My Style: April 2024

And poof, just like that April is done. I feel like this month was so crazy busy – we started it in Tucson for spring break, work has been extra busy, every weekend has had some sort of activity. Also, our trucking business with my husband driving his tractor trailer has been impacted by the Port of Baltimore tragedy, so he’s been going to bed at 6pm to wake up at midnight to drive down to the Port in Norfolk throughout the week. It should be a surprise to absolutely no one that I’ve booked another vacation – this time a 4-day weekend – in May to give us something to look forward to!

This month also gave us the switch from winter into spring here in Maryland with some warmer weather, which means I was finally able to pack away my tights.

Let’s take a look at my April looks:

For my first three looks, I was restyling some old favorites from my closet. I’ve had the floral dress (left) for years and I’ve pretty much worn it with every cardigan in my closet.

The middle skirt was previously a dress, that I decided to chop apart since I preferred it as a skirt. I paired it with a secondhand Eileen Fisher t-shirt and I just kind of hate it — I’m not a high neck kind of girl. So, I’m adding that top to my Poshmark closet for someone else to enjoy.

The polka dotted dress (right) has also been in my closet for ages, so I got a little funky with it and added a tulle under-skirt. Loved the kooky look and also the beaded thrifted cardigan.

Out of these three outfits, just one item (the black top) is hitting the sale pile.

I thrifted this green leafy top (left) when we were in Tucson and I really like it paired with my linen skirt. This was a weekend look for a family get together, so I’d add a cardigan if I were going to wear it to work.

The middle skirt was another one on my ‘chop’ pile — it previously had a really weird waistband, so I chopped it off and added elastic instead. LOVE it now. It’s much cuter and way more comfortable. I paired with with just a simple tank top and cardigan, which were both thrifted over the years.

As for the last outfit (right), I had thrifted that embroidered top a few months ago and wasn’t sure if I loved it or not. I tried it with the linen skirt… and I like it. Will keep it around for now. The brown mary jane shoes are new — they are wedges from Birkenstock — and I like them for a springy sandal that covers my toes. They also make me impressively tall without hurting my feet!

Everything stays for now — but the blue embroidered shirt may eventually make it’s way out of my closet.

Another casual look (left), for a coffee meeting with a colleague. I love Madewell t-shirts and found this retro looking striped version on Poshmark. I love the color scheme and the v-neck! I paired it with my straight legged jeans that I actually did NOT thrift and a thrifted cardigan.

I thrifted this vintage Laura Ashley skirt (right) and OHMYGOD I’m in love with it. Once again, it had a weird waist situation so I chopped it and added my own elastic band. It is so full and swishy and the cotton fabric is just made 10,000 times better than crap I’m seeing in stores now. I paired it with a simple tank top, thrifted cardigan and those new mary jane shoes.

LOVE both these outfits and will be wearing them a million more times.

I haven’t done a denim jacket look in a while (left), so I figured I’d throw one into the mix. This jacket is super adorable with embroidered flowers on the shoulders and back, so I mixed it with my trippy polka dot skirt. The ‘shirt’ underneath, is actually a tunic/dress thing and I really like the color and softness.

The dress on the right is one of my favorites from a year or two ago. Once again, it’s been paired with pretty much every cardigan I own and I like the way the blue-green brings out the pretty tones in the floral.

Everything stays in both these looks and they will continue to be re-styled in my closet over and over again.

New vs. Secondhand Talley

This month, I count 7 items that I purchased retail and 25 items I purchased secondhand!

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April Thrift Haul

Today’s thrift haul is extra fun, since it includes thrifting from our spring break trip to Tucson, Arizona as well as closer-to-home finds!

We had a rainy day in Tucson, so we decided to stop by the local Savers to see if we could find any treasures. I love thrifting while on vacation – you get awesome souvenirs that remind you of your trip, it’s less expensive than the local stores, and you find some super cool items.

First up, two items thrifted by my husband:

  • Steel City Cycles t-shirt, $6.49
  • American Red Cross long sleeve shirt with hood, $13.49

My husband will very occasionally come with me on my thrifting hunts, but has less patience for looking through every dang thing in the store to find some winners. He was graciously keeping busy (and keeping Jack busy) while I had my thrifting fun and ended up finding two shirts that he loved. Both are in great condition, super soft, and his size… so he’s pretty happy with himself!

