Classically Preppy Fall Look - Button Down with Vest

It’s Thrift Thursday!!

Starting with this post, every Thursday I will now highlight a budget fashion look incorporating second-hand clothing.

To start this new weekly blog tradition, I wanted to start off with a super classic look that everyone can pull off.

Fitted button down + vest = classic perfection.

Add some jeans and boots from your closet and you are ready for Fall!

Thank you Kimberly for being the PERFECT model!

The Look:

• Vest – cabi vest was from local thrift store for $9.90!
• Shirt – Talbots button down shirt was from the local thrift store $8.90
• Purse – Antique store on Etsy
• Jeans, boots, jewelry – from Kimberly’s closet
  
  

  

  
  

Cheap DIY Deer and Hunter Couples Halloween Costume

Since Halloween is only a few days away, I couldn't resist posting our amazing DIY deer and hunter Halloween costumes we were able to create from incorporating thrift store finds. 

My look – The Deer

The brown dress was $6 from the thrift store. The leggings, jacket and boots were items from my closet. And the antlers, just sticks from outside. (Willie took a little too much from the poor tree outside as I walked out to find a huge branch being down in our driveway…"I said, I only needed two little sticks, not the whole branch!"). My makeup was all regular except for the white powder and liner I bought which was only $2. I used my bronzer extra heavy on my cheeks and black eyeliner for my brows and the nose markings.

Willie’s look –The Hunter

I feel like this is such an easy cheap look for a guy since most men have some sort of camo-ish clothing. Everything he wore was from his closet (yes he wears those bright orange shoes on a regular basis) and then the reversible orange/camo hunting vest we found from the thrift store for $6. He finished his look off with a laser pointer to get a good point on me!

Happy Halloween!!

Honest Review - Valspar Chalky Finish vs. Annie Sloan Chalk Paint

To start off, both of these products are wonderful and definitely worth trying out! Get inspired and GO PAINT!


Valspar vs. Annie Sloan

Similarities:

• -Both Annie Sloan and Valspar require little to no preparation of the item you are painting. No sanding, no priming,...whohoo! However, both do have recommendations to sand for certain surfaces that are glossy, rusty, or chipping paint (just research a little if your canvas requires a little TLC). I also recommend always giving a furniture piece a once over with a damp rag or paper towel to ensure no debris or dust mixes with your paint. Just allow ample drying time before your first coat of paint (15 minutes is normally good).
• -Both cover well, luxurious thick color application, give a great matte finish (I do however think Valspar looks more “chalky” if that makes sense), low odor, and all around super easy to apply with forgiving application.
• -Both do not require you to use an expensive brush (Annie Sloan does have a special brush but it is crazy expensive). Find a brush that has long flexible (not too floppy) natural bristles or a flat brush for smoother look. This brush is also reasonable if you want something specifically for chalk paint.
• -Both brands offer a clear protective wax coat and a dark wax to give your project an antique finish.
• 
  Pros:

-Great value - $29.99 Valspar 29oz can ($1.03 per fluid oz.) $38.50 Annie Sloan 32oz can ($1.20 per fluid oz.)  - saves $0.17 per fluid oz. about $5 savings for a can *prices based on VA
-Easy access (pick up at a local Lowe’s compared to hunting down a small boutique distributer of Annie Sloan)

-More color options (Valspar has 40 while Annie Sloan has 32)

Cons:

-Had to use more Valspar paint than Annie Sloan product

-Some people have complained that their color selections do not match the Valspar color swatches when mixed at Lowes
-Does not come in smaller sizes like the sample 4oz size Annie Sloan offers for $13.50 which is great for small projects or using multiple colors for a project

-People have stated the Annie Sloan waxes are better, however since I have not tried Valspar I cannot verify this myself

Here is an easy color swatch reference guide to compare the colors. The Lowe's staff did state that ANY Valspar color could be mixed with the chalky finish, however researching Valspar does only have 40 tintable color options it recommends. But you can always take a chance if you find a color you just LOVE! (update 3/7/2016 - I went again to get Valspar paint for an upcoming project and the Lowe's staff stated again that you can pick ANY color to be mixed with the chalky finish paint...WOW, what a selection!)

