Nifty Thrifty Archives - Moving Peaces

Nifty Thrifty: With a Purpose

April 27, 2015April 27, 2015Samantha Gratton

It’s been too long since I’ve done a Nifty Thrifty post! But spring is here and suddenly all my clothes seem dated, but not in the vintage and cute way. It’s high time for another awesome thrift store find or two.

I’ll admit it, there have been many occasions that I go into a thrift store and walk away with nothing. On the one hand, I’m glad I didn’t buy something “just because” but usually I’m disappointed that shuffling through all of those racks of clothing amounted to nothing. I much prefer knowing I made good use of my time.

Good news!!

A blogging and Iowa friend of mine is throwing the biggest thrifty online sale I’ve seen and all for a wonderful reason. You see, she is currently a mama to two sweet little boys…but she and her husband, Jonny, are ready to love and raise a few more. Adoption is something very near and dear to their hearts (one of their sons was adopted), and they feel led to adopt again! She wrote down more of the story, so I’ll share bits and pieces of what she had to say about it in a minute (but I’m guessing you’re starting to wonder where the Nifty Thrifty comes in).

Tonight, y’all, you can both support her family’s adoption AND update your spring/summer wardrobe all from the comfort of your home. No racks to sort through or ugly sweaters to avoid. Heck yes. She’s been posting teasers all week…and I have a feeling things will go fast once the sale starts tonight at 8:00/7:00 central.

Here’s a little of Kayla’s story:

I became a mom in a fashion that only God could create. I was a young, twenty-something newlywed learning more about the world, and more about its creator, every day. We weren’t perfect, but we couldn’t help but sense that God was leading us both down a path to parenthood that, in the world’s eyes, was a bit unconventional.

My husband and I both started to feel the tug on our hearts for children who didn’t have families. We both grew up in safe and loving two-parent homes, and we couldn’t shake the idea of little ones not growing up without the structure and nurture a family provides. We knew we couldn’t do everything, but we could be open to doing something. We prayed, and asked God to lead.

Joseph joined our family via adoption from West Africa (you can learn much more about that here), and our lives have been so radically blessed by his presence. We grieve for what he lost with his first family, but we praise God that he writes beautiful stories from brokenness.

Fast forward two years, and we welcomed a second son into our lives, this time the old-fashioned way. Asher fits into our family perfectly, and it’s a joy to see my sons grow and learn and play and explore life together.

And now, our hearts are open to more. And we continue to believe that God will form our family once again through adoption. There are children here and abroad waiting for safe and loving homes, and it’s at the core of our heart that we might have the privilege of being a family for another little one (or ones). Due to logistics, this time our process will happen in the U.S. instead of abroad. We’re not quite sure what this adoption will look like, though we know we want to be a family for a waiting child.

Adoption, as I’m sure you’ve probably heard, can be costly. Social workers, attorneys, agencies — each are compensated to ensure things are handled the right way. We’re a young family that has been saving for a second adoption since we completed our first. Every Christmas gift, every extra bit, has gone into a special account for “someday.” And someday is here!

The Details for Tonight:

We’re hosting a GIANT shop-our-closets sale (tonight) Monday, April 27 at 8/7 p.m.

I gathered more than 10 of my most stylish friends of all shapes and sizes, and together, we cleaned out our closets.
We have around 200 gently-worn items in quality brands (think J. Crew, Banana Republic, Gap, Free People, Anthropologie, Sevenly).
We’re selling it ALL (think 25+ dresses, 75+ tops, skirts, ethically-made jewelry, scarves, heels) in a HUGE Instagram auction-style fundraiser to combat adoption fees.
To join in on the sale: Follow us at @craigsadopt, and get those bidding fingers ready!
To bid, you must have a PayPal account. If you don’t yet, go sign up here!
Each item will have a fairly low starting bid price, though we hope you have fun and bid generously! The sale will go on for 24 hours, and 100 percent of all money is going directly to our adoption account.

I’m excited for this, friends. I know Kayla is a great mom, and I think adoption is an amazing thing. If you feel like donating to the fund or simply want a new (used) piece of clothing, I encourage you to check out the sale later tonight. I know I will!

Nifty Thrifty: Comfy Casual

January 12, 2015January 12, 2015Samantha Gratton

While some bloggers put together outfit posts, I put together thrifted outfit posts. Thrifting is not only a way to be creative and find something interesting, but also a very practical way to build a wardrobe. It’s both a hobby and even a lifestyle in a way as you stretch your dollar farther and reconsider the value and use of an item.

Believe it or not, you can put together a full outfit that was purchased secondhand. Today’s thrifted pieces are my shirt, jeans and purse. Each came from a different place during a different season of the year. It takes time to build a thrifted wardrobe so you’ve got to be patient as you sift through hundreds of items to find that gem you’ve been waiting for.

