Thrifting Itinerary

Tomorrow is the big day!  The Edmonton Value Village Shop Hop is here!

These passports will be available at all of the VV Boutiques and if you make it to all six, you will get 30% off another purchase before the end of July.  In preparation for this epic day of shopping, I am carb loading as I write and recommend the same for you (thrifting is my cardio).  My rough itinerary is as follows:

11:00 - Sherwood Park
12:30 - Northeast
2:00 - Downtown
3:30 - Mayfield Common
5:00 - Whyte Ave
6:30 - 34th Ave

My specific timeline will depend on the treasures at each location and the traffic in between!  If you happen to be in the same place at the same time as me, please say HI!  Tweet me or tag me on Instagram.  I am always happy to connect with other thrifters, especially for the first ever Thrifting Shop Hop!  Just in case you need a taste of why thrifting is awesome, take a look at the $2 dress I wore today... 

 

Happened to score this at the Goodwill in Great Falls, but I have a closet full of thrifted pieces that tell the same story!

This is a faux-wrap dress - same slimming effect, no chance of accidental flashings.

AND it's in my comfort colour - gray!

For anyone new to VV Boutique Style, I should clarify that I am not officially affiliated with Value Village though I love love love shopping there and at all second hand stores.  I am just a thrifting enthusiast and want to share the thrifting love!  I am not an official "host" of the Shop Hop though I am thrilled to participate!  I hope people have as much fun as I have tomorrow and leave you with a few thrifting tips to make the most out of your day:

• be prepared - wear a tank top so you can quickly try tops on, wear slip on comfortable shoes and take a little snack to keep your energy up!  Thrifting is like a treasure hunt, so you often have to dig to find the goods.
• have an idea in mind what you're looking for - for example, I have a Pinterest Hunting List - but keep an open mind to other treasures you might find along the way
• if you're going for short stops like I am tomorrow, don't try to cover the whole store in an hour!  Focus on a specific section then browse past the other sections to see what catches your eye.
• look at the piece, not the size on the tag!  Look a size above and below your usual.  My beautiful Anthro-esque dress was tagged as a size 3-4!  I haven't been a size 3 since grade 3 but I was looking for maxi dresses and looked at the garment not the tag and had a pretty good idea it would fit when I saw it on the hanger.
• put any potentials in your cart as you drive by, and don't think you'll come back for them because they might just be gone before you get back!  Grab first, try on, and then edit your selections.

If you come out for the Shop Hop and need some thrifting or styling advice, please get in touch!  And if you wrap up around 7:30 - 8:00ish on the South Side, you are welcome to join me and fellow Shop Hoppers at Chili's to review the spoils of our hunt and have a well-deserved margarita!

Last thing, if all goes as planned, I will be mobile blogging and updating as I go along!  So check into VV Boutique Style throughout the day!  Hope to see YOU tomorrow at Value Village!

Wicked Thrifting

Miracles occurred yesterday.  Mr. Style and I went out together (first miracle) for dinner and Wicked with some friends and we were all on time (second miracle) and our babysitter played chess, did crystal-making experiments, solved a Rubik's Cube for my kids, and cleaned up THE WHOLE HOUSE (miracle miracle miracle HALLELUJAH!!).  It was hard to say goodbye.

All in all it was a fantastic evening, made all the better by one of the fantastic dresses I scored for $3 from the Community Closet in Livingston while hanging out* with John Mayer.  *I passed him on the street afterwards.  I think it meant as much to him as it did to me.

A litte pre-date wine never hurt anyone.

This dress is pink and orange - a fave colour combo of mine - and 100% silk!  It was perfect for a hot evening and was loose and long enough that I didn't feel like I was trying to look 39.

 

And it has POCKETS!

And I just so happen to have a great necklace in my closet to coordinate.

My $8 patent pink peep-toes were a perfect match too!

Going out is fun.  Going out is more affordable when your outfit costs only $11.  It all averages out!  If this outfit doesn't make you want to thrift, I don't know what will! And if you do want to thrift, stay tuned as I will post a timeline that I'll be roughly following for this Saturday's Value Village Edmonton Shop Hop!  I would love to have you join me!

Because when dresses are $3, you *need* seventeen more.

Olive and Polka Dots

Try as I might, it's not always easy to avoid looking haggard on a Monday afternoon...

 

Sunlight and sunglasses do wonders for the modern mother.

Especially when that Monday morning followed a two-week camping vacation and laundry all-nighter AND ushered in the start of Vacation Bible School for which one has signed up as a "tribe leader" but nonetheless shows up 10 minutes late and has to thank the 13yo for signing in the kids in one's absence.  And how was your Monday morning?  Fortunately I had a new cute outfit that I think screamed "modern Moses fleeing Egypt"...

Olive Gap skirt consigned for $13.60 from reFind Clothing

Seychelles wedges gifted but thrifted

Polka dot top $4 Great Falls Goodwill

Olive tank new with tags $4 VV Boutique

The theme of VBS is "Wilderness Escape" so I could hardly wear anything too flashy for my first impression with a group of girl tweens!  Okay okay, I really just couldn't wait to wear these ultra-comfy light cotton pieces. 

This skirt is so awesome I could wear it everyday to VBS.  But I won't because I'm trying to set a good fashion example.

So, I'm sure you've been waiting with bated breath to see which Old Navy top I bought... 

