50% Select Sales @ LOFT: Restock On Basics

Thanks to La Vie Petite I've been hooked on LOFT for the past 2 years.  Prior to then I had never stepped foot into a store.  During my first visit there the very nice sales associate explained to me that every season they design clothing so that everything in the store goes with everything in the store.  So hypothetically, you could go through picking pieces with your eyes closed and end up looking ok.  Sounds so easy, right?
Well, I'm not so trusting in their concept, but I love going to LOFT for basics and their sales are to-die-for.  These are the items I picked up during their 50% of select styles + 40% sale items.  I don't believe I've ever paid full price for anything there, which is really hard to do since everything goes on sale.

I would suggest signing up for their emails as that's how I stay up to date on their sales.  

1) Button Back Tulip Tee

2) Knit and Woven Tiered Cotton Tank

3) Dalmatian Spot Print Short Dolman Sleeve Blouse

4) Stripe Terry Knit Dress

5) Striped Slubbed Cotton Tank

Lessons From a Thrifting Newbie

When I started blogging last year, I started thrifting for the first time in my life. I enjoyed it so much, I found myself thrifting almost every weekend. This skirt ($12) was found at the local Goodwill during my first thrifting trip ever. After getting it altered, it fit perfectly and has forever instilled the value of thrifting in my brain.

When I don't have enough spare time on the weekends, I take my thrifting to Etsy. Here are a few of my favorite vintage shops on Etsy:

Dolls and Robots VTG
Sam and Milly
Heirloom Attire
Thrush Vintage
I Love Vintage Stuff
Really Truly
Maggies Farmm
Definitely Different (jewelry)
Adorable You Vintage

I found myself not only embracing thrift shopping, but also vintage jewelry and accessory shopping. Soon I was looking for pre-loved vintage treasures and found some in great condition.

Vintage LV Clutch

Vintage gold chain bracelet

Vintage LV Travel Bag

Vintage Chanel Jumbo Flap

Vintage Escada Skirt

Vintage French Blue Skirt

This navy polka-dot blouse was too cute to pass up. Although not my size, I grabbed it in hopes of selling it on eBay. But then I saw Cori from La Vie Petite (one of my favorite bloggers!) looking for this exact style, so I passed it on to her and it looks fab on her!
And if you're looking for thrifting inspiration, there are a slew of bloggers out there making miracles happen on a dime. One of my favorites, in addition to La Vie Petite (mentioned above). is My Thrifty Closet. Mongs is a super-star thrifter.

My Thrifty Closet

Please share some of your favorite thrifting bloggers below- I'd love to follow along and see how they make vintage into "new."

Featured On: Style Me Thrifty

What an honor to be featured on Style Me Thrifty.  Thanks for the support Madeline :)

Farewell 2011- Thanks for the Lessons Learned

2011 was a whirlwind year to say the least.  Not to touch too much on my personal life, I wanted to list some of my milestones and lessons learned as they pertain to my blog.  Please check out the links for reference.

1)  I learned how to dress smarter.
Really, before starting this blog, I was at war with my closet on a daily basis.  I had "set outfits" in my closet (and in my head)- meaning I didn't understand the concept of remixing.  At all.  I had a pair of pants I knew would go with a shirt, a shirt I knew would match with a pair of pants, and that was it.  That was my #1 mistake--that and buying trendy pieces that would either fall apart or go out of style in a blink of an eye.

Now I have a rule when shopping:
Only buy things I can wear 5 different ways.  This is where Granola2Glam comes into play- I should be able to wear it casual, dressy, to happy hour, to brunch, and so forth.  If in my head I can't imagine 5 ways to wear it, I put it back on the shelf.

2) Implement the 80/20 rule. Always.
80% of my closet should consist of my staples.  Through purging all my junk clothes, I've spent the majority of the year stocking my closet with staples.  It felt great- almost like a clean slate to build on.
20% of my closet could be allocated to my impulse buys- stupid trendy things that I convinced myself in the moment I could not live without.

Why did I buy this masterpiece?

80% of my closet should consist of sale, clearance, thrifted, or sample sale pieces.  This was key in staying within budget.  I doubt everyone needs to shop in the sale section, but I need to.  And that's reality, so I am firm on this rule.
20% of my closet could be allocated to full price items.  Like the time I visited Paris for the 1st time and treated myself to my 1st Louis Vuitton at the Champs Elysees flagship store.  To me, it was a once in a lifetime experience and yep that counts.  (but really it was way cheaper than buying in the US after the 12% VAT refund). LOL.

