As you know I just got back from Chicago, but not all of you know what I was doing there!
You might have also noticed this badge on my sidebar:
So here goes:
I was contacted by Verizon Wireless to participate in their Fashion and Style Blogger program a couple weeks ago, and at first it seemed too good to be true! They offered to fly me to Chicago, pay for my hotel, take me out to SAIC Fashion show and a dinner at a hip restaurant, get a chance to meet other bloggers, and have fun!
And to top it all off I was also given a new device to play with.
Needless to say I agreed to come even before I asked for that day off at work
The device turned out to be a Samsung Galaxy Camera that comes with 4G LTE, a touch screen, a 21x optical zoom and a whole bunch of other perks (which I am going to talk about in one of my later posts), plus you can upload photos and videos directly to your social networks (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube), it’s packed with editing apps, which definitely saves a lot of time! The only thing that it can’t do is make calls. And the funny thing is, Sam and I were at Best Buy the weekend before looking at that exact camera! So now my camera dilemma is solved and my husband won’t have to listen to me whining. Though he will be definitely taking more pictures for sure!
But I think I am going to stop talking now, and show you what the camera can do!
Disclosure: I am participating in the Verizon Style Voices program and have been provided with a wireless device and six months of service in exchange for my honest opinions about the product.
At Marla Mullaney Art Studio
On Lake Minnetonka
We also got some ice cream at licks unlimited…
And I spotted this ceramic sewing machine figurine at one of the other artists’ studios! Isn’t it the cutest?
I am WEARING:
//White Denim Jacket – GAP//Boots – Steve Madden//Purse – COACH//
//Dress – The Webster Miami at Target//Sunnies – Lucky Weekender//
Today’s post is probably not going to be something you usually see on my blog! I am sure by now some of you have the impression that I am a girl who spends all of her paychecks thrifting! And I can see where this can come from! I’ve been posting a lot of hauls and outfits lately! Let’s be honest, I do sometimes get carried away at a thrift store, and I need to watch my budget, but most of the time it really is not that much compared to a grand scheme of things, or let’s say a recent study by InStyle magazine that says – An average woman spends about $15,000 on makeup during her lifetime, and that’s not including skincare!
Before Sam and I got married, I lived on the East Coast nannying for some families. I wasn’t making a lot of money, in fact I was barely making anything (I never thought of myself or my family as rich or poor, I knew I had enough, and I think that attitude helped me a lot in life) through the Cultural Care Au Pair program, but I had my ways! When I moved to New York, I learned about Freecycle.org, and almost all of my clothes, books and health care products came from there! I also went to monthly swap meet ups organized by GrowNYC, where I would bring all the stuff I didn’t want, and go home with something I liked. Sam had a hard time believing I had all that clothes, without spending as much as a couple bucks on the subway ride, but I had my savings account to speak for me!
I was an Au Pair for 2 years, making under $200 a week, this is the time when Sam and I were in a long distant relationship. So even though I didn’t get to see him that often, I spent a lot of money flying to Minnesota almost every other month! But by the time we got engaged I had saved up over $12,000. Then I went to Russia for 10 months, where I was able to work from home and add on to the savings.
Now that we are looking into buying our first house, having saved enough for a downpayment, I reflect on where I came from and can’t express how thankful I am for everything I’ve been given!
I was born in a small town 3 hours east of Moscow. My mother was a civil engineer, my dad was a college drop out. My grandfather was a retired military man, a former KGB agent as I discovered later in life, my grandmother was a pediatrician, and if you ask me, the biggest workaholic I’ve ever known! We never had much! When I was in 6th or 7th grade I wore the same pair of jeans, the same turtleneck and the same sweater my mother knitted for me to school every day! And I couldn’t care less, until one of my friends, who was a year older than me came up and asked why I was wearing the same clothes everyday. To this point I am still grateful for that comment! This is when thrifting and hand-made clothing came into my life! My mom went above and beyond herself knitting and sewing outfits for me! Going to fabric stores was exciting! Going to thrift stores was an adventure!
By the time I was in 9th grade I was getting constant compliments on my outfits from peers and even teachers, even though I had the same pair of jeans as one of the guys in class! But that’s when unisex was in, so I didn’t care! I also never said no to hand-me-downs, and even though I didn’t have older siblings, I had plenty of friends and knew enough Missionaries who always left clothes behind!
