New ‘Vintage’ Graphic Tee

Volkswagen imitation vintage graphic tee, 2.14, Target.

I’d like to say this is one of those times that I thought to myself, “I’d like a cool vintage graphic tee”, and I went to Goodwill I found one. But it’s not, unlike many other lucky times, this took a good six months. And it’s still not completely right. I was hoping for a real from the 70s vintage tee with a cool graphic on, it one-of-a-kind. This is cool, from Target not the 70s with a cool graphic on it, not so one-of-a-kind. But for $2.14 (it was half off), I’ll settle, at least the graphic is pretty cool. I mean it’s a Volkswagen.

And it was sitting right on the end of the rack for me, on show, I didn’t have to search for it or anything, And it fits pretty well.

I’m still holding out for a true vintage one sometime, and I have faith it will show up, whenever it’s supposed to, who am I to question the goodwill gods’ timing?:). This is what I am meant to have for now, and I’ll take it, and I’ll wear it, under a nice jean button down, and my new skinny jeans that I’m in love with, designer for $23 from Burlington coat factory. I have two other main pairs I was wearing and it was getting close to bye bye time for them.

Happy thrifting and patience:)
-Jaime ❤

Giveaway Reminder! Polka Dot Puff Sleeve Tee

Hey all! If you’d like this lovely polka dot puff sleeve tee by Xhilaration from Target, size XS, simply comment on my last post ‘lotsa stuff…’ by next Friday! Leave a kind word or just say hi, or maybe say what you would do for a tee like this:). And I will ship it off to a randomly selected winner post haste!

Lotsa stuff this week and last…Coca-Cola Lady, Anthropologie, J. Crew, Home Decor and more and a Giveaway!!

Where to start.  Me and Goodwill have been busy the last week and a half.  I guess I will just start with the homegoods, and then move on to the good stuff.  The clothing.

Her:

Vintage coca-cola tray, 1.99

Who doesn’t want this lady sitting on their coffee table, drink in hand, ready to hang out.

dresser for a troll.  Or jewelry, $4.99

No, I don’t have a troll moving in.  It will be interesting to see what a mini dresser will look like sitting on an exact same version of a larger dresser.  ‘Twill be nteresting.

brooms for witches.  Or to sit in my hallway or hang in my kitchen and be decorative, 1.99 for a set of 3.

Apparently I have a fairy tale theme going on so far.  Trolls and witches galore.

Ceramic flower vase, 4.99

This is just pretty.  that’s all I have to say about that.

Light brown pillar candle holder, 4.99

toy chest/future DIY project/Window seat, 5.99

A little paint, maybe some stencils, and some pillows thrown on top, and this will be sitting in front of my front window.  Hopefully to be my dog’s new resting place, instead of the couch that me and my friends hang out on.

Last, but certainly not least,

large brown box, 19.99

Kidding!

Manhattan desk, new in box from target.com, 19.99

List price online, 129.99

I like 19.99.

Sometimes Goodwill scares me.  It’s like someone (God…?) puts exactly what I am looking for and what I need there when I come in.  It’s weird.

I was looking for a desk today, and knew I probably couldn’t fit an already put together one in my Civic, but I went in hoping anyway.  Is that what faith is?? 🙂  And lo and behold, here is one all boxed up and ready to be taken away in my Civic.

Scary.

I see productivity in my future.  Can’t wait.  Many good things will go down at this desk.

And now, on to the good stuff.

Cloooothing.

Chelsea & Violet shirt, sold at Anthropologie, half off for 2.25!

I love the drapey style of this shirt.  It’s a size small, so I bought it with the intent of maybe reselling it beacause it is a great brand.  But after getting home, I couldn’t help trying it on, and voila!  It fits.  It’s not going anywhere now.  Except out into the world on MY back.

Warm weather wear was not forgotten…Fall IS my favorite season…

J. Crew light weight off-white sweater, 3 buttons on each shoulder, 5.99

Annalee + Hope chunky burnt yellow sweater, 5.99

I’m not sure who annalee and hope are, but I think I would like them and want them to be my friend.  This sweater is great.

My favorite part of it, other than the burnt yellow amazingness (that is pretty much my favorite clothing color of the moment) and the fact that it apparently likes to say the plege of allegiance, is the shorter in front than the back style.  It makes what could be a shapeless unstyled chunky sweater somewhat stylish and fun.  And still warm.  Stylish and warm.  Golden!

