Homemade

I just LOVE this fabric. I kept seeing it at Jo-Ann Fabric and thinking how pretty it was, so when it was 50% off last time I was there I just had to buy it, so I snatched up a yard. It's a medium weight knit with some stretch.

I've been working on my seamstress skills lately, and I love working with knits because the weight and stretch makes them pretty forgiving. I decided that my fabric needed to be a dress.

I should probably post a picture of me wearing the dress so you can get a better idea of what it looks like, but I do really like how it turned out! I'm so proud of the sleeves- this is the first time I've attempted them!


I have lots of learning to do, and using a pattern probably wouldn't hurt, but making your own clothes is really fun! I'm learning as I go. I've just been tracing clothing that fits me onto the fabric and going from there... so far it's working pretty well for me. If you have a sewing machine and some spare time, give making clothing a try!

Cost: 5.00

Warm Fuzzies

I'm a sucker for soft, fuzzy things. I spotted this black (fox?) fur collar at an antique store yesterday and was intrigued. I think stand-alone collars are a cool idea in general because you can add them on to any outfit, and this one felt so amazing I just had to get it. It was unmarked for price so I had to ask, and the lady called the stall vendor and said, "she said 12 but she'll take 10." Hmm. I don't think she was supposed to tell me that second part. But hey, I'm not complaining! After considering it for a few minutes I decided to go for it and add a touch of luxury to my life.

I'm an animal lover so have always been wary of fur items even though I really do like wearing fur (it just feels sooo nice!). I felt pretty good about this purchase though; since it's vintage/second hand I don't feel like I'm financially supporting the industry.


It's so warm! It should be perfect for winter. What I like about it is that I can even wear it with a plain old t-shirt. Fun fun!

Price: 10.00

Target Sales - $10 and Under

Let's go virtual shopping! Since we're strapped for cash, we're making a bee-line for the clearance racks (as I always do ;). Today we're shopping at Target. Now I usually don't have the best luck with Target's clearance racks, but it would seem that virtual clearance racks are much better! Here are a few pieces I'm taking into the dressing room with me- each item costs $10 or less.

Juniors' Xhilaration® Flutter-Sleeve Bib-Front Dress - $4.99

Merona® Petticoat Skirt - Navy Stripe - $9.99

Women's Merona® Cowl Neck Shirt - $9.09

Merona® Trapunto Top - $3.24

Juniors' Xhilaration® Tie-Bow Bubble-Sleeve Jacket - Dot Print - $8.49

Target and Salvation Army Delights

Hello, my dear two readers! I've been gone/busy a lot lately, so sorry about the lack of posts! These pictures are all from about a week and a half ago. The one below was taken in my sister-in-law's room; she has the same fuzzy pink rug I had in college! Haha!

I thought you might like to see the clothing I was talking about last week actually on me, so here you go! I looove dark purple, teal, and mustard yellow together. I'm glad those colors are popular right now. The sweater is very warm (I wore it today as well as a couple other days) and I still love it and am really glad I "splurged" on it. The skirt is fun to wear because it's so light and flowy and hangs really nicely. It does create some static so that's a bit of a down side, but it's not bad enough to bother me.


I went to Target and found several pairs of really cute shoes on clearance! These ones were actually marked down like 40% because of a small dark/discolored spot on the right shoe (can you even see it?), or at least I think that's the reason- all the other shoes like it were full price. I bought them because they are the same color as the skirt I'm wearing in the picture and they coordinate with a lot of my clothes. I don't really have any colorful shoes! I wore them around the store for about 30 minutes and they felt fine so I bought them, but unfortunately they rub my feet wrong in a few places when I wear them now... not that that has kept me from wearing them for short periods. I should know better than to buy cheap shoes.

Price: 11.00


I'm really into knee socks! I haven't seen any cute ones lately, but I found out Target has a ton!! I bought this two-pack... gray ones for practicality and pink/purple stripey ones for fun! I wish those patches of solid color at the toe, heel, and top weren't there though. Oh well.

Price: 6.99 (2 pack)


On to Salvation Army! I was there looking for sweats/athletic pants to wear camping, which I did find but aren't interesting enough to post on here ;) I found these super fun pants though... they're gray with a fine green plaid. I like that they're midway between casual and dressy.

