenders (except for the first pair of Bass shoes I tried on… someone put a pair of 8.5s in the 9.5 section), but money and space are both issues.  I ended up picking two pairs that will look great as my new “school” shoes.  It wouldn’t be a new school year without having something I could point to and say, “These are my new shoes for school!”  You know what I am talking about.

So what are my new school shoes?  Check them out.

These are my soft, purpley-brown Bass shoes.  Bass, like the company that asks you to pay $90 a pair.  Many of their women’s shoe choices are at least $99 each.  My price?  $4.99… that’s it.  And check out the soles.  They are barely worn!

The second pair was a double score.  If you have heard anything about the upcoming fall footwear trends, you may have heard that loafers are making a casual comeback.  To get into the spirit with a cheap pair, I snatched up these AK Anne Klein babies.  They had a gray tag on them, so even though they were marked at a mere $2.99 originally, I scooped them up for $1.50!  Not bad for costing around $79 at a retail store.Look at that little tassel!  So cute!

The shoes I left behind would have been nice, especially those tall black boots made for the snow, but to be fair, we’re moving.  I need to be realistic (and remember that my shoe bin has zero room as it is!).

Have you found any shoes lately?

Pre-Birthday Date Goodwilling

My husband is ridiculously adorable.  For the past two years, he has taken it upon himself to plan a special date day for me right before my birthday (April 28, for those of you who are counting).  My birthday is two days after my younger sister’s, so we have to share our birthdays typically.  My actual birthday is either a weekday, so no real time to go out and celebrate, or taken over with family plans because of the double birthday.  I certainly don’t mind celebrating double birthdays with my family, but it’s so nice to have a great day out with B.

This year, B surprised me with a day out in Portland.  We started off by going to the Goodwill Buy the Pound location, which really says something about how much B loves me.  He detests thrifting because it takes so much time and it’s not organized.  But for me, he made an exception.

For some reason, the bins seemed to be filled with only children’s clothing.  Good for people with kids, but people, I’m only turning 26.  Is this some sort of cosmic sign from our mothers?  Erin, see?  Look at all of the little clothing at Goodwill.  You know you want to create a person to go into them!  Um, not now, universal messages.  I’ve got some clothing to dig through.  This is what I found after some major digging:

Dexter bronze ballet flats: Retail: $22.99

Brand new with tags still on them!  Who says you can’t find new stuff at Goodwill?

Nine West cross-body white leather with gold chain purse: Retail : $69

Nine West chestnut brown satchel: Retail: $89

Nine West chocolate brown tote bag: Retail: $109

Nine West purple purse: Retail:  $69

Estee Lauder camel colored large tote:  Retail: ~$30

Belts! (Two colorful random ones and a Banana Republic leather red one):  Retail: ~$15 + $50 + ~$15 = ~$80

Bonjour colorblocking in that last one!  Love it!

Scarves! Dark purple pashmina, brown printed pashmina, mint green linen infinity scarf, Apt. 9 box blocked scarf:  Retail: ~$15 + ~$15 + ~$15 + ~$20 = ~$65

Mint green!  I found something in that color!  Weeeeee!  The last scarf is super soft and for B.  He’s a very dapper gentleman.

Express navy blue cable knit V-neck sweater:  Retail: $59

I know it seems kind of silly to be getting sweaters right now, but the three that I got were too good to pass up.  You never know, I could still face sweater weather here in Maine before summer actually begins.

Soffe baby blue sports skirt: Retail: $8.99

No brand magenta summer cover-up dress: Retail: ~$20

The tags were all cut out, but with a belt, this dress will be great for summer.  Without a belt, it kind of does a tent number off from my chest.  I’m wondering if I should make the neckline into a V neck.

GAP cream crew neck sweater: Retail: $59

Express red silk mix V-neck sweater: Retail: $59

All told, I think we made out brilliantly.  B also picked up a copy of the Bible to do some reading as he prepares for graduate work.  I suppose some spiritual work may come out of it, too.  So what was the damage?  Well, check this out:

What I would have paid shopping retail:  ~$749.98      What we paid at Goodwill:  $15

DIFFERENCE:  ~$734.98

Beck also got me this awesome blue NAS clutch/purse for Easter.

