My New Love

 I have always loved repainted or repurposed furniture. I became obsessed with window shopping for these pieces. But somehow I couldn't bring myself to pay someone for something I believed I could do...Hence my new hobby of repainting and repurposing furniture was born! 

I stumbled across my 1st piece, or shall i say victim piece of furniture which was a vintage chair. It screamed VINTAGE! Well I took my new victim home and with excitement I created my 1st repurposed piece!

Check out the pics below....

Found this lovely chair at the GW for only $2.99. Here it's been lightly sanded and I added I coat of orange paint.

After allowing the orange paint to dry, I added a few strokes of turquoise and yellow in spots...

Then I coated the chair with a white primer...I let it dry completely...Then I sanded my chair down to reflect the rainbow of colors I used....

 Later I sealed the chair with Minwax in Ebony. 

I later stenciled the seat. This was a fun 1st project. I can't wait to show you more!

Happy Furniture Painting!

Introducing MinervaVintageCloset

Please check out my new Etsy store: MinervaVintageCloset...More great finds to come!

My Animoto Video

Outfit of the Day-A Look of Sweet Nostalgia

Sweet Nostalgia-Kindergarten Graduation (Me and Momma)


As I coordinated my recent outfit of the day, I got an instant feeling of nostalgia. Everything about this outfit seemed reminiscent of my younger years. I recall waiting, seemingly for hours, watching my Mom dress! She would lay everything out while she rumbled through her accessories to add the finishing touches to her outfit.  I would sit patiently and wait to see the outcome. Little did she know, I was being throroghly entertained! I was amazed at how she seemed to coordinate her shoes with her purse and how every piece of her outfit picked up the sparkle in the diamond pieces that adorned her wrist and finger.  She is indeed an elegant lady of class.

Along her dresser stood a variety of perfumes and Private Collection by Este Lauder seemed to be the fragrance that fancied her senses the most...I would sniff it and immediately put it down.  It was almost a sin to touch her Private Collection!  She taught me that a sweet fragrance should also always compliment your look. Come to think of it,,,,Ive never met a good looking woman that didnt smell good!  Needless to say, I didnt realize my mom was training me to be the woman I am today. I am oh so grateful that I was taught firsthand how to be and project myself as a lady...A Nostalgic treasure!

She would always say, "Erica WEAR YOUR BEST!"  Those words still ring in my ear today.  I strive to "WEAR BY BEST", look my best and be my best at everything I do.  She taught me that presentation is the key to success and boy was she right.  I love you Momma!


Whats SweetFunke about my OOTD?

The fluttering ruffled  sleeves of the blouse,the fluted skirt and the taupe clutch all brought me back to the 80s. But what is so SweetFunke about this outfit is the versatility...You can wear a look like this to a business meeting, dinner with friends or to a worship service.  This outfit is modest and sure to give a great first impression.



  



Here's a few other pics....



Enjoy the Slide Show...Thanks for Watching!

Outfit of the Day-Floral Inspiration

A Floral Inspiration-Outfit of the Day

Some may assume that stripes and florals are an automatic mis-match.Have you noticed the latest fashion trend? Floral prints are being mixed with striped prints!  Who wouldve have guessed this trend would bring fashion to the next level! Nowadays, there is no need for an outfit to match perfectly....As long as it coordinates...you're good!

Rule of Thumb

When mixing floral prints with stripes be aware of color.When pairing florals with stripes...allow the floral print to work as your inspiration.  From the floral print, pick a stripe print that will compliment and coordinate with your floral inspiration.  Try to choose a not-so-obvious color when matching a stripe print to a floral print.  Mixing these two prints will definitely add flare and spice to your look!

Your floral inspiration can be any top, blouse, skirt or pant that has a profound floral print.  In my outfit of the day, I chose a beautiful floral print pant, which also happens to be coolots! Yes! Coolots!!! If you were born in the 90's, the word coolots may not have any meaning to you. Coolots are wide leg flowing pants or capri-style pants.  Coolots are often mistaken for skirts but offers the same comfort of wearing pants.

