So you want the modern fashion look, but not the retail price? I've collected a few images from the Forever 21 site (seriously my favorite site ever!) to show what you can easily find at thrift stores for super cheap!  This first image is a cute floral dress, lets face it, its both ugly and the cutest little dress ever. I see these often in the mall, places like Forever 21, Charlotte Ruse, and American Eagle have these every spring and summer. I've also checked out the price tags on them, not a fan! I was shopping at a local thrift shop the other day and came across a dress of this sort for just $3! Granted it wasn't my size, it looked like it cam straight from one of these stores! Don't be afraid to find a dress in a floral print that is too long, and simply cut and do a quick hem on it. You can acquire a number of dresses by doing so.

Ugly skirts anyone?! Yes, I do think that a lot of "modern" fashion is extremely ugly, for example these skirts below. All from Forever 21 and all around or over $20. I have seen far cuter skirts at thrift stores for pennies on the dollar! Hit up those half off days and score some super cute skirts for what it costs you to buy lunch!

Well...there is not much that I can say about this one...however, if this is your thing, head on over to a thrift store, you'll be able to score some deals on similar tops rather than paying $15 for it!

SHOES! This is my forte! I may have one too many pairs of shoes, but at $1-$5 a pair and enough storage for them,  that's okay! You can score awesome deals on canvas type shoes, combat and ankle boots, as well as dress type shoes at thrift stores! Just yesterday I found a pair of vintage black ankle boots, the kind that work well with any skirt or dress in great shape for $1.50 and it was half off! Be sure to check the insides of shoes and try them on before you buy them to be sure they are not worn too much, and that they are comfortable for you. 

I challenge you to take $10 and see how many items you can find thrift shopping for JUST that $10 for your wardrobe!

I might be a bit of an art nerd, but I am never going to admit it. Most people would pick up this little vase, and either think a) abstract art! or b) foreign writing! My first thought? Wassily Kandinsky! I must have it! Granted it is not actually Kandinsky art, it has an inspired look of it. After the art history class that I took in high school, I've learned to appreciate the artists from the past much more, and this artist in particular is one of my favorites. The local hair school has replica prints of his work as wall decor, other than that I have never seen anything Kandinsky inspired other than this little vase so as you can image I HAD to have it.

Of course it was the only vase on the shelf not marked so I was terrified when I got up to the counter that it would some outrageous number like $5 (at a thrift store that's a lot for such a little vase with both a crack and chip in it!), but thankfully it was a cool 75 cents. Now to decide what to use it for...(its going to be the cup find all over again!)

If you'd like to read up on Kandinsky, follow this link http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wassily_Kandinsky

I seem to come across interesting necklaces quite often while thrift shopping and I've acquired a great selection of these nifty little finds.  These are a few of my favorite finds over the past few months.

The first necklace is a vintage choker. It has super cute little flowers and white petals on it and seems to sit just perfect and match plenty of outfits. The colors are springy and fresh for any vintage tops and dresses.

I found the necklace for a few dollars at a thrift shop, and a few weeks later I found this bracelet at a local vintage shop for $4. They are the absolute perfect combination! Granted they don't match perfectly, they match well enough for me to get super excited about these finds!

One of my favorite finds! The gold lion large pendant chain necklace. I scored this for $1.50! I had no idea what I was going to wear with it when I found it, but in my head that didn't matter. Its been hanging next to all of the other necklaces for quite some time now. This past weekend I found a black dress shirt with gold polka dots and some gold flat sneakers that are going to match perfect. I will be uploading a photo as soon as I wear that outfit!

This was another classic find. For a whopping 25 cents I picked up this retro sunrise necklace. It needed a good cleaning, and has some wear, but its still one of my favorites to wear with casual outfits. 

Everyone loves board games, and game nights can be really fun. However, not many people enjoy those retail prices for some cardboard, paper and cheap plastic pieces. Have you ever thought to check out thrift stores? They are FILLED with board games from folks who no longer play them or simply no longer want them taking up space. 90% of the board games that we have came from thrift stores for pennies on the dollar. 

