Style On A Shoestring

Red Likes it Hot!

2011-10-13T12:30:00.001-07:00

Red Likes it Hot! by peldyn featuring printed scarves

What every girl needs, a red dress, red heels and red lips! All at a steal right now from Target. I for one love a bargain that lets me sizzle!

Fall Mulberries

2011-09-19T13:24:00.000-07:00

Fall Mulberries by peldyn featuring metal rings

Like ripe berries plucked from the tree, the cardigan in this set is sweet and delicious! I love the overly layered look when the Fall winds blow and you can put on as much or as little as you like here :) Jacket and cardigan or just one of them. Both socks and tights or just one. Any way you wear them you will be fabulous!

Friday Finds Aug 6th

2010-08-06T09:00:00.000-07:00

While I may be on a spending diet I do need a few new things. Mainly new jeans. My old jeans give me "muffin top". Not something that I like to have. So I have searched around for new jeans and I think I may have found some that are budget friendly and are figure friendly as well.

Nice and dark with a bit of a flare.

A basic bootcut.

Tom hates the deconstructed look, but the these are kind of cute :)

I have also been drooling over this lovely dress on Modcloth.

So will these fit into my budget? Do I really need them? I know the dress I really, really WANT. *sigh* It will be a great addition to my wardrobe and look wonderful with a little black shrug I have. But do I need it? Oh the agony of being on a budget!

Pel

Getting Ready For Fall?

2010-08-04T18:16:00.000-07:00

Fall Casual by Peldyn featuring Anthropologie

Culmination Blouse - Anthropologie.com
$88 - anthropologie.com
More Anthropologie blouses »

Blouses - Clothes - Anthropologie.com
$68 - anthropologie.com
More Anthropologie blouses »

SÃ©millon Flat
$45 - modcloth.com
More flats »

'Cause I'm Close to the Wedge
$35 - modcloth.com
More shoes »

BENA MOTH GOLD MIRRORED PERSPEX JEWELLERY
30 GBP - farfetch.com
More Bena brooches »

Akela Necklace - Anthropologie.com
$198 - anthropologie.com
More Anthropologie necklaces »

Verveine Necklace - Anthropologie.com
$42 - anthropologie.com
More Anthropologie necklaces »

Amazon.com: 3" Picture/Photo/Certificate Antique Gold Frame: Home &...
$58 - amazon.com

AG Everett Corduroys - Anthropologie.com
$168 - anthropologie.com

Stamp Camp New Images Page 22
$13 - stampcamp.com

birdcage postcard
shabbycottagestudio.com

It is so hot outside, but all the Fall catalogues have started coming in the mail and stores have put out their Fall displays already. While I can't even attempt to wear these clothes now I can save up for the pieces that are critical (I need pants desperately!) and start my idea list of things to sew. I finally got my serger fixed and now just need to get my sewing machine fixed, it doesn't do reverse. It will be nice to sew again and get those projects that have been sitting on the back burner the past few months completed! Tell me, am I the only one who gets way ahead of herself with tons of plans?

Pel

Sarong Song

2010-07-17T15:18:00.000-07:00

Sarong Song by Peldyn featuring Monsoon dresses

Daisy Bandini Cotton Pink Sarong
10 GBP - monsoon.co.uk
More Monsoon dresses »

Easton Pearson Silk draped sarong
590 GBP - brownsfashion.com
More Easton Pearson dresses »

Dip Dye Embroidered Sarong
4 GBP - peacocks.co.uk
More clothing »

Rachel Leigh - Millie Palm Bib (Green) - Jewelry
$202 - zappos.com
More Rachel Leigh necklaces »

Gold Plated Hammered Bird Cuff, Wendy Mink
120 GBP - liberty.co.uk
More Wendy Mink bracelets »

Carolee - Palm Beach Coral Cuff Bracelet (Coral/Lt. Topaz/Gold) -...
$199 - zappos.com
More Carolee bracelets »

Glitzy Gold Swirl Cuff
$45 - renttherunway.com
More bracelets »

Sterling Silver Genuine Turquoise Drop Earrings: Jewelry
$42 - amazon.com
More earrings »

Ile Tropicale Wall Mural - Tropical Scene Wall Murals: Beaches, Palms
$100 - walldecorshops.com

Mendosa Sarong
$35 - calypso-celle.com

With the Summer heat and humidity I have been going native and wearing sarongs! I swear there is no better way to stay cool when it is sizzling outside. I have here a cute selection of styles I found on the internet. You can also just grab a large scarf that you already have and tie it yourself to make your own sarong. Here is a good site to start learning the different ways to "tie one on" LOL!
How to Wrap a Sarong.

If I can get anyone to take pictures I will post them here or in the flickr group of my sarongs. I have a great selection I have collected over the years. For now I am going to kick back with a nice cool glass of lemonade and see if I can find me a cabana boy with a palm frond fan.

Pel

It Takes A Vintage Girl To Tell An Antique

2010-07-11T12:00:00.000-07:00

Those Potatoes Aren't Going To Mash Themselves

Looks Like You Missed A Spot

I'd Put On White Gloves, But I Have A Dirty Job To Do

Here's Looking At You Kid

Sex Sells Everything, Even Train Tickets

What a great time Tom and I had in the Tehachapi Mountains rummaging through antique stores and sitting in quaint cafes. I swear there is not a better time to be had! There was even a hobby store full of model trains for Tom to look over. We had a laugh at the advertising plaques that showed scantily clad women to sell train tickets.

Sex sells everything I guess! I was a good girl and only spent a small amount of money. I just had to buy the grape shoe clip at one store. I had inherited one just like it from my Nana! Now I have a matched set to wear on my shoes.

$18.00 Vintage Grape Shoe Clip.

I also bought a pair of black gloves. Perfect for my next tea party. To end the day we split a cheesecake and watched the clouds form and break apart from the deck at Kohnen's Bakery. So romantic! Of course, any time spent with Tom is good :)

Pel

The First Step

2010-07-10T21:39:00.000-07:00

They say the first step to recovery is admitting you have a problem. I know I am a shopoholic. So I had already taken the first step years ago. I buy shoes, clothes and accessories compulsively. But other than that I had never really done anything about it other than cutting back when my husband was out of work. Now that we are empty-nesters I have had to take a step back and re-evaluate my life. Do I really need to keep accumulating all these material goods? What plans do I have for the rest of my life?

First was to lay out my priorities for our money:

1. Retirement.

2. Vacations to visit our cherished friends.

3. Renovations to our home.

These are all really important to me and if I don't stop spending all our money then I can not accomplish these goals. So that means I will have to actually set myself a budget and stick with it.

So today is the first day of my budget. I have three envelopes with each goal on it and I will put a defined amount of money into each envelope each payday. After a few months I will put the accumulations in an Roth IRA for the retirement and use the others as needed for my goals. I think that I am finding that "things" don't always make you happy, but friends and experiences do.

Pel

Friday Finds June 25th

2010-06-25T22:34:00.000-07:00

Dress- Modcloth $44.99
Shoes- Aldo $54.99
Necklace- From my Nana
Earrings- Aldo $12.00

I received my new dresses in the mail today just in time for my post! Yay! The first dress needs a bit of alteration so I will have to wait to take it in before I show you it, but as you can see the Soda Fountain Dress in Cola from Modcloth fits to a T. I also bought the Aldo shoes I wanted today so I am a happy camper :)

Aldo Hiedeman Shoes

Other purchases were a hat and earrings today.

You may remember this hat from my article: Hats Hats Hats!
I just had to get it when I was at Target and I saw it was the last one there. Only $16.99

These earrings were too cute to resist and I knew they would go with my Nana's vintage necklace which I didn't really have any earrings to go with.

I had a great day today shopping with my daughter and grand daughters. I can't wait until next payday to do it again!

Pel

Neutral Zone

2010-06-24T12:07:00.000-07:00

This Spring and Summer neutral and pale tones have been much in fashion. Not being not been one for pale colours I have stayed away from this trend until now. In an effort to push myself a little style-wise and get a bit out of my comfort zone I put together an all neutral outfit. I based it on one that Betty Grable was wearing in one of her famous pin-up photos.

Blouse- Anthropologie on sale $77.00
Shorts- Salvation Army, Hesperia $3.00
Belt- Vintage, remix
Shoes- Forever 21 $22.50
Jewelry- made by me

I love the vintage vibe of the outfit and the way the neutrals look together. I never would have done this on my own, but I guess designers do know a thing or two. Of course, so do pin-up girls *wink*

Pel

Chocolate Chip

2010-06-16T19:25:00.000-07:00

Chocolate Chip by Peldyn featuring Anthropologie dresses

Chocolate Chip Dress
$128 - anthropologie.com
More Anthropologie dresses »

Kimchi Blue Ruched Slub Open Cardigan
$42 - urbanoutfitters.com
More Kimchi Blue cardigans »

Kabuki Heel-Mod Retro Indie Clothing & Vintage Clothes
$135 - modcloth.com
More pumps »

16"x20" Antique Gold Wood Picture Frame,Gold Wood…
$69 - amazon.com

We Mesh Well Top-Mod Retro Indie Clothing & Vintage Clothes
$72 - modcloth.com

Necklaces - Jewelry & Accessories - Anthropologie.com
$52 - anthropologie.com

I love chocolate chip ice cream. When I found this dress by the same name I just had to build a little outfit around it. It is perfect for a sweet date to an ice cream parlour. Now I really want some ice cream!

Sorry for the long delay between posts. With graduation of the last child at home (yay!)and a bit of personal turmoil I have not been able to blog. I am trying to remedy that. I STILL have photos I need to upload from my camera, sigh.

Pel

Yard Sale Magic

2010-05-26T10:01:00.000-07:00

I don't know what it is about a yard sale that makes me all excited inside. I know some people can go their whole lives without ever going to one, but me, I love them!

On the way to Big Bear we stopped at a couple we saw on the side of the road. I found a few things that made my heart go pitty pat.

This set I bought at the first yard sale for a whopping $1.00. Yes that is right. One dollar for all of it. A metal cake dome, a gravy boat and a 1903 book that I plan to use for crafting (the story in it is awful, but the pictures are great!)

Picture from the book. I think it would make a great cameo. I am also thinking of using some of the phrases in my scrapbooking and jewelry making. When I am done the cover will probably be used to make a purse :)

As soon as I got the cake dome home I started to paint it.

These are the goodies I bought at Page in Thyme, the scrapbooking store in Big Bear. I was lucky that they had just what I needed for the cake dome!

The finished cake dome! Perfect for my cake stand :)

The second yard sale was mostly clothes. There was a huge pile of jeans that I could hardly go through! The wind was whipping so hard and I just gave up after a while, but I did find one pair.

This lost was $5.00 for all of it. An eyelet lace tunic by Levi's, black opaque tights and J. Jill jeans! Not too shabby.

Well, I am off to see my daughter today and to go to the Goodwill in Lancaster. I am also going to be making earrings later on this week out of the brads I bought at the scrapbbook store. I think I may do a video tutorial on how to make them. I hope you all have a wonderful day!

Pel

Road Trip!

2010-05-24T19:50:00.000-07:00

With my husband back at work and a new car in the driveway just begging to be driven the mood was right for a road trip! We drove up to Big Bear in the San Bernadino Mountains and spent an afternoon looky looing around.

On the drive up we hit a couple yard sales, I have a lovey post about what I did with one of my finds for tomorrow!

We lunched at Pong's Restaurant. The Pad Thai was yummy, but service was slow. I guess when your food is good you can take your time ;)

Pages of Thyme is such a lovely store and I plan on visiting it again! Coco the puppy is the store dog and she followed me around as I made my choices. Tom gave her some belly scritches so I think he is her friend for life!

I peeked into Rejoyce. Nice clothes and housewares. Worth a second look when I am in more funds :)

The snow was really coming down! Who would have thought that it would do that in May?

This poor little birdie looked sooo cold!

I wish we could have stayed longer. I love Big Bear. It is so picturesque! Maybe we can buy a cabin there some day.

Pel

Dressing for a Pear Shape

2010-05-22T12:24:00.000-07:00

Recently I was asked by a reader to write about dressing for a pear shape. She was a short-waisted pear and was frustrated by her type. I am also a pear, but a long waisted pear. I would suppose that our dressing concerns would be similar but just to be certain I searched the internet for a few tips. In my ramblings I came across a fantastic blog by the Slapdash Sewist who happens to be a short-waisted pear! She wrote a lovely article on her style type and how to dress it which I have linked here: Dressing the Pear Shape: End the A-Line Tyranny!
She shows how that classic A-line shape is not always the best look for us pear shapes. Now I understand why I have my love affair with pencil skirts :) For too long we have been hiding our generous hips. Lets us glorify them! Show them off! They are ASSETS ladies, not flaws!

Here the pencil skirt shows off my curves and the belt defines my waist while the puff sleeves of the top add width to my shoulders.

For shirts look for tops that accent the smallest part of your torso. Go for empire or natural waist styles and embellishments are great if you are not very busty.

Here the ruffled sleeves on the top balance out the shoulders and hips and the sash defines the waist. The pants are medium rise and flare out at the hem to also balance the hips.

I find that I can wear lots of embellishments on my tops and ruffles are my friends! I do better with a wide leg or flare trouser, but do like skinny jeans which us pears are not supposed to wear. I believe that sometimes you have to break the rules! I also like high waisted pants, but since I am a long-waisted pear they work.

High-waisted pants worn with a cropped jacked with puff sleeves.

Skinny jeans worn with a top that draws attention to the face with an embellished collar and a cardigan that covers it all!

Dresses that flow from an empire waist are so flattering, especially if you have a tummy pooch. I have a bit of one from having kids. No matter how small I am it is still there!

Peasant style dress worn with a belt.

Wrap dresses are flattering to pears. This one would be even better with a nice belt to further define the waist.

