Thrift Flip: I Turned a Skirt Into a Dress

Thrift Flip: I Turned a Skirt Into a Dress

Friday, July 24, 2020

Dress: Goodwill Thrift Flip  |  Shoes: Wallmart (old)  |  Jacket: c/o Madewell  |  Purse: Thrifted (Fossil)

I made a dress out of a skirt!!! This project was seriously soooo much fun and I am so happy with how it turned out. If you know me, you know that I LOVE thrifting and that most of what I wear is thrifted, but recently I have been trying to stretch myself creatively, especially when it comes to thrifting and so I have decided to start doing "Thrift Flip" projects!

Basically a "Thrift Flip" project is thrifting a piece and then flipping it to be something else or a different style (I have a swimsuit thrift flip coming soon). I decided to start with an easy project after finding this skirt (see "before" above) at Goodwill (see my Thrift Haul HERE). I got this skirt because I loved how unique it was, it reminded me of something that I would find at Anthropologie or Freepeople and because it was 3 sizes larger than my typical size, I knew I would have plenty of fabric to work with and decided to turn it into a dress. 

The design process was super easy, I just removed a section of the skirt, while making sure to leave enough fabric to sill fit my waist for the skirt, and then turned the removed section into the bodice and straps. I filmed the whole design/thrift flip process so if you want to see how I did it or try a project like this for yourself, you can check it out on my YouTube & watch below:

Have you ever Thrift Flipped something?

- Madison

The Perfect Wrap Dress

The Perfect Wrap Dress

Monday, September 17, 2018

Dress: c/o eShakti (similar)| Shoes: Wallmart | Headband: H&M 

Being a teacher I find that my style has expanded a bit these last few weeks, if anything it has definitely become more diverse in the styles that I wear on a daily basis. Before teaching I did love to put together fun and creative outfits for daily events, but not that I am in a field where comfort and professionalism are at the forefront in what I choose to wear, I find that I often reach for simple staple pieces to get me through the week. 

eShakti has always been one of my FAVORITE brands and through the years I have had the immense pleasure of working with them on a number of occasions. I always look forward to seeing the new styles they come out with or tweaking a style to fit my needs (because all of their dresses and various pieces are customizable) and this dress above is no exception. Over the years I have discovered that I quiet like wrap dresses! I sadly don't own very many, but the few that I do own are some of my favorite pieces because they are easy to wear, very comfortable, and quite versatile. 

When I stumbled upon this striped dress while browsing the selection on eShakti I was drawn to the classic wrap silhouette and the fun colorful stripes. I decided that it was the perfect dress to add to my collection and it has quickly become a new favorite! I can't tell you how comfortable wearing a wrap dress is, and with my somewhat high energy job it is the perfect dress for teaching:) 

I especially love the pop of color in the stripes, and like that they are actually a bit more muted colors which makes them the perfect colorful addition to my fall wardrobe. 

I decided to go "comfy" with this ensemble and paired it with my new favorite shoes, these slip on black loafers. I am all about the YELLOW right now and this gorgeous yellow headband that I picked up at h&m has been the perfect accessory to many of my latest looks, including this one (not to mention it reminds me of Noelle Downing and Steffy every time I wear it). 

Are you a fan of wrap dresses?

-Madison

Just Dress Up

Just Dress Up

Tuesday, June 5, 2018

Dress: Ruthie Grace (same) | Shoes: Thrifted (Old Navy) | Earrings: c/o Happiness Boutique 

 Bag: Thrifted | Scarf: Vintage 

**Photos by Jana Kay Photography**

I don't know about you but I fully believe in the power of clothes! The power that they can transform you and take you to another place! I always say that clothes are magic because they can transport you to another country, into a story, or onto a new and exciting adventure. However, I also firmly believe in the power of clothes to make you feel better, happier, almost like a therapeutic pick me up:)

I can't tell you the number of times I have found myself in a gloomy cloud after being weighed down with projects or staying home for consecutive days. It's not that I don't like working on projects or staying home, but when I stay home I look like a "bum".....seriously no joke! If I know I am not going anywhere my hair goes up in a messy bun, I don't put any makeup on, and I throw on an over sized Tshirt and yoga pants (I have even been known to stay in my pajamas). However, what I have noticed is that I can get into a weird mood, almost like you feel a bit depressed, and the one thing that always helps me to feel better is to take time and pamper myself.

Even if I am not going anywhere, taking the time to get ready, do my hair, put on makeup, and pick out a cute outfit always boosts my spirits! What boosts them even more is getting dressed up to go out of the house....for me this usually just means going to run errands, take pictures, or hit a couple thrift stores, but it is always fun to feel "dressed up" to do those things:) Other times I might just over dress for an event, church, or a lunch date because WHY NOT! Overdressing is my forte and it is part of who I am:)

The next time you are feeling down, take the time to DRESS UP! I don't care if you are staying home, running errands, or actually have somewhere to go. Look in your closet and pick out something that makes you happy, makes you feel the most YOU and wear it with confidence! Wear the ruffly dress, put on the sparkly shoes, swipe on the red lipstick, and reach for the dangle earrings!!!

