LBD Makeover

Making the items in my closet as multi-functional as possible is becoming increasingly important to me.  It allows for me to use something that I love for different occasions.  It also allows me the opportunity to utilize my accessories that, more times than not, get shoved into the back of my closet known as The Vortex.

One thing that a lot of us have in our closet is the LBD (Little Black Dress).  Whether it's a wear-to-work or a sundress there are various ways that it can be styled.

Cue this Cynthia Rowley dress that I scored at Goodwill.  It's a fantastic dress that I've styled in various ways.  Here are a few looks:

1-Make it Blue

Isn't this scarf gorgeous?!  Another Goodwill find!  It's the perfect pop of color for a plain black (or white) dress.  The scarf received many compliments when I wore it to work.  If you have any scarves in your drawers or closets, bust them out!  Youtube or Pinterest ways to style and tie them.  That's what I did!

2-Two Hats-Two Vibes

Hats are a very foreign accessory for me.  I've always felt self-conscious about wearing one for whatever reasons I've made up in my mind.  But you know what-the mean people only exist in our heads so here I am-wearing hats!

 This a 100% wool hat (from Goodwill) which gives me a more evening/dinner date kind of vibe.  It's a quick way to give a more sophisticated and stylish look to your LBD.  I'll probably wear it more in the fall/winter time. 

The straw hat is also from Goodwill.  This look is much more daytime or perfect for a hot summer evening.  I'm definitely going to be getting a lot of use out of this hat during the season.  

The options of how to style a LBD are endless.  I love to see how you all style one piece of clothing in different ways so don't be shy to show me!  

Hope that y'all were able to take a little somethin'-somethin' from this post! Again-if you don't follow me on instagram you really should!  Find me @CynthiaEdee!

Talk next Sunday!

-C

Houston May Be Changing My Mind

The city of Houston and I are not the best of friends.  We have a strange relationship which has prevented me from ever visiting there if it wasn't work-related.

Enter conflict: Isaac's favorite team is the Houston Astros.

I finally bit the bullet and agreed to go to H-Town to see them play against the Boston Red Sox.  The drive was pleasant, mostly because of the treasure trove of snacks we bought and an irresistible podcast (Heaven's Gate, seriously so good!) and in less than four hours we made it to our hotel and began to explore the city on foot.

Here are some pics from our exploring:

(This stripe top is a go-to for a lot of my outfits.  Stripes will always be classic and in style.  Top is from Target, shorts are from Forever 21 but purchased at Goodwill, shoes are Steve Madden, purse is BCBG but purchased at Plato's Closet.)

Ok so let's talk outfits:

I'm not a big t-shirt person (even though I have drawers dedicated to tees).  The times I do go to sporting events I like to wear a blouse/dress that has the team colors in it.  So when deciding what to wear to the baseball game I had to keep in mind that we were walking to the stadium so it had to be light and breezy.  (Texas weather is in the hundreds these days.)  

Polka dot blouse is from Goodwill, shorts are the same shorts from striped tee post, shoes are Kate Spade Keds, and the hat is sponsored by Isaac.  

A simple yet totally appropriate look for a baseball game.  

Polka dots and stripes will never ever go out of style.  To give it an extra sense of style I tied the bottom of the blouse in a knot.

  

 Believe it or not there was a point in time where I hated polka dots.  Blasphemy, right?!  I'll tell the story of why in a different post.

Yuummmm...

Hope y'all enjoyed this post!  I'm going to try to post every Sunday so stay tuned!  And also follow my instagram @CynthiaEdee!

-C

Thanks! I Got It At...

'll keep this post short and sweet:

As I was running around to the different thrift stores I realized something: My entire outfit was from Goodwill!  Some people have hesitations about shopping at thrift stores for various reasons and I can respect that.  With this blog as my platform I intend to promote the supporting of non-profit organizations while being able to be fashionable, current, stylish, and maintain expenses. My motto: Life's too short to have on a bad outfit, have bad hair, or pay too much for for style.

To be a thrifter it definitely does take a level of dedication and open-mindedness and that's exactly what I have so I'm the perfect person for the job.

Who doesn't love a good mirror pic?

Sheer top with beaded bow-$2

Love the beading on this top.

I had featured this skirt on an earlier post about alterations.

I had good luck for once finding shoes at Goodwill!  $6.99!

Hope you enjoyed this post and be sure to check out my other social media outlets!

