Random
Fancy Friday: thrifted David Meister
It has been well documented – I love a good thrift store.
I genuinely crave the smell of old clothes, the musk of well-worn apparel, racked into organized chaos from the discarder’s closet. I love the thrill of the hunt – the feel of the fabrics to guess which might yield a precious find, the unique gem. I’d prefer to brag on the second-hand item – the deal of the day, that truly incredible discovery.
Now I should clarify – I am not a vintage-clothing expert. I love newer second-hand items just as much as I treasure older, hand-made pieces. My favorite finds have always been the ones that are unique – things I’ve never seen on anyone before, or items that are on my closet’s “bucket list” (mine, for example, includes worn leather jackets, faded cut-off shorts, vintage fur, and anything sequined).
This dress was one of those finds – the moment I touched it, I knew it was special. The fabric – the pattern and the colors – it was just special. It didn’t have a tag on it, but it looked impeccable, brand new even. You know when you can just tell something is expensive? This dress looked and felt expensive; it was by a designer I had never heard of before. But it was my size, so I took it with me to the dressing room with hesitation and a little fear. What if it didn’t fit? What if there was something wrong with it – a rip in the fabric, a bad zipper? Those kinds of things really stress me out when I think I’ve found something great while thrifting. Because there’s never any guarantees with vintage or second-hand clothing. You can’t run back to the rack to get a different size, or a better pattern cut (speaking of which, the girls over at A Beautiful Mess wrote a really awesome article about vintage sizing a few years ago, which you can read here).
Anyways. I was standing in the dressing room with my friend Bethany, and I finally got to the dress. I’d been putting it off, because I really wanted it, so I really wanted it to fit/look great/be in great condition/etc. I stepped into it, zipped it up from the back, and fixed the matching belt at the waist. And I’d be damned if it wasn’t perfect. Perfect fit, perfect length (maybe a tad long on me), perfect condition. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with it, and I just couldn’t believe my luck. The price tag was somewhere along the lines of $40, which is a little high for a second-hand dress, but it felt worth it, and it looked designer, so I didn’t give it much thought.
I wore the dress to work the following week. I couldn’t believe how many compliments I received on it – people asked where it was from, telling me how nice I looked, and asking if I had something special planned that day. It was one of those trial-run wears when you just feel like a million bucks, you know? Sometime during that day, I decided I would do a little research on the designer, David Meister, to see what his collection looked like, and what kind of price point his dresses retailed for. I wasn’t completely surprised to see that the line sold in high-end stores like Neiman’s, Bergdorf Goodman, Saks and Bloomingdales, but I was shocked that the “every day” collection retailed upwards of $450. You can see a sampling of his current collection here.
Honestly, besides my wedding dress, it is one of the most expensive piece of clothing that I own. But I don’t treasure it because I know how expensive it was (not for me, but for the original owner); I treasure it because it makes me feel special. It makes me feel accomplished for finding it, lucky that no one else snagged it up before I did, and proud that I’ve cultivated enough years of thrift-store shopping that I know what to look for. Without further ado, here’s the dress:
What I’m wearing: thrifted David Meister dress & belt; thrifted Tahari shoes; Coach purse; right hand bracelet: thrifted; left hand bracelets, top to bottom: J.Crew via eBay, Stella & Dot, Forever21
All photos by my talented friend and burgeoning photographer Caty Dearing of CatyDear Photography. You can check out her blog here, and her Facebook page here. Thanks Caty!
Happy Friday, y’all!
A long time coming
Last year, I started this blog, with high hopes and good intentions, planning daily posts and drawing up ideas for the future of “megBdesigns”
In July, I had a visit from a dear friend, went to Mexico on vacation, moved Betsy to NYC, and accepted a full-time position as a Marketing Coordinator at a law firm in downtown Dallas. I was busy, exhausted, and completely overwhelmed by how many wonderful and crazy things happened that month. But I didn’t blog about it.
In August, I began said job, and the reality of full-time employment knocked me straight across the face. I drove a daily 1.5 hour commute, met new friends, explored the city over lunch-time, and found a little niche in the office. But I didn’t blog about it.
In the fall, Eric and I coordinated our first wedding together (Lacey & Caleb’s gorgeous garden-inspired affair at the Belltower Chapel & Garden), and celebrated our first anniversary. We had family photos taken by McGowan Images in November. We went house hunting, and ended up buying our first home! We moved in to a brand new house with clean slate walls, and my mind buzzed with possibilities for design and décor. But I didn’t blog about it.