- Madison 

Dresses for Days

Dresses for Days

Wednesday, May 9, 2018

**Photography by Jana Kay Photography **

Dress: Ross (Ralph Lauren) | Shoes: Target (a new day) | Bag: Thrifted 

| Earrings: Five Below | Scarf: Vintage | 

When it comes to fashion, dresses are definitely my go to staple! If I were to show you my dress collection you might be shocked (because that is how many I have)......or to put it into perspective I have broken 2 clothing racks over the years because the amount of dresses is to much for the rack to handle!
Dresses are the one piece that take me back to my childhood, which seems weird, but growing up I remember loving dresses. I remember the girly prints I had and how twirling in a dress was the greatest thing ever:) I think that is why I still love dresses so much today, they make me feel like a little girl, giddy and excited, but also refined and elegant.
Just before Easter my mom and I were shopping at Ross and I happened upon this Ralph Lauren dress and I completely fell in LOVE! The dress immediately reminded me of something Julia Hengel would wear which just prompted me to love it even more. I don't often wear midi length dresses, but I think they are one of the most becoming styles of dress, being both feminine and classic (and for someone that is tall they give the added length I so desperately need). I actually wore this dress previously on the blog, but styled it casually with a denim jacket and sandals HERE.
For this shoot, I wanted to create a look that reminded me of something fit for Gal Meets Glam! I knew I wanted a straw purse, so after going to 3 different Goodwill's one day I finally found this darling bag and decided to pair it with a scarf for added elegance. I then chose to wear these white ball drop earrings and slip into a simple pair of nude suede block heels. Creating and capturing this look was so much fun because I actually got to work with a photographer, and she did a fantastic job of making my vision a reality (check here out HERE)!

Are you a fan of dresses?

-Madison

I've Got Sunshine On A Cloudy Day

I've Got Sunshine On A Cloudy Day

Friday, September 1, 2017

Dress: Made 

Shoes: Old Navy (old)

Purse: Vintage

Belt: Vintage

Earrings: Vintage

It feels like FOREVER since I have posted something on the blog! Student teaching has definitely put my life in a while different gear work and time wise. Oddly enough however, I have actually had the entire week off, but blogging just didn't seem like a top priority with everything else going on.
If you keep up with the news you might have heard about Hurricane Harvey that hit the coast of Texas and Houston. Thankfully my family and I didn't have any damage from the storm, but sadly we know a number of people who lost their homes.

Seeing the destruction that hit Houston and other towns was heartbreaking and seeing the number of people who lost their homes and all their possessions made me realize how fortunate and abundantly blessed I am. While it almost seems horrible to realize that my family and I were spared while others lost so much, it gave us an opportunity to go out into our community to volunteer, pick up supplies for local shelters, and help those who were hit hard by the storm.

Despite the horrible events and aftermath of a disaster such as a hurricane, it has been AMAZING to see people come together and lend a helping hand, financial support, supplies, and prayer....often times for complete strangers. Even more incredible, is that in the midst of a divided nation whether it be in regards to government, religion, or anything else, people were willing to drop everything, forget about their differences and help one another. Sometimes it takes storms (physical and metaphorical) to teach us lessons and pull our focus off of ourselves and instead focus on others and the world around us. Even amidst this devastating destruction, my hope for the American people has truly been restored this week! Yes, there is still much to recover from and our country is still divided, but if the events of Hurricane Harvey have taught me anything it is that people still care for their neighbors and for complete strangers, and above anything there is still HOPE!

I pray that in the aftermath of this storm and in the midst of Houston and other towns recovering and rebuilding, that people will hold onto that hope and that it will become our focus every day!

______________________________________________________

In regards to this outfit, these pictures were actually taken back in June (I know....why has it taken me this long to share them)! However, this is definitely one of my FAVORITE sheet dresses.....yes, you heard me right, I said sheet dresses because I do in fact have 7 dresses (all my favorites) made out of sheets (see here, here, here, and here). I don't always wear things that are fully, cheerfully colorful but this dress reminds me of a lollipop and I LOVE it! Plus it's ridiculously comfortable and cool and twirly so:) I decided that with color comes color and paired it with a cheerful bouquet of flowers from Trader Joe's (who doesn't love their flowers), heels from old navy, vintage clip on earrings, and this colorful embroidered vintage purse. Plus an pop of pink lipstick and a milkmaid braid (which my hair is long enough to do now) didn't hurt either!

-Madison