friday's letters

Dear weekend, I'm so glad you're here. Finally, a weekend where my only obligation is String Project and attending a few recitals.  I can dig it.  Dear Martin Schmidt, I love love love this sweater you thrifted!  It look so great on you.  I know I'm always on your back about being primal and skipping out on your bagel sandwiches in the morning...but do you want to hear a secret...I may or may not have had a quesadilla at the monkey last night (I'm sorry!).  Dear Diamond and Erica, thank you for flooding campus with your witty campaign index cards.  Dear gym, I'm sorry that I've been neglecting you, I promise that as soon as I'm done this post, I'll be on my way.  Dear Mom and Dad, thank you for always being so supportive and sitting through 4 hours of marching band shows (which I know isn't your favorite) just to watch Mansfield perform for 15 minutes.  It means a lot to me and I'm excited to see you next weekend!  Dear little bro, as much as you try to make me believe that you hate me and don't miss me at all when I'm away at school, I know by the texts and imessages that there is a small place in your heart for me.  Dear Jake Locker's dislocated shoulder, PLEASE GET BETTER ASAP.  I NEED YOU BACK ON MY FANTASY TEAM.

that is all.

live your weekend to the fullest,

Brittany

7 Ways to Wear It {a guest post}

I'm so excited to have Danielle from I Like Boring Things guest posting on the blog today.  She has the cutest style and blog.  I love this post about 7 different ways you can style one dress, I would've never thought of some of her ideas!  I've disabled comments on this post so that you can go over to her blog and leave her some loving :) 


Hello Second Hand Solace readers! My name is Danielle from I Like Boring Things. I enjoy writing about fashion (especially thrifting), food, photography, crafts, and my everyday life and have been blogging a few years now.

Thrifting is a huge passion of mine and I always gravitate towards the cute frocks: I just love wearing dresses, in fact I might wear one everyday if I had enough. Because of this love of dresses, I have always tried to come up with new ways to wear the dresses I have. Mixing and matching can help make a dress last through 3 seasons vs. 1, or if you go on vacation knowing a few ways to wear one piece can be a huge suitcase room saver.Today we will explore 7 ways you can do this with most dresses.

Let's talk about my dress. It's a thrifted sleeveless frock. Details include button up, and collar style top, with a full skirt from the waist to knees, all in a blue-green gingham pattern. (Like I said most of these tips are easily transferable to other dresses- so don't fret if you don't have a similar dress).

1. It's in the details
Try adding an article of clothing with a special detailing. This tip will help change the look of the dress, and also can help in the sleeve department for colder weather.


In my case I chose a cream colored top with pretty detailing around the collar. Not only did this help add a little interest, but it also accentuates the collar on my dress.

2. Go Monochrome!
A great way to work with a patterned dress is by adding a solid color that matches. This helps instantly unify your look. Also choosing a collar like a turtle neck changes the entire feel of the top half of my dress. It helps instantly dress the outfit up, allows me to wear color but tone down a pattern.



3. Jacket + Boots + Scarf 
This combo equals an instant fall favorite. It will certainly keep you warm by covering up those arms, legs, and neck. Which means you can enjoy this dress well into the cold weather. And if you are still cold, add some tights!

This combo works well dressed up or down. Adding slouchy boots vs. heeled fitted boots will make a huge difference in the overall look of the outfit.

4. Puff it up. 
Try adding some crinoline to a full skirt. This will add a lot of fun to any outfit. I paired mine with a fitted black shirt, necklace, and boots to complete the dressy but fun look.




5. Add a Belt. 
Adding a belt can be great for helping to break up a pattern. Whether you layer then belt (as seen in picture) or just belt the dress itself. It will bring a new take on the dress. I enjoy belting a top when wearing it over a skirt because it helps to define my waist.

Try experimenting with different colors, textures, and widths of belts. They are a great accessory.

6. Don't be afraid to add more color 
In my case I added a plum skirt. I would have tried mustard, or orange with this particular blue-green as well. It's OK to add more color to an outfit- just make sure they look nice together whether they compliment or contrast.

Tip: It you are worried your colorful pattern might be too much alongside another color try adding a neutral to buffer in between. In my case I used a neutral sweater.



7. Skirt it. 
This one is by far the easiest and possibly most effective. Try pairing another skirt over top of your dress. It can help by adding inches to a hem, or just giving you a new take on the same old dress. This will work great in neutrals or colors(see 6).