Cranium Cadoo? You know that right about $30 game brand new? I scored that for 99 cents, BRAND NEW, everything still in its plastic packaging inside. We took one day and went to every thrfit store we could to check out the games, as well as other things. Total money spent was $30, for 14 games. All of them with NO pieces missing, some of them brand new. That averages out to $2.14 per game. A HUGE discount on what it costs to purchase them new.

You do want to be careful though. When ever you can, check that all of the pieces are there for games. Often times they are not all there and the game can no be played. Most thrift stores will tape the boxes shut, however that's mainly done so that they don't spill pieces when moving them around. Undo the tape, read the instructions or back, and be sure that all of the items are present before purchasing. Buying board games at thrift stores can be a great option for those who do not want to save up and spend too much on games that the kids might get board of fast. 

Why pay top dollar for fashion? I went thrift shopping all day yesterday, it was fantastic. Before I left I checked out Forever 21 online, just to see what was currently trending. I love the styles on Forever 21, and their prices aren't half bad, however I can still beat those retail prices with ease. I found three awesome items yesterday, well, WAY more than three, but just three of them are in this post.

The first photo above is a phot;o from Forever 21's site, a cute paid of nude colored vintage inspired shoes. I have to say I love them, but wasn't loving that $20 price tag on them. The next two images are shoes that I found while shopping, both at a price of $3 and both in near new condition! Although that nude colored pair was super cute, I am not a fan of heals, so I opted for the white, and I cant wait to wear them! (Ill be sure to post a photo when I do once the weather allows for it.) I saved myself a whopping $17 and got a 100% authentic vintage pair of shoes that will go with almost any dress or skirt! Woo! I also saved big on some red dress shirts.

The images above were found on the Forever 21 site. The images below are both thrift finds.

I scored the shirt on the left for 50 cents, and the shirt on the right for 99 cents. I found the right one first, but for 50 cents, I wasn't going to pass up that adorable collar! Before purchasing those expensive retail and high fashion items, be sure to check out your local thrift stores! You can score some super awesome deals, especially if you pay attention to their half off and sale days!

I cant resist cute little vintage things with a lot of character when it comes to home goods. I came across this little enamel cup, thinking that it would be priced a bit high as most enamel things are at thrift stores. It was pretty beat up, but I had to have it so I took a look at the price. It was only marked 50 cents! I think it had to do with the dents and dings it had in it, but none the less, that was in my price range. I had absolutely no idea what to do with it when I got it home. That seems to happen to the best of us thrift shoppers. 

When I got the cup home I cleaned it up, and yes, these images were taken after it was cleaned. There is only so much you can do for things like this to clean them. After I took photos I sat for a few minutes; what on earth was I going to do with this little cup?

Seriously, look at those awesome chips and textures! You've got to appreciate those NOT new, worn down items that can still serve a purpose! 

Such a delightful little character filled piece! 

So, what did I end up doing with the cup? First off, it sat on my desk for a good three days. I stared at it for three days every so often, trying to figure out a use for it. I finally came to the idea of using it to store something, which I guess was helpful, but I wasn't sure what to store in it. 

Nail care items it was! This worked perfectly not only to clear up some counter space, but it worked with one of the little glasses that I already had items in.

Nail care items it was! This worked perfectly not only to clear up some counter space, but it worked with one of the little glasses that I already had items in.

 A while back I found this awesome pocket watch at a garage sale, I had no idea what I was going to do with it, but for $3, I had to have it. Its extremely detailed, roman numerals, ornate designs on the front and the back, and believe it or not, it still works! I added a chain to it, and wear it as a necklace with vintage outfits. It has a sort of Alice in Wonderland feel to it as well as that classic vintage look.

From what I can find online, its worth about $20. However, I haven't been able to find exactly the right one yet. Either way, it was a great find and saved quite a bit on the "new vintage" look! Don't be afraid to look things up that you find online to see if they're worth anything, you never know what you may have found.