Lovely

Another day, another outfit post. Luckily, I'm still working with the lovely folks over at Vedette and they sent me another piece of shapewear to style and review. Honestly, this is my favorite piece I've gotten to wear. Just check out the color! Gosh, it's so pretty. It was also about a million times easier to put on than the other ones because it had a quick zipper in the front!
As far as wearing it goes, I was quite comfy. I didn't really care if my neighbors were watching me take pictures (just another thing they can write about on their Twitters. lol). I did think the cleavage was a bit of an overload, I'm not really into that. But, hey, that's the way God made me!

While I'm on the subject of Vedette, I'd like to let you all know that they were featured in a magazine spread and a familiar face was in the pages. Click here to check out the e-mag in it's full glory and be sure to look on page 67 to see me along with some of my other blogging friends! Eeek, I'm so excited about it. :D

Outfit details - Shapewear, c/o (Yvonne by Vedette Shapewear) - Skirt, $1 (thrifted) - Belt, .25 cents (thrifted) - Cardigan, $3 (thrifted) - Pearl jewelry was all from family - Flower necklace, under $2 (Forever 21 from Dec. '11)

Transforming a Maxi Dress (video tutorial!)

I thought it would be fun to switch up my usual posts of outfit pictures and instead bring you a video! Last week, for my birthday, I transformed my favorite maxi dress into something more party approved.

 It's incredibly simple and I thought it deserved a video with proper instructions, so you can also work some magic in your own wardrobe. Have at it! :)

Can't forget, only a few days left to enter my giveaway, if you haven't already. Pretty cool prizes up for grabs. :)

Thrift Rat

A mall rat is a person who spend a good part of their life at a mall. Surely there is a thrifter version of a mall rat, right? For the sake of this post, I'm going to call it a "thrift rat". I consider my self a thrift rat and love to find others like me.

If you read any standard "rules" for thrifting, you will always notice they mention to bring a friend. Or as I like to call it, a thrifting soul mate. For the longest time, I have been searching for my thrifting soul mate. Somebody who shops in the same rhythm as me and, of course, loves thrift stores!

In the past year, I've gotten to go to many new second hand places with many different kinds of shoppers. Some were clingy, some took too long, some sped through, some plain out cancelled on me at the last minute. There have been a few that have come close to being "the one", but after a birthday shopping trip last week, I think I've learned who my thrifting soul mate was all along. My mom! We work the store at the same pace and are patient with one another. We see each other everyday, so we know what the other is looking for and can be helpful to one another. When I told her of this realization, she thought it was so cool. (and agrees completely!)

I guess after having a good thrifting trip last week (after a few failed ones) really got me thinking about this subject. Now, I'm not positive of the specifics, but I'm sure you people can have more than one thrifting soul mate. I hope that I can continue to find them! Do you have a favorite person to thrift with or do you prefer to be a loner?


Outfit details - Dress, $5 (thrifted) - Vest, 50 cents (garage sale) - Sandals, $5 (Wal-Mart old) - Necklace, $1 (Bargain Depot old)

11 Things

Hey, everyone!
Dani of DIY Fatshion tagged me in the infamous "11 Things" post. Since 11 is my favorite number, I definitely can't pass up the opportunity to fill it out. Without further ado, here it is.


There are five rules:
1. Post these rules.
2. Post a photo of yourself and 11 random things.
3. Answer the questions set for you in the original post.
4. Create 11 new questions and tag people to answer them.
5. Go to their blog/twitter and tell them you’ve tagged them.

11 Random Things About Yours Truly:
1. As a kid, I got many perms. My hair wouldn't hold any curl though. Then, miraculously around the age of 16, my hair became curly all on it's own. So if you've ever wondered, my curly hair is completely naturual!

2. I've never been on a roller coaster.

3. I roll my eyes when people tell me, "Hey, remember that ___" and the blank is filled with a movie, tv show, or game. In which I reply, "Yes, I still have it and watch/play it.". I'm very nostalgic and rather than leave things in the past and remember how much I used to love them, I would rather have those things with me. And so I do. (special shout out to thrift stores everywhere, for feeding my love of old junk)

4. When I was younger, I had a friend who loved ghost stuff and really got me hooked on it. I'm positive I have had encounters with the supernatural. I know people are either way with this stuff, they either believe it or totally don't. I'm the friend you can tell those crazy-bump-in-the-night stories to and would think it's totally awesome.

5. I've never had a real job. I had a paper route for many years and have been a babysitter since I was 10. I was the kid who was always more concerned and cared for people my age, rather than let loose and hang out with them. Babysitting was just a very naturual fit. I remember being very upset at age 9 that I wasn't old enough to babysit. By my 10th birthday, my mom finally gave in and let me do it. And the rest is history...