NAS cobalt blue clutch (style number 370GY):  Paid: $2.49 / Retail: ~$30

PEOPLE!  Why isn’t everyone thrift shopping?  I get to be a name brand snot AND not pay much at all.  You can be really picky about clothing and purse conditions and still get great stuff.

After our Goodwill run, B whisked me away to the Portland Art Museum.  They currently have some great exhibits, my favorite being one where a woman went into the homes of every person she’s friends with on Facebook to photograph them in real life.  The concept between real friends and online friends and how they seem to have replaced each other is fascinating (that may be my psychology minor talking).  The photos were intense.  And, like every single time I go into an art museum, I got yelled at.  What did I do wrong this time?  I wasn’t carrying my purse far enough forward on my body.  Yep.  I get yelled at for dumb stuff in art museums.  Some gelato after totally made up for it.

We also decided that we had enough time to run by the Maine Mall (yes, that really is its name.  Maine doesn’t have a ton of malls.  Live with it.) and I browsed Forever 21 because I had a gift card from a birthday probably three years ago.  I was determined not to spend more than what the card had on it ($10), so I got these two pieces:

Price: $6.80

Price: $1.50

Seriously, who can resist a little neon yellow locket?  I thought it was too cute to pass up – especially after the bracelets ended up being far too big for my gumby hands.

Overall verdict?  Birthday date 2012 was a complete success!  B can plan dates with the best of them.  I plan on going to Goodwill on my birthday this week because I get 25% off on the actual day of my birthday, and I know what I’ll be looking for:  jewelry.  I am on an accessories kick right now.

Have you gone thrifting lately?  What did you find?  If you don’t thrift, what are you waiting for?!  Go, go, go!

The Search Is On!

With Easter finally hopping in tomorrow, Lent is coming to a close.  Thank goodness!  I gave up thrift shopping for Lent because it was something that I loved to do, and to me, I find it important to give up something you really like or love in order to show your sacrifice.  For me, that was thrifting.  But now that it’s over, I feel like I have put thrifting back into perspective.  I can’t afford to shop all the time, and when I do shop, I need to keep it within certain restrictions.

That being said, I do have some trends and pieces that I want to try and find in my next Goodwill excursions.

1.  Mint and coral

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Mint and coral colors are very very in right now, and I would love to jump onto the bandwagon.  I could very easily turn these colors into work appropriate pieces, summer pieces, and generally great-for-any-time pieces.  Sounds like a win!

2.  Handbags

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I have such a craving for different handbags.  I am the type of person who gets stuck in a rut with handbags because I almost never change the one I have every day.  Shame on me…  I really need to get better about that.  I am on the hunt for handbags with color, structure, and just all around appeal.

3.  Dresses

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I want some spring and summer dresses because, well, I want the warm weather we got a little taste of back.  Now, please!  I love the feminine touches dresses bring to a season, and I want some that aren’t incredibly dressy.  I mean, I’m not going to cocktail parties all summer, and even if I was, a girl needs some variety, am I right?

4.  Jewelry

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Like handbags, I am craving some bracelets and necklaces.  I want different pieces that bring a little bit more intrigue to an outfit.  I tend to get compliments on my jewelry the most at work, and I can tell you that most of my collection is super cheap costume jewelry.  Why not see what else I can add to it?

5.  Sunglasses

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It’s getting brighter.  A girl needs glasses.  Enough said.

6.  Sandals

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This, of course, means I need to give myself a pedicure, STAT.  But who doesn’t want to have colorful feet that are cool and comfy?

I guess the longer I stay away from shopping, the more time I have for window shopping.  That may not have been a good thing… Time to go clean out my closet!

What are you on the hunt for lately?

The Clothes that Broke My Goal

You all are bad influences!  Look what happens with a little peer encouragement pressure!  Remember how I had this grand plan on only spending $10 a month for the year on clothing?  Yeah, well, I’ve kissed that goodbye.  Because of the responses I got on Twitter and Facebook, I decided to have a little more freedom in what I find thrifting (well, I did, but now I am completely cut off for a little bit… but that’s for another post).  So these are the purchases that started out so innocently, but they were the budget plan killers.  Granted, these shopping trips were rather spaced out throughout the month, but still!  Look!  (Oh, and enjoy!)

