{Almost daily outfit of the day} Touch of spring 3.16.12

Thrifted Black House White Market dress; thrifted vintage clutch; Bandolino pumps; thrifted Michael Kors rose gold watch; Forever 21 bracelets; flea market turquoise ring

I know what you're thinking. You're thinking, "Why Elissa, your legs are not nearly as pasty as they usually are! Have you been spending your free time vacationing on a beach in French Polynesia? Then you shake your head in bewilderment, because as far as you know there just isn't decent thrifting in French Polynesia. For me, March is not only about alternating days of too-cold/just-right temps and flowers blooming and green beer because it's St. Patrick's Day. No, March is also about going bare-legged for the first time since the fall and conducting an embarrassing amount of experimental applications with self-tanner due to the need to go bare-legged. My terror of blinding you with glaring white legs and desire to avoid being mistaken for an Orange County housewife led me towards Nivea Touch Of Sun. I'd say it's a success.

London Fashion Week AW 2012...Rosalind

One of my LFW favourite girls to photograph (hence lots of photos!), the crazy beautiful and talented Rosalind Jana: student, writer and editor of Clothes, Cameras and Coffee blog.

Roz loves wearing mostly vintage, ethical and second-hand/charity shop finds (clever, clever girl to unearth such fantastic pieces), and, fittingly, she covered LFW for Oxfam (Roz writes for them regularly).

Recreate Roz's look (if you don't have time to trawl vintage/op-shop's yourself - patience and dedication is the key to finding choice vintage pieces, I think ;):

Sass & Bide The Introduction colourblock pants or Alexander Wang trackpants (love classic navy for evening with a great heel) or Topshop silk jogger by Boutique

Textile Elizabeth and James Austin shirt (super feminine and sweet) or Reiss Kara nude polka dot shirt

{Almost daily outfit of the day} Simply pink 3.7.12

Thrifted vintage silk blouse; Old Navy jeans; Jessica Simpson pumps; Gap belt; Frye clutch; vintage rhinestone necklaces; Forever 21 bracelet

At this time tomorrow, I'll be hurling down the freeway headed to Austin for the Texas Style Council Conference. It's hard to believe that a year ago I was preparing for the same event as an attendee (and nervous newbie blogger) while this year I'm one of the co-chairs! I'm so excited to speak on the panels, mingle with designers and brand managers, and meet bloggers I've only interacted with on Twitter or through blog comments. If you'll be at the conference, please come by and say hi. I'd love to meet you!

Buy my book, Thrifting 101: A Beginner's Guide to Thrifting and Vintage

I'm extremely proud to announce that my book, Thrifting 101: A Beginner's Guide to Thrifting and Vintage, is available for purchase! Writing this book has been a lifelong dream, and I am simply thrilled that it's finished.

I must mention that Thrifting 101 would not have been possible without the support of you, my friends and readers. By reading my posts on thrifting every week, following up with comments, and emailing me questions, you've given me the courage to publish. Thank you so much for your support and encouragement.

Some highlights of Thrifting 101 are:

• A comprehensive guide to fashion history from 1920-1990,
• cleaning tips.
• styling advice,
• and insider tips on navigating thrift stores.

If you'd like to buy a copy of your own, simply click on the book image and it'll take you to checkout. If you're interested in doing a review for your own blog, please leave a comment with your email address and I'll get in touch with you. I'll also have copies for sale at the Texas Style Council Conference this weekend.

To celebrate the publication of Thrifting 101, I'm offering a special giveaway: One lucky winner will win a copy of your own along with a surprise vintage gift! Just leave a comment and you're entered to win.

{Almost daily outfit of the day} Animal magnetism 3.5.12

Vintage thrifted silk blouse; Gap Outlet cargos; Old Navy belt; thrifted Ferragamo pumps; vintage thrifted python clutch; Forever 21 bracelets

I'm not going to lie: This outfit was built around my shoes. I thrifted these Ferragamos for less than $10 at the Salvation Army, and now I'm searching for any excuse to wear them. Great as these shoes are, though, my current thrift passion is silk blouses. Silk feels so luxurious to wear, and you can scoop up a silk blouse for around $5 (as opposed to J Crew's versions for $98.)  I generally ignore sizes when considering silk blouses. The more oversized they are, the better they look.