Brown Old Navy wrap sweater/cardigan, 5.99

I love the fitted ribbed sleeves and the way you can leave it open or wrap yourself up in it nice and warm and cozy.  ‘Twill come in handy.  ‘Twill is definitely one of my new favorite words.  Using it ALL the time.  ‘Twill.

Definitely paid full price (at Goodwill) for fabulous for all these sweaters, but at a full price of 5.99 it’s still pretty darn randy.

GIVEAWAY PART!!!!-

Lastly, I had some luck last Wednesday on .99 day in my area.  Meaning the half-off color of the week is sold for just .99!  Some pretty good stuff falls through the cracks and makes it to these racks somehow.

For example….

the items below:

 

–Old Navy striped top, ruffle tuxedo detailing

– Xhilaration polka dot top puffed sleeve tee

– Forever XXI plaid babydoll tank shirt/dress

-Xhilaration spaghetti strap flower dress, cupped bra top

As I said, pretty good week for Goodwill and me.

One of these items is an XS.

The polka dot Xhilaration top to be particular.  I am not an XS.  Small at best.

But it was .99 for a whole lot of cuteness and I couldn’t say no.

SO,

I will be doing a giveaway.

If you would like this shirt and will fit in it, or just want to have it to stare at, whatever floats your boat, simply comment by next Friday,October 4!  l will count the number of comments and pick that number out of a hat, and that number commenter is the lucky winner of this great t-shirt!

Happy thrifting and living!  Have you been having as much luck lately as I have???  I hope so!

-Jaime

For $55 small ones I got…

At the retail store:

A handmade bureau/tv armoire, $15.99.

This looks handmade and kind of rough.  It needs a paint job for sure.  Which I am happy to do.  Eventually.  I have always loved refinishing dressers and furniture, so this will be a fun project for me, and a very cheap armoire for my clothes.

Which I have in abundance because of a beyond addiction to all things Goodwill.

Xhilaration lacy, flowery, flowy tank top, full price at $4.49.

Life In Progress burnt orange corduroy pleated trouser shorts, $4.49.

Somewhat oversized H&M off-white fake leather purse, $5.99.  Perfect condition.

Xhilaration branch cropped short sleeve loose fitting t-shirt, $4.49

And at the outlet:

A-line double layered cotton embellished skirt by apostrophe, gift for Mom, ~0.60 at the Goodwill outlet.  Purchased by weight at $1.69/lb.

Great Pajama capris by Secret from the mart of Wals…about 0.60 by weight

This beautiful quilt.  by Target, $3.99 by weight. 

Technically, it was over the 5 lb mark, so when something gets that heavy, they will just give you a reasonable price.

Reasonable?  I think, yes.

This quilt is not perfect, its got a few small spots and a few small tears, but nothing I wouldn’t do sooner or later myself, and nothing a guest staying over would reject a night’s sleep for:)  Oh the wonderful host am I.  Goodwill makes it easy to have extra stuff on hand for the unexpected guest.  However, I quickly decided this would not be a guest blanket, but my personal bed covering for at least a little bit:)

I also got, but do not have pictured,

a lovely new square scarf for $1.99

a pair of khaki capris for a friend for 0.60

a pair of white wide leg pants and a matching blue and white tee for $1 each for a friend,

and a heather blue pocket cardigan from Old Navy for another friend.

Didja get all that?

And it only set me back $55.

Goodwill never ceases to amaze me.

I have used a few of these items already, and here they are in action:

The branch patterned loose tee from Target was the perfect wear for my sips n’ strokes class with a few girlfriends the very next night.  I do know how to put my clothes to use RIGHT away, that’s for sure.

She’s sipping.  I’m stroking.  We are so getting this.

Whatcha think?  It’s called Walk in the Rain, Part II.

Or maybe I’ll rename mine walk in the asteroids, I don’t know…

I’ll be honest, I did strip to just my lovely under tank top for the whole painting part.I know me.  I spill.  At least I arrived and left in style with this on and my new purse on my shoulder.

As I said, I am already using my new purse.  It didn’t take me long to make the switchover.  You ladies know what that means.  It can be an emotional event.

And I wore the burgundy covered loveliness tank top for happy hour drinking on Saturday, and afterwards to walk my dog.

Commence walk photo shoot:

feet shot

bracelet shot (I’m sure its from Goodwill, but honestly can’t remember🙂

action shot

selfie!

I hope you are inspired to make some finds of your own!

Til next time,

–Jaime

I Found It!!

