2012: The Year In Review

I'd like to start this off by saying Thank You.  To YOU, my blog reader.  You have made my life so much more fun in 2012.  Thanks for allowing me the privilege and opportunity of posting my exciting frugal finds.  Your positive feedback and fun observations have made it a thrilling experience.  Claire and I would still thrift, but being able to share is the thick, sugary icing on the cake..........and boy, do I love that :)  It was also a thrill to be able to talk to you in person, and have you comment on my posts.  Several of you sweet ladies have made comments about scarves, especially at the Secret Sister Reveal party.  My precious friend Kathy even bought me two gorgeous scarves for Christmas because of my posts.  That's win all the way around.

I'm a positive person.  I'm a 'glass half full' person.  9 times out of 10, I will work my darndest to turn a bad situation into a good one.  It MAY be the way I was raised, but it may also be in my DNA. 

That being said, I have, for the most part, tried desperately to post only the good stuff in 2012.  Try is the key word.  Sometimes I sadly failed.  Sometimes something hurt me so badly, I posted it anyway.  Mostly on Facebook, which then made me feel even worse because I felt like a teenage girl.  It was nice to get the love and support from various friends when I did, but I always felt guilty afterward, like I was lolling in 'attention-getting,' and geez, how I hate that.  LOOK AT ME!!!  I'M TICKED OFF!!  SOMEONE SAID SOMETHING TO RUIN MY DAY!!!  Oh, the internet.

Lots of you are saying this weekend, '2012, good riddance.  What a lousy year.'  Well............right there with you.

2012 ranks up (down?) there as one of the most trying for me and my family.  When I think of hard years, I will lump 2012, the years of my divorce and my father's passing all together.  No one in my immediate family got cancer or lupus, but we had hard times nonetheless.  Finances and work culminated in difficulties that drove me to my knees over and over.  September in particular was a month I had a running 'whine' thing going on with God.  My car rides were spent crying out to Him, asking for understanding and trying very hard not to be blasphemous in my anger.  

What possible good could come from a year like this?  Deep patience.  Deep gratefulness.  I became grateful for every single good thing that happened to my family and I, no matter how small.  I got stronger, and so did our marriage.   I am wiser financially than I have ever been before.  Things will definitely be streamlined and different in 2013.

I covered all my bases.........I tied up loose ends and did all I could for my relationships in 2012.  Unfortunately, more often than not, I was the one doing all the work.  That ends with the old year.  No amount of fruitless exhaustion and heartache justifies one sided effort.   Stepping back and taking a break emotionally is spiritual and just what needs to be done.

 

In conclusion, I'm looking forward to 2013.  It's going to be a fun year, as Claire and I expand on what we know and are still learning regarding frugal shopping and mindful fashion.  Thanks for reading and commenting!  We value your input! 

DIY Diva: Anne Klein Shooz

So much of what I've bought second hand is perfect, right out of the store.  No alterations, stain removal, etc.  It's kind of a surprise when I buy something that needs a bit of help.  No worries though..........I paid next to nothing for the item, so why not go all 'Bill Nye' (THE BALLET SLIPPERS OF SCIENCE!!!!) and see if I can restore them to their former lustre?

Case in point: these fabulous Anne Klein shoes.  My size, soooo comfortable, and really pretty..........zebra striped velvet with gold buckles.  Yeah, those buckles needed a little help.

They were pretty scratched up, but at $3.29, they were still worth it........the pros definitely outweighed the cons.  At first, I thought, 'the scratches aren't bad, I'll wear them anyway.'  And I did, and no one was the wiser.  The scratches started to bug me, though.  Faster than you could say, 'I smell wood burning,' I tried a little DIY remedy.

I had some gold nail polish that was a little garish for me, but I'd hung onto it.  Since I only wear these shoes in fair, dry weather, I thought I'd put a couple layers of the polish on the buckles and see what happened.  I allowed LOTS of drying time.........like a week.  Two layers were good, as the first was nice but didn't cover the scratches.  The second layer did the trick, but then I had some matte gold buckles.  Hmmm........why not put a clear top layer of polish over it all?

