Macklemore’s Thrift Shop Challenge

For this week’s episode of Thrifty Thursday I’m taking part in a very cute and EXTREMELY fun challenge I found on one of the new blogs I’ve started following.  If you have not heard of Macklemore’s Thrift Shop song, you really need to take a listenpoo to it.  It is very much not for the faint of heart, so if you are easily offended by salty language, just take my word for it and google the clean version to hear it.  I can’t seem to find a link that will work to post the clean version here.  Sorry!

Warning, strong language contained in this video!

OK, so I saw this video awhile ago and just loved it and then the wonderful blog of Young House Love posted THIS CHALLENGE.  I decided I just couldn’t pass it up.  If you are wanting a short version of the challenge, they challenged us to take $20 to a thrift shop and see what we can find.  BUT, (here’s the fun part) while there to go on a scavenger hunt for the items that are mentioned in the song.  A run down of the items are:

• Clothing with fringe
• An All Pink Outfit
• Moccasins
• A Velour jumpsuit
• House Slippers
• A Brown leather jacket
• A Keyboard
• A Kneeboard
• Shoes with Velcro
• Luggage
• A Plaid Button-up shirt
• Flannel Zebra Jammies
• PJ’s with built in socks
• A telescope
• and of course…a Big A$$ Coat

So, here goes…
First of all, I had my $20 and I went to my favorite Thrift shop in town, the Salvation Army Family Store:

Oh, I want to go ahead and thank my lovely daughter Jess for going with me this day.  She was my official photographer and I really appreciate her help.  She also found a couple of the items for me…first off, she found the very first item, the item with fringe:

Let’s take a closer look at that fringe, shall we?

Now that is some serious fringeage!  Ha ha ha
Next up, an all pink outfit.  Actually, the dress with the fringe would qualify for this as well so I think I should get extra points for that, but I also found another all pink numba!  Oooo…am I stylin’ or what?

Next item, moccasins.  I was starting to worry that I was not going to find these and Jess came through again and found this one.  We couldn’t find it’s poor mate which is a shame actually because I really liked it and would have seriously considered buying them.  Oh well, one moccasin is better than none for the challenge though.

Next, a velour jumpsuit.  I interpreted this one a little loosely and went with a velour tracksuit.  Oh yeah baby…I would fit right in at the retirement community just down the street!

OK, what’s next?  House slippers!  These puppies are so strange they are funny!  Let’s just say I’m glad I was wearing tights to protect my poor skin from whatever cooties might have been living in these things!

Next, a brown leather jacket.  Once again, Jess to the rescue.  She found this one.  I actually LOVED this jacket, but alas it was too small for me.  But, it fit the qualifiers for the scavenger hunt, it is brown, it is leather, and it is a jacket!

Next up, a keyboard.  Ok, in the song he is referring to a musical keyboard, but hey, a keyboard is a keyboard right?  As an IT professional, I couldn’t pass up this baby!

OK, this next one takes a HUGE stretch of imagination.  It says a KNEEBOARD, well I couldn’t find any such thing at the Thrift Shop, so I decided that a ski could be a kneeboard if you fell down on your knees while skiing, right?  So, I’m counting this…come on give me a little break mkay?

Next, shoes with velcro.  This was an easy one.  They had tons to choose from…all of which had seen better days I might add.

Next up, luggage.  Also had tons of these so I picked the most interesting looking to snap my pic with.  Don’t I look like I’m about to catch a train, plane, or automobile?

OK, next up, a plaid button up shirt.  This was another easy one.  Tons of these to choose from.

OK, next one, Flannel Zebra Jammies.  On this one I did have to use a little imagination.  I mean, I couldn’t find some Zebra ones, but I found these and several of the kitties have zebra stripes on them so I decided it counts. 

Next up, PJ’s with built-in socks.  I think originally they wanted us to find some in an adult size but I went with what I could find, which is some baby ones.  Hey, they fit the qualifier though, they are PJ’s and they do have footies!  So there!

