We need to talk about (my) flair

This ensemble is mostly a typical office outfit, thanks to some Christmas gifts from loves ones that know all too well my appreciation for Modcloth wears. But a recent little secondhand store find made it just a little better.

Outfit: Dress, cardigan and shoes, Modcloth (old); brooch, vintage via Avalon Exchange; tights, Target.

Did you find my find yet? It's the little skate pin, of course, to reflect my newfound roller derby hobby! I found this gem at a local buy/sell/trade store Avalon Exchange for three bucks. Not bad, considering I had just sold them a bunch of stuff and got a bunch of cute things for under $20 after sales.

A few co-workers found out about my new extracurricular the day I wore this outfit because they asked about the pin. It obviously works as a great conversation starter.

I think this guy unofficially set off a new pin collection, too. Since wearing this outfit last week, I found yet another skating pin over the weekend, as shown on my Instagram feed:

A photo posted by Kate (@thriftburgher) on Apr 12, 2015 at 7:14pm PDT

Yikes, look past my chewed up nails and super red palms. I blame the lighting.

I think pins are a great fun way to add some character to an outfit inexpensively. I think it's something that can be easily overlooked, and it's a detail that I wrote off as too "grandma chic" for way too long. I think small, subtle ones are best as to not look over the top or cheesy.

And let's face it: I'm definitely on a roll with skating pins, pun intended. :)

Of course, you don't want to go overboard. I haven't watched the movie Office Space in ages, but this scene in particular has always been memorable to me, since I was once an angsty server in college. Which is impressive because this movie has so many great quotables.

Do you wear pins with outfits?

On the Catwalk

I never thought I'd walk a cat on a leash. Not ever. But then Waldo happened.

Outfit: Dress, J. Crew, via Avalon Exchange; scarf, Modcloth (old) (similar); shoes, Marshalls; tights and cat leash, Target.

In case you don't know, he was a stray we brought in from outdoors that's been spooked by a variety of stimuli outside, like speeding cars and rain. He'll cry, howl, hide, or sometimes, have a combination of those reactions to those things. We call it kitty PTSD, probably as a result of his abandonment.

However, he's an extremely friendly, affectionate, people-loving cat otherwise. And he does love looking out the window. And following the sound of birds. We live near a busy road, and don't really have a yard, so Mark and I have been trying to leash train him. I think it's a nice middle ground where he can breathe some outdoor air on occasion while not completely freaking out.

The vet guessed he was about five months old in the fall when we took him in, and I did some reading online about leash training cats. Basically, the younger they are, the more adaptable they will be.

So we occasionally strapped the harness onto him in the winter, rewarding him with an excessive amount of treats for tolerating it. But just within the last few weeks, we began taking him outside with the leash because it's finally freaking warm enough. But I'll tell you now: Cats aren't like walking dogs. I kind of just follow where he wants to go, within reason.

Waldo tends to start slow. He'll bask in the sun for a few minutes, laying around and adapting to the outdoors, and then he'll start walking when he's ready. I've been taking him out about once a week for 20 to 30 minutes. It's just enough time where he can get his paws dirty and explore some fresh scenery.

A friend who walks her cat outside told me it's been a great way to curb door dashing. Her cat associates the leash with the outdoors and he'll purr as she's putting it on. Waldo isn't quite at that point yet.

For this photo shoot we drove to a nearby park, so Wally was a little more nervous than usual about going outside, but I think he did really well. Hopefully we'll make it back over there soon.

In other news, ahh it finally feels like spring. A dress without a sweater was totally doable on this day, with the high temp reaching a fiery 60 degrees! Also, I hope you enjoy the new look. I made some tweaks to the layout, including a new banner and navigation bar. I kept the polka dot background (for now) for some flair. :)

So how have you been? Enjoying the warm weather? Have you ever tried walking a cat? Haha.

Feeling Newsie

I've been eyeing up this dress for the longest time, maybe over a year? Anyway, Mark got it for me for Christmas! It's the perfect dress for me, not only because of the print (I'm a newspaper reporter AND a cat owner) but it has a great, flattering cut, too.

In case you were wondering, these shots were taken on Mt. Washington, Pittsburgh's most popular overlook. (There are others, but this one has the easiest access.) There's really no wonder why this area has so many visitors.

It's also a spot that provides a lot of memories for me. I lived in this neighborhood in college. (although it wasn't the part with this view) Mark proposed here. We'd often come here to contemplate, calm down, or just stare with wonder. You can see for miles in each direction, and the views are incredibly picturesque. There's the skyscrapers, of course, but also, the rivers, the bridges, the lights, the look of peace of it.

The history adds depth, too. Nearby are the two remaining inclines in operation in the city, which will take you from Mt. Washington to Pittsburgh's South Side neighborhood and back. They're historic because back in the day, this is how many steel workers commuted to work. (A large steel mill used to sit at the bottom of the hill. It's now a strip mall and business area called Station Square.)

