The Long Awaited Jet Rag Post.

You've all been a patient bunch, but finally you may relax your furious constant checking because the long awaited JET RAG POST is finally here. Can a get a whoot whoot?!

No? I'll give myself one. WHOOT WHOOT! That was awesome.

I have many reasons for why it took me so long or aka another excuse at why I'm such a lame blogger. So I did have my Sunday rendevous fitting room adventure. I changed the clothes like a model on speed and posed my butt off. It was midnight and I was running around my room, sweating like crazy but at the same time my oodles of treasures kept my spirits up. I didn't realize that I had set my camera on a really high quality setting, but I did and for a few days I was running low on disk space and that means photoshop freezing up and the computer not being the friend that it promised to be. Third excuse was that I had to combine images in photoshop and that takes quite a while. I could go on with a list of excuses, but you're probably not here looking for excuses. You want the pictures, as my KC drug dealer says to me, you want the goods right?

Okay you got the goods. Note, I'm working on revamping the blog and that means larger pictures! Can I get another whoot whoot?

No? Fine fine, I'll get to it now.

/////////////// THE BEFORE: a big pile of dirty smelly clothes//////////

I spent $24 in total, but I counted and ended up with 26 items. If you do the math, that's two free items. Free?! I like free. Like a lot.

/////// ALL THE AFTERS: not a big pile anymore but still sorta smelly and dirty///////

::::: Ruffle White top::::

This top was a mighty tricky top. When I tried it on Sunday night, I swore it didnt fit. As in I couldn't get it past my mammary glands. Not one to be easily defeated I wore the top as a poofy collar over a white t-shirt. Then just yesterday, I tried the top on and low and behold, they fit. I'm so glad I did try it on again and didn't do the unthinkable of giving it to my petite sister. Those are my Charlie Brown boxers. Yes they are comfortable.

:::: Polk dot clown jumpsuit ::::

This has to be one of my favorite pieces I found because seriously, where can I find something like this? No where else. Exactly. Actually, you might see something similar at Party City during the Halloween season but is it as cool as this mighty fine piece? The answer should be no. I'll admit, it's a bit ridiculous, but ridiculous is what I'm all about. If I wore it out like it is, I'll bet I'll get a lot of people telling me the circus left a few weeks ago. That's cool, I've always wanted to be a circus performed and since I'm no good at aerobics and aerial stunts, I've always figured I'd end up being the clown. First row is as is and belted. Second row is with a black blazer. I finally realized the magic of having a black blazer, it seriously changes the mood of every outfit. And third row is worn strapless with sleeves tied in the back.

:::: Black Jumpsuit ::::

I had a lot of fun with this one as well. It just looks like a piece of black in the pictures, but there are some nice pleating details near the bodice and the neck piece is totally awesome in a 80's modern way. I can leave it down or be all ganster and pop the collar. First and second row is worn as is with collar up and down. Third row I rolled the pants for some shorts and added that handy blazer. This one deviates from my rainbow wacked out style, but I like it. Oh noes, does that mean I'm headed towards maturity?

:::: Little people embroidered button up top ::::

The first thing I saw and grabbed. It has these cute little people down the middle! I'm all for cute little people. Should have taken a detailed shot. Drats. It should match well with my hairclip that also has little people on it.

:::: Wool top with sequins/beads ::::

I got this top because somehow it reminded me of the Christopher Kane Fall collection with those gigantic round sequins. The sequins aren't as gigantic but they are round. Okay okay, it's a big leap but whatever. I added the ruffle top over my gold BCBG skirt (that was also a $1 at the buffalo exchange sale) for some strange reason.

:::: Mexican satin embroidered top ::::

It's colorful and flowy and did I mention it has rainbow flowers? Worn with a belt so I don't look like a 20 year old going preggers.

:::: Another Mexican top ::::

Once again the embroidered flowers drawed me in. Worn again with a belt.

:::: Boho top ::::

I don't know why I bought it. I was sure I was over my peasant top phase back in the 9th grade but maybe I'm reminiscing about my once youthful stage in life? I hope this piece doesn't end up collecting dust in the lonely corners of my closet. The first row is the top and the second row is a coat I got thrifting last Friday. It's amazingly awesome!! It reminds me of a mix between a hippy groupie and something a little less extravagant that David Bowie would of worn as the evil goblin in Labyrinth. I bought it at this store next to the thrift store. It's this dollar store but they had all these clothes for 99 cents. I believe it is the place where thrift store clothes go to die. Luckily I rescued this coat.

:::: Nautical dress ::::

A mix between uniform and sailor. Theres some major discoloration on the top but I think a nice paint and paint brush could fix it up in no time.

