The Shoe is Where the Fun Is

I'm helping with an executive meeting this week and needed to keep my wardrobe relatively tame and professional. I'm lucky that that we aren't business professional (i.e., suits only) or else it would make dressing creatively much more challenging.

So I chose a navy ruffly top, a black cardigan and black pants for today (I am a believer in navy and black going together just fine). But to keep things interesting, I dusted off a pair of fun shoes for the day.

What I like about these shoes:

• Professional silhouette/shape (2.5 inch heels, closed toe... pretty much a classic pump shape-wise)
• Funky design (if you can't tell from the iPhone photos, they're navy, light blue and light aqua)
• A price I couldn't turn down (these were a Goodwill find - $4 I think)
  

And there you have it: A fun but appropriate shoe is a great way to de-boring-ize work look.

What are your go-to "fun" shoes?

Katy

p.s. I can't wait to take my friend Erica out on one of her first real thrifting excursions. Save the date (first full weekend in January), bb. You're about to be converted!

Oh, and BTW, for you Atlanta fancy handbag mavens... this is a pretty sweet deal:

Brahmin (New England-based, quality handbag company) will be supporting the Make-A-Wish foundation this year by hosting a holiday shopping day at their Lenox Mall store. This Friday, December 10th from 10:00 am-10:00 pm shoppers can stop by the Brahmin handbag store at Lenox Mall to purchase $5.00 donation coupons to benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Atlanta. For every $5.00 donation, customers will receive a 20% discount off any full priced item in the Brahmin store. (Caveat: discount can only be used that day.)

Glamourai Inspired Sleeveless Coat

I've had a blog crush on The Glamourai since my friend Mb recommended her blog to me two months ago. She's glamorous (duh!), edgy and on-trend while still beating to her own drum beat.

When I saw her rock a neutral/light sleeveless trench over a dress, I thought, "Hey, I bet I could do that, and for relatively cheap."

The Glamourai (Kelly Frammel).

See more photos from her sleeveless trench coat post here.

So I set out to find a trench that I could have the sleeves cut off of. Like Kelly's, I wanted it to be neutral and simple. I visited Atlanta's Last Chance (Decatur location) and the Tucker, Dunwoody and Buford Highway Goodwills before I found something I thought would work.

Enter the $4 tweed 3/4 sleeve coat. While it had a simple neckline versus the trench look I was hoping, the fabric did have the versatility and neutrality I was looking for.

It was also important that I find a neutral dress. The thought of wearing pants with a sleeveless coat felt very 1990s power suit to me — or Hilary Clinton campaigning in the summertime. I got lucky and found a khaki linen-ish dress at Ross on clearance for $8.

This outfit:

• Coat (no label): $4 plus $10 alterations (to remove sleeves) — via Dunwoody, Georgia, Goodwill
• Dress: $8 (no one noteworthy) plus $4 to have the sleeves removed — via Dunwoody Ross Dress for Less
• Shoes: Steve Madden nude leather heels $4 — via Dunwoody Goodwill
• Necklace: $12 from Decatur antique vintage mega awesome store Kudzu (it's rose quartz, wood and faux gold)
• Ring: $10 (quartz and copper) — from Art Walk (walking street vendor market) in Santa Barbara, California
• Total: $52 (so freaking close to $50 or less)
• 
  

Also, take a good hard look at my straight hair — since it takes a while to straighten, I don't do it often. :)

Martha's Colors (and for $50 or less!)

Miz Martha Stewart (along with Miz Heather over at "We Met in a Bar") has been very fond of pairing grey with yellow.

I used to shy away from wearing yellow (thought it clashed with my hair), but lately I've been gravitating toward bright, cheerful hues like yellow a lot myself.

• Blouse: Banana Republic Outlet ($12 on sale)
• Wool vest: $4 at one of my local Goodwills (Tucker, I think)
• Skirt: Isaac Mizrahi for Target ($5 at Goodwill or Salvation Army)
• Shoes: Nine West via Ross ($25)
• Necklace: gifted by stepmother
  
• Ring: $2 at a thrift store in Santa Barbara
• Shoulder bag: $16 at Tucker Goodwill (and it's leather!)
  
• (Okay, it's only $50 or less when you don't count the purse...)
  
  

This necklace has really grown on me. When I opened it up circa Christmas 2008, I wasn't sure what to think. I thought it was too feminine or too busy or something. But I find myself wearing it all the time now. It's subtle with light colored tops -- and bold and interesting with colors like navy and black.




Happy Friday!

The T-shirt Onesie Project: The Husband Responds

"If you make that look even a little better than retarded, I'll be impressed."

