February Thrift Haul

I wasn’t sure if I was going to have the opportunity to go thrifting at all this month, since I was down with the flu for so long and then took Jack to NYC for his birthday. However, I did a little lunch break thrift on Friday, followed up by a gloriously long medicinal thrifting trip on Saturday… so I have a few fun things to show you all!

Soft Surroundings Coruh Gauze Top, $7.99

Soft Surroundings is one of those pricey brands where I’m not sure why they are always so pricey! Case in point, this top retailed for $110. While the embroidery is beautiful, I’m not so sure it’s worth over a hundred dollars… however, I’m happy to add it to my closet for $8. I tried this top on with a pair of jeans, and it looks super cute. But, I think it will look even more my style paired with a flowy skirt in the spring.

J. Jill Embroidered Flutter Sleeve Top, $5.99

Another embroidered top! This one is J. Jill brand (retailed for $74) and I hesitated to buy it because I was unsure of the color. I typically don’t look good in yellow, unless it’s a mustard-type of yellow. However, this top is like mustard crossed with a bit of green(?), so I feel like it’s actually working with my skin tone. Once again, I threw this on with my jeans to check the fit (my store no longer has dressing rooms, but you can return clothing within 7 days if the tags are still attached), and I really like it. I can see myself wearing this with denim shorts over the summer, or (of course) paired with one of my skirts. I thought this would be pretty with a skirt and cardigan for the office — which is how I wore it to work today!

Vintage Enoch Wedgwood Tea Cups, 99 cents each (bought 2)

Why did I buy these? I just liked them. That’s about it. What I found through my Google Image search: Made by Enoch Wedgewood at Tunstall Ltd in England and the pattern is called Blue Heritage. I’m already using one to hold paperclips in my home office and I might plant a succulent in the other one.

L.L. Bean 100% Cotton cardigan, $3 with coupon

I mentioned back in October that I had a perfectly chunky and soft cardigan in mostly cotton on my thrift wish list. Every time I would see something similar to what I wanted, I’d check the tag and it would have wool in it (I can’t wear wool, it makes me hot and itchy). I even posted a couple L.L. Bean fisherman’s sweaters that I liked, manifesting my wants out into the world… and I found this 100% cotton L.L.Bean cardigan over the weekend. YAY! It is such a pretty mix of blue and white yarn and is very, very close to the sweaters I had been eyeing online that were around $100. I’m so happy to add this to my closet while it’s still chilly outside.

Charter Club embellished cardigan, $8 with coupon

I love a great embellished cardigan to mix and match with my skirts and dresses, and I don’t have anything similar to this color in my closet. It was priced up a little high – apparently Charter Club is a Macy’s brand – but all the beading is in perfect shape, so it was a good buy for me.

Laura Ashley skirt, $7 with coupon

You guys, how gorgeous is this 100% cotton vintage Laura Ashley skirt?! I’m guessing from the tags and some googling that it was made in the late 80’s or early 90’s and it’s in beautiful condition. It’s a medium, so I figured I’d probably have to do a little tailoring at the waist – however, the waistband fits well, but the top tier is weirdly fitted on my belly. So, I’m planning to do a quick little fix and move the existing waistband down to the top tier. Let me know if you want me to post a quick tutorial on how I do this! I LOVE the softness of the cotton of this skirt, the beautiful details at each tier, and how swishy and flowy it is when you spin around. I can’t wait to wear this!

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Book Series Recommendation: The Whimbrel House series

I just finished a book series and I loved it so much that I wanted to tell you all to read it too! I’ve actually had the first one or two in the series saved on my Kindle for a while, because I was waiting for the last book to come out so I could read them all at once… and I’m so glad I did!

The Whimbrel House series by Charlie N. Holmberg:

Read this if you loved the Spellbreaker series (Charlie N. Holmberg), The Sorcery & Society books (Molly Harper), The Paper Magician Series (Charlie N. Holmberg again), Anatomy: A Love Story (Dana Schwartz), or the Veronica Speedwell Mystery books (Deanna Raybourn).

Do not worry if you didn’t like The Hanging City by the same author. Troll love was a bit too much for me too… (Book #88 of 2023).

Synopsis of the first book:

Rhode Island, 1846. Estranged from his family, writer Merritt Fernsby is surprised when he inherits a remote estate in the Narragansett Bay. Though the property has been uninhabited for more than a century, Merritt is ready to call it home―until he realizes he has no choice. With its doors slamming shut and locking behind him, Whimbrel House is not about to let Merritt leave. Ever.

Hulda Larkin of the Boston Institute for the Keeping of Enchanted Rooms has been trained in taming such structures in order to preserve their historical and magical significance. She understands the dangers of bespelled homes given to tantrums. She advises that it’s in Merritt’s best interest to make Whimbrel House their ally. To do that, she’ll need to move in, too.

I absolutely loved this series! The adventures and mysteries (some wrapped up at the end of each book, and some that carried over for the whole series) were really great and I also really enjoyed the growing relationships of the main group of characters. By time we get to book three, I was rooting for them all and was very happy with the way the last book ended.

With that being said, there is certainly room for more books in this series… so I wouldn’t be mad at all if a book 4 was announced in the near future!

Disclaimer: This post contains Amazon affiliate links. This means that clicking on a link may help me earn a small commission at no cost to you.

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Jack is 12!

Each year, I do a Jack birthday post on his birthday. And each year, I include a photo of my rapidly growing boy and I can’t believe how time flies.

This year feels extra big – not only did he start middle school in the fall, he is very much a pre-teen. In fact, next year he will be a full-on teenager… so this is my last year of pre-teen-ish-ness.

While he keeps getting taller every time he sleeps, he’s still my same old little boy too. He’s so smart and caring and hilarious. He can spend hours building something amazing with Legos, or K’Nex or just some random sticks and rocks and a rubber band. He loves video games and chicken wings (especially dry with Old Bay) and family adventures.

In fact, for his 12th birthday, he asked if I could take him back to NYC for an overnight adventure. So, that’s exactly what we will be doing this weekend.

Happiest of birthdays to my Jack!

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