I hope that these tips help those pears out there! I know that I am always on the lookout for more flattering cuts and styles and thank goodness I love my "assets". Life is too short to not love and make the most of yourself!

Pel

Friday Finds May 21st

2010-05-21T18:04:00.000-07:00

So this week I finally jumped on the romper bandwagon. Since I had worn the trend in the 80's I had to be careful not to look like a flashback 80's has been looking for her youth. I decided on a retro 40's playsuit look and Forever 21 had just the right romper to suit my budget and style! I placed my order and was so excited when the mail man delivered the box and I got to put together an outfit.

Black Gingham Seersucker Romper- Forever 21 $22.90
White Blouse- Target remix
Grey Cardi- Forever 21 $22.90
Red Belt- Anchor Blue remix
Red Espadrille Wedges- urbanog.com remix

I was seduced by the grey cardi that F21 had as well. I thought it was a great companion to the romper. I added a blouse from my wardrobe to heighten the retro look. All day I felt like I was a starlet taking a break from her next movie! I am sure that Ginger Rogers or Betty Grable would have worn such an outfit. "All right Mr. De Mille, I'm ready for my close-up,"

Pel

Hats, Hats, Hats!

2010-05-19T12:38:00.000-07:00

Spring is in full swing and what better time to get a sassy hat than now? Target has some new styles that are to die for and even Anthropologie has a few that are within a shoestring budget. Of course Forever21 is the darling for cheap with a decent selection, but you have to be quick as they sell out fast! As a reminder, you can click on any of these images to go to the site to see them!

This fedora from Target is $16.99. Can we say cute?

Newsboy cap from Target for $14.99.

Another adorable fedora from Target for $16.99

Mixed Up Conductors Hat from Anthropologie for $19.95.

Blithe Bouquet Cap from Anthropologie for $19.95. I love this one!

Round and Round Hat from Anthropoligie $19.95

Colorblock Straw Fedora from Forever 21 $12.80. Cute and classic!

Madelinne Woven Hat from Forever 21 $12.80. Just the thing to make you feel like a French school girl! I want!

Crocheted Skull Cap from Forever 21 $5.50. This also comes in cream, black, pink and light grey! So dainty and delicate. Perfect for a retro 20's or 30's look.

Graham Cracker Cloche from Modcloth $29.99. Love the grosgrain ribbon on this.

Saffron Beret $5.59. Another chic French look, this time from Charlotte Russe.

Sunny Straw Hat from Tilly's $27.99. I don't usually like sun hats, but this one is really cute and I would totally wear it!

Cooperative Straw Derby from Urban Outfitters $24.00. I swooned when I saw this!

San Diego Hat Co. Beret With Bow from Urban Outfitters $34.00. A bow, OMG, I love that bow!

Brixton Fiddler Cap from Urban Outfitters $34.00. So retro and steampunkish! *whimper*

Pins and Needles Straw Cloche with Bow from Urban Outfitters. $28.00. I HAVE to have this, my precious!

Pink Cookie Straw Cloche from Sears for $9.00. So sweet and a great price!

These sites have many other hats so have fun checking them out. I know I did and I have a HUGE wishlist going on at all of them. I am just waiting for a lucky windfall now :)

Pel

Friday Finds May 14th

2010-05-14T10:00:00.000-07:00

I was able to make another trip to the Victorville Goodwill with my friends Kim and Judy. It was just PACKED with bargains! Kim and Judy found so many household items they filled the back of my truck and we had to have help carrying it out! I am such a nudge and didn't take pictures while we were shopping. I DID have my camera on me but totally forgot! Strangely enough I found a whole pile of my own clothes that I had given to a neighbor and that she must have donated to the Goodwill. Kim bought one of my old skirts *giggle* Since it all goes to charity we are happy :)

So here is my haul!

Sage green blouse $4.49. I will need to replace the button loops, but that is easy, I have loop tape.

Boingo Brogue Oxford Shoes $5.99. These I plan on giving to my daughter Tarah, so cute!

Papaya Blouse with embroidery and beading $4.49.

Nicole Miller Shrug $2.00. This had an area where the crochet edge had all come undone. Thank goodness I can crochet! I fixed it right up as soon as I got home. It looks so sweet over the Papaya blouse.

Steve Madden Wedges $5.99. I normally would have passed these by, but Kim and Tom said to try them on and they looked so cute that I bought them. I have already worn them twice!

Eyelet Skirt $2.99. Perfect as a petticoat!

Green Shrug $3.49.

Black Embroidered Corset $4.49. This beauty needed a bit of work. It started out with horrible stained lingerie straps that I replaced with black velvet straps ala the Louis Vuitton corsets and the bow was also replaced as it was originally frayed white satin. Now it is nice black grosgrain. I also gave it a nice soak in oxyclean to brighten the white areas since they were all grey and yucky. Now it is beautiful and fresh! I can't wait to pair it with some new fabric I bought for a skirt (but more on that for another post).

Canisters $7.99. Yes, it is not clothing, but what great canisters!

Lastly are these Madden Girl brogues that Kim isisted on buying for me. I love them!

I also bought a lovely item for my friend Grrl, but it is a surprise so I can't let you all see it!

Now to let you see what Tom bought me for Mother's Day:

Top- Anthropologie
Belt- Anthropologie
Skirt- American Eagle Outfitters via Ebay
Shoes- Goodwill. Victorville

I love my new top and belt. They were both on super sale! The belt was only available in large, but a hole punch fixed it up.

I hope to make another thrifting trip next week. I really need shorts now that I have gone up a size. Wish me luck in finding some!

Pel

And The Poppies Bloomed Like Madness

2010-05-13T14:12:00.000-07:00

I spent a lovely May day at the Antelope Vally Poppy Preserve with My granddaughters and my youngest daughter and her husband. Tarah had so much fun running down the trails with her nieces!

Moiren gets away from Tarah!

Two Beauties that bloom in the sun.

I wore my embroidered peasant top that I got from the thrift store. I felt so Early California in it :)

The golden path. Like walking on Sunshine!

We had packed a lovely lunch and then later met up with my friend Susan at a Beltaine Fest she was attending.

Susan with our friend D.J. at the Beltaine event. She looks cute in her wreath!

I made a wreath for Moiren!

Tarah making one for Chloe.

All in all it was a fun, but tiring day. I slept so soundly that night! If you live anywhere near California you HAVE to make the trip to see the flowers now. They won't last and the display is the best that is has been in decades.

Pel

A Dress To Dye For

2010-05-12T17:52:00.000-07:00

I am sure you remember the gold and orange silk dress I bought from the thrift store that I said I was going to try and dye. Well, I actually did it and finally got the pictures taken for you all to see.

Belt-Forever 21 $9.99
Necklace- Made by me from clearance bits from Joanns and chain from a seller on etsy.com total price $3.00
Shoes- Target, on sale a while back for $19.99

Now it is totally fab in green! I used a bottle of denim blue Rit dye that I had bought years ago for around $2.75. So add that to the original investment of $2.00 and my little dress cost me a whopping $4.75! An amazing bargain for a silk dress that looks to be custom made. Yes, I could have made a total mess of this, but for $2.00 I figured, what the heck? I just went for it! Now if you want to do it right Dharma Trading Co. carries silk dyes that can be safely used on delicate fabric and they have a wonderful website and great customer service. Me, I am a wing it kind of girl, but you don't have to be. So I hope next time you go thrifting you see possibilities you didn't see before!

Pel

Mother's Day Flowers

2010-05-11T20:31:00.001-07:00

Mother's Day Flowers
Originally uploaded by Peldyn

I have had a bit of a break from blogging due to a nasty sinus infection. I am feeling a bit better and my daughters came by and visited me for Mother's Day and brought me flowers and chocolate cake. Yummmmm cake! I was also told to get myself something nice from Anthro by my hubby who was too busy gaming online to buy me anything (LOL!) I do love a good sale so I think I will look to see what is on super sale on my wishlist and take him up on it :)

I hope everyone had a nice weekend and I look forward to feeling better and better every day!

Pel

Friday Finds April 30th

2010-04-30T22:39:00.000-07:00

This has been a wonderful week of finds. Anthropologie and the thrift shop have both been very good to me. I didn't have time to model everything so I just took some photos of some of the clothes on hangers. So first off is the thrift shop haul. I spent only $25.00 on all the goodies I bought there. Seriously.

Jacket and skirt. Not sure if I am going to keep the trim on this jacket or not. My daughter thinks I should take it off and change out the buttons.

Cropped pants with adorable button detailing, dusty pink/mauve sweater, white embroidered blouse and ivory knit shell. All great pieces to mix an match in my wardrobe.

Lady-like purse. I just fell over when I say this bag. Just perfect for recreating that elegant 50's look.

Silk sheath. While the colours are not great I plan on dyeing it tonight and seeing how it turns out.

Now to the Anthro items.

Teal Silk tunic. I love, love love this colour and it goes with so many things I already have. A bit pricey at $59.90, but originally it was over $100.00.

Tartan Rose top. So sweet and sassy!

Dollops of Cream Blouse. Worn with a cardi I got at the Lancaster Goodwill a few months ago and my vintage belt. Perfect!

I also got a cute navy jacket and an ivory petticoat. I will show them off next week :)

Target was also on the menu this week and I had fun playing around with my daughter there. I tried on a few things from the Zac Posen Collection. My favourite is this blazer.

Elegant navy trim on this and the cut out front made it special. Too bad it was too expensive. I had already spent way too much money :(

I also tried on lots of hats and fell for a modified cloche style. I wore it today with my floral trench.

The green trim with buckle on this hat and the little brim are oh so cute!

So all in all I had a great time shopping with my daughter and I found some sweet deals. I need to go back to that thrift shop soon!

Well, I must be off to work on some stuff. I need to finish some things for a friend and to see to dyeing that new dress.

Pel

Look Like A Lady

2010-04-28T10:00:00.000-07:00

Many of the runway looks shown in Feb. heralded a return to lady like looks reminiscent of the 1950's and "Mad Men" (gosh, it is so weird to think of Fall Fashions when it is SPRING!) One runway designer that I just can't get out of my head is Louis Vuitton(click for full collection). Those circle skirts and bodice-styled tops, oh my!

Don't forget your gloves and an impeccably styled bag

A jacket and skirt is a very lady-like option

I believe if I start now I may be able to make some circle skirts by Fall and I have added leather gloves to my must have list. I adore that tobacco brown colour, but the grey is nice too! I have a couple nice jackets already that will do very nicely and my new Miche bags are just perfect so I think that it will take very little to pull this look off for much, much less. Let's say for a song?

Pel

Panty Raid!

2010-04-27T11:37:00.000-07:00

I was surprised to read one day that the average lifespan of bras and panties is 6 months. Wow. talk about built in obsolescence. These are items that we use every day (well, MOST of use do, LOL!) and they are NOT made to last. They are also confusing to size and most of us are not wearing the right size bra and our panties give us the dreaded VPL. Such a horrid dilemma! All I know is that I want comfort, style and and I don't want my panties to creep up my butt. Please? So that leaves me with a collection of different types of intimates that serve different purposes.

Panties-
I have my panties grouped by the ones that I can wear under loose skirts (cute but would leave lines under pants or tight skirts) and ones that are nearly invisible under pants and tight skirts. No, I do not wear thongs. That is a personal preference of mine. I tried them and I just couldn't get used to them and I get too many UTI's to really justify the no VPL issue. My favourite panties for nearly no VPL are from Victoria's Secret. I hate that they are so expensive, but love how they feel. No other ones have come close to them for comfort.

3/$30.00 I try to wait for clearance!

I also shop at Target. I like boyshorts to sleep in and some times to wear under skirts. The Gillian O'Mally brand is a great bargain and also carries some pretty sexy styles as well!

2pk for $9.00 I have these in pink :)

At Anthropologie I can get totally frothy stuff on clearance sometimes. Great to sleep in or for under skirts.

$9.95 on sale (I couldn't resist them and I got the matching bra!)

Bras-
The same with my panties, I have bras that have different uses. You need a flexible bra wardrobe to cover the different items of clothing you wear. I feel that it is never good to go bra-less unless you are in a bathing suit. It is bad for the girls!
Now for my basic all around favourite bra:

Scoopneck demi bra from Victoria's Secret. It is very low cut so I can wear all my tops with out it showing at all. It has a convertible racer back that is great for tops that have open cut sleeves. It is also nice and smooth so it leaves no lines under close fitting shirts. It would make a great t-shirt bra.

One sale right now for $21.00!

Strapless bra. This a must if you wear strapless tops or dresses. I got mine from Target with a matching garter belt. It is the Gillian O'Mally brand, natch!

This one is so cute and only $13.49

Push-Up Bra. I have a few different types of push-up bras that I have bought at different places. My last WonderBra I bought from Macy's on sale. I also bought a couple cute ones at Kohl's on their Saturday sales and from Target and Ross. The last one I bought was from Victoria's Secret and was from their Very Sexy line. It looks good as long as I am standing up. If I lie down it doesn't push them up any more. Not good for the bedroom, if you get my drift, LOL!

Wonderbra $25.99

Soft Cup Bra. I love soft cup bras for sleeping in and for general wear around the house. Super comfy and you can get such cute prints! Again, I shop at Target for these mostly. I scour the clearance rack and pick them up for a song! I sometimes can get the matching panties too!

I got this pretty one from Anthro for $19.95 and snagged panties to match!

Sports bra. Here you can go to a sports store such as REI They sometimes have sports bras on their clearance rack. I bought my last sports bra there along with a pair of performance wicking boyshorts to wear under my hiking clothes. Target also has a good line of performance sports bras.

$19.93 on clearance.