I first found these jeans on our most recent trip to Oregon. Some cities get the best thrifting luck and Portland is one of those cities so we make sure to set aside time for our favorite thrift stores. I grabbed a pile of my favorites to try on, but just so happened to need a pair of jeans to try on some shirts (Note: when thrifting, try to not wear dresses that day so it’s easier to try different pieces). I broke my own rule that day which meant I needed to try on jeans as well as a shirt.

I loved the way they fit. The ripped knee is my least favorite part about it because it’s harder to dress them up, but I knew this kind of fit wasn’t easy to come by. So, I walked away with a pair of Joe’s Jeans for $20. I was thrilled! If only they all cost that much, because let me tell you, designer jeans at that price are a rare find.

The next find was this top at a local GCF in October. When everything is organized by color, sometimes it’s easiest to just go for a print that stands out. This one grabbed my attention, but at first I questioned the fit. I’m glad I went for it because this has turned out to be one of my favorite shirts.

Originally from ZARA, I snagged this for $3.39. It’s casual yet seems a little more fun and something I could wear for a variety of occasions.

Finally, let’s talk about this purse I picked up from Plato’s Closet a few weeks ago. Most of my bags tend to be a crossbody style, and I loved how this had plenty of pockets but was small enough to to carry for long periods of time.

Originally St. John’s Bay, I paused for awhile to consider the $16 price tag. Consignment can make you feel like you are getting a good deal, but it’s always worth questioning if you are ready to spend that much on an item, thrifted or not. Ultimately, I decided it was a good price for a bag that I would inevitably get a lot of use out of.

In the end, you’ve got to take risks when you thrift, but you also have to continuously check yourself to make sure you are enhancing your wardrobe, not just adding another item to it.

What about you? Found anything fun while thrifting lately?

Special thanks to my sister, Clara, for taking these photos on such a cold and windy day.

Linking up: Let it shine , Visible Monday , Street Style Sunday , Watch What I’m Wearing , Sophisticated Style , Style to Inspire, How I fall

Nifty Thrifty: Green Jacket

November 3, 2014November 2, 2014Samantha Gratton

We are full force into the fall season these days, which I am loving. The trees look amazing, the pumpkin flavored food tastes delicious and the chilly air mixed in with the warm sun feels wonderful. Did you catch that? I love fall!

As with every season, there are a few key items that seem to get the most amount of wear. For me, this green jacket has been an item of choice this fall.

So when I found this jacket for $4.59 at a local GCF, I knew I had to snag it. Originally from Gap, it’s been a great piece to layer with one of my many favorite scarves.

Pair it with some jeans and boots (look familiar?) and you’re good to go. Those jeans? Yep, those were thrifted too. But today we’re just talking about the green jacket.

Since moving to North Carolina, we appreciate soaking up all of the lovely fall moments a little longer as fall seems to last from September to December. To some that may seem typical, but in colder areas of the country, fall sometimes only lasts about a month before it gets cold again.

As much as I love thrifting, it has its challenges. Finding decent clothes for guys, especially tall and skinny (good-looking) guys is one of them. But I keep my eye out when I possible and some spots are better than others. On our trip to Portland this past spring, we knew we were in the midst of some awesome thrifting.

The hubby found this green sweater jacket, originally from Banana Republic, for $18 and wears it every chance he gets.

Added bonus? Now we can ~~accidentally~~ match in our thrifted green jackets.

Nifty Thrifty: Boots and Denim

September 29, 2014September 28, 2014Samantha Gratton

I’ve been wanting something denim for at least a year. I’m sure of it. Whenever I’d try something on it was either out of my price range or just didn’t quite fit like it should. Telling my husband that “the internet said it was trendy” failed to help my case in either instance.

When I find just the thing at a thrift shop, I like to talk about it. I like to be comfortable and happy with how I look, but there’s very little budget to work with to make that happen. Finding it through thrifting just proves it can in fact be done. It takes a lot of digging and even more patience, but it’s possible for an entire outfit to be under $20.

So when I found this dress/tunic at a GCF in Asheville (yes, I thrift while out of town), I knew it was finally time to go after my denim dreams. At $3.55 (it was priced as a shirt), it was an even easier decision to make.

It’s a bit short to be a dress for me (which is why the lady ended up selling it to me at a shirt price…no harm in making price suggestions when you are thrifting), but it’s perfect for boots and leggings. Believe it or not, these are not only my favorite shoes, but likely one of my cheapest pairs of shoes, too. These beauties were found at a garage sale for $4 a few years ago.

