A Backward Glance

Black Sonoma denim jeans, striped knit shirt, and a red belt compose my New Years Eve outfit.  I don't know what I'll wear for the party we're hosting, but by evening I'll have it figured out. 

Happy New Year to all!

My New "Pashini"

My sister gave me two 100% pashini scarves for my birthday.  She purchased them while in Turkey earlier this year.  My daughter showed me this wonderful way to tie them. I really like the braided look of this technique!

After Christmas

This dark green, navy and black plaid skirt and top are at least 13 years old (Talbots).  A friend took me shopping after I'd lost weight and treated me to this outfit.  It is SO classic.  Black velvet collar, buttons and pocket  flaps make it a good holiday choice for me.

My accessories include an earrings and bracelet set, gifts this Christmas from a friend at church.

Later today, all three of our children with our eight grandchildren will arrive.  The house is cleaned and waiting!

Navy Blue

Simple outfit for simple day. Loose, navy slacks, short-sleeved sweater, silver neck chains matching the silver buckles on my navy shoes....Thrift store finds from years past.

Christmas Eve Day

It's a yukky, cold day outside, but there is work to do INside!  Since I wanted to pick up a last minute gift for friends who had to change their Christmas plans due to weather, I wore something that would be presentable OUTside and comfortable INside....

A collared cardigan in a red just a smidge too orange for me (but the price was right)
A lace shirt
A black corduroy skirt
A piece of broken Christmas floral  arrangement worn as a corsage
                 All thrifted at one time or another!

Gifts are wrapped and loaded onto the wagon (thrifted) that will carry them into the living room on Sunday evening when our three children and eight grands are all together...The wrapping paper, ribbons, and ornaments tied to the packages were all thrifted, of course!

Merry Christmas, friends!

I decided on accentuating the blue in the plaid pattern of my skirt today.  This sweater with a zippered neck opening works!  The dark blue of the leg-wear extends to the color of my shoes that are accented by silver buckles.

I chose a white Christmas tree pin that glitters when it catches the light which then prompted me to select the white studded belt.

It's all thrifted - none of it recently.

This Christmas cactus was was handed me last night by a good friend along with a "happy birthday" greeting.  I really appreciate it.

SEE WHAT $4.50 BOUGHT!

A simple outfit selected to show the newly thrifted silk scarf I bought yesterday. I am more and more comfortable with scarves and, to my surprise, am starting to feel quite "naked" without them!

Among the other things $4.50 bought yesterday:  a brand new Christmas candle shaped like a log, a bunch of unused red candles, three tiny (and I mean TINY) reindeer, a vintage Fisher Price airport sans accessories, a unique nickle-plated piggy bank, two blue and white cups/mugs (one Delfts), a small vintage pillow, and  a Holly Hobbie 1973 commemorative Christmas plate.  Actually, there were several other items in my basket, too!  Merry Christmas to me!

 

This scarf has many beautiful colors in it....My simple camera doesn't do them justice.

Here are a few of the other items I brought home with me for the unbelievable price of $4.50 plus tax.

 

Vintage Christmas Monday #5

Cards complete with string and instructions, "Hang me on your Christmas tree"...I love the vintage art work.

I hope you have time to visit many other Vintage Christmas Monday posts!

And have a very merry Christmas!

Next Time I'll Comb my Hair!

Just a little too eager to show off the Christmas tree pin on my collar...

Little black dress sparked up with a red jacket, gold belt, Christmas tree earrings and pin, and gold specks on the black stockings.  Ready for church!  All thrifted - all re-visited.

 The colors are pretty true on this close-up.  This is the Lands End knit dress that I bought this week from the 50 cent rack at a thrift store.  One of my "fashion goals" is to learn how to successfully layer my clothing, and I thought this would be a great piece to experiment with.

Today of all days, my phone-camera is not cooperating.  But I'm determined to post! I have chosen to wear this vest and a gold belt over it.  You won't be able to tell from the picture, but I'm also wearing green leg-wear that matches the dress color closely. As usual, everything has been thrifted....some earlier than others.

BLUE CHRISTMAS

This is the first time I've worn this newly thrifted, wool vest...a muted blue color trimmed in navy.  It was on the 50 cent rack this week. 

I disregarded one of my  Healthy Holiday Tips by wearing this elastic-waisted navy skirt.  The burgandy top was in a plastic container on my top closet shelf.  I had forgotten that I had a whole wardrobe of knit, long-sleeved tops stored there!  I decided to wear the burgandy leg-wear that I thrifted - rounding out the outfit to be entirely from thrift stores. A gold belt (barely visible) and a gold Christmas tree pin are my simple accessories today.

These blue ornaments have been thrifted through the years

and displayed in different ways from one year to the

next.  Today they are gathered in a white flower container.

Same Scarf ; Different Public

Off to see different people today, so I am wearing the same scarf I did yesterday....this time with a brown jacket, black velvet skirt, an orange knit top and a turquoise canvas belt that matches the turquoise, Christmas corsage!

Thrifted and gifted items combine to bring me cheer and satisfaction today.

When I Go Out Today, I'll Be Wearing...

• A brown (man's) leather vest over a tan long-sleeved T and
  
• A beautiful cashmere scarf (gifted) almost obscuring the amber-like necklace.

All (including brown checked slacks) thirfted at one time or another except for the scarf.

