Yup … I road-tested my bare legs this year in mid-April — that’s surely some kind of record. And they held up fine, although several bystanders may have felt the need to call the Ghostbusters. It was a nice taste of what’s to (hopefully) come this summer, and I can’t wait. Next up: sandals. I dipped my toe (har har!) with some peep-toes this time around, but I think I’ll have to wait until I have time for a pedicure before I venture further. Hey, another reason to love summer — who doesn’t want an excuse to get pampered?

I have no idea if knotting one’s shirt at the midriff is still considered cool, but I enjoyed this option as an alternative to tucking it in. With a high waisted skirt (which this is not, but more on that in a minute), there is very little downside to it, at least from a comfort level. As for the skirt itself, the heavy pleats allowed me to pull off one of my fave “no-sew” DIY alterations: I safety-pinned the waistband on one side to make the waist smaller (and therefore higher), and hid the evidence under my knotted shirt. See, everything just makes sense now, doesn’t it? Well, a girl can hope …

Surprise, surprise: another head-to-toe pre-loved outfit. Hey, don’t run yet! I promise I won’t beat you over the head with my usual mantras today. Let’s just look at this cute outfit, ‘kay? The skirt was an impulse-ish buy on eBay; I’ve been collecting “old” Anthro skirts lately, and this one struck my fancy while I was looking for a different one. I managed to score it for around $40 CDN (shipping included), which is a small miracle these days.

Here’s something you probably didn’t know about me: I was super into philately as a kid. I think it was a popular pastime back in the Old Country in communist times, because I inherited a number of stamp collections from BOTH my mom and dad, and then added my own. I spent HOURS arranging and re-arranging them — by themes, countries, you name it. Wearing this skirt reminded me of them, so it was a nice trip down memory lane.

This dress is very pink. I obviously (?) must have realized that when I bought it, but it didn’t faze me until I tried to figure out how to wear it to work. Pink at the office is tricky for me, because I’m afraid it skews too young and girly (which, admittedly, can be said about my style in general). Add ruffles, and – oy vey. Black would be the obvious solution, but I wanted to try something different this time. I played around with a few options from my shockingly extensive blazer collection, and this greige — is greige still a thing? — Theory one looked surprisingly good. Like, whoa. This was an outfit I loved wearing, and it’s going on my shortlist for 2016 faves.

I also like because, minus the shoes, it was all secondhand. In fact, the dress and blazer together cost me only $15. Feeling and looking good really doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg. I know you guys are sick of hearing me drone on about it but I’m like one of those MLM people on your FB feed — I’m on a mission … to convert you to the joys of thrifting. Sooner or later, you’ll give in … *cue evil laugh*