This past Saturday was the first Saturday of the month, in case you didn’t know.  Minds blown yet?:)

Well they will be.  In my area, that day  means all local Goodwills are half off the entire store.  Still hard for me to wrap my mind around that goodness.  It’s so exciting to not have to care about that pesky little ‘color of the week’.  Nope, not on the first Saturday.  Whatever you pick up, you can just cut the price in half.  Red, blue, orange, green…take. your. pick.

When I first discovered this, i would make tentative plans to wake up early and head over there ASAP on the first saturday of each month.  this slowly stopped as i realized how crazy it was, and may be not completely worth it for ME.  i do like sleep.  And i swear i saw an ambulance parked outside once…not ok.

so it has turned into me realizing what day it is after i pull into the parking lot to piles of cars upon cars, as i did this past saturday.  i got off work a little early and had some free time, so as any goodwiller would do, made my way to a goodwill that was on my way home.  i was then pleasantly, or not so pleasantly surprised (because of all the cars and the no parking situation.  I ended up parking somewhat illegally across the street.  rebel am i.) at the half off saturday event.

i’m glad i stopeed.  the line for checkout was no more than 5 minutes at the end, not bad, and the crowds weren’t too bad.

and i came away with some treasures.

the first treasure i will share is this form fitting (i found one!!!) piece of clothing I, and I’m sure my boyfriend, have been waiting for me to find and own.  I came close on this trip, but was thwarted by one too many ruffles…

Mossimo from Target purple stretch cotton short sleeveless dress.  Half off of $7.99 or $4.00.  Yes.

i almost put it back.  when will i wear this?  get it.  why does it need to be quite so tight?  and purple?  just get it.

there will be an occasion.

it turns out that occasion was the very next night to go to the  movies with my boyfriend, ending our Nashville staycation adventure I told y’all about.  We saw This is the End with about 101,000 hollywood movie stars playing caricatures of themselves in it.  It was pretty cool….

other than that, i really have no words for this movie.  I don’t even know what to say about it.  Ok, that was a little redundant.  It was a fun time on a Sunday night, i’ll just leave it at that.

and i got to rock out my purple dress.

he liked it, i’m sure.  i think he felt like his own version of who kidnapped jaime and replaced her with this tight dress wearing vixen.  It was fun to feel a little like someone else for a night.  a little sexy.  i think when you get in a relationship, you stop trying as hard after a bit to look good for the other person, and you just get comfortable.  Which i love.  i love comfort.  comfort loves me.  but it was nice to dress up and put some effort in for him, and me, again.  He deserves it.

and that may be the very reason he showed up at my work where i was bartending the next night modeling his new seersucker jacket and tie and holding a rose.  just maybe.  🙂

I paired the dress with my new statement necklace from Burlington Coat Factory that I got for $9.99.  I have never found more reasonable jewelry prices than there.  y’all should check ’em out.  Great necklaces that look like they should be around $30 for under $10.  I also added a somewhat cropped dark wash jean jacket from Old Navy a couple of years ago thinking based on years and years of experience that it would be cool in the movie theater.  too cool for a short sleeveless dress.

no.  it was warm.  when is it warm in the theater???  i ended up taking the jacket off and feeling fine.  strange.  can’t plan for anything these days.

i will share more of my finds from that day when the time is right.  and/or when i use them:)  I got a great pair or yellow heels/wedges i can’t wait to show ya pictures of…

until next time, happy day and happy thrifting.  go out and spread some love!:)

-jaime

What are some of your favorite goodwill/thrift store special sale events in your area of the world?

Crazy dress for a crazy girl- Happy Memorial Day

Xhilaration at Target, $6.99 from Goodwill in CT.

Love this crazy dress.  This is the first time I have gotten to wear it summer style without leggings or a cardigan etc over/under it.  I got it last fall and the first time I wore it I added blue tights, black boots and a black cardigan as it was in December in CT.

I like it both ways…but am partial to the kind I get to wear while sitting on a patio eating BBQ in the sun.

I wore this fun dress to get some BBQ with my good girl friend Rion (who has the coolest spelled name ever!) at Edley’s BBQ in Nashville on today, Memorial Day.  I have been wanting to try this place for awhile, and you can imagine my joy when I found out a new location just opened up on my side of town.  Done.

I had a brisket sandwich with bean salad and macaroni on the side.  I left feeling uncomfortably full…but worth it because it was all delicious.

Thank goodness for the stretch covered waist on this frock.  I knew that would come in handy.

