Thrift Store Finds

Join me, Dina from Dina's Days while I share some of my recent finds from local thrift stores. Share your finds on the Facebook page too!

How to Host a Swap Party

Maybe you've heard the buzz surrounding the genius and fun idea that is the Swap Party and would like to find out more, or..

 

You have a pile of clothes that you've decided are *too nice to donate to Goodwill, but not nice enough to take up precious closet space and you're wondering what to do with them.

Either way - you've come to the right place.  

For those of you also asking yourselves what to do with those too-nice-for-Goodwill clothes, here's your answer - host a swap party. It's easy, fun and best of all.. everyone leaves happy. In my experience anyway.

Step #1: Pick a place.

The location of your party should be somewhere that is geographically convenient to those who are attending. It should have a good place (or even a few good places) to lay and/or hang the clothes. It doesn't even have to be held in someone's home. If there simply isn't enough space (NYC apartment dwellers for example), you can always contact a local community center, church or restaurant and see if you can rent a room.

Step #2: Be inclusive. 

Don't limit your guest list to people with a certain style, a certain age or size. Even people of a smaller size may like the look or fit of a large sized item. Besides, a purse or pair of sunglasses will fit any sizes. Let people people bring friends and have a 'the more the merrier' attitude and invite everyone. Even if they don't consider themselves a 'clothes lover', they still wear clothes, so may be interested.

Step #3: Keep a count. 

Both facebook and Evite are convenient tools for getting a general idea of how many people will be attending. On the day of the event, you don't want to be surprised ("Not only did I bring my famous pasta salad, I also brought my cousin X and her best friend Y and her sister-in-law Z"..) you get the picture.

Step #4: Decide on formality.

Your swap can be done with an organized system or it can be a crazy free-for-all. I've been to both types of swap parties and both are fun. If you're going to go with a more formal, organized approach, let your guests know (i.e: "Everyone should bring at least 10 good quality items" vs. "Bring whatever you want to get rid of").

Another aspect of formality are the rules and order (or lack there of). At one recent swap I attended, everyone chose a number out of a basket and took turns picking an item. After a few rounds of going 1-12, we switched it up a little bit by going 12-1, #'s 3, 5 and 7 at one time, etc. This was a great system when there was 12 attendees. I've also been to swaps with 30+ people (all arriving at different times), which would have made staying organized tricky. A big deciding factor on formality is the size of your invite list and the location of the party.

One option is to contain your swap to one room and have the clothes set up on tables, couches or other furniture. Another option (if you have a lot of guests and a lot of items) is spreading out. The swaps that my sister-in-law hosts happens not only in the house but also in the backyard and/or front porch.

One room option:

Clothes line in the backyard (because you ran out of surfaces to hang clothes inside) option:

Step #5: Organize the items
All of the swaps I've attended have had this in common - as attendees arrive, they place their items in designated spaces. For example, skirts hanging outside, shoes & accessories by the fireplace, sweaters stacked on the couch, etc.

It doesn't have to be perfect, things will get jumbled. 
Below are some pictures that show how items can be separated and displayed. 

Accessories corner:
 

Jewelry..

The shoes..

Stack of pants..

Warm weather tops:

Stack of sweaters..

Other swap options and ideas:

*Have guests bring food/drinks to share:

*Have an area set up with mirrors where attendees can try on items (a spare bedroom, etc.).

*Make it a co-ed event and have Men's items as well.

*Instead of attendees taking home things that don't get picked up, donate extras to Goodwill, a local shelter, or other charitable organization.

So there you have it. I hope this will help inspire you to have your own swap party!

.. Invitation  ..

Live in/willing to travel to/visiting Northeast Ohio and interested in joining an upcoming swap party? 

Email me  :)

Distinct.Style.Innovation@gmail.com

 // Rachel

Distinct.Style.Innovation 

* Truthfully speaking, nothing is "too good" for Goodwill. I love their mission and fully support donating to them or other charities. We just want first dibs on your giveaway items.. is that so wrong?

