Too Old for Smocking?

My mom gave me the heads up on a couple of yard sale signs she saw on her way home from work at the end of last week. So Saturday morning I loaded up the girls to go and check them out. One was actually a restaurant that had closed and was selling off a bunch of their supplies. I got a couple of nice heavy duty 1/2 sheet pans, a couple of equally heavy duty frying pans, and a stack of stainless steel condiment cups (great for giving kids little snacks in), all for $10.


They just need a little cleaning up.

 The next sale was right down the road and right up our alley - a moving sale put on by a family with a couple of girls a little older than mine. Bins and bins of girls' clothing, toys, and dress-up clothes among other odds and ends. I hit the clothes jack pot for my oldest. Apparently their mom liked to shop. And the dad, who was running the sale, said to name my own price. You got it dude. That means 50 cents to $1.00 per item. He paused like he knew he was getting ripped off, but then said okay because he obviously just wanted to be rid of it all. $35 total for over 40 articles of clothing, including boots, shoes, a new coat, a bunch of beautiful dresses, a light-up Little Mermaid costume and a couple of books.  I don't care a lick whether or not my kids are wearing name brands but my daughter will now be sporting a few Lilly Pulitzer pieces, among others pricey brands.

Here are a few of the dresses we came home with. Not bad for $1 each if I do say so myself. All have been "twirl-tested" and a few passed with flying colors.

My favorite

And finally, this is one of two identical green and white gingham dresses with more smocking (we gave the matching one to my daughter's friend).

How sweet is that? Gotta love the gingham and smocking combo, it's so old fashioned. I know, I know. She's six, not two. Exactly how old is too old to still dress your daughters in smocking??