50 & Fab....Embellishing Thrifted Clothing for that 'Expensive' Look...

 

What makes some people just ooze 'expensive', and others not so much?

 

I always think it has a lot to do with personal grooming and basic hygiene. If your hair is soft and clean, your hands likewise, and you look like you've made a bit of an effort, you're already half way there.

 

Of course, whether you believe it or not, the saying 'clothes maketh the man' does carry a grain of truth. This does not necessarily mean 'expensive clothes maketh the man (or woman) look expensive'. It simply means that first impressions really do count. As do second, third and forty-third!

 

So how to manage to look expensive on a budget that's kindly referred to as 'shoestring'?

 

You can make your own clothing, and of course, if you are talented in that area, that is an obvious solution. You are then free to whip up as many designer look-a-likes or one-off originals as you like. But gosh....fabric is expensive these days and even a decent reel of thread can set you back $20. Not exactly the bargain basement solution it once was!

 

As an alternative, buying clothing from charity shops, garage sales and online from sites like eBay and Etsy, can be a real thrill in the making. I've had my wins and losses over the years in all those arenas, and in the process, I've learned what to look for to ensure that my bargains don't make it straight back to the charity bin.

 

1. First off, as I mentioned here and here, know what suits you, maybe follow the fashion blogs that reflect the personal style you'd like to develop, and subscribe to some of the department store and online fashion specialist retailers or look-book type sites, like Net-a-Porter or Polyvore. Why? Well, because dressing successfully d'Occasion (French for second hand!), means making the best effort you possibly can with those thrifty bargains. That said, you need to also adapt the trends to suit yourself. Don't wear stilettos if they cripple you, don't wear orange or khaki or fluorescent garments if they make you look sallow or ill, and don't wear prints unless they suit you. Know thyself, over all else. Instead, and you've probably heard it before, DO use a seasonal colour or idea that is on trend to keep your look current. This is the key.

 

But how do you do this? You've probably heard that bags, belts, and jewellery can all add that certain something that makes someone looked pulled together and polished. The problem I've found with this idea, is that cheapeth go ye to follow this rule, and cheapeth ye shall look. In other words, stocking up on $3 necklaces and $20 bags, is not necessarily the solution either. You're just going to look like you spent all your loose change on cheap necklaces and plastic handbags. Now I have nothing against this idea for the 12-25 age group. But I always think that once we get past about that age, we need to be a little more choosy. Certainly in the context of this post, that is what we are aiming for.

 

Instead, I want to show you some ideas for embellishing or accessorising existing items in your wardrobe, or those bargains you've snaffled at your local garage sale or charity shop, to make them look 'the goods'.

 

2. One solution is to seek out vintage accessories. Cute mid-century handbags in unusual shapes, colours or materials, fabulous glass beads, headturning little fascinators...all wonderful if you are the type who can carry that look off. And who's to say you aren't? Again, Google the vintage look, as I discussed here, and fine tune it, so you feel comfortable with it! If you're going to travel that path, then for a 50's look, twist your hair into a retro friendly style, grab the oversized pearl earrings and the bright red lipstick and really make a go of it. I know...I hear some of you. "I'm too old for that", "I'll just look silly", "People will stare at me". Yes. Yes. But you're only here in this life once. Are you really going to spend all your time just existing? Throw caution to the wind. Maybe ease your way into the look. Get used to a brighter lip colour first, and wear it on your nails too. Then introduce some vintage look accessories with beads, bags and earrings.

 

3. Get brave and start wearing little hair accessories or hats if you're the type to carry that look off. I have a selection of little rhinestone and floral hair accessories, and wear them often. Hats are way overdue for a comeback too, in my opinion. Look at how important little hats were back in the early part of the twentieth century. And the great thing about a hat was, that you could invest in quality basics for your wardrobe that would last years, and then update with the right little cloche, beret, fedora, or fascinator, and a trim to match on your Investment Jacket. So glamorous too!

 

4.  Make sure your shoes fit the look too. I absolutely believe that the right shoe can make or break an outfit. Ballet flats, kitten heels or sky high stilettos all make the most of the Rockabilly look. A Mary-Jane court shoe with a small heel is key to the Downton Abbey Flapper look. Boho demands strappy sandals for Summer or knee high boots for Winter. And if you're going for the Avant Garde Arty look, well shoes can be the piece de resistance in your wardrobe arsenal. From bright colours, to unusual styles, nothing is off limits. I'm a sucker for a fabulous shoe. In fact, a disproportionate percentage of my own wardrobe budget, is spent on shoes. Loafers, ballerina flats, brogues and sandals are my favourites, and I have them in many colours, and styles, and I love nothing more than a quirky shoe ;0)

 

These Dolce & Gabbana lounge slippers are on my wish list at the moment. How adorable are they?