(in response to this post, and a live modeling of the pre-project garment)

Summer Safari

Yesterday I mentioned that I picked up a sweet (and brand spankin' new!) men's GAP button-up in olive green.

I didn't put together the outfit in time for What I Wore's reader challenge post — but here's my attempt at a Safari-Chic:

Can't wait to get a nicer camera!

• Green, two-pocket Safari-style men's shirt (GAP via Goodwill - new - $5)
• Cream-colored cotton tank (Old Navy - $6)
• Off-white linen pants (Banana Republic via eBay - new - $12)
• Twigs necklace (gift from my girl Megan)
• The budget buster: Diba shoes ($58)... also seen here

The necklace:

I thought this necklace would be perfect for this outfit. It feels very African-inspired. While I call it a twig or pretzel stick necklace, it's actually some kind of very tough fiberglass-like material. 

Speaking of What I Wore's Safari challenge, I am so excited to be introduced to Seven Dollar Pants, a blog led by a dynamic Toronto duo. Christine (below) was the fave outfit of the What I Wore challenge. She called this outfit her "Zookeeper" look. I can tell these gals are going to be very inspiring! They're thrifty, creative and stylish: three of my favorite things.

-- Katy 

A Family That Thrifts Together, Stays Together

Goodwill Family Affair Part 2:

With fam in town for our little housewarming shindig, we just had to fit in a little thrifting time. Thank you to Paul for spearheading the adventure. We had quite the successful day at ole G'Willy.

Paully Wally, Mom, Anna Fo-fanna.

Mom really racked up on this particular trip. She's always been a fan of black and white (or black, white and red) — and the Lavista Road (Tucker, Georgia) Goodwill had plenty waiting for her. Isn't she adorable in this wide houndstooth belt? The mama hasn't done much with high waisted belts — but now she's ready to rock this one ($4). See far below for her whole cart.

Another fun find by la madre. 

These Rampage brand kitten heels had never been worn. Love the oversized houndstooth pattern and the little bit of grey mixed in ($6, I think).

Anna was also a big winner in Sunday's thrift excursion. I sooo wish the below shoes had been my size. Alas, they were not right for me but perfect for Anna. 

Page boy shoes were $10 (label says "Graceland"). So super cute — and work appropriate. (Anna just accepted an 8th grade teaching position. Congratulations, Fo-fan!)

These $10 shoes remind me a lot of these precious black leather ones (below) from Shabby Apple (shout out to the Asian Cajuns for telling me about the cute offerings of Shabby Apple). Anna's are just as cute but $90 less.

They also remind me a lot of these sassy red shoes Olivia shared for Audience Participation Friday a few months ago  ("Favorite items under $20" edition).

Anna also picked up these fun and funky 80s running tights by Hind ($5)...

And a men's polo, three books (Memoirs of a Geisha, Diary of a Freedom Writer and Teaching Students with Special Needs) and a ceramic coffee mug. Her total damage: $24.

I also came home with a men's button-up. I was lucky enough to find a GAP brand olive green, two-pocket safari-style button-up much like the one below. NEW WITH TAGS (marked $44.50). Goodwill had it marked for $10 — then I got half off at the register because it had a red tag. Five bones for a brand new shirt ain't bad. I'll share my outfit post incorporating the shirt tomorrow.

I also bought a purple knit vest by Casual Corner ($4) and three books (I Know This Much is True, The DaVinci Code and Revolutionary Road). Thrift stores are such a great place to find books for cheap, even new releases. My total damage: $12.

Paul found a jackpot item as well: a mint condition, red North Face rain coat for $5. I know the frat boys at The University of Georgia are going to be mega-jealous.

Mom's goods (in addition to her belt and Rampage shoes: mini houndstooth flats, some cute red Merona flats and three ceramic coffee mugs.)

That was fun, fam!

Goodwill - www.goodwill.org

3983 Lavista Road
Tucker, GA 30084-5157
(770) 723-1112

Note: the LaVista Rd. metro Atlanta location is one of the cleaner, newer, more organized Goodwill locations. Even the bathrooms seem to be in fine shape.

Goodwill Virginity: Gone

I have a super cute, incredibly fun, fantastically energetic and very stylish colleague named Kathryn. One catch:

She hasn't yet embraced secondhand clothing!

A time or two a week, Kathryn compliments my skirt or my top or my vest — only to find out I picked the item up at Goodwill or Last Chance. She's often shocked to find out I've found GAP blazers for $4.99 and an Isaac Mizrahi for Target skirt for $3.99. You never know till you look, right?

As you know, it's been part of schtick for this year to encourage more people to shop secondhand. So when I spotted a cute and versatile sheath (in new or nearly new condition) dress in Kathryn's size, I snatched it up. Turns out the fit worked and the style was a match made in heaven.

