It all started in 2016. I brought up to my husband that for as long as I could remember, no one ever did anything for New Years Eve. I would always go to the bars, but now that I am older that just doesn't sound appetizing. I mean you have to pay to get in, you have to wait in long lines to order your drinks and then you STILL have to pay for them. Stupid. Anywho, that's when we made the tradition of traveling to a new place every year to not only celebrate New Years and see what that location did to bring in the new year, but to also celebrate my birthday on New Years Day!! 🍾
First year, we went to New York - Yes, we did the whole "watch the ball drop" thing, but no, we did not line up in the early AM like everyone else. Hell no! I have to go to the bathroom almost every 15 minutes, there's no way I would last (you can't leave your spot once you're in). We did line up around 10pm just to experience the atmosphere though, super fun! We even walked the whole city the next day on my actual birthday from having breakfast in Central Park all the way down to the Flat Iron Building. The next year, we went to Chicago. Best New Years so far actually, and super cheap to go to if you're flying from Minneapolis (you can find flights round trip for about $120). In 2018, we went to DC. Coldest New Years ever, but sooo fun! Last year, we went to Las Vegas which I actually ended up getting sick ON New Years Eve during Lady Gaga's, Enigma show and then it really hit me when we got to the strip. I will say, I would love to go to Vegas again though, those fireworks are AMAZING! ✨ Tip: If you have to stay off the strip the night of NYE due to it being SUPER expensive, make sure to stay at a hotel that's located right off the train. Taxis (<--Whoa! Did I just say taxis?! I mean Uber or Lyft) are impossible and cannot get close to the strip.
So here we are, 2020. As you probably saw on my social media as well as my Tour Dates, we went to Tampa and Orlando this year. We just wanted to go to breweries, theme parks and chill! We arrived on NYE in which we hopped around to different breweries after we did some investigating on which breweries were open and who were going to be closed on New Years Day. That night, we just went to Armature Works which is equivalent to Minneapolis' Keg and Case, but they have a cool outside area where everyone was able to watch fireworks off the river. I'll get to what we did on New Years Day shortly 😉 That Thursday, the 3rd, was the start of our 4 day excursion of theme parks! We went to Busch Gardens and then that Friday we drove to Orlando and did Volcano Bay (first time at a water park and I'm pretty sure it's my new hobby. I frickin' love water parks now), Saturday was Island of Adventures and Sunday was the other Universal Studios park. We didn't have a plan for that last day we were there. Could we have thrifted? Yes, but after going to parks all day everyday, you don't really want to shop anymore. Sorry, not sorry. So what do some kids that consider Orlando almost like a second home?! We went to Disney Springs (formally known as, and which we will ALWAYS refer to it as, Downtown Disney)!
You want to hear the weird thing about the whole second part of the trip?Taking a little detour here...it was COLD 🥶 We packed for warm weather, like 70's, and it just did a little switcharoo on us last minute; it was upper 50's AND windy! Let me just tell you, I'm glad that I always travel with my denim jacket (gotta have that travel must-have ladies and gents)!
So about New Years Day (aka my birthday) in Tampa...we went THRIFTING, of course! I will say, although it seemed like we were there for a long time (6 days), because we went to all the theme parks it really ate up a lot of our time. I'm totally not complaining though. I just can't wait for our next trip so I can get more thrifting done 😉 So let's cut to the chase; here's what I found:
Blue/Purple Vintage Mock Neck Blouse - $20 from La France
I love that vintage 70's look with the full button-up blouse, but on this day I didn't want to be so "conservative". I mean, we were at Disney Springs. So I just left it unbuttoned a tad.
Another small detail - You want the full affect of a vintage blouse like this one? Tuck it in! You know what would make this outfit look even better, too? If I had some wide leg trousers, true 70's fashion ☮️
The nice thing about this blouse too is that if you pair with a nice, structured pair of dressy ankle pants or slim straight dress pant, it's perfect for work! All about that versatility, am I right?
Vintage tip: Vintage pieces run smaller so go up in size...and remember, size is just a number.
On another note, did you know that blue is Pantone's color of the year? If you are one of my personal clients, you probably have heard me say everyone looks great in blue. It's totally true, think about it. Everyone does! Plus, it's a year round color. Again....think about it. A lot of midwestern folks don't wear a lot of color which I firmly believe is because of the weather, but if you want to branch into color, blue is a great starter.
Zara Knit Tunic - $17 from Revolve Clothing Exchange
I came across this piece and I didn't realize how high the side slits were until I put it on, but boy was it comfortable! It's almost like a terry cloth material, but lightweight. I had tried it on with a pair of skinny jeans and these sandals and it was so cute! However, I paired it with leggings (which also works, obviously) on this day since I was at the park. Oh the possibilities with this one; I'm sure you'll see multiple photos of this tunic on our social media 🤩
Although this denim jacket wasn't thrifted in Florida, I have to say that if you don't have a medium wash denim jacket (or even black), you totally should! It's that great piece (and definitely a must-have) you can throw over anything such as a lightweight fashion sweatshirt or sweater, or even a dress where you feel boxy/shapeless. And don't forget to bring it with you when you travel!
So! Do you have any outfit ideas for this knit tunic? How would you style it on yourself? Email me, I want to know!
Before I close, I have to say that if you go to Florida, you must get a sandwich from Publix (yes, it's a grocery store) as well as Wawa (yes, it's a gas station). Don't judge until you try it. AND if you specifically go to Orlando, go to Cuba Libre, The Pub and get the cheese bullocks along with BB Kings (I actually did some of my events here when I lived in Florida) to get their banana bread pudding. You'll thank me later.
So where should I go on my next tour? Maybe Phoenix for spring training season? Or Alaska in May when it's 24 hours of daylight? We shall see! Stay tuned by visiting my Tour Dates tab...and don't forget that I DO take Closet Analysis & Cleanout appointments while I'm in town. If you're lucky, depending on the time frame I'm there for, I even take personal shopping appointments. They're always limited and book fast, so keep checking and follow us on social: Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
Till next time, xoxo.