Thrift Man, You Give Me Fever

The Funk'n Thrift Fashion Show got me thinking about men and their thrifted fashions.  My man has built up quite the thrift clothing collection since we first met.  Johnathan has a good sense of style, and his co-workers have even come to call him the Thrift King (I just hope they know he learned it from the Thrift Queen). ;) Either way, any thrifter deemed royalty by the people has a closet worth peeking into.

First, I gotta say what I know other thriftland ladies are thinking:

There's something about a thrift man that gives me fever.

Most anyone reading this blog already has thrift fever minus men.

I mean, fever isn't such a new thing, thrift fever started long ago.  Throw an attractive man who likes to thrift into the equation, and ladies, we've got Trouble.

Recently, Johnathan was stag thrifting and purchased a George's sport coat  from The Lost and Found .  It quickly became one of his favorite clothing items.  This tan corduroy sport coat is great for a guy like him, as he can dress it down with jeans, a t shirt and baseball cap or dress it up with a dress shirt and tie; either way he's lookin' sharp.

When I checked out the George's website it seems their sport coats start at $99 and escalate from there.  I'm not sure of the original value of this particular corduroy coat, but I do know Johnathan has snagged a secondhand steal here. 100 some dollars? 10 dollars? 100 some dollars? 10 dollars? hmmmmmmmm

     T shirt & cap                                 Dress shirt and vintage tie

And, yes, both looks give me fever.
I can't even pick one over the other.

The T shirt, baseball cap, and sports jacket combination is the look Johnathan usually ops for and I love it. He even wore this particular outfit to the Funk'n Fashion Show and, I may be biased, but he was one of the sharpest looking guys there. Johnathan truly puts together thrifted pieces in a stylish way that's all his own. He's a pretty awesome thrifting partner to have, king or not.

Thrift man, you give me fever!

So to all you thrift men out there, thanks for giving us ladies a little eye candy & compliments to your secondhand style!!

Cute Stove Looking for a Hot Teapot

At all times I have in my head a tiny thrift wish list, a few specific items I've placed patience on in order to find them secondhand.  If an item is on my thrift list, I will not cave and buy it retail. Most of my material wishes make it to the thrift list; not many material things in this life are urgent. One item that is on my thrift wish list is a retro teapot, or any enamel teapot that tugs my heartstrings.  My only real criteria for this thrift teapot I am trying to find is that it be a kettle and please my dreamy eye.

Daydream of my retro kitchen, teapot included

Cutie in need of a hot teapot

In my imaginary kitchen, I always see a quaint, verging on cute stove with an adorable teapot atop it.  Now that I drink tea almost every evening, I truly do desire a teapot that is more than decorative.  It's funny that I developed a liking for tea in the last year, I used to only drink tea if I was sick or eating Chinese food, and then one day my adult tongue started thinking, Tea! A spot of tea is what we need! And so it came to be.

I have stumbled upon a few potential teapots, but they haven't been The One. Common problems have been: they're too chipped, out of my price approval, or the inside has rusted.  But I know that I will find my teapot soon, my Mrs. Potts is out there, I just need to find her.   

Red & Aqua. Brilliant & Beautiful.

This teapot would be ideal and it is available on Etsy here, except I'm determined to thrift hunt my own, the buy always feels more meant to be. This teapot is pretty cute, though. I do have an unwavering crush on aqua and red together, but I'm pretty set on meeting my match in a thrift store. I'm pretty confidant I'll find something just as cute and not have to pay shipping or waste packaging.
Fingers crossed! xx

And how perfect is this teapot tea infuser for a Charmstruck girl?


Sigh. Hopefully I'll find my teapot in time for the tea party. I haven't been invited to one yet, but it'll happen. *hinthinthint*

Excuse my many imaginings today, I'm sick in bed and this is all making me feel much, much better. :)

Jewelry Tree Stand

On top of everything I discussed in Unveiling the Valentine, my Valentine's Day gift was a beautiful, white Jewelry Tree Stand. It was even adorned with jewelry for me. The pictures I took show a mix of jewelry Johnathan got me along with pieces I already owned.

One of my favorite parts about this present was the presentation. The surprise and laughter.  Even moments before receiving my tree stand, Johnathan had me laughing, eyes covered, as he tilted me to the side telling me to watch my head. There's nothing above my head, we're in your room. I laughed. Whoa! Whoa! Duck down! He exclaimed, as he pushed on the back of my shoulder, and bent me over. You're being silly! There's nothing there! I giggled. He uncovered my eyes, and there on his dresser was a veil of bright yellow tissue paper covering my beautiful jewelry tree stand.

