My Best Friend... When It Comes to Clothes

I LOVE clothes so much but I have no shame in admitting that I'm a penny-pincher. I hate to spend my money and so I have discovered the poor-girls-who-still-like-to-look-pretty alternative.. GOODWILL! Most people have already caught onto this cheap trend but some people still are a little frightened at the thought of rummaging through who-knows-whose who-knows-whats! And then there are those people who say, you find good stuff there but I don't ever find anything when I go. But have no fear my fellow frugals!, here are a few tips on how to successfully conquer Goodwill:

1.) HAVE AN OPEN MIND! This is the absolute key to Goodwill shopping!! If you even kind of like something, try it on!!! Even if it ends up being ugly, the only person who sees is you and I always find it humorous when I end up trying on something hideous. Some of my favorite pieces are things I hated on the rack. Also, keep in mind all the times you or your friends have donated clothes; Goodwill isn't going to sell something flea-infested, so as long as you wash them after you purchase them I am quite sure you aren't getting a disease from these clothes.

2.) DON'T LOOK AT THE TAG, LOOK AT THE ITEM. I NEVER look at sizes when I shop at Goodwill. Much of my closet consists of larges and XLs. Goodwill has a very wide variety of styles and brands and a lot of the clothes are older therefore the sizing is different than it is now (ie smaller generally). Just eyeball it and if it looks right try it on. Again, there is no shame if it doesn't fit for any reason. Don't forget that big shirts can be dresses, long skirts can also be dresses, and mom jeans can be made into high-waisted attire so... refer to tip 1!

3.) TRY IT ON!! Be adventurous and have fun! Go with a friend and even if you don't buy a single thing you will be sure to have a ton of fun as long as your willing to put on what ever they throw at you!!

**Final Note: I usually refrain from purchasing undergarments, swimsuits or shoes that are worn out in the sole at all, but I do have friends who do so if you are okay with that just be sure to wash/sanitize all items thoroughly.

Here are a few of my favorite finds!! All of the ones to the left I did some kind of tweaking to but it was all really easy!

DIY Prom!

I knew that for my senior prom I wouldn't be satisfied with something generic and I DEFINITELY wasn't going to have a copy-cat dress so I decided I was going to craft my own! I didn't start from scratch because I didn't make this decision until about a week before prom. I found the dress at Goodwill for $10 and then got to cutting! It really wasn't too much work to make this one of a kind, all I had to do was cut out the back and hem it to make it clean and even. the dress originally was a halter so I cut the halter straps to make the corset loops on either side of the back. I sewed buttons into the front to bring the corset strings over the shoulders and make straps. The dress was originally an 8 or something and I wear 2 or 4, but with the corset it fit, plus I detached the bow from its original spot and brought it up higher and used it to make the hip of the dress tighter. I put a petti-skirt underneath to add volume and had it steamed. Total net cost, because I already had most of the materials, was about $50, and it was a HUGE success at prom!

Also the couple we went with to prom did the Stuck On Prom Duct Tape Challenge! Everything she and he are wearing is made of Duct Tape, even his hat, pants, and her purse.

[W]Rappers

Clever home-made costume for 'Rap Day' at school! Wrapping paper and lots of packing tape makes a cute "[w]rapper" costume