I enjoy thrifting ready-to-use items at Goodwill, but crafting something new and creative from individual pieces is exciting. For #nationalupcycleday in June, I created an original piece of art for my daughter’s new apartment. Her sister had picked up the fabric at the Goodwill Keystone Area Outlet bins in Reading and it had been tacked to her bedroom wall.

To give it a more sophisticated presentation, I decided I wanted to frame it. I wasn’t sure how, but a visit to the art section at my local Goodwill provided some options. There were large wood frames and some stretched canvas prints. After another trip home to measure the fabric, I purchased an unframed canvas print that was exactly the right size.

Since the canvas had color on it, I painted it white. I also removed the mounting hardware. Then I began (with help from a staple gun and my husband) working my way around the canvas and stapling the fabric to the wood frame. Start in the middle of each side to get even tension. And take time with the corners to get neat folds. After reinstalling the mounting hardware, it is ready to go!

This project cost less than $8 and a little research led to the artist (Helen Webber) revealed that she was a textile artist and created unique mid-century modern pieces – some original works sell for well into the thousands of dollars. Goodwill always keeps surprising me with what I can find there!

To end, here’s a quote from Helen Webber on why we need art everywhere:

“Art brings a uniqueness to a space whether it’s a public place or a home. The presence of art speaks of humanity. It personalizes even the coldest space and above all it is a subliminal message to the casual passerby of the imagination and possibility of the human spirit.”

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’ve long been a fan of the Life is Good brand. You probably have seen their apparel and not realized it. Their t-shirts, sweatshirts and a variety of other goods feature funny, happy or motivational messages. They were founded in the late 1980s by two brothers who sold t-shirts out of a van in Boston. Asking friends and family to contribute designs, one submission featured a smiling stick figure with the phrase “Life is good”. It became so popular that other designs followed, and by 2007 they had achieved $100 million in sales.

While I typically haven’t bought new products from them, my daughter used to buy one at vacation destinations as a souvenir. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve come to appreciate their optimistic outlook and have started searching out their pieces at my local Goodwill Keystone Area stores.

I’ve easily found over a dozen pieces in the last few years and recently I snagged this new-with-tags hoodie. It retailed for $54, but Goodwill’s price was $11.99. Not bad for a brand-new item.

After doing a little research for this blog, I discovered that 10% of their net profits are donated to the Life is Good Kids Foundation to support the Life is Good Playmakers foundation, which works to mitigate the effects of adverse childhood experiences and that during the annual Life is Good Festival they have raised over 1 million dollars for the Life is Good Kids Foundation.

According to their Wikipedia page, “To this day the Life is Good Foundation inspires optimism and receives emails and letters from customers who were inspired by them. Their website shares stories about some of these individuals who found hope and joy through the Life is Good company.”

Now that I know a little more about their philanthropy, I will be even more optimistic when wearing their apparel!

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.

How to help your slumping sales, according to Old Navy? Add pockets. I’m not kidding. According to many news outlets, Old Navy is adding pockets to 50% more dresses this year. Why? Because it’s what we want!

Men have the luxury of having pockets in almost 100% of the shorts, trousers, and jeans they wear. And it is expected and normal. At the same time, girls and women are at the whim of designers who may or may not add pockets to dresses, skirts, or even pants and shorts.

This insight came from a survey Old Navy conducted in February of more than 500 women (aged 18 and older), of whom more than half said their favorite dresses have pockets. The reasons why they prefer pockets ranged from keeping hands warm to pockets being convenient for holding small items, thus allowing women to forgo handbags. Some cited pockets as safe havens for hands in awkward social situations.

And, if I find a dress with pockets, I’m 50% more likely to purchase it, and if I find it at Goodwill Keystone Area store, I’m 100% more likely to buy it. Like this dress, I found from the Universal Thread brand sold at Target. It retailed for $30, but my cost was $6.99. It’s the perfect summer dress – it’s lightweight, and fun, AND it was thrifted and has pockets. It’s a win-win!

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.

Earth Day (April 22) is everyday at Goodwill Keystone Area! According to the Ohio Valley Goodwill Industries, here are 5 surprising facts about fashion and the environment:

Fact #1: Our landfills are full of textile waste

According to the most recent EPA statistics, Americans created more than 16 million tons of textile waste in 2017. Of this total, 11 million tons ended up in landfills instead of being recycled or reused. While food trash takes only a few hours or days to decompose, clothing can sit in landfills for years. Synthetic fabrics like polyester, lycra, and nylon can take 30 to 40 years to break down fully. That’s a great reason to donate used clothing and purchase gently-owned items instead of buying brand-new from a traditional retailer!

