I mentioned in a previous post that I had tried a new resale website thredUp, which is an online resale/consignment shop.  My buying experience was great, so I decided to sell some of my own things on thredUP.  (I considered just updating my last post with my selling experience, but decided to just create a whole new post instead.)

I really didn't have any expectations because most of the prices on thredUP are pretty reasonable so I wasn't expecting to make a lot of money.  Plus, I've worked resale long enough to know better than to expect $100's in profit from resale.  They are used clothes after all.

I requested my clean out bag and it arrived about a week later.  It arrived with instructions and a prepaid return label on the bag, which I filled with items, sealed up, and set out for my mailman to pick up.  Easy as that.  It was so much better than hauling items to a store "neatly" on hangers.


I opted out of the "Return Assurance," because honestly I had already had a yard sale and wasn't interested in getting anything back.  Out of sight, out of mind.  But, just know that there is that option for a small fee.  

I will say, if you're in a hurry to receive your payout, you may want to skip this process.  They were apparently experiencing an extremely high volume of clean out bags, so my original payout date of October 13 was eventually pushed back to October 18, even though they received my bag on September 23.

In the end, they accepted a lot of my items and the payout is about what I had expected, around $2 per item.  So, all in all it was an easy process.  It just took a while to get the payout and it wasn't a huge amount of money, but I wasn't expecting a lot anyway.  I'll probably sell to them again when I get ready to clean out closets again.

If you would like to try thredUP to buy or sell, go here.

I mentioned here, that I had fallen into a fashion rut recently and had decided to try new tactics to dress a little more fashionable and less like a frumpy stay-at-home mom (a sentence I never thought I'd say).  While I love thredUp, sometimes I just don't know that to pick out for myself to wear anymore.  I feel caught in a weird style phase, because some days I may not leave the house and on the days when I do leave the house I want to be wearing something comfortable that I can wrangle a toddler in .

Anyway.

After reading about other bloggers' experiences with Stitch Fix, I decided to give it a try.  If you had pitched this idea to me about four or five years ago I would have said it was a waste of money, but circumstances and lifestyles change.  Back then I had plenty of time to study trends and then go shopping for what I wanted.  I also spent lots of time keeping up with fashion trends, as I worked in retail (which also allowed me to shop constantly while on the clock).  Now, the idea of someone else picking out my clothes and sending them to me is brilliant.  So, I headed over to Stitch Fix, filled out a personal style quiz and scheduled my "fix."

The style quiz was actually fun, and a little eye opening if you want to know the truth.  My, how my style has changed.  Where shopping for clothes used to be fun and relaxing, it's now a daunting task that I actually avoid.  I told my stylist what I was looking for and for a $20 styling fee, she will find it for me and send it to me.  I pick what I want to keep (with my $20 going towards my purchase) and send back what I don't want.

My "fix" date was October 1, but my actual package didn't arrive until October 5.  My stylist sent me five clothing items personally selected for me with corresponding styling cards.


Let me start off by saying my stylist totally got me.  Like, really got me.  So much so, that I already owned a similar replica to each item she sent me.  

{Loveappella sweatshirt, Just Black distressed skinny jean}

{En Creme potter button back sweater}

This sweater was my favorite, and I almost kept it.  Almost.

{Skies are Blue cardigan}

{Papermoon dress}

The prices of my clothing items were a little (actually a lot) more than I would normally pay for clothes, so it didn't make sense to pay top dollar for items that I basically already owned.  So, I sent everything back.  I was out the $20 styling fee, but it was nice knowing my style was professionally validated.

I'll probably try Stitch Fix again, this time more prepared for the sticker shock.

If you'd like to schedule a fix of your own, click here.

It's a fair assumption that I have fallen into a fashion slump since becoming a stay-at-home mother.  I would even go as far as to say that I'm a self-described frumpy mom some days.

I swore this would never happen to me, but here I sit wearing the mom uniform: sweatpants and t-shirt.

I was a fashion (double) major in college and worked retail for years following graduation, so I lived and breathed fashion for years and years.  I used to study fashion magazines and I could tell you what the trend would be for the upcoming season (or beyond).  Somewhere along the way, I've fallen into a rut of wearing whatever is most comfortable.  I don't have time to read fashion magazines anymore, and I can't remember the last time I went shopping.

Which brings me to the point of this post finally, getting out of the fashion rut that I seem to have fallen into.

I love resale shopping, and while St. Louis has a plethora of resales shops, I never find the time to go to them.  Plus, lately Katherine is a nightmare to try to shop with.  So you can imagine my excitement when I came across thredUP.  I'd read other bloggers' posts about thredUP and decided to give it a try.  It's basically an online consignment store (resale shopping from the comfort of my own home? yes please).

