ModCloth Summer Sale & Other Recent Finds

It officially hit 90 degrees here in New Jersey, and that means the summer fun is picking up!  This past weekend I spent some family time in Western PA, and haven’t been able to visit a new spot in the last two weeks.  However, that doesn’t mean I haven’t been shopping elsewhere, and haven’t made some great buys!

Last week ModCloth had a Summer Sale with tons of items up to 40% off.  I absolutely love ModCloth, especially their selection of fun fit n’ flare dresses in awesome patterns, but being the Bargain Bettie I am, I rarely buy any at full price.  ModCloth put some great items on sale this time around, at some great prices!  I initially loaded up my cart with almost $500.00 worth of loot, but pared it down to three pieces that would haunt me if I passed them up:  

As soon as I saw the Cherry Turnover Skirt, I knew it had to be mine!  I’ve been borderline obsessed with cherries and red gingham lately, and this skirt definitely fit the bill.  It fits my waist absolutely perfectly, and it has so much volume on its own (on that note, I am in the market for some petticoats –let me know where I should look!).  The pattern is so vibrant and fun, it makes me want to go out for a picnic right this second!

These Bettie Page shoes caught my eye over the other shoes on sale. They just seemed really sweet, and like they would go with anything.  I was definitely impressed when I took them out of the box and put them on my feet!  They are super adorable and comfortable – the material is actually softer than it looks in the pictures online, so it molds to your feet nicely.  They’re the perfect summer kitten heel!  I bought them at 50% off for $36.99 – I just checked the site, and they’re now $22.99 – 70% off!  They’re definitely worth a go to see if they fit you. 

I’ve been in the market for some cute retro tops to mix and match, and the Café Parfait Top was exactly what I was looking for. 

The skirt was $35 originally $50, the shoes were $36.99, and the top was 30% off for $21.  I paid a little under $100 for 3 really solid items that are great quality, and fit me perfectly.  I always get a little nervous about sizing when shopping online, so overall I couldn’t be happier with my purchases. 

Here’s a quick round up of some other recent finds!:

$9.99 mesh pumps from Charlotte Russe (I’ve already worn these twice in the past week – totally in love with both the shoes, and what I paid for them!)

$5 August Poppy Framed Print from a Yard Sale (I think I could have gone cheaper on this one, but the seller was so nice!)

I’ve gotten so many compliments on these sunglasses – I got them for $5.99 at my local supermarket!!  Proof that you should keep your eyes open anywhere and everywhere!

Did you get anything fun from the ModCloth sale?  Made any great finds recently?  Comment and let me know!! 

xoxo, Bettie

Across the Delaware: Malena’s Vintage Boutique 12th Anniversary Sale & WWII Weekend!

This past weekend has been a whirlwind with TONS of driving, but boy was it worth it!  I took a half day from work on Friday to check out the 12^th Anniversary Sale at Malena’s Vintage Boutique in West Chester, PA, and then on Sunday headed back to the area for WWII Weekend at the Mid-Atlantic Air Museum.   It was a weekend full of great people, great fun, and of course pretty much vintage everything!

I heard about the sale at Malena’s via Celeste Giuliano, an amazing pin-up photographer I’ve been following for years (check out her page, it’ll make you want to put your red lipstick on stat!).  Celeste is based in the Philly area, and this year she was contributing hundreds of items from her studio’s pin-up wardrobe to be a part of the Anniversary Sale.  Hearing that, and also the fact that there were going to be $10 clothes racks and $10 accessory tables PLUS an additional 20% off if you paid cash, I knew I wasn’t going to be missing this one.  

The sale started at 5:00PM on Friday night, and then continued the next day.  West Chester is a little over two hours from where I am in Jersey, not including rush hour traffic, so I made sure to leave extra early to be there around 5:00.  I actually ended up getting to West Chester an hour early;  having some time to kill I stopped into the boutique just to quickly scope it out, and ask for any recommendations on where to hang out for a bit . I was greeted by Malena herself, and she pointed me in the direction of a place right down the street to grab a yummy cucumber vodka cocktail while I waited.

I made my way back to the shop a little after the start time.  The main attraction of the sale was their show-room around the corner, which is normally not open to the public.  Walking in the first thing I could think of was HOLY VINTAGE:

The room was literally packed wall to wall with goodies from every decade.  As promised, there were four different $10 racks, and three tables full of accessories and jewelry priced the same.  There was literally a taste of everything; wedding dresses, matching separates, formal wear, jackets, nightgowns and slips, dresses, you name it.  The items from Celeste Giuliano’s closet were mixed in; some were in a $10 section, and others were on the price-as-marked racks.  I loaded up my arm with 10 or so different items; some from the $10 rack, and others from the non-discounted rack.  One of the items I grabbed was a 1980s Bill Blass sailor dress that Malena had posted on social media earlier in the day - I was so excited to see it was my size!

After taking some time to try on, I FELL IN LOVE with two pieces; the Bill Blass fit like it was made for me, and so did an amazing fit and flare blue polka dot romper that was perfect for WWII Weekend!  Both items were regular price, but that didn't matter - I knew I had to go home with them.  I mean really, just look at the Bill Blass, especially the back detail!:

And how fitting was the romper for WWII weekend?  A huge thanks to both Malena and Celeste, whose feedback definitely made me even more excited about my purchase!

I received 20% off for paying cash (the discount was 15% if you paid with a card), and with the discount my total came to $80, which I found so reasonable for how much I loved the two items.  Now keep in mind, this all happened in just the showroom - I hadn't even shopped the actual boutique yet, which was also all 20% off!  I was satisfied enough with my purchase to call it a day, but I of course needed to scope out the shop for my readers! I spent about 15 minutes or so just walking around the boutique looking at what else they had before heading back home to NJ.  I also got to meet Celeste in the shop, who *fingers crossed* I'll finally get to book a shoot with this summer!

Overall, the whole experience was more than well worth the two hour drive.  Malena clearly knows what she is doing in all aspects of her business; she and her staff are above and beyond friendly, every item for sale is of great quality and condition and there are so many unique pieces, and the store itself is clean, organized, inviting, and decorated perfectly:

I seriously wish I lived closer to West Chester so I could be more of a regular here. Malena does sell online through eBay and posts items on social media, so if you aren't super accessible, definitely look into that as an option!

 It looks like that's my report for now!  Did anyone else get to attend the sale?  If so, what did you find!?  I'd love to hear what you came home with!

xoxo, Bettie