The result?  I am thrilled with them now.  So pretty and no one will know..........well, YOU will when you see me wear them! 

That's perfectly ok with me :)

Bangin' Bangle Friday: Apocalypse Edition

Nope, still here............guess I need to write a post!

You girls who wear silver jewelry?  You're so darn lucky.  It's easy to find inexpensive stuff that LOOKS expensive.  I'm not too proud to admit I'm jealous of you guys.  My daughter is just one of the lucky ladies who can rock the silver and look fabulous.  She tells me all the time I look good in it too............but she's just being nice.  Unless I have gold mixed with silver, the result is the same as when I wear black or grey next to my face: Walking Dead: The Pasty Blonde Girl.

I've told you I 'stalk' stuff at the store.........watching items for weeks until they get marked down enough to justify a purchase along with my milk and bread.  Well, sometimes I stalk things because..........well, I'm drawn to them and I'm just not sure they're right for me.

Case in point: today's bangin' bangle is a silver cz bracelet.  Super SUPER sparkly.  Like a moth to a flame, I am forever drawn to the bling.  This pretty little thing was on the clearance rack at Kohl's.  I saw it, admired it, put it back.........but couldn't get it out of my mind.  Boy, was it pretty.  I continued to think of it, and visit it every so often.  Yes, it was still there on the clearance rack.  Yes, it was marked down a great deal.  Yes, it was SILVER.  I knew it would look poopy by itself on me, no matter how sparkly it was.  Sigh.

Finally, I had a little talk with myself.  I stack my bangles; why not stack the silver with the gold?  I had several prime candidates for stacking already.........this wouldn't necessitate another purchase on my part (thus negating the clearance price).  Plus, it would look lovely with my gold watch.  Just get the silly thing already, Erin!!

I've not regretted this purchase one bit.  It always looks lovely with my gold.  I just wish I could remember how much I paid for it!  I know it was probably about $5.........not bad for an originally expensive bangle!

HGTV, Whiners, The Property Brothers and Style Mags.............

In other words....BRAIN SPILL!!  RABBIT TRAILS!!

Claire and I love to watch HGTV together.  Our favorite shows are The Property Brothers, Income Property, and House Hunters.  The first two shows deal with total rehab of properties.  The men who star have fabulous vision and can remake ANYTHING into a dream home.

The people they have to deal with, on the other hand, are usually entitled, whiny spoiled brats.  They want everything on very little money.  There is a great deal of complaining when they realize their limited budgets don't pay for 'move in ready' homes, and they constantly bristle when they are shown 'fixer ups' that can be rehabbed into the home of their dreams.  In the end, the good guys prevail and the whiners are often left speechless. 

It makes for fabulous reality TV, in my humble opinion.

I honestly can't relate to the whiners.  I have spent my life seeing the possibilities in everything.  Don't tell me something can't be done!  That just makes me buckle down and work harder!

When I was a teenager, 'The Preppy Handbook' was big.  I didn't have a lot of money, but I could sure buy fabulous fakes that looked as good as the real thing Muffy and Kip sported.  When my first husband and I looked for our first house, we saw CRAP, plain and simple.  I got tired of gasping at grime, but we looked past it and redid a tiny 900 sq ft fixer into a very nice home.

Now.............what the heck does all this have to do with frugal fashion?  I TOLD you it was brain spill and rabbits trails!!

You should know by now that I am big into vision.  Seeing the possible in the impossible.  You can apply this to every area of life, and be enriched as a result.

I love to read fashion magazines.  I actually have a subscription to 'In Style,' but it's fun to go to the library and read them, too.  I had a couple I hadn't cracked open yet yesterday, so I took them with me to Claire's first PT visit. 

At first glance, reading fashion magazines seems like an odd pastime for someone looking to save money.  Oodles of pictures of thousand dollar plus purses and shoes, red carpet gowns and sky's the limit jewels...........how does that fall into the category of Goodwill goodies?

