thrifty threads, thrifty threads 365

Two weeks ago, I celebrated my birthday at the Essence Music Festival. If you don't know about EMF or if you've never been, you need to change that ASAP. It's obviously a music fest, but it's so much more. It's a gathering of folks who are ready to experience food, fun, day and night parties and any other foolishness New Orleans has to offer. It was hands down one of the best trips I've been on and I plan to attend next year.But anyway, back to fashion...packing is always an issue, but for this trip it was especially tough. I needed items that were casual enough for the day {and the humid temps} but threads that were also party appropriate for any events I decided to hit up.

I wanted to check in with you guys since I've reached the nine month mark of my year long shopping hiatus. Woo hoo, I'm in the home stretch. I started my Thrifty Threads 365 challenge on September 1, 2010 and vowed not to purchase any new clothing or accessories {except underwear} for the next year.I've found some amazing thrifted finds over the past nine months so as usual, I don't miss shopping for new clothing because I consider my thrift store items to be "new" to me.In the past couple of months, I've found...

A vintage dress from the Salvation Army for $5.

A few months ago I gave you guys a little peek at a dress I found from the Salvation Army and judging from the comments, you love her! She's a bright emerald hue, has a paisley pattern and is 100 percent silk. Oh yeah, and she's vintage and only cost $5!

Here's a closer look at her and how I snagged such an amazing find.I'm a frequent shopper at the Salvation Army on 46th St {between 10th and 11th avenues} since the store is so well organized. If I'm looking for jeans, I know to head to the racks near the front of the store. If I want a black skirt, I go to the middle of the skirt rack where everything is color coordinated. So imagine how excited I was when I walked in and found a new section specifically for vintage frocks.The options were pretty limited, I think there were about a dozen or so pieces, but I immediately noticed the bright colored dress. It's really the little details that make this frock such a gem. And the price tag wasn't bad either.

I'm normally not a fan of patterns but this one is subtle and gorgeous.

What's not to love about vintage clothing? Instead of looking like a carbon copy, you have a unique piece that people are sure to swoon over. But what some people don't love about it is the patience required to dig in bins or leaf through racks.

So, imagine my amazement when I stumbled upon Ballyhoo Vintage. It's an online-only vintage shop with everything you could ever want {men's and women's fashion, accessories, magazines, gift ideas, etc.}. The company was founded in 1988 but they're new to me! Besides an amazing selection of pieces from the 30s to 70s, they're affordable. Some of the more elaborate frocks are in the $100 range, but most items average $50. And each piece has an in depth description of the era it's from and condition.

I could seriously go broke just ordering the accessories. Brooches and pendant necklaces make me happy.

1950s jewelry: souvenir necklace {$10}, brooch {$14}, pendant necklace {$22}

This weekend I did something a little different...I went thrifting on a weekend. I typically go during the week, on a day off or on my lunch break, so I can avoid massive crowds. But I was pleasantly surprised that the Salvation Army was practically empty. Well, not empty, there were about a dozen people. I normally visit the Salv {46th St. between 10th and 11th} on Wednesday when most clothing is 50 percent off, but on this Saturday visit, all blue ticket items were half off.I didn't have to deal with a crowd and I walked away with great items. Check out my finds: tons of color and a brand spankin' new pair of BCBG pants {originally $188 for less than 10 bucks!}.I love that the store now has a small rack designated for vintage finds.

{i fell hard for this frock but upon closer inspection it was stained}