Part One: Tips on Starting a Blog -- The Basics

I've been "blogging" since before it was called blogging. I've been on every free platform. I've owned domains for my personal blogs. I've had personal blogs, writing blogs, photo blogs, blogs documenting my entire high school experience.

Starting a fashion blog was a big leap. I've always wanted to do it, but I never thought I could. I didn't believe that I would live up to the others and honestly, I didn't know what I was doing.

I've learned so much in the past several months and I'm going to share what I've learned.

Today's edition is the basics! Got tips, share them in the comments, please.

How To: Layer Bracelets

One of my favorite trends these days besides blue polish is layers upon layers of bracelets. Channel your inner Rachel Zoe as my sister likes to say, by piling on all of the bangles, trinkets, and wrist ornaments. Stacking and layering really enhances a simple look. I usually pile on the bracelets when I'm wearing a solid color or something that isn't patterned or busy.

Read my tips after the jump

Frock Party

Friday we had a frock party! A frock party is a fancy word for clothing swap. The idea is to get rid of clothes you no longer wear and take home new clothes for free. Wonderful concept if you ask me.

There were twelve ladies in attendance and way too many clothes. I was seriously blown away by the abundance and quality.

The clothes were organized by type, dresses, skirts, tops, bottoms, etc. Everyone made a round, scoped the items out, picked their most favorite. After that we drew numbers from a basket and went in order for a couple rounds. This took forever, so we switched to three at a time, and realized we had tons and tons of clothes left. This is when we started the "free for all" rounds which eventually became "take what you want. no rules."

It was so much fun and I have so many new clothes and accessories that I cannot wait to assemble outfits with. Hopefully this will be a semi-annual event? Who is down?!

Pictures after the jump!

The 330 Swap

Lauren and I continue to swap! She sent me this beautiful 70's inspired dress. We both wore it differently, but we both channeled our inner hippie. She has an advantage because of her long beautiful locks, but I swear I'm not jealous.

Lauren also sent me this lovely skirt. I struggled at first to style it, but once I did, it was beautiful! Our styling was strangely similar here, but very personal at the same time!

Stay tuned for more mail swaps between Lauren, myself, and our newest member!

Spotlight: WEAR*IT Wednesday's

The lovely Renee of Oh Renee Design long ago started Wear*It Wednesday's. The idea is, she picks a theme, bloggers submit, and they're posted on Wednesday's! Wear*It Wednesday's are now in the hands of Rachel from A Distinct Style.

Previous & upcoming themes have included:
-How to Wear Denim Shorts
-How to Wear a Summer Dress
-How to Wear Red
-How to wear colorful shorts
-How to wear wedge sandals

The themes are always really great and it's a way to engage in the blogger community as well as an opportunity to try something new.

Today's post features several bloggers (myself included!) wearing summer dresses. Summer dresses are staples and not two of us are wearing the same dress or even a similar style. That's the real beauty. To see several stylish people within one category put their own spin on it.

So head on over to A Distinct Style. Familiarize yourself with Rachel. She's an Akron blogger, an expert at thrifting and remastering, a do it yourself connoisseur, and a great new edition to the 330 Blogger Collective.

The 330 Blogger Swap

Swapping clothing is a fun and interactive way to get more involved in the blogging community, especially with bloggers in this state! The swap is a fun way to try out clothes one wouldn't typically purchase and a way to keep ones wardrobe fresh without spending money. (Well, other than on shipping.) I would highly recommend joining the Ohio Blogger Swap. It's a great way to meet and connect with bloggers through a mutual bonding ALL women have...clothes! Want to get involved? Click here for info on joining! Not from Ohio, but still interested in joining? Follow the same steps and we'll consider you, too!

This swap was started by Jessica and Lauren.