:::: Red Ralph Lauren "skinny polo" ::::

The only non-vintage-esque piece I got. I used to be all into the polo shirt again in the 9th grade but I never had a Ralph Lauren one. Now I can teleport back and fit in with the cool rich kids! Or not. I like how on the label it says "skinny polo". It makes for a great self esteem booster. Boots were also thrifted last Friday for $5.

:::: Pink Cocktail Dress :::

I think I have too many dresses. First row worn as is and second row I added this men's vest that I also got at Jet Rag. I should have tried it on because I didn't it was that big. But I guess it adds to that nonchalant mood that I am desperately trying to pull off but fail oh so miserably at.

:::: Country Bumpkin square dancing dress ::::

I look like a maid ready to go squeeze out some milk from my cows. This one might go under some reconstructive surgery but I haven't decided yet. Row one is normal. Row two I added this faux fur vest that I think is for kids because obviously it looks like a non-vest when I wear it. But I kind of like the look. It screams cavewoman going to the countryside. I feel a trend coming on.

:::: Blue Mod dress with buttons ::::

Electric blue with buttons? I'm sold.

:::: Country Squaredancing sailor dress ::::

One of my favorite finds because it is super cute. And fits like a banana peel over a banana. I like to twirl in it and watch the colors spin into pink. I look like a little girl wearing it but as long as pedophiles don't follow me, it's all good.

:::: 80's floral dress ::::

I saw potential in this one like I do many pieces. It has already undergone reconstructive surgery and I must say it is recovering well. I shall post a picture soon of all my latest sewing adventures and there sure are a lot of sewing adventures.

:::: 80's lace dress ::::

When i bought this I was sure it was a super fug dress with the over the top lace and those sleeves with sequins! But when I tried it on, somehow it turned a little magical because I sort of like it as is. The sleeves are less 80's power woman and more like big flowers protecting my shoulders from the sun's UV rays. I felt like a little flapper in it, hence the red bow. Second row I added the black blazer again. Magic I say!

:::: Nerdy dress :::

A little big but the colors are just saying happy. The skirt part has a really cute lime floral pattern.

:::: Floor length floral dress ::::

I saw potential in this one as well. It has finished it's surgery and I must say looks deliciously awesome. When I bought it, it was in such great condition that I had to have it even though another part of me was telling me to gently put it back for it's whole lot of mess. Thankfully, I listened to my other side because my recon looks pretty cool.

:::: Pink floor length lace dress ::::

I always grab things that have lace or sequins for some reason. Those items are just so easy to spot that I can't resist. This one has also finished it's surgery.

:::: Silk beaded dress ::::

It's a bit formal and over the top but it was new with tags and silk! So I scooped this baby up. The bustier part makes me feel like a burlesque dancer but the bottom makes me feel like I'm going to some fab 80's party or the high school prom.

:::: Jeans ::::

Okay their high waisted. Their pleated. Their tapered. Stacey and Clinton (what not to wear) would totally have a fit over this one, but I kind of like it. It's super soft and worn in and it's great for going to a buffet.

:::: Strange hat ::::

It's quite an interesting hat or headpiece but I love it. It might look like I have a paper bag on top of my head but I swear it's not!

:::: Givenchy men's Speedo piece::::

First I would like to say, that no, I do not have a fetish for men's underwear/ swimsuits and no, I will not be wearing it anytime soon. I think I became a label whore when I bought it. But still, maybe my future husband will look smashing in that teeny tiny piece. KC was shocked by my find and asked me why?? I told her it's okay, whatever had touched it must have dried up by now. She said I should make a purse out of it to match my underwear wallet. Maybe not. There is only one piece that I could not wear because it was too small. A hot pink 80's silk dress with beads!

/////////////////////ME BY THE END OF THE NIGHT or BEGINNING OF THE MORNING //////////////////////
Super tired.

So I went a little crazy.

Busababe and I might go again next Sunday.

I'm revamping the layout and look of my blog so bare with me as things shift and change. And thanks to all those who have responded to my personal ad. I didn't know it would be that effective. I didn't know that my strange tendencies would have a match.

Fashion Finds from Far Far Away

My two week adventure to Taiwan has left me with serious jet lag, a new bag of clothes and a hybrid between a question and thought. These rare specimens are called a questhought. If you didn't know these existed, well surprise, they do exist. Well, in my world anyways. What a strange world I live in.

I did do some shopping in Taiwan, but don't worry I didn't go mega-crazy. I think. If I could sum up Taiwanese female fashion I would use the word "cute". They all dressed rather modestly. I was surprised to see so many people wearing jeans and jackets when I was wearing a tank and shorts and still feeling the humid heat.

For all you cheapskate peeps, Taiwan shopping is definitely a must if you are ever to visit the lovely island. Sure with cheap clothing comes cheap, or a less than high, quality, but you can find some pretty cute things out there.