SweetFunke Outfit of the Day

It all started with a couple of trips to the Goodwill...Once I laid my eyes on the floral coolots (shown above) it was ALL OVER! I instantly became inspired! These coolots were designed/created by Carole Little's Pettite line. According to buyersnirvana "Carole Little clothing is a well known and well loved West Coast label. She designed clothing with a designer look but at affordable prices. Carole Little became popular for her use of colorful and unusual fabric prints and flattering cuts of clothing." I counted myself fortunate picking these pants up for only $4.99 at my local thrift store (Value Village-Roswell).

I coupled the floral pant with a tank top I picked up from my local Goodwill for only $0.99.  The tank is designed my Faded Glory which is a major clothing line sold in Walmart stores...

Enjoy my slideshow displaying my latest Outfit of the Day!



What's Your Trashsure? Vintage vs Thrift

 The old saying goes..."One man's trash is another man's treasure".  Generally speaking, this old saying is true in everyday relationships, in your career and even when shopping.  Yes! Even when shopping! I know everyone is not into vintage/thrift shopping like me, but what do you think the clearance racks are at your major department stores? Well, they are indeed the fashion rejects!!! They have been repeatedly looked over, replaced by what some may consider the more fashionable items. Eventually these items are left labeled at a cheap price, hoping the shopper will pity it and take it home! lol...Okay maybe im giving clothing just a tad bit too much personality...But really...Don't we see that happen in  real life?

How many times have the "not so popular" person been looked over for love, a job or any opportunity because they weren't favored by the crowd? Or maybe because they just didnt fit in?  Or maybe some thought of them as being too old? It happens! With clothes this should never be the case! Clearance or thrift clothes save you TONS of money. Vintage and antiques clothing are old, but has increased value because of its unique design or structure.  Not to mention, you probably wont see another fashionista rocking your fit!

 I took it a little further and did research to find what the differences are between an antique, vintage or thrift find.  Thanks to wikipedia and google, I learned a few interesting things!  I also discovered that I havent got one antique item! (future goal to achieve) and I learned I have a ton of vintage items! Yay me!

What I Learned? Thrift Shopping 101 ;-)
First, any item created/manufactered/made prior to the 1920's is considered an antique. Second, a vintage piece is anything made/created in between the years of 1920 to 1980. Third, a thrift find is anything made/created after 1980, 2nd hand of course. My mother once said that "nothing stays out of fashion long".  So hang on to your treasures for a while, they may be worthy of being called an antique or vintage piece one day.

While thrifting, I am amazed at my finds! Whether a dress, purse, belt or top, I call them all my TRASHSURES! Trashsures are other people's trash that I (or you) may find treasure in!

Take a look at my latest TRASHSURE...Its a 100% Italian Leather clutch bag!  I would label this piece a vintage piece because it appears as though in was manufactered in the mid to late 70s! Well I picked it up for a whopping $2! It was regularly priced at $3.99 but because it was a yellow tag item and I was thrifting on yellow tag day, I got the bag 1/2 off! Yippie!!! I love TRASHSURE SHOPPING!!!!!

                                          $2 Clutch Bag bought @ Thrift store in Sandy Springs GA

OOTD-Black & Yellow

Black and Yellow Outfit of the Day

Some things mesh well with each other without trying...Whether its a great friend, a good man or a successful business partner, it feels good when we mesh well with someone or something. Black and Yellow are two colors that mesh well together..they always compliment each other without trying...The chemistry between these two colors flow effortlessly.

You can make a bold conservative statement by adding a punch of yellow to any black suit or by adding a pop of yellow to your staple black dress. If you really want to broaden your horizon, try rocking a pair of bad yellow shoes! Now that's what I call SweetFunke...Turning the unpredictable into a stunning classic!

The Black and Yellow Outfit of the Day was inspired by a beautiful statement neckalce that's...black and yellow, black and yellow, black and yellow....Huge, bulky statement pieces are especially trendy this year! This statement piece inspired a variation of the colors black and yellow. After arranging these looks, I am convinced that black and yellow is here to stay!