Working From Home-Dina's Tips

{working from home isn't always as glamorous as it may seem}

I've always wished that I could work from home. What girl hasn't envisioned herself working at a desk with trendy office accessories and a beautiful view à la Carrie Bradshaw? OK, maybe not every girl but this girl works in an office, and for so long I've wanted nothing more than to work from the comfort of my own home, without the structure of a 9-5 office setting, the "TPS reports" and most importantly without the painfully dull office humor. Recentely, I picked up a side job where the majority of the work is done from home. Piece of cake, I thought. Coming from a strucured office-like enviorment, my new structure-less schedule confused me. I jumped into it completely unorganized, which resulted in nothing but frustration and left me feeling extremely overwhelmed. It wasn't as glamorous as Ms. Bradshaw's life after all. After  a couple of weeks that involved planning, to-do lists, time organizing, and Facebook fan asking, I figured out what works best for me when it comes to working from home. I'm here to share some tips from experienced stay-at-home workers and newbies like myself. Please share your thoughts in the comments section! 

Click to read my tips!

The Art of Vintage Treasure Hunting

Hello. My name is Beth Hawks. I blog at The Modern Lady. I'm new to [The Three Three Oh] Blogger Collective. It's nice to meet you.

Really, how is one supposed to introduce herself these days without sounding like every other new blogger on the scene? I was fresh out of ideas, so I went with the proven self-help group meet and greet. Now that that's out of the way, on to the post.

Living in Northeast Ohio is often known for its negatives. However, in the past few years as I've entered the workforce, gotten married and faced the financial reality that threatens to crush any new purchase I make... I've discovered something that makes this area great. There are a lot of old people. Old people you say? Yes, old people. Old people that offer up fabulous vintage finds to be had at garage sales, estate sales and auctions.

Ohio has some of the best garage sales, estate sales and auctions in the country. With so many companies focusing on vintage-inspired pieces for fashion and the home, it begs the question "Why buy a reproduction, when you can get the original?" Sure the experience of sifting through people's items in a dimly lit room is quite different than walking into Anthropologie or ordering from ModCloth, but if you're game for a good hunt - there are treasures to be found.

Over the years, I've gotten pretty good at working garage sales and estate sales and am now able to run a successful little side business from it. Today, I'm sharing with you my tips for becoming a good vintage treasure hunter.

1. Do your research - Most garage/estate sales and auctions occur Thursday thru Saturday. Check out your local paper, Craigslist and even farm publications to see what's happening, where.
2. Estate sales are king - If vintage is what you're after, estate sales should be your primary target. Generally, an estate sale includes all of the contents in a home and you are free to walk about it. You will find everything from clothing to kitchen glassware and outdoor furniture to vinyl records.
3. Map out your journey - Friday and Saturday mornings are often saturated with sales. It is important to plot out your stops so you don't waste time and gas driving around from point A to point B. I use Google's custom map tool for this.
4. The early bird gets the worm - Garage and estate sales are not for bed bugs. It's important to get up early and be there before the start time. Unless it says no early sales, most often people will arrive a half hour early.
5. Travel light & dress the part - Leave your coffee cups, bulky bags, impractical shoes and any other physical distraction at home. We want hands free to snatch up the treasures as you see them. This includes your Coach purse ladies. You won't get a good deal with that on your arm :)
6. Don't leave a good man behind - If you are even questioning an item, pick it up and carry it with you. You can always abandon it at the last minute. However, if you turn around to think about, it might be gone when you look back.
7. Learn the art of haggling - Retail stores have us conditioned to think the price tag dictates what we will pay. These sales are a whole other beast - it's more of a name your deal situation... so don't be shy. Once I bargained down the price of a sewing machine in a real store from $399 to $250. My shopping partner was mortified, but hey... it worked.

Happy hunting!

Photography Lesson: Self-portraits

I am no photographer and half my photos on Dresses for Dinner my boyfriend takes. Before he bought his camera and years before I ever met him, I took my own photos. That's where the idea and inspiration to start blogging came from.

Being a fashion blogger (or any blogger for that matter) is learning the art of photography. The higher the quality of the photography, the higher the interest.

You don't need a fancy camera. A thousand dollar camera does not make the photograph. Your understanding of the camera, the lens, and creativity, however, do.

