Blogging the style adventures of the Jewel City's most dedicated treasure hunter.
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Blog Anthem
Back when I was deciding on a name for this blog, I did a google search for "Dirty Pearl" to see what came up. Luckily, the blog domain wasn't taken and even more luckily I found this song. I hadn't heard of Angela McCluskey before but I love her sonng "Dirty Pearl." It's perfect! Enjoy!
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Treasure Hunting: Pros and Cons
Today, I am going to explain each side of my treasure hunting style doubloon. Actually, screw the doubloon pirate reference. You know how I love brooches. I would rather explain both sides of the brooch. One side is glitzy, colorful, wonderful, and draws all the attention BUT the other.... is dark, not special, and has a giant sharp pin that can stick you, or even worse can snag your sweater yarns and ruin it! Oh the Tragedy! Shopping at discount and thrift stores has significant highs and lows. Treasure hunting. Pros and Cons. Here we go:
PROS:
1) Low Cost- I'm hard pressed to pay over $10 for anything and to pay over $20 it has to be really special. As long as you make sure it's high quality then there shouldn't be a problem. If you don't spend a lot of money on your clothes, you can play harder. So what if I accidentally destroyed these shorts with paint? They cost $6. And Surprise! Now they look good splattered with paint. With all the money you save on clothes you'll have lots more to spend on music and sushi.
2) Unique items- There is a ton of great stuff waiting to be discovered! Going to a thrift store is the only way to get neat vintage pieces without paying a ton of money. Afraid of showing up at a party wearing the same dress as that girl from your English class? Don't go to the mall. Go to Gabes. They probably only carry three of the totally rad dress you end up buying so chances are slim that little miss Chaucer worshiper will be wearing it.
3) Fun- Going shopping with friends is always a good time but it can turn pretty silly when making outfits in a goodwill. And there have been so many times when I've found something and been amazed that it even exists on this planet.
4) Adventurous Outfits and Experience- Shopping should be an adventure. I like to be surprised by what I find. Sometimes you ask yourself, "What if I wore green corduroy pants? Would I wear them?" Well, buy them and find out! You can stretch your style range if there's nothing (as in no great expense) to hold you back. It's fun to improvise.
5) Forced Creativity- Many people are creative but don't use their talents. Treasure hunting forces you to be a little more creative to incorporate unique things into your wardrobe and stretch your imagination which is a good thing. Sometimes you are forced to see the potential in a dress that with a shorter hem line would be great. Don't be afraid to cut up and change things. If it's cheap and you accidentally ruin it then all you did was buy experience to use next time you plays clothes doctor. Because you've ended up with lime green high heels that you love, you will find a way to wear them. You have to!
CONS:
1) Trouble for impulse buyers-Yes, stuff is cheap but that can make it hard to say no. Know where to draw the line and make the tough choices. Yes, these cute suede boots come in four colors but you don't need all of them. You can't even wear suede year round. Calm down.
2) Hard to find specifics- There is some weird paradox which makes it impossible to find something when you're really hunting for it. I have been looking for a flesh-tone slip at Gabes for months. Months! Sure, I could get one somewhere else but then it would be more expensive and I won't wear it that much anyways. Something will turn up... someday.... I hope....
3) Time Consuming- You can get lost in a black hole of shopping. Everything is different so you have to take time to look at well...everything! And then it's pretty loosely organized at thrifty discount places so you never know where the gems are hiding.
4) Must Carefully Inspect Treasures- Be careful! Sometimes there are holes or stains. Be sure to try on BOTH shoes. Example: One time at Gabes I was thrilled to find a pair of gold jazz shoes. The store was about to close and there was only this one pair. I normally wear a size 7 but these were size 8. I tried on the left shoe and it was a little big but only $3 and felt ok. I raced home and prepared to skip around in my silly new shoes but when I put on the right shoe, it turned out to be a size 9. What the hell?! I couldn't wear them. Broke my heart. I gave them to goodwill where they were bought by some weirdo with unevenly sized feet.
