Splurge Sorority Lessons

In case you missed my forty thousand tweets this weekend, I had another moment of local fame!  The Edmonton Journal featured me and my Splurge Sorority sisters in the Friday Fashion section!  So much fun!  Marta Gold (journalist extraordinaire) and Megan Voss (photographer extraordinaire) joined our last Splurge Sorority get-together where my awesome friend Kim showed off her signature style and her splurge selections.  Check out the story to peek at Kim's gorgeous dresses!

I love your stye,Kim!

The theme for our Splurge night was "How to Wear It" - we all wore or brought pieces that have gotten the most and the least wear.  I took notes.  Not photos.  I have no idea why I snapped so few photos but still, this is important stuff!  It is wisdom to learn from others so I will do my best to capture the expertise of 12 amazing women here so that we can all learn and make the best future shopping decisions.

Most Wear:

• chambray - a no brainer!  There are so many examples of how to wear chambray.  It comes at any price point and size.  There are entire Pinterest boards dedicated to chambray, and one of my favourite sources is The Smith's Blog chambray shirt project. 

• cardis - another no brainer!  One sister brought her infamous mustard cardi and another brought her longer cardi in this year's colour of the year - emerald.  Blazers are all the rage and look great, but I don't think Cardi will give up her place as *the* outer layer of choice for most women.

• inexpensive versatile pieces - one sister wore her $3 mustard cords from VV Boutique and another wore her $1 moto jacket from a garage sale.  This is the thrill of thrifting!  Finding the gems that knock cost per wear out of the galaxy! 

• high quality basics - one sister has worn her Ice Breaker black hoody everywhere from camping to corporate!  These pieces are more expensive but totally worth it.

• stripes - one look through the 5 Days 5 Ways links and you will see that stripes are here to stay.  They rival chambray for versatility and are the natural choice to mix with any other pattern.

• basics + - these are basic pieces that have some sort of interesting detail like pattern, colour or embellishment that allows you to remix with flair and express your individual style while staying in your comfort zone

• colour comeback - we have already discussed neutrals here and the style blogging world reiterates over and over that colours and prints can be treated like neutrals and mixed in many ways.  That being said, the Splurge sisters find that they reach for navy pieces as a current neutral and we passed around the turquoise, concluding that it is the mustard cardi of accessories for 2013. 

Least Wear:

• fussy clothes - we've all seen the "wear it a gajillion ways luxury fabric boutique store wrap/scarf/dress/curtain" piece and they DO have their place.  But are you really going to wear it all those ways or are you going to stand in front of the mirror trying to recreate the chic sales associate's flourish with flinging one side like-so and the other side like-so without ending up looking like a bridal-shower-toilet-paper-wrapped sausage?

• bad fit - I wore my $7 H&M dress only once, making it the highest cost per wear dress in my closet.  Another sister brought a pretty top with a band hem that she had never worn.  Try it on and no matter how it tries to entice you with its colours or bargain price, do not take it home if it doesn't fit well.

• large leopard print - none of us wants to look like a large cat.  Bad connotations all round.  We helped our splurge sister come up with ways to style the leopard print top she got on her splurge turn, but the lesson might be that smaller doses of leopard print in a scarf, belt, flats or peeking from under a sweater are easier to wear

• patterns that don't jive - no matter how much I like a lot of chevron, if it doesn't speak to you, you won't wear it, so don't buy it.  Save your money to go towards something that makes your heart sing.

• the half-likes - these are the pieces where you like the colour but not the shape, you like the shape but not the pattern, you like the pattern but not the fit.  One sister had a skirt in a beautiful colour but the bias cut and other details limited its potential.  Liking part of a piece isn't enough for it to earn wearing time in your everyday.  

So let's end by answering one of life's greatest questions: if it's cheap, should I buy it anyway?

Answer: it depends.

The end.

hee hee just kidding

It depends on why you're buying it, what makes it interesting, what is the brand or quality like, will you have a chance to come back for it if you change your mind, can you return or exchange it, are you broke, have you got something similar at home, does it just speak to you? If you don't get enough wear out of it, are you comfortable donating it or will it occupy closet real estate for the next 20 years out of your guilty conscience?

