Category: Fashion

My Arizona Spring Break Thrift Haul

We just got back from an amazing spring break trip to Arizona, and I’m working on putting together a series of blog posts to share all our adventures. But while I’m organizing my thoughts, I couldn’t wait to show you something fun…

Let’s talk travel thrifting!

One of my favorite things to do on vacation (besides eating all the delicious food and seeing the sights, of course) is checking out local thrift stores. It’s the best way to score unique souvenirs that actually mean something. They’re usually way cheaper than gift shops, way cooler than anything you’d find at a chain store, and every piece comes with a little story. Also, my husband is super into it too… so it’s a fun family activity for us.

So before I dive into our adventures visiting the Grand Canyon, hiking the Granite Dells and the fact that it SNOWED one day and we were in shorts the next, let’s check out some thrifted treasures!

Zara skirt, $3

I found this new with tags Zara skirt and was intrigued by the parachute-type material, stretchy waist and deep pockets. It’s marked as an extra-small/small, which is ridiculous because it fit my body just fine. Apparently it sold for $69.90 at Zara, but all skirts were just $3 at the Prescott thrift store. Everything was priced so cheap there – my husband bought 2 tee shirts for just $1.50 each!

Anyways, here is the skirt on me:

It’s flowy and comfy and I like it a lot. My original thought was that I’d hem it a bit shorter, but I may wear it a few times at its current length before I make my final decision.

Vintage skirt, $7.29

I accidentally overpriced this on my Instagram share, but found the receipt while typing up this post and it was actually less than $8. SCORE! And yes, I know that this skirt leans a little hippy-dippy. Mid 90’s Joules would have LOVED this skirt and honestly, so does 2025 Joules.

Here it is on and I ended up wearing this outfit for our travel day from Prescott to Scottsdale to the airport and to home.

This skirt is just so eclectic and lightweight and I love the different fabrics. It’s a vintage brand, so probably from the mid-90’s and I can’t wait to it with tank tops and graphic tee shirts this summer!

Vintage skirt, $9

Yes, I was on quite the vintage skirt kick on this trip. This one is another vintage label – most likely from the 1980’s or 1990’s, with a gorgeous flow and pretty detailing. It’s a smidge loose in the waist, but that’s an easy fix.

Here it is paired with a graphic tee:

I love the mix of soft and tough! It’s such a pretty color in person and the fabric is super soft but thick enough that it has a bit of weight to it. I do feel like this one could look quite dated depending on how you style it, but I really like it with a graphic tee shirt. I’m looking forward to experimenting with styling this one with other items in my closet soon.

Everlane sweater, $7

You guys. I’m OBSESSED with this sweater. I love the long cuffs and the stripes and the chunky 100% cotton knit. I’ve actually eyed this sweater on the Everlane website, but it’s $110 so I hadn’t pulled the trigger. I was concerned that the medium would be a little too fitted, as I like my sweaters oversized, but it’s actually pretty fantastic:

It looks pretty darn cute with the skirt and I’m sure it will look fabulous with jeans and joggers too. I almost hope we get a few more cool days before summer hits so I can enjoy it, but I’m sure future Joules will appreciate it when she re-finds it in the fall too!

Acme cowboy boots, $25

One of things I was *hoping* to find while thrifting in Arizona was a pair of authentic vintage cowboy boots. At each store, I checked both the women’s and the men’s sections, because I actually prefer the fit of men’s boots (they are wider and you can stick some big, fluffy insoles inside and wear comfy socks). Each store had a couple pairs (at least), but they were all either in terrible condition, the wrong sizes, or marked at $50 or higher.

And then, at a Goodwill in Sedona, my husband pointed me towards these! Vintage leather Acme cowboy boots for just $25!!!

