If You Like It Then You Shoulda Putta Ring On Itttt

Yes I know, my captions are so clever.

Anyway, I thought I'd share an exciting new addition to my ring collection with you which- get ready for it!- I made myself! The stone had been something that I'd found lying around my house a long time ago, probably because it fell off an old Urban Outfitters ring that we already had. I'd been meaning to fix it for a long time but I didn't have a band to attach it to. However, when I accompanied my mom on a trip to Michael's for painting supplies, I found a $4 adjustable band. All I did was use Crazy Glue to attach them (that stuff is flippin' magic).

I must admit though, the tube exploded all over my legs and hands and I had to soak my fingers in acetone for 30 minutes to detach my fingers from each other. The struggles in my life, I tell ya.

The crazy glue got EVERYWHERE.

Because the nail polish I was wearing (on one hand) that day was so pretty.

Note: Go back and reread this post while listening to Veltiver.

Up and Running

I was finally able to go thrift store shopping last Friday after my internship's Welcome Retreat. Earlier in the day, my mom visited the Society of St. Vincent de Paul clothing store in San Mateo and  told me that she found a Zara coat for me, which she then put on hold and brought me back to try on later. Lucky for me, I walked out with much more, including a new necklace, denim jacket, and a new dress which I'm considering wearing for my first day of work on Wednesday.

Pictures to come!

Here's a link to the Society of St. Vincent de Paul website for more information about where the thrift stores' proceeds go and who they benefit: http://www.svdpusa.org/Default.aspx

I'm not Catholic, but I thought this passage from their mission statement was especially beautiful:
"We are young and old. Our members come in every shade of skin color. Some of us are wealthy, some are financially poor, but all of us are blessed with an awareness that our blessings (time, talent or treasure) are to be shared with our brothers and sisters in need.

We know that we are not alone. We are part of an international society of friends united by a spirit of poverty, humility, and sharing, which is nourished by prayer and reflection, mutually supportive gatherings, and adherence to a basic Rule."

"Honeysuckle Weeks"--Weekly Update

Fun Times with Hannah's Polaroid Camera

First, last week I attempted to schedule my first thrift store shopping spree through Plato's Closet, a local thrift store in downtown San Mateo. They some amazing finds in there, including some of the best summer dresses and shorts that my friends own. I was also in search of skirts and dresses, but I mostly found frayed Forever 21 dresses or skirts that wouldn't fit right. So sadly, I left Plato's with nothing.

Next, I tried to organize a thrift store adventure to Valencia St. with a friend of mine for last Tuesday, but that got cancelled. On the bright side, we had dinner and saw Midnight in Paris-- which I LOVED!

I'm gonna go ahead and make a cheesy connection between the movie and this blog by saying that I liked that Woody Allen encouraged an embrace of the past without allowing yourself to get lost in it. There's a balance between admiring an era and rejecting the perks of your own because of a romantic and jaded perception. I thought that the message could have been more subtle (meaning that Owen Wilson's enlightened soliloquy about loving the new millennium was totally unnecessary). But in all, the movie encouraged me to keep up with this project as a sort of tribute to the past.

I should probably mention that this is all happened after I caved last Monday night and did the unthinkable. I went shopping... at Urban Outfitters. My only excuse is that I was tired and was dragged there against my will by my mom and sister. Just goes to show how much self restraint I have...
Here's what I bought:

Ecote Ivory Lace Top from Urban Outfitters

 

Urban Outfitters Ring

On the bright side, I did have the opportunity to go shopping in mommy's closet again earlier this week. I found a magenta crocheted t-shirt, several denim jackets, and a lace leotard (which is too big, but too purdy to not wear).  Pictures here!