College came around, and I made sure I got good grades to get a monthly stipend through the University. Yes, I got paid to go to school! This is probably going to fall into the “Only in Russia…” category. This was also the time when more and more thrift stores popped up all over our town, and they often had great sales, that I couldn’t resist!
Thrifting is what helped me continually save up money for my trips to Europe and the States, and now that I live here, it’s becoming my meal ticket! Finding a great thrift store takes time, so today I am going to share some of my favorite locations here in the Twin Cities, and the best times to shop there!
- Salvation Army in the Warehouse district – 900 N 4th St, Minneapolis, MN - every day is a 50% off a certain color, so stop by often! Plus they offer 50% off clothing during most major holidays! I am not even going to mention the Target overstock located in the basement – you have to see it for yourselves!
- Steeple People on Lyndale and Franklin – 2004 Lyndale Ave S, Minneapolis, MN – I blogged about it before, and I will do it again – they have great vintage selection, beautiful artwork and prints, great household section, etc., etc. The only downside is – they only take cash or check!
- Goodwill in Hopkins – 1025 Hill St, Hopkins, MN - This was my go-to Goodwill when I used to babysit for a family in St.Louis Park! And I always referred to it as the Hopkins Goodwill, or Goodwill on Excelsior Blvd. Now why this particular Goodwill? – It’s cheaper, it has more vintage and authentic items, it’s been good to me! Generous if you want to put it this way! I can always find something that I like there! Now why am I not mentioning the Goodwill in Minnetonka, or Goodwill in Roseville, you may ask? The Minnetonka Goodwill will always be famous in my book for the Xanax pills I found in a pocket of one of the sweaters bought there! And Goodwill in Roseville is too good for me to be sharing it with you, but now I did, and now you know!
- Savers – I am yet to find a Savers that I don’t like! Seriously, they need a Savers in every state and county! They never overprice vintage items, and the only pieces of clothing that can be pricey are the brand new ones, with original tags still attached. And don’t forget to sign up for a Super Savers Club Card, they will send you emails with special promotions and coupons!
So here you have it, the story of my life that revolves around thrifting! And I couldn’t be happier! After all, it’s not all about the money!
Happy Thursday everyone! And don’t forget to stop by tomorrow for a DIY friday fashion and style project and an important BeingZhenya announcement!
XO,
Z
PS. Please keep in mind that my husband and I don’t have any student loans to pay off, our monthly expenses are limited down to rent, groceries, gas and car payments, plus the occasional going out and thrifting shopping sprees!
In the next post on money related subject, we’ll talk about freebies and the best websites where you can get them!
Happy Earth Day everyone! What better way to take care of our planet than reuse?! And today I will be sharing one of my 100% thrifted outfits!
I hope you all had a great weekend wherever you are! I shared with my Facebook followers that I have some very exciting news for you! And I will share the first one today! I was invited to the Opening of the new Savers here in the Twin Cities, and I couldn’t be more excited! I get to go in the store 2 days before it actually opens to the public, snap some pictures for you and of course thrift shop! Now I will be shopping for another special even, that I am going to keep SECRET for just a few more days, but it’s even more exciting and I can barely hold it
After venting out yesterday and receiving a TON of feedback, all of which I truly appreciate, I came up with this note, that I posted by the door:
I wanted to make it simple, easy and short. I didn’t simply write – get off of your lazy butt and do something, I went deeper into the issue, and ended up with this! I also cleaned! And here are the shots:
The dining table, where you can actually eat now, and that’s what Sam and I did tonight! Plus all the chairs are clutter free and you can sit down! How awesome is that? I have also decided to keep my sewing machine on the floor. I don’t have a good spot for it just yet.
Wow, look at this nice carpet! I also vacuumed! And here is something that’s been working for me, when in doubt – vacuum! Seriously, it works!
And here are the two bags going to donations! I actually did it, I got rid of two giant bags of stuff!
And here you have it, all in a nutshell! After all, this is a 600 sq ft apartment! How difficult is it to keep it clean?
- Our living room carpet looks like this 6 days out of the week…
- Console table…
- Crafts central
- Random piles of stuff all over the bedroom floor
- Closet space
And I know exactly what it is – I am lazy, I don’t like to clean, I don’t like to pick up, for some reason I want to save every scrap of paper, every ribbon, every magazine.
I keep telling myself that once we move into a house, it’ll get better, but who am I kidding – it won’t.
