CHAPTER 14: Empty Cups

 I recently took a much-needed mental health day. My schedule has been non-stop lately with end-of-year activities and getting ready for my son’s graduation. It’s a cliché because it’s true: You cannot pour from an empty cup.

Between the personal milestones, I’ve been working on styling costumes for my daughter’s end-of-year choir pop show. Coordinating 15 songs and outfits for 18 kids is no small task! While I am truly enjoying this chapter and the time I get to spend with them, I realized I needed a reprieve. When I need a little quiet time and a fresh spark of inspiration, I do what I do best: I head to the thrift store.

My journey recently brought me to Best Dressed Wallflower in Old East Dallas—my old stomping grounds! I met with the owner, Karalyne, who is a stylist herself. She has taken so much time to carefully curate some of the most beautiful vintage pieces I have ever seen.


We mixed, we matched, and we created balance and character out of anything and everything. We pulled together unexpected pieces and made them work in ways that only another creative mind can appreciate. I could have spent way too much time (and money!) there. I love meeting fellow creatives; being able to "ping-pong" ideas back and forth is exactly what keeps me inspired to keep creating.

There is more than enough room for every secondhand stylist and store because, frankly, there are more than enough clothes on this planet. I honestly don’t know what I love more about the thrift community: the treasures you find or the community those treasures create.

Each person I meet has such a unique journey, and I love being able to share a part of it. This is a deeply important part of my life—connecting, slowing down, and fighting the cycle of fast fashion. These things are all tied together and deeply rooted in what makes us happy.

Life moves fast and it can be overwhelming. I can’t stress enough how important it is to take the time to take care of yourself, however that might look for you. For me, it looks like vintage racks and creative conversation.


Head over to bestdressedwallflower.com and support another secondhand stylist. We’re here to fight fast fashion and express ourselves, and we can’t do that alone!


Stay Chic,

Gabriella Dolce 

The 2nd Story

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