Awkward and Awesome Thursday

AWKWARD...
- Coming home to discover that the ceiling in my bedroom is falling apart and leaking water above my bed. Yeah.
- Running around trying to spruce up my apartment before my landlord comes over to check out the damage in my bedroom. Not fun. Note to self: Learn to clean on a more regular basis.
- My boyfriend playing his online gaming and listening to all the dudes he is playing it with. Wow, they take it a bit too serious and sound totally strange. He's in a guild. Need I say more? Oh, dear.
- My outfit photos A) taking place in my messy kitchen and B) myself looking ever so messy after all of the above and it being after 11pm. Truth in outfitting... I swear this looked less sloppy this morning! (P.S. It was a casual day at work.)


Cardigan: Always the Forest, Detroit Urban Craft Fair 2009 (I think), $50
Black Tee: Mossimo Supply Co, Thrifted
Jeans: Mossimo Premium, Target, ?
Shoes: Converse All Stars, ? (so old)
Glasses: SEE Eyewear


AWESOME...
- Today was my Friday. I have a four day weekend to relax and enjoy!
- Getting asked to be part of a new project at work... it is helping with putting a little more pep in my step at work.
- The prospect of thrifting, estate sales, breakfast with my mom and sleeping in this weekend!
- Making jam late tonight with strawberries I picked up for dirt cheap...


- My houndstooth kitchen rugs... yes, they are really awesome.
- Did I mention I have a four day weekend!?
- Landlords that fix major issues. Today is the first day in a long time that I am thankful I don't own my own place. Renting isn't always too shabby.

Want to let the world know about your awkward and awesome Thursday? Click here to check out the original Awkward and Awesome lady, Sydney at The Daybook, and link up!

Winning Wednesday: Great Fashion Giveaways

Winning a giveaway is fantastic for two reasons: 1.) You have a new item to add to your wardrobe for free. What could be more frugal than that!? 2.) You are (most likely) introduced to a new company/store/brand/what-have-you. This is a great way to try something you either might not have bought on your own or try something you may have never heard about prior! I love that. This, my friends, is why every week I write a little post called Winning Wednesday.

1. Freya is offering one lucky winner one of their gorgeous swimsuits! I recently discovered Freya and have been lusting over their swimwear - I love that their bikini tops have underwires and they size up to a J cup! Click here for more info on entering!
Giveaway ends: May 31, 2011

2. Image Envy is holding a new giveaway! I won her last giveaway so I am trying to resist from entering this one... but that doesn't mean you shouldn't! One lucky winner will win a $25 gift certificate to Express! I, personally, would buy this adorable patent bow skinny belt! Click here to enter!
Giveaway ends: May 30, 2011

3. Miss Vinyl Ahoy is giving away an adorable pair of orange dahlia earrings from Acute Designs! Ahh! I love orange! You know what else I love from Acute Designs? These vibrant lime green rosebud earrings! So cute! Click here to enter!
Giveaway ends: May 29, 2011

4. Twitch Vintage and Rock Paper Vintage have teamed up to give one lucky winner $150 worth of vintage! Do I even need to tell you how much I want to win this? Oh my goodness, I really want to win this! Click here for more information on entering!
Giveaway ends: May 27, 2011

5. The Road Ahead is giving away a Gracey and Michy Candy Bling Necklace! Gracey and Michy has some really pretty jewelry pieces at really amazing prices - I'm currently loving their pearl cluster bib necklace... wouldn't it look amazing with this season's pinks and nudes? Click here to enter!
Giveaway ends: May 26, 2011

6. The Fashionista Next Door is celebrating her blog birthday with a giveaway! She would like to give back to her readers by offering them the chance to win a $50 gift certificate to Lulus.com! Yes, please! Click here to enter!
Giveaway ends: June 3, 2011

7. Bex... A Style Diary is giving away a tee or tank from EttaGrace. Their Hello Sailor tank top is so up my alley! Black, white, and flowers all wrapped up in a tank? Gimmie! Click here to enter!
Giveaway ends: May 27, 2011

8. Etsy Stalker is giving away a pair of Lovely Day earrings from Happyment. I love the bright color and unique look of these earrings and all of her pieces. Click here for more information about Happyment and to enter!
Giveaway ends: May 29, 2011

9. The Sak is currently holding a Battle of the Bags! Vote for your favorite bags and enter to win one while you are at it! Click here to enter!

