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.

After last week's massive Housing Works haul where I snagged 29 pieces of clothing for $10, I was dying to wear one item in particular. My favorite piece had to be the polka dot halter dress my girl Danielle found for me. Though I'm not a fan of polka dots, the dress has such a vintage-y glam feel. And I decided to go all out with the glam factor and add the wide brim hat I also got from Housing Works.

You guys remember when I purchased this vintage dress from the Salvation Army? It was initially bought for my LA trip to see a taping of Oprah's final post Oscar show. But the weather was a bit crisp so she stayed packed away in my luggage. Well I finally got around to wearing it five months later.A lime green dress with shoulder pads sounds all wrong but it's the details that make this frock so fun: draping at the waist, deep v-neck and paisley like print.

Goodwill recently opened a new store and of course I had to drop in for a visit. The Greenwich Village location {44 West 8th St} is a curated boutique with a sizable number of vintage and upscale finds.

Upon first entering, I loved how spacious and organized it was. Racks were neatly separated by garments {skirts, tops, dresses, jeans, etc} and color coordinated making for an easy shopping experience.The girly girl in me immediately headed towards the skirts. There were a ton of Target pieces priced at $7.99 or $12.99. I fell in love with {and purchased} this tulle number. The blush color is perfect for spring. It's a little large at the waist but a belt can easily change that. *sorry for the grainy dressing room pic*

The Budget Babe: An up close look at the Calypso St. Barth for Target lineVogue: Deets on the Missoni for Target collection {400+ pieces}, which hits stores in SeptemberCheapalicious: Jennifer Lopez previews her Kohl's collectionFashion Du Jour: Got a pillow case, a wire hanger and 10 minutes? See how to make an oversized clutchNailicious: Check out the 8 shades of the Sally Hansen Crackle polishCoco & Creme: 5 vintage online sellers you need to know...