May the Odds Be Ever in Your Favor

Hey all! Hope that everyone had a fantastic weekend and Monday!

I was in Harrisburg all day today for a social work advocacy event. It was very interesting and a lot of fun - I got to learn more about politics, how to lobby and advocate for my future profession, and  meet other social work students from other schools!



These pictures were from this past Friday night when I went out with some friends to see the Hunger Games. The local movie theatre  rents the place out after hours for fundraisers for different clubs on campus, so the movie only started at 12:15! Amy and I didn't get back to our room until 3am.


It was so funny though, because we were definitely on post-amazing-movie-high at 3 am. (I bet our neighbors loved us.) We were so pumped; we LOVED the movie. Did anyone else see it yet? What did you think?

 Shirt - From a relative's grandmother's estate. 
Jeans- Kohl's 
Shoes - Thrifted - Cole Haan 
Headband - New York and Company
Belt - Thrifted 
Necklace - It was my mother's - isn't it adorable!? It is a cut out of an old dime. I love "money" jewelry. 
Ring - From my travels in Guatemala 
Purse - Thrifted - Betsey Johnson - (It was only $3!) 

Have a great Tuesday night everyone!

xoxo,

Laura

Daffodil Days

Happy Friday everyone!    

Remember the  daffodils  I told you about  Wednesday as part of the The American Cancer Society 's event? Well, here they are! I put on this outfit yesterday and realized after that I matched them perfectly, so  of course I had to get some  photos with them! 

However, because of my stats test today (I think it went well), I was studying until late, so outfit pictures ended up in the elevator again. Which, is perfectly fine with me, because these are my new favorite outfit pictures! 

I got a lot of complements on my green shirt yesterday, and I loved seeing the looks on peoples faces when I told them that this shirt was my grandma's old maternity top that she made in the 60's. 

She was going to give away a bunch of clothes and I snagged some before they ended up at Goodwill- I would have just bought them anyway! I just love the pattern on this one and all it needs is a belt to make it  look that I'm not, well, pregnant. (Thanks goodness.) 

Also, if appears that I am excited in this picture below, it is because I totally am! Room draw was last night, where my roommate and I got thee cutest room on campus. Its in the oldest dorm, so the rooms are very homey and not dorm like at all! I will be living there in the fall with Amy and then my friend Amanda will be living with her in the spring, because I will be studying abroad in India! 

A shout out to my sister, whose 29th birthday is today! If you ever noticed that I wear a ring on my left hand everyday,  its my sister ring. Melissa got it for me for my 16th birthday - It says "Always Sisters, Forever Friends" with the date (4/12/08) on the inside. A saying could never be more true! So, many birthday day wishes to my sis and best friend! <3  

Hope that everyone has a fabulous weekend!



Shirt - From my Grandma - handmade 
Sweater - Thrifted - Old Navy 
Jeans - Kohl's (from a LONG time ago)
Shoes - Thrifted - Cole Haan 
Belt - Thrifted 
Bracelet - Gift from my gal pal, Maggie. She purchased it in the Bahamas! 

Bicycles and Smiles

 Hey everyone!


Thought I would share something things that made me smile recently:

1. The bottom part of my dorm is a day care center, and when you look out the window, you see the little kids' playground. The other day, I looked out the window, I saw this little girl wack a little boy in the arm with a plastic rake. When he started crying, she kissed his arm. It made me crack up with laughter.

2. My mom and dad sent me some daffodils and a little bear because my school was offering it as a fundraiser for the American Cancer Society.

3. My birthday party is going to be sparkle theme. :)

4. I got to talk to my sister for about a half an hour! Since she is working full time AND getting her master's degree that doesn't usually happen.

5. FRIDAY: enough said.

  

Hope that everyone has a great 

day! 

Shirt - Thrifted 

Skirt - borrowed from the lovely Elena - Target

Tights - Wal*Mart 

Shoes/Necklace - Thrifted 

Thrifting Video: Numero Uno

Happy Monday everyone - hope that everyone's St. Patty's day weekend was fun and exciting!

 Remember that weekend of epic thrifting Amy, Melanie,  and I had over Spring Break a week or two ago? If not, check out the post here.  Anyway, Amy had made a video of Mel and I while we were thrift shopping; most of the time we didn't even know that she was filming. Even though I make some pretty derpy faces in the video, I still really love it! Hope you enjoy watching our silly antics! Thanks Amy for making an awesome video filled with awesome memories!