There are many other things in my underwear drawer. Garterbelts, slips, tap pants, camis. All fun items and all needed to make my clothes look nice. So do shop around to find deals and do try things on if possible. Take a friend to help you if you can. Here is a link to a bra fitter if you need help to find your size. It really is true that most of us are not wearing the correct bra size. But even with your right bra size in hand, sizes vary by manufacturer (damn them) so you still really need to try them on.
ElectronicZNY Bra Fitter

Well, I am off to look at more lovely bras online. I still just can't get enough!

Pel

Friday Finds April 24th

2010-04-23T20:13:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I spent a lovely evening trying on clothes at Anthropologie. Poor Tom was so patient! Of course the stuff I totally loved was not on sale and was way too dear to even think of purchasing. Here is one of my favourite outfits

Poppy Fields by Peldyn featuring Anthropologie

Items in this set:
Blouses - Clothes - Anthropologie.com, $150
Sweaters - Clothes - Anthropologie.com, $88
Woodblock Print Skirt - Anthropologie.com, $78
Coated Rouge Heels - Anthropologie.com, $200
Woven Buds Belt, $28

The blouse is absolutely adorable on and I want it so much! I hope that it will go on sale and that they have my size left *crosses fingers*

I did get a couple tops that were on sale.

This is the Emmer Corset Top $39.95 and I nearly didn't try it on, but they had my size and I just threw it in with the other stuff I had to try on. I am glad I did. Totally cute and will go with lots of things I have in my closet! I will take pics of the other things I got as I wear them, and weather permitting. The pictures of my new modcloth dress did not turn out so I can't post them :( I will try to retake tomorrow.

I hope you all have a great weekend. I plan on going out to the line as usual and doing more protesting. What a little agitator I have become!

Pel

Ups and Downs

2010-04-18T16:14:00.000-07:00

Our society is obsessed with weight. As women we are judged on how thin or heavy we are. It is an awful thing that we do to ourselves and others. Because of this many of us are fighting with our weight. Trying to lose or gain. I myself have had a rollercoaster ride with weight loss and gain over the past few years that has led to much frustration. It all started out with a small weight gain and an illness that turned out to be a thyroid node. I never even realised that I had gotten heavier. I am pretty oblivious and I guess I still looked okay. Looking back at old photos though I can really tell the difference a thyroid disorder makes.

I had surgery to remove my thyroid in Aug 2007 and I felt so much better and I lost a few pounds. I figured that was that and went on my merry way. Then a few months after that I started getting horrible abdominal pains and starting losing weight FAST. This was not good. At my heaviest I was a size 12, at my mid weight I was a size 8 (and pretty happy to be there) I eventually lost so much I went to a size 0. Yep, a size 0.

Took a year and a half and a second opinion to find out that I had gallstones. I had surgery last June and did awesome afterwards. Now I have started to gain weight. I am happy because I was not at a good weight before. I was too thin and it was just not good with my bones sticking out BUT, there is a part of my brain that is freaking out! It is saying "What, are you insane to be gaining weight?" I have to keep shutting that tiny voice up and telling myself that I am fine, that it is okay that some of my clothes do not fit now. I can buy a bigger size and it is just fine. I feel that I have been brainwashed to a certain extent by all those weight loss commercials and my quest to be HEALTHY is being sidetracked by the media's bombardment of advertisements to be thin. Seriously, I should just want to feel good, right? At this point if I hear one more spokesperson tell me how they lost weight on their sponsor's program I am going to shoot my television and eat an entire chocolate cake!

Pel

Friday Finds April 9th

2010-04-09T11:45:00.000-07:00

I am back for a classic Friday Finds article! First is my new sweater. I just couldn't pass it up.

Sweater- Anthropologie only $9.98
Blouse- Goodwill, Hesperia remix
Dress- Anthopologie via ebay, remix
Belt- vintage, remix
Lace tights- Aldo, remix
Peep toe Shoes- Target, remix

This sweater was originally $128.00 and I got it for $9.98 plus $5.00 shipping. Yes there was much rejoicing that day! I may not have much money, but I can certainly budget for a $15.00 sweater *does happy dance*

Skirt- Goodwill, Lancaster $5.99
Petticoat-ebay, remix
Scarf and Necklace- Costplus WorldMarket clearance $9.99
Cami- F21 $2.50 remix
Dress- Target clearance $11.00 I think
Socks- REI $7.99
Shoes- Payless ShoeSource©, remix

This skirt still had the tags on it! I just couldn't resist. Sigh, I am such an impulse buyer. Thank goodness I didn't have much money or I would have bought more! I bought the scarf and necklace while on my little trip to San Diego. I love buying little things while on vacation. It brings back lovely memories of my trips when I wear them :) You have to get a better look at these socks! I got them at REI in the children's section. yes, you must always check out that section for bargains. Smartwool socks for adults run $15.00 to 25.00. These were only $7.99 AND Tom used his dividend check to pay for them so in essence they were free! Now who doesn't love stripey goodness paired with fabulous T-straps? These ones from Payless are my favourites. I hope they get more like it in!

Lastly is my new swimsuit! I haven't bought one in years so all my old ones were about 6 sizes too big. I was seduced by the Liberty of London print and the fact that it hid all the jiggly bits! So flattering! Also since it was two piece you can get two sizes if you are different on top than you are on bottom, I know I am!

I am also thinking about this suit as a future purchase. What do you think?

Pel

The Bees, They Are A Buzzing!

2010-04-06T19:37:00.000-07:00

With Spring here it is time to get ready for sandals, sling backs and open toed shoes. I don't know about you but my feet needed some TLC after a Winter spent in heavy boots and closed shoes. I inadvertently stumbled upon a great product to fix those tootsies right up, right quick! While on my mini vacay in San Diego I needed some hand cream and while at Henry's Market I picked up a jar of Burt's Bees Banana and Beeswax hand creme.

Oh yum! It smelled good enough to eat! When we went on the walk through Balboa Park I picked up a couple blisters from my new shoes (silly me, I left all my walking shoes at home except for a pair of heels I happened to wear to the interview I went to before we drove out, so I bought new ones!) and I tried the hand cream on my feet to see how it worked at soothing them. Oh my, it not only worked wonders, keeping the blisters nice and soft so they healed well, but my heels, my heels softened up beautifully and stayed that way! It worked better than anything I have tried before. I put it on my feet and legs when I get out of the shower and before getting into bed at night. I smell like a banana milk shake my hubby says. Not a bad thing! I noticed that I also no longer have hangnails on my hands either. I guess that will save me a bundle in the cost of pedicures, manicures and no pedegg for me, just a little emery now and then! This little treat is a keeper :)

Pel

A Necessary Intermission

2010-04-01T16:32:00.000-07:00

Forgive the lack of posts. I will be gone for the next few days. My mother-in-law fell and broke her hip, that combined with us going out of town necessitates that I will be away from my trusty computer :( I will be back and posting next week because I am sure that all will be well with Mom. I try to stay optimistic.

Pel

Sweater Girls

2010-03-28T09:00:00.000-07:00

There is something about a girl in a sweater that is ineffably sexy and demure at the same time. My grandmother (known to me as Nana) Lillian Callender was a young woman at the height of the "sweater girl" era. She was so adorable.

I would give anything to have her poise and beauty. She never lost it. I would also kill for that sweater she is wearing! She told me once that it was a lovely light peach colour. I am sure it looked fantastic with her hair. She would dye her blonde hair a rich auburn colour that went with her blue eyes so beautifully.

Cashmere Sweater- Goodwill, Victorville
Skirt- Max Azria Outlet, remix
Tights- Anthropologie, remix
Shoes- Not Rated via amazon.com
Necklace- Made by me from beads from Joann's

I tried to capture the spirit of what my Nana would have worn in this outfit. It was also a chance to wear my new sweater that I got at Goodwill for a mere pittance. Only $5.99 for cashmere! The necklace was also a bargain. I made it from about 5 packages of pearl beads that were on sale for 89 cents. Sweet deal!

While I miss my Nana, I still have her pictures to look at and I still hear her voice in my head. She is an inspiration to me.

Pel

Friday Finds March 26th- Twisted Alice!

2010-03-26T21:30:00.000-07:00

Inspired by the Twisted Wonderland Collection at F21 I shopped my closet to make my own Twisted Alice look for an outing to see the movie!

Cardi-Forever 21
Blouse-Target
Corset-Forever 21
Skirt-Kohl's
Crinoline-Frederick's of Hollywood
Shoes-Madden Girl via Famous Footwear

Later, when it got chilly I wore my new red trench coat I bought at Costco. Just the thing for hiding in the forest from the fruminous bandersnatch!

Or maybe that's the Cheshire Cat?

Whatever it is, the movie was fantastic and now I will be dreaming of more Alice inspired outfits. I do hope believe that if I get that census job my pay checks will be spent on lots of yummy clothes! BTW, if you have a Betsy Johnson store near you, check it out! The one at the Ontario Mills Mall was having a 40% off sale and all the clothes were already marked down on top of that. I saw many pieces that would fit perfectly into an Alice wardrobe. I nearly cried to have to walk out empty handed, so GO THERE if you have a chance.

Pel

Everybody Loves Parfait!

2010-03-24T12:32:00.000-07:00

I love that line from Shrek and it is so true. What is not to love? Pretty colours and yummy layers, parfait is just about perfect. Layering blouses can be like parfait, sparkling layers of colour that are pretty enough to eat.

When I saw academichic layering cardigans and Already Pretty layering dresses, I thought why not layer blouses? Now I know we already layer tops and camis, but I am talking about a different animal here. Two blouses, not a blouse and a cami. Now why layer a blouse? I thought to add interest to a plainer blouse and to help with "issues" such as armholes that are too low or a decollete that shows too much.

Here I have three examples of blouse layering:

Floral Blouse- Anthropologie
Pink Blouse- Target

This floral blouse has low cut underarms and a low neckline. I used the bright pink blouse to fill it in and add a nice pop of colour.

Sheer Blouse- Forever 21
Beige Blouse- NY&Company

Here is a beautiful sheer blouse with a lace inset yoke. I could have gone with the cami underneath, but I chose this beige puff sleeve blouse because I thought the little collar on it accented the lace yoke positively, and the puff sleeves added dimension to the flutter sleeves on the sheer blouse. It all has a very retro feel to it.

Aqua Silk Blouse- Forever 21
Green Portrait Collar Blouse- Target

The silk blouse is a wardrobe basic for me, but it has no collar and I feel it is a bit plain. This green blouse with its full collar is a perfect match. The colors are in the same family and are so refreshing and clean. It looks like they were made to go together!

I am sure that you have a few blouses in your closet that you can experiment with. I had loads of fun and will be making up other combinations now that I have the knack. Will you dare to try it out?

Pel

Running Away to San Diego

2010-03-22T08:00:00.000-07:00

The stress in Boron was getting to us so we took our friends up on their offer of a spare room to stay in and slipped away to San Diego for the weekend. It was so lovely to see Alma and Robbie and to breathe the ocean air!

Alma and me along the trail in Balboa Park. I have on my new Ann Taylor lace shirt that I got at Goodwill for $2.99 *caching!*

This lovely lady and her pup were walking across the bridge to the museum and her puppy just pooped out and refused to walk anymore so she had to carry him. Sooo cute!

I just love the architecture!

These guys were amazing! Steam Powered Giraffe is the name of their group and they had us laughing so hard during their routine. Then when they sang their harmony was spot on. Wow!

Alma and Robbie with me listening to the music at the park.

Tom, Alma and Robbie watching the Lawn Bowling.

So we go home today and I am sad to leave my friends, but I look forward to seeing them again soon, I hope!

Pel

Friday Finds March 19th

2010-03-19T09:00:00.000-07:00

It is no surprise that I am really into the 1930's style right now. Anthropologie has some beautiful clothes that I constantly drool over. While they are very pricey I have a technique that I use to get good deals. I add to my wishlist the items I like. Then I check it frequently to see if they have gone on sale. If they have and if they have my size then they were meant to be mine! So here is a lovely bit of Anthro fun that I currently love.

1930's Style by Peldyn featuring Anthropologie

Items in this set:
Roaming Frills Cardigan - Anthropologie.com, $88
Wonder Flower Tank, $78
Pleated Pencil Skirt, $88
Carraroe Heels, $80
Twined Ribbon Cloche, $58.00

So I am going to haunt this list and hope to get a few tidbits when they go on sale. The hat, at least the hat would be so awesome, sigh.

Pel

Wearing of the Green

2010-03-17T12:07:00.000-07:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day! I hope you all have a good one. I will be eating Irish Soda Bread and other Celtic goodies, but no green beer for me, yuck!

Top- Liberty of London for Target
Skirt- Mervyn's, remix
Shoes-Miss Me from urbanog.com, remix
Celtic Cross Belt- Walmart, remix

I wore my new Liberty of London tank top. With its smattering of green it was the prefect compliment to my green shoes. Oh how I love these green shoes. Sigh. What better shoes for a day that you have to wear green?

Pel

Out on a Romp-er

2010-03-16T16:34:00.000-07:00

This Spring the trend is for rompers. Rompers? I haven't worn a romper since 1987. I really am not sure if this is the style for me. So I have been scouting out the online stores for what there is and here is what I have found.

Out for a Romp-er by Peldyn featuring Forever21

Items in this set:
Rose Print Romper, $26
Forever21.com - Bottoms - 2072996208, $23
Forever21.com - Bottoms - Shorts - 2072885913, $23
Shop romper - Anthropologie.com, $120
Shop romper - Anthropologie.com, $58

Some of these are seriously cute, but I am not sure if I would look like mutton dressed as lamb in them. What do you think. Are rompers just for the kids, or do you think us older ladies could pull them off?

Pel

Give Me Liberty, Of London!