Jack also found a couple fun items – a cool assortment of fidgets (including a rainbow pop-it keyboard that is super snazzy) and a TrueBalance game. I forgot to take photos of them though.

Okay, on to my finds!

  • Universal Threads V-neck T-Shirt, $2.79
  • Old Navy fern top, $11.99

Quite the price range with these two tops and there was really no rhyme or reason with the pricing at the Savers we went to. I have a couple Universal Threads t-shirts that hold up pretty well, so I figured I’d grab this one for less than $3. As for the flowy fern top, I really like the cap sleeves and the pattern. You can see it paired with a skirt here.

  • Don’t Be a Salty Heifer t-shirt, $5.99
  • Vintage skirt, $8.29

Did this shirt make me laugh out loud in the store? Yes. Do these two items look awfully cute paired together? Also, yes! I love the colors and message of this fun t-shirt and will absolutely be adding it into my weekend rotation. The vintage skirt is also super flowy and cute and I love it so much. Love them both and they are currently hanging next to each other in my closet for the next warm weekend day!

  • Handmade pottery tray with handle, $6.49

You guys know that I love a beautiful handmade pottery piece and I couldn’t resist this one and was determined to fit it into our suitcase to come back home. It is pretty large — about plate sized — and beautifully done. I currently have it next to my reading spot in the den to corral miscellaneous stuff.

Once we were back in Maryland, I was able to do a little thrift store visiting later in the month. I surprisingly found more luck in the homegoods section than the clothing.

  • Jeannette Cube Pink Depression Glass Sugar Bowl, $7.99

This adorable pink Depression Glass sugar bowl is the Jeannette Cube design, which was produced between 1929 – 1933. I love vintage pink glass, and the cube design is so beautiful in person so I had to scoop it up.

  • Birds Outdoor Pillow, $4.49

According to Google Images, this outdoor pillow is from Plow & Hearth and cost $25 new. I just really like the colors and design and it’s in super great shape, so I plopped it right on the chair on my front porch and it’s living there quite happily.

  • Ceramic ‘egg crate’ jewelry dish, $5.99

I really like this pretty green ceramic dish with the gold accents. After looking at it closely and seeing no marks on the bottom, I think someone made this by hand (perhaps at one of those paint-your-own pottery places, if they have gold filigree to work with?). However, it also looks like some I found at Anthropologie and Urban Outfitters, so who knows where it came from. I added it to my jewelry area and it looks adorable next to my vintage jade hand.

  • Leather braided belt, $3.49

I’ve been casually looking for a new braided leather belt since the one I’ve been wearing for 20+ years is starting to look a little sad. This one is a little thinner than the one I’m planning to replace, but I’m working it into my rotation to see if it’s a keeper.

  • Line of Oslo blouse, $5.99

I found this pretty blouse/tunic/swim coverup/dress-like thing hanging with the dresses at the thrift store and love the gauzy material and the pretty silver accents. However, I don’t really wear much/any white, so I bought it with the intention of dying it a different color. Upon googling, I found that Line of Oslo is a brand from Norway, which is a long, long way from Maryland. A little dip in a purple dye bath and I love the way this turned out.

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Farmhouse Fresh: Trying ALL the Samples

I mentioned recently in my Empty’s post that when I went to the Farmhouse Fresh website to order a new bottle of my favorite face wash, I was intrigued by a bunch of their other projects so I purchased some deluxe samples. I figured I’d give you all an update on the winners and losers I tried out!

First up, is my hero product: Green Tea Milk Wash Cream Cleanser, $29. I bought this face wash from my esthetician in September 2022 and used it for about 18 months before the bottle was empty. I have dry skin and this cream cleanser is so light and gentle that it leaves my skin silky smooth and moisturized. I’ve tried many other face washes, but I really like this one and reordered it.

When I was placing the order, I also decided to try out one of their “Pick Your Own” deluxe sample sets. And then I added a ‘Splendor’ sampler. And then I was super close to free shipping, so I also added a ‘Smooth and Glow’ sampler. Here are all my thoughts on the samples:

For the “Pick Your Own” set – LOVE this and it’s a great value. You get a good trial size amount of each product with a few uses. Some more than others – the face cream is surprisingly dense and you just need a little of it.

