Fashion

Always a Bridesmaid…

Over the weekend I was excited to be a bridesmaid a bridesmaid for the third time. I thought this was a perfect time to show some of the bridesmaid’s dresses that I’ve worn, and talk a little bit about where I found things for the most recent wedding.

In 2012 I was a bridesmaid in my friend Katie’s wedding. She had a gorgeous ceremony at a local church here in NJ and then the reception at a nearby hotel ballroom. My dress was from David’s Bridal, and was floor length. Unfortunately I have no full length photos!

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In October 2013 I was a bridesmaid in my friend Alyssa’s wedding. It had the most incredible country vibe – and I love that she wore boots to the reception (and that all of us could wear boots as well!) Her wedding was on a golf course up near Vernon, NJ. The dress was super comfortable, and was originally long. We had them cut to better fit the feel of her wedding – and it was perfect for the weather.

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This past weekend I was a bridesmaid in my cousin Michael’s wedding. They had a ceremony in an adorable local church, and the reception at a really enchanting mansion in Bensalem, PA.  I forget to get a picture of the back of my hair, but my girl at Blo Out in Hamilton, NJ did such a great job – I loved it! Our dresses were from Bill Levkoff and we picked them up at the Bridal Suite in Hamilton, NJ. [Note – beware of ordering from there!]

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I love seeing these photos in progression! I also want to share my accessories for the most recent wedding. The necklace I wore was our bridesmaid’s gift which she picked up from Etsy. It is super cute and I’ve already worn it again! My earrings were simple pearls from Charming Charlie, and I wore bracelets from Bourbon and Bowties that I picked up at a local boutique. (I’m a HUGE Bourbon and Bowties fan!) I found a matching wrap at Nordstrom Rack ($12!) and it was perfect since the day was freezing. I did my own makeup for the day and even got a spray tan. My purse (below) was PERFECT! I picked it up from a seller on bitdazzle, but click here for her etsy store. Her work is fantastic and the purse was reasonable at $38. So many compliments on it – even the photographer loved it! It fit my iPhone 6+ without a problem. I’ve posted some pics below – the purse I purchased had a light pink ribbon. My shoes were Bandolino from Macys – just a dusty rose heel. Nothing fancy.

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Where are some go-to places to pick up items for bridesmaids? I was running all around like crazy trying to find things to match.

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Making Resolutions Real: Closet Clean up

Like many girls, I absolutely love to shop. However, I know that I can’t buy things without purging the old things in my closet. Over the past few years I’ve found three different opportunities to clean things out and make some extra money.

Since I work in fundraising I’m all for donating clothes and gently used products to places like the Salvation Army, but considering some of my things still have tags on them, it almost felt like I was throwing away money. After some googling I found Threadflip. It is a website where you can sell clothing and accessories that are new or in fairly decent condition. You can list any brand and the recommended asking price is 20-40% of the retail price you paid. I base my prices on how much I have used the item, and how much I’m looking to get it out of the house. Oh, and the company takes a 20% commission. Over the past year and a half I’ve made over $500 and sold about 35 items. I choose to pay for shipping for my customers, but you can also let the buyer pay the shipping if you wish. Some I only make $2-$3, but to me thats better than nothing. You also can use their white glove service where they list the item for you and take care of everything. Since I have so many things listed, I preferred to do it myself. Things can take a while to sell, but eventually they will! Click on the screen shot below to visit my “closet”:

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Poshmark is another site I use to sell things. I should disclose that I’ve only recently joined, and already sold my first item. The downside to this site is that you can only list items through the app on your phone – you can’t do so online, unlike Threadflip. Also, people often ask to trade or pay through Paypal which isn’t sanctioned by the site. I had no problems with my first sale, and they require the buyer to pay $4.99 in shipping. It appears as though their commission is about 15%, but I had trouble confirming that on their site. Oh, and their support staff are fantastic! Click below to visit my “closet”!

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The final site is for those of you who, like me, are obsessed with subscription boxes. Mysubscriptionaddiction.com is a review site, and they also offer a swap forum as well. The swap site is great! You have to list the item, what box it is from and the condition of the item. Each party is responsible for the shipping, and it really runs on an honor system. I’ve had several swaps so far, and its great to get items you can use for those that would be sitting in your closet and drawers. I tend to swap make up, but you can swap anything from any box listed on the site (and there are tons!) I absolutely LOVE this. Click on the link above to get swapping!!

Do any of you use these types of site to clean out your closets? Share in the comments other sites/ideas – I’m always looking to try new things!