this is a new rule i just made up!

in the spirit of eddie izzard's "do you have a flag?" skit, i've just made up this new rule!

rule #8: anything that has to do with foxes is fair game. i'm not about to go out and purchase a stole or anything, but due to my job (at the michael j fox foundation) and my involvement with TEAM FOX it would make sense that i would love all things fox.

so, i purchased this top and love it. it's a fox print and nothing anyone can say will make me feel bad about the purchase OR make me tap the slush fund.

thank you beacon's closet!

moving meant purging, and i got rid of a LOT of stuff. some of it was in great condition (some even with tags) that i had tried to sell on ebay but had no luck. i mentioned dropping off the loot before i moved but hadn't been back to pick up my earnings.

i wasn't really sure how much they'd take - sometimes they are really picky! i walked in ready to get my cash and told sara i'd be excited if it was more than $40. well, to my great surprise, i made $158!! add that to the slushy fund and i'm at $418.84.

This is shaping up nicely!

short buss, the hero!

thank you sara bussman. i think the before and after pics here speak for themselves!

checks and balances

i would love to admit that in the last 2 months i haven't made any purchases, but i think we all know that's not the case! i've been keeping tabs on everything that is coming in and going out, so here's a recap and an update to the "slush fund"

SOLD! kitchen table for $80 (already been added to the slush fund total)

SOLD! north face jacket on ebay for $65

SOLD! set of 4 kitchen barstools on craigslist for $30

bought: lululemon jacket using gift card - remaining balance was $3.47

bought: a few things at urban outfitters using gift card - remaining balance was $33.68

bought: a great new shirt by velvet at a local BK store - shopping locally is good, right? - $84.92

RETURNED: anthropologie dress that is now on sale for 1/2 off! + $182.91

new slush fund balance: 260.84!

before the move i also dropped off 4 large bags of stuff at beacon's closet in brooklyn. i need to go back and see how much my stuff sold for. they give you 35% in cash or 55% in store credit. typically i take the credit and look around for fun "new" stuff, but i think i'm going to take the money and run this time. i don't need more stuff!

february 23: what a mess!

well, i'm all moved! as you can see, it's not pretty! the one success that i've had: putting together my ikea bed! i'm pretty damn good at putting this stuff together, if i must say so..

i'll share after photos once everything is nicely put away and organized, which, knowing me, won't be for another month or so! :)

80 bones richer, one table lighter!

part of moving means getting rid of some of the big stuff that won't fit in my new place, including my kitchen table and chairs. as luck would have it, two great friends are moving in together and needed a table! voi-la! sold, to the cute couple moving in down the street (literally, just down the street!)

so, i'm officially adding $80 to the slush fund and moving the table out this weekend. it feel really good to be downsizing!

february 9: OMG i made it a month?

a bit late, but i'm now into february which is month 2 of this 12 month challenge. i made it a month and didn't cry, whine, complain or implode....for the most part! i've honestly actually realized that i do have well beyond everything that i need, but that doesn't mean i don't like to look at all the pretty things.

to recap: i made one purchase at the ragnar relay race that i did in key west florida, and that amount came out of my slush fund. i also just made a 2nd purchase in iceland (yes the country, shown below). it was a nikita hoodie that says "reykjavik" - which was something purchased to remember the trip and purchased from the flagship store (nikita is an icelandic brand!) since it was so incredibly cold, i ended up wearing the sweatshirt for most of the remainder of the trip too. good purchase.

anyway, that's where i stand (and here i stand in the icelandic countryside). and i feel pretty good about it.

pack it up, pack it in, where to begin?

yup, i'm moving! big surprise, right? if you know me, you know that i've lived in 5 different apartments since moving to brooklyn in 2004. soon to be 6!

my current apartment is great, it's absolutely beautiful. i have my own studio in prospect heights, brooklyn but unfortunately my landlords are planning to sell. it also happens to be pretty pricey - and while i've been able to afford my place, i could be living elsewhere and saving a LOT of money!

a few weeks ago i took a stab at craigslist and found an apartment that sounded perfect. it's a 2 bedroom that i'll be sharing with a roommate. she seems nice and the apartment had a few great selling points:

• i'll be back in park slope!
• unfurnished living room which means i can bring my furniture!! i can't part with my leather arm chair
• large bedroom AND FINALLY.....
• a HUGE closet!! probably the largest one that i will have since moving to brooklyn!
• oh, and yeah, GREAT rent!

i'm really excited to be moving, but NOT excited to be packing! i've just started (and i move in 2 weeks) and am taking this opportunity to really purge. in the 5 moves that i've had, i do a really good job of just boxing up crap and moving it to the new place. this time, i'm not just going to box it all up.

i just posted 4 items on ebay, including this north face jacket. any takers?

old and new and dressed in blue.

it has been so cold. so cold, and snowy, and gross that i have no motivation to wear anything besides jeans, cords, my snow boots and heavy sweaters. but i was motivated yesterday to put on a skirt and nice top, and gosh darnit - i felt good!

i paired an old blouse from urban outfitters with a newer skirt, also from uo. i wasn't sure if i was going to like the navy on navy combo, but i think it worked. i also wore my thicker-than-normal tights to keep me warm!

this has almost nothing to do with being thrifty but i can't stop myself from posting

hello, abs!

this past weekend was brutally cold. the kind of cold where you want to hole up in bed and not do anything. or, if you do go out and do something, you make it good. well, we decided to hit up a double feature - you know - pay for the first movie then sneak into the second. i know, it's not the most honest thing to do, but sometimes you have to bend the rules a bit. and with soda and popcorn being $10, we deserved that second movie!

first movie: the dilemma. survey says, "dud!" i love vince vaughn, and jennifer connelly but this over the top rom-com was just a bit tooooo far of a stretch for me.

