Uncharted territory: The Mens Section of the Thrift Shop

This week for Thrifty Thursday I decided to venture into uncharted territory, the men's section. Three words, jack freakn pot! So many vintage styled clothing. Blazers and button ups. Corduroy pants for days! I wanted to take it all. Shopping for men is so much simpler than shopping for women, yet I had so much fun. It was actually refreshing not having to sift through so many ensemble pieces. No skirts, no dresses, no purses. Then I got to thinking, this here I could turn into something big. I mean women pretty much own the thrift shop phenomenon. But how many men actually frequent the thrift shop? I mean it's a lot harder than going to a dept. store and having all the latest fashions laid out for you. So idk I'm thinking I could have something here. I'll keep you guys posted. For now take a look at these decent finds!

Thank God Its Monday!

This morning my boyfriend text me TGIM. This was the first time I'd heard of this acronym/phrase, but it wasn't the first time I'd considered the thought. It occurred to me while I was in the military that Mondays were far better than Fridays. They usually went by pretty fast. It was always a chance for a new start, and I went to work feeling a tad bit more refreshed than I ever would have on a Friday. Fridays usually dragged by even when they were busy. I found myself continuously watching the clock eager to start my weekend. And then when it was time to get off, I was usually too exhausted to do anything anyway. Fridays were overrated!

So why does everyone hate Mondays and praise Fridays? Perhaps it is because so many people are simply going through the motions the remainder of the week, going to jobs they dislike, with people they may not care for, and work that doesn't inspire. In America, and many other Country's, people live for the weekend, Saturday and Sunday, that's it! Two days out of the week, eight days out of the month, where we get to do the things we want to do instead of the things we feel we have to do. I don't know if there is anything more sad :( We trade in five miserable days of labor for two measly days of relaxation.

This is what my journey is all about, figuring out what I love to do so that I don't have to dread Mondays, and live for Fridays. And once I do that, I will encourage others to do the same. Because I refuse to live in a world where people only live 2 1/2 days a week. No wonder our Country is obsessed with drugs, alcohol, sex, celebrities, and violence. We'd rather watch people live on television or on the big screen, than take a chance at life ourselves. Talk about oppression, right here in our own Country, enslaved to our own mindset (end rant...deep sigh. Any who, that's just my two cents. Everyday is a blessing regardless of we where are at in life.

This DIY is for those of you who believe in the benefits of a healthy breakfast, but may not have time to make it every morning. Its pretty simple. Bake the egg whites in a greased muffin pan for about 10-15 min at 365 degrees. Bake the muffins on a cookie sheet for about 5-7 min at 365 degrees. Fry the Canadian bacon on medium heat about 3-5 min on each side. Place the egg whites and bacon on the muffin bottoms. Add the cheese and the muffin tops. Wrap in wax paper and place in baggies. Let cool about 20-30 min and then put in the freezer. To unfreeze place in microwave about 2-3 min, and enjoy! I hope this helps you to get through your week a little bit easier. Goodnight beautiful people!

Creativity is Contagious!

It's 15 past midnight and I just finished making a cute crop top out of a shirt I got a the thrift shop this week. Sarah and I didn't feel up to going out tonight so we watched a few movies and then killed some time on Vine. For those of you who don't know what Vine is, its a social media site that allows people to upload short video clips for others to view, and it quite entertaining! Someone once told me there are two types of people in this world, those who create, and those who admire creativity. After watching video after video, I had a strong urge to get back to my own craft, hence the DIY crop top at 11:00 pm. Sarah was quite content watching videos. I was inspired and needed to channel that overwhelming energy. What I realized, is that creativity is contagious and oh so inspiring. I am thankful for social media for many reasons, but largely because it allows us to share our unique talents with the rest of the world as well as be inspired by others unique talents. What a gift for those of us who have been burdened yet blessed with the creative gene. I say burdened because not everyone realizes there gifts as being advantageous. For instance, when I was in the military I only saw it as a nuisance, always distracting me from what I thought I was supposed to be doing. It wasn't until I really allowed myself to fully indulge in my own creativity, that I realized this is a large part of who I am. Yes I enjoy being intellectually stimulated, but creating is my passion. It is my purpose. It is me. Any who, theres a picture tutorial below for the DIY crop top. I hope you love it :) By the way I got the studded strap from Wal-Mart and used a glue gun to stick it to the pocket. Please let me know if you have any questions. Thanks for tuning in! Goodnight beautiful people!

Long Day Making Shorts: Thrifty Thursday/DIY Party

It's 10 past midnight and I am lying here on this couch watching Sex and the City the movie for the second time since it decided to auto replay. My thumb is throbbing as I type this post using one finger via my IPhone. All in all it was a great night. We had an amazing time at the thrift store seeking out unique transformable finds. We retreated back to the house afterwards for Chinese food and wine and then we got down to business. Carry and the gang entertained us as we began a long night of labor. I didn't realize how much work went into making these shorts until tonight. I mean we put in A LOT of work, cutting and measuring, and cutting some more, and slitting and shredding. But it was soooo worth it. I mean we really had a wonderful time. I enjoyed teaching the girls the unique skills I had picked up via YouTube tutorials. I was the subject matter expert and they my students. And they each had their unique individual personality which bled over into the creation of their shorts, which was fun to see. I would say this thrifty Thursday was definitely a success! On Saturday we will be cutting up the T-Shirts we bought at the Thrift Shop today. Should be fun! But since the weather is soon to be changing I'm eager to find some fall fashion ideas for my next few projects. I'll began my research soon. Any suggestions? Well it's way passed my bed time. Can you tell how exhausted I am?  I'll talk to you beautiful people in the A.M. Goodnight :)

Our food, beverage, and entertainment for the night <3

 

Me in the yellow teaching Karina how to fray her slits

         

          Fancy inserting her slits....

