Thrift Thursday: Wood Bowls & Floral Fabric

My plan was to take a week off from blogging to spend time focusing on a few major projects, but I couldn't resist sharing recent finds from a quick thrift run. I went to the Village Discount Outlet to look for glass jars for pantry storage and was thrilled to find two things on my spring thrift wish list:

Wood bowls and a floral tablecloth.

I've wanted wood bowls ever since my college days living at my parents' house.  I told myself as soon as I get my own place I will buy a set. Well, turns out they cost more than this thrifty girl likes to spend, even on Amazon, so onto the Thrift Wish List they went. I found a set of three handcrafted bowls for $2. My favorite thing about these bowls (besides the $2 price tag) is that they are slightly imperfect, and can be used both in the kitchen and for home decor.

Also, this $3 tablecloth is going to be perfect for spring entertaining and dining. Plus, I love using fabric as backdrops for blog photos as seen here!

Score a good deal lately? Tell us in the comments section! Use the hashtag #ThriftThursday on Twitter and Instagram! 

Weekly Round Up

This week was exhilarating!

• Read about the Goodwill Good Style Fashion Show and how I styled an all thrifted Moroccan Holiday runway collection
• Finally wore my Christian Siriano for Payless oxfords with stripes 
• Sharing a special thrifted find for Thrift Thursday

Have a wonderful Mother's Day!

Goodwill Good Style Fashion Show 2013 'Moroccan Holiday' Recap

{with my models at the fashion show L to R: David, Jaclyn, Camille, myself, Sahar, Lorena, Katie, Ashley, Bridgette, Rima, Layali}

Simply put: participating in the Goodwill Good Style Fashion Show this year was an absolute thrill. It's rare when an event goes exactly as planned, but thankfully for me and my models, everything was as smooth as we had hoped it would be.

{Katie looks beautiful in this vintage maxi dress with gold accessories and a headpiece}

The fashion show featured the all thrifted runway style collections of nine area bloggers and benefited the programs and services of Goodwill Industries of Greater Cleveland & East Central Ohio, Inc. 

I styled my all thrift collection, Moroccan Holiday, with Moroccan colors and textures in mind. I didn't want it to be completely traditional, so instead I stayed true to my own personal style by mixing modern and vintage pieces with bright colors, henna, and plenty of accessories.

{I used a necklace as a headpiece to go with Katie's maxi dress}

For about $100, I styled 10 looks including nine female models and one male model, all of whom are my good friends. They did an outstanding job and walked the runway with total confidence to the beat of Didi and Abdel Kader. 

{Bridgette wore a vintage gold pleated maxi skirt with an Ann Taylor one shoulder top and a mix of vintage, traditional and modern accessories}

I kept the hair and makeup simple with loose waves, natural face with a bright lip, and headpieces in a few looks. My models did their own makeup and a personal friend, mother of one of my models, Bridgette (in the gold skirt), the amazing April accompanied us backstage and did all of the hair styling, while my awesome sister, Nora helped with the headscarves and hairpieces. April is a hair stylist at Damino's in Fairlawn.

{It was hard to see from the runway, but the models wore temporary henna on their hands}

My collection was the second set to hit the runway following Lyndsey's Every Day, Every Wear collection which included an adorable military inspired look. Luckily for us, being second meant we got to relax and watch the rest of the show. I felt like I saw all of the local blogs I know come to life on the runway because each and every collection represented their own personal style, including Christina's 1960s French Riviera, Rachel's soft and charming Stripes and Florals, Jessica's all pink collection, Stacia's Audrey Hepburn inspired pieces, and Abby & Elle Upstairs' Land of Oz collection, while Shalida Ann fully captured the 1990s with her grown up Grunge collection.

{Camille, Katie, and Ashley in bright colors}

Amid the chaos backstage, I met reporter Leah from TV20 Cleveland.  Stay tuned for the interview!

{bright lights from the cameras backstage during an interview with Leah from TV20 Cleveland}

It was only fitting that I wore a thrifted pastel maxi dress as seen in this post to the show. It was comfortable and kept me cool from the heat backstage! I was able to snap a few pictures of my models on the runway at the end of the show.

Friend, blogger, and model Jaclyn wore a vintage burnt orange sheer sleeve dress with gold accessories while David accompanied her down the runway in a mustard shirt and an embroidered tie. 

{photo via The Pumpkin Spot. With Jaclyn & Kimberly}

{Photo via The Pumpkin Spot. Jaclyn's red dress with gold accents. We added a flower brooch in her hair too}

{Although more Indian than Moroccan, we used a non-thrifted hand harness in Jaclyn's look for a traditional feel}

I don't think I know anyone who can rock high waisted pants like my beautiful friend Camille. She modeled for me last year and looked equally beautiful in a pair of similar pants. 

I took it back to 1980s prom with this incredible fuchsia sequin ruffle dress on Rima. I modernized it by adding nude pumps, a headscarf and sequin earrings to match. 

Ashley rocked this purple beaded and sequin bra top with a vintage skirt. This thrifted find was truly a gem! 

I found this fitted skirt on a quick thrift run one day assuming it wouldn't work out for the show. It ended up being one of the most popular and wearable pieces of the collection.  

{A close up of Lorena's thrifted scarf, necklace, top and high waisted skirt}

This burgundy maxi dress fit my good friend Layali like a glove. We piled on the gold thrifted accessories and added a non-thrifted headpiece that belongs to her to complete the 'ethinc' look. 

I started to breathe heavily when I found this dress at the thrift store and I knew it was perfect for Sahar. We used a necklace as a headpiece and added an orange clutch. 

{a few of the accessories featured in the show}

Thank you to everyone who came out to support the show, including Kimberly, Becky, Katie, Megan, Lauren, Juniper, and Joanna, and many more. A special thank you to Crista and the entire Goodwill staff for their professionalism, kindness, and epic organizational skills. I'm so thankful to be a part of this event. Thrifting has always been an enjoyable hobby for me, so being able to style an entire collection is a wonderful opportunity. I encourage you to visit the participating blogs listed in this post for recaps and photos, as well as the Goodwill & Dina's Days Facebook page for additional photos. Click here to see my Pinterest board that inspired this collection. 

Thrift Thursday: Little Stevie Wonder The Twelve Year Old Genius

{another bathtub shot}

I always find great vinyl records when thrift shopping, but nothing as great as this $0.50 find from the Habitat  for Humanity ReStore. This live album was recorded in Chicago by Stevie Wonder on harmonica in 1962 when he was only 12 years old, and includes one of his most famous songs, Fingertips. I'm a huge Stevie Wonder fan so thankfully, the record was still in decent shape when I found it. If you collect vinyl, I recommend you check out the Habitat ReStore in North Canton for some awesome finds. Also, check out my local vinyl guide here.

{pretty sure I wasn't recording any albums at 12 like Stevie. Instead, I was intentionally wearing mismatched socks and watching Hangin' with Mr. Cooper}

Score any good deals lately? Share your finds with us! Use the tag #ThriftThursday on Twitter and Instagram. 

Long Sleeve Mini Dress

{burlington coat factory necklace seen here • h&m dress • christian siriano for payless oxfords}

I recently gave my mom a bag of dresses to hem for me and it wasn't until I tried them on that I realized they were all the same exact style: long sleeve mini dresses. In preparation for spring, I subconsciously purchased four long sleeve mini dresses, including this $10 striped dress from H&M. Long sleeve short dresses are the perfect balance between dressy and casual. Talk about a dress for every occasion: I wore this with flats to the office, with wedges to dinner, and with my new metallic pink oxfords for running errands on a Sunday.

What's your favorite "everything" piece for spring?