I titled this video number one because I am 99.99% sure that there will be more to come!

Have a great start of the week, everyone!  <3


P.S. Our favorite part of the entire video is at 2:24. See if you can figure out why. :)




          

Thrift from Amy Fenstermacher on Vimeo.

Beloved Abundance: Update

Happy Sunday everyone! As you may or may not know, my roommate and I run our own Etsy shop called Beloved Abundance. We just put a bunch of new items on last night, that we are really excited about! So, check them out and our other items too! :) 

 Pink Misty Lane dress

Black 1980's Hearts dress

1970's Red Homemade jacket

1980's Hearts floral dress

Floral Karin Stevens dress
































Hope that everyone has a fantastic rest of their weekend!
xoxo

Super-De-Duper Confidence

Happy weekend everyone!!

And a Happy St. Patty's Day as well! I realized today that I do not have ANY green in my closet up at school. (Actually, I don't think I have any green in my closet at home, either.)


So, these pictures are from a couple days ago when I had  an interview. I had tights on in the morning and after the interview, I got back to my room and I practically cried with joy that I could take my tights off and my legs could be free!

While editing these pictures, I realized that a few years ago, there would be NO WAY that I there would be pictures of me with bare legs and if there were there would be NO WAY that I would put them on a blog for anyone to see.

Through high school I would never show my legs, because I have a skin disease called psoriasis and I would always just cover up, especially during a flare up. I've had it since I was a little kid, but it still makes you feel weird when people are like, "What is wrong with your leg!?"

Now, I have gotten to the point where I have it mostly under control through my medication, but if I have a flare up because I'm ill (when psoriasis gets worse) or because of the seasons changing, I don't care anymore. I'm not going to hide under hot jeans in 85 degree weather anymore, like I did in middle school and high school.

That is one of the many reasons that I am SO happy that I started my blog. I can compare these pictures now to times in my life when I was unhappy with the way I looked, (because of my psoriasis and other reasons) and realize that now I have much more confidence; super-de-duper confidence, if you will. :)

I would like to share a quote, by Stacey Charter with everyone that really always helped me out:

"There comes a time when you have to stand up and shout: This is me damn it! I look the way I look, think the way I think, feel the way I feel, love the way I love! I am a whole complex package. Take me... or leave me. Accept me - or walk away! Do not try to make me feel like less of a person, just because I don't fit your idea of who I should be and don't try to change me to fit your mold. If I need to change, I alone will make that decision.When you are strong enough to love yourself 100%, good and bad - you will be amazed at the opportunities that life presents you."
- Stacey Charter

Dress- (worn as a skirt) - Thrifted
Shirt - Gift from a friend's grandma 
Necklace/Belt - Thrifted 
Shoes - Thrifted - Cole Haan

Well, I have to run off to trivia night at the local coffee shop!

Hope that everyone has a great weekend. Leave me some comments about how you love to show off your confidence.

No, I Did Not Steal That!

 Hey everyone!

Sorry for the silence, I was Spring Breaking it up. And by that I mean, I was hanging out in my hometown with my family, making homemade chocolate masks, and thrifting.

Now its back to school and work work work!

These pictures are actually from over Spring Break. And yes they are in the graveyard. Its a pretty place, if that isn't too morbid.

And yes, that is a BMW symbol chilling on my neck. And, no I didn't steal it off someone's car. That is what everyone asks when I wear it; I even compared it to an actual ornament and I realized that it is smaller than the ones the put on cars, so I'm thinking it was used for some commercial reason. 

My boss started laughing when I was in the office the other day and I was so confused until she pointed to my neck.


I found it in a thrift store at home for about $1; I thought it was pretty funky and add some edge to my outfits.

 Well, I better get back to studying!

Hope that those who have spring weather right now are enjoying it, I know that I am!



xoxo,
Laura

 Dress - Gift from my cousin (When she gave it to me, she said "Here, this would look better on you. Also, I think it would be a good first date dress. *wink wink.*" I think she was trying to tell me I have been single for too long.)
Jacket - Thrifted 
Belt and Tights- Thrifted
BMW necklace - Thrifted (and NOT stolen) 
Shoes- Hand-me-downs from my sister - Charlotte Russe 

Hope Chest: Plastic Cups

Hey everyone! Sort of a new post today: some items that are in my "hope chest." 

