outfit 39--wool skirt and we love color tights!

recycled wool--found at thrift stores, cut into strips becomes the latest sewing project! 

vintage button from grandma z on the waistband! 

yay for tights that fit and are comfortable! 

outfit 19--red and beige--silk and lace

 pretty sure this red silk QVC find was picnic table inspired.  however, at $1, i could not pass it up.  it was chunky and square and i knew i need to slim it up. 

the lace strips on the beige shirt underneath also came from a $1 find that had holes in the netting, but i loved the texture of the lace. 

 so the unveiling happens on a cold winter's day after a chick-fil-a dinner for CHD fundraiser at the District,

 the long coat was a thrift store buy many years ago...awesome!  a red scarf to keep the wool off my neck

 buffy to help, too

and a close up, trimmed the sleeves, the bottom 1/2 of the shirt, the buttons and the collar off.  sewed a 3" interfaced strip at the bottom of the shirt for the ties, scooped out the neck, roll hemmed the rest and voila!

added more lace strips on the t-shirt, used a red thread and zig zag stich for contrast.  wore a thrift store gypsy skirt, my camel colored boots and there you have my outfit.  t-shirt--walmart $3, lace top $1, silk top $1, thrifted skirt DI $5, boots--sam's club $40.  thanks for your comments friends and family!

the inspiration

Well, I always want something new to wear.  Luckily, it doesn't actually have to be new, it just has to be new to me.  So, i am constantly going to thrift stores like D.I.--which if you don't live in Utah, is like the mother of all thrift stores, true awesomeness.  However, Savers has better deals on clothes and I need to branch out every once in a while so I will go other places.  I always say, I like when "fat girls go skinny "and give their stuff away because it is score time for me!

The other thing is this.  Trav and I have been desperately trying to get out of debt.  it seems like it takes forever.  i am so done with having  much of my income going to debt that i am ready to change one of my habits by changing my consumption of new retail clothes--for at least awhile:) 

In addition, it seems no matter what i try i will never lose weight so i might as well accept this size as what i am going to be and deal....

After repurposing a pair of pants into a skirt and a sweater into a vest and getting good feedback from my jr. high students, which will tell you if you suck:) AND finding this totally inspirational website, I am  hooked. I want to try this new stuff to me for as cheap as possible. 

Here are my obvious limitations:  I am a fat girl: I naturally have to shop the largest sizes in the thrift stores anyway so not everything is going to be super large on me.  I am short so not all styles are going to look good on my, especiall my short fat neck which collars already don't work well.  I am modest so short dresses and sleeveless are not an option, either. 

I think I would like to impose the following limitations on myself for an added challenge:  For the rest of the school year, I will not buy anything clothing-wise at a retail store. I may buy 2 pair of boots and socks and underwear, if needed--but no other outwear.  I also may buy thread or other notions to mend and blend....but even my fabric will be bought at thrift stores.  The hardest part is the budget.  Easy peasy would be $10 a week for 2 or 3 new items.  Harder would be $7 for 2 items.  Hardest would be $5 for two new items a week.  (I don't need or want something new every day!)