Mt. Washington is one of Pittsburgh's cheesiest places, but I love it anyway. Perhaps even more than my new favorite dress. :D

Hope you all have a great weekend!

Outfit: Dress, Modcloth; cardigan, J. Crew; tights, H&M; boots, Macy's.

All I Want

I've wanted a leather jacket for the longest time. There's something inherently bad ass and timeless about having one, and a finally found the perfect one (albeit faux leather) while shopping at the local outlet mall.

The best part was it was marked $180 retail and I only paid 40 bucks! Outlet shopping can be the best sometimes.

The jacket turned out to be perfect for this particular day, because it was so damn cold. Apparently it had reached the 40s for the first time this season. I'm definitely in my happy place during the fall and spring, climate wise, so I want that cool (but not too cool) weather to last as long as humanly possible.

I have always loved asymmetrical zippers, too. And the color of the jacket is more like a charcoal than I straight-on black. Are you drooling yet over this jacket yet? Because I am. Haha.

Outfit: Dress, Gabe's; jacket, Wilson's Leather; tights, H&M; boots, Modcloth.

Mark took photos in my parents' backyard again, so the dinosaur pose was necessary. This might just become a thing every time we decide to shoot there.

I don't know. I guess fall is short-lived, but I love it all. I love wearing tights, like a weirdo, I adore wearing boots, I love warm drinks, I love the colors. I am just hoping to take it all in for as long as I can!

What are some of your fall must-have wardrobe items?

(Where are the) Dog Days of Summer

Never in late July/early August did I think a cardigan would be suitable for midday in the Northeast. Normally it's hot, muggy, and the last thing I want to be wearing is a sweater. But this summer has been very cool and rainy. I hate hot weather, so I can't complain. It's just weird.

Outfit: Dress, Room 334; shoes, Marshalls; circle scarf, flea market; cardigan, H&M.

Add a pair of tights to this outfit and this is my go-to fall outfit template: Dress, cardi, booties, scarf, tights. Also, have to thank Elana from Room 334 for selling me this lovely dress for nothing! (She wore it here.) I couldn't resist getting it. I don't really have anything like it in my closet, so it was easily justified. The details seen in the photos really don't do it justice. The fabric has a subtle shimmer to it, too.

In case you're wondering, Kim and I found this wonderful scene just a few blocks from our office, on our lunch break no less. I love lame graffiti... Especially that big, rabid dog head. Hehe.

Depending on where you live, of course, have you altered what you normally wear for summer?

I've Got Sunshine on a Cloudy Day

The more I play around with fashion, the more I realize I dress to the mood I aspire to be.

My mood from this evening was probably more accurately portrayed by the angry rain clouds in the background of these photos, taken at Paskorz Berry Farm last week. I know stressful situations are probably amplified by my moodiness. I blame my astrological sign.

Cary was sweet enough to take these for me. (He also let me steal these shots a few weeks ago.)

To cheer up my mood, I thought some crazy brights, like this yellow dress and sunflower shoes, could help me out. It helped, at least a little bit. I think all of the berries I ate while picking on this particular night helped, too. They're full of antioxidants, right?

In fact, some of the berries I picked from this night went into this blueberry zucchini bread I made.

And another fashion rule I'm learning: That stupid fashion rules are meant to be broken. OK, so primary colors aren't supposed to go together, but I think they work here. The textures of the yellow and denim are different enough. And it was cold. There.

Outfit: Dress and Jacket, H&M; Shoes, American Apparel; Ring; secondhand, via Clothes Minded.

And nothing goes better with a fun outfit post with funky accessories, amirite?

Have there been times when fashion has been therapeutic for you?

Sweet 26

For the past few years, my biggest birthday present to myself has been a splurge order from Modcloth.

Luckily for me though, a dress I've had my eye on for awhile went on sale around the time I was placing my order. Not only the dress is long enough, but it's well made and comfortable. I wore it all day on my birthday without any problems.

I just made sure to be extra careful when eating, since it's white and I'm a total klutz.

I was loving the other little details of this fun, celebratory outfit, including a birthday cake ring I bought the other day, making the outfit a little quirky and timely. :) And I really took a liking to the lace back, even though I hated it at first. It gives the mostly conservative dress a little bit of edge. (So does my little green septum ring.)

I was also really hoping I would hear Katy Perry's Birthday song on the radio. Hehe.

Outfit: Dress, Modcloth; Shoes, Modcloth; Beaded Headband, Maurice's (similar); Ring; secondhand, via Clothes Minded; Bag, ModCloth (similar).

How do you strike the balance between edgy and sweet in your outfits?

Remixed Summer

Now that my blog has been become more than just a novelty to me now, I've been trying to challenge myself more style wise. This outfit is the result of some of those style challenges.