This gift is truly fantastic!  

Although I do not have lots of jewelry, what I do have tends to become a tangled, unorganized mess. And I'm getting a little too old to have my jewelry all knotted in a ball, even if it is hidden discretely within a deceptively pretty jewelery box.

At Christmas time my brother, Tony, also gifted me a wonderful jewelry organizer. It's a large jewelry box that hangs on the wall and appears to only be a multi-photo picture frame.  I like to imagine people visiting and admiring my photographs while I alone know that handfuls of rubies and diamonds lye behind each memory. Really there's just some plastic beads and a bit of sterling silver...but they'll never know! ;) I'd love to share it with you, but I'll have to share photos of it another day, since it is back home in WI at the moment.

Jewelry is just one of those things that looks all glamorous until you own it. Once it's tangled and piled under five other necklaces, the glitzy glamor of it quickly fades and you're left standing there wishing you had some new, pretty jewelry to wear.  Whereas, if we could just keep them on display all delicate and dainty, the temptation to wear them would last a lot longer; just like in the store, these tricks will get us every time.

Keep my eye on the sparkles

I'm also guilty of not remembering to wear the jewelry I own. Out of sight out of mind, I suppose. So this little Jewelry Tree will help keep my eyes on the sparkles and remind me to wear what I've been thoughtfully given.

It's also just right because it coordinates perfectly with the poster Johnathan created, tying everything together nicely.  This Jewelry Tree Stand was a sweet gift that helped me get a little more organized, and I just love looking at it!

Unveiling the Valentine

I feel guilty admitting it, but I've had more of a Valentine's Month.  I'm spoiled and I know it. I acknowledge it, and I appreciate it in ways I can't even explain.  My Valentine's Month started in a grocery store parking lot when Johnathan came to the car holding a bouquet of vibrant flowers for me -- no real reason. The first week of February holds no valid significance within our relationship, he just wanted to make me smile, I guess, and it worked.

Well, my flowers died quickly (as flowers tend to do) and I kept postponing their inevitable toss out.  Johnathan even brought it up,  informing me that they were dead and that I should throw them out.  I frowned. I will. Not yet. I know they're limp; they've wilted; they're brown. I just hate the end of a pretty bouquet.

The memory of that bouquet was quickly replaced, though. Two days later, during the second week of February, I received another unexpected bouquet of flowers.  This time they were intoxicating, fragrant Lilies.  I awoke to them, along with a raspberry jelly donut that I had been (verbally) craving for weeks! Johnathan had already left for work and missed my crazed reaction; I was thrilled!

One -- I got my donut! Two -- I have never, ever received flowers two weeks in a row! I wouldn't even fathom it as a possibility!  I just felt...adored.

                                                          

     I am so very lucky.

 I would never ask for these things. I'm not that kind of girl.  If he didn't do these sweet gestures I wouldn't doubt his love; I know he loves me.  Weeks of fading flowers isn't what proves love to me, it's the weeks of unfailing friendship and dedication that does.

The jelly donut on the other hand...I need that. To survive. If it weren't for donuts we probably would have dumped each other a looooong time ago. If you're disappointed in me, I must ask, did you see the photo above!?! ;)

 Don't worry, I don't just take-take-take.  I try my best to be what he deserves too.

As I said in the Can't Buy Me Love post, I don't believe in buying love cards.  Love shouldn't be proclaimed by a Hallmark harper, it should be proclaimed by thee lover. Making your own card also opens up recycling options! Instead of wasting, you're reusing.

So today I'll unveil this years homemade Valentine for Johnathan -- I promised I would!

To accomplish this I cut colorful schnibblets from a local newspaper I had on hand. As I cut them, I kept them in organized color piles so that it wouldn't take too long piecing my seahorse together.  I then drew the seahorse by hand, as you can see I somewhat diverged from my original drawing as I got gluing.  I also made sure to place a few newspaper words within my seahorse, such as "Valentine" and "Love You Easy."

Creating is about getting creative -- there are no rules!

It turned out to be a pretty crazy looking Valentine!  Best part is that this seahorse is an inside joke between Johnathan and I.  As I've said before, linking the crafts you make to the things that hold meaning will always turn out a great success; it's simply more touching and meaningful.  This Valentine took me longer than I thought it would, but it was totally worth it!

The tissue is holding a Lucky Bamboo plant I bought John for his desk...future post! :) And yes, I used my bouquet paper for wrapping gifts. It's pretty!

Did you make a Valentine this year? Perhaps you received a handmade card?  If so, I'd love to see it! Feel free to share a link to your Valentine in the comments section! I always enjoy hearing from you!

