Jewelry for Under $1 on Ebay! +Auction Tips

Read past my awesome find for tips on buying jewelry at discount prices on eBay!

Once in a while, I like to browse eBay for their jewelry. You can find chic pieces for $0.99 and free shipping ... that's crazy! (Of course, you will probably be waiting a month for it to arrive, but its still worth it!) 

As I was browsing, I came across an auction with about 10 minutes left for this cute leaf necklace. I stuck around and decided to bid. 

At the 30 second mark, two new bids were placed.

With 3 seconds lefts, I placed my bid for $1.24 ... and won the auction for $0.48!!!

Here are some pictures from the auction.

I am hoping the leaf is as cute as it looks. I have bought costume jewelry like this before that didn't look as nice coming out of the box. Fingers crossed!

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Tips

Time to share some tips for getting great buys like this one!

Tip #1

Know how much money you have in your PayPal and know what you are willing to pay. I will rarely pay over $1 for a piece of costume jewelry.

Tip #2

Keep an eye out on other sites to make sure you are getting the best deal. Sites like shopmissa.com and buyincoins.com are two fantastic places to get cute costume jewelry for $0.99 and under.

Tip #3

Browse eBay also to make sure the item you are getting is at the lowest price. Hundreds of re-sellers have the same items.

Tip #4 

Don't be afraid of auctions. If you have the time, auctions will save you plenty of money. (For instance, this same necklace was available as a Buy-It-Now for $0.99)

Tip #5

Always have Free Shipping checked when doing a search. Shipping is an unnecessary expense when buying costume jewelry. (Especially since so many people offer the same items!) The only exception to this might be if you are utilizing Tip #6 and #7: buying multiple items from the same seller. MAYBE.

Tip #6

Keep an eye out for sales. Lots of eBay users will have "Buy 3, get 1 free" sales, etc. If you come across an item like this, check out what other items the seller has to offer!

Tip #7

Combine shipping. Whether you decide to look for free shipping or not, you will save time and money by ordering multiple items from the same seller. The items will be packed together, and most sellers offer combined shipping.

Tip #8

Set a budget. There are so many awesome items that can be found, make sure you aren't over spending. Also keep in mind that PayPal will allow transactions to happen when you don't have money in your account! PayPal will simply pull it from your bank... which also allows it. (I learned the hard way).

Tip #9

Buy only what you will wear. Be sure to buy things in your style and not just because they are cute. (Also guilty)

A lot of the pictures portray the items as larger than they actually are. Make sure you read all the measurements and look at all the pictures. 

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Do you have some awesome tips to share? Put them in the comments!

Goodbye, Cadmar.

Back in November-ish, we found a tiny kitten in a garbage can. We took him in, cleaned him up, and tried to find him a new home. Meanwhile, we named him Cadmar (Irish for "brave warrior"). He was a tiny little bundle of energy that weighed less than a pound. Here he is in his favorite spot: under my husband's beard.

Well, with us moving to Cincinnati in July (or mybe sooner), we had to try harder to find him a new home. I called all my friends and had no luck. I called people I barely knew and had no luck. Finally, someone stopped by my house to pick up some things they had bought from me. They ended up taking my now teenage, obnoxious, toothy bundle of fur and claws home with them. It was a bittersweet moment: I hate giving up animals I am attached to, but Cadmar was starting to become a menace to my other animals. Plus, I didn't have room in my car for a cocker spaniel and three carriers on a three-day car trip. Either way, bittersweet. So, here are a few favorite pictures of him. He grew so fast! 

I am glad I was able to save him from dying that day, but I wish he had learned more manners while living with me. Goodbye, Cadmar, and good luck you crazy, lovey thing!

Deviantart Preview

Hi everyone! I have been working on getting a portfolio and artist's statement ready for my portfolio review in the next few months. It got me to thinking about all the art I have done that I can't show... Things that were created before college and things that were created specifically for IMVU or Deviant art. Thus, I will be sharing three of my favorite manipulations with you! If you want to see more, check out my deciantart page at Smyhls.deviantart.com

This is my favorite one so far. I put a lot of work into the concept and the blending.

I loved the model here. She already had this illustrated look that drew me in to he original picture. 

(By the way, if you go to my page, I have the links to all the pictures, etc. used to create each of my images.)

This lady was one of the first manipulations I did. Still love her.