10. Sole Society and HauteLook is hosting a sweepstakes! Click here to enter to win free shoes from Sole Society and a $50 shopping spree from HauteLook, everyday!
Sweepstakes ends: June 6, 2011

Good luck, guys! Did you win anything this week?

Simple Black Shirt Dress

The weather has been so gosh darn rainy around here lately! I apologize for my lack of outfit posts but, I'll be honest, when it's constantly rainy and dank, I don't feel like getting gussied up, let alone taking photos at the end of the day when my outfit and hair is a mess anyway. It happens.

Today I went all black... there was supposed to be scattered storms and, boy, was there ever! This is how today went: sunshine on, sunshine off, dark & scary skies on and rain, rain, rain, rain, repeat from start. I swear I don't think I have ever seen such a difference - and so many times all day!


Dress: Double Zero, Thrifted, ?
Black Tank: ?, Kmart, ?
Shoes: Aerosoles, Thrifted, $4.99
Glasses: SEE Eyewear
I lightened my photos up a bit today so you could see more of the detail on the dress. It's not much - a few little pockets and a long belt that is connected to the dress which bows in front - but still cute details, right?


This is one of my favorite throw on dresses. It so easy to wear but I always feel really good in it. I don't seem to accessorize much when I wear all black... I like it to stand on it's own, personally.

Here is an "accessory" that you can't see in the photos above...


If you follow me on twitter, you may have read this over the weekend: GAHHHH. Just caught my cat chewing another pair of my shoes. :( Kitty teeth marks - hottest new thing? Someone say yes. Um, yeah, this large furry monster started to eat my shoe:



But, seriously, how mad can you be at something that cute?

Winning Wednesday: Great Fashion Giveaways!

Winning a giveaway is fantastic for two reasons: 1.) You have a new item to add to your wardrobe for free. What could be more frugal than that!? 2.) You are (most likely) introduced to a new company/store/brand/what-have-you. This is a great way to try something you either might not have bought on your own or try something you may have never heard about prior! I love that. This, my friends, is why every week I write a little post called Winning Wednesday.

1. Daisy Dayz is giving away a $25 gift voucher to Alex Keller. Hop on over to get better acquainted with her shop and then enter to win while you're there! I fell in love with her Eero necklace. Really pretty, don't you think? Click here to enter!
Giveaway ends: May 24, 2011

2. Oh To Be A Muse is giving away a $30 gift certificate to 365 Hangers. Not familiar with the site? Well, all items they sell are at least 70% off! Need I say more? I didn't think so. I am currently loving this Betsy Johnson dress. Click here to enter!
Giveaway ends: May 24, 2011

3. An Uncommon Thread is giving away a Horn Cuff Bracelet from Knots and Stones. Free trade and beautiful? Sign me up. I also love their Rainbow Bracelet. Click here to enter!
Giveaway ends: May 23, 2011

4. How about we cater to the guy's for once? An Uncommon Thread is giving away a men's pima cotton dress shirt from Fair Indigo. You get to pick color and size if you win! Click here to enter!
Giveaway ends: May 25, 2011

5. The Type A Housewife is giving away a summer bracelet from fiddledeeDee Designs. The colors of this bracelet are perfect for summer! Click here to enter!
Giveaway ends: May 27, 2011

6. My Style Pill is giving away a $50 gift code to Jupe Boutique. I would love to buy this Tribal Cage Bank Tank if I won... you know I can't resist my black and white prints! Click here to enter!
Giveaway ends: May 24, 2011

