Yoohoo....Emilio Pucci Calling!!!

The Pucci trio!


Tailor-made using vintage Pucci for Braniff airlines fabric!




And the fabric...

Soooooo......anyone who knows me and my love of secondhand shopping, also knows that I have been on a quest for a Pucci dress for what seems like my whole life!! Somehow, it has been the one item that has eluded me, although along the way....I have found many fabulous Pucci items that have been added to my "collection"!! Earlier this summer while perusing the offerings at Buffalo Exchange, I found a large piece of Pucci fabric for $25. I couldn't believe my good luck and knew right away that I would use the fabric to create my dream dress. I immediately began to look for a seamstress to help me in my endeavor (I do own a sewing machine, but have not yet removed it from its box), but found it was difficult to find anyone who wanted to sew a simple dress for me. I soon lost faith, and knew that when the time was right, the dress would find its maker!







A few months passed and I received a text one day from a fellow Buffalo Exchange enthusiast who has become a good friend. In our thirst for affordable fashion, we have bonded! The text included a photo of a gorgeous Pucci dress that had just been bought at Buffalo Exchange and was put on hold for ME!!!! I was beyond excited. It was the perfect dress, and I could tell from the picture that it was the perfect fit!! I scooted on over to BE with some items to unload, and left 30 minutes later with a gorgeous Pucci dress and $1.50!







A few weeks ago, I found a wonderful designer who was able to make my vision for a simple Pucci shift dress a reality! Youn from Younique Designs by Youn was kind enough to tackle the project for a very affordable price. We had a few fittings and my dress was progressing fantastically! As I was waiting patiently for my dress to be complete, the Pucci gods smiled on me yet again, and I found another dress at Buffalo Exchange. Again, I went through my closet and traded some old goodies in order to be able to bring the beautiful dress home, and again I was victorious! As I was completing my BE trade for the 2nd Pucci dress, I got a text from Youn that my tailor-made dress was complete! I have to say it was a bit overwhelming!! Years I waited for a Pucci dress and in a matter of months...I have three!! Sometimes when it rains, it pours....Pucci that is!!

Manolos- $12 Genesis Women's Shelter


M. Frey Wille scarf- $1.40 St. Vincent De Paul thrift




Sergio Rossi- $30 Buffalo Exchange






Jaeger dress- $3.60 St. Vincent De Paul thrift







Today, I am going to write about something other than thrifting (as much as it pains me!)!!! But I have a fabulous deal to share for those living in the Dallas area. A deal that not only makes you feel good...but look good also! A deal for the whole family!!! "What is this amazing deal of which you speak?" you might be asking???? Today I shall tell you of the place that makes my life easier, my kids happier, and would make my ass smaller if I was willing to actually make use of all the facilities!!! The Hilton Anatole "Verandah" club. Our family have been members of this club for the last few years. We consider it our family "entertainment" budget each month. For less than $120, our whole family can make use of the amazing facilities which include: gym, indoor basketball, indoor/outdoor track, racquetball, tennis, classes, and indoor/outdoor swimming (with swim-up bar). The facilities are top-notch and I often just stop in and let my kids make use of their gorgeous locker rooms (ssshhh.....don't tell a soul!)!!! It certainly is easier to let them shower there than try and clean up after all of them at home! The best part is that you don't have to sign a contract. That's right....you can make up your mind month to month. Although I have to say that I cannot imagine cancelling after becoming a member...it is just too great a deal to let go!
If interested....contact Rick (great guy) at the Verandah Club 214-761-7878

P.S. I hated to leave you without even a little bit of bargain eye-candy!! Enjoy just a few of my latest treasures!!

All Things Bright and Beautiful.....

There are few things that make me happier than leopard print, neon pink, and a wolf howling at the moon! When I can manage to incorporate all three into one outfit...it is the making of a fantastic day! That coupled with my kids late departure for school due to the 2 centimeters of snow/ice on the ground...which resulted in an extra hour of sleep for me, means that today is bound to be nothing short of glorious!

This coat has got to be one of the most fantastic items of clothing that I own. It was found on a recent venture to Genesis Women's Shelter in Dallas. I was supposed to be dropping off a donation (and I did...I promise!), but managed to squeeze in moment of shopping. I spied this coat from across the store, and was ecstatic when it was a perfect fit AND I could afford it. What a bargain at $25! I hate to admit that my husband is ever right....but he believes that whenever I donate...I always come home with more. In this case he was correct...and I am so glad that he was!

The sweater was Neiman Marcus Last Call purchase. If you don't shop there...you should! I have gotten some ridiculous bargains there...seriously...sometimes even cheaper than Wal-Mart. This Shamask sweater was a bargain...I am just not sure how ridiculous! Original price- $750.00, after a slew or markdowns and a special sale...it became mine for $65! I love the color, and you can never go wrong with cashmere.

