Dresses for Less......formals on a Budget

A stag dance.

Her other dresses

Last summer I was on a mission to find some formals for Natalie as I garage sale shopped. I ended up with finding 6. I then found 4 at a thrift store. A manufacturer had donated their old inventory and all the dresses still had the tags on them. Some of these had original price tags of $200. The thrift store sold each of them for $35.00. It was always a risk when I purchased these at the yard sale, because Natalie usually was not with me, but I figured I could always alter them or or resale them. I think only two of the dresses will not work. One, Natalie does not like and the other requires too many complicated alterations to make it work. Here is what I spent;

garage sales:

black dress 8.00

red dress with shawl 15.00

short green dress 5.00

light blue dress 8.00

light blue dress (one she doesn't like) 3.00

red dress (too many alterations) 40.00

thrift store

light blue sparkly 35.00

royal blue 35.00

magenta 35.00

princess blue one 35.00

TOTAL: 196.00

That seems like a lot, but I figured she has 8 dresses she will wear and it works out to be about $26 a dress. I told her earlier that I would buy her one dress a year, so this year for the price of one she has 8. I do need to work on my sewing ability, though. The top light blue dress, she is wearing above, I had to take in and altered the sleeves. When she gave her date a hug goodnight her right sleeve ripped off. hahahah :)

Garage Sale

After reading Cathy's and Al's blogs on the great treasures they purchase recently at garage sales, I stopped by one and this is what I bought for 11 dollars:

cannon rebel film camera with a separate flash that works!

tripod

sweatshirt

star wars lego video game

2 boxes of Christmas lights

I am really excited about the flash because it fits my new digital cannon camera I just bought and I did not have a tripod.  The star wars game will be wrapped and put in Joseph's stocking. The camera was priced cheaper than a disposable camera.

Random Things and Treasures

This weeks treasures:

pair of worn in jeans that fit great: 2.00

old navy spring skirt(cute a little tight) 1.00

book-Little Women .25

pack of new socks 1.00

6 pack of sprinkles 1.00

quilt 3.00

razor scooter(couldn't talk price down) 10.00

new air soft gun 5.00

new heartsong puppet theater

for doorway 2.00

6 pair of socks for Joe .50

total 25.75

I spent more than I usually do, but the kids needed the scooter with summer vacation around the corner and Jake was saving his money for an airsoft gun.  I told him he could have this one after he completed two of his merit badges.  I do not like these guns but the boys have fun with them when they wear all the protective glasses.  The quilt had a sham and 2 sheets that came with it.  It looks great in the spare room and really soft.  The puppet theater is brand new still in the wrapper.  The socks were a great find because the boys and Joseph never seem to have any socks even though I am constantly buying them.  I don't know if I like blogging my garage sale finds.  I feel like I have to explain why I am purchasing this stuff like I often do when John sees me come into the house with all the "junk" as he calls it.  He is ok with it as long as I get rid of some of our stuff.  The thought of blogging my purchases did make me think twice. I did not buy  a few other items because I knew my sisters would think, why did Emily buy that?. I still have not found the items on my list--the hunt will continue next week.  

Garage Sale

My sisters wanted me to blog what I get at garage sales each week.  The things I was looking for this week:

  1.    Coat for Joseph next year

2.     Boots for Jake

3.     Cool chair for next to my desk

4.     Old barbies (Suz made 550.00 on some barbies she bought for 20.00)

5.     cedar chest

6.     cake platter for cheryl

7.     bundt pan for Al

This is what I found:

1.     North Face down sleep bag Natalie needs for girl's camp hiking trip 5.00

2.     box of nail polish for the girls .50

3.     Twilight book ( I had this book and loan it out and never got it back).50

4.     Children's desk atlas .50

5.     Two purses  2.00 each

6.     Kids birthday planning book.  1.00

Grand total:  11.50

So I did not find anything I was necessarily looking for but did get some things I needed.  Yesterday I was just at Target looking at purses.  I really like the canvas one for summer and the black will be great for fall.  The buckles are a little shinny but so were the ones at Target.  My girls are thrilled with all the nail polishes in the box.  All in all a great day at garage sales.  Time spent:  6:45 to 8:30.

1st garage sale of season

I told John I wasn't going to buy anything but only look at a fundraiser/yardsale this past Saturday.  Yet, I came home with 3 shirts for Caroline, a sweatshirt and 2 shirts for Joseph, camouflage rain boots for Joseph, a new library book bag, earings for Natalie, and a seasoned wok.  Well I spent all of 4 dollars on everything.  To my credit I did put back some items I was going to buy.  My goal this year is to be very selective and to get rid of the same number of items of stuff I bring in.   I still don't know why I love a good yard sale.  Perhaps it is the thrill of the hunt.  Or it could be because it is the one thing my good friend Lori and I do each Saturday morning.  Some of my favorite things I own are from yard sales like a quilt top made with vintage clothes and fabric from 1950s that I finished or the old vintage picnic basket that we use when we go camping or up the canyon.  My girl's favorite dress up clothes I have purchased at garage sales.  There is also the shopping high I get from finding a bargain.  I think I inherited my love for garage sales from my mom who would find cool antiques on the curbside in Boston set out for the garbage when we were little.  I guess I did not need any of the items I bought but my children sure loved them.  Tomorrow I will get rid of some of my junk and maybe make a stir fry to justify the wok:)