This one fit slightly better even though I loved the butterfly print of the other one.
Fit > print and pretty much anything, even when you're thrifting

I can't claim this is a super-fashiony outfit but it was under $25 total and fit my Monday morning vibe just right.

And now I better go to bed so I'm not late again tomorrow!

Road Trip Thrifting Part Deux

You don't know how much you'll miss something until it's gone.  I am of course talking about cell reception.  I expected some dreaded "no service" zones but not days and days.... Sigh.  Now that I'm back in the good ol' Alberta cell coverage, I will catch up all my thrifting adventures but first a moment of silence for the original post that I had prepared and ready to publish that mysteriously vanished... (I'm having a hard time liking you right now, Blogger Mobile.)

We left off in Helena and the next day, after a relaxing stay at the Helena Taj-mawalmart, we carried on to Bozeman, Montana, and a local thrift store called Sacks. 

Sacks provides financial support to the Sexual Assault Counseling Center.  A good cause and they concur with me about dresses!

 

Stylish? Trendy?  Forget it, "happenin" is where it's at!

Sure enough I spotted a happenin piece off my hunting list, but sadly it was the wrong size. :(

Some sunnies are just too big.

They had a good vintage section that had me ponderin whether this yellow jumpsuit would be considered happenin.

I found one pretty top for $2 then realized I had no American cash. :( Goodbye pretty top.

Next stop was another local thrift store down the road in Livingston.

The Community Closet was AWESOME!

Pants for $2.50, dresses for $3, friendly staff and a fitting room with a bathmat on the floor!  (These small thrift stores have the most interesting fitting rooms!). Then another tragedy occurred!  My phone died!  From 35% to dead in a second!  I don't understand what happened but it meant I didn't capture my finds OR get a selfie with John Mayer who happened to be standing on the streets of Livingston! Sigh.

We enjoyed Yellowstone in all its natural no-service glory and on our way back stopped at the Goodwill in Great Falls.

I like how Goodwill arranges their stock by colour.  It's like an inviting rainbow! 

Pretty floral pattern.  Too short. :(

Gray jersey wrap dress for $2?  Yes please!

Nice colour, nice fabric but what the what is with all the bunchy fabric in the middle?

These light cotton Old Navy tops are perfect for those of us prone to shoulder sunburns on hot days.  I only got one - any guesses which one?!

This perfect-condition blazer was labeled a petite but I thought it might work as a cropped blazer... The tailoring told me otherwise! 

I saved this piece de resistance for last, crossing my fingers it would fit...

And it did!  And I think it's vintage!  And it's wool!  And it was TWO DOLLARS!

That score was a hard act to follow, but I was willing to give it a go, so I headed to a secondhand not-exactly-consignment shop.

You bring in your clothes and get cash on the spot!

It had a massive fitting room, though I don't think "stop" induces the right shopping message.

Luckily I outsmarted the fitting room signage and found plenty to try.
These beauties were both a smidgen too big despite my road-trip snacking and camping imbibing (what I consider to be my camping-survival instinct).

This dress fit but reminded me of Mrs. Roper.  

Why do I keep doing this to myself?  This short dress belongs on someone who doesn't know who Mrs. Roper is.

I liked this pretty top but noticed a small hole which means my other thrifted tops would budge it right out of the wearing rotation.

I ended up snagging this skirt at the last minute because I'm fresh out.  Pink, gray, mustard - obviously it was meant for me.

After our tour of Great Falls, we hit the highway homeward bound and stopped in Conrad, Montana for a picnic trailer lunch.  This was the address for the local secondhand shop...

I wasn't convinced it was a thrift store at first...

Yep, it's a thrift store alright but are there any clothes?

Score!! 99 cent rack at the bottom of the stairs in the back!  A little treasure chest!

I scored a few pieces including this light cotton floral pretty top.  Not sure if this beats a wool winter coat for $2 though!

I got all excited about little local thrift stores at this point and made my family stop in the next town, Shelby.

This was a true thrift store and had a bit of everything including a box of free Bibles ("We don't charge for Bibles").  

I didn't find any clothing pieces here but...

I almost bought this for Megan Voss. And I had a good chat with the owner and it turns out we missed the town fair by a day!  Darnitall!

Cedar Closet was the last stop before crossing back into Canada, and heading for one more small town shop on the way home...

My cousin Cory tipped me off to this boutique in Olds and I'm glad she did! What a lovely store!  

It's consignment but the prices are very reasonable, the selection is impressive and the pieces are in perfect condition.  

No bathmat in this fitting room!

Just me in denial about short dresses again.

I have been looking for an olive skirt and thought I wanted a pencil skirt but this Gap one had a cool summer vibe that worked with all the tops.

This pink striped banana republic tee had my name on it.

If these were a bit lower they'd be riding home with me as we speak. Sigh.

I ended up taking home these two pieces  and might just wear them tomorrow.  Because I'm like a 12-year-old with waiting to wear new clothes.

I wish I had more time to shop at reFined.  I would definitely recommend you stop in if you're passing by Olds!  

That my friends wraps up my July road trip thrift shopping adventures!  My family is nearly home and I have a mountain of laundry that ought to keep me busy until next Saturday - the July 19 Value Village Shop Hop!

Any other Alberta thrift shops that would be worthy of a mini road trip?!  I had so much fun, I can't wait to hit the thrifting road again!