Leggings and boots...courtesy of Target! Love that place!! I did have a pair of Frye campus boots in black...but they were SSssooooooo painful! And this from someone who regularly sports 5 inch heels! They were so heavy that by the end of the day, my ankles would be throbbing! They were sold...and I found this great pair as a replacement. They were on sale for $35.00 and the leggings were a bargain at $14. It is hard to tell from the pic, but they are like a ribbed sweater.

And last...but certainly not least is the scarf of fabulousness from H&M. I bought this in Las Vegas for $14 at the H&M there...and it is not a purchase that I regret. This scarf has it all....snakes, the constellation, a wolf...and even a goat (or maybe it is a cat!). No matter how you cut it...it is bright, fun, and a tad bit obnoxious! I am so happy that H&M will soon be opening in Dallas. I was so happy when the store opened in Hong Kong...only to move back to Dallas a few months later. I hope when the store opens here...we are not unexpectedly transferred to Boise, Idaho!!

I Believe I promised a Pucci Post.....

$32 Buffalo Exchange


$20 Buffalo Exchange



$24 Buffalo Exchange




$32 Buffalo Exchange





$20 Buffalo Exchange (100% cashmere)





No chitchat this time...just fashion! I will share with you my gorgeous Pucci items and the prices paid! Hold on to your eyeballs...they may be popping out at any second!! Thanks to Buffalo Exchange for constantly feeding my need for Pucci....and at such unbelievable prices!

Feeling thrifty....will travel!!!

So although this past weekend was supposed to be dedicated to my most favorite 11 year old daughter and her all-state choir competition....there was much down-time for us Moms....on the trip to Houston. I googled locations before departure, and found out that we would be mere minutes away from a Houston Buffalo Exchange. As if there was not enough crap being crammed into the back of my car for this trip...I loaded my ever evolving bag of clothes for possible trades while visiting this Buffalo Exchange location. It is a good thing the other Mom in my car ended up being so cool...otherwise she might have thought me crazy...for not only wanting to go thrifting, but also for hauling merchandise 250 miles to trade!! It was a good thing I did though, as there were only two items sold for trade....but I had a total of $30 in trade credit which was promptly spent. What did I get you might wonder....well....as everyone should know, a skirt made from old men's ties is a wardrobe necessity...so I picked up a super cool one for $11. Also...I bought a necessary pair of khaki pants, as my one pair was purchased when I was a depressed smoker and 10 pounds lighter. Sure, I cold still squeeze in....but why make oneself miserable??!! Also...the gorgeous, vintage crochet type dress (pictured) was purchased for $20. I plan on making it a little bit tougher with a leather jacket and some serious platforms!!

Then it was off to pick up my darling child from her first day of choir practice. What did I spy a few blocks away???? A HUGE Salvation Army!!!! I then knew what I would be doing to kill time the next day! Thank goodness that my travelling companion and I were now fast friends...as she was a good sport when I broke the news that a trip to the Salvation was certainly imminent! AND....it was a rousing success!!! I had a whole cartful of stuff inside of 15 minutes. And this was good stuff!!! REALLY GOOD STUFF!!! For $30, I left with a Land's End raincoat, red cashmere sweater, Sanctuary jacket, cool pants from Japan (pictured), White House Black Market jacket (pictured), J. Crew metallic jacket (pictured), Vintage black dress (pictured), Ralph Lauren skinny jeans for my daughter, and a few other odds and ends for the kids. Then the problem was posed...how to get this back home and into my house as if it had always been there???? I can tell you that it has only been two days, and these items have disappeared into the black hole of fabulousness that is my closet...with no problem at all!

Thanks for reading....I would say that it will happen again soon....but I can't make any promises!!!

A Deal so Good it Made Me Feel Bad!!

Me&Ro necklace $20 at Buffalo Exchange
Retail $2500-$3000


Loro Piana cashmere sweater $3.99 at UGM thrift
Retail $1500.00



Pucci Halter top- $62 at Uptown Consignment
Retail-$800




Vintage Gianmarco Lorenzi boots-$34 at Buffalo Exchange (bought in trade)
Sergio Rossi red patent stilettos-$43 at Buffalo Exchange ( bought in trade)





Gorgeous Italian dress for my daughter- $10 Genesis Women's Shelter
Retail-between $300-$500





This has never happened to me before. N-E-V-E-R. Generally when I get a fantastic deal....I am in awe....and cannot wait to shout it from the rooftops....but recently, I got a deal SO GOOD, that I actually felt bad about it!