Now, as I’m typing this I just realized I missed one item, I didn’t get a telescope.  I feel sure there wasn’t one but I also just plain forgot to look for something that might pass as one.  Dang it!  So, wah wah wah…no telescope for me. 
Lastly though, I did manage to get the last item, a Big A$$ Coat! I’m definitely Big Pimpin’ in it too huh?

So, there are all my scavenger hunt finds.  Now as to how I spent my $20, for that you’re going to have to come back for part 2 of this post.  I have a couple of re-makes to do with some of them and I want to complete those before I show off what I got.  In the meantime though, here is a sneak peak with me and my spoils from the day:

All that stuff for $20!  Come back to see what all I scored! 
I want to say a big thank you to the folks at YOUNG HOUSE LOVE for hosting this very fun challenge.  I had a great time and really enjoyed myself!  Thanks muchly!

Charming!

I’m starting yet another thing here on Eat Dress Live.  This one is called “Thrifty Thursday”.  The posts in this series will highlight something thrifty I’ve either bought or made lately.  I know right up front I won’t be able to do this every week but hopefully I’ll get one posted at least once a month and perhaps even more.

So, this week’s “Thrifty Thursday” I want to feature some of my latest Estate Sale finds.  My first find just oozes school girl charm.  Check out this beauty:

The picture is a little dark but hopefully you can see it.  The skirt is a really pretty blue and green wool plaid.  I got this skirt at an Estate Sale back in November for a whole ONE DOLLAR!  The skirt was much longer than this and quite a bit bigger.  I asked my sister to help me alter it and so she put a couple of pleats in the front to take it in.  We didn’t want to take it in on the sides because it has pockets and I didn’t want to ruin the pockets.  After hemming it up quite a bit, I now have a “brand new” skirt.  I paired it with the sweater I’ve had for awhile.  It is a navy Polo sweater with a green polo on it.  It matches perfectly!  I love it.  The beads also matched perfectly and just put that extra touch on the outfit.  Total cost of the skirt is $11.00.  I could have saved the $10 to do it by myself and I probably will in the future.

Next up, I found a charming new item for my shelves at work.  Check out this lovely little picture…

This is a small painting in a gold frame.  I got this at an estate sale last week for…wait for it…50 CENTS!!!!!  I just loved it.  Check it out in my bookshelf at work, It works great for a small accent piece in my shelves!  I have been looking for something to put in the shelves and came across the painting and could not believe my luck that it was only 50 cents!  Can you believe it?

So, that’s just 2 of my latest thrift shop finds.  What have you found lately?  There is a huge estate sale this coming weekend in a small town close by and I can’t wait to see it.  The sale includes the ladies antique store that has been shut up for 20 years and it’s stuffed full of stuff.  The pictures online look amazing.  I just hope it’s not too expensive and I can score some great stuff at reasonable prices.  Stay tuned, I’ll be sure and share what I get.

Friday Letters

So, it’s time for another edition of Friday Letters.

Here goes:

Dear Dr. Phil, while some people may hate you and some people swear by you, myself I’ve kind of been pretty much “eh, whatever” towards you.  After this week though, you may be my new best friend.  The jury is still out but so far, you are rocking my world!  After much debate with myself and a lot of soul searching, and perhaps a little too tight clothes, I’ve decided it’s time to do something about it and lose some of this horrible weight!  I asked a really good friend and coworker of mine how she did it.  She and her husband lost quite a bit of weight in the past.  The cool thing was they lost it in 2006 and now 7 years later they still are amazing looking and they have kept the weight off!  She said she bought this book by Dr. Phil and did it.  So, she brought me the book, I looked it over, decided it looked pretty easy and decided to try it.  I bought myself my own copy of the book and Hot Rod and I are officially on our first diet together.  It has been an alright week even.  I haven’t been starving to death or anything.  I admit, I’m missing my beer but I don’t have to miss it forever.  I am being very strict for the first 14 days like the book says but then I’ll be able to drink occasionally again.  In the meantime though, I’ve been full, I’ve been feeling good, I’ve been walking on the treadmill and I feel good about myself.  So, Dr. Phil, thank you!