 

 

 

5. Alternatively, and for the braver fashionista in all of us, develop your own style. Look at labels like Dolce &Gabbana, (my personal, completely over-the-top 'if I had a million dollars to spend on a wardrobe' favourite), or locally here in Australia, the fashion retro label, Kitten D'Amour, where my daughters fashion heart lies. Of course, insert your own personal favourite there.

 

I cannot in my wildest dreams, imagine a scenario in this lifetime, where I could afford a D&G original. I can, however, analyse what it is about their garments that I find so breathtaking, and do my best to imitate those elements.

 

For me, it's the lavish embellishments, the use of ideas borrowed from the Old Masters or ancient architecture, dabs of pop culture, jewels and beading, and the almost storybook or child-like look of some of the jackets and accessories, that I find so appealing. This, I know, is in stark contrast to my very staid wardrobe of neutrals, but that's okay. On days like today, when the Spring sunshine is streaming in through my windows, and I'm in the mood for a bit of fun, it means I can use my D&G inspired accessories, to be more youthful and playful with my wardrobe.

 

Here's how different trims, can completely alter the look of a very ordinary Linen blend jacket, sourced from my local charity shop for just $9.50.

 

I liked the unusual Nehru style neckline, the flecked colour and the flattering cut of this jacket, and I've decided it's well worth a weekend of upcycling it to make it the fun focus of my wardrobe this Spring and Summer.

 



 

I have many trims on hand due to my sewing commitment for dance costumes with my daughters school. There's always a bit o' this and a swatch o' that left over from costuming.

 

First off, I decided whether I might trim the bottom of the jacket, into a more rounded shape to echo the one I'd seen here.

 

I folded it under to get the effect, and started laying down different trims to help me decide which way I'd go.

 

I tried this metallic gold Moroccan style tassel. I quite like this and it's a sophisticated look, but doesn't quite have the 'fun' element I'm seeking.

 

 

A dig around yielded this piece of silk that I intended turning into a scarf last Summer. The hot pink and lime green pompom trim was meant for the ends of the scarf. I momentarily considered using that, and wearing the scarf sans pompoms, with it. But I felt this was a little limiting, colour-wise.

 

I quite liked the idea of using this vintage inspired quilting fabric either as a flat trim...

...or gathered into a lavish frill, as seen below. Worn with different accessories like these fabulous beads, another thrifting find at $15...

 



 

...or this gorgeous vividly hued rhinestone necklace, that my husband purchased for me at the Kensington Palace gift shop in London when we visited there in 2008...

 

...or even with my favourite 'tiara' gifted by a friend, and seen here...

 

..this showed the most promise in terms of personalization, and versatility.

 

But then I remembered this box of neon coloured flat backed jewels that I'd just purchased this week on sale for $7 for a couple of hundred of them. I didn't have a plan for them at the time, but they caught my eye, and who could pass up a bargain like that!

 

These are perfect for what I had in mind. I am now in a fever, stitching these in a lavish, over-the-top, Dolce & Gabbana inspired fashion, along the edges of my jacket.

 

This was my first idea, but I thought it looked a bit kindergarten-ish for some reason I can't explain...

I decided to stick with the orginal shape of the jacket, with squared off edges, as it seemed to echo the geometric shapes in the jewels....

 

...and layered the jewels heavily in rows, to make a real statement....

 

I think this 'felt' right too, as the shape of my jacket echoes the style of the Indian Nehru jackets, often heavily embellished with metallic embroidery and jewels. Research of 'Nehru Jackets' confirmed that I am on the right track. So you need to think about the lines of your garment too, and perhaps take that into consideration in embellishing. A more traditional shaped jacket, may have dictated an entirely different approach.

 

 

 

As the rest of my wardrobe is almost exclusively neutral, I can see myself getting a great deal of wear out of my D&G inspired jewelled Nehru jacket. I can still add other accessories, and I've already spotted some neon pink sandals that I think will complement it perfectly. Some fun oversized corsages for the lapel, or my hair, or scarves in similar neon colours, or perhaps vivid jewelled earrings and bangles, or a brightly coloured tote bag, all spring to mind. Certainly my orange and yellow beads and Kensington Palace rhinestone necklace are already strong contenders.