7. Dwelling and Telling is giving away $200 Karen Kane Styling Day! Basically, if you live within a 50 mile radius of a Karen Kane store they'll be setting you up with a personal stylist for a day! If you live further away, you will receive a gift card to use on Karen Kane at a nearby store (Nordstrom, Dillard's, etc)! Now, hop on over to check out what looks Linley created with Karen Kane and enter the giveaway!
Giveaway ends: May 23, 2011

8. Uber Chic for Cheap is giving away swimsuit from Lime Ricki! The winner gets to choose their suit! I love that these suits are cute, come in cute prints and cover you up! I mean, when I'm swimming, I don't want to have to worry I am going to spill out of my top, ya know? Click here to enter!
Giveaway ends: May 22, 2011

9. MouseVox Vintage is giving away a $30 gift card to Adorable You Vintage! I would love to snatch up this AbbyKent vintage dress! So cute! Click here to enter!
Giveaway ends: May 22, 2011

10. Work Your Closet has teamed up with Live To Love Apparel to give away one of their adorable shirts! I love the message behind these babies! Click here to enter!
Giveaway ends: May 23, 2011

11. The Nurse Mommy is giving away a $50 gift certificate to Novica! Novica features gorgeous accessories, clothing and home items from around the world... don't even ask me to narrow down what I would choose to buy! Click here to enter the giveaway!
Giveaway ends: May 25, 2011

12. Baby Loving Mama is giving away footwear from Sanuk worth up to $60! I totally have my eye on these houndstooth sidewalk surfers! SO CUTE! Plus, I've heard so many good things about Sunuk kicks! Sounds like they are super comfy! Click here to enter!
Giveaway ends: May 24, 2011

Do you have a giveaway that you would like to see listed in my weekly Wednesday list? Email me about it!

Love giveaways too? Keep up with more giveaway finds by following me on twitter: @fashfrugality! I constantly tweet about giveaways!

Mother's Day Weekend Outfit Recap

Oh, hi, Miss Blogger. Long time no type. I actually had every intention last week to post new stuff on Thursday and Friday (which, if you've noticed recently, I seem to never get the time to do lately!) but the kabosh was put on that by Blogger. Seems it worked out though. I planned to show you what I wore over Mother's Day weekend but it's perfect to tell you about today considering I didn't go to work and I barely got dressed today. See, everything happens for a reason.

Now, to that recap, shall we?


Jean Jacket: Rubbish, thrifted, $5.25
Skirt: Tagless, Thrifted, $1.25
Belt: Liz Claiborne, Thrifted, $1.00
White Tee: Mossimo, Target, ? (old)
Scarf: Tagless, Vintage sale @ church, $1.00
Heels: Shoes, Thrifted, ? (old)
Glasses: SEE Eyewear
You'll have to pardon this in-the-middle-of-a-car-wash photo. My boyfriend and I were running late for my mom's Mother's Day dinner (seriously nothing new for us) so I had to have him snap a quick one after he washed his new car. Priorities, right? :)

I did a little something different with my hair since I had more time than I normally do when I get ready in the morning for, say, work. It had been a humid week here in Michigan so my hair was on the fritz already. I decided to help it along and take a little hair-spiration from Image Envy. (Psst! She's showing you how to get waves using a straightener today!) I already owned a "waving iron" so I gave it a go and it turned out to look not too shabby. I've normally only used this contraption when I've had longer hair so I'm surprised I walked away with no burns on my fingers. Here's a better photo of what it looked like...


And do I even need to tell you how much I love these shoes? One of my favorite pairs of thrifted shoes...


Moving on... I attended a small art/craft fair in Chelsea, Michigan with my parents and little brother on the Sunday after Mother's Day. It was sunny and supposed to be a pleasant 72 degrees that day so I kept it breezy but layered...