Dear Blogging Friends, I found a few new blogging “Friends” this week and got some more inspiration on outfits, projects, decorating, etc.  I just want to say thank you!  A few of the pretties that I’ve been inspired by this week include:

This is Jenny In Jacquard.  I LOVE her blog!  Check her out HERE!

Next up:

Penny at Penny’s Vintage Home inspired me with some very romantic vintagey (is that a word because Live Writer is saying it’s not, but I think it should be!) décor!  I love her Valentines Day wreath and I want to duplicate it.  Check her out HERE!

I still love all my blogs I follow but I am always on the lookout for someone new and I found these 2 lovely ladies this week and wanted to share.  One is fashion, the other is décor.  You just can’t go wrong with them!

Lastly I want to say…

Dear Hot Rod, thank you baby for being my man!  I know this week has been a little hard for us starting a new weight loss plan and working on getting ourselves in better shape.  I really appreciate you doing this with me.  Probably more than I can ever say!  Thanks baby!

Now, the not so nice one!

Dear Hormones, you SUCK!  I know I’m trying a different method of delivering your goodness, but REALLY?  One minute I’m burning up and sweat is pouring off of my face.  The next minute I’m freezing to death.  Come on, give a girl a break?  I’m already giving up bread, candy, ice cream, BEER!!!!, and anything else you can think of that sounds delicious and yummy…do you have to make me sweat through it too?  I HATE you!  I want my pills back, thank you very much!

Dear Person in the Left Lane…EVERY MORNING THIS WEEK, move the EFF on over!  All those cars stacked up behind you are not your friends, this is not a funeral procession…oh wait, it just might be if you keep it up!  MOVE OVER!!!!!

This post has been brought to you by a slightly hormonal imbalanced, slightly hungry individual!  Thank you very much!

Friday’s Letters

Well, I’ve decided that instead of doing a gripes and gratitudes post I am going to start doing a “Friday’s Letters” post instead.  It will be basically the same thing but in letter form.  So, without further adieu here is this weeks rendition of “Friday Letters”…

First, let’s just post a random picture.  This is from our trip to Belize the week before Christmas.  I absolutely ADORE that place and I’m sure this won’t be the last time we visit there.  It is just heavenly!  So, Dear Belize, I adore you!  Stay beautiful and I promise to visit again.

 

Dear Sweet Sweet Sidney, you make everyday a more wonderful day than the day before.  I love you more than I could ever say!

Dear Family, thank you so much for a great Christmas!  I am so blessed to have all of you in my life!

Dear Harley Shop, I am so mad at you!  I wish I could say I am sorry for peeling out of your parking lot yesterday but I’m not!  So there!  I am stuck with a ring I can not wear because my husband actually bought my gifts early this year so it was over 30 days ago and now you won’t let me exchange it.  I hope you know, I’ll never ask for something from you again!

Dear Weather, why are you hating on me so much?  Everyone got snow at Christmas and we didn’t even get a single flake at my house.  Now it is snowing beautifully just SOUTH of us but we aren’t getting any?  Why?  What did I do so wrong as to not earn any snow this year?

Dear Body, why are you giving out on me?  I know I’m 51 now but do you have to remind me every day?  Can’t you just pretend I’m 30 again?  Come on! 

The end!

WWW Summary and Happy New Year 2013!!!!

Well, here it is…2013!!!!  Happy New Year!!!! It’s time for my WWW summary.  So, let’s step back in time shall we?  Back in 2012 I made my resolutions public here on the old blog.  If you want to read the entire post, it is HERE.  OK, so I did pretty awful at my goals, I have to admit.  I think I failed miserably on all of them but 2 and on 1 of those I didn’t completely accomplish it.  So, let’s go over them one at a time:

1.  Do not spend any money on myself for the entire year.  Um…yeah…that SOOOOOO didn’t happen!  I’m not sure at this point but I’m guessing I didn’t even cut down.  Needless to say, I am modifying that goal this year and revising it to fit what I can actually accomplish.  My goal this year…

Do not overspend my budget each month.  I have set aside a set dollar amount for each month which I can spend on whatever I want.  I will NOT go over that amount!