2010-03-15T21:00:00.000-07:00

Liberty of London for Target® Petites Tiered Ruffle Keyhole Tank

Liberty of London Milk Crate
Liberty of London Media Boxes

If you haven't heard by now, Target has had a collaboration with Liberty of London. The collection hit the stores on Sunday or Saturday depending upon your area. I just happened to be in Target with my daughter on Saturday and bought myself a sweet little blouse and some organising containers for my sewing room. The price points were excellent and I really wish I had more funds to purchase more goodies! Maybe like these:

While I haven't had a chance to wear the blouse yet, it looked really cute in the fitting room. Not so with an uber ruffled sundress. It really made me look like an over large pineapple. Not an appealing look. My granddaughters had a good giggle over it.

Actually, I would have wore the blouse today, but I never really got myself together. I just lazed in bed and ate cupcakes, drank rooibos tea and played BattleStations on Facebook. Maybe I am getting depressed or something? Or maybe it was just from staying up too late out on the protest line with the hubby, but THAT in itself is depressing, sigh. Yikes!
Tomorrow I go out of town to an unemployment interview with the hubby and I will definitely dress up for that! I plan on taking an Acess and Powerpoint class while I am there in their Resource Centre.
Wish me luck!

Pel

Bursting Bubbles

2010-03-15T09:00:00.000-07:00

Dress-Forever 21, altered by me
Sweater-Goodwill Victorville
Shoes- Diesel Neveau Shoes from Amazon.com
Tights- Aldo

I had this bubble dress I bought a while back that I had only worn a couple times. Now that I am sick of bubble dresses I decided to turn it into a regular dress. It was not hard. I just cut it at the point where the dress's skirt and lining were sewn together. I then took all the gathering stitches out of the hem of the dress and pressed it flat. I serged it for a neat finish and turned it under once to hem. Now it is a regular dress! I wore it today with the sweater I got at Goodwill for a cute retro look.
Pel

Friday Finds March 12th

2010-03-12T09:00:00.000-08:00

Here is a lovely look from Charlotte Russe. I haven't shopped there lately and I forget what nice things they have!

A Touch of Pink by Peldyn featuring Charlotte Russe

Items in this set:
Belted Pencil Skirt, $25
Charlotte Russe - Ruffle Keyhole Tank, $10
Charlotte Russe - Buckled Woven Corset Belt, $8.49
Charlotte Russe - Crocodile Platforms, $15
Charlotte Russe - Striped Fedora, $13

Here now are a few pics of items that I have purchased lately. Thank you to my daughter and my friend Valerie for the gift certificates. I love you both!

Plum skirt from Solanah on etsy.

Bad me, I sold a skirt and then turned around and bought one. At least the one I bought was cheaper than the one I sold, so I don't feel too bad!

Grey Skirt from Solanah

This skirt was a free gift! Solanah is a real doll and I highly recommend her shop. I think it is in vacation mode right now, so when she opens it up again I will let you all know!

Green Cardigan from Forever21

A great little mixer and it is GREEN. I really love green.

Hat from Forever21
ALDO Equia - Women's Shoes

More birthday gifts! I love the hat and shoes. I could just marry them! Well not really, but I am sure you know what I mean!

I have a couple more gifts, but I haven't worn them yet. I also went to Goodwill and spent a whole $16.00 on myself. Tom kept rolling his eyes and sighing the whole time we were there. I was only supposed to get a slip and ended up with a cashmere sweater, a Woolmark sweater and a lace blouse by Ann Taylor as well. I could have spent more than the 10 minutes he allotted me to be in there, but I guess it was safer that he pulled me out of there when he did. Who knows what kind of damage I could have caused to our budget! I will take pictures and you can see my largess next week.

Pel

DIY: Everything's Coming Up Rosettes!

2010-03-11T09:00:00.000-08:00

I have been seeing rosettes everywhere so I figured instead of buying them, the shoestring way of doing things would be to make them myself! So here is a little walk through of how I did it.

First I picked out a few ribbons and buttons. You can choose what colors you like. I went with coral and red, but later on I plan on doing more in many different colors!

Cut your ribbons from 5 to 7 inches depending upon the ribbon thickness and how big your button is. The coral ribbon is 7 inches and the cherry red is 6. I plan on doing some that are smaller. Make a loop with the ribbon overlapping the ends about 1/4 of an inch. Pinch in the middle and using a needle threaded with matching thread, run a stitch through the center.

Do the same with the other ribbons stacking on top. Use three to four ribbons per rosette. It is up to you.

Center button in the middle and stitch in place.

For the coral rosette I then sewed a pinback in place.

For the cherry rosette I sewed a bobby pin and then used E-6000 to further hold it in place.

You can use your rosettes to decorate so many things!

Hats

Shoes

Hair

Your clothes!

This was so much fun I plan on teaching my granddaughter how to do it. This will make a great weekend project for us.

Pel

A Doll I Would Buy!

2010-03-10T12:00:00.000-08:00

Blog Entry: 5275341

I am hyperventilating. Seriously! I just have to have Joan. How I developed this deep need for a Barbie doll is beyond me. When Tom goes back to work I may collect all of them!

How about you? Are you craving any of these Mad Men Barbie Dolls?

Pel

An Angel No More

2010-03-07T09:00:00.000-08:00

Who would have thought that this cute blouse started out life with angel sleeves? My friend Carrie gave it to me a couple years ago and I only wore it once and then the fad was over. And truthfully I am glad it is over. Angel sleeve tops are one trick ponies. Not easy to layer with and just too young of a look. So out came my scissors and away they went! I added the elastic and voilé, a sweet peasant top worthy of Jane Russell!

Now pardon me while I go find me a nice bale of hay to lie in. This girl needs to get some serious shut eye.

Being on the lam with the Outlaw has made me seriously tired!

Pel

The Winner Is!

2010-03-06T08:28:00.000-08:00

After a roll of the dice the winner of the Heidi Klum eye cream is commenter #1 Valerie! Please e-mail me with your address so I can mail it right out to you.

I have had such a great week. It felt like my birthday everyday. People everywhere were so nice and Friday I spent the day volunteering which is in my opinion even better than getting something. Giving is from the heart. Today people from around Southern California will be joining with us in our little town to show solidarity with the miners and to let Rio Tinto know that locking their union workers out was not right. I will be there with my little family adding to the Human Chain that will stretch to the mine gates. I am proud of my husband and I am proud of my community!

Pel

Friday Finds March 5th

2010-03-05T09:00:00.000-08:00

Here is a little goodness from ModCloth for you today.

What's Black and White and Red All Over? by Peldyn on Polyvore.com

Items in this set:
Mod Retro Indie Clothing & Vintage Clothes, $50
Mod Retro Indie Clothing & Vintage Clothes, $30
Mod Retro Indie Clothing & Vintage Clothes, $30
Mod Retro Indie Clothing & Vintage Clothes, $16
Mod Retro Indie Clothing & Vintage Clothes, $115

My lovely daughter sent me paypal money and I did get to buy the dress from this composition. Yay for birthday money! I have a pair of black sandals and I will be making little red ribbon rosettes to put on them like the ones on the shoes shown. An easy way to get a high dollar look from shoes you already own! Alas, I do not have a cute red straw hat, but my friend Val sent me a F21 gift certificate and I got the cream straw hat with the black ribbon from last week and I am sure that will look fabulous! I sure am lucky to have such wonderful friends and family to think of me on my birthday. I even got a free grey skirt from Solanah at Vixen Vintage, though I do not know if she knew it was my birthday :) If it wasn't for the fact that I just found out my local CostPlus World Market is closing then this would have been the most perfect week.
I hope that you all have a great weekend!

Pel

Broguing Rights

2010-03-03T10:48:00.000-08:00

Monday I got in my amazon.com order. I had been sitting on a gift certificate that I got for Christmas and I am really glad I did! I felt like a kid in a candy store, looking at all the yummy goodies I could have, but I was after one thing. Shoes!!! You may remember my article Ankle Sock Dilemma about how I succumbed to socks worn with shoes and skirts/dresses as seen on the runways. Well, I have been wanting brogues ever since. My heart was pitter patting for them! With my reduced circumstances I figured I would not be able to afford them. Well, that was not true, enter amazon.com and their amazing bargains! I found just what I wanted at just the right price.

I got them Monday so it felt like they were a birthday gift as well as a Christmas gift!
These are so perfect for the Depression Era look I have been craving. When I tried them on I felt like I was a movie or book character.

Maybe from Gosford Park? Or maybe a heroine out of an Agatha Christie novel. Yes, I am ready to solve a mystery! LOL!

Pel

My Birthday! And a Giveaway

2010-02-28T17:03:00.000-08:00

Today is my birthday! Well, not really since my birthday is actually the 29th, but I am celebrating it today anyway. I made a Deep Dark Chocolate Cake with Fudge Frosting and let my granddaughters frost it for me. We couldn't find the camera so you will have to wait until later tonight for me to upload pictures from my cell phone. I will be going to the lock-out line again with my husband so I only have a couple minutes to write this. I wanted to get this out since I also have a giveaway! I am giving away a 0.25 fl. oz jar of Heidi Klum's In an Instant Intensive Eye Treatment! It is brand new and all you have to do is comment on this post. I will leave comments open for this until next Friday, March 5th.

Good Luck!

Pel

*I just found out that I no longer have picture messaging on my phone with the cheaper plan I had to get, so I can't upload the pictures we took! When things get better I will get it back and upload them then :)

Friday Finds Feb 26th

2010-02-27T20:20:00.001-08:00

This Friday finds is late due to working on the lockout line and then having a day full of medical tests. I am totally tired! Hopefully tomorrow will be better. I will be celebrating my birthday and these finds are on my wishlist of what I wish I would get for my birthday. I know it is wishful thinking. My oldest daughter is giving me an IUO since her husband works at the same mine as my husband so he is out of work as well. My youngest will make me something beautiful and my middle daughter, well actually I just might get something off this list from her since she likes to shop Forever21! I have my fingers crossed!

Birthday Wishlist by Peldyn featuring Forever21

Items in this set:
Prairie Starry Flower Dress, $25
Midnight Sky T-Straps, $395
Short Lace Gloves, $6.80
Forever21.com - Accessories - Hats & Hair, $6.50

I think this outfit has a sort of depression era feel to it. I think of the movie "Oh Brother Where Art Thou" When I look at it. I really do love it! For some reason the feedsack style of dress and 30's looks are really appealing to me. Am I the only one?

Pel

Spring Sewing

2010-02-23T12:33:00.000-08:00

My sewing projects list is getting really long. I am so ambitious! While going through my old patterns I found this cute 1940's dress and thought it would make a nice blouse.

I then found in my stash a springlike vintage plisse.

It was a match made in heaven! I can just see it paired with my denim pencil skirt or my white skirt, or even a pair of shorts. Not that I wear many shorts, but I do have a few that I plan to make from a vintage pattern.

I am almost done with my vintage vest. I did some sample bound buttonholes and they turned out great. Now to get over my fear and do them in the actual garment. I need to do that tonight.

This is the pattern I used and it fit perfectly with no alterations. I did change the front. I made it a vee neck, I didn't like how high it was. I did hate all the darts. Simple darts are no problem, but most of these were shaped darts! And counting the lining there are 16 darts in this vest. I swear the pattern drafter was a sadist!
I also have a dress for my friend in New York to finish and a half dozen skirts I started and put away and a couple tops that are laying about partially done. My goal is to get all my undone projects finished! That is saying a lot since I am adding my mother's unfinished projects into the mix. I always say, if you are going to set a goal, set it high!

Pel

Friday Finds Feb. 19th

2010-02-19T08:19:00.000-08:00

This week I started my job search in earnest so these Friday Finds are cute items that I would love to add to my work wardrobe!

Golden Wheat Brocade Clutch Purse from SmallEarthVintage

Chanel Style Skirt from Solanah

Cream Knit Blouse with 3 Flowers from Amazon

Two Lips Women's Whitman Oxford from Amazon

Now if I just could get that job I would buy all these things! Ah, that would be so grand :)

Pel

New Sponsor

2010-02-17T11:42:00.000-08:00

I welcome Polly Workinger as one of my Project Wonderful sponsors! She sells beautiful Miche Bags.

They are so versatile! Just buy different covers and you can change the look of your bag without taking out all your contents. I really, really want one and plan on buying one as soon as Tom gets another job :)

So check out the link on the left sidebar. I am sure you will love them!

Pel

OWOH Contest Winners

2010-02-16T09:46:00.000-08:00

*drumroll* Please!

Using a randomiser the winning numbers for the One World One Heart Contest are #19 and #122

So commenters #19 Tamerie Shriver and #122 calej I will contact you both today to get your shipping info.

This was such and exciting event. I will continue to go to all the blogs on the list even though the event is over because there just was not enough time to see over 1,000 blogs! I really love making new friends and this event made it easy :)

Pel

A Desert Valentine

2010-02-14T09:00:00.000-08:00

This Valentine's weekend we have had such beautiful weather. Just perfect for a little walk in the desert. I wore the pencil skirt Tom bought me at Goodwill this week. I know I shouldn't have asked for it. He was buying a suit jacket for himself to wear to interviews. He really needed one and luckily there was on on sale for only $6.49. I was so tempted by a few things and he kindly let me buy them. This skirt was $5.00.

We were happy also because one of my doctors kindly stocked me up with a 2 month supply of my thyroid medicine. Yay! Not having medical insurance sucked, but I just got approved for Medi-Cal. I hear that sucks only slightly less than having no insurance.

Skirt- vintage from Goodwill

Top- Outlet Mall near Barstow remix

Jacket- Kimchi & Blue via ebay remix

Shoes- Aldo remix

Belt- Wet Seal remix

Tom picked me this little cluster of dried flowers. I think I will treasure it more than any bouquet of roses. It was a true gift from the heart.

I hope you are all having a lovely Valentine's Day. I know I am with my true love.

Pel

Friday Finds Feb. 12th

2010-02-12T19:21:00.000-08:00

If I had to choose a favourite of all the Spring collections, I would have to name Rebecca Taylor RTW. The polka dots, floral prints and adorable dresses make it a very wearable collection. The easy styles also make it one that I can try to emulate easily with pieces I already have or that I can sew up myself.