Skirt: New York and Company, Thrifted, ?
Grey Tee: Old Navy, Old Navy, $6 (on sale)
White Jean Jacket: GAP, Thrifted, ? (old)
Scarf: High Gloss Fashion, won in a giveaway at The Looks For Less!
Gladiator Sandals: Xhilaration, Target, ? (so, so old)
Light colors? Perfect in the sun. I'm in love with this new scarf, by the way. I won it as part of an amazing giveaway over at The Looks For Less and it is so vibrant in person. It's begging to be paired with pink the next time I wear it, right? Right. I received multiple compliments on it while walking around the craft fair. Compliments within the first few hours of wear? So nice!

Here's a better look at my sandals...


Telling you that I am in love with these sandals does not even describe it... I want to marry these sandals. I bought them years ago at Target and have worn them summer after summer. They are the perfect gladiator sandal and are comfortable to boot. I am so sad that they have never sold them again... especially considering my furry monster of a cat, Ernie, sunk his vicious teeth into them last summer so they have some kitty bites on the front of them now. Oh well. (Note: No toes were harmed in the biting of these sandals. He enjoyed them as a snack while I was at work one day.)

Did you guys have a good weekend?

Winning Wednesday: Great Fashion Giveaways!

Winning a giveaway is fantastic for two reasons: 1.) You have a new item to add to your wardrobe for free. What could be more frugal than that!? 2.) You are (most likely) introduced to a new company/store/brand/what-have-you. This is a great way to try something you either might not have bought on your own or try something you may have never heard about prior! I love that. This, my friends, is why every week I write a little post called Winning Wednesday.

Do you have a giveaway that you would like to see included in my next weekly round up? I try to catch a lot of them but I sometimes miss a few here and there... Email me and let me know about it! :)

1. Tablet Hotels and Daily Candy have teamed together to offer one lucky winner an amazing win: Five nights at Antigua at Carlisle Bay and over $1,500 of DailyCandy beach essentials, which includes some amazing Kate Spade pieces! Be still my heart! I'm not sure what I would be more excited about - the trip or the Kate Spade goodies! Click here to enter! Sweepstakes ends: May 31, 2011
(Thank you to Lindsey at Tablet for letting me know about this amazing sweepstakes!)

2. Still have a case of Royal fever? Style du Jour is giving away a fascinator from Inspired by Claire Jane! Click here to enter! Giveaway ends: May 15, 2011
(Thank you to Style du Jour for letting me know about this royal-esque giveaway!)

3. Her Waise Choice is giving away a perfectly pleated skirt from Club Monaco to one lucky winner and ten "Lucky You" cards to ten winners good for 20% off regularly priced merchandise! Click here to enter! Giveaway ends: May 12, 2011
(Thank you to Style Obsession for tweeting about this giveaway!)

4. Boho Market is giving away a Mykonos bag from Paco and Lupe. I love the slouchy design of this bag! Perfect for a relaxed summer day! Click here to enter! Giveaway ends: May 15, 2011

5. Glitter and Pearls is giving away a single feather earring from To Die For Jewellery to two lucky winners! I'm generally pretty low key but I love the idea of this single stunning feather earring for a night out! Click here to enter! Giveaway ends: May 20, 2011

6. The Matchbook Mag blog is giving one lucky reader the chance to win a $200 gift certificate to Minnie Mortimer. Her classic pieces are the perfect addition to any wardrobe... I, myself, would love to get the Gregg tunic. Click here to enter! Giveaway ends: May 12, 2011 at NOON!

7. Keiko Lynn is giving away a $50 gift certificate to Frock Candy! I would love to tell you what I would buy with this but there is just too many things that I like to narrow it down! Click here to enter! Giveaway ends: May 13, 2011

8. Devorelebeaumonstre is giving away a $75 gift card to Old Gold Boutique. This one is a great giveaway for the guys, as well, because they carry men's items! I love this Keys Open Doors necklace. Click here to enter! Giveaway ends: May 15, 2011

9. My Little Polly is giving away a double crochet headband and handmade tote from LDC Designs this week! Click here to enter!