Other Tips: 
Also depending on the length and cut of your dress try adding pants or leggings underneath, or if it's not too bulky tuck it right into a pair of pants. I have a dress that I actually like even more as a shirt tucked in.

And last but not least do not be afraid to try new things! Even if you aren't sure just slap on a few strange combos together and see what you like. It's all trial and error, but watch out because you might surprise yourself. Happy mixing! Thanks for reading and don't forget to stop by my blog and say hi!

crisp autumn air {an instagram dump}

This time of year is my absolute favorite (ok, so maybe I say that about every season when it starts).  There's something special about fall, especially in the tree covered mountains where I attend school.  

shirt: H&M

jeans: thrifted - Victoria's Secret

boots: thrifted

hairband: New Orlean's craft show

Lately, I've been into buying as much fresh food as I can from the farmer's market in town.  My friend Diamond and I heard there was a bigger farmer's market about 20 minutes from our university, so last Thursday after class, we decided to check it out. Turns out we had the wrong day/time BUT we ended up finding a candy store that had delicious PRIMAL dark chocolate covered almonds and coconut. 

My Friday started off with somebody special surprising me at my dorm with my favorite ice blended latte (yes, I know it's not exactly primal...but even cave-women deserve a treat once in awhile).  Word on the street is that he may be working on a guest post for Second Hand Solace about his own primal journey...

I found this painted print of a Native American woman at a thrift store this past week and had to get it.  While at the thrift store, I noticed the trees starting to change on the hillside and took the picture on the right.  I can't wait until more the trees start to change.

I've been experimenting lately with making my own primal/paleo recipes.  This week, I made a chicken eggplant "chili" and we ate it over a sunshine squash (recipe post comingsoon!).  All of the vegetables were from our local farmer's market.  Yesterday was also our first marching performance of the year.  Next week is the Allentown Collegiate Marching Band Festival - our favorite performance of the season.

This past week the boyfriend and I got up early before class (a miracle, I know) and went for a bike ride on a nearby path.  It was such a beautiful day!


How have you celebrated the beginning of Autumn? What are you looking forward to the most in the next couple weeks?

What Diamond Wore

The other day, I ran into my friend Diamond and loved what she was wearing.  AND, it gets even better...she thrifted the trendy tribal sweater!  I love the colors and how unique it is.  I've also been looking for a pair of lace up boots like the one's she is wearing.  You can find lace up boots similar to Diamond's all over Pinterest lately:

           




Tribal prints are also all over Pinterest for this Fall.  Here are some that remind me of Diamond's sweater:

(source)

If you would like to share a recent thrifty find and be featured on Second Hand Solace, send an email to hendlerbe05@mounties.mansfield.edu with "Thrifty Finds" in the subject line.

Back to School Shopping: A Guest Post

Today marks the last day of band camp and tomorrow marks the first day of my senior year of classes for this girl.  Needless to say, I haven't had much time to write posts in the past week (lugging a 40lb sousaphone around all day = coming right home, taking a cold shower, smothering my shoulder in icy hot and passing out).  My sister volunteered to do a guest post on the blog showing off some of the bargains she found back to school shopping this year.  Check it:

Jeggings: Pacsun (buy one get one free)

Boots: JCPenny's 

White Shirt: Kohl's

Dress w/ belt: Forever 21

Shoes: Toms

Jeggings: Pacsun

Shirt: Forever 21

Accessories: Forever 21

Dress: Forever 21

Shoes: Famous Footwear

Even though she didn't thrift these outfits, she still got everything pictured here for $150 (minus the Tom's).  I'd say that's pretty thrifty itself!

Little Thrifty Details and a winner!

1. I love the detailed design of this antique tea set. - won at an auction

2. Sweet little bow earrings - thrifted from The Barn Attic

3. Covered button earrings - homemade

And, the winner of the painted sea shell earrings.....

Christen from An Unordinary Hello!

(check out her blog, you won't be disappointed!)

What Keely Wore!

Happy Wednesday everybody!  This Wednesday kicks off my new summer series entitled "What insertYOURnamehere Wore!".  Each Wednesday, I'll be featuring one of my thrifty friends and their unique styles and thrifting finds.  

I'm super excited to start this series off with a post by Keely.  I met Keely this year in my Instrumental Conducting class and just love her style (she kicks some serious butt on the podium too!).  Check out her find:

Meet Keely!

