Why, hello! My name is Lacey and I am happy to be able to share my adventures with you.

Adventure: Me eating phở for the first time.

In high school I was a big thrifter, mostly for vintage t-shirts in the men’s section. I wouldn’t pay more than $1 for anything, and the brighter and funkier the better! (I also made a lot of outrageous clothes for myself, including the semi-controversial Life Cereal pants – more on this later.)

When I went away to college I decided it was time to reinvent myself. I started trying to keep up with the trends, and spent my time shopping at Nordstrom Rack, Ross, Marshall’s and Target.

My apologies to the devotees out there, but a wardrobe full of clothes from Target does not a fashion statement make! I found that nothing I bought ever looked quite right, or felt quite right, or seemed quite right. I usually ended up in a pair of ill-fitting jeans and a t-shirt, feeling uncomfortable and out of place.

As my closet began overflowing with items I had only worn once – and sometimes not at all – I slowly became more and more disenchanted by fast fashion and disposable culture in general. In 2012, I took a blind leap and decided to give up buying anything new for a year. That’s 365 days, folks!

It was strange at first, but it was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. I suddenly had no reason to browse the sale rack when I was at Target, or to go to the mall ever. I was forced to really define what it was I wanted to buy, and then to actively go and search for that thing. It made me value the things that I bought, and care for the things I already had. It also rekindled my sense of style, which I had wandered so far from!

Of course I have loosened my rules since then, and am by no means above buying something new now!

But if I’m being completely honest – and let’s make it a habit to do that here! – I feel a little uncomfortable going to the mall now. I just don’t understand why everything in all the stores is exactly same! I would much rather scour the racks at some obscure thrift store, picking between smelly shoes and chipped dinnerware to find something perfectly unique.

And to be clear, I am not at all trendy! I’ll leave that to Renata. My style philosophy now is to just wear what I like, what I feel good in, and what I think looks good on me. I think that confidence is the key to pulling off an outfit – and you will see from my posts that I must possess a great deal of it!

I hope you will join me for a peek inside my thrifty ways, including keeping up my eclectic household, and some DIY projects!