“Reunited & it Feels so Good”

Friends that Pray together, stay together…

It all started with Monday night prayer at Mother Holmes’ house from Hope Community Church. We (Sheik, Demo, and I [Dom]) were all seeking to draw closer to God and through what other way than prayer. I always kept my guard up; I’d never really had lots of close friends because I was afraid of letting anyone into my circle. I’d hurt so many of my friends in the past and in return I’d been hurt therefore I kept to myself to avoid hurting others and/or them hurting me. After meeting and hanging out with Demorise and Ta’Sheika that changed!

I (Sheik) knew I needed a change of direction in my life, so I started going to Monday night prayer. I wanted to be delivered and I was also in need of a spiritual mother, thus I was drawn to Mother Holmes. I wanted to develop a strong prayer life, based off the passage “Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.” James 5:16 NKJV Here’s a brief background testimony… when I first got saved my freshman year of college (at Tennessee Wesleyan College); I was always surrounded by my sisters and brothers in Christ. They would give me guidance and hold me accountable. After leaving TWC my sophomore year I strayed away from my walk with God to the point that the world left me broken and damaged.

Like Sheik I (Dom), was looking for a new beginning and I’m so thankful I took the time out (sacrifice) to go to Monday night prayer; it seriously changed my life! I had no idea how essential prayer and fellowship was until I met Sheik and Demo. Our friendship was different from any I had before; instead of calling each other friends we would call each other prayer sisters. We’d get together and talk about our problems, hold each other accountable, keep it 100, encourage one another, and of course PRAY… I knew I had problems and if anyone could put up with me longer than a year I knew they loved me lol (I’m a hot mess, you guys have no idea)!

I (Sheik) too had issues with trust in friendships, after developing a relationship with my girls, Demo and Dom, I realized that I wasn’t alone with battling issues from my past and it was ok for me to be transparent about what I’d been through. What’s funny is that I knew of Dom since high school and back then I thought to myself I’d never hang out with a prissy girl like that, since I was such a tomboy. It’s funny how God works in mysterious ways! We are all women of different backgrounds, with similar issues, but we have the same desire to serve Christ. Now that Dom is back and Demo is only a drive away our 3 strand cord is back in full effect and it cannot be easily broken.

Let's talk about my "oh so" retro thrifted assemble. My jumper was thrifted from the Goodwill thrift store in Fayetteville, Tn. My belt is thrifted from Thrift Mart in Huntsville, Al. I made my earring with the help of some superglue and buttons. My shoes are Steve Madden and my watch is New York and Co. My girl Dom is rocking some super cute Express turquoise ankle cropped pants thrifted from Thrift Mart. Her top was purchased from TJ Maxx, her shoes were gifted from one of her co-workers in Kuwait. Her earrings are Thrifted from St. Paul DeVincent Thrift Store located in Huntsville, AL, her charm bracelet was hand made by Be Spotted (Tia Granberry), and her watch was purchased from Fossil. Don't Dom and I look so fabulous! But wait, we're missing someone....... (To be continued, stay tuned for the next post!)

Lots of Blessings!

-Dom and Sheik, TeamTT

“THRIFTED. Dessert .Experience”

“…with God ALL things are possible.” Matthew 19:26 NIV 

Venturing out to an unknown country; saying goodbye to my family and friends, this was no easy task—in fact I had no idea what I was getting myself into! I knew I had to go though; I needed to come out of my comfort zone, and do something different. So I decided to voluntarily deploy overseas for 6 months. Around the time I was offered the opportunity to go, the vision to create the Thrifty Threads Blog was birthed, and I didn’t want to put off launching the site until after my return. Therefore, TeamTT and I decided we would formulate a game plan and proactively set up an agenda for when we would launch. We had to figure out how many times we’d publish a post while I was over here and how many shoots I would have to take before leaving. I went ahead and did 10 photo shoots in the span of a month before departing home. (Thanks to Ambreia) I thought I had it all figured out, until I realized I ran out of photos and I needed one more thrifted look for my last post while overseas. At first, I thought… “Well it’s no big deal; I don’t have to post anything for this date.” However, after speaking to one of my co-workers about my dilemma, she suggested I do a photo shoot here in the dessert. My initial response was—“Girl no way, it’s too hot out here, it’s dusty and dirty, and then I don’t have any fly thrifted clothes with me that I would want to post on the blog site!” (Soooo negative right?!) Before she got out the truck, she encouraged me to be positive and consider her suggestion. On my way back to work (5 min drive)—I took her advice and did just that! By the time I made it back to the office, I had styled a thrifted fit in my mind, came up with a vision for the post, figured out a few places I could shoot, and remembered that my friend A’keta was into photography (and she had her camera here)! All I needed was a little encouragement… it was a wrap after that!

My top, pants, and belt are thrifted; the cardi is from 4Ever 21, and my shoes are from Kohl’s.

(Photography provided by: A'Keta Vasser)

This journey has been so rewarding; it was tough the first couple of months, but going through the difficulties of being away from home allowed me to draw near to my omnipresent Father (He continually reminded me that I was not alone). I’m so thankful for the lessons learned (how to love, forgive, be a good steward and let go of my past), the wonderful men and women I met, all the knowledge I was able to acquire, the growth in my faith and relationship with God, and the best dessert worship experience of a life time! 

Romans 8:28 NIV “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” 

See you in the states!

-Dom, TeamTT

"Uniquely Different"

Be unique by letting God lead you; not by following worldly trends and foolish thinking. 