I'm not sure if I have a convert in Kathryn just yet — but I do have a feeling she'll don this dress often.

Khaki, black and hunter green houndstooth dress - $5.99 at the LaVista Road/Northlake Goodwill (Metro Atlanta). Dress didn't have a noteworthy brand name — but it was cute.

thrift blog atlanta

Spotted at the Tucker Goodwill: Rock-N-Republic Denim Skirts

Spotted today at the Northlake Goodwill (LaVista Road in Tucker http://rockandrepublic.com/)... about 12 Rock-N-Republic denim skirts WITH TAGS! The skirts, which looked to range from size 25 to 30, were marked $25.

Run fast!

Designer Jeans (with tags!) Spotted at Northlake Goodwill

Wear size 26, 27 or 28 jeans? Have a penchant for designer jeans but too broke to support your habit?

Run as fast as you can to the Northlake Goodwill (LaVista Road in Tucker - near 285). I found a whole rack of designer jeans yesterday... with. the. tags. still. on! It looks as though a high-end boutique went out of business and had to liquidate its inventory.

Many of the pairs were Adriano Goldschmied. These retail for $165-plus at Nordstrom and Neiman Marcus. Twenty-five bucks is a killer deal!

Sorry for the bad iPhone photo.

Premium denim at the Good-Willy for $25 (front of the store).

Too bad the vintage Halston blouse I found was a size 10 and smelled like a carton of Virginia Slims. Booo!

Goodwill Finds: 80s Vertical Striped Sweater Dress

click to enlarge.

One of my New Year's resolutions is encouraging more people to buy secondhand. There are SO many reasons to consider shopping your local Goodwill, Salvation Army or vintage boutique. 

• Cost (you're almost always going to pay less)
• Sustainability (what's more "green" than buying others' "recycled" clothing)
• There are good options! (I donate nice things to Goodwill, and others do, too — their discards can be your treasures — and many items are in nearly new condition)
• Uniqueness (more one of a kind, funky stuff than any women's — or men's — clothing shop you'll visit)
• THERE'S SERIOUS FUN IN THE HUNT!

Okay, more on that later.

For now, here's an example of what's waiting for you at your local secondhand shop. 

Secondhand find: teal/black, vertical-striped sweater dress (so soft!) - $5.89 at the Northlake (i.e., Tucker) Goodwill - no tag

Paired with: black leggings (Target), elastic/fake patent belt (Mercedes Bien in D.C.), Dolce Vita wish boots 

And if you REALLY want to see a great blog about secondhand clothes, check out "New Dress A Day," a blog dedicated to spending $365 (or less) on 365 days' worth of outfits. Marisa is a genius at finding neat thrift clothes and making them her own. Some need more work than others, and she takes "before" and "after" photos to show how she customizes each item to her style and taste. Phenom. I'm so inspired. (Thanks to Becca for sharing this blog with me!)

Store Credit

Mistake #1: buying a pair of different sized shoes on Saturday.

Mistake #2: talking on the phone and browsing the racks before trying to return the shoes.

Smart move/mistake #3: finding some awesome items before turning in the sad, unmatching shoes.

Thank goodness they gave me store credit. The shoes would have been a $12 money pit. Hell, who am I kidding? I probably would have bought the below items anyway. (Turns out it was an even exchange — and I still ended up with a pair of burgundy shoes to wear with my new burgundy tights.)

Vest: vintage (no tag) with purple lining
Shoes: Aerosoles (never worn)
Button-up: Docker's (barely worn... and it hopefully it will remedy my failure shirt situation from last Friday)

Rats. I went to return my shoes and drafted this post before I saw Traci's comment that her restaurant recommendation (Panahar) is in the same shopping center as the BuHi Goodwill. Boo!

Goodwill: For Those Afraid, Intimidated or Grossed Out...

(Part two of the consignment shopping excursion...)

I dedicate this post to all the folks out there who think that Goodwill doesn't have things that fit within these descriptors:

• Cute
• Trendy
• New
• Modern

We were on our way to Roswell Road location Alexis Suitcase when our plans were derailed — derailed in a good way! I got a call from my brother's girlfriend Becca. She was a little behind in grabbing a costume for a Halloween party on Saturday night. She said she knew I was familiar with the local thrift and secondhand and wanted to know if I could do a little shopping with her. Little did she know that we were out-and-about on a similar path. 

So, Lauren and I switched gears a bit from checking out higher-end secondhand shops to seeing what was culminating at one of our local Goodwills. I'm glad we stopped by!