 

Now neon jewels may not be YOUR thing. So to get your imagination going, some other embellishments I considered were:

 

*Embroidered appliques which are available on eBay for under $2

*Sequinned appliques, also available on eBay or from specialist dance trim suppliers

*Rhinestone appliques

*Embroidery

*Ribbons and lace

*Chanel style chain

*Multiple simple, brightly coloured rows of machine or hand stitching.

 

Any of these ideas would still have elevated my $9.50 thrift store bargain to something unique, and designer worthy, giving me a statement look that defies the amount of money I'd actually spent.

 

Go looking with an open mind and a good imagination, and I bet you too, can find something to upcycle at your local charity store.

 

In my next post in this series, I'll be showing you how my other random purchase of a silky polka dot blouse for just $4.50...

 

 

....is going to become another D&G inspired blouse like this one....

 

 

...fun!..

 

Todays feature from my Five Star Frou-Frou Neverending Linkup is...

 

 

..Fiona at Saw It, Pinned It, Did It. She's sharing how she created her own School holiday fun, with Henna Tattoos! Thanks Fiona!

 

...love ya...

 

Mimi xxx

 

 

Insourcing #35....Be Prepared....

 One of the Insourcing tasks that saves me the most money, week in, week out, it being prepared for the week ahead. I find that it's those weeks where we are unusually busy for whatever reason, that routine and common sense fly out the window. You too?

So I always look at least a fortnight further down the track and try to stockpile for those busier weeks.

 

This week looks like one of those crazy ones. My daughter has Dance rehearsals like you wouldn't believe, I have costumes to finish sewing and embellishing, and having just celebrated Fathers Day, and had an outing to see Snow White, performed by Ballet Preljocaj (go if you can....unforgettable!!!), it's inevitable that Chez Mimi is looking a bit frantic.

 

Tidying and laundering were taken care of on Sunday while the Father of the aforementioned Fathers Day put his feet up. A lunch was enjoyed at a favourite riverside haunt, thus saving me the task of living up to expectations when my own schedule is full. Not an insourced lunch, but we save money in so many ways, that a well deserved fabbo lunch served by others once in a while, is a pleasure to be savoured.

 

So today it was all about the food for the family, for the week. Sensible eating is the first item to be abandoned when we're busy. Filling the tummy becomes paramount, and the whys, hows, and wherefores of that task diminish in direct proportion to how quickly can it be prepared and eaten.

We need healthy meals when we're busy. Not fat laden takeaways that are so hard on our digestive system and our wallets.
 

  The answer of course, is to have healthy meals ready to go. The sort of thing that really only needs minutes in the pan or microwave, and a crisp salad on the side, to do the trick.

I'd already stocked up on pantry and freezer basics when shopping over the last couple of weeks. So, you see, planning ahead, sometimes means looking as far as a month further down the track, and anticipating that not only will meals be required, but having ingredients on hand, means time saved in driving to the supermarket, shopping, driving home, and unpacking.

I would normally shop on a Monday, but that was unnecessary this week as I had looked ahead and shopped accordingly.

 

The ingredients below, which included the leftovers of a roasted chicken that served as lunch over the weekend, some veges left over from a lovely chicken, leek and root vegetable bake on another evening, some bacon, and half a tin of creamed corn that my husband had opened to enjoy on his toast one morning...

 

 

....along with the limp celery below...

 

...some neatly diced...
 

...and some refreshed in an iced water bath to perk them up for snacks later in the week....

 

...became a thick, lush Chicken and Corn Chowder for dinner tonight, with leftovers for another evening's quick meal.

 

 

Here's that recipe Nanna style in four sentences...

 

Chicken and Corn Chowder

 

To four cups of simmering chicken stock, add 2 cups diced cooked chicken, 2 diced rashers of bacon, 3 diced potatoes, 1 sliced carrot, one sliced leek or a diced onion, and one stalk celery. Simmer gently until the vegetables are tender. Add one drained tin of corn kernels and one cup of evaporated (NOT sweetened condensed!) milk, and reheat gently. Stir through a handful of diced continental parsley and serve with toast or bread rolls.

 

 The crisper yielded several capsicum (peppers), a dozen or more mushrooms, a whole butternut pumpkin (squash), an eggplant (aubergine), and some English Spinach, all of which were roasted or steamed. The capsicum (peppers) were roasted till their skins blistered, and then peeled. This makes them unbelievably tender and sweet and altogether different from capsicum in their raw state. Those, seen here...

