Author: Bethany Mills

Hi everyone!
It seems that so far this year, the thrift shops have been more bare than usual. That’s when a thrifter pulls out all her tricks 😉 Getting up early to get the best stuff, digging through the piles most people walk on past, and filling the cart to the rim with ‘maybes’ so that no one might snag it up first! The employees hate to see me coming…
That’s what happened with this dress. It might have been a bit too small on the top,
but I grabbed it anyway. Yep, it was too small, but what about a high-waisted skirt???
The little ladies on it said “yes, buy me!”

I wrapped a t-shirt vest as a top, tied and pinned it shut…

This one will be a highly rotated bohemian piece for sure!
DRESS AS SKIRT; thrifted

Thrifting Rocks!

Sheila of Style Agent 909 saying “I told you so!”
in her thrifted floral pants!
Pop over and say Hi 🙂
http://styleagent909.blogspot.com/
xXx

THE INFAMOUS H&M FLORAL PANTS

NORDSTROMS AND SAKS

Welcome to the new segment I call ‘Told-Ya-So’ Tuesday. I am taking Tuesday (it’s a T thang…) and showing you how easy it is to find any trend in a thrift store. These cigarette pants are from Talbot’s. I’m not sure when they were made, but many higher end adult women’s clothing lines all carry patterned pants of some sort. Give the mall shops the slip and find yours first hand at a second hand price! Allow a larger size, however, as these are more fitted and have a bit higher rise…

told ya 😉
If you have a pair of thrifted floral pants,
send me the photo and I will post it!

I found this dress last week and thought of
Indiana Adams’ dress covered in camels 😉
It seems that quirky animal clothing is on trend right now,
So I had to get this one. Plus, it is so cool!
You can always find an animal something-or-other at Goodwill…
Another proof-positive trend that can be thrifted.

What can I say?

If we could talk to the animals, learn their languages,
Maybe take an animal degree.
We’d study elephant and eagle, buffalo and beagle,
Alligator, guinea pig and flea.

If we could talk to the animals, learn their languages,
Think of all the things we could discuss.
If we could walk with the animals, Talk with the animals,
Grunt and squeak and squawk with the animals,
And they could squeak and squawk and speak and talk to us!
(Dr. Doolittle)

Here’s to a great Week!
outfit: dress/scarf/necklace as belt/shoulder pouch: THRIFTED
Tomorrow is “Told-Ya-So-Tuesday”
a new segment here at Rags2Roses,
where I show you how to find any trend at a thrift store…
xXx

I am proof positive that any trend
can be reproduced in a thrift shop!

This isn’t one of my best outfits, but I scored several printed pants from Goodwill and other thrift stores the other day. I can’t wait to share them with you all. I am also gonna start “Told-Ya-So-Tuesday”. What is it, you ask? It is gonna be a regular feature here at Rags2Roses, where I show you a trend that I thrifted. Sound fun? I can’t wait!
I hope your weekend is going to be awesome!!!
xXx

my blogger’s prayer

Style comes from imagination…
It has nothing to do with money…
Style comes from within.
Fashion is an art…

So Step into this room
And think outside the box…
Let your mind roam wildly
And creativity will fly

Inspiration lies inside your centered self…
I won’t allow the negative to come close to my skin,
A herd can never fly-
Remember this, Begin.

Dream big…
Dream to the left,
Imagination grows
with each stilletto’s step!

“The first question I ask myself when something doesn’t seem to be beautiful
is why do I think it’s not beautiful.
And very shortly you discover that there is no reason.”
~ John Cage

American composer, music theorist, writer, philosopher and artist.

Cage was one of the leading figures of the post-war AVANTE-GARDE.
Critics have lauded him as one of the most influential American composers of the 20th century.
He was also instrumental in the development of modern dance.