There is no right answer!  Hopefully the Splurge Sorority lessons will help you think about your purchases and make good decisions for happy closets!  Style on, Sisters!

P.S. Check out these great bloggers for inspiration on mixing your wardrobe and getting great wear!

• 30 in 30
• Putting Me Together
• TfDiaries 5 Ways to Wear
• 5 Days 5 Ways - click on my handy button on the right or browse my archives
• Take One and Pass it On - browse my archives for this as well!

P.P.S. There are so many awesome bloggers and a Bloglovin' account is an easy way to manage all your favourite reads!  You can follow a ton of blogs, categorize them into lists and get a once-a-day email of that day's posts with an intro and thumbnail.  Just go do it now.  (And while you're at, follow me on Bloglovin'!)

Closet Edit

VV Boutique has their stamp card promotion on now.  Basically, you earn a stamp for every $5 spent or bag donated, and then redeem a full card for 30% off your purchase.  Let me tell you, once you start thrifting, your perspective changes.  First, you think $5-10 for a top is a total score.  Then you think, that is way too pricey I will wait for the 50% sale.  Then you think, when is the next 50% sale for crying out loud oh fine I will just use my stamp card then find a bunch more stuff to donate so that I can fill another card in case it's too long to wait for a sale.


So the stamp card promotion + blizzard + a recent email from Frantic but Fabulous have spurned me into closet edit action!

I am quite blessed as far as closet space goes.

I am aiming for a balance between between making quick decisions to honour my instinct, and being too hasty about items that may have some value left in them.  After reading the suggestions from Frantic but Fabulous about how to decide when to pass an item on, here's what I am considering as I go through my clothes:

• photographic evidence - if it looks like crap in photos, that ought to be a sign
• wise council - my favourite Megan is consulting via iPhone due to said blizzard
• ill repair - I'm not fixing them
• ill fit - my size varies a little but not so much that if they don't fit currently, they probably won't (at least for any longer than a week after Whole 30)
• let go of cost per wear under a $1 - though this is my aim when I make any purchase, I'm not hanging onto pieces solely because I haven't got enough "value" out of them   

Here are some photos from the process:

To Donate

To Pass on to a Friend

  To Keep

There were some hot debates.  Take the denim skirt...  The one on the left is circa 2004 and no longer fits well.  I bought the Levis one on the right recently from VV Boutique for $5.  It's not perfect but I think I'll keep it beyond today's blizzard, at least until I find a better replacement.

Then there is my Banana Republic red polka dot button down.  I love this top but it is probably a size too big.  However, tucking it gives it the Ain't No Mom Jeans cool-baggy vibe I like.

I ended up with a fair size pile to donate...

And I learned some lessons:

• I DO need to keep some clothes for camping or other situation-specific activities.  For some, this would be where work-out clothes would fit in.  
• I have no room in my life for boring pieces.  I got rid of my plain old tees.  They are going to have to amaze me with fit or vibe in order to get me to bring them home.
• Some memento pieces are worth keeping.  E.g., I have one "Occupational Therapy" piece of clothing.  It's not a fanny pack, surprisingly.  Haha, OT humour.  I rarely wear it, even for camping, but it is irreplaceable and not captured in photos from any specific event, so I will keep it. 
• Don't waste a nice day on a bad dress.  Or a winter day on a bad sweater.  You get the idea.  Any "bad" piece that competes for wearing time with other "good" pieces has got to go.

I also updated my hunting list for VV Boutique.  I have a feeling there will be a sale soon, and if not, my stamp card will likely be filled up after this run!  And anyway, you can see I'm fresh out of everything.

Blue Crush Styles

I love not having to rush out the door on Thursday mornings.  Since I only work Thursday afternoons, I can take quality time in the mornings with my kids doing crafts from Pinterest and other enriching activities.  Oooorrrrrr changing my outfit several times while they watch videos (Scholastic videos!) and play educational iPhone games (that I *need* to preview for work).

And so it was this Thursday morning that I styled my new VV Boutique sheer floral top in two different ways:

Style One with black tank and yellow skinnies, because I am determined to bring Spring to April in Canada.

 Style Two with blue trouser pants and long sleeve red Gap tee because, let's face it, Spring hasn't exactly sprung.