Photos via: http://thatcoversit-home.com, http://www.valsparpaint.com, http://www.anniesloan.com

Pallet Coat Racks

The cold weather is officially upon us! We made these this summer with some free pallet wood and old coat hooks we found in our garage, and now is the perfect time to get them hung in our home.

These couldn't be simpler, just use two pieces of pallet wood to make the base and then cut one piece of pallet into 2 or 3 small pieces to fit the vertically up the backside as your anchor and nail into the back. Find some hook eyes and screw those in so you can hang the rack. Then screw in your coat hooks however you want them spaced. And viola a pallet coat rack! So cheap and easy, have fun creating one of your own!

Spooky Dinner for Two

This spooky romantic dinner setting is a great way to celebrate the Halloween holiday with your spouse. And the best part, it only cost about $20!

What I used:

• 2 black plates were found for $0.50 each at a local Habitat of Humanity = $1
• 2 silver trays were repurposed as chargers from the thrift store for $3.45 each = $6.90
• 4 reversible black and orange placemats from the thrift store =$3.50
• Halloween spiders, black pumpkins, and glitter thorns were from Michaels (they had a great 50% off sale for all fall items) = $10.50
• The silverware, glassware, candles, and candle base were already things I had and was able to use

How to build your table:

Start with a place you enjoy having dinner. Take it outdoors if the weather is nice!

Build from the ground up:

1. Base (placemat and/or charger)
2. Plate
3. Napkin (I got double use out of the reversible thrift store placemats by using 2 as placemats (black side) and cutting one in half to use as 2 napkins (orange side). These would work great too!

4. Plate centerpiece or name card. Loving the glitter pumpkins!


5. Silverware on the outside of your plate setting
6. Glassware on the top right (I did water and champagne with these awesome grey glasses I got handed down from my mother)
7. Centerpiece (Use what you already have around the house, like candles, and just add some Halloween décor to make it special)

Hope you enjoy creating a thrilling Halloween table setting for your special someone. Eat, drink and have a wicked good time!

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Smash Cake Thrift Fashion

Can you believe this adorable cherry dress I wore was only $7 from the thrift store? I thought it was so fun and perfect for a little girl's first birthday photo shoot.

And Hartley's little flower dress was just $5! I finished off with a $4 flower headband and $6 shoes :)

Best Cake EVER

This will always be my favorite cake. It represents a huge milestone in our lives. Our daughter is one. We made it, she made, we loved every minute of it. I absolutely cannot believe a year has passed.

I wanted something special and beautiful for her first birthday and cake smashing photo session without spending a fortune, so I knew I was going to have make my own. For being my first cake decorating experience (no I do not count throwing sprinkles on top as decorating), I think it turned out great and this style is very forgiving. Any beginner can do this :)

Of course I also had to show off another GREAT find from the thrift store. This gorgeous cake stand was only $9. This stand is super similar if you can't find a used one. Wasn't it perfect?!!?

Everyone was amazed by the cake and even more amazed that I made it. Look out for step by step instructions to make an ombre rosette cake of your own!

Special thanks to my bestie for some great photos! Thanks Kimberly!

Biggest Bang for Children Consignment

Consignment shops or consignment sales sell secondhand goods for owners, with some sort of fee kickback for the sell. Most consigned goods are normally priced a little higher than thrift stores but most always lower than the original purchase price. Both sellers and buyers can win through consignment markets. As a seller you can get rid of closet clutter for a reasonable profit and as a buyer you are getting quality clothes for a discounted price. A lot of consignment stores do specialize in name brand or luxury  clothing, jewelry and accessories, making it more appealing for both the seller and buyer. The seller doesn’t have to give away a high end item and for someone who cannot afford a luxury item new, buying consignment puts an item in an a realistic price range.