-C

Texas Feelings

The Hi all!  The weather in San Antonio was a crisp 75-80 degrees last weekend which called for me to finally bust out my J. Crew dress that I found at the Salvation Army on 281 and Stone Oak.

Thanks to my Instagram husband!

The best part about this dress (besides being able to support the Salvation Army...and that it's J. Crew...and that it was only $2.50...) is that is has pockets!!!  

Pockets = Amazing!

I love the flutter sleeves! So feminine.

The backside

The weather in Texas has been beautiful lately.  I had to snap a picture of this cotton candy sky the other day.  Texas does everything better, don't you agree?

Beautiful Texas sunrises.

Blue bonnets are the official flower of Texas

Thanks for stopping by!  Be sure to follow my instagram and snapchat (both are named CynthiaEdee) to keep up with my thrifting adventures!

Lately I've been thinking about opening up for a thrifting challenge.  Readers could privately message me on certain items they'd like for me to find for them and off I'd go.  What do y'all think?

-C

Altered State

We've all heard it that altering your clothes can drastically change the way it looks for the better and it's true!  I've mentioned that I have a pear-shaped body (small on top, larger on bottom) so when it came to dresses/tops the chest would usually fit too big.  I finally decided to give alterations a try with my Love Culture dress for my cousin's wedding and I was sold.  Here are a few pics of my latest alterations:

  

This skirt was only $1.50 at Goodwill so if it didn't look good altered then I didn't spend too much.  I do with I would have had it hemmed an inch shorter, but eh.

This is the dress for my cousin's wedding.  Look at that HUGE difference in the chest! Def. worth it!  It looks like a completely different gown.

Before I had this altered I didn't think the gap in the chest was a big deal but after seeing the finished result, yeah it was.  It fits and feels so much better.  This dress is from Goodwill and was only $6!

I'm going to be taking a sewing class soon so I can learn how to hem my own skirts/dresses instead of paying someone else to do it.  It's all about saving money, right?

-C

Flea Market Success

First off Happy Easter to all my readers who celebrated this holiday today!  This was my first Easter in San Antonio where I didn't have to work!  Isaac and I started off the day with homemade cinnamon rolls, grapefruit mimosas, and horrible 90s movies and then we set out for downtown San Antonio.  After we did our touristy-though-we're-not-tourists thing downtown we decided to see if Bussey's Flea Market was open and it was!  So we hip hopped ourselves on over and here are a few on the items we found:

I thought this was a pretty unique piece and would go great where we have all of Isaac's liquor displayed.  It was priced at $15 but luckily I was able to have them drop it down to $13.  Hey $2 is $2!

Okay, this was too adorable to not have!  And only $3!!!  It's hand made which makes it all the better!

So this wasn't found at Bussey's.  It's from the Goodwill on 281 in Stone Oak but since I'm keeping this a decor themed entry I'm throwing it in here.  I'd had my eye on this mirror for over a week but it was priced higher than I wanted to pay at $19.99.  I finally caved and bought it a few days ago and I'm happy I did.  I love the vintage look it brings and it's in perfect condition with the exception of a few little scratches but it adds character.

This is what I'm really excited about from today!  It's an elaborate brass candle holder that looks like it's from the 70s or 80s.  I instantly fell in love with it when I saw it.  I thought it was going to be at least $30-$40 because of how heavy it was and in perfect condition but nope! Only $20.  SOLD!

Moving into a new place has my decorating feels through the roof but my bank account loudly tells me, "calm down!" What's a girl to do?

-C

Uptown Cheapskate Haul

Like I had promised I'm going to post about my other thrift finds.

I've mentioned before that I LOVE Uptown Cheapskate!  There's only one location in San Antonio and luckily I live in walking distance of it (and it's right next to one of my favorite bars).  The quality and style of the merchandise that they sell is probably the best that I've seen in a consignment shop.  Not to mention the prices are insanely low.  Here are a few of my finds along with some classy and sassy mirror pictures:

I went a little sequin crazy here.  The white with sequin black bow blouse was $4.99, the purple was $5.99, and the jacket was a total steal at $9.99!

I'm absolutely in love with the jacket!  It's Jessica Simpson and totally totally totally cute!  I don't have anywhere to wear it to yet (story of my life) but for $10 I couldn't pass it up.  I know, I know, I know that in one of my previous posts I talked about my shopping addiction and how sometimes I couldn't pass up a good deal BUT this is different, I SWEAR!