The i Ching an ancient Chinese classic text on changing events,
became Cage’s standard composition tool for the rest of his life.
(Source: Wikipedia)

Have an inspired weekend!
xXx

Well, folks, Spring is once again upon us…

New trends, new blogs, and a fresh new peek into what I’ve learned during my bloggy year(s)!
In the first year, I did about 3 posts on stuff I’d learned, now I’m pretty sure these tried
and true things are a winning plan for any blogger to have a fun, successful experience.
Throughout the time I’ve spent blogging, these 6 things keep showing up over and over.
They are so simple, yet sometimes really tough to do, but here is my recipe for building
the best blog out there in 6 easy steps.

1)Be Yourself!

I can’t express this enough. We all know when someone is full of crap! Be honest. If you need a break, take one. Putting on a false sense of joy is too hard and your blog will suffer for it.
With that said, if a good ‘vent’ is the topic of the day, – go for it!
We all love to back a team-mate.

This is a very simple, yet effective blog plan.
It is meant for the sole purpose of enjoying your blog, not having it feel like a job.
As ‘plans’ go, however, once in a while you must pitch it and go another route.
AKA-follow your heart…

This may seem incredibly simple, but shouldn’t your passion be fun and easy?

While spending the afternoon looking for inspiration, I was blown away
by the color and pattern mixing of Creatures Of The Wind.
A relatively new design team, these looks seem to be blog inspired.
The DIY concepts and Indie/Eclectic looks ring my bell and make my mind go pitter-pat!
Heading to my closet, now….

CREATURES OF THE WIND was founded in 2007

by Shane Gabier and Christopher Peters, both graduates of The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, where they studied fashion design, concept and theory. Their first collection appeared on the cover of WWD in June, 2008. COTW has since received critical press coverage from many other national and international media outlets, including Harper’s Bazaar, Elle, Paper Magazine, Dazed and Confused, Marie Claire and Nylon.

Have you ever fallen out of love with someone, or something, only to rediscover the passion again? Well, I fell out of enchantment with my
camera the past few weeks. I blamed the lighting – even the trees!
(not having enough leaves to shade me properly)…

What do you do when a relationship is in trouble? You work on it! So, I
trolled the internet, read my manuals, and read the ‘dslr for dummies’ articles.
I then took my camera out and just spent quality time with her…
Most experts say to carry your camera everywhere and take lots of experimental shots.

I had stopped using auto mode months ago. The problem was overexposure. No matter what I did, I had blow-out! Then, after much fiddling with the setting, I got into spot metering and Wa-La!
My depth of field is again blurry- the ‘noise’ is gone and we are in love
all over again. Canon DSLR’s are notorious for overexposure problems.
(Now they tell me)… So be prepared: use spot metering for better
details and use the ‘cloudy’ setting to warm up your images –
(another DSLR issue-they seem to shoot in a bluer tone).
Also, shoot in RAW and largest format for better editing after the shoot…

You’ll be glad you did!

If you’re looking for someone who knows how to ‘Brand’ themselves, it’s Iris!
The artistic designer with the big round glasses, kind eyes,
and pounds of accessories!

“Clothes is just something you put on to cover yourself …
fashion is a way to communicate..”
SOURCE: ARTINFO

Is this awesomeness or what? From the room to the mini dress!
‘Iris’ is written all over that photo…

“I don’t do minimal,” Apfel says of her design approach.

“If there’s one thing I really hate, it’s a system …
At least ugly things are surprising..”

SOURCE: NBC NEW YORK

(In her on-trend denim on denim)

“People will buy the clothes for the clothes and not for the label..”

SOURCE: JEZEBEL

Belt as necklace

“Good evening, I’m Iris Apfel, geriatric starlet.”

How do you define your style?

All tidy, yet casual –
add pumps/summer tights for the office….

Tidy Tidings

Or with bright indie accessories for the weekend!

Indie Indian

The first three…

Laid back weekender…. Artsy-Fartsy

Bohemian

What is your favorite look?