Here are the looks I liked the best.

So I have added a few more things to the list of what I want to sew for my Spring wardrobe. I think I am getting a bit over ambitious!

Pel

Curls ala Solanah

2010-02-11T19:15:00.000-08:00

I was much inspired by the beautiful hairstyle worn by Solanah of Vintage Vixen. Two mini loops, one on each side of my head. Almost but not quite victory curls. I nestled a couple jeweled bobby pins in the center for added interest. To achieve this I simply used a curling iron to add more curl to my hair so it was easier to twirl in the rolls. I also curled up my bangs and the back hair. I them brushed them lightly to smooth the curls.

Just the perfect look for a day of job hunting and a trip to the food stamp office.

Dress- Target

Sweater- Forever21 Twist

Blouse- Target

Thigh highs- sockdreams.com

Shoes- Aldo

I really love the easiness of this look. I may try it with a snood sometime the way I have seen Solanah and Casey wear their hair. I have just been timid to do it so far.

Pel

Tightened Purse Strings

2010-02-10T18:30:00.000-08:00

Well, it has been almost two weeks now since the mine locked my husband and his fellow employees out of work. To say that our circumstances have changed drastically is an understatement. I must now use all my little money saving tips for real. There will be no new clothes for me starting next month. I got very lucky since my birthday is this month and we had a tiny bit left over so I got a small gift from my husband that will come in the mail soon. But after that it will be slim pickings. Am I upset. Yes. In a way I am upset that I can't shop, but I am more upset that this big company that is making billions of dollars a year in PROFITS is trying to skim an extra dollar or two off of the working class, namely the miners who are working at one of the most dangerous jobs in the world to begin with!

Sorry, don't mean to rant on a blog that is supposed to be about fashion. I just wanted to let you all know what is going on in my life. We are worried that we could lose our house or have to relocate if he manages to find a job somewhere else. My children and grandchildren are here and this affects them also. My eldest daughter's husband worked there and he is out of work as well.

What can you do to help? If you order from amazon.com please use my site as a gateway to amazon.com. I make a little bit if you log on through here before you order. You can click through the link at the bottom of the page or any of the links in the sidebars. It may seem like a small thing, but anything helps right now.

So wish me luck, girls and stay tuned for my forays into belt tightening and penny pinching. I am sure it will be interesting ;)

Pel

Lazy Days and Sundays

2010-02-06T23:07:00.000-08:00

I have been lazy and not finished my sewing, but I HAVE been baking. I guess you could say I have been on a serious baking jag. My poor family has been tempted at every turn by Country French Bread, Cinnamon Raisin Bread, Rosemary Garlic Bread and Sourdough English Muffins. If it wasn't for the fact I use whole wheat their glycemic index would be through the roof! So here I am in my best baking fashions. Yeah, who else would wear a bow in their hair to bake? *giggle*

Too bad you can't smell this "heaven" it is total heaven!

I guess I really need to get sewing now. I am so behind on my projects!

Pel

Friday Finds Feb 5th

2010-02-05T12:00:00.000-08:00

Looks I Love

I plan on doing a lot of sewing for myself. I can see some of these sweet tops and shorts in my closet for my Spring wardrobe. I guess I better start now if I want them in time for when the weather warms up!

All these looks are from Forever21. I especially like the lace blouse, shorts and maxi dress. Looks like I need to dig through that fabric stash again!

Pel

One World One Heart Event

2010-02-04T08:52:00.000-08:00

I just heard about this event and it sounds like so much fun. Bloggers joining together to meet online who may have never have connected before. I am so in! For my give-a-way I have a collection of vintage patterns. Now who doesn't like vintage patterns? If you don't I bet you know someone who does ;) I believe vintage patterns are a magic carpet ride to the past *grin* Of course I am now going to have that song in my head for the rest of the day.

*sings* "Let the sound take you away!"

To win just comment on this post with your e-mail and I will do a drawing on Feb. 15th for the winner!

Edit: I have had so many comments! Thank you all for stopping by :) I think once I get to 100 comments I will add another set of patterns for a second prize.

LOL, Looks like we passed 100 so I will add another set of patterns. I will put up the pic in the morning. So two very lucky people will win some awesome vintage patterns.

Comments are now closed!

Pel

Ankle Sock Dilemma

2010-02-03T18:00:00.000-08:00

Starting with Fall 09 many designers started showing ankle socks with dressy shoes or oxfords and skirts or dresses.

Rebecca Taylor Fall 09

Verrier Fall 09

Andy & Debb Fall 09

The trend continued this Spring and Forever21 showcased the bobbysox look heavily in their new Forever21 Twist collection.

Cynthia Rowley Spring 2010

Forever21 Twist

Now I had resisted slightly at first considering myself way to old to sport such a look, but when I had found that pumpkin sweater at the thrift store I dipped my toes in and tried it. I really loved the vintage vibe it gave off.

You may remember this from Fall. I only had the nerve to wear the socks with shoes and skirt outfit once.

Now though, I have totally succumbed to the charm of socks and shoes. I have worn the combo three times this week!

Nebbie the kitty was in a feisty mood after seeing my shiny red shoes with socks.

I layered a red sweater over my dress as it is still quite chilly out. Another cute pair of red shoes.

This look made me feel like a vintage pin-up model. I wore it to go to the bank and pay bills around town. That chore was a little less painful.

Not once has anyone given me weird looks. In fact I have been complimented on how cute I look.
So while this trend is in style I shall rock it as hard as I can!

Pel

My One Year Blogging Anniversary!

2010-01-31T12:00:00.000-08:00

Can you believe it? One year ago I started this little blog with the idea of doling out a few tips on dressing on a budget and here it is a year later. I am still here, still letting you know about the latest bargains I have found and still spending way too much time shopping! LOL! Last year was turbulent at times. I went through a serious illness and had surgery. I ended up having to retire from my costuming career but I am still here. I can't tell you how happy that makes me. Having this blog gives me a purpose and I love that I have made new friends that I wouldn't have had if I hadn't of done this. This upcoming year may be interesting with what is happening with my husband's job. I may truly be pushed to be stylish on a shoestring. If so I will document it all for you. Hopefully it will be inspiring and not just plain insanity!

So thank you everyone for following me and befriending me. I really appreciate it. Here is to another year of dressing well on a budget!

Pel

Friday Finds Jan 29th

2010-01-29T21:05:00.000-08:00

I can't tell you how excited I am to get my Forever21 order in. It is from their Forever21 Twist Limited Edition Collection. This may be the last items I get to buy for a bit since it seems that my husband may be out of a job on Sunday. Let's hope not, but it doesn't look good. So on to happier things. Like NEW CLOTHES! Yay!

Navy Checked Jacket $27.40. This is a really cute jacket and it is well lined so it is warmer than I expected it to be. With its high cut it is suitable only with my high waisted trousers and skirts and with dresses, but that is alright, I have plenty of those.

Cherry Red Cardigan $24.80. I have been waiting on pins and needles for this cardigan. The black cherry embroidery is so adorable! I want to wear it every day :)

Bow and Ribbons Cardigan $24.80. Another great little layering piece. I will get lots of use out of this. I think I may want a red tee or top to use as an under layer. I will have to look in my fabric to see if I have any so I can make one.

So here is to a good weekend for all of you and that my husband will continue to have a job!

Pel

Wishing

2010-01-26T12:00:00.000-08:00

I saw this dress on etsy.com. It is not my size, just a tad too small. I wonder how big the seam allowances are on it? I bet I could let it out.

Dream Dress

My dress collection is slowly growing. I wonder how many dresses a person should have? All I know is I love all of mine and they are so easy to wear.

Pel

Shoes to Dream About

2010-01-25T12:00:00.000-08:00

I dream about shoes all the time. I may even be addicted to them. These are ones that I am lusting after right now.

Shoes to Dream About by Peldyn featuring Not Rated shoes

Items in this set:
Mod Retro Indie Clothing & Vintage Clothes, $115
Mod Retro Indie Clothing & Vintage Clothes, $43
Not Rated Interview Heel - Black, $50
Urban Original fashion shoes, boots, gladiator sandals, flat boots -..., $21
Alice Cullen & Rosalie Hale clipped by Gothic_Pheonix, $23

I really do hope to get at least one or two of these for this Spring :)

Pel

Friday Finds Jan 22, 2010

2010-01-22T17:03:00.000-08:00

This week was a week of basics shopping. The clearance racks at Target are full of great little pieces right now that can fit into any wardrobe to make it more versatile. I know they slipped right mine with nary a splash! Sometimes you want a splash and sometimes you just need items that can carry a supporting role.

Basic white. You can do a lot with a basic white shirt. This one is sleeveless and has a great pleated detail around the slit front. Darts at the bust and help give it shape and at $4.98 it was a total steal! The cuddly pine green cardigan was a total steal as well for $4.98. I like the longer profile of it, but you could alter it if you want to a shorter length. Casey's Elegant Musings has a great tutorial on how to do just that.

Purple tunic $8.98. This may seem to be a showy piece, but think of all the layering possibilities! I plan on wearing this under vests, sweaters, dresses. With maybe another shirt under or on top. Who knows? I just wish I had gotten it in black as well. I may have to go back!

Flowered tunic, yes I bought a flowy, flowery tunic. I am a flower child! Makes me feel almost like Spring is here. Well, I can dream, right? Another good layering piece. I do love to layer. My shoes here are from my Modcloth.com order. I LOVE them! I haven't worn pink shoes since the 80's. I bet my friend Valerie remembers my pink ballet flats and those pink, Reeboks I think they were? I haven't wore pink since. But these shoes were so cute I had to buy them. Only $34.99 and the sizing seems to be true.

Bright green sweater $8.98. This sweater looked really cute layered over the flowered tunic and I liked the colour so much and how comfortable it was I figured I would get a lot of wear out of it. I usually dress up so much I needed relaxed pieces that I could dress down. It is hard to clean the house or watch TV in a dress or pencil skirt! I am actually wearing it now to write this article :)

Bright green handbag $11.98. The pièce de résistance was finding this bag in a matching green on clearance! Seriously, now I have to find shoes in the same green it is so luscious.

So while I have not spent all the money I made making the wedding dresses (I am still owed $120.00, I hope I get paid that soon) I made a serious dent in it this week :) Just what I needed to lift my spirits after all this rain we have been having. And since most of it was off the clearance rack I can say that I was frugal, right?

Pel

Vintage Inspiration

2010-01-18T23:51:00.001-08:00

I have an extensive collection of vintage patterns that I turn to when I need a little boost of inspiration. Many of them belonged to my mother and grandmother. Others I found at yards sales throughout the years.

My mom loved it when Butterick re-released these patterns and snatched them up. I particularly love the suits. I must at some point try to make one for myself.

Here are actual vintage patterns and they are just fabulous! I must make the blue dress with the with white cuffs and collar. It is too perfect. The sleeve detail on the green two piece dress is also delicious. I will have to add it to my must make list :)

I have many more patterns, some from the 60's and 70's too. It is fun to see how fashion has evolved and to also see how often we go back to the same styles again and again. Some classics will never go out of style.

Pel

Friday Finds Jan 15, 2010

2010-01-15T21:46:00.000-08:00

This has been a tough week for me. My computer had decided that it would rather be a disco ball than anything else, so it is now no use to me until I get a new screen. The first screen we ordered came in yesterday and they sent the wrong one! Needless to say I am not happy. All my program and pictures are on there. My husband's computer just does not cut it. He has no picture editing programs and he is also a gamer and is on it almost 24/7. *whine* I want my computer! Sigh.
Well, I did have some good things happen. I got in my sockdreams order, yay! We have had Springlike weather this past two weeks so I have been taking walks with my husband and the dog, and my perennials are coming back in my garden :)

So here are a few new things that you may like.

New wool jacket I bought from Liebemarlene on ebay for $26.00. It is a cropped style and is super warm!

New Kensie dress I bought from amazon.com with the gift card my sister-in-law Kathy gave me for Christmas. I layered a vest over it for more interest. Yep, this is the dress that is in the sidebar of my blog. I just could not resist it! The tights I bought at Forever21. They had thrown all their tights into a bin up by the registers. I went through and picked out about 4-5 pairs that looked interesting. Tom thought these were odd and told me I shouldn't buy them. I didn't listen to him! Of course once I wore them with the dress he got it *grin*

This cute wrap dress was on sale at Modcloth. It is really comfortable and I love it with my new brown, crochet, over the knee socks from sockdreams. I have to say that wearing the over the knee socks feel a bit sexy! I have 4 more pairs to try out so I will be having fun making outfits to go with them.

Here is to a great weekend for you all and that my new screen comes in soon. I am missing doing what I want when I want to online!

Pel

Friday's Finds Jan. 8th 2010

2010-01-08T12:00:00.000-08:00

This week I am focusing on finds that I plan on recreating myself. These are totally cute clothes that have either sold out or are too, too expensive for my meager budget to afford. Anyways, what good is it being a seamstress if I can't make it myself?

1.Pleated Pencil skirt from Violetville Vintage

2.Long sleeved Mini Dress from RottenApplesVintage

3.Floral Print Shirtdress from ahemvintage

4.Striped Shirtdress from Violetville Vintage

5.Navy Print Dress from NOA NOA

I have been loving the look of shirtdresses lately. I guess I am looking forward to Spring! They look so charming and fresh. I did buy a couple lovely things right after Yule with my gift cards and off ebay but with this cold and the wedding sewing I didn't have time to photograph them. You will see them styled next week. Now to look through my fabric stash for just the right bits to make these lovely items!