Also once again sporting my Wal-Mart necklace.  I wonder how long it will take me to get sick of this one.  Pretty excited about it.

On a more serious note, I would like to take a moment to thank all of our past, current and future men and women who have served and fight for our freedom.  I take it for granted a lot, but am very thankful to be able to worship who I want to worship (God), do what I want to do, and shop where I want to shop (Goodwill).

Nothing is too trivial to be thankful for on this day, because someone gave up their live so you could do something as simple as eat cereal in your house…or apartment…or condominium- wherever you choose to dwell- it is your freedom to choose!  Ok, I think you get my point.  I am thankful.  As I never had the guts to serve myself, I’m glad someone else has and does and will.

Happy Memorial Day everyone!  Thanks for stopping by.

-Jaime

“Freedom is never free.”

Lady in White (and gray)

Entire outfit is Goodwill.

Shorts and Shirt are originally from Target, shirt is Xhilaration, the shorts are Mossimo.

This outfit is so comfortable yet still cute, pretty much my main general outfit requirements.

I have had the shirt for at least two years, and the white shorts I purchased just last summer.

Picking out my outfit yesterday, this is what I chose and then realized it made a 100% Goodwill outift.  Love.  And of course I had to document.

I also match my comforter, so that’s a plus.

The shorts were a fun find because I was looking for white shorts, and earlier in the week when I found these at Goodwill, I had already purchased a pair of white shorts at Marshall’s for a relatively good price, under $19.99, but still more than the $4.29 I paid for these at Goodwill.  Marshall’s shorts returned, Goodwill shorts kept.  $15 in my pocket.  I love saving money.

I have gotten several compliments when wearing thist shirt.  People love the buttons up the back, as do I.  Just yesterday I heard a lady walking by me at Wal-Mart say “I love that shirt, so cool with the buttons up the back.”  So sometimes the compliments aren’t always straight to my face, but they still count!  Goodwill strikes again.

This was my ‘running errands’ outfit yesterday.  Worked quite well.  Even threw in some yard-saling in there and it stood up to the challenge beautifully.  Mostly I went to WalMart to find non slip shoes for work, and ended up just getting some snack food for my lake day today and also the lovely long necklace you see in the pictures for $8.88.

Happy thrifting!

-Jaime

‘Laughter is the best medicine’

Note the dresser, I didn’t have a picture for it in my furniture post where I talked about getting it for free on the side of the road- not Goodwill, but still pretty exciting!!:)  So I will link to this post from that post, as I just did here.

Keeps me looking good…

 

I found this awesome burnt yellow tuxedo shirt from Forever 21 for $3.99 this past Saturday at my local Goodwill.  My friend had friend’s in town and they came to my side of town because she likes my Goodwill better, and I met them there and walked away with this.

Couldn’t be happier.

I paired it with a necklace from Goodwill from years back:

I love this necklace as well.  I think it was around $2.99, and looks pretty vintage to me.  It is a long necklace and can be worn as I have it, or just hung around the neck once.

On second thought, a pop of color may have been nice to have in my necklace instead of staying with the same color palate, but overall I still think it is a very nice look.  You can wear with this shirt with heels to dress it up, or boots for a casual Sunday evening drink with a friend.

Number two.

The week before I left for my not so mini week long spontaneous vacation to Nashville I found this great scarf and sweater combination (found separately, combined by yours truly):

The sweater is Mossimo, and new from Target and bought by Goodwill for $4.99.

The scarf is Calvin Klein and was the standard scarf price of $3.00.  I love all the colors in this scarf and how they work together so well.  All my scarves are pretty ‘heavy’ cotton and a lot of material, so it is nice to have a lighter feeling one that is more for looks.

For my last look of this post, I give you what I will call my “day in the studio” outfit.  I wore this to go record my newest song (up on www.reverbnation.com/jaimenelson) called “Before You”

A nice light cotton tank top from the Gap for $3.99,

paired with a Forever 21 (purchased at the store) coral cardigan.

That’s how hot I look with headphones on when taking the picture myself from a bad angle.  You’re welcome.

I was accused of looking like a J.Crew model/mom later that evening when sitting at a bar next to a very alternative young man.  Mostly because I was wearing a cardigan.

I’ve been called worse.

I may have been away from Nashville too long.

So those are all my finds, and now you see how Goodwill keeps me looking good!!

I am still amazed at the stuff I find there and for how cheap I get it.  All the time.

Happy thrifting!

Peace,

Jaime

Vacation and it feels so good!

I am writing you from….vacation!!!