But nothing motivates me, I guess I am just a slob. And it’s the availability and accessibility of products here. I can go to a store, spend some money, get more stuff, but it won’t solve the clutter solution!
I have recently started an Etsy store, and one of the main reasons was to downsize my vintage collection. And yes, I have made some sales, but what’s 1-2 purses compared to a walk-in closet full of supplies, patterns, coats?
Yes, let’s talk about coats. I have an obsession with coats, I think I have about 10 of them! That’s the problem thrifters have – you walk into Savers or Goodwill and see an awesome coat say for $30, and of course you want to pick it up, because in your head you are already putting together outfits, and creating InstaCollages! And at this point you don’t realize that you have another dozen coats waiting to be worn, photographed, pinned, instagrammed, facebooked, etc.
Maybe I just need to vent, but I also function better, when more people know about my issue. I don’t need anyone to hold me accountable, I need to publicly tell everyone that modern day social networks are giving me an ADD, and that my real life is starting to go god knows where!
It’s a 1 bedroom apartment for crying out loud, how difficult could it be to clean?
So here you have it, I fessed up, and am now going to go and vigorously clean the apartment, making several trips to the dumpster!
We survived 2012! Can you believe it? With all the crazy Mayan predictions, elections, wars, floods, The New iPad, iPad Mini…
Back when I was in 10th grade I made a list of resolutions that included something like “Getting no C’s on my report card”, “Reading more books”, “Going to the US”… I clearly new what I wanted even in my teens, and I was so compelled by the whole “Resolutions” concept, that I decided to sign it with blood! Thank God I didn’t get an infection, but I am sure the list itself is buried somewhere in the depths of my closet in Russia! And that small blood stain is probably still on it! Gross, I know!
Now with mushroom soup cooking on the stove, I thought it would be appropriate to share my resolutions with you! And even though those are blog related, they can always be translated into everyday life.
1. Stay Focused: It’s so easy to get distracted nowadays, and the biggest distractions on my list are my phone and social media. I am going to try and limit myself from using those. I even get distracted when I blog. I can be half-way through a post, then get side tracked by Twitter, then check my stats on my Facebook page, and well what do you know, it’s been an hour, and the original post isn’t finished yet!
2. Quality over quantity: Over the past couple of years that I’ve been blogging, I’ve been trying to be a part of “Post a Day” that WordPress challenges it’s writers to do. Well, I think I am done with that now! I’d rather give you one or two great posts a week, with good quality pictures and descriptions, than post 7 times a week about some nonsense that no one is interested in, including myself!
3. Give more: This year I want to share and give. Giving chances, giving gifts, giving a hand… I have been thinking about how blessed I am a lot lately. I don’t know what I’ve done to deserve it, and I, by no means, want to jinx it, but I have a lot, and the more I have, the more I want to give. That will include more giveaways for you, more opportunities for you, just more for everyone else, who is not me!
4. Be Bilingual: I really want to work on making this blog a place where you can come and learn something new in Russian, or in English, or something new in general. I got to put all that Russian I know to good use! And maybe it won’t be a word for word translation, it will be something! Something bigger and better for the blog I hope!
And there you have it! Happy New Year! What resolutions are you making this year?
Cheers!
Z
С Новым Годом!
Мы выжили 2012 год! Даже не верится! Со всеми этими предсказаниями Майя, выборами, войнами, потопами, Новым iPad, iPad Mini…
Когда я училась в 10 классе, я составила список “Резолюций” в который входило следующее: Закончит 10 класс без Троек, Читать больше книг, Поехать в США… В общем даже в свои 15 лет я знала, чего хочу! И из-за такого большого ажиатажа и торжественности всех этих обещаний я решила, что подписать этот список нужно именно кровью! Слава Богу я не заработала себе никакого заражения! Ну и я уверенна, что этот список до сих пор валяется в глубинах моего шкафа, где-то в России! Ну и кровавое пятно скорее всего еще на нем! Фу! Гадость!
Ну а теперь, пока готовится на плите грибной суп, я подумала, почему бы не поделиться с вами моими резолюциями на этот год! И не смотря на то, что большинство из них касаются этого блога, мы всегда сможем перенести некотрые из них на нашу личную жизнь.
