So, Does Karma Exist?

A few months back I was shopping at one of my fave thrift stores.  Everything is $2 or less!  I know right!!! Sweet!

Anyways, I found an amazing denim jacket.  I'm in the mirror  trying it on: it's a little snug but still cute.  There's a fellow thrifter who appears to specifically be in search of a denim jacket.  I saw her and her friends trying on and offering up alternatives.  She sees the jacket I'm trying on and  remarks how nice it is and continues on with her search. 

I personally can attest to the heartbreak of seeing someone trying on and buying something you need and love.  I just wanted to kick myself that one time I missed out on a beautiful royal blue  Michael Kors shirt.  I was just in that aisle...ugghhh the heartbreak.  But I figured it was meant for her.

So, knowing this pain all too well, I offered the jacket to the thrifty patron and sent a silent wish to the thrift karma gods to help me find my much sought after polkadot pencil skirt.

Months later... I'm still on the hunt.  I've come across lots of polkadot skirts, a few of them pencil skirts, but never my size.  On one occasion, just when I thought I had finally lucked up; I spotted a black and tan polkadot pencil skirt in the distance and my heart skipped a beat.  Boo...it was a size 2.  Further down the aisle, wouldn't you know it, the same exact skirt.  I say a silent Thank You because the world wouldn't be so cruel as to offer two of the exact skirts and neither one be my size. 

Well I'm living proof that's it's a cruel, cruel world out here.  I'll be doggone if that skirt wasn't  a size 16. 

What happened to Karma??  I guess she's somewhere enjoying MY denim jacket.

Oh well...the search continues!


                                                       I'm  ~~~~~~~@ SoRosie
                                                              Stay Rosy Y'all


P.S.  If you find a polka dot pencil skirt during your thrifting adventures please scoop it up for me.  Please and thank you!

SO Busy

It feels like it's been forever since I've posted about my goings-on.   I've been busy trying to get all this baby weight off so I can fit into all my great thrift finds.

I'm 8 weeks into a 12 week long fitness program.  The goal of the program is to transform your body through proper nutrition and exercise.  I consider myself to be pretty slender but was I shocked when I got the results of a hydrostatic (under water) weigh-in at the beginning of the program.   I had a mind boggling 50.5% of body fat. 

I personally think it's all in my upper torso- if you know what I mean.  Not too much I can do about it unless I opt for an augmentation, which I've actually considered on a number of occasions.  But then I always hear a little voice in my head saying, "Be thankful for what God gave you".  (The voice is actually my mother who thinks I'm being ridiculous because some people pay good $ for 'em)

I also joined a sports team to get extra exercise.  We've been practicing at least 4 times a week it seems. Wish me luck my 1st game is in 2 weeks!

                              I'm SoRosie
                            Stay Rosy Y'all

So Mixed Up

I'm still trying my hand at mixing prints.  I love the concept, but for me, it takes a lot of effort to get it right.  I definitely feel like I'm getting better at it but hey...practice makes perfect!

Recently, I mixed a Polka-dot shift blouse, with a tweed-like window pane skinny leg cropped pant.  Actually, the pants were thrifted so I'm not sure if they were actually cropped style or just short for my height.

While I loved the entire look, I'll be the first to admit the outfit was in desperate need of a POP of color.  I'm still working on wearing brighter colors now that I live in the south.  With spring being here but the weather still a bit chilly and rainy; I can still get away with wearing some of my winter items.   I'll try my hand at mixing patterns with a more colorful array of prints once it warms up a bit.

Not sure how much I paid for each of these pieces but I'm pretty sure the blazer, blouse and pants were less than $20 in total.

                           I'm SoRosie
                         Stay Rosy Y'all!

SO Pinspired

I generally like to pick out my outfits for the work week on Sundays. I try everything on to be certain they fit and look good together, I'll iron everything and hang them back in my closet.  When I'm feeling super obsessive compulsive, I figure out the weather for the week and sort the outfits according to the weather for each day of the week.

On the occasions when Sundays don't provide the luxury of picking my clothes out in advance, mornings can get pretty rough.  There are some mornings I wake up and as it turns out I'm not quite as into an outfit as when I first put it together.  I stand in the closet and stare around as if an outfit will just magically jump off the shelf.  Then the real troubles begin.  Items get pulled off hangers, tried on and tossed aside which creates a huge mess. 

Since I don't believe in magic, every now and again I go to my Pinterest boards for a little Pinspiration.  If you've ever used the site you know its sort of magical in its own way.  I mean you can find EVERYTHING on Pinterest.  Type an item and up pops a ga-gillion ways to style it.  My favorite search is on Polka-dots!  Try it out you can find Polka-dot everything!

Last week I hit my boards for a few Pinspired looks and came up with these looks to recreate.  I recreated these looks with mostly thrifted finds but I also have some pieces I picked up retail (discounted retail).  I try never to pay more than $20 for any retail find, although shoes are an exception to that guideline.

My thrifted items include:
Yellow Merona cardigan
Blue Pinstripe Old Navy Skirt
Black Manolo Blahnik heels
Burgundy DKNY corduroys
Vintage Blouse - No Name

I think I came pretty close to recreating these looks with items already sitting in my closet.  How did I do?  How do you get inspiration for your outfits?

