I've got a problem

Hello love!
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So get this...

I have a problem. I have a big, scary problem.


I spend too much money. On clothes mostly...and shoes.  And on bags and on jewelry and on vintage hats that don't fit my head and on pretty baubles and trinkets and nail polish and oddly heavy magazines...enough of that.  Mind-boggling, I know. I bet you do the same. I won't bore you with the sordid details but I WILL tell you how I am going to go to fashion-whore rehab. I am committing as of this very moment (!!!) to spend one year only buying and wearing styles I find second hand. Besides the obvious cash saving wonderment this is a green effort. I didn't invent the concept of buying green but I don't know too many people who realize you can minimize your global footprint with the way you get dressed. I'd love to have support this year so by all means, I invite anyone who reads this to hop on board. Do it with me! I think I may need someone to cry with when it sinks in that I can't have these...


burb

Yea, right now I am in denial. I fantasize that someone somewhere will wear them once, decide they are uncomfortable (sissy) and then leave them at my doorstep in a bassinet. Is that someone you? eh? Please feel free to donate your gently used size 9 designer platform sandals to me. 

ok so

Let's lay down the ground rules. I can buy vintage, I can buy from thrift stores, I can buy from junk shops and from garage sales. I can also buy at Buffalo Exchange and similar shops. I can buy ebay as long as the clothing or items are used or vintage. I can also wear the clothes I already own! And I am going to be honest, I own a lot. I have a sad, overworked walk-in closet.

see how beleaguered and sad she is?
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 I also have clothes in the hall closet, my four-year old daughters closet, the garage, and a a whole office upstairs dedicated to "inventory" which I pillage for myself pretty regularly. I will take photos of the of that room later to amaze you...


Let's get the boring part out of the way. I am a 26 year old mother, wife, and freelance wardrobe stylist. I sell vintage clothing on ebay! Kindly check out the links to my livelihood, Magnolia Family Vintage in the right hand column of your screen.  Now, before you get to deep into this particular fashion blog I'd like you to know some things about myself and my style.

1. I am not "hip." Not even a little. Skinny jeans give me canker sores and I am still trying to figure out exactly what a cobrasnake is...or means. I love dresses and skirts and I love lace and fringe. I love June Carter Cash and Stevie Nicks. Mostly, I love getting dressed as myself in the morning.

2. I am average sized. Yes in fact you might even call me medium sized. This is poses more problems than you might think. I am too big for sample sales and too small to be "plus sized." Medium sized girls get ignored in the grand scheme of image based identity. Please see my thoughts on this here.

3. I am not a photographer and I have never "blogged" before. Don't expect it to get fancy.


For the record...



This is my face! 
(photobooth! making the internet better looking one face at a time!)
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this is my body! and my living room! and my favorite betsey johnson dress!
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And to get to the actual point of this. This what I wore today.
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 I fell in love with this dress, which is falling apart, in all its Courtney Love-ness! I am obsessed with baby doll dresses and the grunge revival this fall so don't be surprised if you see me living the glory days aka the early 90's. I see sunflower prints, shredded tights, and a lopsided tiara in my future! I got my patent leather combat boots at Buffalo Exchange and I am smitten with them. I promise to display better photos of them. I actually squealed when I found them.  When grunge was in style the first time around I was in 6th grade and I was DESPERATE to wear clothes with holes in them and buy all my pants at Savers. My mother wouldn't have it and I looked pitifully fake in my Nordstroms bought plaids. I relish the opportunity to do this again as a grown up. 

I have a lot of ideas for things I want to talk about in my blog. I'll show you my favorite finds from thrift stores and vintage boutiques, spout my opinions about fashion past and present, feature all my favorite internet vintage spots, sneak peek the great stuff I put up for sale in the Magnolia Family Vintage shop, and hopefully give you behind the scenes peeks at photo shoots I work on! I plan on taking non-believers (cough*mom*cough) to my favorite thrift stores and dressing them up!


This all feels a little silly and self-involved starting off so if you're reading this say so! If you have a blog you think I'd like say so! If you think my outfit is fierce say so! If you think my outfit is a joke say so! I work from home and I don't get out too much lately so please, indulge me.


If you're reading this very first post your probably either my lovely and supportive friend, or my lovely and supportive family member. For that I thank you!



I am really tempted to end every blog entry with "Seacrest OUT."





29 comments:

Rachel Eff said...

YOU DID ITTTTTTT!!!

androidette said...

I am just a 'stranger' and so far, I loved this entry. It isn't self-involved at all and I like that it sounds down to earth and candid.

I'll be reading and linking!

magnolia*mama said...

Thanks guys! xo

Anonymous said...

i love it! i'll be bookmarking this right now and reading it often. :) - kelley

Black Market Baby said...

Love it! I've been doing this unofficially, oh geeze, for like years and years now (for green and financial reasons). But of course it was unofficial, so I would fall in lust and slip every few months.

But I've been meaning to dedicate myself for reals, and this is a great way to keep myself in line.

I'M WITH YOU!!! =)

Also, I know how you feel about the self-absorbed sort of weird vanity fear. It's *not* vain to want to share yourself with the world, but it can sure feel like it when you're alone in your room obsessing over photographing yourself, uploading photos, and carefully describing your outfits to send out into the ether. I started a 'fashion' blog myself a few weeks ago so I've been going through the same sorts of thoughts.

http://styleinservitude.blogspot.com/

Looking forward to reading more!
~BMB

petitgateau said...

just commenting to say that i'm so all about this, i can't wait for posts!