What's Sweet About this Look

What's sweet about this look is the skirt! Its an a-line two-pocket skirt that can be worn casually or dressy. I purchased this skirt from a Boutique in New Orleans LA called So Chic in Clearview Mall (Metairie LA). The price was also amazingly sweet! The skirt only cost $24! Who doesn't appreciate a sweet deal on a sweet skirt!;-)

What's Funke About this Look

And the Funke award for this Outfit of the Day goes toooooo....... the trendy statement Necklace!!! I spotted the unusual statement piece while shopping for hair products. Yes! You guessed it! I found this gorgeous statement necklace at my local beauty supply store(Angie's in Sandy Springs Ga). It's simply made, yet bulky enought to make a BOLD statement. Not only that, the necklace has an attached brooch that can be removed and added to any part of your outfit. So I definitely scored this necklace for only $19!

What's SweetFunke About this Look

This look has a frock style full of feminine flare. This look is so versatile it could be worn to a cocktail party, a fancy restaurant for a date or an outing with the girls . This look makes a effortless statement. No matter your age bracket, you can rock this look and feel confidently SweetFunke!

I was able to create two looks for under $50 each!

Additional Info About OOTD:

-Yellow 100 % Silk blouse- $2 @ Goodwill in New Orleans La

-White Cotton Tank Top-$12 @ Rio Boutique in New Orleans LA

-Leopard Stilettos by Jessica Simpson-$24 @Marshalls

-Yellow Sandals by Bakers Soes-$44@ Bakers Shoes

Thanks for checking me out!

Welcome to SweetFunke

Welcome to SweetFunke Blog!

Some are know for wearing their feelings on their shoulders. Well, I wear my feelings on my feet and I dress exactly HOW I FEEL! If I feel girlie, then you will catch me in a flouncing skirt or dress. Or if I feel conservative, I may rock a crop blazer with a pair of wide legged jeans or pants, paired with purple stilettos! Whateva the case, my style can best be described as simply Sweet with a twist of Funke. Hence, the name Sweetfunke!

Sweetfunke represents MY style and who I am at core as a self-proclaimed fashionista. My style can’t be placed in a box. Some days, i'm frock while other days, i'm trendy.. When I’m focused... expect a trendy-conservative appeal. Either way, I strive to wear my clothes and NOT let them wear me. I love every piece of clothing I own, whether boutique, discounted store bought, thrift/vintage or consignment….. I love that each piece of clothing I own will look and make me feel like I want to feel that day.

Sweetfunke is also how I accessorize. Im a huge believer in accessorizing and I believe to accessorize is to personalize. Every look should say something about who you are and your overall fashion sense! Take time to invest in quality accessories that will guarantee a splash of flare to any outfit. A quality accessory can be jewlry of course, outerwear or a nice fitting belt! Accessorizing is what I like to call "SweetFunke"!

Enough about me! Lol You may be wondering why I started this blog. Well I wanted to be able to share, document and discuss fashion in a forum discussion. I don’t know about you, but Im disappointed every time I leave the mall! I can never find something that is truly me or unique. Once a certain style or fashion catches on, people take on a cookie cutter approach to fashion. Malls have variations of the same ole thing! BORING!!! I challenge myself to create a difference in my wardrobe and yours too! Its my hope to pass on fashion inspiration while giving fashion tips…I will keep the fashion tips coming!

I decided to show the world how I keep my fashion options fresh and interesting. I frequent vintage, consignment and thrift stores in search of my next outfit. What’s even better about shopping second hand is the price! I have yet to spend 1/3 of what a garment would typically sell for. Awesome right?!?! I will show you how I take cheap clothing and turn them into head-turning outfits! I will blog about my fashion, including shoes. I will give you honest reviews about shoes. And of course, I will blog about my personal views, daily challenges and accomplishments. I look forward to having you become apart of my world!

Whatever you wear, dont forget to Sweetfunke it out and thank you checking me ou