 

...along with sliced and roasted rounds of Butternut Pumpkin and Eggplant, roasted and diced  mushrooms tossed with parmesan and garlic, and two tubs of Smooth Ricotta, with more parmesan, garlic and eggs...
 

 

...all ready to go here below...

 

 

...became this extravagant, and earthy roasted vegetable stack. A little like a vegetarian lasagne, but without the pasta.

 

 

I alternated several layers of pumpkin, eggplant, capsicum, mushrooms, and spinach, with the ricotta mixture and covered it in grated tasty cheese.

 

 

This was baked at 160C fan forced for one hour, it then looked like this and smelled amazing...

 

 

Once cooled, it can then be easily sliced or cut into squares and served as is, or with a small side of lean meat or chicken.

 

A gluten free cake mix, combined with 4 tablespoons of unsalted butter, one egg, a large handful of diced dates, and 2 tablespoons of maple syrup, became a gluten free cookie dough. I sprinkled these little morsels with cinnamon sugar, and baked them for 25 minutes...

 

 

...which yielded 25 huge and delectably caramel-ish and chewy cookies...

 

 

While I was at it, I baked this yummy gluten free chocolate loaf cake and slathered it in chocolate frosting to enjoy for with my favourite cuppa for afternoon tea.

 

Of course, the leftovers of the cake will find their way into my daughters lunch box this week as well, giving a saving on pre-packaged bars, cakes and whatnot that we might resort to if we had no other options.

 

In my shopping travels over the previous few weeks, I added other quick and easy meal and lunchbox bargains to the pantry and freezer as they arose. In making these choices, I ask myself three things:

 

1. What would the fast food version of this be?

 

2. How much would that cost?

 

3. How much time would be wasted driving to the appropriate fast food chain at peak time, to buy that item?

 

I'm not a complete killjoy, but the last thing I want to do in a busy week, is line up in the drive-thru of the local McDonalds or Hungry Jacks, to buy something inferior to what we can source ourselves. And I'm sorry, but for us, that's almost anything...lol! My daughters idea of a treat, is a Bubble Tea and some sushi, not a Happy Meal. 

 

So in my shopping excursions in the weeks leading up to a frantic time, I look carefully for items that will see the family happy and well fed, in a timely fashion. I make sure there are some treats in there too. As I've always maintained, factoring some fun food into the budget, actually saves money in the long run.

 

Here are my ideas...

 

1. I don't usually buy deli meat, BUT when prepacked thin Roast Beef slices are on special, and work out less expensive than buying a piece of beef, and roasting and slicing it myself, then that's a winner. Something I take into consideration there, is that these slices are far thinner than I could slice for myself, and far easier to use for sandwiches. I add cheese, baby spinach, capsicum and tomato to the sandwiches, and right there is a low fat, protein, iron, and fibre rich, lunch-on-the-go for us all. It pays to look at the unit price (price per kilo or pound) of prepacked items like cheeses and deli meats too...it can be a real eye opener. Whilst I find these pre-packaged items expensive overall, they can actually work out to be a very economical option when they're on special, and certainly in terms of comparison to takeaway, they're a bargain.

 

2. Likewise, we usually buy our cheese in blocks and I pre-slice it myself. But again, in a busy week, having that little 'luxury' of pre-sliced tasty cheddar cheese, in neat squares that fit the slices of bread perfectly, are small concession to make, over buying fast food. Fortunately, I snaffled those on special last week too. Bonus!

 

3. Individual cartons (we call them Poppers here...I don't remember why...lol!) of milk or juice are another great time saver. These can also be frozen overnight and used as ice bricks in lunch boxes, which then slowly thaw and become a chilled drink. I know my Aussie friends know this very well. I prefer to buy low fat milk, and include a flavoured straw with it. Have you seen them? They're called Sippah Straws, and they're lined with flavoured beads that dissolve as you draw the liquid through them. It's a fun idea that is a healthier option to bought thick shakes from a fast food outlet. My girl is nearly 17, and she still loves these.

 

4. The pyramid shaped flavoured ice blocks we have here called Sunny Boy, are another great alternative to both a traditional ice brick and fast food frozen drinks. I add them frozen to my daughters lunch box in the morning, and by lunchtime she has her own 'slushie'. I include scissors for her to snip one side from them for consumption.

