Winter's finally arrived and it's absolutely freezing on the East Coast. Besides being uncomfortable, the colder temps can make dressing a bit tricky, especially if you want to dress up for a night out...and you're relying on public transportation. Last weekend I attended a post-wedding toast for some colleagues and I was determined not to let the weather cramp my style.

So I grabbed my favorite winter coat {faux fur collar LOFT coat from the Salvation Army coat sale}, bright tights and brocade style pumps. I had a lace dress underneath but it was the coat, tights and shoes that really kept my look fun and playful. And I was actually warm.

Goodwill Rewards Card

I love Goodwill. I really do. I love it so much that I racked up more than 300 points on my Goodwill Rewards Card {read up on the card HERE}, which meant I have a total of $30 in coupons.I popped in to the Goodwill in Harlem {2196 Fifth Ave} and was on the hunt for an awesome dress, but I kept striking out. I found a few pieces but I wasn't exactly happy with the prices. A Donna Morgan dress was $10 {original price tag was still on, $178}.

Donna Morgan houndstooth dress

That wasn't a bad deal compared to the original price but I kinda had my heart set on a dress under 10 bucks and the piece didn't fit me perfectly. And then I found a Bebe sweater dress for $15.

Thrifty Threads 365, looking fly on a dimeJanuary 1 didn't just mark the start of the new year but also the three month mark of my Thrifty Threads 365 challenge {a full year where I only purchase thrifted clothing, no new clothes or accessories}. In October I spent $48, $25 in November and for December...I only spent $10! Yup, just $10. I've been so busy that I haven't had time to thrift. I planned on going to one of the Housing Works Buy the Bag sales but that didn't happen.However, all winter I've been on the hunt for some high heel boots. I didn't have much time to shop so I ventured to East 23rd Street {between 2nd and 3rd Avenues} where there are multiple thrift stores on the same block so if it was a bust a one store, I could quickly move on to the next.

At the beginning of October I informed you guys I'm starting my Thrifty Threads 365 challenge again. Last year I completed the challenge of only thrift shopping for an entire year and this time I upped the ante by putting myself on a $50 a month thrift budget. Well, the month has come to an end, so did I stick to the budget? Well of course I did! For the month of October I spent $48 on clothes.The Housing Works Buy the Bag sale is where I really racked up. For $25, I stuffed 30 items in my shopping bag, which included vintage tops, a sequin jacket and even a pair of Armani pants.

Housing Works Buy the bag, thrift store haul

Goodwill fashion show, looking fly on a dime

{I'm making a weird face, but everyone else looks amazing!}

Earlier this month, Goodwill contacted me about participating in a fashion show for disabled workers. Of course I jumped at the opportunity. You guys know I love Goodwill {my favorite locations in NYC are the 23rd St. Gramercy store and the Goodwill Outlet}. But I also love that the secondhand chain employs individuals with disabilities. October is National Disability Awareness month so Goodwill teamed up with NYC's Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities to put on a show.Goodwill wanted myself and four other bloggers to create looks for disabled employees. We pulled clothes from local Goodwill stores so the workers could have career appropriate attire. I shopped at the three-story Goodwill in East Harlem {2231 Third Ave.} to dress my two models, Craig and Yesenia.

looking fly on a dime, thrifty threads

One of Craig's favorite colors is blue so I wanted to put him in a bright top, dressy slacks and a patterned tie. And Yesenia preferred black pants, which are totally work appropriate, but I  gave her a stand out top, some accessories and nude pointy toe pumps.