This "Blue Crush" brand top was $7 and came with a white tank and the blue braided belt pictured here that just so happens to match exactly to my Hispanitas shoes!  Clearly, it was meant to be!  My splurge sister recently picked up either the same top or one very similar from VV Boutique, so now I can stop being jealous and focus my efforts on ensuring we don't wear it at the same time same place.  (Text me when you're going to wear it.)

 Earrings and necklace from my closet.  Braided side bun courtesy of "one more turn with Toca."

I happen to love red and blue together, and the yellow, well, it makes my heart sunny!  I ended up wearing the trouser bo-ho look and later asked my 5-year-old photographer which ensemble he preferred.  The answer: "The yellow one.  I like skinny pants."  Oh.

Which do YOU prefer?!

Chambray Tunic x 2

I did it again.  I wore the same thing two days in a row.  I took one and passed it on.  I tried to wear something new today but nothing felt right till I put on the same chambray tunic that I wore Monday, a second-hand (temporary) piece from my favourite Megan.

I know, terrible shot.  

Should've been a few minutes late(r) for work and got my 5yo photographer to capture it fresh.

Megan granted me temporary custody of this DKNY Chambray beauty while she recovers from pregnancy at a reasonable pace.  Though it fits as a cute dress on a more petite gal, it is necessarily a tunic on moi, and I loved it with my green crops, floral shirt and Hispanitas.

Everyone takes pictures of their outfits in their work bathroom mirrors, right?

Today I paired it with my fave black Oxmo tank, leggings and cardi and basically felt like an off-duty ballerina.  Practically exactly the same.  I added a scarf and accessories and felt tres stylish in my comfortable rest ensemble for my day off...

It was a good outfit for a good day!

Rest and Review

I had big intentions today of capturing a photo of me, curled cozily in the afternoon sun with my favorite blanket reading a book in a comfortable yet chic Sunday afternoon ensemble.

When I found a wad of juicy fruit in my fave fluffy blanket, I knew things were going to turn out differently.

So, no photos of my ensemble today which is okay because it was at best a meager attempt to wear springy colours when there remains snow past my knees, and at worst an awkward outfit with a floral tank and cords and a heavy sweater and a light scarf and too much matchy matchy.  

Then I thought how nice it would be to post something about "rest" clothes - stylish comfortable rest clothes... Buuuuttt, though I've been on the hunt for a chic statement tee or sweatshirt from VV Boutique, I haven't succeeded yet.  And some people steal statement tee opportunities right out from under your nose, you know who you are...  I pretty much wear what I put on in the morning all day till I put on this:

Anyhoo, clothes aren't the point of this post.  This post is to start a little book review series for "Book Sneeze."  It's pretty straightforward: I receive a book for free in exchange for writing and posting a review. If you're not into books, stop reading here.

Listening to the Voice of God by Shirley Smith

I was drawn to this book based on the title because I am interested in learning how to better hear God in my daily life.  I was pleased to access it immediately in eBook format and also pleased that it was a short and easy read.  I like a bulleted list, so that’s how I’m doing this review. 

• Smith used the Holy Bible, King James Version for her scripture references.  I like me some old-school now and then, but I find other versions easier to understand. 
• Smith includes some discussion on vague ways that God speaks to people, or writes “I heard God say…” but doesn’t say more specifically HOW she heard God – what made her know it was God?  That’s the question I was hoping would be explored.
• I found her writing to be earnest, and her examples of hearing God were … average (not so KAPOW that if you don’t have that experience you think God never talks to you).  There is a flip side to this, however.  If you’re an avid blog reader and reader generally, you have plenty of excellent writers publishing KAPOW information of their experience of hearing God, so in that sense, this book was somewhat meh.
• This book may be a little too general for someone further along in their spiritual walk and a little too “Christianese” for someone early in their walk. 
• I liked that Smith emphasized the importance of you playing an active role in listening to God – we have to have a “seeking heart;” I found this reassuring.  Since I do have a seeking heart, I can rest assured that I will hear Him.
• The book is not so much a guide for others on how to hear God as it is a journal of Smith’s experience of hearing God.  She doesn’t draw the parallels for the reader, which is a good thing I guess.
• Though I would not count this amongst the books that were hugely influential in my spiritual growth, I think that God will, er, speak to me through everything in my life so I did take away some good information, reiterations and affirmations.

