Floral Cardi

I am so happy to have found this floral cardigan at Goodwill. It is 55% silk and it matches my second new oversized grad school handbag. (See my first bag here.)

Cardigan: Madison brand, $4 from Goodwil

Shirt: free, secondhand from a friend

Necklace: $12 from a gift shop

Bracelet: $3 in the Walmart clearance section

Jeans: $8 from A.E.O

Shoes: $20 from A.E.O.

Bag: $10 from Plato's Closet

Total (with purse): $57

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Lacy Ruffles

Cami: free, secondhand from a friend

Necklace: ~$4 from Uptown Cheapskate

Cardigan: $11 from Belk

Crops: ~$18 from A.E.O.

Shoes: ALDO, $5 - $10 from Plato's Closet

Bracelet 1: $3 from A.E.O

Bracelet 2: $3 from Hallmark

Hairclip: family gift

Total: estimated $40 - $49

See how else I paired the cami here.

American Eagle bracelet

Hallmark bracelet

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Pastel Purple Sandals

I once had a dream that I owned a closet full of shoes of every color. For some reason, this dream has since heavily impacted my view of shoe choices. At the time of the dream I owned red, black, white, tan, and brown shoes. I have since sought to purchase shoes of many colors, including these $5 beauties.

What aspects do you consider when purchasing a shoe?

Scarf: $8 from American Eagle Outfitters

Crops: about $18 from A.E.O

Top: LOFT, $3 from Goodwill (probably 90% off retail)

Sandals: C. Wonder, $5 from a local consignment store

Headband: $10 

Total: $44

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Oversized Grad School Handbag

Of course if I'm getting a new bag for grad school, it's going to have enough space to hold a mid-sized filing cabinet.

I purchased this Jaclyn Smith (a Kmart brand, I later discover) from a nearby consignment store for about 50-60% off retail price. This wasn't my most successful purchase, as the bag has been proven to be of low quality. Knowing brands before you purchase second hand is always helpful to give you hints about the kind of bargain you're getting.

Oh well, I'm still learning.

Top: H&M, $3 from Goodwill

Crops: $20 from American Eagle

Flats: $12 at American Eagle

Earrings: $3

Bag: $10 

Total: $48

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Coffee Table and Makeover for $12

Table: $3 at the State Surplus Agency

Sandpaper: $1 at Dollar Tree

Spray Paint: $8 at Lowe's Hardware

A few years ago, we lucked out on finding this hideous, yet ridiculously cheap coffee table. It had a broken leg that I have since glued firmly to the table. Because this table was only $3 and still has hints of having a broken leg, I decided it would be a great project for me to practice my sanding and painting skills. I made a few mistakes, one of which was using too heavy a grain of sandpaper and overly-scratching the table. But overall, I'm so glad I was able to practice!

 Please admire the original, beautiful scratched orange-brown finish below:

I was surprised at the paleness of the fake wood underneath the paint:

The middle of the table, mostly before sanding. We love the pattern of the wood.

 Ta-da! Here is the finished product.

I didn't want the legs to stain the carpet, so that's why there are paper towels under the legs in the picture.

Bonus: The couch pictured here was free from a friend!

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