10. A Wild Tonic is giving away a gorgeous red and white beaded necklace from Restless Hearts this week! I won her last giveaway so I am having to practice some SERIOUS restraint in not entering this one! I love this necklace so much! Click here to enter! Giveaway ends: May 15, 2011

11. AshleyStyle.net and Cleobella have teamed up to offer one lucky winner a Cleobella Neveah Bag! Click here to enter! Giveaway ends: May 12, 2011

12. TheOutNet.net is giving away a gorgeous Lanvin Happy Medium Bag! Click here to enter!

13. Rue21 is hosting a giveaway on their facebook page! Click here to become a fan and enter to win a $500 gift card! Giveaway ends: May 30, 2011

14. Brixton Street is giving away a Parazul scarf bag worth $340! It's perfectly classic and the perfect look for a spring day! I'd love to see it paired with a crisp trench coat. Click here to enter! Giveaway ends: May 22, 2011

15. Flourish and Debonair is giving away a coral colored raincoat! I adore this color and I'm sure you'll fall in love with it the moment you lay your eyes on it! Click here to enter! Giveaway ends: May 12, 2011

16. Coffee and a Cardigan had teamed up with herCatwalk to offer one lucky winner a $75 gift card to their shop of choice: H&M, Forever 21, Urban Outfitters, Gap, or Amazon! Have you checked out herCatwalk yet? I urge you to check it out! As Coffee and a Cardigan says, Her Catwalk is a great place for sartorial inspiration without the brand-obsession and limited body-types. Click here to enter the giveaway!

Good luck, guys!

Everybody, Everywhere: Floral

I was really excited when I found out that the Everybody, Everywhere item of the month was florals. I own a lot of floral pieces but I've owned this blousy, vibrant colored top for a little while now and hadn't given it much use. I'm a huge fan of floral designs that feature black as a background color. I think it gives the floral that much more pop.


Floral Top: Apparenza, Thrifted, $1.50
Green Skirt: No tag (?), Thrifted, $7.50
Leather Belt: Chic, Thrifted, $1.00
Shoes: Highlights, Payless Shoe Source, OLDDDD
Glasses: SEE Eyewear
I should mention that this skirt is part of a set. I bought it (and its matching jacket) at this price when I went thrift shopping with Suze a couple weeks ago. The jacket is crazy cool but didn't look quite right on me. Suze tried it on and it looked great (especially against her red hair)! I think she even had a little DIY action planned for it, so stay tuned for that!


Speaking of red, check out my legs. Yes, I sat outside for 1.5 hours yesterday and got third degree burns. OK, OK, maybe they're not that bad, but still super red and painful. Long story short, my building was evacuated and I spent some time in some sun without sunblock. I usually carry Neutrogena's spray SPF in my bag but have been naughty about applying it and carrying it with me lately. NEVER AGAIN.


I was really excited when I noticed this top looked perfect against the kelly green skirt. I think I haven't worn this shirt much because it needed something more fun than black pants to pair it with, you know? And, actually, all of the skirts I bought that thrifting day with Suze will look pretty with this top. Love that!


Lastly, an oldie but a goodie! I don't think I will ever buy a brand new belt in my lifetime because I always find great ones at the thrift store! And for $1.00 or less! And real leather! How can you beat that!?

Well, I'm off to check out what everyone else is wearing for Floral Day! Why don't you join me? Click on the button below to check out how lots of other bloggers rocked the floral look today...

Mother's Day Weekend: Saturday Morning

I spent the majority of this weekend celebrating Mother's Day by spending some quality time with my mom. What better way to kick it off than with a church sale?! The church my parents have belonged to for years has put on a vintage sale every year around Mother's Day for the past two years. Last year we arrived a little late (thanks to me and my constant tardiness, oopsie!) and it seemed that everything had already been picked over. Even still, I picked up two necklaces and a couple of patterns.

We were a bit smarter about it this year - I arrived good and early at my parent's house, enjoyed a breakfast out with my mom and little brother and then we headed over to the sale. We were actually still 15 minutes early but that turned out to be ok because there was already a line forming at the door!

