The Choo

The Choo!

One of the best consignment finds in history goes to a fellow consignment connoisseur who found a beautiful, red Jimmy Choo purse in a local consignment store in Annapolis, Maryland. I know what you are thinking, Jimmy Choo is something Beyonce sings about and you can only dream of owning. However, there is glamour out there for everyone -you just have to find it!

How do you know if it is real? Feel the leather. Is it heavy? If the purse is heavy and the leather is extra soft, it’s most likely real. Look for inconsistent/sloppy stitching, misspelled labels and the amount of detail in threads, leathers, fabrics, metals and stamping. (All things that designers put a lot of time into)

Ready to find your own Glamour? Check out these local consignment shops for great finds.

• Savvy Consignment - Severna Park, Maryland – women’s, teens, baby clothing, shoes, and accessories

• Honeysuckle – Arnold, Maryland  - women’s, teens, baby clothing, shoes, and accessories as well as high-end designer clothes and a separate furniture and home goods section

•  New to You – Annapolis, Maryland – women’s and teen’s clothing, shoes, and accessories as well as home goods

•  Return to Oz – Annapolis, Maryland – Women’s, maternity, and teens clothing, shoes, and accessories. They also have a large child’s and baby section.

•  Sweet Pea’s Repeats – in Pasadena & Crofton, they always have nice baby clothes in tip top condition. (And let’s be honest, they grow out of those onesies so fast!)

•  Thrift Superstore – Off of 301 in Waldorf near the mall, I get lost in this store for hours! They have men, women’s, children’s, and baby clothing, accessories, shoes, bedding, toys, books and much more.Your local 

•  Goodwill and Salvation Army – Some of my best finds such as my khaki $200 JCrew coat I got for $5 are from Goodwill. You won’t beat their prices!

Know of any other great consignment stores? Leave a comment below and tell me about your favorite shop and best find!

My Newest Project

The thrill of the hunt is half the fun. When I find a great piece of furniture for next to nothing, it's like Christmas day for me. I found this piece for $30 at Goodwill, which is a steal. It is real wood, dove-tailed, has wainscoting on the sides (I also added it on the inside back) and has large, round feet to hold it up.

When looking for furniture, remember to be creative - even the ugliest piece can be beautiful with a new paint job, (think fun, bright colors!) sanding out some scratches, and changing the knobs or handles.




My cabinet pre-sanding & painting.

Another thing to always remember when looking for furniture - make sure it is not pressboard material. (That is the cheap, plastic-like furniture you often find at Walmart/Target) The reason these are no good is because of the material - you cannot simply sand or paint them. You want to find real wood pieces, which I promise is not that hard!


White cabinet with wainscoting on the doors. A great decorative detail.















My mission: sand it down, add wood putty to a chipped spot, add wainscoting to inside back, prime it, white-wash it, and add glass handles.



Here are the knobs I plan on adding. Believe it or not, a 4-pack from Target is cheaper than Ace Hardware or Clements Hardware!



I am waiting for the temperature to raise to at least 40 degrees to paint. Any lower, and the paint will not harden and seal correctly. A great tip I learned from my Mom is not to paint (even inside a garage) when it is raining. The mositure will also not allow the paint to settle correctly. Another great tip - use self-leveling paint to ensure a smooth, no-drip finish. Finally for all you Mommys and soon-to-be Mommys, be VERY careful about the type of paint you use, espeically on baby furniture such as cribs.

Check back soon to learn about more painting tips and to see my finished product! Also coming up: the best consignment stores in and around the Annapolis area.

Welcome to Simply Jenni*

First and foremost, thank you for visiting!

This blog is dedicated to my adventures in fashion and design and the inspiration I hope to create.

Expressing oneself through the art of fashion and design is limitless - it is creative, inspirational, therapuetic, and most importantly -fun. My hopes are you will find your own inspiration through the expression of mine and be motivated to act on it.

The topics will be endless and I'm sure full of the humorous events life throws at me. I'll chronicle my current projects such as refinishing furniture and homegoods to finding vintage jewerly, bags, shoes, and more - all on an affordable budget.

Remember . . .      

"Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only. Fashion is in the sky, in the street, fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening." - Coco Chanel

Finally, thank you to the person who told me I can do this ... you know who you are.