In December, I decided it was time to finish up my master’s degree at TCU. I’d deferred my final project to plan our wedding, get married, and then… life just kind of happened. It was a now-or-never situation. After jumping through a few hoops, I re-enrolled for my final semester in the Schieffer School of Journalism, and I knew, I definitely knew, that I would not blog about it.
That brings us to now. In May, I walked across the stage at graduation; stood beside Bethany as she married Satchel at Willowood Ranch; went back to work at the Belltower as a part-time event coordinator. And finally, I knew… I was ready to blog about it. About all of it. When I started this blog, I’d planned to blog about wedding and event design, and photoshoot styling, because that’s what I thought people would want to read about. But there’s a lot more to my life than that – a good look at my Pinterest boards will give you an idea of my varied interests – “housewivery,” as I like to call it (and yes, I know it’s spelled wrong!), home design and décor, developing my everyday style (and putting together a daily armparty for good measure!), and just… life in general. So… I guess what I’m trying to say, is I’m moving forward with this blog with a new perspective on what I want to write about, and I hope you’ll join me J
And, because no blog would be complete without pictures, here’s a peek into what I’ve been doing lately:
Our first home! More before/afters of the inside soon 
{Graduation}
{Bethany’s wedding :: photo by Joy Neville}
I’ve been tagging along with McGowan Images on a few shoots, doing less full-on design work, and more situational styling… consulting on outfits and accessories, doing hair/makeup, helping with tricky light situations, carrying stuff, and just generally learning more about photography while watching it happen. It’s been a great learning experience for me.
{Anna & Jon’s e-session on Lake Grapevine}
{Megan & Guy’s “bride & groom” shoot @ the Nylo Hotel}
And then there’s this little one, our baby Murphy (who’s really not a baby anymore, but don’t tell me that!). She’s a soft coated wheaten terrier, and we love her more than we thought was possible. She makes life interesting, that’s for sure! (photo by McG)
And… a few recent photos from my Instagram. You can follow me @meaganbechtel
So… I guess all that to say, I’m back, I’ve missed blogging, and I’ve got tons of ideas for the future. See you soon 
Up and Running
Hello!
Man. It’s been awhile. I feel like I should probably offer an explanation for my extended absence. A lot’s been going on around here recently – and with every good intention I had to blog regularly, somewhere along the line, life just… happened. For anyone that noticed, my blog was “hacked” back in August, and I’ve had a helluva time getting it back up and running. After a lengthy conversation with my hosting service this morning, I’m confident that the problem’s been fixed, and I’m ready to return to the blogosphere.
I have a lot to show you.
I’ve taken a few thousand pictures in the last few months – I purchased my first DSLR in July, and I’ve been snapping away ever since. One of my very best friends came to visit, and I had a chance to take photos for her “we’re having a baby” announcement; Eric and I went on a “Mexi-cation” in early celebration of our first anniversary; Betsy moved to NYC, and I went along for the move/first week; I had a chance to stretch my legs as a designer & coordinator for TWO weddings (with another one on the books this coming weekend); I got to assist Michael Hansen with a KILLER style shoot; and finally, in August, I accepted my “dream job” as a Marketing Coordinator at Scheef & Stone, L.L.P. It’s been a busy, crazy, wonderful, stressful, and fulfilling few months. All that to say, I have a TON of posts, stories, and pictures to share, and I hope you’ll be back for more.
I’ll leave you with a photo:
Yesterday, Eric and I celebrated our one-year anniversary. I can’t believe it’s been a whole year since we planned and celebrated our wedding. We were lucky enough to get a quick photo from McGowan Images, taken the night of Caleb & Lacey’s wedding at the Belltower Chapel & Garden. Cheers!
Read MoreA little of this, a little of that…
I had a really great post planned for today. A post about the transition from blog-reader, to blog-writer. Some encouraging words. A brief bit on my favorite bloggers. But really, this is all I have right now.
I bought this gorgeous print from The Wheatfield last week, and I’m SO impressed with Katie Daisy’s work. In another life, I think I was an illustrator. I love the way she uses color – I almost always prefer color to neutrals. I’m hanging this up in our dining area, to remind me to LIVE life this summer, and to appreciate all the color in the world.
I love this quote. It’s encouraging to me today.
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