When I say I thrift off-season, I mean it. I purchased this fun and flirty heart print dress last summer, intending to save it until right now – Valentine’s Day. ❤️

The PopSugar dress (a Kohl’s brand which retailed for $60; Goodwill $7.99) is perfect for this holiday. And another plus is that it’s got pockets (which you should know by now is a huge bonus for me!). I love that it can be dressed up or down depending on what I pair it with.

Today I wore sheer patterned tights and neutral pull on Alfani Chelsea-style boots (retail: $109; Goodwill $9.99). These lug sole booties are super popular right now and are perfect for winter with dresses, leggings and jeans. I also added a Badley London bag I featured in a previous post. (Retail: $300; Goodwill $14.99) and a red cape from Cold water Creek (thrifted from Goodwill many years ago).

Lastly, I added mirrored, heart-shaped Wear Me Pro sunglasses. I was not familiar with the brand but after a little research, I discovered that every purchase helps animals in need at the Arizona Humane Society. They have donated over $100,000 in supplies to pets in need. (Retail: $39; Goodwill $14.99 and they came new-with-tags with a case, cleaning cloth and care instructions). And the heart shape is fun for Valentine’s Day and year-round.

Anytime you’re shopping at Goodwill Keystone Area stores, think ahead for a different season or holiday – you never know what you’ll fall in love with!

From my closet to yours,

Kirsten

About The Blogger

Kirsten is a 40-something mom, wife and marketing professional. She loves all things crafty, tasty and fashionable, especially while being frugal. She enjoys hunting for treasures at her local Goodwill Keystone Area stores to decorate her home and wardrobe.

Every few years, I blog about the Goodwill Keystone Area Rewards program, and 2024 should be no different. How do you save even more $$$ at Goodwill? Sign up for their Goodwill Rewards Program. Once you sign up (how to is listed below), check the color of the day when you enter the store to shop, and those items will be 50% off at checkout, AND if it’s Tuesday, those items are only $2.

On the day I visited, green was the color of the day, and while I shopped, I kept my eyes out for green tags to get extra savings. I ended up with some great items and saved even more than usual.

Sign up on your next visit!

Here are directions for becoming a Goodwill Reward Program member. Or click here to go to the website. 

Goodwill Keystone Area stores located in central and southeastern Pennsylvania have the Goodwill Rewards Program, which is FREE.

Reward members are eligible for 50% OFF Color of the Week Tag & $2 Tuesday Color of the Week Tag. NOTE: See in-store signage for the discount color of the week

Customers interested in the Goodwill Rewards Program can sign up at a register at any Goodwill Keystone Area store in central and southeastern Pennsylvania and receive a Rewards card. Our sales associates will be happy to issue you a card. You can also provide your email address to receive information about the Rewards Program and upcoming promotions.

Please note that Goodwill Rewards cards are only available at and can only be used at stores managed by Goodwill Keystone Area.

Happy shopping and saving at Goodwill Keystone Area!

From my home to yours,
Kirsten

About The Blogger

Kirsten is a 40-something mom, wife and marketing professional. She loves all things crafty, tasty and fashionable, especially while being frugal. She enjoys hunting for treasures at her local Goodwill Keystone Area stores to decorate her home and wardrobe.

I enjoy crafting, but the holidays are a special time to develop new pieces to feature in my home. This year, I decided to recreate some crafts I saw at a high-end antique store, and I ended up doing a little remodeling on a ceramic tree.

Having seen some fancy, decorative bottle brush trees at a store, I knew they’d be easy to replicate with glass candlesticks. I spent a few trips to my local Goodwill Keystone Area stores gathering some interesting pieces. I also encountered a dated ceramic tree I knew I could rehab to modernize the look.

I ended up with two trays, a ceramic church, a candle from Opalhouse, glass candlesticks, decorative mesh ribbon, and a ceramic tree. Starting on the tree, I soaked it and scrubbed it with a wire brush to remove the glittery coating. I then painted it with a forest green acrylic paint and added two coats of triple thick glaze. It gave it an almost kiln-fired shine.

All that was left was assembling and staging the two pieces. After rehabbing the tree, I staged the scene with the mesh ribbon, ceramic tree, and candle. The church did not have a light, but I added a clip-in lightbulb to illuminate the scene.

For the bottle brush trees, I removed the bases and used wine corks to attach them to the glass candlesticks. After placing them on the vintage aluminum tray, I scattered corks around and added battery-operated fairy lights. This would make an excellent gift for a wine lover in your life.

I was thrilled with how each project turned out. I spent less than $20 at my local Goodwill and a few more on items from my local craft store (paint, fairy lights, clip-in electric light, and bottle brush trees). Staging a small scene on a decorative tray is an easy way to add some instant interest to a table in your home. You can even keep the gray up year-round and change out the seasonal elements.

Get crafty with Goodwill Keystone Area this holiday season!

From my home to yours,
Kirsten

About The Blogger

Kirsten is a 40-something mom, wife and marketing professional. She loves all things crafty, tasty and fashionable, especially while being frugal. She enjoys hunting for treasures at her local Goodwill Keystone Area stores to decorate her home and wardrobe.

When you’re known as a thrifty fashionista, people expect you to show up at public events in your finest thrifted outfits and often ask you how much you paid for what you wear. I am never offended by this, and in fact, I find it a compliment.

Recently, I attended a non-profit awards event, and knowing I’d see lots of my friends and colleagues, I saved a new dress and boots to debut for the occasion.

Animal print is always in season, and this teal Loft dress with a self-tie belt was appropriate and comfortable – and the best part was that it has pockets – which have become a new obsession of mine. They make life so much more convenient. When new, the retail price of this dress was around $79. I paid $7.99.