TARGET

Merona tan faux-fur boots with tassel:  ORIGINAL PRICE: $35 / PAID: $14.38 (no longer available online)

The first piece (or pieces) were from Target.  Now, I was fully willing to let these eat up my monthly budget until April because I really did need new winter fashion boots (sorry, L.L. Bean, your boots just don’t look good with anything but snow pants).  These babies were totally worth it.  I call them my “grown-up Uggs.”  The tops are faux fur with a suede boot body.  The lining is quite thick and the shafts of the boots stay up on their own.  And how cute are those tassels?  I found them on clearance, so they were quite a bit off from what they originally were.  I snatched them up and resigned myself to no more purchases until my birthday in April.

But then.  Then there was…

GOODWILL

Ralph Lauren black wool coat with faux-fur collar:  PRICE ON TAG: $9.99 / PAID: $9.00 / RETAIL: ~$130

It’s always Goodwill, isn’t it?  I should have seen it coming.  Well, I guess I kind of did.  When I found this jacket, though, uggghhhh.  I knew it was a great steal.  I KNEW IT.  I put it back the first time I saw it and tried to stay strong.  That didn’t work.  It was Ralph freakin’ Lauren!  Hi, my name is Erin and I am a label snob.  (Hi, Erin.)  If I kept going with my budget plans, this would have thrown me into no purchases until May.  May.  And it was January.  No bueno.  So I decided to give it up.  I wanted that jacket.  Yes, it’s gluttony.  I fully admit my problem.  But the fur collar sold me.  It’s in pristine condition and looks so great on.  Sold and sold.  Sorry, budget plans.  Check you later.

So thus my budget died.  Oh well.  It just makes way for a more interesting closet and some excellent hauls!  You know you love it more now that I could spend more… you know it.

Sightful Sunday: Are You Seeing the Pattern?

With my week of vacation coming to a close, I have been here, there, and everywhere this week… and I feel like I need another vacation from my vacation.  Doesn’t everyone feel that way, though, after a week filled with activity?  I’m starting to think that’s the pattern our bosses intend to keep us on, just a little taste of getting everything done we need to get done and then BAM!  Welcome back to work.  Oh well, I’m beginning to miss my students anyway.  They’re just too funny!

To welcome myself back to school, I think I’ll break up the monotony with a little pattern.  Color is great, but what about a little change in motif?

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Break free of the pattern, people!  Have a great week!

Price Pondering: Toms Shoes

A few days ago, I got a request from Bestie Al to talk about the newest craze to hit her school in Oregon:  TOMS shoes.  You have probably seen them.  They seem to be the latest and greatest craze even amongst brides for their weddings, which surprises me because of their canvas looks but not so much because of how much more comfortable they must be compared to sky-high heels.  Al wanted to know what the deal was, and since she happens to be falling under their soles spell, she wanted to know if there were any similar items with lower prices.  To the research!

If you are new to the TOMS shoe brand, the original canvas shoes looked like this:

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They come in a variety of colors, and have recently come out with different textures, like lace, embroidery, and crochet.  The original shoe style was/is… well… kind of odd looking.  I still don’t quite get it.  I know it’s just the way it’s made, but I don’t know if I care for the square toe box.  They do look better in lace and different patterns and colors, but I’m still not completely sold on the look of them.

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The newest additions suit my taste a lot better.  They have recently come out with a line of sneaker-esque shoes (they call them cordones – which looks like “condoms” to me…), wedges, and ballerina flats.  I must say, they are pretty cute… but pretty expensive for a cheap girl like me.

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So why are so many people all about TOMS?  It’s the mission behind the company.  To make a long inspirational story short, the creator of the company (whose name is strangely not Tom) went on a trip to Argentina and saw how many children didn’t have shoes to protect their feet.  He then came up with the TOMS company with a mission:  for every pair of shoes he sold, he would ship one to the children who needed them in another poverty-stricken country.  I can support a man with a humanity mission like that.  See, B?  Shoes DO make the world better!  I told you!  We need bigger closets now, okay?

Even with the great mission, it can be hard to afford these shoes when you have a super tight budget like many of us beginning teachers have.  So what can we do if you like the look but don’t like forking out tons of cash?  Check out these options from Sketchers and Wanted for wedges.  While they don’t come in as many colors as TOMS, they do offer the same look for less.

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For the ballerina flats lovers, I like the comparable looks from Target and DSW.

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And finally, if you like the look of the originals, maybe these will work for you.  They seem to be as similar as I can find (and if you can find something even better, let me know in the comments!).