                   @~~~~~I'mSoRosie
                         Stay Rosy Y'all

You Are SO What You Wear

Below are some of my fave looks of 2014.  I personally believe you can tell a lot about a woman by the way she dresses.  You are what you wear.  I, as you can see 1) am pretty conservative. 2) I don't do over the top costume(y) outfits, 3) I don't do trendy but I am always well put together, I like to think classic. 4) I love a nice blazer or jacket and I apparently will slip a vest in from time to time. 5) I'm not much of a girly girl and love menswear inspired looks occasionally. 6) I do have a girlish love of polka dots. 7) I prefer a nice pant over a skirt any day. My closet is evidence of this as 85% of my bottoms are pants. 8) I love shoes (YAY) another girlish quality.  I have an affinity towards peep toe. 9) The New Yorker that still lives in me tends to gravitate toward darker colored clothing although I will add a pop of color every now and then. 10) I love accessories, they are great for adding that pop of color just for fun. 11) I have lots of clothes and shoes and bags and jewelry, probably too much.  (Yeah NO) 12) I don't repeat outfits (strange right) although I will remix the heck out of specific pieces. 13) I like dresses but I don't think they  feel the same way about me. 14) I shop way too much (Hush your mouth, NO I DON'T)

Overall assessment of me: I am a reserved woman who takes care of herself and others,  a calculated thinker not a risk taker.  I like to show a little but leave a lot to the imagination.  I like to have fun but you won't see me on an episode of girls gone wild.

What does your personal style tell you about your personality?

@~~~~I'm SoRosie

Stay Rosy Y'all

So_Rosie in Red

Quite unconsciously my outfits this week had a hint or more of red.  I love how red, black and white complement each other in an outfit.  I think I'll carry this theme through  the month of December.  It's very fitting with the holidays in my opinion. 

P.S. I'm still loving my polka dots!!

Thrifted items:

-Banana Republic plaid pants

-Polka-dot skirt

-Talbots Hounds tooth Blazer

-Red Nine West Patent leather shoes

-Red Necklace 

                      I'm SoRosie in Red
                        Stay Rosy Y'all

100% Thrifted

I've been thrifting for almost a year  now and one of the things I love most about  my new found  passion is how versatile my style  has become.   Most people  who know me know that I never repeat outfits.   I don't  put something  together and then wear it the same way ever.  One reason  being,  I won't  remember  the  combination.  Well then you might be wondering  "how do you know  you haven't  repeated  an outfit?"  Trust  me I just know.  The second  reason is, its just more fun to find news ways to wear an item.  I've been reading  lots of blogs that suggest identifying 3 ways to style a piece before  deciding to buy.   That's a really good tip but honestly  if I'm  thrifting  and I love it I'm  buying it regardless if I can figure out right then and there how to style it in  3 ways.

Thrifting has made not repeating outfits  easier on my purse for sure.   So now I find myself purchasing items I ordinarily  wouldn't purchase at retail.  It also makes  trying out a Pinspired outfit  that much more palatable. 

I'm  still new to posting  my ramblings but I hope to one day figure out how to post my pinspirations without  fear of some copyright infringement concerns. I may never get to that stage but if anyone  is reading this just know most my outfit posts  are usually a recreation of some  sort. 

Anyways on to the outfit.   I Thrifted all 3 pieces.  The blazer (100% wool) is so awesome,  when I set eyes on it, I didn't give it a second thought.  The pants are Ann Taylor skinny corduroy.  I hated wearing  corduroy as a kid because  of that noise  they make when your  legs rub together.  You know the noise!  The boots are  Nine West.  I added  a little  sparkle  with a sequins tank and a red necklace  to break up the black.

For some reason  it felt  very  New Years eve(ish)!  I just may repeat  this  one after all !

                      @~~~~I'm So Rosie

                           Stay Rosy Y'all

I SO_LOVE Chocolate!

We still have a lot of leftovers from Halloween as a result of the rain in my neck of the woods.  We have lots of chocolate leftover and while I love me some TWIX, Kit-Kats and of course Snickers...

I love this kind of chocolate even more.

Can I tell you I got a serious sweet tooth going on right now?!

               @~~~~ I'm SoRosie
                    Stay Rosy Y'all

Ooh No La La

The day I put this outfit on I was feeling confident and loving my look.   I wore stockings with it, oh how I hate stockings, but it was much too cool out to go bare legged.   Anyway, I was feeling quite lady like.  My pleats were swinging with every elongated stride.  You couldn't tell me I wasn't working it. Ooh La La!!
But wait,  as I'm strolling, wait... what the... Ooh NO La La.  I can see through my skirt.  *blushes*  Ok, check my surrounding (whew) the coast  is clear.  I sure hope that guy in line behind me waiting to pay for his parking doesn't have a story to tell!
Lessons learned/To Do ASAP:
(1) Check clothing for translucency before strutting down the street.
(2) Buy a half slip (do they sell these any more?)
(3) Activate my So(Sew)Rosie persona and sew a lining in that little flirty skirt.
Other than accepting a co-worker's invitation to lunch, I stayed at my desk all day.  Knowing my plight, he was kind enough to go out in search of a slip on my behalf.  Upon his return he declared himself my savior.  "5 stores later," he boasted proudly and handed me a small bag. "You know, the women in the stores said people don't wear slips anymore, but they said this would work," he added.
As I opened the bag I busted out with laughter...I was holding a pair of boyshorts!!!
I thanked him for his thoughtfulness (come on how nice was that) but regretfully informed him that those same women duped him out of a few bucks.
Luckily, I brought along my new favorite jacket.  I scored this lovely Talbot's trench from the Goodwill for $7, the perfect cover up for my trip home.
                   @~~~~ I'm SoRosie
                        Stay Rosy Y'all

Pleated Skirt, Sweater (NoName-Thrifted) Shoes (Nine West-Thrifted

Trench (Talbot's Thrifted)