I'll be the first to admit these photos aren't the best quality. But going home on my lunch break and utilizing the handy self timer on my camera on the back deck was the only way to capture this outfit the day I wore it. Sorry, uninteresting location and harsh lighting. Hopefully you'll forgive me.

My favorite part of all this is that I utilized two pieces that are big summer staples of mine, an old chambray shirt and my daisy dress, and combined them. While the dress is awesome, sleeveless dresses in the office make me feel a little naked, and it's getting too hot to put a cardigan on top of everything.

OK. So this wasn't all my idea, either. It was a few other bloggers, like The Passionista and Delightfully Tacky, that gave me the tied shirt idea. I was hesitant initially, but now I'm totally sold! It's a great cover up alternative without feeling sweaty and nasty.

Outfit: Dress (worn as skirt), Target; Chambray, Old Navy; Shoes, Toms (similar).

What kinds of things have you been trying to evolve your style?

Flower Child at the Farm

I visited my co-worker at her family's farm, Paskorz Berry Farm, over the weekend.

It was a beautiful place, tucked behind some houses and hills. I've been a huge fan of berry picking and canning over the past few years, so it's really exciting to know someone whose family owns a farm. And there's the whole utilizing locally grown foods, too.

Overall, my weekend was insanely busy. Friday night I went to the bar with a really old friend from elementary school who's moving out of the area, and subsequently ran into a bunch of other high school friends. And then on Saturday, a friend from Portland, Oregon was unexpectedly in town for the weekend, so we had brunch at this place some of my friends keep raving about, made our way to the arts festival for a little bit, and went to the Strip, a cluster of indoor/outdoor vendors and market goodies. That was all before seeing Kim at the berry farm, although briefly, because I didn't want to force her to pick berries when she was already out on the farm all damn day.

She was happy to take pictures, though, so I am thankful. I didn't really plan on photographing this particular outfit, but it's something I've worn a few times in recent weeks because it's bright and comfortable.

On Sunday, I cleaned the hell out of the house, my dad and the in-laws came over, and we cooked on our new grill for the first time.

Hopefully this week I'll be making some strawberry jam, from this very farm.

Outfit: Dress, Modcloth; Cardigan, J. Crew Outlet; Shoes, Toms (similar); Sunnies, Avalon (secondhand store).

What did you do over the weekend?

Ready for Takeoff

When your dress has an outer space print, you're bound to get compliments.

I bought this dress from Modcloth as a birthday gift to myself in July. While I hated dropping $75 on a dress, it was so worth it. The sweetheart neckline and the print were just too much to pass up. I literally get compliments every time I wear it.

While I was living in Ohio last winter, I visited the Air and Space Museum in Wapakoneta, Neil Armstrong's hometown. I kind of wish I had this dress to wear there. It would've been perfect.

As for the denim jacket, it's a pretty recent development. I used to hate denim jackets, for one reason or another, but I think that might be because I always see people wearing those jackets with jeans. It totally adds a badass factor in the wardrobe.

I'm trying to get myself away from a cardigan addiction, since that's my normal go-to for outfits with dresses. I think this works pretty well.

In other news, I'm loving this summer-like weather. After the incredibly harsh winter, I enjoy seeing all the greenery and the cartoonish clouds. And for fair complected folk like me, getting sunburnt after being outside for an hour. Haha. I have a really weird triangle-shaped burn on my chest from the day I wore this outfit. Can't win 'em all.

Outfit: Dress, Modcloth; Denim Jacket, H&M; Shoes, Marshalls; Ring, flea market; Sunnies, Avalon (secondhand store).

What are some of your splurge wardrobe pieces?

PS In case you didn't hear, as of yesterday, THE GAY MARRIAGE BAN IN PENNSYLVANIA WAS RULED UNCONSTITUTIONAL. So happy for all of my LGBT friends. :) :)

In Bloom

I don't think I'm a very photogenic person, but that won't stop me from posting the occasional outfit photo. I've always loved dresses, avidly collected them for years, but it's probably only been about a year-and-a-half since I started actually wearing them on a regular basis.

Despite this dress being kinda short for me, I couldn't resist the daisy print and flattering hourglass silhouette. Daisy prints are so 90s chic! This is the first time I've worn it without a pair of opaque tights. Full disclosure: I don't like my legs at all, and try to keep them covered as much as possible. They're so pale. And knobby. But I'm hoping this blog pushes me out of my comfort zone, with fashion and otherwise.

These photos were actually taken in my parents' yard. To say my dad has a lot of quirky decor is an understatement. I guess some of it is kind of endearing. And he enjoys gardening, so there's a lot of various flowers in bloom and other greenery right now.

The latest runway craze: The T-Rex!

Outfit: Dress, Target; Cardigan, J. Crew (via Outlet store); Shoes, Marshalls; Ring, flea market; bag, ModCloth (similar).

Are there any flaws, physical or otherwise, that you struggle to embrace?