Lately, I’ve found myself feeling more isolated when around people. I didn’t fit in with certain conversations. To talk about living for Christ wasn’t a popular topic. I must admit, I really miss being around my sisters in Christ (Dom and Demorise). During my quiet time I was lead to the book of Mathew. It’s funny how God gives me comfort. The scriptures I read were of the multiple denials of Jesus by people! Throughout his entire 33 years of life, He was often mocked, rejected and isolated. What was more interesting was although the Pharisees plotted to kill Him and people tried to attack him, on multiple occasions but, they couldn’t lay a hand on him! It was not the appointed time for the ultimate sacrifice to be made. Jesus spoke to the heart of my concerns and gave me a since of protection. I am set apart, uniquely different, an outcast, and a misfit. Proverbs 9:10-12 says, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. For through wisdom your days will be many, and years will be added to your life.  If you are wise, your wisdom will reward you; if you are a mocker, you alone will suffer.” 

The more you desire to fear God, the more your mind will be transformed. You won’t entertain foolish talk, put no idols before God, and you will be mocked for your beliefs. To die daily that Christ is glorified through you is one thing, but to say you’re a Christian while living as a pagan is another.

I’m ubber excited to talk about my completely thrifted outfit! When I was thinking of what to wear, I knew I wanted to go a completely different route, so I said OVERALLS! My overalls are thrifted from the Downtown Rescue Mission Thrift Store in Huntsville, AL.I passed up my blouse twice, I liked it a little but, I wasn’t sure at first if I could pull it off with the overalls. I decided to just be unique with it. The blouse was thrifted from the Downtown Rescue Mission Thrift Store too. My loafers were $5.00 and thrifted from Thrift Mart in Huntsville, AL. My earrings and bangles made the outfit complete and were borrowed from Dom! 

My thrifty tip for you is, “Be you, be unique, be thrifted”! 

-Sheika, Team TT

Thrifty Threader Spotlight - "Crucial Fashion, Crucial Society"

Introducing Bobby Perkins

TT: Where are you originally from? 

Bobby: Greensboro, Alabama (Yes there is a Greensboro, Alabama). 

TT: Where do you attend college? 

Bobby: I am a Normalite at Alabama A&M University. 

TT: How did you begin thrifting? 

Bobby: My thrifting experience began my freshman year at AAMU while I preparing for a 90s themed party. From these visits I began to see various peculiar vintage items that I could see my exhibiting on a daily basis. After theses initial visits, I began to realize that I can multiply my wardrobe, find “#thriftythreads”, and save a lot, all at the same time. 

TT: How would you describe your style? 

Bobby: My style breeds from the mood I am feeling once I wake up. If I’m feeling grown and sexy, I reach for a pair of vintage slacks, a symmetrical patterned button-down, and ending with a classical gold brooch. If the feeling is young and breezy then I would go for a pair of white denim shorts, a throwback bull’s jersey, and sleeveless distressed jean jacket accented with vintage buttons and Lego brooches. 

TT: What influenced your Crucial Society fashion line and how did it come about? 

Bobby: The company Crucial Society started the summer of 2011 with the launch of my photography blog http://crucialsociety.photoposts.org/. After deep thought and consideration, my business partner Camerron Dangerfield and I, decided to expand the company through apparel and accessories. From this notion, we have one design that brands the company name while the other promotes Crucial Society through the Cheetah print design of the infamous AAMU logo. We also have crafted Lego brooches that are uniquely made and offer a diverse look on accessorizing. 

TT: What is your thrifty/style tip for male thrifters? 

Bobby: Go for the bold look and don’t second-guess yourself and always remember “fashions fade, style is eternal.” – Yves Saint Lauren

Outfit description: 

Local thrift stores of Huntsville sponsored my entire outfit, minus the shoes. 80s inspired acid washed jeans and a red & white vertically stripped button-down accented with a gold zebra brooch. The cheetah print tie was self-made by me from an old couch that was found by the waste bin in my apartment complex (talk about thrifting at a new level). Accessories include thrifted wooden bead bracelets; diamond studded shambla bracelet, and a gold Invicta timepiece. Ending it all with a pair of rugged white Vans. 

-Team TT

Thrifty Travels Presents: "Ol’ Country Tennessee Thrifting"

Location: Goodwill Thrift Store, 1220 Huntsville Highway, Suite A, Fayetteville, TN 37334

This thrift store was AWESOME and HUGE! My friend Alexis and I drove by this store on our way back to Alabama from a wedding reception in Tennessee. What made us go back was the fact that there was a huge sign that said “50% Off Everything in Store”. Yep, I had to see about that. This store was very neat, color coordinated, the staff was friendly, and the selection was stupendous! This store has everything from shoes, clothes, electronics, toys, books, and purses. The only thing that slowed us down was waiting on was a dressing room. But once we finally got a dressing room, Alexis would go in and try stuff while I looked at more stuff and then I would go in and try on stuff. We had a rotation going! 

This store has their 50% percent off sale every first Saturday of the month. They have a 99 cent sale every Thursday and Sunday on blue tag items in the store. 

My advice when traveling out of town is to be aware of your surroundings. Enjoy thrifting at new stores but, be thoughtful of unfamiliar environments. It may be beneficial to give yourself and your thrifting buddy a time constraint. Our time constraint happened to be when the store closed (we were in there over two hours). 

-Sheika, Team TT