Before coming to Taiwan, I was afraid I wouldn't be able to buy anything because of my gigantic size. Asian sizes tend to run really small. My last experience in China was buying an XXL. Awesome. But thankfully, I did manage to find things and thanks to the loose and bubble trend that is going on in Taiwan worrying about being the sad girl who couldn't find anything that fit would only be a story of fiction.

Oh and back to my questhought. Why are my feet so big?! The only thing I couldn't manage to find were shoes my size. I think my feet in Taiwan are the rarest creatures in that island. It doesn't help that my feet are not only big in length, but big in width as well. It's an embarrassing moment in your life when your mom asks the store manager what's the biggest size they've got and the store manager asks how big and your mom points at you and the store manager looks down at your feet and immediately shakes her head. Then there is that awkward moment where you look at the person and she looks at you and you look back knowing fully well that the person is laughing uncontrollably inside at your gigantic feet. Finally you walk away empty handed while your size 6 footed sister gets to comb through the racks and shelves of cute, trendy, (although cheaply made), dainty shoes of joy. Luckily enough, I did manage to scrape up two pairs of lovely sandals in my size! Even though on one of the pairs my squishy heel peeks off the shoe, I will call them shoes in my size. Take that you small non-size-9-dainty shoes of horror!!!

Back to shopping. The place I went most was WuFenPu. It's an area made just for shopping. Every little alley is filled with the smell of new clothes unwrapped or wrapped in plastic packages (and imported from good ole China). Most stores had sale items - $100, $200, $300 and so on. These are in Taiwanese dollars roughly $30 NT= $1 American dollar. Knowing me and my primal thrifting instincts I rarely left the comforts of those sale racks, getting almost everything at WuFenPu for only $100.

A lot of the styles I saw there were not so much different to the trends over here except in a more "asian/FOBby" manner. I don't know if you get what I mean, but I'll carry on nonetheless. I saw many suspender inspired items, a lot of bubble hems, graphic T-shirts with large phrases printed on, and lots of jumpers. There weren't any dressing rooms and trying things on was a big no-no, so I had to wing it, use my instincts and estimate. I often overestimated my skinniness or is it underestimated my fatness? Either way, I had to give some things over to my sister.

Without further ado, my Taiwan trip haul.

1&2 Jewelry was from my aunt. She went to China and bought all these interesting pieces and planned to sell them for profit in Taiwan. She told me to take whatever I wanted. Um, okay? So I did. I got these awesome ring-bracelets. Now all I need is an Indian outfit and I'm ready for my bollywood debut! // 3 dress: $100NT from a night market. Very schoolgirl meets leprachaun. Mildly tight, not sure if to give it to a friend or somehow make it work.

1 tshirt and not just any tshirt, a PANDA t-shirt. $100 NT. The thing I love about asian countries is the mass amount of panda paraphernalia they have. SO CUTE. I have an insane crush on fat pandas // 2 shiny shiny dress. $100 NT. I'm not quite sure why I bought it. Maybe I was trying to fullfill my inner diva's style sense. It was my first purchase and I think the cheapness of everything got to my head. I'll figure it out somehow!// 3 top. $100 NT. I'm a sucker for things that have doodles that look like I drew them and for bubble-esque hems. And the round buttons on the straps. I'm a sucker for many things in life, these are just a few.



1 top. $100 NT. I love the faux suspender straps and black and white is one of my favorite combos...because they're panda colors! // 2 PANDA BAG! $100 NT. I almost peed in my pants when I saw this. // 3 shoes. 2 pairs for $300. They're a lot cooler in real life and are so comfortable. Maybe it's because these were the last pairs sitting out there and have been worn and stretched to perfection?

1 floral button top $100 NT, it has a collar and then two straps making an X in the back. // 2 Tunic or super mini dress $100 NT. Simple but nice with fake crystal buttons. One step closer to my African safari dreams. // 3 Jumper $100NT, I love a good ole jumper.

1 tshirt $100 NT, my mom didn't like how it looked on her so she gave it to me. // 2&3 dress& tunic 2 pieces for $150. These are super comfy pieces. Way cheap.

I also did shop other places but didn't really buy except when we went to XinmenDing, a place where a lot of young people hang out. Not as cheap as WuFenPu but still fun!

1 lime jumper $300NT, there goes the bubble! // 2 pink doodled mini-dress $300 NT there goes the bubble again! and the doodles! // 3 Be Happy Shirt $100 NT because I like being happy.

There it is folks, my haul of clothing from Taiwan. I really need to stop buying and start prioritizing things in life like sleeping. I need to fix my internal clock. I didn't know jet lag could screw with my brain this much.

Oh yeah, and click here. Heehee.