5) Buyers Remorse-Consider this your shopping hangover. After a shopping binge you might say "Oh craaaap! I really over did it last night. Nothing matches! And I'm running out of closet space! What am I going to do with all this stuff?!" Don't worry. Have bloody mary or a mimosa and go back to bed. Go shopping after your nap to feel better. (ha.) The reverse can also happen. Sometimes you talk yourself out of getting something and regret it. When you go back, it might (probably) will be gone and you'll be feeling blue about the one that got away.
PROS:
1) Low Cost- I'm hard pressed to pay over $10 for anything and to pay over $20 it has to be really special. As long as you make sure it's high quality then there shouldn't be a problem. If you don't spend a lot of money on your clothes, you can play harder. So what if I accidentally destroyed these shorts with paint? They cost $6. And Surprise! Now they look good splattered with paint. With all the money you save on clothes you'll have lots more to spend on music and sushi.
2) Unique items- There is a ton of great stuff waiting to be discovered! Going to a thrift store is the only way to get neat vintage pieces without paying a ton of money. Afraid of showing up at a party wearing the same dress as that girl from your English class? Don't go to the mall. Go to Gabes. They probably only carry three of the totally rad dress you end up buying so chances are slim that little miss Chaucer worshiper will be wearing it.
3) Fun- Going shopping with friends is always a good time but it can turn pretty silly when making outfits in a goodwill. And there have been so many times when I've found something and been amazed that it even exists on this planet.
4) Adventurous Outfits and Experience- Shopping should be an adventure. I like to be surprised by what I find. Sometimes you ask yourself, "What if I wore green corduroy pants? Would I wear them?" Well, buy them and find out! You can stretch your style range if there's nothing (as in no great expense) to hold you back. It's fun to improvise.
5) Forced Creativity- Many people are creative but don't use their talents. Treasure hunting forces you to be a little more creative to incorporate unique things into your wardrobe and stretch your imagination which is a good thing. Sometimes you are forced to see the potential in a dress that with a shorter hem line would be great. Don't be afraid to cut up and change things. If it's cheap and you accidentally ruin it then all you did was buy experience to use next time you plays clothes doctor. Because you've ended up with lime green high heels that you love, you will find a way to wear them. You have to!
CONS:
1) Trouble for impulse buyers-Yes, stuff is cheap but that can make it hard to say no. Know where to draw the line and make the tough choices. Yes, these cute suede boots come in four colors but you don't need all of them. You can't even wear suede year round. Calm down.
2) Hard to find specifics- There is some weird paradox which makes it impossible to find something when you're really hunting for it. I have been looking for a flesh-tone slip at Gabes for months. Months! Sure, I could get one somewhere else but then it would be more expensive and I won't wear it that much anyways. Something will turn up... someday.... I hope....
3) Time Consuming- You can get lost in a black hole of shopping. Everything is different so you have to take time to look at well...everything! And then it's pretty loosely organized at thrifty discount places so you never know where the gems are hiding.
4) Must Carefully Inspect Treasures- Be careful! Sometimes there are holes or stains. Be sure to try on BOTH shoes. Example: One time at Gabes I was thrilled to find a pair of gold jazz shoes. The store was about to close and there was only this one pair. I normally wear a size 7 but these were size 8. I tried on the left shoe and it was a little big but only $3 and felt ok. I raced home and prepared to skip around in my silly new shoes but when I put on the right shoe, it turned out to be a size 9. What the hell?! I couldn't wear them. Broke my heart. I gave them to goodwill where they were bought by some weirdo with unevenly sized feet.
5) Buyers Remorse-Consider this your shopping hangover. After a shopping binge you might say "Oh craaaap! I really over did it last night. Nothing matches! And I'm running out of closet space! What am I going to do with all this stuff?!" Don't worry. Have bloody mary or a mimosa and go back to bed. Go shopping after your nap to feel better. (ha.) The reverse can also happen. Sometimes you talk yourself out of getting something and regret it. When you go back, it might (probably) will be gone and you'll be feeling blue about the one that got away.