 

 

5. Another favourite afternoon snack for us here, is fruit and Acai bowls. These are all the rage here just now, and there are pop-up stores everywhere selling one version or another of pureed fruit with additions like coconut flakes, Acai, protein powder, seed mixes, and other healthy stuff. Each bowl though, can set you back $12-$18, so they're an expensive idea to enjoy every day. I bought a Nutri Bullet a little while back, and now quickly and easily make our own Acai bowls. I freeze the fruit beforehand, and blend it in the Nutri Bullet with a little juice or almond milk, mix frozen Acai with mashed banana, and add a sprinkle of Protein Seed Mix from the supermarket. My version costs under $2 and is just as delicious as any trendy store bought version. Again, the Nutri Bullet seemed an expensive item at the time, but that one investment has saved us hundreds, if not well over a thousand dollars over the last twelve months.

 

 

It's a bit like an online discussion I participated in once, where we all listed our three stages of saving.

 

Stage one is buying fast food on the go when you're busy, and paying premium price for an inferior food product every time.

 

Stage two is either buying healthier food that is equally as expensive or moreso than the traditional fast food, or buying fast food look and taste-a-likes at the supermarket...things like frozen fries, premade lasagnas and so on.

 

Stage three, is looking ahead, planning accordingly, and eating healthfully from home, injecting a little fun food, and feeling all the better for it, both health wise and financially.

 

For the most part, we live at Stage three. We haven't always, and it's taken some thought and creativity, but it's been well worthwhile.

 

How about you? How do you cope with busy weeks, and are you a Stage one, two or three planner?

 

...Mimi...

Insourcing #34....Look where a little bit of DIY and Thrifting gets you...

 

Each month I like to do a tally of the many ways in which I've saved my family money. I draw up a three columns, and in one, I list what I've made or found at the thrift store or DIY'd, in the second, I list a value, and in the third, I note ways in which we've been able to then reward ourselves.

 

This month I'm really proud as we not only saved ourselves a lot of money by Insourcing, but we managed a little getaway for ourselves, a ski trip for our daughter, and some bling for me as rewards! This would not be possible, if we were out wildly flinging money around on swanky gifts for friends or ourselves on a week in-week out basis.

 

So first of all, I made all meals. And when I say all meals, I mean ALL meals. This alone saves us an enormous amount of money as opposed to eating out, and I'll confidently call that a saving of at least $600 for the month as for the 3 of us to even have a nice lunch at a café` once a week would easily cost $150 each time.  But thankfully, that didn't mean we were in some sort of culinary purgatory. We enjoyed fresh lush salads as seen at the top of my post, café style breakfasts...

 

...a lavish brunch with family...

 

 

...and interesting and tasty gluten free lunches...

 

 

Shopping at our lovely local thrift stores yielded a 60s/70s inspired costume for my daughters upcoming Dance Night for under $30, saving over $100...

 

 

...and some pretties for me that rival the designer stuff I'd been eyeing off on Net-A-Porter, saved me literally a bare minimum of $600...

 

...these two pure linen blouses were brand new, still with tags, and set me back just $22 each. I've since returned and bought a third, in a different style again, and it was reduced from the $22 to just $10. These were all originally almost $200. Lucky me!

 

 

My daughter and I trimmed each others hair with our CreaClip (available on eBay) and that investment of $35 has saved us thousands in the last three years. We both have long hair, all one length, so trimming it with this little tool is a simple task, but you can engineer quite complex haircuts with this if you are brave enough to try! We were actually going to 'treat' ourselves to a visit to the hairdresser, just for fun, but when we discovered it was going to set us back $45 EACH for a trim, we very quickly changed our minds! I put a toner through my silver grey hair and conditioned it too, saving a further $55.

 

 

I finally got around to making some Annabel (The Bluebirds are Nesting Blog) inspired gift ribbon. This is just a thrifted vintage floral sheet, torn into lengths about 7-8cms (2-3 inches) wide. It's then stamped with a black ink pad and a cute stamp (Annabel uses a chandelier but I couldn't find one...I've since found a bird cage though, and will share photos of that result soon), and the image is coated in glitter paint/glue. I will wrap some parcels with it later in the week, to give you an idea of just how cute and adorable this actually looks when used with butchers paper and a bit of panache`.

 

I now have...well, I don't know, but it must be at least 35 metres of this, rolled around cardboard shapes to use and gift.

 

That's a saving on gift ribbon alone, of $70, minimum.

 

 

I made these cute Dancing Ribbons for my granddaughters out of nothing, saving probably $20 on colouring or other activity books for their recent visit..

 

 

 ...and my daughter and I did our own manicures with Jamberry vinyl wraps, saving at least $210 over the course of a month, on salon manicures.

 

 

Now just so you know, all this insourcing is not completely thankless or bereft of fun.

