Lilly Pulitzer for Target

When I got on the internet this morning, the whole world was buzzing about Lilly Pulitzer for Target. I remembered that I was a little enamored of the button-up (even though it's not really a type 4 clothing item).  So, I ran over to the local Target at 8:30 AM and grabbed some items. I got two things for me and two things for the DD. I don't know if she will like them or not, so they may be going back.

Update: The shift dress below looked absolutely adorable on the DD. I guess I'll keep everything except maybe the pants.

Next Update: Yes, I was one of the evil people who listed Lilly for Target on eBay. I sold the size large Nosey Posie Shirt for $55 dollars and the Boom Boom Palazzo Pants for $50. With taxes, PayPal's cut, eBay's cut, and shipping, that put my total for the three items I kept at about $12 each. I'm a happy camper.

I got this shirt in two sizes. I normally wear a medium, but I thought I might need a large. I didn't. This shirt isn't quite this bright in real life.

I also picked up these palazzo pants. I'm not sure I'll keep them--what in the world would I wear with them or wear them to? Hmmm....

I picked up these two possibly for the DD.

Old Talbots Catalogs

If you like Talbots as much as I do, you may like this stroll down memory lane:

December 2014 Purchases

I had a few extra little things that I let the BHW give me as Christmas gifts, but overall I am doing pretty good on sticking to my guns. Next year I am going down to $50 a month. Can I do it? We shall see.

Edit: Actually, I am going to give myself $100 every three months and see if I can do that.

November 2014 Purchases

I haven't been all that excited about the jewel sweatshirt trend, but for $15, I bit at Costco. I love the teacup sweater, and I got the buffalo check shirt for a very good price because something I had ordered previously didn't work out, so J.Crew let me select any shirt for the same price. I haven't got it yet, so it may or may not stay with me.

October 2014 Purchases

Once again I snuck in at $100. I was finally able to use my $10 Gap/BR/Old Navy reward (that I kept using and then returning the items and getting the reward back) on the flannel shirt which is why it was so cheap.
I think I am fully stocked in blue and green sweaters now. I know I'd sworn off J. Crew for sweaters (pilling), but I loved the colors on these, so I bit. We shall see...
Now I am mainly looking for an "I can't live without it" orange blazer and anything with a bold black and white pattern. I read recently that most people wear 20% of their wardrobe 80% of the time. I guess that means most of us need a little less wardrobe than we think. I do know that I have about five pairs of jeans, but I only really wear one of them most of the time. Hmmm.....

Stay tuned, because tomorrow will be my 1,000th blog post, and I am hosting my first giveaway ever!!!!

Bling Collecting

This jewelry set I'm particularly fond of. I first bought the green jade necklace and the bracelet on eBay about three years ago for about $15. The green stones are real jade, but the turquoise is just plastic cabochons. A year ago I found the earrings for $5, and then this summer I found the bib necklace for $15. I love this set together!

September 2014 Purchases

Since it was my birthday, I let myself go a little over budget. I ended up getting the polka dot sweater free as it was an incorrect shipment from eBay. The Loft moto jacket is probably my favorite find -- followed by the Tracy Reese skirt from Anthropologie. This is my second skirt from her, and I love both of them.

eBay Adventures

J.Crew Collection Cashmere Polka-Dot Sweater in Green Atlantic $268

J.Crew Factory Intarsia Charley Sweater in Polka Dot in Kelly/Navy $80

So I've been selling quite a bit on eBay -- all of my gray and brown things -- and using the proceeds in purchasing the odd thing here and there. A couple of weeks ago I saw that some one had listed the J. Crew Collection Cashmere Polka-Dot Sweater in Green Atlantic, which I've always had a crush on, brand new with tags for 29 dollars. Of course it didn't stay that low, but I ended up getting it for $71 dollars shipped, which was a steal considering that it was originally $268. I was excited to get it in the mail.
Imagine my disappointment when I opened the package and found that I had received the J. Crew Factory remake, cheap and itchy, instead.
What's up with these sellers? Do they honestly not know the difference, or do they think that the buyers are that naive? Anyway, I immediately opened a case for a full refund, and after waiting until the last day before I'm supposed to contact eBay to start a claim, the buyer suddenly refunded me in full. No message, nada. So -- am I just supposed to keep this? I'm not the least bit in love with it -- it's majorly itchy.
I have learned my lesson though. If something seems to good to be true, it probably is.