Funk'n Fashion Show of Thrift

This weekend I attended every thrifters' dream: a fashion show completely compiled of secondhand style. The February 11, 2011 St. Valentine's Funk'n Fashion Show at The Lost and Found was amazing!  I attended last years Funk'n Fashion Show, but this years has it beat, hands down!  Not only did the show have an insane energy level from start to finish, but it was longer (which meant MORE vintage outfits!), had a jammin' live intermission, DJ Rambo Salinas, crackers & cheeeese (I'm easy to please!), and did I mention it was sponsored by Pabst? Needless to say, no one went thirsty! Plus, there were tons of PBR freebies! Oh, and I can't forget the near indescribable, vast array of models: Hot, cute, classy, sassy, funky; they were there! The best part was, model after model strutted their stuff and proved that thrifty, vintage items are far from faded and falling apart, and oh so far from being out of style, quite the opposite; thrift's trendy! Secondhand is sexy!  I wish you had been there with me! I'll give you a little sneak peak this time, just don't miss it next year!

Check out The Lost and Found's funk'n thrift fashions:

Any fashion show involving roller blades...rocks!

Each and every model was bustin' out some sexy, confidant moves!  

A burst of vintage yellow brightened the show

                                                 

This wonderfully put together piece was one of many favorites...

Feel like thrifting yet? I do...

 because, let's face it-- Thrifting is Bad Ass

 And THEN there's those thrifty, stylin' men

 *Sigh* If I could, I'd go to a Funk'n Thrift Fashion Show every. single. week. I would!

I was sad to see them go.

You can never get too much thrift fashion.

EVER!

 Notice how close I am? VIP, baby. I could practically TOUCH thrift fashion...but I didn't, cause that would've come across as kind of thrift-stalker-ish... and I'm trying to keep that under wraps.  

* sips PBR nervously*

Anywho, The Lost and Found's fashion show further proves my point: fashion is affordable--

Get creative! Get thrifting!

 I hope you all had a Funk'n Valentine's Day! Obviously I did!

The City of Lakes Luminary Loppet

Since this last weekend in Minneapolis was "warmer" than usual, I was excited to bundle-up and spend some time outside.  The City of Lakes Luminary Loppet was taking place, so I would have even braved negative numbers to check it out. I always get overly excited about seeing the snow sculptures, and the hundreds of stunning candles flickering inside of already luminescent ice.

Plus, the viewing was free!

My favorite ice sculpture there was Yogi Bear on skis, accompanied by the infamous picnic basket. Yogi has always been one of my dad's favorite cartoons, so this one got me missing him and feeling a little homesick. Miss you, Dad!

Since we are in Minnesota, no collection of snow sculptures would be complete without a fearsome Viking! The detail of his beard alone is impressive!

Another one that I found interesting was a totem-like Indian sculpture. Perhaps it was the powerful and promising sun that drew me in....



Spring!Spring!Spring!Spring?








But what really makes the Loppet Extravaganza impossible to ignore is the ice illumination. There isn't just a glowing pyramid-- the lake is literally surrounded by ice cube candles, even the bridges are lined with lights.  It's a pretty romantic stroll for couples, as long as you don't mind dodging everyone's skis. Last year I totally tripped on some grumpy guys skis and got hollered at, but most everyone at the Luminary Loppet is in smiley good spirits. Without some girl tripping up your skis, how could you not be smiling? It's beautiful! And there's hot cocoa! The Luminary Loppet is an especially great event for children. Several children were pulled along in their sleds, and they lit up brighter than the illuminated lake as they took in the sculptures, the pyramid, and the wondrous fire breathers.

Each cube of ice holds a glowing candle, making this one of the most extravagant pyramids I've ever laid eyes on.

If you live in Minnesota and haven't attended The City of Lakes Luminary Loppet, I highly recommend you check it out next year! I'm not a skier but if I were, this Loppet Extravagnza is where it's at! Numerous competitions are offered, but several people just attend for a memorably refreshing and entertaining late-night stroll. My skill set this year was walking in winter boots without tripping on anyone's skis! Impressive, I know!

So suck up that it's winter and get outside and play! It's almost Spring!

Further Donate Donations

 One thing I like about my thrifty lifestyle is that it allows me to be more generous.  I tend to spend less and get more, which supports the gift-giver in me. Why not share when there is so little to lose? Beyond buying for the family and friends I love so much, I also try to support the causes I believe in. One belief of mine, is that talking about social problems is a good and positive thing, but it means nothing if no one offers a hand to help. We need to be the change we wish to see in this world; we need to effect positive change, not simply discuss it.So when I believe in something, I don't just state so, I try to take the steps needed to support it, back it, or incorporate it into my life.