After having a nice chat with a garage-sale-loving older couple, the doors finally opened and everyone streamed inside. We headed downstairs first because this is where they were selling the jewelry and patterns last year - the two things I was interested in buying. Sure enough, the jewelry table was filled with gorgeous, vintage pieces. I'm pretty sure I was in heaven! See, I prefer to buy vintage jewelry anyday over anything new. It is usually better made and I love that it has already lived a life before it continues on with me. Plus, it's just more my style.

I nabbed a few pieces on my first go around at the jewelry table. Yes, I said my first go around. I like to wander back at any garage/estate/church sales I go to because I find I always miss something on the first round. Here's what I intially bought:


Vintage blue necklace - $5.00
The minute I laid my eyes on this stunner, I knew it had to be mine. I've told you before that blue and I don't always see eye to eye but this time we were on the same exact wavelength. I love all the different shades of blue in this necklace and the gold really works well with them, I think.


Next up is this pretty silver hinged bangle. I find that I can never own enough bangles... especially when they are silver (which I prefer over gold) and floral. OK, so this is my first floral one, but I still can't get enough of it! Especially at the price I bought it for!


Floral silver hinged bangle bracelet - $1.00
Finally, I made a beeline for this simple long strand of white beads. I like the fact that they have a slight design to them - they look like little white disco balls - and a soft sheen.


White "disco ball" long strand necklace - $0.50
After my trip to the jewelry table, my mom and I headed upstairs where they sell vintage scarves and various other fabric goods. Last year I bought the prettiest yellow daisy slip for $2 and this year I walked away with two scarves, a hankie (which I plan on framing to hang on a wall) and a fabulous vintage tie. I would love it if my boyfriend would wear the tie for me one day but it is absolutely not his style. I plan on wearing it as a belt. :)


Untagged cream/brown polka dot scarf - $1.00
Untagged floral silk scarf - $1.00

Luck & Happiness (am I right on that?) hankie - $1.00

Vintage cotton handmade tie - $0.50
Finally, I made my way back downstairs to have one more peek at the jewelry table and a gander at the vintage patterns. I find that I constantly buy patterns and never put them to use so I've tried cutting back on that until I use some of the ones I already own... well, I mean, I tried to at least. :) I ended up picking up only two patterns. I could have walked away with more but the others that I liked were sized much smaller than I am. I know you can figure out the size difference but I'm honestly a bit too lazy for that. I also picked up two more pieces at the jewelry table - a copper bracelet that I had my eyes on the first time around and an oversized locket that I had originally thought was $10 but was actually only $1! SCORE!


Vintage oversized silver locket - $1.00

Yep! It opens!

Copper cuff bracelet (hinges in back) - $6.00

Two vintage patterns - $0.25 each
All in all, it was a great morning! I always enjoy shopping with my mom. We have very different taste - she is more antique/shabby chic while I am more vintage-1960s-ish - but since you can find both style types at a vintage sale this worked for both of us!

Stay tuned to see what I wore the rest of Mother's Day weekend!

For the Mommas

Happy Mother's Day to all the mommas out there! This world would be a scary place without your guidance, card and understanding. I may have constantly fought with my own mother throughout my teenage years... but I honestly couldn't tell you what I would do without her then and now. She is honestly the most giving person I know - always doing things for me and my three siblings before worrying about herself - and all while working full time (and then some) as a nurse.

I love you, mom!

My April Thrift Finds

A while back I promised you a sneak peek at some of the pieces I picked up while thrift store shopping with Suze. And then I forgot. That's just how I roll. Well, I finally remembered and thought I would share a few photos of my finds with you today...












The only piece missing from these photos is the dress I wore on Easter.

I don't think it should come as a shock to any of you who regularly read Miss Vinyl Ahoy that I would walk out of a shopping trip with her with a bag full of color. I aimed at adding some classic yet colorful pieces to my wardrobe this spring/summer and this trip helped me with that goal! I actually owe most of the credit for these pieces to Suze because she found most of them and demanded I buy them. I'm kidding. Kind of. :)

What was your favorite recent thrift store find?