3 new [to me] items, less than $10

In pursuit of some Halloween items, I ventured to one of the bigger Goodwills in my area. I didn't find the items I was looking for, but with a tag sale going on, I did walk away with some great deals.

Red heels: Rocketdog / $3

Nude pumps : Comfort Plus / $5
I already do have a few nude pairs of shoes, but a comfortable and versatile pair of pumps has been on my list forever!

 Brown shorts: LOFT / $1.50



In other news, I have finally upgraded to a new phone, and joined team iPhone, so my photography should hopefully improve signifcantly. I also found my actual camera, which had been missing for 2.5 years and I thought had for sure been lost/stolen during one particularly sudden, piecemeal move. (4 moves ago, if you can imagine that!). Now I just need to find the special battery charger.

Caving to the Outlet

For the last few months I had been executing such restraint in my clothes purchasing, in particular, refraining from visiting the outlet. But alas, I have now made 2 trips there in just a few short weeks - though both were at the suggestion of others.

My sister and I met at the outlet this afternoon and also went to a clothing exchange. For the combined price of $13.05 and a bag of clothes to swap, I got the following:

4 pairs of pants/ shorts
2 blazers
3 cardigans
3 shirts
2 dresses
3 like-new bras
1 brand new VS swimsuit
1 hoodie
a few workout items

Monokinis may be extremely awkward and produce the worst tan lines, but I found a brand new (adhesive liner still in place) Victoria's Secret monokini that somehow fits perfectly. This is particularly notable due to my incongruous bust and tush sizes.
On my lousy camera phone it appears brown, but in real life it is a gorgeous lavender.

April and May Purchases: Progess!

April Purchases:

Flats: BP/ $4 / Value Village
Boots: $10 / Value Village

May Purchases:

Heels: $2.50/ Value Village
Sweater: Old Navy/ $2 / Value Village 
Cropped Pants: Express/ $5 / Value Village
Ankle Boots: $4/ Value Village
Blouse: H&M/ $2/Value Village
Flats: ShoeMint/$0 (not pictured, discussed here)
Total = $15.50

You can't beat holiday sales! Value Village was 50% off store-wide for Memorial Day.

As much as a love trips to the outlet store, returning with a giant bag or two of clothes for $15, I am completely out of space and am forbidding myself to indulge any more. For the time being, my only purchases are those that fulfill a need and/or replace something old and worn out.

In even more productive news, I joined my mom and sis in a neighborhood garage sale in May, which finally gave me the motivation to go through my closet and drawers and purge unworn items. Unable to get a fire under my butt to do this for years, I gathered numerous bags of clothes and collected an entire row of hanging items that I am ready to part with -- for potential cash, of course. I made about $65 in the garage sale and will try taking the unsold items to Buffalo Exchange or Crossroads.

Brand New Shoes... For Free!

Like most people, I get a lot of "junk" emails. Newsletters, promos, daily deals, LinkedIn network updates, etc etc. I usually scroll through them half-heartedly, occasionally clicking a link if I see something I like - but am usually turned off by the price, even when on sale.

I'm not sure how I got on the ShoeMint email list -- most likely from entering a giveaway, as is the case with most of my subscriptions. In a recent email from them, I clicked on a pair of flats that I liked, and was happy to find them also available in nude, as nude flats are at the very top of my list. Unfortunately, the $80 price tag made them a no deal.

Then I remembered I'd been getting emails from the same company regarding "credit about to expire" and figured I'd see how much of this credit I actually had. Turns out, I somehow had credit that equaled the exact price of these shoes, and shipping was free! I didn't even have to input my card information, and I got a gorgeous pair of brand new shoes for free.

Classic Pointed Flat $79.98

TV - Inspired look

I've been watching a lot of old 'Community' lately, and I was a little too excited to see Annie wearing a dress that I own. Her style is not too different from mine (when I wear a dress or skirt, that is!) but I figured it would be fun to recreate her look.

Inspiration:

Unfortunately, there were no full length shots of her in this outfit, but I think it's safe to assume the bottom half was black tights and flats.

Aside from the obvious differences in photography and scenery, can you tell us apart?

Dress: Forever 21 (Goodwill outlet)

Cardigan: BP (Goodwill Outlet)
Flats: BP (Value Village, $4)

Completion

I wore this outfit without jewelry, but that day, the bubble necklace I had ordered arrived in the mail to my office. It was so perfect for my outfit that I was tempted to put in on right away - but I thought that was kind of dorky/awkward, so I opted not to. I did put it on for pictures at home!

Originally, Sans Jewelry:

Same outfit, completed:

Dress: H&M / Goodwill Outlet

Cardigan: Mossimo / Goodwill Outlet

Tights: HUE

Boots: Target? / Buffalo Exchange / $20

Necklace: Urban Peach Boutique / $9

Layering + Sleeve Tutorial

When pairing buttoned shirts with sweaters, I struggle every time with the sleeves. They never seem to align well, and usually the sweater sleeve has excessive length, resulting in bulk. Most of the time I have to try several sweaters until it feels acceptable, and more often than not I just give up on this type of pairing. For once, I was lucky enough to get it looking right & without bulk on the first try, and it stayed in place all day with no fuss.

Sweater: H&M / Goodwill Outlet

Shirt: H&M / Goodwill Outlet

Jeans: Express / Buffalo Exchange / $20 (?)

Wedges: Nine West / Value Village / $8

 

1        1. Start with sweater sleeve pushed up or folded over so that it reaches just past the cuff of the shirt.

2       2. Flip shirt cuff back over and around the sweater.

3       3. Roll both shirt & sweater together until you've reached your desired length on arm. (This was just once for me)

With the shirt cuff unbuttoned, it’ll be able to fit around your upper forearm, and you’ll have freedom of movement. The elasticity of the sweater will hold the pair in place nicely, with just a small gap visible on the underside of your arm. (4)