Temporary Nest

Plenty of life things have been happening in the absence of my blogging. Big ones. 

We recently met with a mortgage broker to get an idea of what we need to save/spend in order to end up in our first home. It looks like we have to do it fast. The time to buy in Austin is yesterday, and every few months home prices rise 10%. The market here is saturated in the summer, which is great considering that on average, homes get snapped up within 48 hours of hitting the market and buyers will put an offer on anywhere from 3-6 homes before they actually end up with a place to live. This gives us a better chance of finding something within our budget that we can get in before someone else. Also, our realtor has told us to write a 'love letter' to the home owners with information on us and why we want this home. 

Seriously? This is what home buying has come to? It's an inappropriate joke, but it feels like trying to adopt an American blonde haired, blue eyed baby. 

All of the home buying process aside, the idea of moving out of our little bungalow is hard for me. Yes, home ownership allows me to do bigger projects that make our home more personal. Yes, we build equity and have a return on our investment. But a starter home in Austin will not be our little urban rental, chock full of character in our ideal neighborhood. It will be a fixer upper miles away from everything we love. 

I have poured a lot of love into a rental. I know that may be a mistake, but I have to nest where I land. And so far, this is has been my most favorite nest. My first real big girl house that I've been able to spruce up with my big girl paychecks. It isn't exactly ours, but it sure feels like it. And it sure doesn't feel great to leave it. 

Maybe once we see other houses and I combine my own ideas with my Pinterest boards, I can get more behind this idea. Time will tell.

Sweating Dollar Signs

Now, I know you're probably tired of the 'look at my expensive purchases' posts. They don't come around, like ever, so bear with me. I had to spread out my hedonistic joy over the course of a week-ish and had to save the best for last! I am not a handbag girl. Never have been, never thought I would be. Until I saw this.

Once that beauty had seared its way into my mind with glove tanned leather, a roomy interior and cognac coloring, I knew there was no going back.

I had saved up birthday and Christmas money to buy my dream bag, and had my trip to the store all planned out. I even made sure to 'dress' for the occasion. I was going to stroll in, pretend that it was no wind up my skirt to buy a $400+ bag, make some small talk and then leave to geek out over my first big girl bag in the car. 

Smooth, I was not. I made it two steps in the store before I began to sweat like a linebacker in July. The reality of buying something that costs as much as some people's car payment sent me into a panic, but I was committed. I opened my mouth in an attempt to ask about the bag, and promptly word vomited in a thrift induced panic on the two poor sales girls. I was the only person in the store (thank the Lord) because I was falling apart faster than Britney Spears' career. Too soon? Back to the bag. 

{Blouse} Forever 21  {Pants} Gap Outlet  {Wedges} Forever 21 
{Watch} Target  {Sunnies} Ray Ban  {Bag} Coach 
{Necklace} Lala Crystal on Etsy

I made it out of the store alive, but not without having the girls assure me 10+ times that this would be a purchase that could carry me through the years and was totally worth spending what felt my left arm on. I buckled up the purse in its bag on the way home and couldn't even take it out of the bag until the next day. Since then I have settled into it nicely, only stifling small screams when children come near it and making sure to condition the leather once a week.

It's official. I'm a freak.

Shady Lady

So, you're probably teetering on edge with the excitement of my big new purchases. Right? Yeah, me too. But no, really.

{Top} Thrifted  {Pants} Forever 21  {Sandals} Target 
{Necklace/Bangles} Forever 21
{Sunnies} Ray Ban

In thinking that my wardrobe will be in constant flux due to this little thrifting problem of mine, I figured that my accessories would be a good starting point to being incorporating investment pieces. I am the queen of plastic sunglasses and slouchy faux leather totes. So to imagine buying a metal pair of sunglasses or a leather purse that equals the total of 30 pairs of sunglasses or 15 purses gave me palpitations.

After much research and Instagram polling, I took the plunge and combined 18 months worth of Macy's gift cards to help buffer the blow of a pair of investment shades. My choice? Ray Ban Aviators. They're classic, hardy and come with a great warranty/care plan. Plus, they're versatile. They can be casual and 'boho' or dressed up with a striped top, skinnies and blazer.

Perfect for my bipolar closet.

Lucky 13

That's right. 13 months since I started this little blog of mine. The last 6 or so I've totally slacked on it, so much so that I forgot to wish it a Happy Birthday. So SM, here is my one month belated birthday post. In your second year, I promise to be more proactive about posting, less intimated by the work of others, and hereby solemnly swear to be more confident, more creative and more progressive with you.

So, without further ado...

via

Quality vs Quantity

I have been seeing this subject from multiple bloggers across the blogosphere lately. As an avid thrifter, I get a certain high from clasping my hands around a new thrift treasure, and  I'm positively drunk with power by remixing it into my current (mostly thrifted) wardrobe. It's easy to accumulate multiple 'great' pieces when they're only $5, and even easier to find reasoning to spend $15 on a previously $70 piece. Because I do most of my shopping in thrift stores, I find myself picking from pieces that attract my eye, my magpie eye. Think color, pattern, texture: the more the better. This does not a classic wardrobe make.

This year, I made myself promise that I would only buy pieces that I love, and that fill a hole in my wardrobe. For instance, a yellow boyfriend cardi is #1 on my list, followed by a green maxi skirt and a leopard scarf. I also promised to invest in more classic "pieces" rather than buying of the moment items because they're less expensive. Granted, my clothes will probably always flux a bit in style, fit and color, but some pieces have withstood the test of time. I have items that have been with me since high school, and some that were worn once and then donated or resold. My accessories however, will not change due to a fluctuating waistline or the shape of a collar. 

I took the plunge and within a month have made my two most expensive purchases. Ever. Stay tuned next week for the reveal.

My tendency towards the dramatic is stunning, no?

{Glasses} Ray Ban  {Peplum Top} Target  {Pants} Loft
{Heels} Target  {Watch} Target

Let's Stay Friends

In case you haven't heard, Google Reader (the blog roll that shows up with all of the blogs you follow via Blogger/Blogspot) will be shutting down July 1st. This will mean that you can no longer see mine or anyone's posts when you log in. As bloggers and readers, we spend a lot of time perusing the Internet for beautiful, funny, interesting and engaging sites to immerse ourselves in. When we lose Google Reader, we will lose the record of our curated collection and relationships we've built over time. 

{follow}

In order to keep up with happenings at Secondhand Magpie and your other beloved reads, I suggest making the great migration over to Bloglovin. It has been my personal favorite blog reader for just over a year and a half now, and I suspect it will be experiencing enormous growth with the loss of Google Reader and most likely Google Friend Connect. The layout is clean, simple, and is great for introducing and connecting readers to new and up and coming blogs. If you're interested in making the transition, it's free to sign up, iPhone and Android carry the app, and there is a nifty little button that allows you to transfer all of your subscriptions {aka Follows} to their reader.

Click the image above or my 'Bloglovin' tag to the right to find my page!

Thank you again to everyone who has stuck it out with this slowly developing labor of love. I hope I see you around the Bloglovin 'hood!