Ah, the mothership!

3) Pay cash* for everything.
I was thrilled to pay off all my credit card debt this past year- it was such an exhilarating feeling.  I swore from then on, I would not charge anything.  So I was shocked when with some self-discipline I was able to save and start a little collection of timeless investments for myself.  Yes, that includes my IRA and 401K, but it also includes these guys.  Oh, but don't pay full-price, fashion babe.  Buy pre-owned.

If I could speak to my 21-year-old-self, I would say cut up those credit cards!  If you are reading this and in debt, you may enjoy this motivating article from Feather Factor.  Try not to buy fashion items on credit...it's a snowball effect and you will be buried before you know it.
* cash: meaning money in the bank via check card, Paypal or whatever, not virtual money on a credit card.

4) Accessorize.  Accessories make the outfit.
I was clueless of the endless possibilities of color-coordinated accessories pre-2011.  They do wonders and I swear by it.  Best part is accessories can be a low-budget part of your wardrobe.  Forever 21, H&M, Etsy, and so forth...go on and splurge on these goodies-- they will go a long way.

Invest in some shoes and accesories

My brooches

5) The blogging community rocks!

I started blogging because I no longer wanted to wear pajamas everyday and needed an outlet to share my efforts in getting dressed everyday.  Little did I know what a fun experience I would undergo.  From joining The Purse Forum, Bloggers Do It Better, to Everybody Everywear, I find inspiration from the blogging community everyday.  It's been a joy and I thank my readers who have stuck it with me this year. 

I wish you all a very Happy New Year and may you have the time to reflect on your lessons learned and the journey you hope to take next year. 

HAPPY 2012 EVERYONE! 

What were your lessons learned?

Facebook Lookbook

Here's my Facebook Lookbook.  While you're there, I would really appreciate if you "liked" my newbie page.  Or I could just be the only page on FB with less than 10 fans.  That's cool.
Thanks!

Blog Remodel :)

It's been a few weeks and I need to thank Cindy @ Blessed Design Studio for giving my blog a much needed facelift.  If you read my blog via reader, it's worth a click-through to see her great work.

Cindy is absolutely a doll to work with and I would recommend her in a heartbeat :)  She is the most detailed and thorough blog designer that will not disappoint.  Let her know Granola2Glam sent you if you are interested in commissioning her for a blog facelift.

Granola 2 Glam: Fushia & Blue

The goal of my blog is to use the same pieces in my closet for Granola (casual) and Glam (dressy).  Although I do this all the time, I've seldom combined them into a single post.  Here I made some subtle changes between the two styles.

Flats, tucked-in, no belt:

Can you believe I found this fab agate bracelet for $9 at a local re-sale store?  SCORE!



Added a belt, untucked, heels, and a glam necklace:

 

 

 

 

The point is to show how you don't have to "re-get ready" if you want to jazz up a casual outfit.  I literally threw this outfit on in less than 12 seconds and was surprised to like the color combo.

OUTFIT:  I LOVE Jeremy's in Berkeley- where I found the pink agate bracelet for $9.  Along with a million other ladies, I've been loving the Anthropologie Stormy Seas necklace forever, and finding this similar one at JEM Apparel put a big smile on my face.  It's so neutral it can be worn with anything!  After falling in love with my Pearce nude pumps from Target, I had to grab these Franco Sarto peep-toes from Nordstrom Rack!  I call this my summer cardigan- picked this pink one up along with a taupe one from Hautelook a few weeks ago.

SHOP:  Tee LOFT  /  Cardigan Hautelook (similar)  /  Skirt JCrew Factory (similar)  /  Necklace Jem  /  Heels Franco Sarto (similar)  /  belt JCrew

Updated My Staples: Urban Outfitters Opaque Tights

Hey ya'll,
I added my favorite tights:  Urban Outfitter Opaque Tights ($12 or 2 for $20) to "My Staples" list.  They really are my fave!

Granola 2 Glam: Gray and Magenta

So how would I convert this Granola outfit to Glam? Here's how:

Perfect Granola outfit:

Tees by Topshop
Flats by Gabriella Rocha

Keep the same color palette but adding more Glam appropriate accesories and basics (crisp white shirt, basic pumps, pearls).  You're set!

Longsleeve Tops by Vivienne Westwood
Shoulder Bags by Rebecca Minkoff

By removing the Granola pieces (striped scarf, fun flats, and bangles), you can pull your Glam pieces in and utilize most of the same pieces for work.