Afternoon Thrift

After class today, I ended up spending 2 hours at the goodwill nearby my mom's workplace since we carpooled and she couldn't leave work until 5:00. Goodwill isn't my normal thrift haunts because I find that they overprice a lot of their stuff. I tried on some clothing but didn't find anything amazingly great or cheap. I saw a Diane Von Furstenburg silk skirt but it was way too large (ahh...sadness). I was about to give up until I headed to the bags section.

Me: Hmm...nothing but Target rejects here.

Bag: Come closer....come here....come to me.

Me: Hmm...what's that I see, crammed all the way in the corner? A straw bag? Hmm, I've been looking for a nice straw bag which will be perfect for summer time and strolling along the beach.

Bag: Pick me up! Pick me up!

Me: Ooolala, how cute! There's little shells and beads, wait... wait a minute... *heart stops beating* OMG It's a Kate Spade bag!!! Lemme check the price... $5.99. Not my usual thrift price, but what the hey it is a Kate Spade afterall.

Bag: Love me, please don't leave me! I never want to be stuck in a goodwill again!

I browsed around some more and found two cute hats. I love hats with a passion!

When I checked out I was carrying the bag in my hand and the lady in front of me said, "Ooo, cute bag and Kate Spade is it? You got a great bargain" and I'm like "yes, yes I did".

Total Purchase today:

-Kate Spade Bag: 5.99

-Red wool hat with feathers!: 1.99

-Pink wool hat with ribbon bow: 2.99

Total: 10.97

Okay, I need to control myself

Today my mom took a day off to spend time with me. We did the usual activities we always do - eat and shop! After getting my daily swimming in, my mom and I headed off to Todai (Japanese Sushi Buffet), there goes all my hard work, oh well, I'm enjoying life. Then we decided to go to Loehmann's when I found out that they were having their big Red Tag sale where the clearance clothing is reduced by another 40%. I was excited. When we first got in, there were soooo many rows and rows of clearance racks! Me likey.



Loehmanns is like this discount store similar to TJ Maxx but much better in quality. They have a lot of designer duds as well. I wanted to shop carefully through each row but after 3 hours I only managed I think 1/3 of the clothes. I found a goregous albeit a little too extravagent Marc Jacobs coat but as much as I liked it, it was totally unpractical and it was still a little expensive for my college life budget although much cheaper than retail. In the end we bought 9 items in total and ended up paying $50! I got some shoes, pants, tops, skirts mostly from the junior section and a lot of the items were by this brand Lulu Castagnette. They had this cute lil bear on the tag so I couldn't resist!

Purchased:

• Soundgirl white skinny jeans : $5.38 what the heck am I going to do with white jeans!?! *but they're soo comfortable and fit so nicely...
• Lulu Castagnette Navy Trousers: $6.58 I need to start wearing things other than denim -_-
• Lulu Castagnette Lime Pencil Skirt: $5.38
• Heatherette Orange and White Music Notes Sweater: $6.58
• Kenzie Girl floral miniskirt: $4.18
• Kenzie Girl Strawberry tank: $2.98
• Farylrobin Leather Wedges: $9.58
  

I seriously think I need to stop shopping, I don't have any more room in my closet!

But I wanna go back and check out the other rows that I didn't have time to rummage through..hehe.

life lesson #1

I had my first real job interview today and I totally bombed it. Great way to go, right?

But it's okay. Being the freakishly positive person I am, I am glad that I didn't do too well because their pay was horrible. Just $1 above minimum wage for tutoring seven to nine kids (ages 4-12) for who knows how long! I would much rather get that job as a library clerk and they make like four dollars more. This interview process has however taught me a few valuable lessons:

1. It was good, "real life" experience.

2. I don't want to be a teacher, ever.

3. I don't think I would be a good teacher, ever.

4. I don't want to have kids, ever.

5. Kids can be stupid.

okay, that last one was a little harsh, but I'm just telling the truth. So to cheer myself up, I decided to post some long overdue photos of some recent thrift scores! Thrifting does cheer me up so. I wish I could be a professional thrift shopper, that would be the life I'm telling you. I would do it for minimum wage because at least I would be having fun and won't have to work with kids.

St. Vinnies <3

• four scarves: $0.50-1.00 a piece
• AWESOME SKIRT!! with houndstooth/floral patter: $0.75 (can also be worn as a tube top, how versatile is that? its like two pieces of clothing for 75 cents!)
• piece of fabric: $1.50
  

Lutheran High School Thrift Store $5 bag sale! Dad took up half of the bag space -_-

St. Vinnies (again!)

• the COOLEST JACKET EVER!! (theres an embroidered dog on the back), vintage little league jacket I presume: $2.50
• Vintage stripey tank: 0.50
• Olive "secretary" dress: $2.50
• leg warmers: $0.99
• Cute patterned tank from Roxy (me thinks it was suppose to be sleep wear): $1.50

I can't wait till summer, then I can hit up more thrift stores! As for a job, I guess I'll just wait and see...