(short intermission, long enough for us to get - you guessed it - second row seats! hello marky mark in my face!)

second movie: the fighter. survey says, "amazing!" while the movie seemed to be a bit long and had moments where it dragged, this very well casted film kept my attention and really had me rooting for micky (mark wahlberg).

so, of course, now i want to learn to box. i've always had an interest, and have researched gyms in nyc. gleason's in brooklyn is NO JOKE! and then today on facebook, this photo came up on the nike women page and has me itching to box even more. i mean, look at her!

so to tie this all in to my year-o-thrift, maybe with all the money i save i can afford to take some boxing lessons.

bundled!

gatta love this weather report: "high of 15, feels like 4" - thank you weather.com. thankfully, a few years back i made a very smart purchase that will hopefully stick with me for years to come.

the "sleeping bag" coat as i call it, from brooklyn industries, has proven to be the warmest coat i've ever worn. i bought it on sale, at the end of the season, when the 5 degree days had already passed. i can't remember exactly what i paid, but it was around half off and knew it would come in handy.

it nearly hits the ground, has thumb holes (which is basically how i was sold on it), and is 50% down, 50% feather filling to keep it super warm but not super bulky. paired with my scarf, hat and gloves - i was actually prepared to face the elements today. although i will be staying in doors as much as possible

best...purchase...ever!

snow! everywhere! this is the 3rd snowstorm to hit nyc this season (i missed one of them, phew!) and they haven't been "dustings" by any means. inches and feet have hit - and the thing about nyc - there's NO WHERE to put the snow!

a good, solid pair of boots, how unfashionable they may seem, are a necessity. i've seen women in heals trying to trudge through snow banks and i just think, "wow, you're an idiot!" while i trudge through puddles in my trusty boots.

these boots, purchased cerca january 2004 have been my trusty go to boots for the last 7 years. i bought them from anthropologie in boston, where i was working at the time. they're by Orla Kiely - fleece lined, completely waterproof and have cute pears all over. definitely one of the BEST purchases i've ever made.

big hit or big love?

one of my main goals of "thrifty '11" is to actually utilize what i already have in my closet. i own a ton of stuff - some still brand new, some vintage, and some items that i can't get enough of. today's post was originally going to be called "when old meets new" because i decided to pull out a vintage herringbone skirt but match it with my fairly new booties from anthropologie. well, after taking some photos (quality on my oooold iPhone is not so great, sorry) i don't know if i feel fashionable or like i'm nicki from big love. you decide!

january 18: i put some new shoes on and suddenly everything's right

remember the shoes i put on my christmas list? well, i was lucky enough to get them and today is their real world debut. don't worry, with the gross weather in the northeast, i'm only wearing them around the office today! while they look VERY orange in this photo, they are more of a red/coral color and i LOVE them! while i wear a lot of grey, black and navy, these are the perfect pop of color! they are brightening my day inside even though it is rainy and slushy outside.

slush fund: already tapped!

just a full week into the new year and i already had tapped into my slush fund! here are the details:

it was saturday, january 8 and i had just run nearly 200 miles with a group of 11 other runners in a ragnar relay (no we didn't each run 200 miles, but collectively cover the distance between miami and key west, fl.) we ended the race on the beach in key west - sore, tired, and totally excited! it was an amazing experience that i went through with a group of (except for 2) complete strangers and i wouldn't have changed a thing!

at the after party there was celebrating, drinking, and of course - gear to remember the experience! how could there not be amazing race t-shirts and hoodies, water bottles and key chains? so, i purchased two items: a race t that had all the details from the race, the date, yadda yadda (for $25), and a hoodie with the race logo and motto: "RUN, DRIVE, SLEEP?, REPEAT" (for $35)

in speaking with my official judge (rachel flynn) she ruled that the race t was an acceptable purchase (fell under "necessary sporting equipment") but that the hoodie was in fact not and would have to come out of the slush fund. in my opinion the ruling gets a: fair enough! so, i'm deducting $35 from the slush fund. but come on, see the awesome hoodie below (and me having a bit of fun in cowboy bills in key west)

hello, it's cold in here!

today is monday which means back to work. the short weeks and holidays were great, but now it's time to get back to it.

unfortunately, i came in to a not-so-surprisingly cold office. it has been rather cold the last few days, and today is no exception. luckily, i have my trusty hat, scarf and (not pictured) fingerless gloves which allow me to warm up AND type!

pictured: my new favorite mustard colored hat, a whole $3 from target / plaid cashmere scarf, free from auntie helen (she literally gave it to me off her neck) / ella moss printed shirt from anthro, on sale for $37.50. i fell in love with this ella moss top a few months ago but realized it was crazy overpriced. i am happy to say that i stuck it out and got it last week and will now enjoy it in 2011.

january 2. 2011: removing temptation

so we are in the new year! i made it in one piece, and luckily haven't cracked under the pressure of having this challenge in place. one thing i always notice when i go into work on monday mornings is the amount of email i have from stores or online boutique sites like ruelala. all of them are promoting new mark downs, or free shipping, or some great designer that will be featured in the daily online boutique store. its absurd. and needs to stop.

so, step one is to unsubscribe from all email lists that i'm on. this could take a while!