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.