Re-purposing - iPod case as a mini wallet

As much as I have been enjoying letting go of things that don't work, I have also enjoyed looking at items in a different light to see if I can find new love in them, or re-purpose them. 

Some of you know that I have been pondering the purchase of an LV zippy wallet for more than a year now to use as a mini-wallet in my clutches and smaller bags - I don't think I will be making that purchase any more as I have found the perfect solution to not just one, but TWO problems!

Behold!

My Christian Dior iPod case - I tracked this baby down and managed to get my hands on it when a friend made a trip to China and picked up the last one in the store!

Now, this item holds a special place in my heart because (1) we've all been there, the 'chase is part of the fun!' and (2) it taught me a lesson - never to buy designer tech cases because technology just changes too fast to get good value out of it. The case, unfortunately, outlasted my iPod (screen no longer works and the newer models don't fit) and I was left having spent too much money for something that I used too little, and up until now, sat in my drawer for 5 years. 

However, this piece has a happy ending! - I managed to re-purpose this and use it as a mini-wallet! The spot for the iPod is very, very close to the size of cards and when full, all fits nice and snug, and closes perfectly! It actually has a lot of room so for the OCD in me, is better than any mini wallet out there - as you can see, from above, there are 2 slots for the cards I need easy access too, and the place where the iPod is supposed to be, is wide enough for numerous cards. 

Now, I have a pretty unique, dare I say, one-of-a-kind, mini wallet that fits ALL of my stuff and doesn't leave me feeling like I've left anything behind; don't have to make another purchase; and it's by Christian Dior, to boot! ;)

TGIF!

TGIF! Must be said twice. What a week... I am happy to announce that March is still a no-purchase month for me and I haven't had an urge to buy anything; I've also had 3 no-spend days in a row, this last week! 

My younger cousin has taken up sewing lately so instead of donating my items, I have been giving them some thought to maybe re-vamping/re-purposing them. I was given two, WAY over-sized t-shirts (in the same style!) and I asked her to turn them into a crossbody feed bag, and a laptop sleeve.

(original t-shirt; two sides of the feedbag)

The laptop sleeve (not shown) worked well and the look of the bag was great except the material is 100% cotton so there is a lot sagging. We are currently thinking of how to correct this - the most obvious answer is to add a lining of the non-sag nature (perhaps with another item I already have), buuut... we may also re-re-vamp it, entirely.

I'm now less 2 t-shirts I will never wear and have one functioning laptop sleeve, and working toward, a functioning feed bag =) 

Re-purposing - Tiffany's jewelry pouches

I've unfortunately lost some of my beloved Tiffany's pieces and am left with only their pouches =(

I did however find a good use for them. When I go boxing I remove my rings and watch and I don't put them back on until after I get home so they're left scattered and banging into each other in the bag's large compartments. 

While I was purging and looking through my stuff, I realized that the pouches have a divider in them which I found useful in preventing my rings from scratching my watch, and everything is kept together - a perfect solution!

Re-purposing - turning my necklace into a bag fob

I frequent a popular forum called thePurseforum, and one of the threads that I have the pleasure of being a part of, we discuss a number of topics ranging from "shopping from my own closet" to what to pack for traveling, to significant life events - recently there were some DIYs shown from one of the members (bakeacookie) and also a few posts about fobs. 

Taking a queue from these latest topics, I decided to re-purpose an old necklace of mine into a bag fob. I think I bought this necklace on my last trip to Malaysia (~13 years ago) - I wore it a few times but stopped because it had quite a short chain making it more of a choker and gave me a rash each time. I loved the coloring so I kept it and the other night had a great idea to remove it from its chain and hang it off one of my black bags that has silver hardware. 

Re-purposing - candy tins to carry random small things

Part of my goal to live minimally isn't just to get rid of everything, but it's also trying to see if I can re-purpose old things, breath new life into them so they can be useful again. 

I used to collect candy tins (and other cute tins) and over the years have amassed quite a collection. I did get rid of those that were generic but kept the cuter ones and found new uses for them. 

Some of the things they now carry are:

• bobby-pins
• Q-tips
• Tylenol
• spare keys
• loyalty cards
• the extra buttons and threads for clothing
• candy (of course!)
• spare change
• a small first-aid kit (band-aids, alcoholic wipes, safety pins)