ThredUP carries womens (and maternity!) and childrens clothing at decent resale prices.  I got 15% off of my first order so I loaded up my virtual cart with all kinds of new-to-me items.  I even read up on current trends for fall (I know right?!).  In the end, I opted out of being extra trendy and stayed in my comfort zone.  But, at least I have some "new" things in my closet.

My order arrived promptly and in super cute packaging.  It's hard to believe the package came from a "resale" store and not a fancy online boutique.  My items were in great condition and exactly as they were described online.  With fall coming up, I'll probably shop for Katherine some cute new fall/winter clothes next.




You can also send them your items to sell, which I haven't done yet because I'm planning a yard sale and thought I'd just try to sell some things on my own first.  Plus based on the low prices of the items listed on thredUP, I doubt I'd get that much money (if any) for my items anyway.

While I still may dress a little more casual than I did before, I'm making progress in not dressing like a bum every single day.  My wardrobe may change now that I can resale shop from home.

Get $10 off of YOUR first and second orders from thredUP by clicking here: http://www.thredup.com/r/2R3EPR



UPDATE:  I had every intention of taking photos of me actually wearing the outfits from thredUP, but, like they say ain't nobody got time for that.  I did finally take some selfies of my new thredUP pieces.  Please excuse the dirty playroom mirror.

{J.Crew tank, Band of Gypsies floral top}

{Forever 21 tunic}

{J.Crew zip-up hoodie}

{GapFit capri pants}

{Loft dress}

It's no secret that I love shopping resale.  It's an affordable way to add to your wardrobe, and I love the "thrill of the hunt" because you never know what you're going to find.

One place I frequent is Goodwill.  I'm lucky enough to live in a city that has multiple locations, and over the years I've learned which locations have the best selections.  If you go to the right Goodwill store, you can stock up on never worn, top brands for way less than retail.

I've put together a few outfits that are head-to-toe Goodwill purchases:

{Shirt: Old Navy, Jeans (not pictured): AE, Scarf (not Goodwill): cristin rae}

{Dress: J. Crew, Blazer: The Limited, Necklace (not Goodwill): similar here, Booties: Christian Siriano}

{Dress: Express, Necklace (not Goodwill), Booties: Christian Siriano}

I normally don't buy shoes at Goodwill, but I found these Christian Siriano booties that had never been worn.  I couldn't pass them up since they were my size.  It was meant to be.

Each piece pictured was $10 or less.

I recently put together a list of my favorite resale shops (to read click here).  Do you resale shop?  What are your favorite things to shop resale for?  

I love sharing with you things I find on Etsy, and helping an Etsy business get recognition.  I usually do a lot of Christmas shopping on Etsy, and this year was no different.

This year, I got my brother these raw honey samples for Christmas.

{Photo:  Honeyrun Farm}

He uses a lot of honey and these were the perfect sample sizes, to not overwhelm him.  What caught my eye about these honeys was the different harvest times.  The honey will taste different based on what time of the year it was harvested.  I would definitely recommend checking out this cute shop on Etsy!  (Plus shipping was crazy fast!)

Another shop I love is The Jane Soap Company.  I've used their scrubs and lip balms before and loved them, so I got my brother's girlfriend some "Chocolate Covered Strawberry" lip balm for Christmas.  (And this one for myself!)

If you live in St. Louis, you can also find The Jane Soap Company products at The Foundrie.

I use my iPad in the kitchen a lot to use recipes via Pinterest.  So I was super excited when I got this kitchen iPad holder for Christmas.

It came from Our Sweet Home Alabama, and I absolutely love it.  It makes using an iPad in the kitchen so much easier and it takes up very little counter space.

Last but not least, my favorite Etsy shop (ever, probably) is cristin rae.  I've bought several things from her over the years, in fact when I finally met her at a craft fair she recognized my name from all the orders I had made.

I picked out this scarf before the holidays, and was super excited to get it for Christmas.  This is my second (maybe third?) one of her knitted scarves and I love them!

It's so fun to browse Etsy and find new things that you love.  It's even better when you're helping out another small business owner.  Plus, Etsy finds always make unique gifts!

On Thursday, I met a couple of friends for lunch and a little pre-Christmas shopping.  We met in downtown Kirkwood, which is one of my favorite places to visit.

After lunch at Dewey's Pizza, it was time to shop (or in my case, browse).

{One of my favorite pizza places around!}

{Loved these onesies at Paperdolls}

{Interesting Christmas display at the Rusted Chandelier}

{A little clothes shopping at Sole}

{Of course my little shopper found something at Down by the Station.  A Santa bath mitt!}|

{A repurposed vintage Nativity at Found.}

{Also at Found, these antique ceramic Christmas trees.  I remember my grandmother having these!}

I love supporting local small businesses.  Most Christmases, I never step foot in a shopping mall.

