Thrift Style Thursday: All About That Bass

This week's Thrift Style Thursday theme, courtesy of Brittany from Lipstick and Yarn, is All About That Bass, in which we showcase our favorite pair of thrifted pants. Umm, so... I kind of colored outside the lines on this one. You see, when I originally bought this skirt, it was, in fact, a pair of Tommy Hilfiger jeans I scored for just $5. I loved the intentional distressing and button-flap back pockets. Plus, they fit like a dream. So naturally, they quickly became my favorite pair.

As I continued to lose weight and the butt (of the pants, I mean) started to sag, I took them in. As the intentional distressing unintentionally progressed, I refashioned them into the perfect cut-off denim skirt. And just as the jeans had done before it, the skirt easily fell into the regular rotation and became a favorite again last spring and summer.

I took some risks with this outfit - things I never would have tried before joining the TST girls.
1. Skirts in winter - As it turns out, tights really can keep your legs fairly warm. Added bonus: no need to shave!
2. Black and brown - I can't believe I'm saying this, but I actually really like the combo.
3. Mixing prints - We're taking it slow with just two prints at a time, but I'm getting more comfortable with the idea at least.
4. Purple and gold - I was afraid it might come off a little too... royal? But I think it totally works.
5. Mustard - While I hate mustard the condiment, I love mustard the color. Unfortunately, it doesn't love me back. I've always avoided wearing it because of my skin's yellow undertones. Too much makes me looks jaundiced, but apparently just a hint is just fine.

Skirt: $5 thrifted + refashioned // Top: clothes swap + refashioned // Jacket: free + refashioned
Scarf: $1 thrifted // Leather Tesori boots: $16 thrifted // Tights: $5 Target clearance

And now is the time that I ask you to go see how the other TST bloggers have styled their favorite pants (or whatever). Just click their pics to pop over to their blogs, or click the TST icon in the middle to visit our Facebook page.

Sunday Sew-Day: Cashmere Cuddles

This hot pink cashmere sweater has been chillin' in my refash stash for quite some time now. If memory serves, I paid $2 for it. I knew I had to have it because (1) hot pink and (2) cashmere. But I knew I would never wear it as is because (1) short-sleeved sweaters are weird and (2) holes. Lots of little holes.

Thrift Style Thursday: White-Out

This week's challenge, courtesy of Megan from Eclecticity, was Winter White-Out. Not surprisingly, Texas decided not to cooperate with the "winter" part. It was a brutal 60F/15C this afternoon. So in lieu of shooting in the snow, per Megan's request, we've got white rocks used for ballast around the train tracks downtown.

I found several lessons hidden in this little adventure. First off, all-white is not necessarily as unflattering as I expected it to be. Unfortunately, for someone as accident-prone as myself - and someone who has a mostly black dog with a proclivity for jumping up on people - I can't guarantee how long those white pants will stay white. They may find themselves in a dye-pot somewhere down the road, if I'm not careful.

I also discovered the only pair of white shoes I own are sandals. I'm not so cruel as to be that blatant about the mild weather, so I went with my pale pink Converse One Stars.

I learned that it is very difficult to photograph a pale person in all white clothing when there is even a single ray of direct sunlight. After two different sunny or partially sunny locations, I ended up on the shady side of an old warehouse.

I figured out what that little hook is for on the bottom of my tripod. It was incredibly windy today, and after a minor heart attack when my tripod blew over, I hung my purse on that little hook to prevent a second incident. Luckily, my camera only sustained minor damage - a couple little scrapes on the plastic casing. The lens, screen, and all other important bits are just fine.

Tank: $1 thrifted // Blouse: $0.77 clothing swap // Pants: $6.50 thrifted
Sneakers: $15 Target clearance // Bracelet (necklace): inherited from Granma

Now how about you go see if any of the other ladies found a beautiful snowy backdrop for their Winter White-Out outfits?

Sunday Sew-Day: Restoration

My father-in-law has had this corduroy jacket for years now. It's been very well-loved, and as a result, its lining was worn and tattered, coming apart at the seams and the edges. My mother-in-law asked if I could possibly repair it for his birthday last month.

Thrift Style Thursday: Pinspired

This week, Andrea of Little Did You Know challenged us to recreate an outfit found on Pinterest. My taste runs toward casual and comfortable, so I chose this outfit to mimic, though I couldn't track down the original post: Scratch that! The lovely Janet was able to identify the blogger in my pinspiration. Thanks, Janet!

I'm not so keen on leggings as a replacement for actual pants (under a skirt or dress, sure, but it has to at least cover my bum). So I went with black denim skinnies instead. Other than that, I had everything I needed already in my closet.

Unfortunately, I noticed as I was putting on my favorite boots that the faux leather is starting to peel on the back of one heel. I guess I can add that to my short term resolutions: new brown leather boots.

It actually got up to 70F/21C this afternoon, so the cardigan was a bit much. But it wouldn't have been a proper Pinterest recreation without it.

In other news, I've been working on one of my resolutions for this year. I've been reading up on photography lately. I made the first big leap and turned the dial on my camera from Auto to Manual. I still used the auto-focus, but I did play around with the aperture, shutter speed, and ISO. It's exciting stuff!

Jeans: $7 thrifted & skinnified // Chambray shirt: FREE // Tank: $1 thrifted

Cardigan: $4 thrifted // Scarf: refashioned // Boots: $20 DSW clearance

Now I'd love it if you go see what these other pinspired ladies have put together this week. Just click on their icons to be whisked away to their blogs!