I know that some women have an aversion to that phrase; I did for awhile. First, for those who may not be as familiar with the term, here is an in-dept explanation  via Wikipedia. Basically, it is a box that young unmarried women put together to save things for married life; things like quilts, linens, dishes, and even baby clothes would go in a hope chest. 

Now, I know that this idea is not a very  modern one, but I still collect things for my "hope chest," even though I proudly consider myself a feminist. My hope chest started back when I was probably 10; I had fallen in love with these blue glasses (future post idea) in my grandma's cupboard and she had given them to me to put my hope chest. 

Lately, my hope chest, which is actually a cardboard box in my room at my parent's house, has grown significantly. I don't feel so bad buying hope chest items anymore, because I feel that I am going to be using them sooner rather than later. As I mentioned before, I will be living in my own place this summer as part of an internship. Although there will probably be housewares in the house already, I am still really excited to incorporate my own things as well. 

Also, friends and I want to live off campus senior year, which means I will need "hope chest" items then too. Then, after that, I will (hopefully) have my own place. My hope chest is not necessarily for "married life." Although, I do want to get married (a LONG time from now), my hope chest has always been intended for MY house or apartment. 

So, really I don't think of it as "old fashioned;" I think of it as smart. I will have a bunch of cute and durable (most things that I buy are vintage - if they held up for 40 years, I bet they will hold up for a few more) items for my future house, that I bought very cheap and overtime, instead of having to buy everything at once. 

So, why do I call it a "hope chest" and not something else? Honestly, its because that's what my grandma calls it and I am a pretty nostalgic person. 

Wow, I didn't mean this to turn into a big story about hope chests. I just wanted to talk about these bad boys. 

Now, I got these Melmac style cups this past weekend of epic thrifting. I adore Melmac. Seriously. It's a problem. At a rummage shop we went into there was a box full of Melmac style dishes and I FREAKED out. I dug in that box for a good 10 minutes. 

Proof!

I got the orange cups there - 4 cups and a creamer (now I'm on the look out for a sugar bowl)  for $4. Not too shabby, considering I bartered with the guy; he wanted a $1.25 a piece originally. 

The green cups, was from the Bargain Basement of another thrift store that I love. Its actually a chain in my area, called Jubilee. I got 8 cups for 30 cents each, or $2.40 for all. I was unsure about the color at first, but I love how they look with the orange ones. AND the green ones are stackable, which makes them even better. Both sets are in amazing shape! Can't wait to use them this summer!

What do you think about the "hope chest" idea? 

Did you get any good housewares thrifting lately? 

xoxo, 

Laura

P.S. I wish you could have see Amy and I trying to take these pictures; it was pretty hilarious. The wind was a-blowin' and I was hovering near by ready to catch them if they decided to topple below. However, they impressively stayed put in 15-20mph gusts. :) 

P.P.S The entire time I was writing this post, this song was stuck in my head... that's a true story. 

Florals and Parasols

Before 

Hey all! Happy Monday! 

After

I can actually say that today is a "Happy Monday" because it is Spring Break. I got to sleep in today and it was wonderful. Too many days of going to bed late and waking up early was getting old. 

These pictures were from the weekend with Miss Melanie and Miss Amy. I wore this to church and then we had a little photo shoot in the cold weather. 

The skirt I had bought at a thrift store in a $1 pile. I really liked the pattern, but it was sort of long. So, my grandma helped me hem it to make it a tad more youthful. Now I wear it a lot! I can wear to church with heels or to class with boots. 

The last photo was edited with http://pixlr.com/. I never tried that before! It was  a lot of fun seeing all the different ways I could edit my pictures. 

Well, I'm off to do...well, nothing! I by nothing I mean, nothing but reading this. That's great to say. I will have to do school work eventually over break, but today is just going to remain a bum day. 

Have a great day! 

xoxo

 Shirt - Thrifted 
Skirt - Thrifted - altered 
Jacket - Thrifted - from this past weekend's trip, check it out here.
Belt and Tights - Thrifted 
Shoes - Hand-me-downs from my sister - Originally from Charlotte Russe 
Owl Necklace - From my Granny's jewelry box. 
Parasol- Borrowed from Melanie, of course.