If I didn't peruse a fashion magazine periodically, I wouldn't know what the latest styles are, so when I DID shop at thrift stores, I wouldn't have the vision for what I saw there.  Claire wouldn't have had the good luck she has had with the formals we've found, because I wouldn't know what's current.  Likewise second hand purses, shoes, etc.  This is also my reason for subscribing to numerous fashion blogs.  I don't always have the time to look at them, but when I do, I learn a lot.  I don't say, 'UGH!  That's a CHANEL purse, that doesn't apply to me!'  I DO say (when shopping at Goodwill), 'look at that purse!  It looks JUST like a CHANEL!'

 

Checking out the fashions is a marvelous way to spend my time in the waiting room..........and it pays dividends later.

A Cheap Answer for Good Hair Days

I have funky hair.  It's not made any easier to deal with when I color it regularly.  Doesn't matter if it's au naturel or at it's blonde finest..........it's frizzy and weird looking.  I have tangled with it for years.  The advent of flat iron straighteners has made a huge improvement in my hair's appearance, but it's still touch and go.  Nine times out of 10, I believe my 'bad hair' days outweigh the good.

Of course, I could shave it all off.  I'm not to that point in my life yet............the voices in my head haven't weighed in on the 'shave' option.

 

One day, while shopping for toiletries, I stumbled across this obscure tube of Suave Anti-Frizz cream.  At only $3 plus, it was hardly a splurge, so I decided to try it.  Why not?  I've tried just about EVERY anti-frizz product on the planet............what's one more?

 

I can HIGHLY recommend this product!  Applied to dry hair before styling with a flat iron or curling iron, it makes my hair BEHAVE.  It doesn't have to be freshly washed hair, either............I use this every day in between shampoos, and I LOVE the results.  No more bush, no more frizz..........just obedient hair that does exactly what it's supposed to!

 

It's a pleasure to be able to recommend something, rather than complain one more time about another tube of gunk that will grow cobwebs underneath my bathroom sink :)

Bangin' Bangle Friday: Brassy Blonde Edition

 

You know I love my brass bangles!  Just went to Plato's yesterday to sell some stuff and found these beauties.   For $7 total, I got 10 bracelets, but these 3 were the the pick of the bracelet litter!

As you probably already guessed, these puppies were 'poop' colored, desperately in need of my magic brass polish.  They made me work for their shine, too!  That intricate design made it extremely difficult to get all the black off, especially on the big bracelet, so I just left a bit there and it actually make it look prettier.........defining the flowers.

An added bonus?  These are smaller bangles that fit my freakishly small wrists.  Win all over the place.

Fabulous Fakes Vs. Outrageous Reals

Reals.  Is that even a word?  Maybe, like in 'for reals.'  Today however, it pretty much describes my blog post.

My Facebook status bragged about a salesclerk who mistook my Meijer ring ($10 but bought for $8 with Brendan's discount) for a Lia Sophia look alike.  Wow, I love when that happens.

When I came home, I sat down at the computer and looked up Lia Sophia rings.  Gulp.

On average, they run about $88.

 

Lia Sophia ring.  Pretty, but is it worth a couple tanks of gas for my Honda?

 

 

My $8 Meijer knock off.  I love it even more now :)

 

I gotta give big props to Meijer.  When you hit a sale, their stuff is spectacular.  When ours first opened, I got a really nice, big orange purse.  People thought it was a designer bag.    Their jewelry is fab, and so are their clothes.  Plus, it's cool to run in for a loaf of bread and find a beautiful ring, too.

An Addendum For 12/12/12

A few caveats for selling your stuff.............

DON'T EVER, EVER SELL YOUR PURSES!!  These suckers come back into style within a few years, and when they do and you remember you sold the ones that would look perfect today........well, you think about it a lot, especially when you're trying to drift off to sleep.  How do I know?  I'm still kicking myself over reselling that cute but edgy black clutch with the brass buckles that would go with so many things now. 