 

This month I got in a mind to have myself an Art Deco inspired Insect Brooch. I found this one on Etsy, and it's on it's way to me now. I think it's very cute with it's Moonstone and Pearl body, garnet eyes, and Plique a Jour wings.

 

 

As mentioned, the teen woman-child flitted off on a school supervised ski trip in another state, and while she was away, husband and I were able to escape to this view, five hours drive from home...

 

 

Now that's what I call a successful month of insourcing!

 

What about you? How did you save money? And how did you reward yourself? Tell me all...

...Mimi...

50 & Fab....using Google and thrifting to make better sense of your wardrobe...

 

 Look, not all of us are natural Fashion Divas, are we.

 

I was fairly accomplished at looking good when I was younger and a size 8-10 (that's a 2-4 U.S.), but I've bemoaned  here and here, as I've grown older, I've found it more difficult to find what suits me and makes me look up-to-date and trendy. This wouldn't matter so much if I didn't still have a teen daughter at school, who constantly urges me not to look 'old'. Ummmm. Thanks Honey.

 

Quite often, I have the basics on hand as my wardrobe is primarily black, white, neutrals and denim, but I'm at a bit of a loss as to how to put it all together. You too?   I know how I'd like to look though. Just neat, and maybe a little edgy, but not ridiculously so. It doesn't help that at 163cms tall I am a petite Plus size though, so therein is the rub. How to find things that are photographed on slender people, that also suit little, cuddly me.    So I tend to Google. Even admiring things on Polyvore or Net-A-Porter, isn't necessarily helpful, as I actually need to see the components on a human, to decide if they're worth a try for me.   At the top of my post here, is an image I found on Google, that utilises pieces very similar to those I already have on hand. Yes the models are younger, and slender, but I could tell straight away, that even these looks, can translate suitably to short, cuddly, 50-ish me.   Here are my versions...  

Outfit one:

Distressed jeans from Big W $30

White T-shirt Big W $15

Quilted black sateen jacket Lifeline $25

Prada belt Lifeline $12

Vintage beaded clutch with chain - my own - needs repair...waaaahhh! It's about forty years old!

 

 

Outfit two:

Same distressed jeans

Soft denim coat with interesting details Target $80 (a splurge last year)

Black t-shirt Big W $15

Silver Cuff Lifeline $2

Prada sunglasses - a gift

 

Outfit three:

Black Ponti knit pencil skirt Lifeline $25

White T-shirt Big W $15

Black and White polka dotted double georgette scarf Lifeline $4

Black sateen vest with quilted collar and interesting details Lifeline $25

Vintage leatherette clutch - my own

 

  Outfit four, just to show the difference accessories can make:   Same as above, but with...   H & M scarf in Spring tones Lifeline $4 (brand new still had the tags on it) Pearlised Baby Pink Louis Vuitton look-a-like tote, purchased in Turkey on our cruise last year for 45 Euros   There's really nothing hard there, is there? It's just a matter of looking at how the elements are combined to yield a certain look. You then of course, keep your eyes peeled at the sales and the thrift shops, to find similar components.   Yesterday I Googled 'over 50 fashion', and found the images above of some 50-ish ladies at London Fashion Week. They sported the sort of look I like. Not too much frou-frou, comfortable, and just a little unusual.                                                                                                                                                         

  Note the first lady with her hat, tweedy jacket, cross-body bag, and lounge slippers, the second one with a tunic top and a fringed skirt with ankle booties, and the third with my favourite look of cigar thin pants, loose top and great accessories. I even have those shoes, albeit they're not the real deal and they're bright orange (see, I do like orange...just not close to my face!). None of these ideas is difficult for me to replicate.   Over the next few weeks, I'll be returning to my favourite Op Shops, to find what I need to achieve these looks. Here's my list:   Black felt fedora Grey tweed like jacket Something with a fringe that I can cut off and use to stitch to a skirt I already have Black silky blouse with white trim (dang...I had one just like this and recently returned it to Lifeline as I hadn't found a way to wear it!)   That is actually all I need. I have all the other elements.   And next time, I promise I'll ask my daughter to photograph me IN the clothes. That's a difficult task when you're in the house alone...hahaha!   Have fun!   Read more on this topic here.   Remember that Five Star Frou-Frou is now a never ending linkup with a feature each time I post.   Todays feature is this lush Summer Salad from Fabi at Fabi-Fabu, just right for the gently warming temperatures in my part of the world. Thanks for linking Fabi!  

    Love ya, Mimi xxx