Ahh, so nice, so relaxing.

I work at a school, and it is currently February break, one week of glorious nothingness.  I was going to stay in my home state and relax and ‘get stuff done’ there…

but the second day in, decided a 16 hour drive to TN, Nashville, to visit friends where I used to live, and Knoxville where a friend moved, sounded MUCH better.

Indeed.  I impressively made the first 13 hour stretch in one piece, driving through the night- a FIRST for me, I usually give up after about 4 hours of driving and hand the wheel to someone else.  But the adrenaline really kicked in, and I made it til 3 am from 2:45 p.m. with no problem, and then had to take a few hourly stops to finish out the trip.

But I  made it to my first stop, Knoxville, in one piece where my friend Matt lives.

I crashed for a few hours and then we enjoyed a couple glasses of wine on his back patio, in a dress I found at Goodwill last Fall, wearing it here for the first time:

I may not be in Florida or the Caribbean, but if I can enjoy a glass of wine on a back patio outside, it’s vacation.  Gotta have my iced coffee too.

Here’s some more pictures for ya:

A Target dress by Mossimo, new from the store, for $5.99.  Oh look at those eyelets.

Gotta have a nice shot by the bird bath.

I also made it to Goodwill this past Saturday and did very well.

My loot.

Two of those are gifts for other people.  So generous I am 🙂

A shirt for one of my nieces, whichever one it fits, an adorable little flowery peasant top from Italy half off for $2.00

It says for a six year old, but it looks a teensy small so it may go to the fiver, Anna.

And also a shirt from a spa in Norwich for my Mom, half off for $2.00.  I know she’s never been there, but it has a pretty design I knew she would love, and I have distinct memories of her workout sweater when I was child being from a college I’m sure she never attended, so I knew she wouldn’t mind.

Sure enough when she saw it, she said, “Now I can pretend I’ve been there.”  Ha.  What did I say?  Or think….

Ain’t it purty?

Don’t worry, I didn’t forget about  myself…

American Eagle jeans for $9.99 in pretty good condition- and they’re long enough!!!! It’s a miracle.

To go with a burnt orange Calvin Klein 3/4 tee with rouching beneath the chest and button classps on the bottom of the sleeves, also $9.99

 

There’s a few more goodies in there that will have to wait for next time…:)  I’m planning on wearing at least one this week…weather permitting.

I’ve got to go enjoy my wine and company!

Enjoy your presidents week wherever you are :0)

Peace and Happy thrifting,

Jaime

“It’s your path… not theirs”

I Guess Eyelet You See My Skirt…

I love a good eyelet covered piece of clothing.

I love it even more when it’s a skirt paired with tights and boots.

I got this skirt at my local Goodwill for $4.99.  It is a boutique Target brand, and was bought new from Target by Goodwill and then purchased and worn by me.  For those of you that don’t read regularly, the boots are also from Goodwill and bought by them from Target.  I bought them new at Goodwill for $15 and wear them regularly.

While wearing this skirt at a coffee shop (you may have heard of it- Starbucks?), I wrote the lyrics to a lovely new song, inspired by an older gentleman sitting by himself and wearing an FDNY cap on his head.  Here is a picture of the lyrics on my lap, read if you’d like:

I would have snapped a picture of him, believe me I wish I had, but didn’t really find an appropriate time or reason to do so.

You can hear a couple more of my songs…a little self promotion if you will…at www.reverbnation.com/jaimenelson.  Click away!!!:)  I hope to have some more originals, maybe this one? up soon!  I love recording, its one of my favorite things.

I don’t have many new recent purchases in addition to this, so I thought I’d snap a picture of what I see from my desk as I write this to show some of my Goodwill purchases in action making my room look pretty:

This is the view from my desk:

The picture board and the flower wall art are both from Goodwill.  I can’t remember the price of the flower art, but I’m sure it was around $2-$3, and the picture board was $4.

And you should all remember, my productivity increasing wonder…my $13 computer desk, sitting below it all:

Oh, I’m not done….

When I turn around, I find…

My excellent condition vintage (circa 70’s?) end table, $10, last October.

It is holding my pink iPhone dock which charges, plays music from my iPhone, and also has a radio, that I got for $8 last Fall.  Pretty sweet.

In case you all didn’t believe I was really truly completely in mind, body and spirit, obsessed, with Goodwill, now hopefully you do.

The finds there are endless, as I hope you all have or will someday soon realize!

Happy thrifting and may the thrifting force be with you:)

Peace,

Jaime