My recent experience with consignment was not in a store but through a community sale benefitting a non-profit called The Eastern Prince William Mothers of Multiples Club. The Club is organized to be of aid to mothers of multiples with networking and support, and also fund towards education, research and charitable purposes. The prices were comparable to local thrift stores and I felt good actually seeing the women who were selling their items and knowing that it was helping local mothers.

This was also possibly the MOST organized I’ve ever seen a secondhand sale. Everything was categorized, fully labeled, in bags, prices, etc. It was amazing! And I lucked out because it was a rainy morning, that the sell was not that busy yet and I didn’t feel like I had to fight for things. I had the girl 18-24 month aisle all to myself and took my time picking what I wanted out. Of course with full arms in about 20 minutes, I had to still reexamine my picks with Willie at the checkout, but we still walked out with a huge bag full of clothes for $50!! 18 items for $50 to be exact which averages out to about $2.70 per item (1 jacket, 3 sweaters, 4 onesies, 3 pants, 2 skirt/dress, 3 pajamas, 1 pair of shoes, and one fitted crib sheet).

How to get your biggest bang for your buck?

1. Look for jackets. The pink medium weight Oshkosh jacket was a great find at $8.
2. Look for items still with tags or in original packaging (like the fitted crib sheet I found) = AMAZING 
3. Look for full outfits. I got 5 full outfits for around $30!
4. Pajamas. We love these easy zip up PJs and for $2-3/each, they were a deal from buying brand new at about $10 each. Buying secondhand  saved us over $21 for 3 pairs.

5. Look for shoes. These adorable (brand new condition) Carter's white toddler shoes were $4, which are normally $15 (70% savings!)

Some things to look out for:

• Stains...yuck.
• Socks are extremely hard to find in good condition. The bottoms just gross me out entirely.
• Rips, tears, pulled fabric, missing buttons, and any imperfection that would make you unhappy with your purchase.

Support the recycling of clothes! Your baby grows way too fast to splurge on new and it’s a great way to be GREEN!

Statement Wedding Signage

This year has been full of bridal showers, bachelorettes, and weddings! Willie and I have had a total of six weddings to attend (plus a wedding reception for an elopement in St. Thomas). It was an absolute joy to celebrate these amazing couples and wish them a lifetime of happiness.

My friends are also the best wedding decorators on earth! I totally need another wedding from all the ideas I’ve gotten this year. Metallic was huge this year, especially the use of gold accents. Two of my favorite uses were of course from repurposed frames.

 A little history on this first repurposed frame…This was my grandmother’s frame that used to host a huge collage of family photos in her home. When she passed I drove all of her belongings (including this frame) from Florida to Virginia. I removed all the photos for safekeeping  and painted the backboard using chalkboard paint. I had left it the original teal color until the recent bridal shower for Nicole (my other gold bride) where I just used gold spray paint to give it a little facelift and match her color theme. This frame has served so many purposes including my wedding, my baby shower, two bridal showers, and of course Kelly’s wedding.

My friend Kelly created the most perfect wedding out of a southern magazine and I was so honored she used a little piece of me in her decorations. Her cousin is an absolute amazing artist and created this one of a kind sign for the guest seating assignments. Kelly's vision for the entire wedding was absolute PERFECTION. The stunning bride (and handsome groom) really treated their guests to an amazing party too!

The second gold frame was a spectacular find as well! Nicole is the most amazing person with the absolute perfect style, so I knew that her wedding would be nothing less than 100% perfection…and it was. All of the little details Nicole included were flawless and with almost all of them borrowed, secondhand, or handmade, she really delivered detail on a budget.  Nicole bought this frame from another bride that found this at the thrift store for $30!! If you could see this frame in person, it’s giant! So for $30 already chalk painted from another bride’s craftiness, it was a steal!! 

So if you are in the market to glam up your wedding with some metallic signage…scout your local thrift store or yard sales and repurpose a large frame with some spray paint and chalkboard paint…viola beautiful DIY wedding signage!