Tools:
-Camera: I own a Nikon d40 and Anna currently shoots with it. My photos are taken with a Canon 40d.
-Remote: Google the brand of your camera and viola!
-Tripod (or the art of balancing on inanimate objects): I prefer balancing on random objects, but that can lead to awkward angles and messing up the camera.
-Photo editing software: Something as simple as Picnik will work. I use Adobe Photoshop CS5.

Fashion Show With a Cause

The Virginia Marti College and WKYC have teamed up with the wives of the Indians, Browns, and Gladiator players. The wives will be the celebrity models for the second annual charity fashion show. The show will be benefiting the Cleveland Animal Protective League.

The fashion show is July 23rd @ 8:00 P.M.
The Arcade
420 East Superior Avenue
Cleveland, OH 44114

* Price Range: $12 general admission (in advance)
$18 general admission (at the door)
$30 [+] VIP
* Dress Code: Be stylish!
* Benefit For: Cleveland Animal Protective League
* Audience: All Ages

Amy Hafner, Travis Hafner's (of the Cleveland Indians) wife will host this extravaganza. Andrea Vecchio of Good Company, a Cleveland morning show will also be co-hosting. The hostesses will feature designs from Virginia Marti College students.

To purchase tickets, visit the Virgina Marti College campus (11724 Detroit Road, Lakewood, OH 44107) or e-mail Erica Wilke (ewilke@wkyc.gannett.com), the Metromix marking, promotion and events manager.

A lot of the 330 Bloggers will be there snapping photos of the guests! So dress your best and support a great cause.

Customer Service vs. Customer Bashing

A few weeks ago I spent with a few good friends in Chicago. We were cute and touristy at millennium park and navy pier. We accidentally got drunk at three in the afternoon and went shopping at forever 21, which was terrifying when wasted. We explored Wicker Park and the Marc by Marc Jacobs store. Then we went to the Betsy Johnson store. I was ecstatic for both, and highly disappointed with the customer service for one.

The workers at Marc by Marc were the BIGGEST assholes I’ve ever experienced in a store. I don’t know if Marc Jacobs prefers to have pretentious assholes who loudly talk shit about their customer working there, but if I were him, I would fire each and everyone of them. regardless of us not being able to afford the stores price tag, we have the right to walk in and enjoy clothes from a great designer who is one of my absolute favorites. I honestly feel like me and the 4 of my friends had a pretty woman moment. now if only we could go back after finding a sugar daddy to pay for all of our things and wave the money in their faces.

Betsey Johnson was a completely different story. The two girls working were extremely friendly, asking us about our day, our trip, what we do. It was amazing! I talked to them about their job and how to work there. (seriously, I need to work there). They were incredible, they seriously put me in a great mood for the day. That is how it should be when you walk into a store. they should be friendly, while still showing you sales, telling you to try things on just for the fun of it, they should make you feel like you are the most important person in there. And they were quirk and cute and bubbly, just like how I’m sure Betsy would want her workers to be.

A store’s workers should treat everyone who walks into their store with respect, regardless of if we looked richer or poorer, If they think they can make a sale or not, it is the professional and obvious thing to do. Way to go Betsey Johnson, I actually want to go back to your store.

How does customer service affect your shopping experience?

The How To's of Street Style

Street style can be intimidating. You're going up to well dressed strangers, interrupting whatever they're doing, to proposition them. They might be creeped out, they might say no, and you might fumble over your words.

Anna and I have had our fair share of all of those. Anna is the talker. I'm the photographer. Sometimes (most times) she does both and I merely help scope out beautiful people.

But here's what we've learned and how we've grown successful at it.

1. Pick an event/location where there will be fashion forward people
For the first one we did, we scouted out campus. Which worked out strangely well, but most people are busy and in sweats. With events like Cleveland Fashion Week and Noto's fashion show, the success rate was much higher.

2. Even if it's not your style...
Doesn't mean it's not stylish! Think outside of the fashion box and particularly you're fashion box. Recognize that fashion is well, fashion.

3. Have a pitch
Be prepared. Don't walk up to a stranger with nothing planned to say. Ours goes something like this, "Hi, we run a fashion blog and we do a street style feature. We really like your outfit and we were wondering if we could snap a couple photos?" The people are usually flattered.