6. My collections over the years have included Mickey & Minnie Mouse, ladybugs, owls, old cameras, vintage magazines (so I can do this), bunnies, and buttons. 

7. My favorite weather is rain. I was probably a duck in a former life.

8. I'm really funny in real life. Like, comedy is one of my favorite art forms. It took me years to master telling a joke while keeping a straight face, but it's totally worth it. I'm funny even when the moment is wrong. For example, when I'm sick - from simple colds to throwing up - I'm just constantly firing off jokes. My mom doesn't understand how I do it (or why!). It's probably that whole thing about the funniest people draw from their pain.

9. Getting old doesn't scare me. I guess I have a lot of older people in my life and I see just how awesome they are, and I know they are that way because of time. I have friends who are, like, 17 and afraid of their age. I just don't get that at all.

10. More 11 fun! My shoe size is an 11, and my feet are different sizes. But it's not really something you would notice.When I wear open toed shoes, one toe always peeks out a little further. It's precious. lol

11. I do not have a favorite flower. Just whatever looks pretty to me will do!


Dani's questions:
1.  Are you a morning person or a night-owl? Night owl!

2.  What's your favorite place you've traveled to? I spent a couple summers in the UP of Michigan, camping out by Lake Michigan. It was amazing and I would go there again in a heartbeat.

3.  What language/s can you speak?  What language/s do you wish you spoke? I speak English, I have taken summer school classes to learn sign language, and I know some French. I wish I could speak French better. It's such a pretty language.

4.  What is the meaning behind your blog's name/title? It means everything! haha No, no, but seriously. It has dual meanings. An Old Story as in my clothes that come second hand, and I tell stories from my life on it, thus making it a giant blog full of my old stories.


5.  What is your favorite tv show? I can't pick just one. At the moment I am obsessed with RuPaul's Drag Race, but I go through my phases. Sometimes I really like reality and sometimes I really like comedies.

6.  Tell me about your secret talent. I have many. One of them is being able to cross my eyes in different directions! There are YouTube videos of it, of course. It's the most popular video I have ever made!

7.  Where is your favorite place to get clothes at?  Shoes?  Makeup? Clothes from thrift store are a must. Shoes, I like buying from Payless, they know their stuff. And make-up? My sister gives me the best second hand things! lol (I don't usually shop for make-up.. it's not my area of expertise)

8.  What are 5 things in your closet that you can't live without? My blue and white striped sweater, my skinny jeans, my leopard print flats, my key necklace, annnnd my big brown belt. Those are staples right there!

9.  Biggest self-confidence booster? A good hair day! You know it's true for you, too. ;)

10.  How old will you be on your next birthday?  Any present you're hoping for? I'm going to cheat on this question since I JUST had my birthday. Turning 21. And I wish the most for a new camera lens.

11.  Something you wish you could tell your 13-year-old self. Boys are stupid.

Tagging:
I'm going to leave this open for anyone and stick with Dani's great questions. :)

Whimsy

On Wednesday, out of the blue, my mom asked if I wanted to go out to "the park" to take pictures. I use the term "park" quite loosely with this place. It's half woods-half open grass with a 30 year old swing set, and people just use it to take naps and eat lunch in their cars. It's a real hoppin' place!

 Unlike those car parkers, I go out to use the woods for my pictures! It's such a whimsical and magical place. Well, unless you hear strange sounds and breaking branches - then it just turns into a set up for a horror flick.

 I took this opportunity to wear something different. I've had this outfit planned in my closet all winter and never got around to wearing it. The woods on a random afternoon seemed like a perfect match for it. I felt like I was in a fairy tale! Well, until I heard strange sounds, then I ran out of there as fast as these 5 inch heels could carry me.

 Outfit details - 100% thrifted for under $5. (well, the necklace is second hand, not thrifted, but still free!)

Dollar Story DIY: Rainbow Arch

Since I had free control over my birthday decorations, I wanted to do some DIY'ing. One of the projects I had in mind was a balloon archway. We have the perfect space in the deck for it, so it was pretty cool. It definitely had a hard time holding up in the wind and was made for a one time use (and looked cooler in my head). But that's ok, right?

The most difficult thing about this project is the arch! I had bought all my supplies from the dollar store and then found out the arch just wouldn't stand! So I just taped a bunch of stick like items to the base and that did the trick!

So if you have a party or just enjoy pretending to be a leprechaun hunting for gold; then you're sure to enjoy this DIY. (let me know how it turns out for you!)