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
My Love Affair With Gabes
Yesterday, I went to Gabes. Formally it's called Gabriel Brothers. Sometimes over the loudspeaker they make announcements and they always end with "Thank you for shopping at Gabriel Brothers. Big name brands at shocking low prices. You gotta love it!" This is one of the very best places to go treasure hunting. It's a warehouse full of all the stuff that didn't get sold or was overstocked at other stores.
One thing that's cool about the Gabes in Huntington is that it gets a ton of brands that aren't normally sold around here. Example: Urban Outfitters. Now, I think Urban Outfitters has some really neat stuff. Sure,some most of it seems to try a little too hard to be hipster-y BUT when it's at Gabes and I can get it for near pennies, who the hell cares? Also, there isn't a real Urban Outfitters anywhere nearby. According to Urban's website, the closest store is a mere 115 miles away in Columbus, OH.
This is the tote bag I bought. It was $2.
I know this was originally from Urban Outfitters because for some reason all the Urban stuff that ends up at Gabes get this super special tag treatment. Black sharpie -for realz? For realz. I think it is because the hipster infused clothes/bags/shoes/whatev are embarrassed to end up at Gabes. Little do they know how much they will be loved by me! $2 = Win!
One thing that's cool about the Gabes in Huntington is that it gets a ton of brands that aren't normally sold around here. Example: Urban Outfitters. Now, I think Urban Outfitters has some really neat stuff. Sure,
This is the tote bag I bought. It was $2.
 |
| Tote for totes! |
 |
| Some Urban brand tag that is ashamed to be at Gabes |
Merry Brooch-mas!
Last night, I exchanged Christmas gifts with my besties. My dear friends Cristin (awesome) and Scott (also awesome) know me very well and amassed quite the collection of new baubles. And so, I bring you a Merry Brooch-mas!
There were many other cute cute things but these are just the brooches. I love them! The pink elephant's head moves. How neat is that?! I'm thinking I would love to wear my entire pin/brooch collection at once. I tried to wear all of these on a light cardigan last night but it was too much for bitty baby cardigan. I think maybe a suit jacket would be a better option.
These are my two Christmas specific pins:
The poinsettia brooch is beautiful and classy. Coincidentally, it was a gift from Scott last year. The ice skating pig tickles me to death. I really love pigs. I have wanted a pet pocket pig for years. And this one is covered in glitter and wearing ice skates! Merry Brooch-mas everybody! I hope Santa stuffs your stocking with some great new glitzy brooches.
These are my two Christmas specific pins:
The poinsettia brooch is beautiful and classy. Coincidentally, it was a gift from Scott last year. The ice skating pig tickles me to death. I really love pigs. I have wanted a pet pocket pig for years. And this one is covered in glitter and wearing ice skates! Merry Brooch-mas everybody! I hope Santa stuffs your stocking with some great new glitzy brooches.
Monday, December 20, 2010
Lace Dress RE-MIX!
I'm a theater undergrad and sometimes I work in my school's costume shop. This fall we cleaned out our stock and got rid of a ton of stuff. (Hello fall wardrobe!) We sold a lot of things in a sidewalk sale. I bought a ton of great stuff but then when the sale was over I... um...."liberated" a few things before they were dumped at goodwill.
This is a little lacy number that I updated from "Bridesmaid Nightmare" to "Too Cute Party Dress." I really love party dresses. I don't wear them as much as I would like but I still really REALLY love party dresses. PARTY DRESSES! YAY!!!! really really. (got it? thought so.)
Alterations made: I folded under the floor length hem to make a puffy bubble hem, removed the shoulder pads, sized down the shoulder area to fit, added a bust gather, and made little fabric flowers with extra fabric, the lace I cut out of the shoulders, and vintage buttons. Ta-da!
Alterations made: I folded under the floor length hem to make a puffy bubble hem, removed the shoulder pads, sized down the shoulder area to fit, added a bust gather, and made little fabric flowers with extra fabric, the lace I cut out of the shoulders, and vintage buttons. Ta-da!
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