Pel

At Journeys End

2010-01-06T17:52:00.000-08:00

I am back again after yet another visit to Brawley to sew and fit dresses. But this time I am DONE. Yes I completed the dresses and all the girls came by, even the one recalcitrant bridesmaid whom we had a problem getting to show up for the fittings. I am so relieved it is over and now I can get back to sewing for me and my granddaughters again.

Here is one of the bridesmaids trying on a dress for a fitting. Still needed to do a few things to finish this one!

It is so hard to see the color and texture of the fabric. The flash makes it look shinier than it really is. Here it is closer to what it looks in real life.

The dresses were hung up in a row in the doorway as I completed them. A very satisfying thing to see!

The last skirt being sewn. Hurray!

Keirnath in her completed dress. Whew. All done!

I used to love doing weddings, and I admit that this was a bit of fun, but it does hurt me now to sew that much. I am just not up to it anymore. Damn this getting old and being injured. No one ever told me about this shit when I was younger *fume* Oh well, I will just have to accept the fact that getting old is sometimes not fun. But at least I have Tom to coddle me, I just whimper a bit about how my arm hurts and he will get me a nice hot cuppa tea and a celebrex. He is such a sweetie!
So once I recover from this I will do finish my bit of sewing for myself, until then I am relaxing!

Pel

New Year's Resolutions

2010-01-02T10:25:00.000-08:00

As many of you know, I do so love shopping. I however have to keep within a budget and sometimes that budget gets strained. So my resolution this year is to be more frugal and to buy less and make more. I really need to be more crafty and stop being such an impulse buyer. Does this mean I will stop following trends? Hell no! It just means I will have to be more thrifty and ingenious in my ways of following them. It also means more thrift store shopping which is so much fun! Of course as I say this I found a lovely little vintage store online with wonderful clothes that are way out of my price range, sigh. Her mark-up is horrible! But I am saving pictures of my favourite items and I will be sewing them up so all is not lost! After all, that is what Style on a Shoestring is all about. Being fabulously stylish on a budget!

Here are some of my latest finds so you know I am not completely out of the game :)

Vintage hat Tom gave me for Yule from my wishlist :)

Vintage coat was a gift from my daughter Tarah's friend AJ who got it from a yard sale

Vintage lace slip from castlecharm on etsy for $7.00. Totally cute peeking out! This outfit was so much fun to wear!

I hope you all had a wonderful New Year's Eve and that your year to come will be filled with laughter and love and of course, loads of style! I look forward to spending it with you.

Pel

Away to Brawley

2009-12-27T12:12:00.000-08:00

I am going to Brawley again to sew for Keirnath's friend's wedding. I will spend three days there doing fittings and sewing like a fiend to try and complete the dresses. I will have to go back, unfortunately, since two of the bridesmaids are from out of town and I will not be able to fit them at all until a day or two before the wedding. I sincerely hope the measurements I received for them are accurate or we are in serious trouble LOL! But there is nothing I can do but hope for the best and get the other dress completely finished this week so I have no other worries. You may or may not hear from me during this time. I will bring my computer and try and upload an article or two if I can, but I am not promising anything! I really will try and get the girls to pose for pictures at least. They were pretty camera shy for the first fitting. I could barely get one girl to even disrobe to try on her gown! I told her I REALLY did need her to put it on so I could see if it fit in key places. I think she thought it was like buying things off the rack. Ummm.... no. Not even close.

I hope all of you had wonderful holiday time with your families and I look forward to coming home and spending a relaxing New Year's Eve with my husband. Just us, no parties and no stress :) Oh, but maybe a little sparkling wine, cheese and fruit to share while we ring in the new year.

Blessings to you all!

Pel

Friday Finds Dec 25 and Merry Christmas

2009-12-25T12:00:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas to those who celebrate this holiday. I will be spending the day at my mother-in-law's house, She has Alzheimer's and this year we have been struggling to find gifts for her that she can appreciate.

Here are items like what I bought her.

For Mom by Peldyn featuring Forever21

Items in this set:
Loopy Crochet Vest, $12
philosophy | holiday spice | holiday spice scented, high foaming..., $16
Lancome Tresor Sheer - Limited Edition Fragrance Spray, $63

A nice soft layer to keep her warm as she naps in her favourite chair. Shower gel and perfume. What woman doesn't like perfume? We just have to make sure she uses a gentle hand with it :)

Pel

Merry Yuletide to All!

2009-12-21T12:00:00.000-08:00

Today we are celebrating Yule at my house. The morning started with gifts and lots of laughing and hot cocoa and cookies. This afternoon I will prepare a lovely roast and my children and grandchildren will gather round for dinner together. The final tradition is the lighting of the Yule log. We always toast marshmallows over it and make S'mores and sing Yule carols culminating in a rousing rendition of the Beatles' "Here Comes The Sun." I hope all of you and your families have a happy holiday as well.

Pel

In An Instant-Review

2009-12-20T12:00:00.000-08:00

You may all have heard that I was horribly seduced by a late night infomercial. I plead lack of sleep for this lapse! Well I received my package of In An Instant products in the mail and tried them out. So far I am underwhelmed by the results. The eye cream is a no go since I am allergic to it. The face wash is alright, but it does no better than the Aveeno foaming face wash for sensitive skin I was previously using. I tried the warming scrub and it was okay, but burned a bit. So far the firming serum seems to be the same as the same serum I was using from Boots. The tinted moisturizer is different though. I am not sure if I like it or not. It doesn't make my face oily and it has SPF which is really nice. But I don't know if it makes my skin too dark. Maybe I am just not used to that "sun-kissed" look. I will have to use it more to tell if I really like it. This may be a keeper. As for the "In An Instant" line remover itself, I don't think it made much of a difference. I checked out the ingredients and it is basically a "plastic" that temporarily fills the lines in so they are less noticeable. Seriously, it lists a vinyl copolymer. There is also caffeine that supposedly plumps the skin to even out furrows. Well, I still had frown creases between my brows and fine crepey lines under my eyes. I got some of it too close to my eyebrow and had a heck of a time getting it out! It looked like the scene in There's Something About Mary in my eyebrow! Ugh!
As you can see there really isn't a difference between these before and after shots of my face. On TV the models had such dramatic changes. I am not sure what they were using, but it wasn't the same thing I had!

Before

After

Well, I will give these items a couple more tries. Maybe they need to be used more than once or twice for full effect, but I am not getting my hopes up. Heidi Klum, you have disappointed me.

Pel

Friday Finds Dec 18th

2009-12-18T12:00:00.000-08:00

Here is some more window shopping, this time from Etsy.com. I was feeling in a grey and red mood. I sooo wish I could win the lottery and buy everything here!

Etsy: Your place to buy & sell all things handmade
TwistedBritches.etsy.com

When the weather is grey nothing can cheer you up like a nice pop of red! Do you have something that never fails to pick you up when you are down? Do tell!

Pel

Baby It's Cold Outside!

2009-12-16T09:00:00.000-08:00

Winter weather can wreak havoc on dressing with style, but with a little forethought you can put together cute outfits that will keep you toasty warm. I know, I am lucky to live in Sunny California. But it was 38 degrees and sleeting off and on the day I wore this outfit. I was completely warm and got so many compliments throughout the day.

Forgo jeans in cold weather. They do not keep you warm and cold, wet cotton will just suck the warmth from your body. Hikers have a saying "cotton kills." It is true. Stick with wool, linen, silk or synthetics if possible.

Use layers to trap air pockets that will hold heat next to your body. By layering you can also remove a layer or two if you get too warm. The goal is to stay an even temperature and to not perspire. Perspiration makes you wet and that will make you cold.

Wear a hat! Most of your body heat escapes through your head. Hats are so cute and you can wear them all day long. I add adorable hairpins, flowers and bows so that I don't have to worry about hat hair, I just pin it back if I have to take my hat off.

Don't forget a scarf and gloves. If the wind is really blowing a scarf can be very handy to wrap around your lower face to keep the freeze off. Gloves are not just to look stylish. Buy a pair that are meant to keep the digits warm.

Tights and or long underwear can keep you even warmer. The super thin silk or polypropylene underwear know as a base layer can be worn under almost anything! If it keeps a skier and Winter hiker warm, it will keep you warm. Sockdreams has wool and synthetic tights that are the best for Winter. I layer with the thigh highs to look cute and for extra warmth. Try REI for base layers. I bought mine there on clearance.

Wool socks are awesome if you are not allergic. I love my Smartwool since they are latex free. No rashes when I wear them! They come in all weights to wear with my boots and shoes and to layer over tights.

Make sure you have closed shoes that can stand getting wet. Nothing is worse than wet feet. Makes you miserable and cold faster than anything. Sturdy boots and oxfords can look stylish, but still be practical. Another pair of boots is next on my list since I have only the higher heels and I need a low heel for it if snows again this year. Slipping on ice in heels sucks!

By following these tips I am sure you will be styling it out there while everyone else is wondering how you pulled it off! Just direct them here ;)

Now I am off to round up that pair of boots and maybe some more socks. You know you can never have too many pairs of socks!

Pel

Crimes of Fashion or Crimes Against Each Other?

2009-12-15T09:00:00.000-08:00

I was doing the old flipping through the channels when a show on The Style Network called "Top 40 Crimes of Fashion" caught my eye. I settled down to see what it was about and I have to say that I saw not so much fashion crimes as some hating against our fellow human being. While there were a few faux pas (Phil Spectors' hair to say the least) most of the show was centered around beautiful women in beautiful clothes being torn apart by other women with the odd man thrown in to give his two cents. It was brutal and it was unnecessary.

Beautiful Scarlett Johanssen who's outfit and eyebrows were trashed on the show. She looks gorgeous!

Why are we doing this to each other? What makes us want to tear each other down? Look at how the media has made it a crime to be "overweight" though by any other standards the women they are calling overweight would be damn near anorexic! Or if for some reason a celebrity steps out without full make-up on, as in the recent case of Geena Davis, she is said to have let herself go, and some people were even calling her an old hag! Complete poppycock I say! She is as lovely as ever. Jennifer Love Hewitt, whom has a lovely figure that many people would die for has been called fat. Umm yeah. I have a figure similar to hers and have been told by my doctor to gain weight.

Is it any wonder that some celebrities are taking drugs and staving themselves to achieve an almost unreachable goal of beauty and glamour? Is this really the message we want to impart to our daughters, to hold ourselves accountable to? I know this is not how I want to be. From now on I pledge to find the beauty in everyone and to tell them so.
Enough tearing down. Lets build up.

Pel

One Wishlist To Bind Them All

2009-12-13T09:00:00.000-08:00

I don't know about you, but I have wishlists scattered all over the internet. I also have a husband who is so shopping phobic that if I can get just him to shop at Amazon.com for his dvds and video games then I am lucky. So when it comes to birthdays and anniversaries and that biggie, Yule I am on tenterhooks as to what I am to get. I tell him about my wishlists and leave plenty of clues, but he is still clueless. Then comes the day of unwrapping and I usually get nothing that I asked for. Enter Amazon.com and their new Universal Wishlist button! With this new little widget I can add items from any web retailer to my Amazon.com wishlist. Wow! The person who thought this up deserves a Nobel Peace Prize! No more searching all over for items you have favourited, they are all in one place. People can search for your wishlist by your name or your e-mail address so it makes shopping for you a breeze! Now, I am off to add some more things to my list. After Yule is Valentine's day and my birthday, I must make sure he has a good selection to choose from!

Pel

Friday Finds Dec. 11th

2009-12-11T12:00:00.000-08:00

Today is a window shopping day. Being as I have to scale back my actual purchasing and what I HAVE bought is going to other people for gifts, I do not want them to see it. So here is a little bit of fun from Modcloth.

Sweetness Follows by Peldyn on Polyvore.com

Items in this set:
Fifties Sitcom Dress-Mod Retro Indie Clothing & Vintage Clothes, $110
Mod Retro Indie Clothing & Vintage Clothes, $75
Mod Retro Indie Clothing & Vintage Clothes, $15
Mod Retro Indie Clothing & Vintage Clothes, $40
White Poise Gloves-Mod Retro Indie Clothing & Vintage Clothes, $13

I love each of these items and if my husband chances to see this, I would be happy with any of them under the tree *grin*

Pel

Bridesmaids Skirts

2009-12-10T13:54:00.000-08:00

Sewing my poor little fingers to the bone, I have skirts to show for it. They look so pretty!

Keirnath helped to cut them out. The fabric is a beautiful silk shantung.

Here is the vintage pattern I based the skirt off of.

You can see how close it is to the picture of the skirt the bride wants. I just have to adjust the pleats!

Keirnath shows how cute the skirt is on. Ignore the fact it needs to be pressed and hemmed!

So now I have to finish all the bodices and fit them to the girls and hem the skirts to the proper length. I will be going out to Brawley to do that next week. I will bring my laptop with me so I can upload pictures! I imagine it will be hectic, but I love being able to see Keirnath so much. I do miss her so!

Pel

Knitting Frenzy

2009-12-07T12:17:00.000-08:00

With Yule fast approaching and money running out I decided to hand make a few gifts for friends and family. I do love the scarves that are in the stores everywhere. The cheaper ones are just that. Cheaply made and out of awful materials. The more expensive ones are so lovely, but out of my price range right now. Luckily I have a yarn stash. A very large yarn stash. My mother and grandmother both had scads of yarn and I got all of it. While I managed to sell some of it on ebay, etsy and at yard sales I have enough to keep me and my descendants knitting for years to come! I have one finished and only have another 6 to go. I plan on doing this in addition to making those 6 bridesmaids dresses I mentioned last week.

If you don't hear from me in the next few days, it is because I have been committed *grin*

Pel

Friday Finds Dec 4th

2009-12-04T23:30:00.000-08:00

Forever21 gets all my loving today. While I shopped other places they were Yule gifts so I can not show them or the people I bought them for will know what they got! Same goes for some of the awesome things I got at F21. Sorry! But I can say that for stocking stuffers, check out their clearance section. They had an amazing selection of hair goodies *grin*

Now on with the show:

This is my new brown coat. I needed one to go with everything I wore that was not black or grey. At totally bargain at $48.90 I was going to spend almost $100.00 at another store. I am so glad I shopped F21 first! Notice the little floral hair pins, they have them in tons of styles and they come three pairs to a card for $5.80. You can gift them as is or break them up into single sets for stocking stuffers.