Fact #2: It can take more than 700 gallons of water to make a single t-shirt

It takes a lot of water to grow, manufacture, transport, and wash cotton, which is one of the most popular fabrics used in today’s clothing. It’s estimated that producing one pound of cotton takes 1,320 gallons of water. That equals over 700 gallons for just one t-shirt! Extending the lifecycle of clothing, especially cotton clothing, can reduce your total water footprint and help protect the environment.

Fact #3: The average lifetime of a clothing item is about 3 years

Fast fashion is a term used to describe new styles of clothing that are manufactured quickly and sold at very low prices. While fast fashion makes clothing affordable for consumers, it comes at a big cost to the environment. Trendy and cheaply-made clothing has a short lifespan in people’s closets, often leading to more clothes ending up in landfills.

Fact #4: Clothing and textiles are almost 100% recyclable

Clothing and other textiles can be recycled and used for a variety of other purposes, from carpet to home insulation to “new” fabric made from the clothing’s fibers. It doesn’t matter if the clothing has rips or tears — it can almost always be converted into something else. Because textiles do not degrade easily, they should not be disposed of in the garbage. Donate your used clothing to Goodwill instead!

Fact #5: It’s easy to shop more sustainably

The harmful cycle of clothing waste can be broken. We can all work to reduce textile waste and lower the impact the fashion industry has on our planet by shopping sustainably and recycling clothing responsibly.

Shopping at your local Goodwill Keystone Area, not only helps the environment, but according to their mission “For 75 years, Goodwill Keystone Area has built a strong legacy of helping people with barriers to employment build skills, find jobs and grow their careers.” Help, the earth, help your neighbors – shop at Goodwill!

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.

Finding great thrift finds doesn’t take luck. It takes patience, timing, and hard work. Thrifting is like hunting for the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. It’s a treasure you are trying to uncover each time you head into a Goodwill Keystone Area store.

My most important tip for finding good deals is to have an open mind. You can’t go in always expecting to find items off of your wish list. You might have to be flexible if you’re looking for a particular style of shoe or a specific picture frame.

Being flexible when shopping is critical, as is frequently visiting your local Goodwill stores. Inventory changes constantly, so you never know when something special will be placed on a rack.

Shopping at different times of the day can also be beneficial. Or you can take a friend – having an extra set of eyes when shopping for clothing can be helpful! They may pick something out to would have never thought to try on. Don’t forget to check the return racks in the dressing rooms – what didn’t work for someone else, might be perfect for you.

Some days you may leave empty-handed, and that’s ok. And don’t forget to return the favor – make sure you bring unworn clothing and unused housewares to donate. Complete the cycle of thrifting, and maybe your donations can be someone else’s treasure.

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 it comes to thrifting, I wear my heart on my sleeve. I have nothing to hide when it comes to my wardrobe – it’s almost completely thrifted from Goodwill Keystone Area. And I’m proud of that fact.

According to the Ohio Valley Goodwill Industries, here are five benefits of thrift shopping:

• Reduce waste. Shopping at a local thrift store is a simple and easy way to go green!
• Curate a one-of-a-kind wardrobe
• Score high-quality goods at low prices
• Find your next DIY project
• Support the community

What’s not to love about any of these things, especially around Valentine’s Day? I easily and quickly found three looks for the holiday – each less than $6.

The vintage heart sweater may be made of a slightly itchy acrylic, but it’s fun to wear for a few hours on the holiday. The floral Loft blouse adds a soft romantic feel to either jeans, a skirt, or pants. And the Lucky Brand cotton heart t-shirt is comfortable and casual. Goodwill offered up three completely different looks depending on how you feel like dressing.

Check out the red and pink sections of your local Goodwill Keystone Area store for something sweet. You’ve got to LOVE thrifting at Goodwill!

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.

According to our local meteorologist, January has been cloudy and dreary for 13 of the 17 days of the month so far (as of the time this blog was written). It would be easy to curl up at home on the sofa and hibernate, but I plan to interject some sunshine into my wardrobe with bright hues.

I spotted this tangerine Loft blouse from across the store when shopping at my local Goodwill Keystone Area store. The pure citrus color was refreshing and made me smile. It was a bit oversized, but that made it perfect to pair with the Lou & Grey leggings (with pockets!)

According to an article on shondaland.com, wearing colorful clothes can recharge your spirit. And “Color can lift your mood,” says Jane Boddy, a color expert based in the U.K.

I certainly believe this. Just seeing this color makes me smile. Pairing it with neutral tones makes it seem even more vivid. I added a new-with-tags Old Navy tech vest, classic black Nine West riding boots, and a Rachel Rachel Roy tasseled messenger bag. Layered Stella & Dot necklaces are from shopgoodwill.com.