Maze Runner - Movie Review

Hi everyone! My husband and I LOVE watching new movies. Going to theaters is pretty pricey... almost $10 a person! We choose Redbox!!! (Even though they have raised their prices, too ... >.< ). Last night, we decided to rent Maze Runner (before having read the book, yes). Here is my quick overview of the movie.

Interesting.

I like the concept, but I had a few issues with the movie in general. 

1) There were four or five times where the kids swore. This could have been a film for teen boys to enjoy (even with the violent Grievers) if they just kept out the bad language.

2) The acting was not fantastic. Sadly. There were a few problem areas, like when Teresa wakes up. There's no way she could have seen and recognized Thomas before she passed out again. And the main runner that's a redhead? "We can't deny that." Lol. 

I loved that the Grievers are pretty creepy, but you don't see blood or skewering.

Great ending to lead into a sequel. The whole thing just felt like it was missing something... 

Probably not something I will watch again in the near future. I would give it 2/5 stars.

Don't ask those questions!!!

I have been married for two years, and yes, there are a few tricks to being married. One of them is to not ask questions!!! (Well, certain questions, anyways.) Our spouses are with us for a lifetime. They are supposed to be our best friend, our lover, and our support system. We expect the truth at all times... but sometimes the truth hurts. Sometimes being asked questions that will hurt the person asking hurts, too. Confused? Let's fix that :)

The first question that may come to your mind is "Does this dress make me look fat?" I encourage variations of this question for two main reasons: 1) it's nice to know what your mate likes to see you in, and 2) we women are very hard on ourselves about our body image. Yes, you can overdo asking this. 

This isn't the type of question I am talking about. I want to talk about those questions that just shouldn't be asked, especially since the likelihood of both or either party getting hurt is almost certain.

1) What would you change about my body?

There is no good answer for that one! And whatever answer is given will always be in the back of your mind.

2) Do you ever compare me to your ex?

The answer is probably "yes" since we can do it subconsciously. ("Wow, Jenna was never this cuddly after sex", etc.) People can't help it. Little things will pop up, like how he puts his pants on last, or how she says "sorry" so much. We draw from our experiences, especially those that were really meaningful or really hurtful. I still find myself thinking about The Jerk, with whom I was entangled for almost a year. It's not because I don't love my husband, it's because I was in an abusive relationship that was burned into my memory.

This is a bit of an odd post, I know, but it was something that I have been thinking about for a while. Be kind to your partner!!!

What Not To Wear Revalation

The past two weeks, I have been home by myself a lot. My husband started a new job. My father-in-law also decided to purchase cable for the house last week. Awesome! So, I have been watching a lot of Little House on the Prarie and What Not to Wear. 

I like seeing what they do to the larger women. One thing they said really hit home with me, because I do it all the time! They were dressing up a lady named Leeanne who said she would see someone her size in a fantastic outfit and think, "I wish I could pull that off". The hosts of the show pretty much said that if someone else your size can do it, so can you.

I have been trying to work up the courage to believe that. In the past 6 months, I have gotten a lot better at makeup and become more bold when trying new things. Step one, check. Step two, I was given an awesome curling wand. I want to learn how to do hairstyles other than ponytail and buns. And braids. As I'm working on this second step, I am also getting ready to do a no-tshirt campaign. If you remember about two weeks ago, I was able to hit a $0.25 thrift sale. I picked up a lot of awesome winter/fall tops and sweaters. My husband has appreciated the extra effort I have out into my look when we go out.

So, that's my spew for today! If you haven't seen WNTW, find it online. Their tips are great, and they help women of all sizes and age.

Floral Rayon Fabric + Plans

I love going to Walmart and checking out their clearance fabrics. This fantastic rayon, semi-sheer, floral beauty was on clearance for $2 a yard! I bought all they had: 2 5/8 yd.

I have four projects in mind for this particular fabric.

Top Left Corner: I want to put arm patches on a sweater and use this fabric in the slit, so you can see the pretty colors pop out when my arms bend.

Top Right Corner: I was doing some research on this one, and I think I might need to have a stretchy fabric (which this one isn't), but I'm not 100% certain.

Bottom Left Corner: I am thinking of making a pull-over. It will be nice to have in the summer when its really hot. I will have to have a tank top under it, but at least I will have a little more sun and mosquito protection!

Bottom Right Corner: I want to make a ruched scarf!!!!!!

...Okay. Admittedly, by  the time this has been posted, I have already made the scarf.