And how does that make you feel?

As previously noted, I am painfully broke right now. I am actually quite a penny pincher, and I can do pretty well with very little money. But Spring is Springing as I type, and it's begging me to refresh my wardrobe, makeover my shabby wannabe-chic apartment and hoard 683 new bikinis for the Summer.

I love a fresh start this time of year, and I'm yearning for it. So, here's my plan. I'm doing Closet Therapy. I am going in deep, facing all the skeletons (clothes) that are hanging in there from years past, and forcing myself to look, really look at myself with them on. I'm hoping this will force me to deal with the painful fact that, no, I can't have the new things I'm dying for right now, and I just have to learn to love and accept my wardrobe and apartment for what they are right now, in this moment. There will be tears, there will be self discovery, there will be hideous, ill-fitting tops, and fortunately (I guess) there will be no giant bill.

Oh, and I will also be acquiring a select few items from the faaaaabulous vintage and consignment palace, What Poppy Wants. Lucky for me, I am the heiress to this cache of fashion treasures, so I get to pick up a few key pieces here and there. Take this little number, for one:

 This amazing vintage dress is unlike anything I have in my closet. It is ladylike and sweet, two characteristics I unwittingly tend to pass over in my usual selection process. Right now I have an overwhelming urge to go outside my sleek, body-skimming, Bad Sandy comfort zone, and throw some unexpected pieces into the mix. Here are some closeup detail shots:

 Not to worry, my version of ladylike still comes with a healthy dose of cleavage, much like the proper ladies of yore. I simply adore the smashing together of these two very different striped fabrics, and I love the fact that the one thing really tying them together is a smattering of green sequins. Hear me now: I always have been, and always will be, a slave to the Almighty Sequin. They pass in and out of style from time to time, and I couldn't care any less. J'adore la sequin. Sequin Lyfe 4 Eva.

I'll be sharing some revamped, forgotten finds from my closet in the coming days. I am also working on one of the few DIY home decor projects on my very extensive list that I can do for very little money, a shadow box. My hunky carpenter boyfriend built the frame, and much of the content will be found objects, beach "treasures" and the like. I'm pretty excited, and have time to murder, so it should be done fairly soon. Don't touch that dial.