Chocolate Fig Vitamin Recovery Serum – full size is $35

Chocolate Fig Vitamin Recovery Serum is full of live fruit cells (for a dewy feel), plus we added a plethora of additional vitamins C, E, and B5 (for a glowy, radiant appearance). If you have normal to dry skin, you will absolutely love this serum!

What I thought: Oh my gosh this serum smells absolutely amazing. In fact, I’d probably buy it as a perfume and I keep opening the bottle to take a sniff when I’m home throughout the day. So, so good. I also really like this one on my face – it’s silky smooth to put on, soaks in pretty quickly and I feel incredibly moisturized afterwards. This one is totally a contender.

Eternal Light Vitamin Enhanced Illuminating Serum – full size is $59

This powerful multipurpose serum works around the clock, releasing 24-hours of brightening peptidal waves® for a more radiant look. This gentle aloe-based formula also includes a host of ingredients that bring a soothed look to skin, including a full alphabet of Hall of Fame vitamins E, A, B and C.

What I thought: I also really like this serum, although I don’t sniff it throughout the day. It goes on nice and smooth, soaks in well and I look soft and glowy in the morning. I didn’t see any overall brightening effects for dark spots, but that may be more of a ‘long term use’ thing. This one is also high up on my list as a contender to purchase a full size bottle.

Full Moon Dip Iridescent Illumination Ageless Mousse – full size is $49

A light-as-air peptide whip is a daily moisturizer that melts into skin, leaving a natural mineral iridescence. The subtle healthy glow makes you look beautiful, catching light & compliments at every turn! Apply a thin layer. Use as an all-over daily moisturizer! Under makeup it brings a beautiful, youthful glow. Tap onto cheekbones and brow bones over your makeup for extra illumination!

I got confused on this one – I thought it was a night cream since it has retinol but apparently, you’re supposed to use it in the daytime for a shimmer glow. With that being said, I hate it! It was SUPER sparkly and I felt like a disco ball. Thankfully, I was just going to bed so my husband was the only one who saw my club kid/angel look. Will not be purchasing this mousse.

Ok, some quick thoughts on the sample sets. Each little pouch basically had enough for one or two tries of each item. I do think it was worth paying $6 because you get a promo code for $10 off a full-sized item.

Splendor Sample set – $6

Quick thoughts:

  • Three Milk Whipfoliant Ageless Cleanser – liked the cleanser, but not as much as the one I already use.
  • Firm-Tastic Eyes Intensive Concentrate – also liked this eye cream, but I recently bought one that I’m happy with and have a full bottle.
  • Three Milk Ageless Moisturizer – this one was a surprise because I really loved it! I usually use a different daily moisturizer, but I liked this one so much that I think I might purchase another “Pick Your Own” set with this so I can try it for a week or so.
  • Golden Moon Dip Illumination Mousse – hated it. Way too sparkly.

Smooth & Glow Sample set – $6

Quick thoughts:

  • Green Tea Milk Wash – Own it. Love it.
  • C of Change Clinical Peel Pads: These cleansing pads weren’t even on my radar, but it came in the sample set. I absolutely LOVED the sample. My skin felt super clean and soft and exfoliated. I’m planning to try these again in a “Pick Your Own” set so I can decide if these will replace my current exfoliator.
  • Three Milk Ageless Moisturizer – as I mentioned, I love this one and want to try it some more before I decide to replace my current moisturizer.
  • Full Moon Dip Illumination Mousse – hated it. Way too sparkly.

Bonus samples: They also sent me a couple random samples in my order, so here are those quick thoughts too.

  • Front Porch Punch Shea Butter: Did not like the scent.
  • Watercress Hydration Cascade Gelee Moisturizer: Went on very thick and sticky. I felt like I covered my face in glue before bedtime. Hated it.

There you have it, I feel like I tried ALL the products, but honestly there are a ton more on the website. I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed the Three Milk Ageless Moisturizer, the C of Change Clinical Peel Pads and the two serums. I ordered another “Pick Your Own” set to give them each a longer try before I commit to a full-sized purchase. I also received a promo code for a free 3-piece sampler of my choice (but not the Pick Your Own) when I spend $40… so I ordered the Fast Fix Sampler and the Quick Recovery Sampler, which both have some really fun masks to try. Perhaps I need to do another follow up post…

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