4. Give tips if needed
A couple of times the subjects were confused on how to pose. I'm still confused on how to pose and I've been doing this for awhile now. So, if someone says, "How should I stand?" Give them a pointer. Like, "A little to the left. Arch your back. Tilt your head." Points along those lines. You'll look like a professional and they'll feel comfortable.

5. Take at least three shots
It's a bummer to get home and realize that none of your shots are useable. When taking pictures for my blog, I take anywhere between twenty and a hundred. There has to be photos to work with. Take three shots, different poses and angles. Cover the bases.

6. Thank them, give them a business card, and tell them to keep checking back for the photo
Make sure to thank them for their time and allowing you to take their picture. Have a business card ready. If they have something tangible to look at you look official and they don't have to worry about remembering. Not giving them a definite post date ensures they'll be coming back. And chances are, they'll tell their friends.

7. Post photos within a time frame
Don't wait months to post the photos or the people will forget. Typically within the month is a good length of time.

8. Look to your friends!
Your friends are probably fashionable, right? There's nothing wrong with asking your friends to pose for you. It's an easy way to get familiar with taking photos of people not accustom to outfit posts.

Side note: To avoid awkwardness, don't approach groups of friends, if you don't want to photograph all of the group.

Also watermark your photos! If the person shares them, your credit will never be lost, and people can go back to the source.

Want to see more? Here's our archive of street style.

let's photo swap: join the fun!

Hey friends!! 

Who wants to play a little game with me this summer? 

I'm kind of in love with the instagram app and love love love some of the shots my instagram friends come up with too, so I thought, why not have a little photo swap of sorts? 

Maybe using the sister app Postagram too. 

BUT you don't have to have instagram to join the swap either! Any pretty photo will do! 

If you'd like to join the swap for the month of July, shoot me an email at ohreneedesign@gmail.com and Ill send you more info! 

I can't wait to share all of the pretty photos we get in the mail!! 

And who doesn't love mail?! :) 

Happy weekend!! 

Design 101

Choosing interior design as my career was an easy decision to make and has been one of the most exciting and fulfilling parts of my life.  Having been at it for about 5 years now professionally, I can say there is alot more to it than meets the eye. It's easy to walk into a room and think, wow, this is really beautiful. The hard part is knowing exactly what it is that makes it beautiful, or should I say what combination of things make it beautiful. It's so much more than just the right paint color or cool piece of artwork. You can have the most expensive fabric covering the most exquisite furniture but if that furniture doesn't fit in the room just right, the magic is lost. Below I have complied a list of some design basics that are really the pieces of the puzzle for making a space come together the right way. Enjoy!

 

#1 Proportion, Proportion, Proportion!

This is, by far, the biggest and most common design mistake I see. So often, I come across artwork that is too small for the wall it's hanging on or an oversized sectional that's consuming a room. While these pieces may be perfectly fine items on their own, when you force them into a space that's not the right size or fit, they can look sloppy or cheap. Take for example the photos below. In the before picture the artwork was too small for the fireplace and the candlesticks were no where near tall enough to make any kind of statement. In the after picture you can see how we really filled the whole space up.

Before

After

#2 Finding Balance

This is another common mistake I find. When you look at a room the items filling the space each carry their own visual weight. If something looks bigger or smaller than the scale of everything else in the room it will stand out like a sore thumb. Placement and symmetry are crucial to pulling off a room that looks well put together. See the examples below. The sconces in the before picture were awkwardly located on the wall, not to mention too small (proportion again!). Once those were removed and new ones were re-located, it really made a huge a difference.

 Before

After

#3 Never Underestimate the Power of Lighting

Lighting really makes or breaks a space. If it's underlit or overlit the ambience and comfort of the room will suffer. Another common mistake I find frequently are light fixtures that are hung incorrectly (typically too high, especially over a dining table. A good rule of thumb to follow when placing over a table is the bottom of your chandelier should hang 5' feet above the ground). Lighting should not be an afterthought. It should be one of the first things you think about and can be one of the most impressive parts of a room.