The day was like so many others....I found myself at Buffalo Exchange with the opportunity to peruse the newest arrivals, and keep myself occupied for a little while. As I was leaving, I quickly looked into the jewelry case where I spotted a beautiful "gold" necklace with "cz's" by a very well known designer. As I examined it more closely....I realized that it was quite a heavy piece of jewelry and decided that it definitely needed to be mine! I put it on hold and quickly drove home to find a few items to "trade". The necklace was a bargain at $20, so I was in a hurry to purchase. When I got home, I took a moment to do a bit of research on the designer, "Me&Ro", and was intrigued when I read that they only work in 10k gold and 18k gold and diamonds. Hmmmmm.....the possibility of a serious FIND was at hand!! I rushed back to Buffalo Exchange and completed my purchase. I made the decision that a professional opinion was needed, so stopped at the first jewelry store on the way to my house. My $20 necklace turned out to be 18K gold and diamonds....and almost a full ounce of gold!!! HOLY SHITE!!! That is a lot of gold!!! I couldn't believe it! No sooner had I gotten over the excitement of the realization than I started to worry. It was too good a deal?? It was stolen?? But I cannot imagine any thief taking a piece of jewelry to Buffalo Exchange instead of a pawn shop. They certainly would not be very good at their "profession"!!! Anyway....after admiring the necklace for a few days, I sold the chain for scrap and used the $$$ to pay off a credit card (How responsible is this??!!), and kept the gold and diamond cross for myself. The retail value of the necklace was about $2500. Now THAT IS A DEAL!!!






On to more thrifting finds....Today, I decided that perhaps I am a philanthropist! The good thing about thrifting is that you are helping a charity, recycling, and getting some good stuff at the same time. The bad thing is that it is quite addictive. There is always something fabulous to be found....and I am single-handedly trying to find it all it seems!!! I will post a few pics of some of my recent goodies! There have been some good ones!!






A friend of mine recently told me about a new consignment store in Dallas. "What's this you say?" A new consignment store that I don't know about?? Shocking. I actually let a few days go by before I dropped in to check it out. The name of this little gem is "Uptown Consignment", and it is owned by a darling set of sisters; Camille Umland and Connie Dieb. It is located at the corner of Fitzhugh and Cole in the uptown area of Dallas. This store is small, but WELL STOCKED. Forget having to sort through a bunch of stuff to find a treasure...they were all treasures! The pricing was extremely reasonable, and I was able to snag a gorgeous Pucci halter for $62. I also spotted a fabulous pair of Marni flats for $42, and was sorely tempted. If I didn't already own a gazillion pairs of flats that I don't wear....they would have been mine!! I recommend dropping in, as one of the sisters is a personal shopper at Neimans and could certainly help you to pick out the perfect outfit.






On to food.....recently we dined out at Cracker Barrel. I cannot even remember the last time that I ate this kind of food. Pros: any age can order off the kids menu. The servings are BIG and the meal comes with a drink for under $5. Cons: Country store to occupy your time while waiting for the food to be delivered. What I saved on the food...I made up for on the old-school candy. YUM!!!

The Ghost of Fashions Past!!!

Dior t-shirt- $11 bought at Clothes Circuit many years ago
Mango skirt- under $5 thrift
Targets version of Louboutin espadrilles- $9 Target
flower pin- DIY

There are few things more thrilling (which will give you an insight into how boring my life is), than seeing a piece of clothing worn in a new and different way....then realizing that in fact, you already own this piece of clothing. Such is what happened to me when I viewed the trailer for the Sex & The City 2 movie. Imagine my delight when I noticed Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker) in Abu Dhabi wearing none other than a vintage J'adore Dior t-shirt. Although I can't attest to the age of her shirt, I can say that I realized that in a box somewhere, I had almost the identical t-shirt. Other people might wait for the shirt to surface of its own accord....but not me! I decided to brave the mound of boxes in storage in search of my holy grail of shirts (at least until I found it). If you could only see my storage area, you would realize what an undertaking this is. I am glad that I have gymnastics training, because it was certainly employed to get to the shirt. I was lucky in that I knew in which box it resided, but unlucky in that this box was about 6 feet up on a shelf that I couldn't get to. I decided that scaling the storage fixture was my only option, and quickly climbed up. Whilst balancing precariously, and digging through the box, it was much to my delight when.....the shirt was exactly where it should be. This will prove my point, that it is never a good idea to get rid of anything!!! Different people have different rules....I have heard the one year rule (if you haven't worn it for a year get rid of it), I have heard the trend rule (if it is not on trend get rid of it), but the only way items leave my closet is if they don't look good on me or if they are just plain ugly! I cannot tell you how many times that I have enjoyed an item of clothing that I was sure that I would never wear again. Case in point.....this t-shirt. I was certain it had seen its day in the sun. Lucky for me, I wisely saved it for later. Today it has been resurrected.....J'adore Dior!!!!