A couple weeks ago I was sifting through Netflix and stumbled upon an old movie called ‘Three Coins in the Fountain.’ The 1954 movie takes place in Rome and chronicles the love lives of three women who threw coins in the Trevi Fountain. If you know old movies, you’ll recognize nearly all of the six main characters from other flicks of that era. The title song is sung by Frank Sinatra, although he doesn’t appear in the movie. The outfits worn by the women in the movie had me yearning for the ultra-feminine pieces of sixty years ago. (Pics from Happy Thoughts, Darling)
When I dressed for the blogger event at Goodwill I must have subconsciously had this film in mind because I went with the cobalt blue dress that falls just below the knee and a structured wide-collared jacket. While the pieces are all modern it felt very much like a throw-back outfit.
Tip: Get inspired from classic movies and the fashion they feature.
Dress: eShakti Jacket: Ann Taylor Shoes: Payless Clutch: Forever21 Rings: Forever21 Earrings: Mimi Boutique Watch: Francesca’s Collections
Earlier in the month Goodwill Boston hosted a blogger event that involved both shopping and an information session about the Boston-based company. While I donate a fair amount to Goodwill every year and visit one of their retail centers at least monthly, I didn’t know much about the company. To be honest, what I learned impressed me.
The company is not just the clothing reseller most of us might categorize it as. Goodwill has job programs for the underprivileged, employing thousands yearly and teaching them valuable work lessons. The company resells more than 80% of everything donated, which is pretty significant considering they collect about 22 million pounds of goods yearly. Think of all the landfills Goodwill is saving!
Plus, those things that don’t make it to the stores or don’t sell while there – those items aren’t thrown out. Nothing is. The remaining clothing is sold in bulk and turned into things like rags and carpet padding. I couldn’t even begin to go into all the programs Goodwill has in place and all the ways the company gives back to its local communities. Read more on their website.
After touring the facility, seeing the behind the scenes sorting and processing space and learning more about the company I find myself even more determined to donate to Goodwill. In the student residence I run I started a collection of items to be donated. We have 6 huge bags right now and Ill be taking them over to one of the centers later today!
Thanks to Amy and Melissa for planning the event in conjunction with Goodwill! Check out their recap, which has more pictures of the interior of the facility and additional facts about Goodwill.
Do you donate to Goodwill? Have you found any amazing clothing items there?
I promised myself that I would film more vlog entries, if for no other reason than to get more comfortable with the technology. It’s also a fun diversion from the usual blog posts. The tricky part is figuring out what makes a better vlog and what is better written out.
So here goes… this starts a series of facts about me based on a different topic every time. This first time is personal. (I know I say topic like a hundred times in the first 10 seconds. I’m like a broken record. Oh well.)
And in other exciting news today is the last day to enter to win one of two $50 shopping sprees from Mimi Boutique.
Lastly, check out the links below to see other bloggers try their hand at vlogging:
Is anyone else stuck dressing for the chilly weather while hoping it was warm out like it should be in May? I find every morning that I stand in my closet and want to pull out all the fun spring clothing I have and then I realize it’s rainy and won’t even reach 50*. As a result I’ve been trying to mix in some of the spring items with clothing pieces that will still keep be warm-ish. This black jumpsuit is a spring/summer staple for me so for the current chilly weather I paired it with the structured jacket, a light-weight scarf and patterned shoes that at least hint at the warmer weather that’s sure to come.
The scarf is actually a DIY from an old maxi dress that was ruined after I got caught walking home in torrential rain without an umbrella. The holes in the material, from the weight of the water and from dragging on the ground, were irreparable. So instead I cut off a huge section of the dress and turned it into an infinity scarf instead. I like how light the scarf is and yet how it still managed to add a little color to an outfit.
Tip: When going with an outfit in neutral colors try to add some colorful accessories or shoes to create more of a polished look.
Jumpsuit: Kohls Jacket: Ann Taylor Shoes: DSW Scarf: DIY from a maxi dress Watch: Francesca’s Collections Bangles: Clarie’s Earrings: New York & Co.
I’ve been sitting on an eShakti credit for several months now waiting for the weather to get warmer and the styles to bring back color and pattern. Finally, it’s warm enough to start thinking about and occasionally wearing adorable summer dresses. I’m pretty much obsessed with eShakti. I tell everyone about the company and how you can alter a dress, add length, subtract sleeves, tweak necklines all for just an additional $7.50. Seriously! (No, this is not a sponsored post. I just really love the company.) I now own three dresses from the company and each one is great!
This weekend I went to a friend’s college graduation. It was the perfect opportunity to pull this dress out of the packaging and take it for a spin – almost literally since the skirt of the dress is so full. It has a nautical yet feminine feel to it. For me it was one of those dress you know was a good choice because strangers and friends comment positively on it. Love when that happens!
Tip: Don’t settle for dresses that sorta fit you. Find ones that flatter your body shape and feel good when on.
Dress: eShakti Jacket: Ann Taylor Shoes: Payless Purse: Forever21 Necklace: New York & Co.
It’s no surprise to my frequent readers that I am a fan of using accessories to spice up an outfit. Personally, I don’t think a look is complete without those little accents. For me, earrings are a must and it’s a rare day that I do not have on a bevy of bracelets and at least one ring. Then there are the necklaces and scarves and let’s not leave out the bags! All of these little things is what truly makes it possible to remix the same clothing items and yet making them look new and different.
Each season, instead of spending a ton on new clothing items I would rather purchase a few strategic items and then update my accessory options. If you are the same you are going to love this…. I’m giving away TWO $50 jewelry shopping sprees to MimiBoutique – one of my favorite online accessory destinations. I probably wear at least one Mimi Boutique item a week… You might recall that orange scarf I wore a bunch this winter, or the colored tiered earrings, or the gray purse with the gold accents, or the sparkly bird ring.
Here are some of the great items they have in stock right now:
Use the Rafflecopter below and enter to win… there are multiple ways to enter. Good luck!
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Katy Rose... Lover of animal print, high heels, lady-like dresses and big earrings. Social media enthusiast with WAY too many accounts. Personal style blogger, newbie vlogger. Author, writer, journalist.