Watercolour dress was only $7.99 on the clearance rack. The fishnet stockings $5.80 and the hairband $7.80. I can wear this dress all year round with the right layering. F21 has lots of beautiful dresses right now on the rack. Someone on my list has one wrapped up, but I won't say who :)

A close up of the shoes. Oh my, I have been wanting shoes like these for a while. They are similar th Louboutin's Bloody Mary Shoe, but totally affordable at $30.99.

Since I had saved so much buying the brown coat when I saw the plum coat, I snatched it up. Toms was not really happy. He said I just lost any saving I would have made. But I figured I was going to spend $100.00 anyways and now I have TWO adorable coats and this one was only $45.00 so I still came out ahead! Okay so my reasoning was convoluted and Tom is probably right. I am such an impulse shopper!

Lastly is this red and black buffalo check top that was on clearance for $4.99 and the headband on clearance for $1.99. I feel so flashback 80's in this outfit, but in a good way!

Like I said, I got many other lovely things but they were gifts and so I can't show them. I plan on shopping some more at Forever21 for Yule gifts. They have such great deals on their clearance it is ridiculous!

Let me know where you are finding great deals!

Pel

Social Darling Frock GROSGRAIN GIVEAWAY!!!!

2009-12-04T13:27:00.000-08:00

Another great giveaway from Grosgrain! Her blog has great tips and tricks for those of us who sew, so check it out and don't forget to enter to win this:

Social Darling Frock GROSGRAIN GIVEAWAY!!!!

Sigh, I am so in love with this dress.

Pel

Straw into Gold- To Dye For

2009-12-02T14:22:00.000-08:00

From the Spinning Straw into Gold article I had a black skirt that was severely faded so I decided to do a little dyeing tutorial to show you how easy it is to revitalize faded clothing. You can do this on your old jeans or others things that may be discoloured.

Here is me in my newly dyed black skirt. Notice how much better it looks now>

I am ready to go out now!

Here is another tutorial if you want to try your hand at dying with onion skins. It is fun!

As mentioned in the first tutorial, save your dandelion roots because I am going to do a tutorial in a couple months on using mordants to get more than one colour out of a dye bath.

Happy dyeing!

Pel

Cyber Monday

2009-11-30T11:39:00.000-08:00

For those of us who like to shop online today has been dubbed Cyber Monday. There are many good deals out there and I have a few of them to share with you!

First is at Khols.com

Next is
Martinsville Emporium (yummy soaps, shower gels and candles!)

From now until December 4th, receive free shipping on your entire purchase
at Martinsville Emporium! Use the coupon code "cybermonday" at
checkout.

Tarte Cosmetics is having an awesome sale.

Shoes! Oh how I love Aldo.

Delias.com has free shipping on oreders over $25.00. Eh, its okay. They could have done better.

Kmart.com has a few sales on their site. The jewelry looks interesting.

Victoria's Secret is on Sale until 12/2 so you can be a slacker :) they have a lot of disclaimers with it though. I hate that.

Sephora.com has free shipping. Enter SHIP4FREE at checkout.

There are many other sites out there with cool sales. Tell me where you are getting deals!

Pel

Friday Finds Nov. 27th

2009-11-29T23:00:00.000-08:00

This month has just whisked by so fast! I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. We ate until we couldn't move and then went to sleep early so we could shop Black Friday. My poor head cold made this a rough shopping day for me, but I did it anyways. How else would Yule shopping get done?

Here are the lovely things I got online and at the stores this week. Forever21 did not fail me with many things at great prices. You will see more from them next week *grin*

Wine tie neck top $3.99 Forever21. A sweet retro style.

Navy cableknit turtleneck $3.99 Forever21. A fashion basic that I needed to fill a hole in my closet.

Bubble dress $5.99 Forever21. Yes, I am wearing a bubble hem dress. I am surprised too!

Grey sweater Take Three LLC on ebay $19.99. I wore this sweater for Thanksgiving.

Tan sweater Take Three LLC on ebay $24.99. Super cuddly and warm.

Red belt $6.50 Forever21. It goes with so many things!

Madden Girl shoes from Ross $11.99. These are so sexy.

Black belt $6.50 Forever21. Another great belt I will get lots of use out of.

I also bought those black leggings from Forever21 for $4.50 that I showed you in the article "Holes in My Wardrobe" I just didn't get a chance to take pics of them. I plan on wearing them with tunic sweaters and some of my dresses. Tomorrow I hope to get some sewing done and maybe a bit of dyeing. Hope you have a productive day as well!

Pel

Peppermint Stick Holiday Frock GROSGRAIN GIVEAWAY!!!!

2009-11-29T21:04:00.000-08:00

Peppermint Stick Holiday Frock GROSGRAIN GIVEAWAY!!!!

If you haven't visited this site yet, you will really love it! Great sewing projects and giveaways. Definitely an addiction like chocolate, but a lot easier on the hips!

Pel

Too Many Irons in the Fire

2009-11-25T08:41:00.000-08:00

*Note, This was to be posted before Thanksgiving, but I came down with a nasty head cold and didn't finish writing it because the pies took precedence. So here it is now and Friday Finds will be tomorrow.

As usual I have overextended myself. I have agreed to make 6 bridesmaids dresses for a wedding in early January. My daughter Keirnath is one of those bridesmaids. I also have a dress and a skirt to make and I still have the rest of the contents of the bin that was in the garage to finish fixing up. A lot on my plate for the next few weeks.

This is a pic of the bridesmaids dresses. Sorry it is so small, the website it is from has flash (can't copy the flash) so I have linked to the bigger flash picture, just click to see it. I finally got the measurements of all the ladies this past week so now I can start making the patterns for them.

Silk Shantung Dress

Here is the dress for me that I have cut out, view B. I had planned on wearing it for Thanksgiving, but that is not going to happen now that I have come down with a nasty cold. I am hoping to just get all the pies baked now, sigh.

I really wanted this skirt on ebay, but it went too high so I got a crazy notion in my head that I could make one myself.

I bought this yarn to crochet a picot edge on the skirt. It is not the right weight or material, being wool and I wanted cotton. But it was all my local store had so I had to compromise. My luck it will felt up the first time I wash it.

Am I nuts? Probably. I had no business taking on a wedding so late in the game. If it wasn't for Keirnath, I would have said no.
I am going to go visit my daughter for a week in early December so I can do fittings for the girls and hopefully get most of the work done on the dresses. I will go back again a week or two before the wedding to finish them up. During that time I won't be posting much, but I will try to take pictures of the progress on the dresses so you all can see.

Wish me luck!

Pel

Straw into Gold- 80's Dress Slashed!

2009-11-23T13:26:00.000-08:00

I know the title sounds a bit scary. And I admit that what I did was a bit scary. I took an old 80's dress that had been found in a bin in the garage and that I showed to you earlier in the article "Spinning Straw into Gold" and I cut it up! As it was, it was outdated and screamed old, fusty and maybe a little dicked in the knob (an old English phrase that means not quite right in the head!) So to remake this I had to go all slasher film and cut it in half. What I ended up with was a very nice blouse and a skirt.

Measuring from the shoulder to the hip to make my cutting line in chalk. This line is slightly curved due to the volume at the hip. I chose 23 inches as the length. Dress is carefully folded in half to make the marking and cutting easier.

The cut has been made! There is no turning back now. I evened up any unevenness in the edges and made the front a little more curved upward as a design element.

The finishing now is surprisingly easy. Just a simple shirttail hem for the top. Press the edge up 1/8 of an inch twice and stitch in place. Done! For the skirt I serged the top edge and then folded it over elastic I had stitched together. So easy and done in about 10 minutes.

I am thinking I may still add elastic to the sleeves of the blouse. I haven't decided on it for sure.

New blouse. I like it with my skinny jeans.

New skirt. It has lots of styling options. I think it looks great with my silk skirt worn under it as a petticoat.

I can think of many other ways to wear these two new additions to my wardrobe. And to think that I was going to give this dress to Goodwill!

Pel

Friday Finds Nov. 20th

2009-11-22T01:15:00.000-08:00

I swear it is totally exhausting sitting up all night and day trolling ebay and Etsy for awesome bargains. I was so tuckered out from my exertions I slept all day Friday and then of course I had to shop on Saturday. That left today for writing :)

Fortunately, or unfortunately (depending upon your view) I did not win all the auctions that I had bid on this week. I am sure that Tom would have lost his mind if I HAD won them all! I did however win this sweet little dress that originally sold at Anthropologie. It is now mine *happy sigh*

Maeve Dress from iheartcinnamon on ebay. $37.84. I love how I can layer it for Fall and Winter and also wear it by itself for Spring and Summer.

Another ebay winner:

Cashmere Sweater from dertonr on ebay. $9.99. It looks perfect with my pencil skirt.

On to Etsy.

Navy Floral dress from Vintage Threadz. I cut the sleeves off and added elastic. I thought it made the dress more versatile. I plan on doing lots of different layering with this one.

From Anthropologie.com

Berry Bush tights. Such a pretty colour and pattern. I couldn't resist, though at $18.00 I will have to be very careful with these. I think they will look pretty with the Maeve dress, don't you think?

I won a couple other things (sweaters!) that did not come in the mail yet and Tom kindly let me shop at Ross and Forever21 so I will have a very robust Friday Finds for you next week, plus I have been sewing so look for an article on Monday detailing it and possibly Wed. if I can get the dress I am working on done. Wish me luck as Tarah is also sewing a dress and needs to have it done by Thanksgiving! Nothing like the two of us fighting over resources, LOL!

Pel

Dream A Little Dream

2009-11-18T12:58:00.001-08:00

I was up late the other night and bored so I flipped through the channels on TV and a show caught my eye that said Shoes by Sam Edelman. Now I don't usually watch HSN since their clothes are not my style and the hosts just annoy me, but shoes. I would stand in the pouring down rain to see shoes. Most of the shoes were not my style but one pair of boots. Oh this one pair of absolutely, gloriously, smack down gorgeous boots came on. They were called Granny Boots and came in black or brown leather.

I fell in love with the brown. So in love that I dreamt about them. I even envisioned in my dream the outfits I would wear with those boots. Now I can not afford these boots. They are $349.00. So not in my shoestring budget. Le sigh.

I found a similar style at Clockwork Couture

They only come in black, not brown as I really want, but the price is an easy to swallow $39.95. I am going to keep looking. Somewhere out there is a similar boot in brown that wont break the bank.

Here is a look at an outfit I put together just like the one I dreamed about.

I wore a pair of high heeled platform boots I already had. They looked cute, but weren't the granny boots I wanted. Tom was appreciative of the look at least ;)

Pel

Friday Finds Nov. 13th

2009-11-13T14:10:00.000-08:00

I hope you are all having a great Friday the 13th! I know I am. So far my husband is still working. The company has not locked the miners out and the Union has not gone on strike. I have not spent much money since my husband is very worried about his job right now, but I still managed to get some very nice things. Thank goodness for Goodwill! With only $23.00 I made out like a bandit! I also hit up Target for some warm tights among other things and found a little tip for those who are in the smaller sizes. Shop in the Children's section! The price is less than half the cost of Women's and they are super cute.

So here is my haul *grin*

Pumpkin Spice coloured designer sweater from Goodwill in Victorville $2.37. I see this designer at Nordstrom and her stuff sells for a couple hundred bucks a piece. SCORE!

Deep Plum jacket from Goodwill. $4.62. Tarah hated this on the rack, but when I put it on she told me I had to buy it!

Tan silk skirt Goodwill $2.12. Black Cloche hat from Target $14.99. Jeweled belt from Target $14.99. This skirt was professionally handmade. It looks couture. The zipper is hand pricked! A quality garment that I was amazed to find and it is mine for a song *does happy dance* The cloche hat was a happy find for me since I have been wanting a nice cloche hat ever since I bought one for my daughter Keirnath. I have to admit the belt was an impulse buy. I saw it and bought it. I shouldn't have but I did it. It is totally cute though, isn't it?

Polka dotted tights from Target $4.99. I bought these in the Children's section along with a pair of cream coloured tights for $3.99. They fit fantastically and are a good value. If I put a hole in them I am not going to die like the $18.00 tights I bought at Anthropologie.

Teal wool handmade skirt from Goodwill $3.07. Teal stockings from Target $12.00. This skirt was made by someone who didn't really know what they were doing but all the mistakes were fixable. I put it on the sewing machine as soon as I got it home and now it is gorgeous! The stockings turned out to be an excellent match. These were from the Women's section and they had them in a wine colour as well, but were out of my size.

Black and ivory pin dot ruffled blouse from Goodwill $3.62. Cute classic style that goes with almost everything in my closet.

Navy and white polka dot pleated skirt $4.04. Tarah wanted this skirt so I bought it for her but it turned out to be a vintage size not a modern size so it did not fit her. Now it is mine and I will give it a good home.

I also bought this black and white houndstooth wool pencil skirt for her, but she didn't want to pose in it for all of you. It looks totally adorable on her. Only $2.12.

The last thing I bought at Goodwill was a white dress shirt for my nephew Ian, I don't remember how much it was but it couldn't have been more than a dollar.

So while I didn't spend much money I got a vast amount of clothes and accessories. I am pretty happy about that.

Pel

I See Red

2009-11-12T12:15:00.000-08:00

After seeing quite a few fellow bloggers wearing lovely red lipstick and reading about the best ones to buy on Fedora Lounge I decided to dip my toes into the sea of temptation and buy a few red tubes of crimson decadence.