As for jewelry, it's a bit trickier.   For instance, if you have a pair of earrings, and you're thinking of reselling them, ask yourself why.  Is it because they just don't go with anything you own, but you otherwise like them?   Hold onto those babies!  You never know when they will be the perfect complement to an outfit you don't own yet!  If you're considering reselling them because 1.) they don't hang right 2.) they hurt 3.) they bug you..........then resell them.  If every time you put them on and they just don't 'feel' right, then YOU'RE right to resell them.  Rings, bracelets, necklaces.........if they're just a bit 'off,' no amount of holding onto them will change that.

Also remember than barely used items make excellent gifts.  I always save the cardboard and plastic backs for jewelry, and put together my own gift sets.  There have been so many times that some piece of jewelry that wasn't right for me turns out to be a very special gift for a friend or family member.  However, this is only for items I have bought myself.  I don't regift!

Finally........what if you follow these guidelines and you still regret reselling a purchase?  If it just won't quit beating you up in your mind, write it on a list somewhere so you can be on the look out for a replacement, or ask for one as a gift.  At any rate, hastily getting rid of something you were better off keeping makes you a VERY smart shopper and reseller!  Hey, what is life if not one big opportunity for learning and personal growth?

'Tis The Season........To Sell Your STUFF!!!

You already know Claire and I are big thrift and resale shoppers.   That's only one side of our consumer experience, though.  We also love to resell our unneeded items whenever possible!

Ideally, we donate back to Goodwill.  We itemize every single thing and keep track for our tax returns.  Believe it or not, we donate enough back that it does make a difference, and it's well worth the extra book keeping.

We try to keep our clothing in as nice a condition as possible.  Not only so we can always look (or try to look, LOL) our best,  but also so we can resell our items at a consignment store.

Sometimes, even though we're so careful when we shop, we do find ourselves with a surplus we can't use.  Or, something never fit quite right, so it sat, unloved, in the back of our closets for a while (sniff).  It doesn't matter if it's a fancy designer purse or pair of shoes........if it doesn't fit, no amount of bragging rights will change that!

For the nicer, name brand and designer items we no longer wear or need, we pack them all up and take them to Plato's Closet, a popular resale store in Westerville.  If our items are in demand and just what they want to sell, we get top dollar.  BAM!!  Gas or Christmas money on the spot!

Plato's is a 'young adult' store, so they cater to the teenagers who buy Hollister and Pink items.  If you're a career gal or older (like me), Closet Mentor is more your speed.  Both stores stock beautiful purses and jewelry too.

Sometimes we bring our stuff in, and they can't use any of it.  Hey, it happens.  They only buy what they're selling, so they have to be super picky.  That's the upside if you're buying, but can be a bummer if you're selling.  The last few times I've brought things in to sell, they've taken almost 99%!!  We must be getting better at reading their minds, evidently. 

I am in the process of getting together another laundry basket full of goodies to take into Plato's sometime this week.  I need to supplement the Christmas money, and this is a great way to do it.  While I'm there, I'll peruse the aisles and check out the many, often one of a kind items they have for sale.  In the past, I have gotten absolutely gorgeous jewelry, on trend shoes, and fabulous purses for amazing prices.  When Claire was big into PINK hoodies, an often $45 item, Plato's sold almost new PINK hoodies for $12.  So cool.  We've also gotten formals there, for as little as $5.  You just never know what you're going to find, and like a thrift store, that's part of the fun.

So..........is your closet bursting and your wallet busted?  Go gather some stuff and hopefully sell it!  Maybe I'll see you there :)

Bangin' Bangle Friday 12/7

I'm all about the flashy bling (I AM my mother's daughter!) but there's also a time and place for the understated and elegant.  Today is one of those days!

Behold, the Forever 21 gold cz bangle.  Timeless and goes with everything.........you can wear it to a wedding, or to work with your favorite watch.  It's smashing on it's own, or HOLDING it's own in the midst of some serious arm candy.