I got a huge shock when I researched the black suede sock booties. They were from an unfamiliar brand to me – Tamara Mellon and the original retail price was $345! I paid $9.99, and the bonus was that they were extremely comfortable. I would look again for this brand at my local Goodwill Keystone Area store.

Friends asked about my outfit and proudly showed me some of their thrifted items. I enjoy that secondhand shopping has now become mainstream and popular.

I saved 97 percent off the retail value of $425 and paid less than $18 . Wear your thifted outfits with a badge of honor, knowing you are cultivating your unique style, saving money, and helping your local community and the environment!

From my closet to yours,
Kirsten

About The Blogger

Kirsten is a 40-something mom, wife and marketing professional. She loves all things crafty, tasty and fashionable, especially while being frugal. She enjoys hunting for treasures at her local Goodwill Keystone Area stores to decorate her home and wardrobe.

I was tasked to make awards for a staff pumpkin carving contest at my school. Or maybe I volunteered – I’m not quite sure – but I was up to the challenge!

Knowing I’d need some thrifted supplies, my sister and I searched our local Goodwill Keystone Area stores for old trophies. I see them there all the time – remnants of someone’s past triumphs now donated and on the shelves. Of course I looked for weeks and nothing, but my sister discovered a huge cache of them and she grabbed several for me. They ranged in price from $1.99 – $2.99.

After experimenting with some supplies purchased at a big box store, I decided on small lightweight pumpkins and sparkly spiders to complete the trophies.

I gave each trophy a good cleaning and then antiqued them with a coat of black paint. I wiped most of it off to highlight the brass features but painted the green bases a solid black. This left them looking aged and spooky.

After coating them with clear spray paint, I used hot glue to add the pumpkins and spiders. I’ll use my work’s label maker to add the names of the winners.

Pinterest has plenty of ideas to repurpose old trophies – from making wine bottle stoppers out of the tops, or using the marble stands to make lamp bases, there are lots of ideas to be creative! Goodwill Keystone Area always comes through when I need to be super crafty and creative. Maybe at Christmas, I can add tiny sweaters for our ugly Christmas sweater contest!

From my closet to yours,
Kirsten

About The Blogger

Kirsten is a 40-something mom, wife and marketing professional. She loves all things crafty, tasty and fashionable, especially while being frugal. She enjoys hunting for treasures at her local Goodwill Keystone Area stores to decorate her home and wardrobe.

One of these photos is not like the other. Do you notice the small but subtle change?

Often, dresses come with matching fabric belts attached in a predetermined location with small fabric loops. Sometimes, these belts make it through the donation process intact, and sometimes they are missing. Either way, there is so much room for improvement with a new belt!

The loops are often not placed at the best spot on your body for maximum appeal. A belt should often sit at the smallest part of your waist to flatter your figure. If you use the ones that came with your dress, it may not be the right spot for you. With small, sharp scissors, it’s easy to snip off these little loops and free the belt.

Next, hit up the belt section at your local Goodwill Keystone Area and find a bolder belt that makes a more significant statement. It could be wider, a different color, or even metallic. You could even use a thinner scarf. Be creative! I chose a patent leather belt that was about 2” wide. It cinches in my waist and adds a pop of color.

Just because an accessory is included with your purchase, it doesn’t mean you have to use it. Make an outfit more personal by changing something as simple as the belt. Try it and check out the belt section next time you are thrifting!

From my closet to yours,
Kirsten

Loft dress $7.99
Belt: $2.99
Sandals: $7.99

About The Blogger

Kirsten is a 40-something mom, wife and marketing professional. She loves all things crafty, tasty and fashionable, especially while being frugal. She enjoys hunting for treasures at her local Goodwill Keystone Area stores to decorate her home and wardrobe.

National Thrift Shop Day is August 17! This day is dedicated to celebrating the art of thrifting and the joy of finding affordable, one-of-a-kind items!

When I was younger, thrift shopping was not something anyone talked about. I remember telling my friends my clothes were hand-me-downs from an older cousin or vintage. But now, thrift shopping is the epitome of cool, and finding something for $5 earns you a thrifting badge of honor! I’ve introduced many friends to the joy of thrifting.

According to a census.gov article “Sixty-two percent of Gen Z and millennial consumers said they look for items secondhand before buying new.” And those numbers will rise as people become more aware of the detrimental effects of fast fashion and the urgent need to keep items out of landfills.

Here are my top four reasons for shopping at Goodwill Keystone Area stores:

Save money. I never pay retail prices when thrifting.

Be more sustainable. Secondhand items are much more eco-friendly.

Supports my local community. Goodwill Keystone Area trains and employs people from my local area.

Find one-of-a-kind items. Check out my find below!

On a recent visit, I saw this fabulous homemade side table. My oldest daughter, an engineer in the auto industry in Michigan, had just commented she needed a small table for her new apartment. I quickly snapped a few pics to send since I thought it was perfect for her. I carried it to the front, and luckily she wrote back (as I was checking out) that she loved it.

Finding something unique like this is one of the best parts of thrifting. I would have never thought to have made this myself, but I’m sure glad someone else did, and it eventually got donated to Goodwill Keystone Area! I’m pretty sure this is my best find of the year!

Happy National Thrift Day!
Kirsten

About The Blogger

Kirsten is a 40-something mom, wife and marketing professional. She loves all things crafty, tasty and fashionable, especially while being frugal. She enjoys hunting for treasures at her local Goodwill Keystone Area stores to decorate her home and wardrobe.