Не отвлекайся: В сегодняшнем мире очень легко сбиться с курса, и больше всего меня сбивают мой телефон и социальные сети. Я постараюсь ограничить их использование. Я отвлекаюсь даже когда пишу в этот блог. Могу написать половину поста, вдруг отвлечься на Твиттер, потом решу проверить статус своей страницы на Фэйсбуке, и О,нет! прошел уже час, а пост так и не дописан!
Качество, а не количество: За последние пару лет, что я пишу блог на этой платформе, я старалась писать 1 пост в день! У WordPress есть такое понятие как “Один пост в день”, это что-то типа тэга и многие этим увлекаются. Я поняла, что пора с этим завязывать! Лучше я напишу 1-2 хороших поста в неделю, с отличными фотографиями и описанием, чем буду писать о всякой ерунде, о которой никто не захочет читать!
Отдавать: В этом году я хочу делиться и отдавать. Давать шансы, дарить подарки, помогать. В последнее время я все чаще думаю о том, какая чудесная у меня жизнь. Не знаю чем я это заслужила, и не хочу ничего сглазить, но у меня есть очень многое, и чем больше я получаю, тем больше хочу отдавать! Это подразумевает больше конкурсов для вас, больше возможностей, просто больше для других, а не для себя!
На двух языках: Я хочу, чтобы этот блог стал маленьким кусочком Интернета, куда вы можете обратиться, чтобы узнать/выучить что-то новое по-русски или по-английски.Не зря же я знаю русский язык! И скорее всего посты не будут слово в слово одинаковыми на двух языках, лучше так, чем никак вообще! Это будет что-то большее и лучшее для моего блога!
Ну вот и все! Поздравляю всех еще раз с 2013 годом! Какие резолюции сделали вы?
The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2012 annual report for this blog.
Here’s an excerpt:
19,000 people fit into the new Barclays Center to see Jay-Z perform. This blog was viewed about 160,000 times in 2012. If it were a concert at the Barclays Center, it would take about 8 sold-out performances for that many people to see it.
I was tagged to do this Christmas tag by Luchessa! Thank you, dear, for tagging me! Here we go:
1. Which Holiday do you celebrate? Christmas, and then Russian Christmas (January 7th!), just because one Christmas is never enough! There was also a time in my life when I celebrated both Hanukkah and Christmas!
2. What are you doing for the holidays this year? Going to Wisconsin! Enough said!
3. What’s your favorite holiday drink? Anything caffeinated with peppermint in it, preferably from Starbucks
4. Candy Cane or Gingerbread men? I was going to say neither, but definitely Gingerbread men as I think more about the question. They are easier to chew
5. What’s your favorite Holiday/Christmas song? At work – All I want for Christmas is my 2 front teeth!
But the one that really get’s me in the spirit of Christmas is – Oh Come all Ye Faithful
6. What’s the weirdest gift you’ve ever received? Someone once gave Sam and me a Christmas ornament that said “Our First Christmas 2010″, we got married in 2011, and the people who gave it to us came to our wedding! So I think it was a re-gift.
7. Have you ever made a snowman? Yes, many times! I think growing up in Russia it’s a winter MUST! I also made a miniature one last year for a girl I used to babysit!
8. What is your favorite winter fragrance? Definitely Miss Dior
9. What is at the top of your list this Christmas? Sewing books I posted about a couple days ago!
10. What is most important to you about holidays? Spending DRAMA-FREE time with my family!
I am going to tag all of you my lovely readers to answer all of the questions, and I’d really like to tag the following bloggers:
My post “Coat Obsessed” was featured on IFB (Independent Fashion Bloggers) Links a la Mode roundup, below are the links to everyone else’s blog who got featured this week! Don’t be a stranger, say hi
Aubergine. Oceanic blue. Wedding White. For this week’s Links a la Mode round up, I focused on posts that drew inspiration or centered around color. Whether it was styling up a range of colorful pants or looking at the rise of black and white dressing, there were so many creative and cool blog posts centering on color. Take a look, get inspired and taste the rainbow!
LINKS À LA MODE: THE IFB WEEKLY ROUND UP: NOVEMBER 15TH
I have been taking my lunch breaks in Mill Ruins Park:
Looking at the world from a different perspective:
Sharing my orange with a bee:
Met up with my friend Amy, I haven’t seen her since 2007!
Finally finishing my 3 week long lipstick testing for L’Oreal, and getting my reimbursement! YAY!
I’ve also been working on a lot of DIY’s here, so be patient with me! Also, some exciting news and announcements coming to my blog, hopefully on Monday!