You might be interested in reading about my Mall Enounter last night.  I've obvously spent too much time in thirft stores lately!

Vintage Christmas Monday #4

Our youngest daughter made this wreath in school in 1987.  Her little hands were traced, the forms cut out, and assembled.  I  laminated it a few years later and it is one of my favorite decorations.

This stack of books in our Christmas cabin includes some vintage volumes.  The pictures are a joy to visit each year.

A vintage tin rests atop it...

The stack of Christmas issues of Ideals continues to grow.  I think a few copies would fall into the "vintage" category.

Though a 1990 publication, this book contains two vintage stories, one written in 1966 (my high school graduation year) and the other in 1973.  The entire Miss Read series is a delight to read.

I don't know the history of this horse but it looks vintage.  It joined our household when we found it waiting to be burned on a burn pile!  A minor repair brought it back to its current condition.

For a look at more wonderful vintage Christmas items, be sure to go to Anything Goes Here!

Merry Christmas!

Third Sunday in Advent

I'm wearing a red jacket over a dark green knit top with my newly thrifted Pendleton skirt - a black and white woven pattern (see it below) at a length I adore.  I thrifted the gray stockings, too!  I AM wearing a Christmas tree pin on my collar. Our Third Sunday in Advent 10:00 worship service will be preceded by a 9:00 cookie exchange.  My 6 layer bars are cut and arranged on a serving tray -- ready to go!

The two figures to the right are those missing when I thrifted a set of Nativity figures last year.  I was fortunate to find a shop that had the molds.  They poured them and I put the finish on them.  Now my set is complete and includes, not three, but SIX camels!

This is what I wore today.  I shopped for ingredients for the cookie bars I made when I got home.  I will take them to the Christmas cookie exchange at church on Sunday.  After they were baked, a friend stopped by for a cup of tea and to show me pictures of the weddings of two of her children.  Later, my husband and I went out for our favorite pizza - Pizza Hut's Taco Pizza on thick crust.  We like it with sour cream and salsa.  Then we went to Borders to read today's newspapers and some current home decorating magazines.

All thrifted - long, black corduroy skirt, gray button-down top, red belt, Christmas tree pin.






Yesterday I cut off this long skirt and hemmed it. (I may have cut it too short.)  I kept the part I cut off and used it as a scarf.  It can also be used as a belt.  You can see I look a little skeptical.  I am 60 years old.  I don't want to look like I'm 30.  I worked too hard to arrive at this age!

ANOTHER CHRISTMAS PARTY

We're going to another party tonight.  I will need to wear a jacket and will probably add some jewelry, but this is the basics of what I'll wear.  I especially like this red blouse that has been in my closet for a long time.  I don't wear the silver shoes often, but they add a festive touch and go nicely with the silver on my belt, I think.

After a catered dinner, the tradition at this party is to open and "steal" gifts.  This year I'm taking something that I might steal and would enjoy having myself (some flavored coffees in one bag and two over-sized books in another -- one gardening, the other decorating).

Everything I'm wearing was purchased at a thrift store at one time or another.

It's a Christmas Party!

This is what I'm wearing to our Red Hat (which is no longer officially "Red Hat") Christmas party. It is always a gala affair, hosted each year at the wonderful home of one of our members.  We reveal our "secret sisters" and enjoy an excellent dinner.

Warm red sweater

Black skirt

Leg wear with gold glitter

Black suede shoes

Christmas tree pin

Gold belt

All thrifted--even stockings. Total cost - no more than $6!

VINTAGE CHRISTMAS MONDAY #3

Above is a (bad) closeup of the top of the vintage cover on our bed in the Christmas cabin. Unfortunately, the heat is not turned on in the cabin...I decided not to go out and reshoot these pictures!  There is a slight wind going on, also - swirling the snow that is falling and beginning to accumulate on the ground.

This is the outfit I wore to church Sunday.  A little black dress with a brown jacket and quite newly thrifted brown shoes.  There IS a Christmas tree pin on the lapel, but the star of the outfit is the beautiful cashmere scarf (brown and turquoise) that I received in a blog giveaway a few weeks ago!  It was warm; it is beautiful.  I DID loosen it a bit and it looked better than in this photo.  Everything I'm wearing was thrifted at one time or another, by the way.

If you have time, check out more Vintage Christmas Monday at Anything Goes Here!

CHRISTMAS HOUSE WALK

This was the Brown's house--the first on our Christmas tour of homes in Hicksille, OH yesterday.  We were a little rushed because of evening plans, but enjoyed every minute of the crisp, cold afternoon!

I layered a heavy vest over a red sweater over a long-sleeved shirt. Black boots, gloves and a white scarf kept me warm all over. The Talbot blue/gray slacks are lined and warm also. (Need I add, all were thrifted at least a year ago?)

I lost the Christmas tree pin I thought I'd pinned on the vest.  I was very sad.

Christmas Minus Twenty-One

Today I'm wearing:

Black and white toille stretch top
Pendleton plaid jacket belted with gold belt
Denim skirt
Black and white scarf (an easy one to arrange this morning)
A Christmas tree pin on the lapel
Black suede shoes

All thrifted - as usual.  Nothing new though.  Just closeted treasures.

Among other things today,  I'll put the pearlized coat on my ceramic projects and "tag" these candy canes for distribution after the children's Christmas Program at church this Sunday.