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So what do you think?  Would you rather pay the higher fee to support the idea behind the brand, or would you rather save money for the same look?  Have these types of shoes grown on you, too?  If you are interested in seeing other fashion options for less, let me know!

Floating an Idea

I’m going to throw an idea out there; feel free to throw it right back.

The idea came to me from my amazing friend Amy who lives in the far away land of Texas.  We used to work together, and then she decided to up and move to where things are always bigger.  Their Goodwills, however, don’t seem to be any bigger or better than the Northeast’s, so as she was cleaning out her closet, she decided to make a pile and be different.  Instead of donating them to Goodwill or a thrift store that wouldn’t truly benefit from them (I guess they’re not so great in her area), she put them in a big box and shipped them to me!  I was uber excited to receive them, and just look for a post that’s coming soon to see some of the great stuff I now get to incorporate into my wardrobe!

Now is the part where you all come in.  With all of this sharing and spring cleaning coming up around the corner, it makes me think about having a blogswap!  All of you who are readers, bloggers, etc. could participate, and we could be incredibly green by sharing our clothes amongst ourselves.  We can post pictures of what we have available to swap, and each person can swap a piece for another.  It can be open for clothing, accessories, shoes, whatever you like!  You could get brand new to you items that someone else is tried of for only the price of having to ship your own stuff to someone else.  Sound like a deal?

If you are interested, comment below and let me know.  The more people we have participate, the better stuff we can all share!  Who’s with me?

OH, What Inspiration!

I’ve been feeling inspired by red, gray, black and white as of late.  The way they go together, the way they seem to embody some power…

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The back detail is quite fun and girly.  So cute! {Source}

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So why the new inspiration with gray and red?  Well, look a little closer at that dolman sleeved sweatshirt above.  What does it support?  Anyone?  Bueller?  Bueller?

It all supports Ohio State University!  I know, why would I now be a supporter of Ohio State?  Trust me, I’m not a closeted college football fan, but I can barely contain how excited I am for this.  Two days ago, B got his acceptance letter to Ohio State for a Ph.D. program!  He has worked so hard to get into the programs he wants, and I am such a proud wife.  When he opened the letter (and an email that told him he may qualify for some financial help), we could both barely breathe.  He got in!  While the whole idea of moving to Ohio makes me ultra nervous (goodness, how am I going to find a new job?!) and we still have to see where else he gets in (plus the financial aid packages), I am just so proud of B for his hard work paying off with an acceptance.  So, for now…

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Go Buckeyes!  (But seriously, why is the whole state supporting a chestnut?  That’s like Massachusetts being “The Cranberries.”  Um, that’s not ferocious.  It’s a nut.  A creepy nut.  Just saying…)

Anyone know anything about OSU or living in Ohio?  Teaching me anything at this point would be super helpful!  And I may have already looked up where the Goodwills are…

Sightful Sunday: Get Caught Necking

Oh February.  You’re so full of chocolate and flowers and conversation hearts, and still your weather sucks.

But at least we have scarves to keep us warm and stylish!

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Happy Sunday!  Have a great week!

One More Step for the Patriot Revolution

I don’t know if you’ve heard, but the Patriots won.  WOOOHOOO!  I’m not a huge football fan, but I was certainly raised to support my home teams.  That includes the god old Patriots.  If you’re a Broncos fan, sorry.  Tebow’s a good guy, though.  Congrats on him. And if you haven’t watched this, do yourself a favor and check it out.  Hilarious!

To gear up for their future playoff games, I thought I would come up with a little Patriot style for any game time parties you might be attending!

Sweater dress, Scarf, Leggings, Flats, Nail polish, Earrings

Many of these purchases are certainly out of my price range, but it’s fun to dream, right?  A sweater dress is so comfy and classic, plus it allows you to possibly eat more chicken wings than you care to admit.  I love navy blue and stripes, and I thought the pop of red would bring a little more life to the outfit.  You can also hide your face in it during really intense passes.  You know, like you do with really intense scenes in movies.  Oh, you don’t do that with football?  Right.

At football parties, you tend to move around, eat, and get smooshed on the couch with a lot of other rowdy fans, so leggings would add some coverage and the flats would be comfortable on the feet.  And how cute is that bow detail in the back?  To round out the outfit, silver nails and little pops of red in the earrings would bring it all together.

So how are your teams doing?  What outfits do you like to wear to sports parties?