2.  Post all of my outfits and do not wear the same thing twice for the entire year.  I actually did pretty well at this.  I think throughout the entire year I missed taking a picture only 3 times.  Not only that but on looking back through all of my outfit pictures throughout the year I’m finding I only duplicated the exact same outfit 3 times.  Not bad I think.  Are you wondering what those outfits are?  Well, here you go:

I wore this outfit on April 20, 2012

And then again on August 6, 2012

Yep…same exact outfit!

Next, I wore this outfit on May 16, 2012

And, then again on July 10, 2012

Same exact outfit!  Are you seeing a trend here?  Apparently I really like my maxi dresses.  Maybe I like wearing pajamas to work!  Well, the last of the duplicates changes that. 

I wore this outfit on April 30, 2012

And then again on July 16, 2012

I actually can’t tell if I wore the exact same shoes, but close enough…it’s the same outfit.

So, although I didn’t really accomplish this goal 100%, I’m still going to say I was successful.  Three duplicates over the course of a year is something to be proud of and I am actually.

3.  Redecorate the guest room to create a truly inviting space that welcomes guests in our home.

Total and absolute failure on this one.  I haven’t even started it!

4.  Clean and reorganize my scrapbook room.

SUCCESS!!!!!  I actually did accomplish this one this year!  YAY me!

5.  Clean out the laundry room – organize.

Again, total failure…not even started.

6.  Redecorate/redesign the gameroom/bar.

Well, I’m not going on record to say this was a total failure because it actually wasn’t.  We have started this project…we just haven’t gotten very far in it.  However, it is slated to be our first project this year.

7.  Redecorate the living room.

Nope, nada…nothing.

Man, this post is really making me feel like a total failure!  But, I am not going to stay that way.  As it is with most people, the New Year gives me hope for a new outlook and a fresh new perspective on things.  So, my goals for this year….

1.  Lose weight!  I didn’t even have this as a goal last year, but the time has come.  My clothes are starting to be tight and look like crap.  It’s past time I do something about it.  I want to lose 30 pounds by the end of the year.  That is only like 7 pounds per quarter, or only about 2.3 pounds a month.  Totally doable!

2.  Stay in my budget!  As I mentioned before, I have set myself a budget for expenditures and I intend to stick to it!

3.  Finish the bar!  We are going to get this room completed…NO MATTER WHAT!

4.  Redecorate the spare bedroom!  I really hope to get to this room this year.

5.  Paint and decorate the living room/dining room.  I want to at least scrape the popcorn off the ceiling and repaint.  I’ll be happy if that is all I accomplish this year.

6.  Clean out the laundry room and store room…ORGANIZE my stuff!!!!  I have so many “mini projects” from my thrifting and estate sales!  I intend to get both of these rooms organized so I can see what I have and what I need to get done.

7.  Continue my quest to come up with new outfits from existing clothes!  I have decided that I am not going to purposely try to not wear the same thing twice because some of the outfits I put together last year I absolutely loved and I actually regretted my goal and wanted to wear some of them more than once but I refrained.  I want to really work at putting together new and interesting combinations but if I put together something that I actually love, I will wear it as many times as I want with no guilt.

So, now I have a dilemma.  Should I continue to blog about my outfits like I did last year?  I’m kind of bored with it and I’m beginning to think that my very few readers probably are sick to death of my disgusting image.  So, I’ll leave it to you my faithful two readers!  (ha ha ha)  Do you want me to keep up with the outfit posts or just every now and then post something I think is super cute?

Have you made your goals for the New Year?  Please share with me!  Let’s help each other keep motivated and accountable.  In order to do a better job this year with my goals I will be revisiting them each quarter.  That way I will see if I’ve done anything at all and I will know before the next New Year if I need to get off that couch and get in gear!  So, after every quarter of the year I will post an Update on Goals post.  Wish me luck!