Forever 21

I had a wonderful birthday-day, yesterday. My sister was able to spend the night and play video games with me. Then in the afternoon, we picked up my favorite lunch and made a run to Wal-Mart. One of the older employees said she really liked my dress and wished me a happy birthday. She was not the only stranger around town to wish me the same thing. People are so sweet!
Later, I went out in my backyard with a metal detector to try out my birthday luck. I was hoping to strike gold, but I think I just made the neighbors wonder about me. I'm pretty certain that one day I'll stumble upon a Twitter called "Weird Things My Neighbor Does" and it will just be tweets about strange things I do in my backyard. lol

Thank you for all the birthday wishes!! It was such a surprise to even get a few tweets from some of you. You have all helped make my 21st birthday very special.
Also, as of yesterday, I have a giveaway going. So if you haven't entered, you totally should. (can't forget - thank you for all the entries that have come in so far! :D)

Well, I've still got lots of birthday stuff coming up. I was able to make plans with some family and friends for later in the week. Can't wait!


Outfit details - Dress, actually just a pinned up maxi (Seventh Avenue) - Heels, $2 (thrifted) - Necklace, .25 cents (garage sale) - Lipstick, Coral Crush by Maybelline

Birthday Giveaway! (CLOSED)

No good birthday party is complete without a goodie bag, right?! To continue with the celebration of my birthday, I am hosting a giveaway here on my blog! It's self hosted and each prize has been picked by me.

This goodie bag includes 3 of my favorite make-up products (Pink Lemonade Lip Smackers, Wet'N'Wild nail polish in the colors Caribbean Frost & I Need a Refresh Mint), a beautiful thrifted gray-blue silk scarf with pink feathers (measures 27x27 in.), a fancy silver thrifted clutch (size 9x4 1/2 in.) annnd a $25 credit to my Etsy Shop!

Because of the nail polish involved, I can only offer this prize to my US readers. But do not worry, I've got the others covered. If you live outside of the US, I am offering up a $25 credit to my Etsy Shop which can be used to buy all kinds of awesome things I have in there. (scarves, sunglasses, jewelry.. oh my!)

It is simple to enter! One entry will be available to each of you by simply leaving a comment below with this info:
- Be a follower of my blog via Bloglovin' or GFC.
- Specify if you're US or outside of the US. (I will split up the names and have 2 drawings)
- Contact information

You have from now until March 30th to enter. And then I will draw 2 winners. Good luck, everyone! :)

Cookout Couture

 Yesterday my family had a small cookout in our backyard to celebrate my 21st (which is March 20). We have never been able to celebrate my spring birthday in shorts, I think. Usually the weather is so-so and rainy. It was also pretty cool to have a deck and yard to have usage of! Our old house had really limited space and most of my birthday parties happened in our garage.
I'm thinking we will have to make this grilling out thing a weekly event. ;)

I had already planned my outfit in advance for this day (heck, I have my outfits for the week ready!). I leaned more towards following the trends, rather than my usual attire. I really wanted to be able to style up this bib necklace I made. I thought it was cool, however, my brother says that it looks like somebody peed on a maxi pad. Oh boys.. they just don't understand fashion. lol

I will see you all tomorrow for something very special I have planned. :)


Outfit details - Shorts, $1 (garage sale) - Brown top, $4 (thrifted) - Sandals, .75 cents (Wal-Mart old) - Necklace, handmade (buy it here in my Etsy shop) - Lipstick, gift (Viva Glam 1 by M.A.C.)

Birthday Week!

 Who who has a birthday this week? Me! Owl be 21 on the 20th. :)

Owl is the unofficial theme for my birthday. And since I have no one outside of my family to celebrate with, I thought I would spread the celebration to my online friends! That's you!
When a birthday occurs on a Tuesday, it's only right to extend the party for the week. Birthday week! Expect a post from me every day. They will be a mix of outfits and other fun things. :)

Today we threw a family cookout. (with the exception of my brother bringing his stranger-to-us roommate) How could we not with this great weather we've been having?! I'm actually family photographer, so there really aren't a lot of pictures of me.. on my birthday. haha
Tomorrow I'll actually post my outfit in all it's goodness and I promise I am in those pictures! Enjoy these birthday moments and DIY decorations.

My family

Instant Summer

Sunny, 80 degrees, and a gentle breeze. All this "instant summer" is missing is some intense humidity and a pool.
                                                  HAPPY WEEKEND! :)

 Outfit details - Top, $3 (thrifted) - Necklace, gift - Jeans, $12.50 (F21 old) - Sandals, $1 (Dollar General, end of summer clearance last year) - Belt, .25 cents (thrifted)