Saturday, November 30 is Small Business Saturday.  I know we all love good deals on Black Friday, but don't forget to shop small and support your local businesses!

On Saturday, my mom drove up to accompany me to the Green with Indie Craft Show.  I've been looking forward to this craft show for months and I literally couldn't wait to go.  It was absolutely worth it!  I love shopping local artists and designers and this was like my oasis.  I bought several things almost going over my budget for the entire day!










After the craft show, my mom, brother, and brother's girlfriend headed to the Delmar Loop for lunch.  I often forget that this awesome little gem even exists in my own backyard.  After lunch at Blueberry Hill, we did a little more shopping.   I, of course, had to visit Avalon Exchange.  This resale shop is a little different in the fact that they carry everything down to authentic vintage apparel.  I bought an awesome maxi dress, and I can't wait for it to get warm enough to wear it.

{Shopping the dress racks.} {Shoes with bling.}

On the final leg of our day, we visited Plowsharing Crafts.  This shop carries Fair Trade items from developing countries.  All items are fair trade and the store is staffed by volunteers.  If you're in the St. Louis area, I would definitely recommend stopping in this store.  There are two locations in the St. Louis area (on Delmar and in downtown Kirkwood).  I bought (technically my mom bought it for me) a gorgeous Ember wrap cuff bracelet.  This line of jewelry is handmade from recycled materials by women in Uganda.  I found so many cute things, I wanted them all.

{These bowls are made from recycled materials.} {Cuff bracelets.....LOVE.}

If you live in or visit St. Louis, I would recommend any or all of this places!

While I love resale shops, I love non profit resale the most.  Everyone wins with non profits.  The customer gets a fabulous piece of clothing and the profit benefits the organization connected with the shop.  I recently went to Rung (one of my favs) and got this awesome Alice + Olivia bag.  At Rung, all inventory is donated and profits benefit the Women's Foundation of Greater St. Louis.  This organization raises awareness about women's issues and provide funding for women's initiatives in the region. 

Alice + Olivia tote.

{ Forever 21 woven hat, Vince sweater, LA Made top}

On a snowy Wednesday night in January, Blush Boutique in Kirkwood had a "Closet CleanOut Party" benefiting the Gateway Chapter of the Multiple Sclerosis Society.  By paying $5 at the door, one could shop racks of resale items donated by Blush employees and customers, as well as regular Blush inventory, all while sipping complementary cocktails.  Donated items included clothing, shoes, and accessories all priced between $2-$30 with proceeds benefiting Multiple Sclerosis.

Because Blush is one of my favorite boutiques and I love shopping resale, I couldn't pass this opportunity up.  I found this Vince hooded cashmere sweater and over-sized knit top by LA Made as well as a pair of 1921 jeans (not pictured).  There were some awesome deals for an even greater cause. 

It has officially almost been a year since I started this blog. It is always a work in progress. I wasn’t completely thrilled with the blog name, so after much deliberation I decided on several different alternative titles. I decided to try this one out. So from now on this blog will be “Seasoned with Style.” This title seemed to make more sense to me.


Hopefully by now everyone has their Christmas gifts bought. I finally finished my Christmas shopping today. I tried to do a lot of local buying this year. I attempted to buy as much as I could from local stores and from Etsy. Some chain stores and internet buying was inevitable. Some other stores I looked into for my gift buying were k. hall designs, the Foundrie, and other stores that I can’t give their names until after Christmas (might give away what the gift is or who it’s for). I also made a few gifts this year.

I’m looking forward to going home to Kennett this week so see the family.  I have spent Christmas in Kennett every single year of my life and I can't imagine being anywhere else.  I look forward to my family's Christmas traditions of:  going to Wal-Mart right before they close on Christmas Eve to watch the last minute shoppers, looking at Christmas lights around town, and of course the annual viewing of "Christmas in Kennett."  Through the years I have memories of the Hallelujah Chorus at the end of the Christmas Choir Concert, the high school Christmas Ball, and changing the words to Christmas songs ("we need a little Christmas house shoe" Haley).  I am thankful each year when I'm blessed enough to spend Christmas at home in Kennett. 

I hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! See you in January!

I did a little more bargain shopping this past weekend with my mom.  We went to a couple of flea markets and although it wasn’t one of my most successful bargain hunting outings, I still found a couple of unique items.  I found a rotary dial address book (which I never knew existed) and a jukebox salt and pepper shaker.  I love flea markets!





Do you know what this is? Its an address book! Jukebox salt and pepper shakers.