Moment of Lust - Vintage Chanel Brooch

Pins and brooches have been a favorite accessory of mine for many years. I even wore one in my hair on my wedding day. On my all time wish list, a vintage Chanel brooch is at the top. It's a classic piece that I know I will wear forever. My real issue would be, not wearing it. I'd wear it on jackets, sweaters, hats, and even t-shirts. I'm sure it would border on ridiculous. There are several reputable sellers that have Chanel brooches available. I'd love to have a large one, two inches or more. They range in price from about $250 - over $500. 

photo credit : Malleries.com

Usually, I find budget friendly alternatives for my lust items. In this case there aren't any.  A Chanel brooch is a stand alone piece. There is no substitute. For me, knock-offs aren't an option. They hurt the economy and support organized crime, child labor and human trafficking. A vintage piece is even better because it's a form of recycling (see how I just justified this big purchase). For me quality and the number of times I will wear a piece always matter. Sometimes a more costly piece can end up being a better value in the long run because you wore it more often. Knowing that this brooch will be worn over and over again and be passed down makes purchasing it a bit easier.

Click on the photos for information.

 

Maybe Santa will be good to me this year or I'll get an amazing birthday present.

Olympic Fever

Olympic fever has hit our house.  The TV is on Olympic broadcasts every second we are home.  I look forward to every Olympic year.  I swam competitively on the local swim team as a kid but nothing close to Olympic caliber.  I love cheering for the USA and getting into the spirit.  It's contagious. Of course I had to throw in the fashion aspect of the games.  Olympic gear is everywhere.  I picked a few of my favorites.

Click on the pictures above for buying details.

It was hard to choose favorites but I love a fun t-shirt and these fit the bill.  I can cheer on Team USA in style. This jacket is fantastic. It's crazy expensive so this is just a wish list item.  It's the same jacket the athletes are wearing on the medal stand. The collection wouldn't be complete without jewelry.  Olympic pins are highly sought after collectibles and I really like the bracelets available.  Too many fun options to choose from. Those gorgeous earrings were created by a ADAMS fine jewelry in Newton, MA, specifically for gymnast Aly Raisman.  The jeweler promised Aly that if the ladies brought home the team gold he would create earrings for each of the members of the team. He's keeping his promise.

If you're like me and would love to be in London but can't, check out an insider view of the Olympics on Hilary Phelps' website.  Yes that Phelps.  Hilary is Michael's proud and accomplished (in her own right) older sister. She is posting photos and cool details from the Olympics.You can also follow her on twitter at @HilaryPhelps.


My posts the last couple weeks have been thin.  Since getting back from vacation life has been crazy. Work has been busy and then my car died.  It's fixable if I wanted to put almost $2,000 into it, but I've owned my car for many years (it's a 2000 Toyota Celica). It has 225,000 miles on it and I've put quite a bit of money into it over the last year.  We reluctantly decided it was time for a new car. {msL} just finished paying off her car and we would have been car payment free.  It wasn't an easy choice. Deciding what we wanted was the first order of business.  I really wanted a sports car (like the one I was giving up) but that's not the what we needed. We needed a four door, four seater car, with room for our pups.  After lots of research and debating we chose a Kia Soul. Then came the negotiations.  UGH!  After lots of stress, we got a great car, for a good price and I'm thrilled. Can you believe that I'm 44 and I've never owned a brand new car? I've always bought used. With the down economy, dealers are offering great incentives, prices, and interest rates.  New it is. I'm a bit giddy about the car and am happy with my decision.  Car payments here I come.

DIY - Scarf Flower Pin: Guest Blogging for DCGF

I'm on the mend and today I'm guest blogging over at the DC Goodwill Fashionista's blog.  I did a fun new DIY using a scarf from Goodwill, some thread and a pin/brooch blank.  Using those simple supplies, I created a fabric flower pin.

The finished pin

You all know I love changing up items I've found at Goodwill.  I snagged this scarf for a steal and with some very simple sewing (even for those of you who never sew) created a fun flower pin.

Check out all of the details over at the DCGF blog.

Thrifty Vintage Weekends

Over the last couple of weekends I've done some thrift and vintage shopping. On our Memorial Day weekend trip, we hit up a great thrift store in Winchester, VA and an incredible antique shop called GNC Antiques & Collectibles.  Last weekend, on a whim, we visted my favorite Goodwill store in Alexandria, VA and spent the gift certificate that I won in the DC Goodwill Fashionista DIY contest.  I always find something great at that store.

I found so many amazing pieces at GNC Antiques. I had to narrow down my choices based on my budget. I could have gone nuts and bought jewelry, acessories and even furniture. I fell in love with this vintage ostritch fan from the 40's but the price was a bit more than I wanted to pay.


Vintage Ostritch Fan

 Here's the loot I snagged on my shopping trips!

I really love vintage bags but many times they are too small to make them practical for my daily life.  I like big bags and to be honest, tiny bags only work with my curvy girl frame, for a night out.  Otherwise, they can look like I'm carrying a little girl's bag. This one is big.  It fits all of my daily needs and still has that ladies that lunch look.

Vintage jewelry is so much fun. You know that you won't see your jewelry on anyone else. When I'm hunting for costume pieces, I always reach for those that are unique and even a bit quirky. These earrings and pin fit that bill. The earrings are big but they have a clip back.  I love the sparkle. The pin is like nothing I've ever seen. It's funky and the cascading beads make it a statement piece.

Recently the preppy look has returned with a vengeance. For me, preppy always included my Pappagallo (Bermuda) bag. When I was younger, I didn't exactly care for my bags like I should have. My original Pappagallo bit the dust long ago. I found this one at the thrift store in Winchester for only $5 and it included 3 additional covers. In case you aren't familiar with this type of bag, the covers can be attached and removed via the buttons to change up your bag. One of the covers is a rust colored suede. Such a steal! My Honey bought the bag, covers and a great scarf for me.


Barely there sandals are a staple of my summer wardrobe. I love the braided straps of this pair. I'll style these with a sundress or some slim summer pants. I'm even thinking of creating DIY options to change up the look. I'll get back to you.




My scarf collection is ridiculously large but I can't help myself. Silk scarves are truly the best buy at thrift stores, but I've told you that before. They can totally change your outfit and give a basic dress a whole new look. I scored all of the scarves below for $3 or less. The striped one is actually a long belt sash.

Looking beyond an item's original intention is something I do often when thrifting.  I found this watch band. It's stainless steel and I plan to wear it as a funky bracelet instead of a watch band. The buckle on top will look great stacked with some of my other bracelets. It's different and unexpected. I got it for only $1!

Quick Style: Just a Cluster

I love quick and easy ways to make an outfit special, different or fun. I can't take credit for this trick (I read it in a magazine at some point). However, I employed this trick during my teen years in the 80s. Back then I used my denim jacket and concert buttons but it's the same idea.

Just take a few different pins and cluster them on the shoulder of your cardigan or the lapel of your jacket.

Isn't that simple?  The beauty is that you don't even have to give thought to the size or color. It's brainless. Mismatching is the key. That's what makes it interesting. If you'd like to try this and don't have any pins or brooches, you can pick some up at the thrift or vintage store. I love the grab bins where you can get them for $1. Mix it up, to your hearts content.