Author: dreamyrealist

When my sister stated to me last week, “You should do a post on putting together an outfit from Goodwill?” Well sister…challenge accepted!  I have recently become more obsessed with the idea of consignment and resale clothing.  Not only for the great deals on name brands, but also the environmental message behind it.  Recycling isnt only applied to the plastic, glass, paper, etc. but also to clothing!  Yes, Goodwill & resale shops can be  hit or miss at times, but taking a bit of time to explore the racks and shelves amazing deals can be found! From my own experience the best time to hit up the resale shops are a Wednesday in the evening so that the rush of the weekend has settled and there has been an opportunity for the racks to be a bit restocked. Now time to get down to the good stuff, below are my looks that I found at my local Goodwill in Arlington:

Along with this challenge I gave myself 30 mintues to find parts of a full outfit.  One, because I wanted to show you how you can find looks even on a tight schedule and two, I was starving so I only had 30 minutes in me before I was about to go Hulk smash unless I had a carb.  I will have to admit the jeans are not from Goodwill along with the black stud earrings and watch but they still had a great selection of jeans and jewelry to select from!

The look on the left starts with the floral top that also had an open back that was $5.99, dirty gold and crystal statement necklace $4.99, lime green pleather purse $12.99, and camel boots $14.99. All pieces were in excellent condition and ready to wear! The look on the right starts with a top that was labeled Banana Republic $5.99, statement necklace $9.99, and boots are same as the left.  Also, found a glamorous pair of sunglassess for $2.99 and floral tank top labeled Banana Republic for $4.99, see below:

So check out your local Goodwill and lets keep fashion in the cycle! Follow me on  Twitter @dreamrealfash3 or on Instagram @dreamyrealistfashion

This weeks post is dedicated to a woman that I have had the pleasure of connecting with through my roommate.  Her name is Charlie and she is a breast cancer survivor. I wanted to dedicate this post not only to her, but also her amazing group of friends…who are also quite fashionable! As a bit of background when Charlie was diagnosed with breast cancer her friends threw her a “wig party” at a local pub in town before starting her first round of chemo in November.  Had to note the adorable invitation that Christina, designer, Lilly Pad Boutiqe created for the event.  Click the link for their website http://lilypadboutiquedesigns.com/

My inner Nikki Minaj definetely came out that weekend with a hot pink wig that I had selected for myself. Below is the photo from the night with the amazing Charlie front and center in that killer tutu. 

This past weekend Charlie and her best friends gathered to celebrate her last round of chemo.  The party definetely continued and all were dressed their best and ready to party!  For these kind of occasions outfit choices should of course consist of bold prints, killer shoes, and you can’t forget those unique accessories.  Erin pictured on the right is wearing Target brand black and gold leggings on sale for under $10, statement necklace from Charming Charlies, suede booties from Target under $30, pleather blazer brand NY & Co. on consignment under $20, and tunic black top from JCrew Outlet under $30.   Her best friend Carrie is pictured on the left wearing Sydney booties on consignment for under $25, chevron tunic dress on consignment for under $20, peplum jacket from NY & Co. under $40, and statement necklace from JCrew on consignment for under $30:

Charlie’s wig pictured above is from, Amy of Denmark, a company that makes custom wigs for cancer patients.  The unique part of this company is that you can have your friends or loved ones donate their hair to create the wig! Cara & Aimee, two of Charlies friends, donated theirs for her wig.  Click the link for the company’s website amyofdenmarkwigs.com

For the short time that I have known Charlie, she is definetely a person you don’t forget.  Her amazing sense of humor and upbeat personality is definetely contagious.  Thank you Charlie for letting me post about your journey and the support of your beautiful friends. As in the words of Charlie, “Save the women, not the tatas”

Follow me on Instragram @dreamyrealistfashion or on twitter @dreamrealfash3

We have all fallen into the Pinterest trance at some point in each of our lives.  You know what I am talking about…pin, repin, like, re-like, all things shiny, DIY-ish, delicious looking, etc. and before you know it you have repinned 8 million pins, but have not made anything from the actual pin.  If there was a Pinterest Anonymous I think I may need to attend.

As for my wonderful mother, her experience on Pinterest has been very different from my own.  From the days of her making my red velvet indian costume for halloween when I was 8 years old to crocheting adorable baby hats for friends and family, she definetely has a nack for crafts!  This week’s post is dedicated to her skills and redesigning a top that I had purchased from Target last year.

As I was doing a bit of spring cleaning I pulled a couple of tops that were still in great condition, but unfortunately saw the dryer one too many times and have gone to the shrunk side.  The main issue I was having was the tightness in the neck and chest area.  After an evening convo with my mom about me babbling on about my predicament, she says “You know what I saw on Pinterest…”  from there this is the before:

With just a split down the middle of the top on the back with a fabric cutter,  silky ribbon from Jo-Ann Fabrics,  and just a quick stitch to the right and left side of the split area and wa laaaaa…you have a completely different look that is both chic and a bit more roomy!  Also, who doesn’t love a giant bow every now and then?

Coming from a background of barely passing my final in sewing class to make pajama pants in high school…one leg may or may not have been tigher than the other…woopsy!  If you can relate, trust me this is a project that can be done by anyone as advised by my mom the sewing queen.

If you have any DIY suggestions you have done with your clothes, leave a comment!  Follow me on Twitter @dreamrealfash3 or on Instagram dreamyrealistfashion

Upon strolling into my humble abode yesterday not only was I walking on sunshine because it was my birthday, but also my first Rocksbox came in the mail!  Before you hit up the google machine to see what this is all about be warned I am not talking about the Roxbox Karaoke Software. Although I love to sing me a good Proud Mary by my girl Tina Turner that will have to wait till another blog post. I will save you the google search and you can check out the link here https://www.rocksbox.com

I wanted to dedicate this post to do a bit of a review of my first Rocksbox.  Basically, Rocksbox is a subscription jewelry box that will send you 3 pieces of high end jewelry for $20 a month! For starters, you create a profile to select your clothing style, gold/silver preference, dressy or casual, etc.  Then Rocksbox connects you with a stylist and lets you know when your box is on its way.  After you are done wearing the ones that you have worn during the month you can send them back for new pieces.  Also, que music…they include a return shipping label!  If you want to keep any of the jewelry you can purchase them at a discounted rate!

What I love about this concept is that my tastes are constantly changing and lets be honest I am prone to buying the “turn your skin green” cheap jewlery, which can lead others to think you are turning into a leaf of spinach.  The three amazing pieces I recieved this month was a cobalt five station statement necklace from House of Harlow, crystal spike earrings by Slate, and a molly bracelet by Robyn Rhodes. See photos below for details.

So if you don’t have time to find accessories for the 8,000 weddings you have to attend this summer or going to the mall is the equivalent to eating sandpaper for you…Rocksbox is where it’s at!  For daily posts and photos follow me on Instragram at dreamyrealistfashion or on Twitter @dreamrealfash3