When it comes to aiding charities, my thrifty ways have made helping out feel too easy, like I've done absolutely nothing, but this isn't the case; every action we take in life counts for something. Last week, Minnesota was bone-chillingly cold, -20F cold, and I know it wasn't much warmer back home in WI, either. On the news there was a feature on the Salvation Army, they were keeping their doors open at all hours for people to take shelter from the cold; several homeless people were suffering severe frostbite. I saw people lying on cement floors without blankets, as the news reporter requested that any gently used hats, scarves, mittens, and long underwear be donated.  "Gently used."  We can all donate gently used items at any moment, we all have gently used items in our homes, and even if we're not willing to part with them, we have thrift store donations that can be further donated; throwing an item into a chain of donations could hardly be a bad thing.

All I have here in Minneapolis is my one pair of gloves and my one scarf, so I wandered over to Steeple People.  They had bins and bins and bins of scarves, mittens and hot looking hats.  One bin in particular held several handknitted items, and the kind donator had requested that they be sold for .50 cents each. .50 CENTS! Beautiful, warm, hand stitched winter wear for absolutely nothing.  For only $3.00 I had the ability to make 6 people warmer. Think about that...it's amazing!

50 cents each!

Even a few months back when I conducted Shopping for Sharing in order to collect needed clothing, toys, and supplies for foster children in Milwaukee, my friends and I were able to buy bags upon bags of second hand supplies for close to nothing. Didn't set us back a bit.  It takes so little to improve someone's security.

Sorting Shopping 4 Sharing Donations

 I'm not trying to make a show of charity, that's far from what I care about.  I just want to display how little can make a lot, and how thrift stores really aid in making extreme generosity a possibility, even for poor college graduates like myself. I have very little, but I certainly have a lot to offer.We all do.

SOME of my Shopping 4 Sharing Team @ Target for hygiene supplies. We had so much fun!

Go ahead and donate someone's donation, it's a cycle worth repeating.

Never Underestimate an Upcycle

These days it seems we can't simply renew an item, we need to make it glitter and gloat "crafty" or it isn't worth our time. Yet retail stores are selling simple, solid colors by the millions; they never forget, solid shades are timeless. So what if simple doesn't emulate the I-spent-time-on-this craft mentality.  It's still a valuable undertaking. 

I do believe more of us are performing easy upcycles, we just aren't sharing them because they're not glittery to gaze upon.  Well, I don't have that fear. I'm going to make you look at my underestimated thrift projects, because they're impressive (to me). 

Underestimated Upcylce Numero Uno: Johnathan wanted a wall rack for his sweatshirts.

His chair wasn't cutting it anymore. It had lost its chair-ness.

So we went to the thrift store and bought one for a $1.99.  Except it had been crafted on before, and didn't quite suite Johnathan's style.

This pic makes the paint job appear far better than it was. Trust me.

Johnathan's timeless shade choice is black. So we needed to make a few crafty, quick changes   Luckily we had everything we needed right at home: *Sandpaper *Primer *Black Spray Paint and  *Screws,  which were kindly packaged and taped to the back of this donated wall rack. 

I sat down and sanded off the raised paint and small chips. Then we went outside and sprayed the rack with primer.

Once the primer dried, we took the rack back outside and spray painted it a stylish black.  We left the screws yellow for a small dash of color...

And voila! No more sweatshirts piled all sloppy on a chair.  

 

We accomplished a craft of organization. 

Sometimes easy does it, which is why we should never underestimate an upcycle.  Besides, most of these racks sell anywhere from $15.00 - $60.00--

upcycling an item will feel like a steal.  

Upcycle Star for Me!

Thrifting and upcycling aid the Earth's sustainability as well as our wallets.  

Win - Win! 

TRIPLE win here (we're cleaner than we were yesterday)!

The Sport of Thrifting

Yesterday I hung out with good friends and watched the Green Bay Packers beat the Bears. We're going to the Super Bowl! More fun to come! But I gotta admit, I'm not a huge football fan; I dabble in the viewing: my attention is held in the 1st quarter and definitely the 4th quarter, but is usually lost during most of the middle; I don't shout at the screen; my day is not affected by a win or a loss. I am into having friends around-- the excitement, the high-fives, and I'm totally down with the munchies and the beer. I also enjoy wearing my Packers jersey.