All of these pieces work well with existing items in my closet. And the comfortable leggings are perfect since I don’t have to change out of them for my yoga class. Exercise is another proven mood lifter!

Head to the colorful section of your nearest Goodwill Keystone Area store and pick up some sunny yellows, radiant reds, or verdant greens to brighten your day!

From my closet to yours,
Kirsten

Goodwill: $31.94
Retail: $360+

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.

Are you a Goodwill Keystone Area rewards member? If not, you should be! It’s easy and free to sign up for even deeper discounts on thrifted goods at every store.

After signing up to be a Goodwill Keystone Area rewards member, every time you shop at a store, check what color is on sale, and you will receive 50% off those tagged items. Wednesday through Monday, a different tag color (clothing and housewares!) will be on sale at 50% OFF, AND every Tuesday, Color of the Week Tag items are ONLY $2! (NOTE: See in-store signage for the weekly sale tag color.)

While shopping for a few new fall pieces (and what ended up being my Halloween costume as Mabel from Only Murders in the Building), I found a complete outfit of Color of the Week sale-tagged items. These pieces included J. Crew and Athleta! I got what was already a great deal at even better prices.

This mustard chenille sweater, Athleta burgundy skater skirt, and J. Crew denim vest are versatile pieces I can mix and match with my existing wardrobe. The colors are perfect for autumn and transitioning into winter.

Sign up today and reap the benefits of being a Goodwill Keystone Area reward member. You can proudly flash your card at check out and save!

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.

About a month ago, my sister and I combed through the bins at a Goodwill Keystone Area Outlet. As we were sifting through the donated items in search of buried treasure, we came upon a vintage handcrafted ornament. Then another, another, and another. We went through as many bins as possible and scattered across the store; we found about 30 baubles of various sizes and colors.

These Christmas ornaments would have been lovingly created from styrofoam balls, ribbons, sequins, and beads in the 1960s or 70s. Everyone was different and unique. They would have taken quite a bit of time to craft. I vividly remember similar ones on my grandmother’s tree. I thought of how they sparkled against her classic silver aluminum tree. Maybe that’s why I was determined to find as many as I could.

Since I had so many of them, I decided to incorporate them in different ways into my holiday decor and crafts. Besides adding them directly to my Christmas tree for their intended purpose, I used a grouping of them in glass vases as a tabletop decoration. Adding some battery-powered fairy lights would make them even more lovely.

I took one of the smallest ones and made it into a festive, one-of-a-kind necklace. The pale pink and white popped against a dark green plaid Old Navy shirt dress (thrifted, of course).

Lastly, I made gifts for friends who value vintage Christmas decor. I added a handful of the ornaments to a pre-existing bell wall hanging. The gold in the ornaments coordinated perfectly with the gold bells.

Maybe I felt sentimental about Christmases gone by, but seeing them repurposed in different ways made me smile. You never know what you’ll find at Goodwill Keystone Area stores. Sometimes it is better than buried treasure – It’s happy memories decorated in ribbon and beads.

Happy Holidays,
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.

This is my eighth year writing about ugly Christmas sweaters for Goodwill! What started as a quirky trend has now become entirely mainstream and available at almost any store. I once found unique vintage 80s sweaters when they weren’t popular, but now they are a rare commodity and lucky find when I see them in Goodwill Keystone Area stores.

This year I found four modern sweaters at Goodwill – two in my size and two in my niece’s. I paired them up for our photo shoot – cats and dogs (Snoopy) and Stranger Things and the Real Thing (Coca-Cola).

According to CNN.com, “Christmas-themed pullovers (sweaters) started making an appearance in the 1950s, a nod perhaps to the holiday’s growing commercialization. Initially referred to as “Jingle Bell Sweaters,” they weren’t as garish as today’s iterations, and found little popularity in the market, although some TV personalities — notably crooners Val Doonican and Andy Williams — really embraced the ugly side of the festive topper.”

Modern sweaters feature popular culture including Snoopy, Stranger Things, and Coca Cola or whimsical designs, such as the Santa riding a cat in space on my niece’s sweater. The four sweaters I purchased ranged from $4.99 – $6.99. Retail on these would have been between $30 – $50. These sweaters are all acrylic, whereas vintage ones were made of wool, rayon, and cotton.

No matter if you call them ugly or festive, or just enjoy them for what they are – a whimsical addition to your holiday wardrobe! Check the racks at your local Goodwill Keystone Area store. Most stores have racks dedicated to holiday clothing.

Happy thrifty holidays,
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.