When life gives you lemons, garnish your iced tea.

Two posts in one day! I know it, I'm getting insistent. So far, I've turned three situations that were EUUUGh completely on their heads. No, no, make that four. I forgot the one that wasn't fashion related. I needed to create an account online, for my community college that I go to, but it kept telling me my information was incorrect when I was entering it all in perfectly. Turns out, I was using the wrong browser. GRCC doesn't take Google Chrome. So I was forced to add a stupid Internet Explorer icon on my desktop, but it was all worth it, because now I can submit and have access to assignments online, not to mention get the instructions for how to write a reading journal, the first of which is due tomorrow. I just hope that my brother hasn't gotten rid of his printer, or else I'm screwed.
Now for my more interesting scenarios. The first one was a dress that I overpaid for on Ebay, and to add to that, it arrived damaged with a no returns policy. And the buttons turned out to be cheap and plastic, topped with rhinestones. I'm really not a fan of rhinestones on clothing. I don't hate them as much as I hate sequins, but I don't like them either. As if this wasn't enough, the contrast of black and white that looked cute in the picture turned out to look maid-like on me. Here's what I did:
1. I sewed up the large hole where the seam had split. By hand, because I still haven't learned how to use my sewing machine (online sewing lessons are on my To-Do list once I get my next paycheck).
2. I bought Rit dye and dyed the white trim purple.
3. I snipped off the horrid buttons (I might make them into earrings though, they would look cute and vintage-y).
The end result:

It still needs a little bit of work. I'm probably going to snip off the lace trim going vertically on the chest (it's uneven and coming loose anyway), and change the belt into a bow or something, because I don't really like the buckle. Still, it's a dress that I like now, and I wore it out to get my mail today. 

And SPEAKING of mail...and of Ebay....remember a few posts back when I talked about my Ebay addiction and how financially drained I am? To recap, spent 1,000 dollars in a month, ended up (thank God) with 180 dollars left over. The last dress that I purchased on Ebay just came today, and I think that it's my favorite purchase so far. 

It fits perfectly, it's comfy, and it's perfect for my dress-loving personality and for winter. 

It's a sweater dress!

I tried it on as soon as I got home, hence the same tights and shoes as the last picture. I'm definitely going to have to wear some tights with it (probably double layered or heavier or both!), and I don't know yet if I'm going to wear it to school. I have to do a test run of the school's heating system yet, by stealthily bringing a cardigan with me to class. If I end up not needing it, then odds are a sweater or sweater dress would make me overheat. Either way, this is a great dress to go to the mall in. And it's not tight or short!!! 

The last one is a DIY idea I got today for a piece of my jewelry which I'd wanted for a long time, only to have it break the day I bought it. You see, for a while, a few of the goth/emo girls at my school had come to school with octopus lockets, and I absolutely DROOLED over them, but I'm painfully and incurably shy, so I never plucked up the courage to ask these lovely ladies where they'd gotten them. One day, Leah, one of my friends, comes to school wearing the same one, and I get it out of her that these lockets can be purchased inexpensively at Walmart or Meijer (I don't remember which one she said). I found them, at Walmart, on sale for 50 cents each. I was ecstatic, bought one, and as soon as I opened it at home, it broke. 

That was a few months ago. No, more than a few months ago, because I was still dating my asshole of an ex-boyfriend. I don't believe I discovered how much of an asshole he really was until I found out what he was doing behind my back the entire time we were together. But that's an angry rant for another time. 

So, around February or before, the locket breaks. You'd think it wouldn't have taken me so long to figure out a solution. But today I realized that I could just superglue the octopus part to a ring base, and use Modge Podge (that might be spelled wrong, I haven't looked at the bottle in a while) on the back of it, with some of my heart fabric,  to make this little creation....

This plus I'm currently working on a ring for a friend and fellow crafter! I'm really excited about it, and I'll post pictures once it's finished!