 

Michael got this for me for Christmas several years ago, and true to Forever 21's fabulous 'gold' on their accessories, it looks as beautiful as the day I got it.  I believe it cost all of $5.80.  I have my clothing, jewelry and shoes on a 'performance based review' schedule, where I regularly look through my stuff and see what I need to keep or what needs to be donated/resold.

 

This will forever be in the 'keep' pile :)

 

Goodwill Gold

I love when we strike it rich at a thrift shop.

I posted several blogs ago about how we'd already gotten Claire's winter dance dress.  Kinda fell into it at Toujours here in Delaware, on the clearance rack for $8.  HOWEVER, I'm not posting pics of it until she wears it.  Patience, my pretties.

I WILL, however, post pictures of the fabulous accessory for the dress.  Last night, on a Goodwill run, I found this BRAND NEW WITH TAGS satin clutch,  in grey with rhinestones.  Marked down by it's original store for the bargain price of $22.90, I got it for $4.99. 

Friends, this is 'Goodwill Gold.'  It DOES exist (unlike Narwals);  you just need patience.  You also need an open mind, as I ran into Goodwill last night NOT for a grey satin clutch, but for a new everyday purse for my mother in law.  Hers is about ready to fall apart, and she loves bargains just like I do, so I thought I'd find her a new one.  Well, not that trip.

Unlike shopping at the mall, you can't run into a thrift store and get exactly what you're looking for.  Ok, maybe 1 time out of 10 you can, but usually you find something else that you've been looking for.   I'm sure you will agree that THIS purchase is breathtaking.  Plus, it's brand new.

 

Let's keep a 'winter dance ensemble' tally, shall we?  Dress for $8.  Purse for $5.  Marvelous heels (also from Goodwill) $3.29.  I think we'll have to take the dress to Lucinda's, but if it's going to be $35 for alterations...........yeah, we'll come out on top.

And Claire will shine :)

Thrifting Worst Case Scenarios

Glass Artwork Made From Cremated Human Remains Unknowingly Purchased By Utah Thrift Store Customer (PHOTO)

 

This is NOT a normal occurrence, folks!

 

Like anything, weird stuff happens.  You get a frog in your french fries.   Or, your latest thrift store score is made from cremated human remains.

 

Did you see the story earlier this week?  About the picture purchased at a thrift store that turned out to be a valuable lithograph?  It resold at auction for $9,000.  To me, that's as newsworthy as the former story.  Both ends of the spectrum, of course.

 

Bad thrifting stories are what people who are looking for an excuse NOT to thrift hang onto to wave in my face.  I agree, bad stuff happens to good people, blahblahblah.

 

I've been thrifting a very long time though, and the good stuff definitely outweighs the bad.   Seriously, do you think I'd take my kiddo thrift shopping for formal after formal if it weren't an overwhelmingly positive experience?  No matter what you've heard on the street, I am NOT that heartless of a parent.

 

I could tell you of the times I've bought something at a thrift store that turned out to be nasty.  I'd rather tell you of the times like last winter, when Claire was getting ready to go to her friend's  homecoming and her dress didn't fit.  An hour before.  So, we said a prayer and headed to Goodwill, because we were nowhere near a store selling prom dresses.  Guess what? Pulled a newly cleaned formal dress off the rack that fit Claire and cost $5, and made it on time.  I love the pictures of that evening, because it's a testament to God's grace and provision.

 

Look;  if you don't wanna thrift, no amount of my happy stories are going to change that.  Some people just can't get past the idea of used clothing.  I get it, I have my stuff too.  Please don't ask me eat liver.  Ever.

 

I'm also not a fan of pears or figs, but I won't rain on your parade while you devour them in my presence and exclaim over their deliciousness.  Same for thrifting: don't make snarky comments about my resale goodies when I'm showing them off.  We can all coexist without being carbon copies of each other, and be happy for each other's different interests.

 

However, if you're looking to thrift and you want back up...........I'm your girl.  Even with only an hour to spare.

