June Purchases

I have a thing for accessories – especially jewelry. I spent almost my entire June budget on jewelry and glasses. I tend to gravitate toward these smaller purchases because there is simply no more room in my closet.

Macy’s:
1. Queen of the Ohio necklace, $9.80

I didn’t start my day in this necklace. As I was dressing that morning, I looked in the mirror and pined for something gold and flashy around my neck. My naked sternoclavicular region continued to bother me until I broke down and visited Macy’s midday. I sated my craving for less than $10.

ShopGoodwill.com:
2. Lot of faux pearls, $19.59

Once upon a time, I was addicted to shopgoodwill.com. I was scouring it daily for cameos and silver sugar/creamer sets. After the obsessions passed, I forgot about shopgoodwill until I was on the hunt for Chanel-style ropes of faux pearls. I was the only bidder on this lot.

Tri-State Antique Market
3. Owl pendant (and chain), $1
4. NRA bullet pendant (signed by Charlton Heston!), $1
5. Two tasseled necklaces, 2 x $1 = $2
6. Alligator ring, $1
7. Silk scarf, $1
8. Vintage 70’s bag, $24


If you live in the Cincinnati area, get thee to the Tri-State Antique Market! There is one vendor who consistently has boxes full of $1 jewelry. I delight in digging through the tangles.

Julie’s Inspiration:
9. Earrings, $7

Wow! This might be my new favorite vintage/secondhand/consignment shop. I’ve only been able to make two, very brief visits, but I am longing to return and sift through the racks and racks of divine vintage clothing. The accessories are top-notch, too.

The bracelets pictured are from Epcot’s Morocco.

The Bead Factory (at the Orlando airport):
10. Peacock bracelets, 2 x $12.95 = $25.90
11. Evil eye necklace, $12.95

Airports make me want to open my wallet. Maybe it’s the boredom factor or just the high of traveling. I paid way too much for these trinkets, but I love them and shopping made the wait for my plane a little more entertaining.


Hot Topic:
12. Fake glasses, $10

I wear “real” glasses and like the look of them, but my exercise routine makes it hard for me to wear them without changing in and out of contacts once or twice a day. Fake glasses are an easier way to add focus to my face or tone down a bombshell-esque outfit. And I can still see when I take them off.

Deb:
13 Sunglasses, $5
14. Moto-style sweatshirt, $7

Deb gets a bad rap. Sure, the store is totally gross and overflowing with cheap crap, but I always find gems there.


The grand total is $127.24. And I can fit it all in a small tote bag.

I thought, at first, that I had made my $100 budget, but then discovered that I’d forgotten about my antique fair purchases. I paid in cash and there were no receipts, so only my photos jogged my memory.

Oh, and, then, at Red Pink and Blue, a model walked down the runway in a chandelier crystal necklace and I was smitten. The runway jewelry was provided by Serket Jewelry and it was too easy to visit the artist’s booth after the show and buy my own for $25. I’ll wear it tomorrow. It’s a beaut.

So, that brings my final final total to $152.24

Next month, I plan to buy more accessories, but no jewelry or glasses! Instead, I’m looking for red, summery, work-appropriate heels and black ballet flats made from thin leather or canvas. Feel free to send links!

Radical

Today’s outfit was all about the shoes: never worn, 80’s vintage, hand-me-downs from a coworker. Unfortunately, I only wore them for a few hours before they fell apart around my feet. I’m glad I brought back-ups to work.


Dress, To The Max. Headband, Forever 21. Necklace, Macy’s. Belt, thrifted. Shoes, Radical (hand-me-downs).

I should be able to repair the shoes, though. The glue that holds the upper to the sole has merely disintegrated with age. A cobbler can paste it all back together.

Better quality vintage shoes are stitched together, instead of glued, but I can’t complain about free footwear. I’ve worn enough vintage shoes to know that one should always bring back-ups on a first outing.

June LOL Love

Cincy Chic: What would I do without Amy to tell me that Ulta is coming to Cincinnati and Madonna is coming to Macy’s?

Mommy Snacks: I’ve always been curious (but somewhat timid) about shopping at Aldi. Andrea’s Aldi sale post led me to her Aldi Store Shopping Tips and now I’ve got to check this store out!

Cooking with Caitlin: Avacado Whipped Cream. As a huge guacamole fan, I must try this.

My Wine Education: I’ll be honest…my usual summer cocktail is a half-and-half mix of boxed white wine and Looza pear nectar. Michelle tempts me to class it up with her roundup of four summer cocktails. I think Minted Pomegranate Lemonade would be a perfect use of my overgrown mint plants.