August 2014 Purchases

I picked up a few things from the Talbots Red Hanger Sale that piqued my interest. I added the shirt from eBay, but it was technically free as I used paypal credit from selling things to buy it.

July 2014 Purchases

I only bought one thing in July, and it only cost me $3 dollars. I was too busy getting ready to go on vacation to do much else. While I was at the open air market in Otavalo, Mike's brother bought this scarf for me. This has to be an all time low for clothes spending for me. Of course, we did spend a ton on our vacation, so it was a good time to cut back.

**Edit--After thinking about it, I remembered that I also picked up this Stretch Weekend Terry Striped Skirt from Talbots for $10 to take on my vacation to Ecuador. So my real total is $13.

June 2014 Purchases

I did quite well and almost kept this down under $100. I picked up the shirt and sweaters for a song, really. The color on the shorts is washed out in the picture -- in real life they are quite orange.

Ebay, Week 2

Here are the results of a second week of eBay listings. Things really move if you price them to sell!

May 2014 Purchases

All of these purchases were made before I started Dressing Your Truth, but the two skirts will work well with it, I think. The necklace -- well, bling is bling, you know.  I have to add the Montagne Pencil Skirt (to the left) to this total -- it was $70, which brings my total to $125.

Shoe Painting

So a while back I won some liberty print shoes on eBay. Unfortunately, the shoes I won were not what were was shipped to me. Instead, I got these shoes to the left. After being informed of the mix-up, the seller refunded my money and told me to keep the shoes. Sadly, these shoes weren't really to my taste -- rather bland and insipid. What to do? Well, shoe painting is all the rage right now, so I thought I'd give it a try.
After FOUR coats of paint, this is how they look now. I'm trying them with two different shoe clips that I own. The paint I used doesn't change the feel of the fabric (i.e. make it stiff), so overall I'm pretty pleased with how they came out. This inspired me to also try painting some bone heels that I pretty much never wear a beautiful dark purple instead. I'm also in the middle of painting a beige purse blue and a pink purse red, but those are big projects that are taking a bit longer to get done.
VERDICT: At $2-3 a bottle (I used Angelus Opaque Leather Paint in Green and Purple), shoe paint is a fairly inexpensive albeit time consuming method of obtaining a "new" pair of shoes. What do you think about how they turned out?

April Purchases

So technically I purchased the pants before April, but I ended up returning and repurchasing for less. The heart cardigan would have been fun for Valentines, but I'll take it now for free...

March Purchases

I spent a bit more than I planned on this month, but the green coat was too cute to pass up and a nice investment for the long term.

February Purchases

I feel like I got some pretty good deals this month. For some reason, clothing companies have been throwing free gift cards at me left and right, so I got a few things for free.

January 2014 Purchases

I know, I know, my goal was to only buy one thing a month and keep it under $50, if at all, but . . . .
Okay, so I got eleven items instead of one. I did only spend $80. But . . .  I really couldn't waste a $45 Eddie Bauer rewards card, I've always been tempted by that ruffle skirt, I couldn't pass on the scarf for $2.61, I really loved the necklace/earrings when I first saw them at Talbots, and one of the Talbots shirts was free, and the other was just $13. Finally, I know I’ve sworn off Chicos as the ladies at the local Chicos are as scary as Leslie’s library ladies in Parks and Recreation, but when they give you a $50 gift certificate, you have to do something with it, right?  Gee. I'm my own worst enabler.

Edit: At the last minute I added the J. Crew Garnet Flame Plaid Shirt, NWT on eBay for $20 shipped. I still had $20 dollars left in my monthly shopping budget, and I just couldn't resist it. I know, I am weak.

So...my ending total was 12 items for $100.

December Purchases

My goal for the new year is to only buy one new thing a month, if at all. I really have an amazing closet built up, and I need to utilize it more. The only things I've been buying this month are basics I can really use (the white shirt, the sneakers I can wear to school and use my inserts with, the burgundy cords) or things I got for basically free (the $50 scarf where I bought one, got one free and sent it to my mom for her birthday, the Talbots set, the J. Crew Factory items).

November Purchases

I spent a bit more than my goal of $100, but compared to last year ($505), I think I have made some improvement.