Unfortunately the offerings at my local Target were not large so I was only able to find one of the recommendations plus a couple others that caught my eye:

Cherries in The Snow Super Lustrous Lipstick by Revlon

This was a recommendation on Fedora Lounge. Many of the ladies swore by it. It is more pink on me than a true red but has decent staying power and looks good if I am wearing cool colors. It goes on nice and creamy and the formula isn't drying. Not too matte, but not really shiny. A good lipstick I give it 4 stars out of 5.

Are You Red-Dy ColorSensational Lipstick by Maybelline

This color is more of an orange-red. A very good retro color. Nice with warm colors. The lipstick is creamier that the Revlon one with a bit more shine, but that also means that it does not stay on my lips as well. I had to reapply it much more. It also "traveled" to other parts of my face. I found it on my chin after a meal and a dab on my cheek after a kiss with my hubby. 3.5 stars out of 5

Top Tomato ColorStay Ultimate Lipcolor by Revlon

I was enticed to buy this lipcolor by the display featuring actress Jeniffer Connally wearing the colour I purchased. On her it was beautifully glossy and shiny. It looked so luxe! Well that was very deceptive. This lipcolor is like paint in a tube. You have to be very careful how you apply it. It dries to a very matte finish that does not transfer and is hard to get off. It is also drying to the lips. Make sure you have exfoliated and moisturized well. The colour is a true red so it is really lovely but it does not have that nice shine the display promised.

Here I have used a Vitamin E lip balm to give it a bit of gloss. I will have to buy a clear, shiny lip gloss to get the effect I really want. If it wasn't for the drying effects of the formula and the deceiving advertising I would have given this 5 out of 5, but it will have to be 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Fire Line & Define Lip Pencil by Boots No7

To line my lips and keep the lip colour from bleeding I looked for a nice red lip pencil. The only one I found with a great red colour was from Boots No7. It went well with all the red lipsticks I bought and defined my lips perfectly. It is of the no-sharpening variety which is lovely in my book. I always lose my sharpener as it is!

So now I have three shades of red. That is probably enough, but I do want to hear what is your favourite red. Especially since not one of these was deemed perfect!

Pel

Ebay.... How Do I Love Thee!

2009-11-09T11:16:00.000-08:00

A while back I was in need of an entire, new wardrobe fast! Where did I turn to? Ebay of course! I was able to buy clothes in lots at a fraction of the cost of even thrift store clothes. I am talking nice things from The Gap, Express, J. Crew and so on.

For those of us who love fashion, but are having a bit of a cash crunch, Ebay can be a god send. It just takes a few tips to get the the most out of this bargain site.

1. Check out the feedback of the seller you are going to buy from. I stay away from anyone with less than stellar feedback.

2. Know what you are looking for. It helps to have a game plan when you start. I was looking for size 2 pants. I put that in the search box and added the word "lot" as a search term. I was able then to find incredible bargains from people selling pants in sets. I got a set of 5 pants in one of my lots for $15.00 and I paid for a flat rate box to ship them in. My favourite pair from this lot is:

White Velvet Jeans from Express.

3. Form a relationship with the seller. That way you may be notified when she/he gets new items in. The soft green cashmere turtleneck sweater in this picture I got after the one in the Ebay listing sold. The seller let me know she had another one, along with MANY other items that I purchased for a reduced price.

4. Watch out for shipping! Make sure to always check out a seller's shipping policies before bidding. That adorable item may not be such a deal if you have to factor in exorbitant shipping costs. I have seen designer jeans listed at $5.00 with $50.00 shipping. Look for sellers who combines shipping.

5. Don't get "caught up" in the bidding. You can get really carried away when you are in the throes of a bidding war. Did you really mean to spend $100.00 for that dress? No, I didn't think so. Set yourself a price that you would not go over and stick to it. I let this beautiful skirt get away from me last night because I was not willing to pay $70.00 plus once tax and shipping were factored in.

Gorgeous! But I am just going to try and make a replica instead.

6. Be aware of scams. There is a lot of fraud on Ebay. Make sure that you are protected. Only pay by Paypal or a credit card. Do not use a wire transfer ever! Pay for insurance if possible and if you do not receive your item make a claim with Paypal, your credit card company and Ebay. Do not delay and do not listen to any sob stories a seller may have. Time is of the essence for a claim.

I hope that these tips will help make your time with Ebay a bit easier and more fun. I know I wish I had know some of these when I started!

Pel

Friday Finds Nov. 6th

2009-11-06T14:49:00.000-08:00

Today's finds are actually last weeks but with all the craziness going on I never got to post them. Hopefully I will be able to keep purchasing yummy items. I have my eye on cashmere right now on ebay. Oh how I want new sweaters, as you all know!

Here are my first items:

A lovely brown and white dress from myhools.etsy I love the baby doll styling of it. Brown confetti tights from Anthropologie. They are so warm! I got two colors as you can see next.

Cream Confetti tights. It is hard to see in the photos, but there are multi-coloured flecks in the tights just like the little sprinkles you put on ice cream or cake frosting. Dang, now I want cake!

Another gorgeous pair of tights from Anthropologie. This time is a floral print. I just can't resist tights right now! Don't be surprised if you see more tights next week *grin*

This black velvet hobble skirt from Ravenrose is so retro. I felt like I should be living in another time.

New headbands! Costplus World Market has an amazing assortment and I went nuts. I think I want even more. You will be seeing these on me in the upcoming months as I think they go awesomely with my new haircut.

Oh, did I forget to mention that? Yep, I got my hair cut. I am now sporting bangs. It is all the fault of The Ghost Whisperer. It is on The SyFy channel on Mondays and I have been watching it religiously. Now I do not really believe in that stuff. But, I love a good love story and you have to admit the clothes that the main character wears are totally adorable. And her hair, I just love her hair! I now have a version of her hair. Not exactly the same, just inspired by it. This style really takes well to embellishments and I am going hog wild!
Expect more of them :)

Pel

Distractions

2009-11-04T13:26:00.000-08:00

I hope all of you have had a great Halloween. I had planned on a nice Halloween article and of course my usual Friday Finds article but I have been distracted by the threat of a strike or possible lock out at my husband's work. This has been a very big worry for him and we have been attending Union meetings, reading contract proposals and following the negotiations. I hate that real life has put such a crimp into my fashion life. That is the real world though. We all have to deal with these things. If a strike does happen I will be cinching in my belt and halting my purchases. Will that mean I can no longer follow fashion? No. It just means I will have to become more creative with it. You will have at least a week or two of Friday Finds as I have last week's to post still and I did go shopping this weekend so there will be another after that *smile* Let's hope that I can continue. (don't let my husband hear that LOL! He would prefer I stop shopping.)

Here is a look at what I wore for Halloween:

I took my granddaughters trick or treating. They looked adorable!

So here's to my husband's continuing to work and me continuing to shop.

Pel

Holes in My Wardrobe

2009-10-26T10:00:00.000-07:00

Everybody has them. Holes in their wardrobe. Things they need, basics that they don't have. Items that would make their clothing work together better as a whole. Mine are pretty simple. Basic black leggings, patterned cardigans (this seasons staple), and socks and tights. I have a wishlist on Anthropologie that I if I had funds I would buy from. I drool over these sweaters. They are soooo luscious!

I can just imagine cuddling up in these sweaters this Winter while the cold winds howl.

They will be perfect paired with the black leggings I so desperately need. My old ones were too big so I gave them away and never got another pair to replace them.

These from Forever21 may be just the ticket. The price is super sweet at $4.50!

As for the socks and tights. I have been looking at Target and Anthropologie for new pairs and I just got paisley ones from Target (see Friday Finds Oct23rd) and the ones from Anthropologie will be coming soon. My feet get notoriously cold in the Winter and nothing is more miserable than cold feet.

What is your "go to" item in your wardrobe that you can't live without?

Pel

Jacket Required

2009-10-24T20:25:00.000-07:00

I really love jackets. I have a small collection of them. My daughter Tarah does too. Unfortunately she has had to put a few of hers on ebay since they do not fit her any more. If they fit me you can be sure they would be tucked safe away in my closet!

Faux leather jacket. Size Medium

Black and white tweed jacket. Size 6

Brown tweed herringbone with flower applique. Size 10

Black damask jacket.Size 10

Grey/dark taupe with metallic stripe jacket size 8.

Women's chocolate brown safari jacket size small.

She has other lovely clothes that she will be putting up on auction in the coming weeks so you may want to bookmark her :)

Pel

Friday Finds Oct 23rd

2009-10-22T18:51:00.000-07:00

This has been a good week for me, our erstwhile trip to Buffalo Exchange notwithstanding. Other than that I finally got my wardrobe off layaway! Yay! It is now ensconced in my bedroom and I have filled it up with my clothing and accessories.
While my husband had tires put on the truck I nipped over to Marshall's and perused their sweater selection. I was a bit disappointed that there were not very many in my size, but I did find two that I liked.

This gorgeous plum sweater just needed one of my flower pins to jazz it up a bit. Only $24.99. (sorry I had no one to help me take this picture)

I totally fell for this lacy sweater by Kensie. It is a tad large so I used a scarf to belt it. $34.99

Over on Etsy I went shopping for a present for my daughter Keirnath who turned 25 this month. I found this wonderful hat from Whimsical Retro Style and when I got it I just HAD to try it on.

It looks so amazing I wish she had another one that I could buy for myself. $24.00

Now to wrap it up for her and not be tempted to keep it *grin*

Pel

Mis-Adventures at Buffalo Exchange

2009-10-20T16:05:00.000-07:00

I had been hearing great things about Buffalo Exchange from Solanah a blogger who resides in Seattle. Determined to find one near me I went on Google and found one in Sherman Oaks near L.A. Only 107 miles away! So I gathered up two of my daughters and one of their friends. We got a pile of clothes that didn't fit us anymore together to exchange for store credit or money and hit the road! It wasn't too hard to find the store on Ventura Blvd. We were very excited to see what it looked like inside. We were a bit let down upon entering. I must admit it was like any thrift store inside. Overall I got an impression of brownness.
So we took our items up to the counter and the girl there went through them. She seemed nice, but as one of my daughter said, there wasn't a good vibe from her. She definitely did not "mesh" with us style wise. She was a tattooed, dreadlocked Kat Von D wannabe and we were either retro or casual. Needless to say she took NONE of our clothes. She said they were all out of style. Even though I had clothes with tags still attached. She tried very hard to get my youngest daughter to "donate" her items to their charity. I went ahead and donated the items I didn't care about, but now I really wonder if they are ending up at the charity. We walked around the store afterwards and saw on the racks items similar to what we had brought in but in MUCH worse condition! One dress there was ripped all down the side. I can definitely say We will not be going there again. I get much better deals and better quality shopping at Goodwill and I can always sell my clothes I am tired of on ebay or Etsy. In a nutshell, Buffalo Exchange did not live up to my expectations and I would not recommend it.
I will let you all know when my daughter puts her clothes up on ebay so you can see for yourself how "unstylish" they are *grin*

Pel

Friday Finds Oct 16th

2009-10-16T10:00:00.000-07:00

Here is a look at my favourites on Etsy. Yes, These are what I am currently drooling over. I am having a love affair with dresses right now :)

Etsy: Your place to buy & sell all things handmade
TwistedBritches.etsy.com

What are you currently crushing on?

Pel

Style or Comfort?

2009-10-14T10:00:00.000-07:00

I have been thinking about this the past couple of days after seeing this ad at Shopbop for cropped pants for Fall of all things.

Yes, just what I want is an icy breeze swirling around my exposed ankles!

So what are we willing to put ourselves through to look stylish? I for one I am not some silly Regency maiden wandering around in dampened muslin getting consumption. In Winter and Fall I want clothes to keep me warm. No flimsy tees and cropped pants or sandals. I want cozy sweaters, warm boots and pants that actually cover my legs! On the other extreme is clothing that is painful.

Alexander McQueen showed off 12 inch heels on the runway that looked like raptor claws. They may be art, but there is no way they were comfortable or wearable.

I like pretty shoes. Maybe a bit more than like. However, I am not putting up with blisters or bunions or hammertoes because of tight or ill fitting shoes. No way. I love my feet too much to do that to them.

Too tight jeans or tops are other items fraught with danger.

I like jeans as much as the next person. The news I am hearing about the super tight, super skinny jeans is a bit scary though. A lot of women have had paralysis of the nerve in the leg so that after wearing them they can not walk temporarily! Wow, that would scare me half to death if it happened to me. I make sure now that my jeans are not too tight. I am not willing to have that happen.

I have worn tight corsets to the Renaissance faires and I can say that I do not want to deal with that pain in real life.

I have seen pretty, corseted tops and you can get ones that are not tight, really! Breathe, ladies. We need to breathe! So while I might wear a pretty corset like this over a white blouse like it was a vest, no tight lacing for me!

So tell me. Are you willing to suffer for fashion?

Pel

A New Purpose

2009-10-09T22:46:00.000-07:00

I love it when I find a new purpose for an everyday item and when I also find a use for something I might have thrown away. Especially when that use saves me money! Here are a few things I have repurposed. I hope they give you a few ideas too.

I was going to buy drawer organizers at the container store when I noticed that the inserts that held these little strudel cookies was perfect for organizing items in my drawers and on my vanity tray! What is even better is they stack so they take up so little space. So I've kept plastic out of the land fill and saved myself a few dollars in the bargain. I am pretty happy about that.

At Target I saw this adorable bathroom set that was so cute. The wheels started turning in my head and I realised that the toothbrush holder would be better off as an earring holder. It holds my longer earrings tangle free.

The soap dish keeps my large "knuckle duster" rings close at hand.

This hand soap dispenser is waiting to be filled with my favourite body lotion.

They all look so beautiful sitting on my vanity.

So tell me about the things you have repurposed. I have just started and it is fun!

Pel