En Vogue Crocheted  T-Shirt

At the KJHS 2011 Graduation with Raquel and Raffi

Copyright: Picture 2000 by Kamran Zohoori

Lace Leotard by Ann Taylor

Other Highlights:

-spontaneous new ear piercing

-several hysterical parties and midnight runs to Heidi's Pies

-hiking trips and high school BBQ reunions

-pool parties and pomegranate tea by the fireplace

-Death Cab for Cutie concert at the Filmore and getting lost in Hipsterville

All we want is an open mind you know the
Kind you can earn and can't buy

So Cawledge

Vintage Shirt (Cotton Fields), Vintage Belt, Skirt from Melrose Avenue, Urban Outfitters Bag, 
Vintage Ankle Boots (Not Pictured)

Margaret, Cole's friend (who's name I can't remember...), Me, Cole

These pictures are all from one of my last weekends of freshman year at USC. It was also the night that President Obama announced that Osama bin Laden was killed- aka a major excuse for merrymaking.

Connection to thrifted clothing? Like the last post, this outfit is one of my favorites, and once again, mostly composed of pieces from my mom's closet. Nearly every article of clothing is secondhand, which is probably one of the reasons why I'm obsessed with it.

Kristine, Margaret, Molly, Jenny, Me

Fun fact: My floormates and I had just been exploring our local Goodwill when we heard about bin Laden, and quickly ran back to our dorm to watch Obama's speech. My suitemate, Molly (middle), had just bought the red dress she's wearing a few hours before this picture was taken. For 4 dolla! That's a bargain if I ever heard one, my goodness.

 Above: A more detailed image of the belt I wore that night.

Rewind a Bit

Forever 21 Shirt, Vintage Scarf, Vintage Red Hat, Skirt from Melrose Avenue, Thrifted Tights, 
Cathy Jean Brazilian Leather Boots

I also thought that it might be fun to show off an outfit from one of my all-time favorite dress-up days! These pictures were taken last December at 5 am; my friends Virginia, Adam, and I needed a break from studying for our Greek history final (on a Saturday night, mind you), and we felt that dressing up and exploring campus was a perfect stress reliever. We were out long enough to watch the sun go up! Hands down, one of my favorite USC memories thus far. Added bonus- the essential parts of the outfit once belonged to my mom!

Another photo which shows off the scarf's pattern better. It's basically my favorite piece of clothing..

Back to my Middle Eastern roots!

The beautiful Virginia! This girl deserves her own blog (and reality show).


All photos courtesy of Virginia Ma

Party Started

This is my first day as an online blogger and I honestly couldn’t be more excited about it. I thought that since this blog is meant to document a personal experiment of mine, I should probably describe the process in more detail.

In short, this blog is meant to document a 6 month project in which I only purchase secondhand clothing and accessories. The only exceptions I will allow are for new underwear or swimsuits. So basically, buying anything new is a no-no. However I’d be completely okay with borrowing other peoples’ new clothing—seeing that stealing my friends and family’s clothes is such a big part of my life, I figure it’s a habit I’ll allow for the next 6 months as well J

You might be wondering the reasons why I’ve decided to do this:

1.       It’s environmentally friendly! Why shouldn't reduce, reuse, and recycle apply to clothing?

2.      I’m a poor college student and I hope buying thrift store clothing will save me money…

3.       Most of my favorite clothing pieces are secondhand. During my first year at USC, I slowly adopted a great deal of my mother’s vintage wardrobe as my own. What started out as only borrowing bags and earrings became my wearing entire outfits that had once been hers. Seeing that I naturally gravitate towards vintage clothing, I figured this project could be a way to further diversify my closet.

4.      I was on a gourmet chocolate tour last weekend in San Francisco when my friend Hannah and I began talking to the tour guide and a tourist about thrift store shopping in SF. When I mentioned my idea to only shop thrift, they immediately suggested that I start a blog to chronicle my journey. Their encouragement was really all I needed to get this started, and I can’t wait to see what the outcome will be.

5.      I already have an unhealthy obsession with fashion blogs. This is just an upgraded demonstration of that fact.

Check in with me as often as you’d like! I’ll be here ‘til December!

Love,

Asal