Girlfriendology: I’m not a touchy-feely kind of person, but reading about how to help a friend through pet loss made me tear up.

Moms Like Me: I’m no mom (maybe I’m a “kitty mama?”), but I can appreciate the Hot Dads.

Wine Me, Dine Me: Beefy’s dream is to run a food truck serving hamburgers (The Beefy Muchacho). I avidly follow Julie’s food truck posts to pick up tips for Beefy. Her latest entry talks about pop-up igloos for food truck customers to dine within during the cold months. I wonder if they’ll develop a pop-up adobe house. That would only be appropriate for Beefy’s proposed southwestern burger.

Cincinnati Gardener: I’m delighted that one of my favorite nurseries, Marvin’s Organic Gardens, will begin receiving compostable waste from local Wal-Mart stores. What a great way to recycle!

Healthy Alter Ego: I’m a big fan of beans. They’re low in calories but high in fiber and nutrition. I usually combine them with rice, but a better option is quinoa. Jo tells us how to prepare this cheap and mega energy food.

Tealive

I’m taking inspiration from myself again: a teal/olive combination and an excessive number of necklaces.


Top, The Limited. Skirt, from my USMC service uniform (embellished by me). Sunnies, Deb. Pearls, shopgoodwill.com. Pearl tassel necklace, vintage. Bracelets, The Bead Factory. Sunnies, Deb. Bag, Massini. Shoes, Mossimo.


We snapped the first set of photos before auditioning for On Golden Pond, at Westwood Town Hall. Many of the pics came out blurry, so Beefy took a few more after our auditions. The light of the setting sun was lovely.


This outdoor space is ostensibly for performances, but I’ve never seen it used. We perform inside the building.
I auditioned only as a lark. I’m a little young for Chelsea. Tomorrow’s audition is for Enchanted April. I’ve got a chance at three roles.

Photos by Beefy Muchacho

West Fest

We spent the weekend at The Drama Workshop’s booth at West Fest. (Perhaps better known as Sweat Fest.) Beefy and I manned the booth for 12 hours on Saturday with temps in the mid to upper 90s. It was pretty miserable.

Sunday, we worked only the evening shift, so we had the chance to sleep in, catch a movie, and take outfit pics before returning to the Fest.


Hat, Cappel’s. Shirt, Converse One Star (thrifted). Dress, Georgio Fiorlani (thrifted). Boots, Dan Post. Earrings, No Boundaries. Bag, vintage.

(The big blue thing is a water tower in Fairfield.)


Photos by Beefy Muchacho

Despite the heat and humidity, we connected with many Westsiders and were able to tell them about our upcoming season (starting with On Golden Pond at the end of September) and auditions this coming week!


Our booth shone at night.

Blue

I wore blue, navy blue, to Red, Pink, and Blue.


Dress, Trashy Diva (shortened). Crinoline, vintage. Belt, Mimi di N (thrifted). Shoes, Franco Sarto. Earrings, Julie’s Inspiration. Bracelets, Epcot Morocco. Bag. vintage and thrifted.


I had a blast and got to meet readers (and bloggers) Allison, Maranda, and Reva.



Reva and I pretended to walk the runway.
It was lovely to meet you, ladies!

Fort Thomas

I don’t know why I never thought to wear this blouse with my wrap dress before. Maybe I used to be afraid to wear true green with navy? No longer. In fact, I've done today's color combination twice before:


Navy + true green + (yellow + hot pink)= LOVE!


Blouse and bag, Forever 21. Dress, Merona. Shoes, Miss Me. Necklace and green bangles, Target. Gold bangles, Epcot Morocco. Earrings, vintage.




Photos by Beefy Muchacho

New Drug

I’ve developed some sort of tolerance to the pattern mixing. Here I am, wearing a loud tartan with a graphic floral and it barely registers when I look in the mirror. I suggested adding my leopard obi, but Beefy said that was too much. I need his counsel since my eyes are numbed.


Beefy picked today’s lead photo. I blame him if I look like I have no neck.
Blouse, Romeo & Juliet Couture. Skirt, Talbots. Belt, Xhilaration. Shoes, Wet Seal. Bracelets, Hot Topic.



Speaking of drugs, I grow catnip, inside a cage, just outside the sunroom. (You can see it in yesterday’s photos, at the lower left.) I snapped off a piece for my kittens this morning.


My blurry, furry babies.