 

 

 

Hardships? Or Priorities? Not Judgin', Just Sayin'

Aunt Erin is taking over this blog today, and she's tired of your whining.

Just a head's up if you were expecting light hearted frugal fashion pointers.

I drove Claire to school today, for a special choir practice.  We drive past the Common Ground Free Store here in Delaware, which is just what the name implies.  They provide free goods and food for lower income families here in town.  On the days they're open, I swear that line forming outside gets longer every time :(

So, I drove Claire to school driving past the Free Store both times, and came home to check my Facebook. 

Thankfully, most of my FB friends are very grateful people.  They are right there with being vocal about their blessings.  I've gotten rid of folks who did nothing but complain and throw negativity around, especially in their postings on my page.  I don't need it!  FB should be fun and life is hard enough!!

Unfortunately, every now and then, someone complains about not having enough money for groceries.  Or gas.  Or things for their kids.  Or worrying about paying for Christmas.  Job difficulties.  Medical expenses.

These are all legitimate complaints.  The economy blows and it's not getting any better.  The term 'Fiscal Cliff' isn't just the catch phrase of the day.  It's a reality if our elected officials can't get their stuff together.

So, what do you do when you encounter tough times?  You tighten that belt and deal with it.  You give up something in order to have Christmas for your kids.  That's what successful people throughout time have done.  Someday things will be better, and then YOU can have your Christmas.

I wish I saw more of this. 

What I DO see is people on one hand complaining about not having enough money, and then on the other other hand gushing about their Caribbean vacation they're about to take.  Or their brand new, expensive car.  Their fabulous new cell phone with all the bells and whistles.    The 'shop 'til you drop' trip they just took to the outlet stores.  The $100 per ticket concert they're going to.

It's not a question of lack of money.  It's priorities.

If you have the money to eat out every night, but are nickel and dimeing yourself in other areas, don't say money's tight.  Say eating out is your priority.  Paying for medical insurance isn't.

If you buy your 1 year old designer sneakers that rival in price an adult's, yet are breaking open the kid's piggy bank to count pennies for diapers............um, yeah.  Please don't say I need to explain that one to you.

Those people in line at the Free Store aren't there for the designer purses inside.  They are there for the packs of underwear and socks for their kids, or the warm coats and mittens so they won't freeze on the way to school.  They aren't in line talking about that trip to Disney they're taking in the spring.

From a personal standpoint, I can speak from experience on the broad spectrum of family finances.  I have been wealthy, and I have had very little.

Not all wealthy people take their material blessings for granted, but I know it's very easy to do.  You get used to having enough grocery, gas and car insurance money, and having a job that provides medical insurance, so you start to view other things  as necessities, like your kids' extracurricular activities, eating out, vacations, presents, and going to the gym.  You don't think twice about dropping $100 on a flat iron or a George Foreman Grill.  When all your needs and more are being taking care of, it's easy to lose focus and realize how blessed you really are.

When you have almost nothing, you start to develop a keen sense of what's truly important in life.  You get creative, or you do without.  You realize that a $10 pair of earrings is equal to a trip to the grocery store for milk, bread and toilet paper.  $10 can buy medicine for your kiddo, or it can buy lottery tickets.  $10 can pay for a surprising amount of toys at Goodwill, for a child who might not otherwise have a Christmas or birthday celebration.  $10 can buy lunch for 2 at Mcdonald's.........or it can buy a week's worth of fresh produce (on sale, of course) to supplement an all too often dinner of boxed mac and cheese.

As hard as it is to do without, I'm grateful for the experience.  It really opens your eyes and clarifies what you classify as 'wants' and 'needs.'  It makes you work harder and be truly grateful when the good stuff comes your way.   Having less means you value it more.  You may not be able to have an evening for 4 at the neighborhood multiplex, complete with $50 in snacks, but you can enjoy a movie at home with popcorn and ice cream floats...........and you're not fighting the traffic and crowds.

This December, give yourself the gift of viewing your blessings with fresh eyes.  You don't need to be standing in line at the Free Store to do it.