Thursday, November 27, 2014

Thank You, Thrift Shoppers. Thank You.

Happy Thanksgiving, thrift shoppers!

As the official start of the holiday season screams, "eat more, buy more, spend more," it's all too easy to consume and be consumed by what we falsely believe to be important. 

Aside from the doorbuster deals and the family dining, this is a season to be decent human beings. And to me, thrifters, by their very nature are truly decent people.

We distribute our dollars through the community via charitable shopping. We keep usable items from landfills. We're financially responsible. We're creative and resourceful. 

So if you find yourself overwhelmed by all the holiday bells and whistles, just listen to your own heart and believe that YOU are an important part of something bigger. Thrift store owners, volunteers, and staff appreciate you choosing secondhand shopping over the standard retail experience. And this is especially true during the holiday season, when their charitable causes are likely in the most need.  

Your spending power makes thrift stores thrive. So thank you for shopping secondhand. 
And thank you for being part of the Let's Go Thrifting community! 


Monday, November 17, 2014

How Thrifting Can Inspire Your Creativity


Thrift shopping means bargains for shoppers, funds for charities, and a second life for useful items that would otherwise meet their end in a landfill. As an alternative to standard retail shopping, thrift stores provide us shoppers with a potential treasure trove of fashion, housewares, entertainment, electronics, and more. 

But have you considered thrift stores to be fuel for your creativity? I, myself, am a sponge, constantly absorbing droplets of information and inspiration. And when I'm out thrifting, I'm just sucking up all the visual cues to creative projects in the making.  Maybe it's a worse for wear dresser that could be given fresh paint and a fresh purpose as a bar. Maybe it's a richly colored textile that inspires a photo shoot. The creative possibilities abound. 

And for me, there are two specific and much sought-after sources of inspiration: Vintage photographs and skeleton keys. And I've grown to ask myself why I've been compelled to collect these relics. Both are tangible reminders of a bygone era. Both have an intimacy, a closeness that meant something special to the original owner. 

I've salvaged many vintage photographs from the thrift and made a gallery for others to enjoy them as well. But it just wasn't enough. Flipping through my photo album of found memories, I had a thought. I wanted to make them into something more. And so I did. 



Using the magic of Grafix Shrink Film and small novelty skeleton keys from AC Moore. I made a charm bracelet entirely inspired by my two beloved thrift-found collections. And in the coming days, I'll be posting a how-to guide for the process, and an exciting corporate sponsored giveaway from the Grafix company, so you too can create something special.

After a few days of seeing my vintage wares dangling from my wrist, I had another thought. And while it at first seemed impulsive, I knew it was something I wanted all along. But... that's for another post. So stay tuned for the big reveal of yet another thrift-inspired bit of creativity and an official giveaway announcement. 

How has thrift shopping inspired you?

Follow on Bloglovin

Friday, November 7, 2014

Just 2 Days Left For The Hot Kitchen & Home Giveaway!!

Click me!



Don't forget to get those Rafflecopter entries in for your chance to win a copy of Hot Kitchen & Home Collectibles of the 30s, 40s, 50s & Beyond.  The 'copter will fly away in just over two days.

And... drum roll, please. There's even more exciting LGT happenings on the horizon, including a product review, craft project, and a corporate sponsored giveaway!

To make sure you're in the know, stay active on the Let's Go Thrifting Facebook page.

And since Facebook is hellbent on making page management difficult to navigate without paid boosts, make sure you click "Get Notifications" on Let's Go Thrifting, and all the other pages you support! You don't want to miss out on any future thrifty announcements, right?



Right! So stay thrifty, my friends.


Follow on Bloglovin