Stella said...

Came here from Newest Wrinkle...got to say that I'm excited about this! Will pop around here frequently! :)

Jamie said...

i'm so excited to follow this! i wish i could do something similar but i'd never be able to stick to it. kudos to you!

Anonymous said...

I wear a size 9 *cough* *cough*.... uumm... how 'bout I buy those beaaauutiful shoes.... wear them...then you give me money, and I let you wear them? :)


totally "green," right?

Anonymous said...

i just wanted to say that i think it's AWESOME that i'm not the only one that wants to end my entries with SEACREST OUT! i somehow am endlessly amused by saying that. so, um, in short, you are amazing.

Anonymous said...

Mostly, I love getting dressed as myself in the morning.

you are the super-best! that is the most refreshing thing i've read on a fashion blog in, i don't know, ever.

i'm from newestwrinkle (the one who is in the midst of the challenge herself) and i'm going to add you on there if you don't mind! i will be anxiously awaiting your upcoming posts on here!

-molly

Anonymous said...

Randomly chanced upon your spanking new blog! I'm loving the way you write, and you're so pretty!

Keeping you on my favourites list!

Anonymous said...

This is an AWESOME idea, I love it!!! I think your humor is great and I can't wait to read more! And AMEN to your myspace blog about medium sized girls. I am right there with you, girl! Can't wait to read more!! :-)

carnalcounsel said...

beauts.

JINIAN said...

yay! i came from newestwrinkle too. can't wait to read future posts.

Sue & Ky said...

I might hop on board...we will talk when I get to Austin! Can I suggest clothing swaps? I just had one and the clothes covered my entire living room floor and were four feet deep! Also, I might be almost handicapped short, but we wear the same shoe size, so let's get a swap planned.

Anonymous said...

Oh I'm so excited about this. You have such a way with words that is very entertaining and I know I'm going to be religiously checking this blog...maybe even stalking it!

Good luck with your endeveor!

Sara M. said...

Michael Antonio makes a near copy of that Burberry shoe called "Montclair" for way cheap. They have it on Cutesygirl.com in pink, silver, gold, and bronze, but black is sold out. You might try Googling it though? I know most cheap-o shoe sites carry Michael Antonio stuff.

Anonymous said...

Way to go, Sarah, the blog looks awesome! Aside from buying concert t-shirts, socks and underwear, everything I wear is from thrift shops so I can easily join you on your one year mission. I've got enough socks and underwear and concert shirts to last me a year so I am with you. You are infinitly more lovely and stylish than me so I look forward to your future posts.

*winter said...

I am proud of you sarah, I have been living in thrift store clothing since birth and a i still have some of your hand-me-downs thank you very much.. and tell your mom Winter still loves and adores her old pink ski sweater which I wear to this day! I am currently working at salvation army as asecond job mainly so i can pick out the things i want first!! Go to it sarah.. there's a world of second-hand fashion waiting for you... now all you need to do is learn to sew and everything will fit just as you'd like it!! luv and suppot-winter!

Sara M. said...

Oh and P.S. I'm linking you on my blog and there is nothing you can do about it.

SEACREST OUT.

Anonymous said...

your blog already sounds so cute and i cant wait to read it! i'm also from newestwrinkle, btw!

jasmine said...

wow sarah! people really like you! way to goooooo!! i love your blog. your words are always entertaining, thoughtful, and amusing. i won't be joining you on your "vintage only" quest....i like new stuff too much. fortunately, however, i don't have enough money to buy anything...new or vintage. plus, i wear a freaking ugly ass uniform 40 hours a weeks so i really don't need to buy any new stuff anyway. depressing huh?

for some reason, your blog made me really wanna go makeup shopping...no such thing as a thriving vintage makeup market quite yet...so i'm gonna try to have some money next time i sees ya, and we're going to sephora!!! or bloomingdales for laura mercier!!!

Anonymous said...

good luck to you, I love this idea! I try to be green in all things non-related to clothes (vegetarianism, recycling, etc.) but I can't get over the concept of wearing used clothes. I've thrifted a total of two times and I've only been able to buy belts. I will bookmark your page and hopefully it'll inspire me to leave my apprehension :]

Anonymous said...

You're wonderful! oh and I also found you through newest wrinkle.
Can't wait for most posts :)

misspenny said...

Love it, love it, love it. Actually, I'm with Jas, no money for new or old and I don't wear makeup although your's looks great. Love the red do! I'll be checking back. misspenny

Emily said...

i'm a fan...thank you this was a joy to read...i'll be staying tuned! an idea to bring your dresses into fall/winter is making them into blouses by just adding a belt and loosely pulling over the belt pair with some leggings or i know you're not a big fan but pants and there you go a new "green" look!!!
(hope that made sense)....
xoxo emily

julia aka garconniere said...

i think this is great. i just bookmarked it and will be following. i'm actually working on a paper right now about thrifting and people's reasons for doing it (financial, environmental, fun, costume, a combination of those things, etc) and it's great to read your reasons!

and really, i just loved loved this: "Mostly, I love getting dressed as myself in the morning."

Alexis said...

Your blog is WONDERFUL! I'm enjoying it very much :]