Becca dug around for an SNL skit character costume while Lauren and I were distracted by the shoes. It was shoe jackpot day at the Buford Highway Goodwill. Either someone with really great taste passed away unexpectedly or a local fashionista unloaded a surplus of shoes right at our feet.

Too bad most of the shoes were a size 5.5 and 6! But no joke, some of the shoes were brand new (no scuff marks to be found) and from fantastic designers ranging from Guess to Steve Madden. We also saw casual brand pairs (e.g., Old Navy) and some not-so-familiar names that happened to have fantastic looks. And all for under $15.00!

If these shoes (or any pictured, for that matter, had been in my size, they would have been SO mine. Love love love).

Lauren was trying to "behave" for the rest of the weekend in terms of spending (a decision that could rub off on many of us) so she made the decision to leave empty-handed. I felt like I had to leave with something (especially to make this particular blog post more fun) so I grabbed a pair of AWESOME red bootie stilettos. LOVE them.

Too bad I was busy chatting and not thinking. I should have included this piece of advice in the thrift-shopping 101 guest post I wrote for the DC Goodwill Fashionista blog: always check both pairs of shoes before buying (to see if they're the same size, still have sound structural integrity, etc.)...

That's right. When I got home, I realized one of the shoes was a size 8 (fit) and the other was a 7. Super lame. Argh. I'm so disappointed. I had big plans for these shoes! I was going to wear my new burgundy tights with them... and pair them with fun black dresses or patterns. Oh well. It's over.

Moving on. At least I snagged this fun pair of earrings and this silver brooch (it looks gold but it's silver). I'd love to find a rhinestone brooch to go with my new My Sister's Closet dress, but this brooch MAY work with that purple or beige satin ribbon that I'm envisioning.

Take that people who don't think that they could ever shop at the likes of a Goodwill or Salvation Army... Give it a shot, ladies and gents!

Goodwill was great as always — and Lauren and I delay our gratification for Alexis Suitcase until her next visit. Hey, it never hurts to spread out the spending, right?

Oh, and of course it seemed like a good idea to polish off our shopping with a little Yogurt Tap action. Mmmm. The caramel apple (tasted more like apple pie) was delish.

Atlanta Meets DC (I'm a Guest Blogger on the DC Goodwill Fashion Blog!)

Well, kind of.

Even as an Atlantan (Decaturite, to be specific), I was accepted to be today's guest blogger for the DC Goodwill Fashion Blog. Ch-ch-ch-check out the blog here.

And if you didn't already know, Goodwill operates an awesome auction site (kind of like a small scale eBay that's chock full of great shoes, clothing, household items and more). It's worth scoping out.

A Goodwill Family Affair

Today my mom, sister, sister's boyfriend (Alan) and family friends Sarah and Mrs. Kay were in town for a 5k. Of course we couldn't resist making a thrift store stop on the way back from the race. A family that loves each other thrifts together, right?

Alan, Anna and Sarah prepare for the race (note: I was behind 

the camera in comfy jeans and sandals, ready to spectate)

As we'd hoped, it was a good day at the LaVista Road Goodwill in Tucker. Everyone left with at least one awesome item. I'll try my best to remember them all...

For me, three attempts at denim were unsuccessful, but I still bagged a gold knit top, a white eyelet lace top, green J. Crew shorts and a black top with some eyelet cutouts at the top. Grand total for today's four items: $17.06 (tax free weekend - woohoo!). I'm really loving the gold top (I hear metallics are acceptable to wear again!?!?).

Roxy eyelet lace top ($4.39) and J. Crew shorts ($4.39)... 

oh, and my Wal-Mart sandals

Rena Rowan for Saville gold knit top ($4.39) and Banana jeans 

I thrifted at Last Chance a few weeks back. Anna liked my 

necklace so much that she's planning to make her own at The Bead Shoppe.

Anna picked up a badass blue and white vertical-striped romper (looks vintage) that I will make her wear and take photos in. It's pretty awesome. She also grabbed some running shorts, a simple, lightweight tie-back tank from Old Navy and a funky patterned vintage button-up with red trim. Her boyfriend Alan snagged a pair of funky vintage pants that he'll likely have made into long shorts.

Nice pants and nice pose, Alan.

Our mom found a tasteful Liz Claiborne zebra top, some cute pinstriped jeans and several movies for my younger brothers. Family friend Mrs. Kay bought a pair of Ralph Lauren polo shorts for her son; her daughter Sarah found a great (like new) pair of BCBG kitten heels, a belt, green/flowered sorts and something from a designer in many girls' wardrobes — a pair of Lilly Pulitzer pants. But, I'm pretty sure I'm leaving out some items...

Happy shoppers.

And tonight, we're off to one of our cheap eat guilty pleasures: Ru San's.

p.s. we missed you, Paul!!