Yes, $4. It was one of those deals where I asked the seller the price and as soon as she said it, I handed over the money and all but ran back to my car because it felt like such a steal. Some people will tell you to never buy shoes second hand. I clearly don’t subscribe to that rule, but instead say it depends on the condition and type of the shoe. I don’t think I’ve ever bought used flip flops or tennis shoes, but I have gotten a few dress shoes in the past and a couple pairs of barely used boots.

Under that scarf (which is basically my favorite accessory), I really liked the detail of the top. It’s simple but gives a little bit of a feminine feel to it since the rest of the piece is incredibly plain. And of course, I wear my home state proudly on a necklace from the hubby.

I think I’m about ready for fall, what do you think?

Want to see other Nifty Thrifty posts? Find other thrifted outfit posts here! Want to contribute your own thrifted outfit post? Email Me.

Nifty Thrifty: Blue Lace

September 2, 2014August 25, 2014Samantha Gratton

I’ve always loved lace. When we got married, I knew I wanted an all lace dress, well before I knew that would be an upcoming trend. There’s something so gentle and feminine about it. It’s a style I am constantly looking for, although, I’ll admit I’m rather picky about it. I don’t do see-through lace, lace shorts or anything too cheap looking. To accomplish all that on a budget isn’t always easy.

Recently I shared my wish for Stitch Fix or something of the like, but also my resolution to blog about my thrift store finds instead. We all have something to share about deals we snag or fashions we put together. Even though I don’t frequent the style blogs or dream about putting together the perfect outfit, I like being confident and comfortable with how I look.

Lace Top

This tank is the perfect combination of cute and comfortable. I can wear it on a rainy Saturday for a relaxed look. Or I can dress it up for work by pairing it with a nice pair of slacks.

This LOFT piece was a GCF (Goodwill Community Foundation) find for only $3.49.

While I am not a big fan of lace shorts, lace skirts or dresses are an entirely different story. I was thrilled when I found this skirt as it has just the right amount of twirl.

Perhaps overlooked because it had a bit of a stain when I found it, a little soap and scrubbing did the trick. Generally, I don’t purchase stained items, but at times will make exceptions if the stain is barely noticeable or if the item is unique enough that I think it’s worth the risk.

Also found at GCF (albeit a different location), this skirt was $3.39 and worth every penny.

Nifty Thrifty: $2 Sweater

August 5, 2014September 28, 2014Samantha Gratton

So, we’ve all seen them, right? The fashion posts and the clothing reviews? Let’s be real, I am not about to begin being your number one spot for fashion. I like to look nice and have a few cute outfits, but that’s never going to be my main thing and I’m okay with that. I’d rather talk about moving or job hunting or just living life and what I’m learning along the way. At the same time, I still sorta love looking at those types of posts when other people blog about it. It’s fun and cute and interesting.

The latest trend is for all sorts of bloggers to give a Stitch Fix review. If you haven’t somehow come across it, basically you sign up for a month fix of style and receive five items or so in the mail. You pay for the items you keep and return the ones you don’t. The stuff is usually adorable, but also the average cost per item is $55. Therefore, I have never signed up for such a club, nor do I see it happening in the near future. In my time of unemployment, I’ve created a list of things for “when I get a job…” which ranges from new pillows for our bed to a bike tune-up. Wistfully, I added Stitch Fix to the list.

I’ve always been a thrift shopper though and have found some really amazing items over the years. So, while you may not find the same item, I figured we thrift shoppers should band together and start our own style reviews to inspire the nation to sift through racks of recycled clothing for that “new” piece. So here comes the part in the story where I say, let me tell you about my newest sweater which was purchased in the middle of the summer while it was 90+ degrees outside.

At first it might seem drab, but I just love the versatility of this piece. Gray tones can fit into almost any wardrobe. I can wear it with a dress to tie an outfit all together and dress it up a bit.

Shoulder of Sweater Or it can be dressed down with some dark colors like a purple.

2014-07-31 16.56.12

I love that it is just thin enough that you can get away with it in any season. My iphone pictures just don’t do this sweater justice!

Found at Passage Consignment, this was originally from Ann Taylor. There’s a certain satisfaction that comes from buying name brand items at thrift store prices.

Grey on purple

For a whopping $2 in total the decision was simple – keep! (but pay for it first, obviously)

Is this all satire? No. Okay, maybe a little. Perhaps one day I’ll join the rest of the bloggers doing real reviews, but maybe not and that’s okay. Regardless, I encourage those of you thrifters to join me in doing Nifty Thrifty reviews. Some people can afford $100 items, some can only afford $2 items. We’ve all made some great finds though, and it’s fun to share them no matter the price.