Price: 3.00 (or less... I know they were 50% off but I don't remember the original price)


I've been keeping my eyes open for a leather bag. I'm really into leather right now because of durability, feel, and comfort. I would really like a colorful leather bag, but I also like warm natural leather tones. I found this bag at Salvation Army. It's really basic and spacious with three large sections (the center compartment is zippered, and the compartments on either side are open. Also has a small interior zippered pocket on one side). I cleaned it up a little, but it could do with some leather polish/treatment.

Price: 4.00


When I went to Salvation Army last Tuesday it was "family day," and almost everything was 50% off. I'm definitely going on Tuesdays from now on!

Better Than Math

I'm currently job hunting, and I had two interviews on Monday. The second was to be an ACT/SAT tutor, so I was scheduled to take the ACT. I was terrified of the math section, because I haven't even looked at an algebra equation for about seven years. To my relief, I ended up passing on the ACT because the job wasn't what I had hoped. The tutoring place happened to be in the same plaza as Marshall's, so I happily wandered over.

I found many things I would have loved to buy, but narrowed it down to a few. I actually splurged a little because I found this beautiful sweater that I absolutely love and thought it was much too wonderful to pass up. It's angora and lamb's wool and a gorgeous color. The image above (yay big button!) is more accurate color-wise than the one below. It's comfy and warm and in the color palate I'm into. I can't wait to wear it... every day.

Cost: 25.00 (yes, that is a splurge for me ;)


The next item actually isn't from Marshall's. It's from KMart. I stopped there to kill time between interviews and found this lovely, styled-up t-shirt for uber cheap! I love the buttons and sleeves. I always keep my eyes open to t-shirt alternatives because I have the habit of dressing in tees and jeans a lot, so if I can find something just as comfy but more stylish I'm all about it. I don't have any shirts this color so I'm happy for some new variety!

Oddly enough, I ended up buying a size large (I normally wear a small). Doesn't it annoy you how inconsistent clothing sized are?

Cost: 2.50


Back to Marshall's! This is a pretty basic and not overly stylish skirt, but I love the color and the weight. It's really light and summery, but goes well with the purples and teals I'm into right now. With tights it should serve me well in the cold weather but carry over easily into summer.

Cost: 3.00


And now...

Bargain of the Century!

The skirt below is a BCBG Max Azria skirt with a suggested retail price of $130.00 (the BCBG tag with this price was attached). I got it for $5.00. How could I NOT buy it?! Now, it's just Polyester and Spandex so I'm not sure why it was so expensive in the first place, but who am I to question? It has a few wee snags but the skirt is so flowy and shiny that you don't notice them at all. Its color is "Eggplant." It's fun to wear because it's so flowy!

Price: 5.00

Simply Vera 80% Off

I was able to snag this beautiful Simply Vera shirt at Kohl's on Sunday for 80% off the original price of $44.00. I just love how unique it is. The asymmetrical gathers (gatherings?) are very well done- I feel like it's a fairly high quality piece. It's also SO comfy... it's a shirt that you could wear on a day when you're feeling a little blue; it has the comfort you crave and the style to make you feel pretty! I think this shirt would flatter most body types.

I'm happy for a good bargain and a uniqe item.

Cost: 8.50

Good Tweed

On a trip to Goodwill on Sunday I was able to find a couple cute, unique items. The first is a pleated skirt in a red and white loose-weave twill with specks of blue and yellow. It hits me just above the knee, which I think will work well with boots. It should also be nice and warm for this winter.

Cost: 3.00



I don't know what to call the next item... a jacket? A shirt? I'm really just not sure. It's a structured long-sleeved item with a large collar and cinched sleeves. It ties in the back. It's a navy tight-weave twill speckled with several colors. I was worried it would be too boxy, but my friends over at Fashion Me Fabulous who I was shopping with assured me that it looked cute.

Cost: 2.50



I've been keeping my eyes open for a good leather belt... I'm sad to say I've "grown out of" mine. I found this beautiful belt at Goodwill in my favorite leather color. It's a warm medium (almost reddish) brown. It's very supple and just the right length.


Cost: 50 cents

Humble Beginnings

Hello, and welcome to wallet moth! I've been thinking about starting this blog for a while, and after a day of awesome bargain shopping I decided to go for it. Couldn't hurt... right?

The goal of this blog is to encourage people with "more moths than moolah." You can have fun, fashionable clothing without breaking the bank. Heck, you can even have name brand clothing for next to nothing! And if you're really, really lucky you can even get it for free. It just takes a lot of treasure hunting, patience, and selectivity.

I'll be posting my latest finds and will keep my eyes peeled for great deals to share. I hope you have fun with me and my Wallet Moths :)