"I recently went shopping at the Salvation Army here in my town. I found a 

brand new Banana Republic sweater in a 50's style, these 50's style red capris and the shoes are a black and white, Oxford style dress shoe.
My style is a little different, so when I go shopping it's a little difficult for me to find exactly what I like, but whenever I go thrifting, I seem to be able to find outfits and clothes that suit my style exactly. Plus, it was everything half off at the Salvation Army which helped with my shopping decisions!" -Keely

Thanks again to Keely for starting off the series and sharing her find! If you would like to be a part of a Wednesday post, email me at hendlerbe05@mounties.mansfield.edu :)

Saving the World Through Fashion

Thrift of The Week:

(This whole outfit cost $5.00!)

Dress: Ann Taylor

Shoes: Sonoma

Belt: Vintage

Earrings: Forever 21

(ALL THRIFTED)

Today, I also wanted to share with you an organization that is close to my heart.  Each week, Sevenly picks an organization and designs a shirt that reflects the goals of the organization.  Then, they donate part of the proceeds to a project involving the organization.  

Above is one of the designs I have.  The week I bought this shirt, money was being donated to help young girls who were rescued from sex trafficking (an injustice that is close to my heart). 

This week, you can buy a shirt and part of the proceeds will go towards building a medical clinic in Uganda through SafeWorld.  Their designs are super cute AND fashionable, so you can look great and save the world at the same time!

Extreme Couponing

Last week, I accidentally intentionally broke my second-hand/thrift rule.  You see, it just so happened that I received two coupons in the mail from Kohl's, one for $10.00 of any purchase and another for 15% off a purchase.  I also happened to have $10.00 of Kohl's cash as well.

At Kohl's, you're allowed to use multiple coupons on a purchase as long as they are different type of coupons. For example, you can use two coupons if one of them is for $$$ off and the other is a % off, but you can't use two percent off coupons together.  The Kohl's cash can also be used in combination with these coupons.  

Using these coupons, I was able to get these cute sandals (from the kids section..shhhh don't tell!) AND a necklace for a grand total of.....$1.01 (I'd say that was worth breaking my thrift rule):

(The nail polish is Sally Hansen Gem Crush)

I've had lots of luck with getting free (or nearly free) clothes and accessories from Kohl's in the past, be on the look out for another post in the following week about that.

Coral and Polka Dots...

I found this super cute dress and belt combo at  the Barn Attic, a local thrift store barn.  I have never seen so many clothes packed into one small space, but this dress was worth the dig!  They have EVERYTHING you could ever need in this barn.  For example, if you can't find a pair of earrings to match your outfit, they have over 30,000 unique pairs!  

There are no tags in this dress, so I can't tell you what brand it is.  I had to do some minor repairs to the skirt because the thread was old, but other than that, it's in great condition.  The shoes are hand-me-downs from my friend Ashley (gotta love those, too!).  If you're ever in Southeastern Pa, make sure to check out the Barn Attic.

India On My Mind

On Tuesday, I went to the local Plato's Closet (they buy and sell name brand gently used clothing) and came across this Free People dress and knew that I couldn't say no. 

You see, just four summers ago I had the amazing opportunity to go to India through Life Change Ministries International and I left part of my heart there, with these beautiful children:

It still brings tears to my eyes to think of the unimaginable hardships (to learn more about the injustices they face, click here) these kids face on a daily basis, yet they were some of the most joyful people I have ever met in my life.  I fell in love with the people and culture of India (including the brightly colored, beautiful clothing!).   Check out one of the dresses I brought back from India:

(Not too different from the Free People dress I found at Plato's!)

If you're looking to add some different parts of the world to your own wardrobe, you can check out your local thrift stores but I would also strongly recommend checking out Ten Thousand Villages.  Their clothing and jewelry is all Fair Trade and helps create a market for disadvantaged merchants throughout the world.

I might not be able to return to India as soon as I'd like to, but I can bring a part of India into my everyday life, even when I'm out thrifting :)

It is no secret that I love to shop.  And I mean LOVE to shop.  Unfortunately, being that this is the summer before my senior year of college, I don't have the resources (money) to support this habit for much longer.  So I've decided to challenge my creative senses (and hopefully save some $$$) and only buy second hand or thrifted clothes this summer.  This little area on the WWW will be to document this journey and hopefully share with you some tried and true thrifting tips.  Hope you enjoy :)

~ Brittany