Bottom line: God speaks to each one of us in a personal, meaningful way.  I enjoyed reading about Smith’s experience and am inspired to take better note of the ways that I hear God, and maybe even record them so I can one day reflect on my own “version” of this book.

I am a member of booksneeze.com. 

In exchange for writing a review, I received this book for free.   

Doesn't that sound fancy?  I borrowed it from a friend.  I never intended on posting anything but fashion, but hey, free books are the next best thing to books from VV Boutique!

Turquoise Comes Home

You know what "home" feels like?  Well sometimes you try something on and you just know it is at home with you.  (On you.)  Several of my VV Boutique pieces were orphans until I adopted I them...  That is the case with this turquoise necklace made by my talented sister Shannon of She Does Create.

I had to hold back from taking it home with me back in January.

I love this piece.  To me, it is a more contemporary, unique and versatile version of the bubble necklace.  Nothing against the bubble necklace, I've just been spoiled since starting this adventure with finding pieces that aren't in the usual stores worn by the usual masses.  Then, at my last Splurge Sorority gathering, one of the splurge sisters brought her turquoise necklace and it looked perfect with every single thing that every single person put on.  So I put out my siren and called my turquoise home.

Worn here with my white heart retro sweater and orange blazer and...

Cargos and mustard Frye's.

Can you hear my necklace sighing with relief, having finally found its way home?  Yeah, me too.

To Alter or Not To Alter?

Some people have sewing superpowers.  Though I win door prizes and get the best parking spot 99% of the time, I cannot sew.  If you have that ability, disregard this post because you can probably whip any VV Boutique piece into shape without a second thought.  If you have to pay someone for that, then, like me, you have to consider that cost when you purchase clothing second-hand.  Here are a few examples to help guide your thinking (or avoid the same mistakes I made)...

I bought this unique top without trying it on for $5, and when I got it home, I could barely get it over my head.  I figured it would be an easy fix to just extend the v-neck, so I took it to a local tailor.  I can't really judge the quality of her work having basically no experience but I think shopping local has some virtue so it's good enough for me.  She charged $13 for the fix, so the total cost was $18 and I've worn it twice.  Though I love the pretty colours and details, the shape is hard to mix and it is not easily transitioned to winter weather.  Since I aim to get my cost-per-wear for most items to $1 or under, I would not consider this piece to be good value.  So far.  Let's see what happens when the snow melts.

I recently bought this Michael Stars tee from VV Boutique for $2.  Considering they retail for around $50 or more, I thought that was a steal!  However, it had some redundant ties at the side from the wide band under the bust that needed to go, and so they did for $12.  I thought that was a bit steep for what looked to be a pretty simple fix for anyone with superpowers a sewing machine, but still, I anticipate it will become a basic tee in my spring and summer wardrobe and will easily get cost-per-wear under a dollar.

This Joseph Ribkoff dress was $16 from VV Boutique.  The floral pattern has such pretty colours and it is so soft and stretchy!  But, the strap/sash seriously limited its wear-ability.  I had only one sweater that could disguise the bulk and so wore it once and then not again this winter...  So, I decided it was worth trying to alter.  I paid $20 to have the tailor cut the sash, tack the front and make me proper straps that could cover a bra and accommodate a cardi.  

Since tailoring, I've already worn it twice, so the cost per wear is still higher than I like, but, before I started my thrifting adventure, I would've thought $36 for a pretty name-brand dress was a great deal!

I also think a slightly higher cost per wear is reasonable for a dress as compared to tanks, tops or more basic bottoms, and anyway, I have many more ideas in mind for how to style this dress!

I was inspired by J's Everyday Fashion to wear the aquamint top with my mustard Frye boots for a cooler-weather version of Easter colours!  I wore it all day from early-morning church to late-night family gathering where there was just a *smidgen* of food, and I was comfortable the whole time!

Maybe my next project will be learning to sew.

I don't even know why I wrote that because it's not going to happen, but now I have some experience in alterations and can make better shopping decisions.  For those of you who can sew, I promise not to enter door prizes when we're together if you would consider some minor mending??! 

P.S.  I will drive!