This morning, more than one person announced that they were going to go buy some Packer duds, and it made me think of all the Packers clothing I tend to see in the thrift stores-- TONS of it.  The Slinger Saint Vincent De Paul especially has racks (yes, plural) loaded with Packer gear, and that's where I bought my Packer jersey. With 50% off, I bought my awesome fitting Franks Packer jersey for $2.50.  My dad's name is Frank, so I figured it would be suiting to wear a Bubba Franks jersey to his restaurant's Packer parties (that Franks was a darn good Packer player doesn't hurt either).

$2.50

This jersey is in great condition, but overall, I think that slightly worn jerseys resonate a sporty, vintage feel that's fashionably fun, too.






 So if you suddenly want a new Packers shirt to show off your pride, why not go and thrift one?  You'll still look good and fan-like, but your wallet will remain full.  Sports clothes can be expensive; that's a fact, and with so many people having fickle fan syndrome, thrift stores are full of inexpensive football wear. Pick a team, any team, and you can find it in almost any thrift store.    

Johnathan n Bros @ a Packer Game

 GO PACK GO

 If you want a new sports shirt and you live near Slinger, WI, I highly suggest their Saint Vinnies; I have never seen that many sports clothes in a secondhand store on such a regular basis in my life-- you'll certainly strike green and gold.


Amongst other teams!

gOOFY gIRL

Know it's not the season, but oh how I love my Brewers gear!!  This baseball hat was a gift, purchased from the Minneapolis Lost and Found, "brand new," baby! Is it summer, yet?? I'm cravin' a hot dog and a crazy, competitive Sausage Race!

P.S. Katey Wegman, I know you are a Bears fan, on a  freak-like level, but you still like Charmstruck. Admit it! ;)

P.S.S. Everyone, Any team can be green!!

Green Fairytale of Renewable Energy

I had never seen a fairytale dealing with renewable energy, until I stumbled upon Chris Buzelli's artwork. The art below is for a German Entega calendar, not an actual children's book, but it is stunning all the same. I am unable to read the German tales that accompany each calendar page, yet the vivid artwork tells the story with talent. See for yourself:

"Picnik Show"

Create a free slideshow with Picnik!

This energy company definitely knows how to put an ecological calendar together!  Beautiful, thought-provoking work.  Also impressed that the artist, Buzelli, only had a narrow window of time to complete these works; such talent!

Hope you all have a colorful, wonderful weekend!

Jacqui & Julia: Cat-sitting, Not Cooking

Jacqui & Julia <3

Every now and then our friend, Foster, leaves town on business, during which time I am deemed babysitter to the cat he babysits. (His friend is in the army, I believe, so Foster took in his kitty for the year).  Well, this week I have been kittysitting Julia, and her cat charms have me wishing she were mine. I miss having a kitty to cuddle.  However, Julia is making up for all my lost cuddle time quite quickly; not even a second after I walk in the door, she aggressively wraps herself around my legs and trips me the whole way to the couch, where she literally tiger pounces my lap before I've even settled in my seat. I'm loving it!

I had wanted to bring Julia up to Johnathan's apartment (Foster lives right below him), but she has sharp claws and Johnathan has a nice, brand new couch.  He told me I could bring her upstairs if I clipped her nails, which sounded easy enough...but no...it is not. Hats off to skilled kitty claw clippers' everywhere! Julia would not let me hold her paw long enough to snip a single needle-like claw. 

Cat-like Reflexes: Julia - 1 Jacqui - 0 (Let's call it Love, I like being positive).

I made several attempts and she kept looking at me like, "Hey, keep petting. You're getting this cuddle completely wrong!" To which I replied (seriously, out loud), " Julia, if you just stay still and let me do this, you can come upstairs and we can cuddle all week." Jerks paw. "On a new couch." Rams head into hand. "You'll get to spend more time with me." Yanks paw. "Julia, I'm just. trying. to. Dammit!"  Happy-paws obscenely sharp claws into my thigh. "Okay, Okay! You're happy how you are; I get it." Rejection. "Don't cuddle on a new couch with me."

So, no all-out kitty cuddling going on in this upstairs apartment, but at least all I gotta do is run downstairs to get my affection fix. Still, it could have been so much more but she just wouldn't listen.

Sigh.

She's still too cute, though! Julia also doesn't have a tail-- just a little stub, which is surprisingly adorable on her. She is a very beautiful cat.  When I'm finally able to get a kitty, I think I might need to get a fluffy, gray one. A boy. Who enjoys cuddling on a new couch. With clipped claws...

Oh, won't Julia be jealous then. She'll be begging me to clip her claws.

Outside of scratching posts, anyone have friendly tactics for claw clipping? This cat's curious. :)