Tag Archives: budget

My Work Wardrobe

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   As a business major, I’d always sort of figured I’d be wearing black dresses and blazers to work. When I got my first post-graduation job, I found myself in a much more casual work environment, which is great except that all I really owned was super casual comfy stuff, going downtown night wear, and really formal interview clothes. How horrible! Now I had a job and I had to go shopping.
My Work Wardrobe
    Still being budget-conscious, I created a vision for my wardrobe that broke it down into my essentials: polished tees, put-together jeans and chinos, a casual blazer, a cardigan, a quality watch and a quality bag, and flats. Obviously, variety makes things more interesting so I’ve expanded the basics to include nude heels, non-flip-flop (did I tell you I hate flip-flops?) sandals, and a scarf (my office is chilly in the summer, unlike my apartment at the moment).
    I prefer to shop resale and vintage since I find I can get all the quality brands I love much cheaper and still in great shape, so having a clear wardrobe vision with clear basics will help guide my shopping and hopefully prevent me from buying something unneeded.
What is your work wardrobe vision?
Ciao!
Sarah

Great Finds: Affordable Art (Seriously!)

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I recently attended the Art Fair on the Square in Madison, WI, and, since I am now making an income, I decided to purchase a piece of art for my bedroom. I gave myself a budget of $50, which is pretty modest considering the price of much of the work. As expected, the most striking pieces were large…and expensive. I was nearly out of hope until I found collage artist Chelsea Hrynick’s booth. She creates amazingly intricate and symmetrical patterns out of origami paper and painted wood. The medium is perfectly simple, letting the details of her designs stand out.

(Photo from artist’s website. Visit it here!) 

To me, they reminded me of Venetian lace and Native American textiles. “I incorporate design patterns seen in different cultures throughout history such as Celtic jewelry, Islamic rugs, Modern architecture, and Ancient Greek pottery,” writes the artist on her website. “I feel a passionate connection when I work with patterns; decoration somehow transcends distance, time, and beliefs.”

Cool, right?

I bought two small square pieces for $30, which I think is a great deal given the quality of the work.

Have you had any luck with art fairs this summer?

Ciao!

Sarah

Quick & Easy Chicken Parmesan

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As well as moving into my first place, I’ve also started my first job, and already I’m finding that cooking anything besides a frozen pizza is difficult. So I’ve decided to try out some easy, quick recipes and post the best ones here. I’m focusing on dishes that takes less than ten minutes to prepare and use food that I normally have around. The first dish is a really simple chicken parmesan. If I had known chicken parmesan was this easy to make, I’d done it a long time ago!

I found the original recipe here, but modified it slightly so that it feeds two instead of four.

What you need:

  • 2 boneless chicken breasts
  • 1 egg
  • 1/4-1/2 cup milk
  •  bread crumbs
  •  olive oil
  • shredded mozerella cheese
  • 1 small jar of spaghetti sauce
  • parmesan cheese
  • skillet
  • glass baking pan

Prep (10 min. to prepare, 20 min. to cook):

Pound the chicken breasts to about 1/2 inch thick.

Whisk the egg and milk. I give a range for the milk depending on your taste. Using 1/2 a cup will give you left overs and is ideal if you are making 3-4 servings.

Dip the chicken breasts in the milk and egg mixture and then dip in the bread crumbs.

Put a small amount of olive oil (about 3 tablespoons) in a skillet and place in chicken breasts. Cook until the chicken is brown and cooked all the way through. This shouldn’t take more than five minutes or so.

Set the chicken into a glass baking dish and sprinkle the mozerella on top. Then pour a desired about of sauce over on top. Top with parmesan cheese.

Bake at 350° for about 20  to 25 mintues or until the sauce is bubbly.

I served mine with spaghetti but most pasta works well!

Enjoy!

Do you recommend any easy, quick recipes?

Ciao!

Sarah

p.s. To set the record straight, chicken parmesan is not an Italian dish. You’ll only find it on the menu of tourist restaurants in Italy! It’s another example of a delicious American dish with Italian inspiration.

Great Finds: Baroque Coasters

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Yep, the title is correct; I found Baroque style coasters complete with ultra-realistic, chiaroscuro-filled mythological and Biblical paintings. Did I mention they were $4? I picked up these treasures at a barn sale in New Hampshire, and not only did I come in under budget on coasters (I was expecting to spend more like $8), I found a coaster set that trumps any inexpensive one I could find at Target. Now if only I could find a real Caravaggio at a barn sale…

Have you had any great finds at garage and yard sales this summer?

Ciao!

Sarah

Great Finds: Vintage Native American Rug

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My sister and I just moved to a new town, and we recently explored the local antique shops. For my bedroom, I had decided to find a Native American-inspired rug in subtle pastels.

Urban Outfitters offered a pretty one, which was $40 at the time (and can be found here), but then I ran across a

beautifully worn down cotton rug at the local antique shop for $30. Not only did it cost less, but to me, it felt more real and less like a trendy buy. I’m excited to incorporate it into my bedroom soon.

The cost?

$30 for a  vintage rug at local antique shop

What is a great find you’ve discovered lately?

Ciao!

Sarah

Jewelry Organizer Idea: Inspiration Bulletin Board

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I knew I wanted a bulletin board over my vanity/desk. I liked the idea of fashionable images that will help inspire my morning wardrobe choices. I also knew that my jewelry didn’t belong on my vanity (that is way too cluttery for my taste!). My sister came up with the idea of hanging necklaces and bracelets from tacks at the base of the bulletin board. The idea is simple, but I think the result is striking (not to mention extremely cheap).

The cost for this project?

Bulletin board: $4 at GoodWill

Images: Free from fashion magazines

Tacks: $3 at Target

Total cost: $7

What are some good jewelry organizer ideas you’ve ran across?

Ciao!

Sarah

No-Sew Pillow Covers

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I ran across this project on Pinterest, and I figured it was worth a try given 1) I currently don’t own a sewing machine and 2) even if I did, I’d probably never get around to actually sewing. The two pillows I covered took only about twenty minutes and look pretty gorgeous! See the original DIY post here.

The cost for this project?

Pillows: free (took them from my parents’ home)

Fabric: 5 Euros at a Florentine market

Total: about $6.50

Do you know of any other creative ways to cover pillows on a budget?

Ciao!

Sarah

My First Place

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I’ve spent the past four years with a desire to decorate and maintain a beautiful space, but living in a dorm and moving in and out every three months doesn’t encourage a beautiful atmosphere. So now, as a recent college graduate and new member of the workforce, I’m committing to creating a comfortable, inspiring first place…on a budget.

I’m going to experiment with DIY projects and take advantage of every thrift and antique store in the area, and I am going to update you every step of the way. So if you want to get great DIY home ideas, keep up with interior design trends, and learn how to decorate your place (first or not!) on a budget, follow me and la mia prima casa.

Ciao,

Sarah

p.s. I might throw in some fashion here and there!