And they looked kind of terrible:

But I had hope that they just needed some love. And conditioner. So I grabbed some boot conditioner and mink oil at a local boot store and went to work. First, I scrubbed all the dirt and yuck around the edges with a scrubbie and water. Then, after letting them dry for a day, I massaged on some boot conditioner and let it soak in. Then, I gave each boot a really good rubdown with mink oil and let it dry for an hour or two. I buffed it down and then gave it another coat of mink oil. One more buffing. And BAM.

Gorgeous and the perfect amount of worn/broken in! I kind of wanted to wear them home on our last day, but they went into the suitcase for the ride. In order to finish preparing them for real life, I just need to add a pair of squishy insoles (which I have already) and also throw on some comfortable socks!

We had so much fun with our Arizona vacation thrifting and I can’t wait to wear all my new treasures. And once again, staying in a VRBO with a washing machine is so helpful. I was able to launder all of our new finds before packing them back in our suitcases to bring them home!

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The Spring 2025 Trend I’m Actually Loving

Every year, we are always inundated with the latest “trends” or “micro-trends” that you just HAVE to purchase. And yes, we all know it’s just fueled by the buy-buy-buy mentality. And frankly, at a certain age you just really don’t CARE whether something is cool or not, as long as you love it.

Anyways, I’ve always loved the vintage band tee and distressed denim look. It’s a little tough/badass, while still being pretty timeless and trend-free. However, I’ve noticed lately that a more oversized t-shirt with a cropped hem keeps popping up on my feed.

Yes, I know that is very specific. But like this:

Source: Octopiedmind.com

It’s cropped, but there is no belly on display. And it’s a boxy cut, so it’s nice and slubby and oversized. These tops from Octopied Mind intrigued me, so I decided to play around with the look a bit on my own.

First off, I hit up my favorite thrift stores and checked out the men’s t-shirt sections. I wanted something boxy and oversized and found a couple graphic tees that I liked for less than $5 each. Then, I brought them home, washed them, tried them on and chopped them with a pair of scissors.

After wearing them for a few weeks, I have feedback. I LOVE the look. But I was overaggressive in chopping them too short. After a few wearings/washings the hem tends to roll up and get shorter. I’ve learned my lesson now and on my latest try I chopped the tee right at my hips. That way, after wearing them a few washes I can determine if they need another little trim.

So yes, thrift stores for the win again!

However, to be completely transparent I also ordered a couple tee shirts from Octopied Mind because the ads internet stalked me and how could I resist a shirt that says “Poison the Patriarchy” with Medusa on it?! Or “Overwhelmed and Overtired” or “Riots Not Diets”. While they do offer the cropped versions for sale (as pictured above), I ordered the longer versions so I could do a bespoke cropping on my own. I’ll be sure to post photos on my Instagram when they arrive!

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My Style: March 2025

I’ve always loved the saying “March weather comes in like a lion and out like a lamb” because it gives me some hope for some sunny, spring-like days in the dead of the gray cold winter. Sure enough, the month started with tights and boots and ended with bare legs and sandals.

Let’s take a look back at March:

Here are two very similar work looks using the same formula — dress + belt + topper + boots. The dress to the left was a consignment shop score with a scandalous deep v neckline, so I’ve enjoyed styling it as a pinafore over a top for more versatility. For a work event, I topped it with a blazer and wore tights and booties below.

The wrap dress on the right was also styled with a belt, even though I could have just used the wrap belt. For that look, I topped it with a navy cardigan and green suede booties to play off the green in the dress pattern.

This dress is one of the easiest in my closet to throw on with basically any cardigan and pair of shoes. So on a busy day, this look took no thought at all and still look professional enough for a half-day meeting.

Here are another two similar looks, this time with — top + cardigan + skirt + tulle. For the outfit on the left, I added my own tulle surprise by way of a neon pink skirt worn as a slip that peeks out of the bottom. For the outfit on the right, the skirt came with it’s own tulle fun! Both these looks were easy to throw on for work, while still giving a little extra bit of personality and pep to my step.

New vs Secondhand Tally

This month, I count 14 thrifted items and 5 that I purchased retail!

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