Thrifted records and sweater

I went shopping over the weekend with my mom and we found ourselves in the vinyls section of Goodwill. They had a lot more Broadway albums than I generally remember seeing and picked up two of them since it was a 30% off purchase day in-store. I've never listened to Oklahoma!, but it was in really good shape and I figured I could save it so my kids or grandkids might be able to sell it one day. 

I picked up Funny Girl and my mom insisted I get it because she loves the music and my brother has a vinyl-to-digital converter that she said I should use to get acquainted with the show. I am pretty surprised that I've never really seen or heard much from the show besides my brief exposure to Glee.

Initially I passed over this because I already have three or four sweaters very close in color to this one, but after looking through vinyls I regretted it and prayed it was still there for me to grab. It's in such nice shape and I can see myself wearing it often. Who cares if I'll walk around looking like a mint always, the color does suit me and I'll be damned if I become a person who can pass up a nice sweater.

Review: Mi Pac backpack (Floral Tapestry)

NEVER BUY A MI PAC.

I have a never-ending love for floral prints, and when I saw this on the tillys.com website I knew I had to have it. Even at $40, I figured this bag was a good investment because it would last me a long time and be totally cute. Within a week, I was in the Tilly's store at my mall to purchase the bag. On a positive note, it's the prettiest backpack I ever owned.

Pretty doesn't do much for me when both of the zippers break when you have to get to class and have no other backpacks at school to switch to.

Within two weeks of LIGHT USE of this bag (the first two weeks of school!), the right strap began to rip off at the seam. I was extremely disappointed but figured it was just a fluke, and the rest of the bag would have to hold together well. Give it about another month and one of the zippers began to not zip and get stuck before it slid off one side of the zipper completely. 

Granted, by this point I was carrying my laptop to and from some classes. But when the backpack has a built-in laptop pouch and is marketed as having one as an advantage to the bag, shouldn't that be something I'm able to do without the worry of destroying it?

After the first zipper broke, I continued use of the bag with blissful naivete. I could at least use it for the remainder of my first semester at school, and then maybe I'd get it repaired. The second zipper broke as I was buying coffee before I had to go to my remaining class of the day. I had to lug my broken backpack with books spilling out of it to my final class and then back to my dorm room. Within two months of regular use, the bag was completely ruined. 

I will NOT be paying to get it repaired, as I mentioned I thought I might before. It already cost me $40 and I don't wish for it to cause me any more grief. 

$40 wasted on Mi Pac bag. Pretty, but so are other bags that don't self-destruct.

Does anyone have any suggestions of where I might be able to find a bag similar in style that won't end in heartbreak?