Out with the old, in with the new

"He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has." - EpictetusMy apologies for lack of updates! The past week-plus has been busy and my house is happily full and bustling. My grandmother has been staying with us (she trades the Floridian heat for New England unpredictability every summer), and last week my (adorable!) younger cousin Paige from New York came as well. And today my dearest friend Emily, also from NY, arrived for her annual visit. We love to shop together and spend hours perusing our favorite stores, from H&M to Urban Outfitters and many in between, but this year we've promised one another that we'll be good (ha). Our plan is to hit up Boston's best vintage and consignment shops and do our best to minimize any damage. ;)

Lately I've tried (tried!) to stay out of stores, or at least steer clear of anything but sale racks. When all else fails, I go shopping in my closet. I'm really learning to reinvent what I've got and have had a blast rediscovering a few old gems. It's also helped me root through my precious junk (I'm the worst pack rat!) and find a few items (okay, four bags full!) to consign.

Here, a few new (sale) finds paired with old favorites.

Everything in this photo, sans my trusty Forever 21 leggings, is new to my wardrobe this summer. How indulgent! But does it really count as new clothes shopping when someone else is footing the bill? ;) My mama purchased the big, beautiful white bag (the saleslady said she thought it looked like a marshmallow, and I've since nicknamed it as such) from Kohl's, along with the cute sweater/vest (she also bought me one in turquoise). The whopping price tag for both vests? $7.20! I popped this one atop my new turqouise eyelet babydoll from the Gap; I watched it go on sale from around $60 to $13.99. Steal! And you may remember my clearance Target gladiators. I'm obsessed with these and probably wear them way too often, already. As evidenced here...

This black linen dress is also from Target. I've had it for so long, I don't even remember when I bought it. My favorite features are the drawstring empire waist and - hello! - pockets. It's so easy to dress up or down, I even wore it to a wedding once. With my new gladiators and some wooden beaded jewelery, it feels fresh and sort of urban-safari.

The African animals necklace was borrowed from my mom. She's a kindergarten teacher, can you tell?

Lately I've found it easier than ever to let go of several beloved items. But there was one skirt in particular that has been rescued from my give-away pile again and again. Paige gave me her expert New York fashionista opinion (she has great taste!) and said it had to go: it's too hippie, outdated, and has hideous tufts of tulle along the bottom. :( But this skirt, once the object of my affection that I saved and saved for and ended up splurging on from urbanoutfitters.com, is my equivalent of a blankie. So I thought it deserved at least one more test drive:

My verdict? It stays! I think it chimes in well with fashion's "Summer of Love" revival. Boho-chic/woho-chic/boho-rock/boho-who-knows? I love it! And in case you were wondering...

Fedora, cami, flip-flops: Ann Taylor Loft
Skirt, vest: Urban Outfitters
Locket: vintage

Paige seemed to enjoy helping me reorganize and reevaluate my wardrobe. And she wound up shopping in "Erin's Closet," too! She's been gifted with quite a few flip-flops, tops, a VS Pink sweatshirt and a few Candie's purses (thanks, Paige, for helping me clean and cleaning me out!). When you go shopping in your closet, what's your favorite find?