Why You Should Thrift & Thrift Haul

Ever seen a thrift shop in your area? You should check it out. I only started thrifting recently, and I can't believe I spent the majority of my life avoiding it. I went to my local Goodwill and everything was so cheap and clean. Of course, not every thrift store is like that. I previously went to another thrift store (not Goodwill) and the things they had were vintage in a bad way. I also heard that the Salvation Army is a pretty good thrift shop to visit as well, but I don't have a close one nearby.

Goodwill is great to shop at because they help fund career education programs for people with disabilities or financial needs. Also read: http://www.goodwill.org/about-us/our-mission/
The Salvation Army also gives assistance to the needy.
Many local thrift shops with no big names may also be good at helping the needy.

Besides the help the stores offer, shopping there for the sake of shopping is pretty good. When I walked in my local Goodwill for the first time, it didn't feel like a thrift shop. It felt like I was stepping in a smaller version of JCPenny. Everything was organized. Not every store organizes its clothes like this, but the clothes were arranged by color. Most of the shirts were $3.50 and sweaters were $4 unless it had a tag that said otherwise.They also had all types of pants/jeans, jackets, toys, furniture, glassware, shoes, purses, belts, coats, and some other things.

The first thing I picked up were khaki pants from Old Navy. They were $4 and it looked brand new. (The pictures can be found here)

Next, I bought 3 shirts. The first one is a pink, striped, short sleeve shirt. It was $5 and it was the most expensive shirt I saw there. I was in love with it, so I couldn't let it go. It is originally from Aeropostale. (I normally hate that store because of the way they put the store's name on all their clothes, but this shirt had no brand name on it except for the tag)

The second shirt was only $3.50. The brand is Charlotte Russe. The texture feels so nice and this definitely doesn't look like the stereotypical thrift shop type of shirt.

The last thing I bought was a pink sweater. It was $4. In person, it has very good quality. In fact, this sweater has the best quality in comparison to the rest of my sweaters. (which were bought from real stores)

If you are on a budget or looking for brand name items for cheaper, thrifting is definitely a good option. I would have bought more things on that visit to the store, but I was busy that day so I couldn't spend too much time. I'm sure I would have stayed there the whole day otherwise because it's so fun to shop at. You never know what you will find.


Thanks for visiting my blog
~Mimi

Becoming a Disney Character: Flynn Rider from Tangled

Flynn Rider is definitely one of my favorite Disney Heroes. His outfit is pretty easy to copy. All you need is a long sleeve white shirt, (& roll up the sleeves) khaki pants, brown boots, a denim vest, a brown waist belt, and a brown purse.

Thanks for visiting my blog!

~Mimi

Product Review: Remington Wet2Straight Flat Iron

*****Before I get started, I would just like to point out that I am not being paid/bribed to do this article. This is entirely my honest opinion.******

The flat iron used in this review is "Remington Wet2Straight Flat Iron." There are many models of this iron, but the one I have is a newer version and it is 2 inches. (Link to Flat Iron) I used to have an older version, but it stopped working after about 4 years. However, it is approximately $30, so it really wasn't a big deal.

This flat iron is AMAZING. My hair is naturally very thick, curly, and frizzy. I've tried other flat irons in the past, but this is the only one that really works with my hair.

You are allowed to use it when your hair is wet, but I personally don't recommend because it is more damaging to your hair. It is a convenience though and its very helpful when I'm in a rush. 

My hair is the type that would frizz up with any little moisture, but this flat iron keeps my hair straight even through the rain. The only thing that would make my hair turn curly again is a shower.

There are 30 temperature dials you can choose from. I use anything from 20-25. If you have lighter/softer hair, I definitely recommend not going over 20. 

Additional products I use: 

-Suave Professionals Sleek Anti Frizz Cream

This product is one of the best hair products I ever tried. If you have softer hair, this might not be needed, but it helps keep my hair shiny and it prevents frizz because I have extremely curly hair.  It lasts forever because you don't need to use a lot to get your hair to look good and its very cheap.

-I use heat protection spray, but I don't have a specific one that I stick with, so I can't recommend one. Also, I do highly recommend using one. For the past couple years, my hair has gotten damaged because I didn't use one, and I regret it.

The pictures below show before and after pictures. My hair is pretty damaged at the moment and I accidentally added too many products, so I may not be the best hair model, but I just had to review this product because many people look for cheap and amazing flat irons, and this is definitely the one. Also, I put a hair tie around my hair for a couple hours after straightening, and that is where the dent came from. The flat iron straightens the hair completely.

 BEFORE

 

 AFTER

Becoming a Disney Character: Gaston

Dressing as a Disney character is a lot of fun, especially if you are as obsessed with Disney as I am. I'm planning on doing a lot of these Disney-inspired outfits. (So stay tuned!=] )

I decided to start with this outfit because its extremely simple. All you need is a red t-shirt, a yellow tank top, a black or brown belt, jeans or leggings, and brown boots.

This outfit works very well as an every-day outfit and it doesn't look like an obvious copy of Gaston. Parts of this outfit can be bought in just about any store.

Here are a couple more pictures:

Thanks for visiting!
~Mimi

How To: Turn a Shirt into a Scarf (Very Easy: No Sewing/ Cutting)

I don't know if this is a common trick, but I haven't seen any other people try this online or in real life, which is surprising. This is extremely easy, and there is no work required.

All you need is a tank top or short sleeve top. (A long sleeve top might not work as well) Also, I personally believe thinner shirts are a better option.

The first picture is no scarf. Picture 2 is a tank top I probably would never wear as a shirt. All I did was put it around my neck (as you normally would when putting on a shirt) but don't put your arms in the arm holes. Twist and tuck the shirt around until the arm holes aren't visible. Below are 3 examples of shirts turned into scarves.

Comment and let me know if this helped.

Thanks for visiting my blog!
~Mimi

How To: Turn a Dress into a Peplum Shirt (Very Easy! No Sewing/Cutting)

I thought the best way to start off this blog would be to share some of my "secret" tricks to expand my wardrobe. Last year, I bought a dress in Virginia while on vacation. It cost $5 and I bought it in a dollar store. Sadly, it is a no-brand dress, but I think it works nicely for this tutorial.

You need a dress or long shirt that is made of a fairly thin or flowy material. It works the best if it is tightest around the waist. If it isn't tight around the waist, you can try putting a belt around your waist.

First, you put on your pants (jeans work best for this) and the dress on top. (Picture 1)
Next, tuck in your dress inside your jeans. Your jeans will look extremely stuffed at this point. (Picture 2)

Then,  you carefully and slowly tug on the skirt part of the dress until it turns into a peplum. (Picture 3) Make sure you pull the dress all around and not just in the front.

Here is a before and after shot:

I do love the dress as a dress, but sometimes when I'm in the mood to wear a shirt and some jeans, this trick is very useful.

Thanks for visiting my blog! =]
~Mimi