365 Shopping Free Days: Confessions of a Shop-a-holic trying to obstain!

Today’s the last day of the month. Marking 4 entire months sans shopping.

Take the previous sentence with a grain of salt. I honestly never knew what the "take it with a grain of salt" saying meant for a majority of my life. I had to google it. Thank goodness for google! Honestly! Google/Wikepedia coupled with smart phones has absolved many marital arguments.

Anyway, my assumption is that year over year I am saving money by abstaining from shopping.

I mean, honestly: Last year I spent $3,903.99 on clothes. How could I possibly compete with that this year!?!?

What I discovered through online research is that perception is not even close to reality!

I pulled data from my online spending report and created an excel file depicting my month over month savings. I’m surprised, and not in a delightful way. Seems I’ve simply replaced my clothing and erroneous spending habits with more useful gift-giving ventures.

Below in blue is how much I spent last year month by month on clothing. Add to that my overall shopping and you have the marroon. The green is the difference from 2012 in how much I’ve saved.

Below, you’ll notice in February I actually spent MORE than I did in 2011:

As of April 2012, I have spent $363.34 less than I did by this time in 2011. So I guess there’s that…I’m slightly proud of that small feat. Whilst I’m spreading my wings and showing you my interworkings, I figure I should confess to my transgressions. I felt bad for "cheating" and have kept a photo journal that's been long over due for confession.

I reward you by showing you the projects that have been the result of my replacement shopping.

Brace yourself as you take a Journey through 2012!

Lets start with the New Year: I cut off 14ish inches of hair and then kicked off the New Year SOBER and wearing Gold!!!

Long Hair pre 2012

Bye Bye Hair!

Hello New Year!

After the celebration of me in a newfound year, I needed something to take my time off my commitment to no more shopping. It all started with my own pair of nasty black boots that I didn't want to throw away. A few coats of paint later and some finishing touches:

Gooooold!

Lindsay Cristel's Bridal shower Husky gift

(If you're reading, I still promise to fix them!)

Necia's Hawkeye boots...they're in my trunk, ready to ship:
I PROMISE!

HUSKY FANS BEWARE: You may have to close your eyes to make it past the next photo! I confess that for Bryn's Bridal shower gift I made the enemy's boot liners and scarf! I made up for it by inserting a Husky purple heart on the inside. Have fun with that Bryn! :)

This pains me to admit...

This outfit wouldn't be complete without...

Some Bryncollection.com earrings!
<3 them and you Bryn!

WARNING: If you don't enjoy Bachelorette party antics or decorations, skip the next 5 photos. There, you're warned and cannot hold me or any of my subsidiaries liable for what your eyes may see!

Lindsay's PIMP cup would've been
lonely without:

THOR!!!

And for gorgeous Shannon:

I couldn't have made this Bachelorette
deliciousness without a Dollar store trip!

Okay Okay Okay! You can open your eyes now! I promise all of the baking and decorating is void of anything you should close your eyes only to open them a mili-second later to get a better look!

Seriously! You can trust me!

This is such an awesome $10 purchase from Target! If you go buy these adorable cup cake silpat bakers, don't, I REPEAT DON'T use the cake + frosting mix it comes with. Your cupcakes will be adorable, but they will literally taste like dirt. No one over the age of 11 likes the taste of dirt!

Target purchase: Flower pot cupcake bakers!

Finished Cupcakes with $ store plastic
flower and Target edible Grass

All 6. Family thought they were real flower pots!

Dollar store stikers! Boom!

Without my February splurge, I would've never captured
the amazing Emmalyn in a trendy oversized hat!

Summer Dress Yes Please! Pay no
attention to the mess!

I did a sneak attack and spent at my all time new favorite store: Francesca. If you haven't explored Francesca yet, I HIGHLY reccomend it! The red/blue tank I wore to the Arizona Diamondback's game in April in the below photo and the blue skirt below that are from there. I'm 100% in love!

This girl says she'll be on Survivor.
I told her to dye her hair brunette

LOVE this Francesca skirt!

Neccessary Hair Accessories from Feb Shopping spree

I was browsing Etsy one day and decided that I could make a blanket too! Surprisingly only 8 hours of work later, I accomplished this! Don't pay too close attention to the corners. I'll get better with my next blanket! :) My sister loved it and wanted another! I was just in Arizona with the hopes that he would grace me with his presence. I didn't get so lucky. Any day now, any day now!

I can't wait to meet you Hayden!

Double sided...pay no attention to the over-stiching!

I mean seriously?
Who can live without a Pink Headdress?

If you haven't read these yet: DO IT! You're missing out! Without this, how would I know how to "DRAW SOMETHING" when the clues are given? There was NO WAY to say no to this! Besides, at least 4 people that I can name have benefited from my purchase!

Yet another Target confession.

$4 Aunt Lindsay craft project!

Made my business logo for all of my creations

Without shopping, how would I have given you all a near panic attack?!?!?!

Well spent $1 from the Target dollar section.
Hi Bella!

Below are a few photos that I took with my camera phone from around our West Seattle Neighborhood. I LOVE Seattle for so many reasons. Enjoy these photos as documentation that Seattle is the BEST place in the U.S. to live! :)

The next photos are accessories that I couldn't live without! I love changing basics into something great by pairing it with something out of the ordinary, like bright pink and hunter green. Or making a flourescent belt look Yellow one day and green the next. :)