The jeans are Celebrity Pink (which I've mentioned on my blog before.  All of my colored pants are this brand due to it's quality) and they were only $5.99!  Score!  The pink peplum was $5.99 from Forever21 and the black peplum was $4.99.  I used to think peplums were ugly but after I finally caved and bought one I fell in love!  For my figure they're quite flattering.  I'm a true pear-shape so my chest is small, waist is small, but boy do I have hips and peplums help to accentuate my svelteness while balancing out my hips.

I'm wearing the Celebrity Pink jeans in these pictures.

I spent about $50 for everything so I'm pretty sure I got the best deal here.  I whole heartedly love clothes, style, fashion, etc. and I do like to have a closet healthy of colors, prints, styles, and patterns but I'm def. on a budget.  Isaac and I have some debt to pay off (word to the wise: do NOT buy two new cars within weeks of each other!) and an upcoming trip to New Mexico but I still need my shopping fix!  I'm just a girl on a budget who wants to look cute.  Is that too much to ask for?

Hope y'all enjoyed this post and if you're in San Antonio or just passing by stop by Uptown Cheapskate!  You'll definitely find something!

Be sure to follow my instagram or snapchat to follow my shenanigans and check out my eBay!

Lucky Day

Whew, work and the move have kept me busy but now I'm all settled in and back on my thrifting game.  Be expecting more thrifting updates on the new home decor I'm finding at thrift stores but until then enjoy my clothing posts!

I went to the Goodwill on 281 and Stone Oak today and success!  

This is a dress by Mustard Seed and it's so classy and stylish and a total steal at only $9.99!  It was in the Julia's Attic section which I typically avoid because of their higher prices but today I gave it a shot and BAM! There was this little number waiting for me.  I have no idea where I'm going to wear it yet.  Maybe for my birthday dinner next month???

The white sheer tank top was on my "maybe" list.  This morning as I was picking out my outfit I was thinking how I wanted to track down a white tank with a bow on it to jazz up an average tank.  I spotting this tunic tank on the rack and saw potential but still needed to try it on.  I'm not a fan of the elastic drop waist on it but when it's tucked in to a skirt it looks great!  It even has subtle beading on it.  Not bad for only $4.29!

I didn't do a special photo sesh for the taupe blouse but I plan to pair it with my other high waisted skirts.

Hope y'all are having a great day!  I'll be posting my finds from Uptown Cheapskate soon 

Burberry Please!

Guys,

I'm totally excited about my latest find! 

Seriously!  How cute is this fuchsia quilted Burberry jacket / coat?! The size tags were cut off but the jacket would easily fit a medium/large. I believe this style is circa 2011(?) but Burberry's style is classic!  

 It's in perfect condition and ready to find an amazing home!  I have it for sale on my eBay so go check it out!

Sorry for the quick post but updating on my phone is a drag and I have a lot of packing to do!  My move is on Saturday and I'm nowhere close to ready.  Ugh.

-C

Last night was our 3 year anniversary so of course it called for a celebration!  I wore my newest Goodwill find which was a beautiful maxi dress by Moda International. The colors were completely fitting considering it was Fat Tuesday!

Moda International Dress $6

Can you believe that this little baby was only $5.99 at the Goodwill on I10?!  I couldn't either.  I'm not the biggest fan of geometric prints but with this color combo it looked great.  I'm partially biased because purple is one of my favorite colors (my first favorite is orchid and then glitter).  

I'm actually very self-concious about this picture.

I absolutely love this dress.  It's elegant, fun, flowy, and best of all: it's from Goodwill!  I'll always love the thrill of finding that hidden gem inside of a store.  

I'll be posting a few more items on my eBay soon so be sure to check it out!  And don't forget to follow me on instagram to check out my latest finds!  xoxo!

The BR Skirt

I absolutely love this skirt and this whole look.  A printed chambray shirt key to easy mix-and-matching success. 

I'm currently selling this Banana Republic skirt (size 2) on my eBay for $19.99 and will also be accepting any best offers.  Seriously, this skirt is just too cute.  It's a bright pink with thin white stripes.  I'm a huge advocate for stripes but don't like when the alternating colors are the same size as each other.  I like for there to be one main color and the second (or third or fourth or even fifth) color is the accent.  

Anyway-this skirt could be used for work, casual, or play.  All depends on how you want to dress it up.  

I'm trying to upload as much as I can on my eBay so bare with me!  Go check it out!  

Thanks for stopping by everyone!  Leave me pretty comments and be sure to follow me on instagram (cynthiaedee)!