 

Aisha diligently at work 

                              

Cheese! Look at our mess! :o

Tadaaaa! Our Vintage High Waist Shorts!

Its Thrifty Freakn Thursday!

Hello there! It's Thrifty Thursday and Sarah and I have been running around all day preparing for tonight's festivities. What events might we be partaking in tonight you ask? Well, if you must know (nosey), Sarah and I are meeting up with a few of our girlfriends at the Good Will for some Thrift 101 and then back to our apt for a DIY party where......we will make Vintage, High Waist Cutoffs! I mean but it's not like I'm super excited or anything...It's just that, well thrifting has a way of energizing me. Its an invigorating adventure for those who appreciate old clothes and endless possibilities. I am a dreamer (sighs). Any who, I have to leave you to tidy up this place. Nobody needs to know I'm a hoarder. I will leave you with something to hold you over though. Below is a poster I made  for my Instagram a few weeks back, based on an article I read by Alice Chang, called Five reasons to shop at thrift shops. I warn you the poster contains a lot of plagiarism (don't tell Alice). Okay people I'm out. Don't forget to tune in later to see how the nights events play out!

Wine Bottle DIY

My roommate Sarah and I have many things in common, but mostly, sweet, cheap, wine. I'm talking 7/11 Barefoot Mascoto from the freezer in the back. We easily finish two to three large bottles a week. Well recently I came across a wine bottle DIY on Pinterest (actually it was more like 3 months ago). Any who, I finally decided to try it. The problem with me is I don't use Pinterest the way it's intended to be used. I see something I adore and absolutely must try, I pin it, and three months later I attempt to recreate it without even going back to look at the tutorial. For some reason I think I am so good that I don't need instruction or even a list of materials. Talk about overconfidence. I'm sure this DIY would have been a lot easier  had I simply referred back to the pin and saw that the material used to make the bottle was yarn, not brown bag paper ribbon (that's what I named it). So if you do try and recreate this please use yarn. Please....I'm begging you! This project also included another DIY within it, which are the felt flowers I used to decorate my bottle. Those were a lot easier to make. I actually made them about a week ago following the DIY tutorial and surprise surprise, they came out great! Both of these DIY's can be found on Pinterest. The yarn bottle @ http://media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/80/10/dd/8010dd15a9c8cddb230cf68baf44e266.jpg & the felt flowers @ http://pinterest.com/pin/30188259974541371/. All in all, I am happy with how my bottle turned out. Like most of my projects, it's far from perfect, but it's plentiful in character. I'll most likely use it as a centerpiece for my dining room table once fall rolls around. Maybe I'll add some twigs to it. I'm very much in love with our current summer themed dining table set up (compliments of the thrift shop and dollar tree), but who can resist those cozy autumn hues?


The higher up I got with the ribbon, the more tape I had to apply to keep the shape of the bottle. I think that's why the yarn is easier to work with. It's a lot more flexible.



Some of the Materials I used. After I almost glued my fingers together I put away the super glue and used my glue gun instead.

 

Some more of the materials I used. I used the material covering the cork for the leaves on the flowers. Worked like a charm!

 

The finished product!

Our current dining room table set up. I love the elegance of it. Makes me feel fancy ;)

Plenty Fish In The Sea: Recap of Cupcake Tuesday!

This weeks cupcake Tuesday was yet another success. My best friend Karina and good friend Monique joined us as we created colorful rainbow fish cupcakes using Rips bite size licorice pieces for the fins, Skittles for the scales, beautifully dyed icing for the foundation, compliments of Sarah (I helped), candy melts to keep the fins in tact, and Reeses Pieces bite size candies for the eyes and lips. While creating these fabulous fish, we laughed hysterically as Molly Shannon acted out the role of Mary Katherine Gallagher  in the 1999 comedy film, Superstar, currently on Netflix. Following the movie we inevitably engaged in innocent girl talk where of course we stumbled upon the topic of men. We have all heard the cliché at some point, "There are plenty of fish in the sea". While it is true that this planet is heavily populated with humans, I believe that saying is just a tad bit played out. Because who truly wants to be with just anyone? I believe the journey of finding that one special somebody begins with getting to know oneself; knowing all the colors of your scales, the depth of your gills, and the strength of your fins. Any who, I'm no relationship guru or an expert on fish. What I do know is that good food and friends are more than enough for me on a Tuesday evening in Newport News, VA. Until next time!

It's Cupcake Tuesday!

Once again it's Cupcake Tuesday and my roommate Sarah and I are preparing to make cupcakes that look like colorful rainbow fish. We will be using skittles to create the rainbow look. Sarah is dying the icing yellow, blue, green, and pink, and my mission today is to find some flat stretchy candy that we can use for fins. Any suggestions? Cupcake Tuesdays are always a great time. Wine, girl talk, and creativity are a great combination. This is also the one day a week my boyfriend and I are forbidden to see one another. He plays NBA 2K and watches Suits with his roommates, while I get a girls night with the ladies. It works out perfectly! Stay tuned to see if our fishes come out as fabulous as the ones below, and who decides to show up this week for Cupcake Tuesday!