Power of Work

Yesterday I had the opportunity to attend Goodwill's Power of Work Luncheon.  I wish that every Goodwill shopper and donater could have been there to witness Goodwill's far reaching benefits.  I learned a lot more about Goodwill's programs in the Denver area.  I love to shop at Goodwill (clearly), and I donate there as well.  But like most of us I don't really think about where the money really goes.  It goes to helping real people make real changes in their lives through the Power of Work.  I recognized some of the awards recipients from shopping at all of the stores in the area.  Goodwill employees 1,200 people in the Denver area and helps thousands more get jobs and hopefully turn their jobs into long term meaningful employment.  Your purchases and donations really do fund amazing programs that help individuals in so many thoughtful and impactful ways.

Buying my dress and shoes at Goodwill helped someone make positives changes in their lives, and I felt great wearing an outfit that was saved from a landfill someplace.  Oh and I felt pretty cute too! (bonus)

I'm having Deja Blue! This post is from 1 year ago...

This is weird! Last year on March 23, 2011 I posted this. Basically this is what Deja Blue is. Goodwill in a pretty package with prices that are still amazing! DB is for the shopper who needs a little merchandising! I loooove the store but I love the hunt. So watch out because I am still shopping at my favorite Goodwill stores. Please remember that merchandise is NOT being "taken" from your favorite store. DB is hand selecting merchandise from our warehouse. I saw it with my own two eyes. Picture those GIANT blue bins filled to the top with donated clothing and our amazing employees looking each piece over, hanging them up, and presenting them to you in a new location. That is all. Try BOTH stores. The each have something unique to offer!

image from California Closets

I think if Goodwill looked like this people more would want to shop there. Duh....(I have two teenage boys...this is where my vocabulary comes from)...moving on...

Goodwill has Armani for $6.00 because it looks like...hmmm..like Goodwill. But that's what makes it sooo fun! I will tell you that I would have a field day in there with some laundry equipment and my fancy iron!!!! I dream of cleaning that joint up!! How could I do that while maintaining the $3.49 that I just paid for the Nordstom Spring Jacket...I'll think about that and get back to you.

The other day while I was taking photographs of lovely Easter outfits for children, a man rammed my cart because it was in his way. Rammed it. I was a little startled but not really, 'cause I was at the 'Dub. It was actually much nicer than the time a scary looking guy was holding an ice pick that he had just found in the housewares section. You know how when you see a scary guy holding an ice pick you try to memorize his features so you can tell the cops later? Yeah like that. Don't worry mom I hid behind some giant man that looked relatively safe. Goodwill is entertaining to say the least! (I watch a lot of 48 Hour Mystery on the ID channel.)

Gray Skies...

Are going to clear up! (Let's hope, we woke up to snow on the ground this morning!)

Classiques Entier (with tags...Goodwill)

Forever 21 (Goodwill)

The Gap (GDub)

No Tag (GDub)

This is after I brought them home, washed them, ironed them and displayed them nicely.
NO ONE would EVER know they came from Goodwill.....What are you waiting for?

Can you do a garden wedding for under $500.00?

EVERYTHING is from Goodwill...Dresses, Suits, Childrens' Clothes, Bouquets, Serving Pieces, Furniture....EVERYTHING! Yes, even my outfit! You can too, if you shop at Goodwill! I was on 9News here in Denver showing how to put together a beautiful wedding for under $500.00, wedding dress included!



This is kind of a long segment, but it shows the amazing finds from my favorite store The G-Dub!

Something to think about....

Thrift Store Confidential has a very interesting post this morning. A Michigan Senator has proposed budget cuts that would require foster families to shop at thrift stores for their children's clothing using vouchers. Read the full article here: http://gawker.com/#!5795155/mich-lawmakers-plan-requires-fosters-kids-to-shop-at-thrift-stores

Democrat or Republican this type of mandate seems demeaning and punitive to me. I love Goodwill, dress myself, and my children from thrift stores and I am proud of it. However I am not required to shop there from my state representative. Yes, I do think you can buy current, name brand, affordable clothing at thrift stores....but should you have to? Would you feel the same if he suggested Old Navy or the 70% off clearance rack at Kohls? I don't know.

Opinions?

The Royal Wedding

Find the print here:

Will you watch the Royal Wedding? I will! (no I'm not going to watch it live...)
I've been up to my eyeballs in Goodwill wedding details for a media wedding I am styling for a local news program. We tape it tomorrow and I will post it when it runs!

Jolly Rancher Inspired Tablescape

WIWW My car stops at Goodwill and Target

While looking for picture of What I Wore this week I realized that I don't really need to break down what I was wearing in each picture. It's easy really:Goodwill, Target or Target stuff I bought at Goodwill. There you go. Speaking of the GDub, I have been working on a project for them that is fun, but I'll be happy when it is finished...stay tuned for the details!

Think outside the basket this Easter...

Plastic Easter Baskets are fine, but wouldn't it be more fun to experiment a little?

BEFORE

Very Humble Begininnings

I picked up some treasures at Goodwill and created a colorful tablescape!

I forgot to take a before picture of the largest birdcage...it was black and gold...I picked up some English Botanical tea cups, and New In The Package Easter grass, and a new with tags Easter Bunny to fill it up.

Leave the doors of the birdcage open so the Easter Bunny can come and go.....ever since my son read "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" by Maya Angelou he has had an aversion to anything caged. Yes he is a deep thinker.

Ahhh Easter Goodies....see the tag on the bunny? Brand New from Target via GDub

Next I bought ranunculus at Lowe's and hid the small pot with shredded paper Easter grass.

Added a pair of new gardening gloves and a dark chocolate bunny.....yummmm

Adorable.

These are going on the dining room table....stay tuned for the tablescape all finished!

*The pear branches are real and let me tell you they smell terrrribblllle! I took them out right after the photo shoot! Go faux for the branches.

Vintage Luggage

I found this great piece of vintage Samsonite Luggage the other day at Goodwill. I think it was priced at $8.99 *I decided to love it and leave it... Some time ago I heard that the company was originally started in Denver by the Shwayder brothers. I only know this because my boys went to Shwayder Camp when they were younger and I know that the Shwayder family is still active in the Denver community. It was interesting to come across a vintage piece with the original tag that says. Shwayder Brothers, Denver Colorado.....hmmmm this piece didn't make it far from home. What have you found lately?
I'm linking up here:

Just drive us to the old folks home...

Today is my husband's birthday.....he is 46 going on 96 in this photo.
(He was doing a commercial here and is wearing professional makeup.)

However when he told me that all he wanted was an electric can opener for his birthday I thought that maybe that old man make up and scarred him somehow. Electric.can.opener. oy.

Aunt Peaches

I LOVE Aunt Peaches, not only is she creative, her blog is full of eccentric characters that rival my own. (too many of mine are still around so I can't blog about them...booo)

Well not only do I love her, it turns out Ballard Designs loves her as well....You be the judge!!! UUUmmmmmmm! Copy Caaaat!

WIWW White Jeans Re-Mix

I copied Katie from Running on Happiness... I loved this outfit so much I decided to Thrift It!

Ok so I'm 20 years older and 5 inches shorter.....but still...

Lucky Brand Denim Shirt (Goodwill or the GDub as I like to call it!)
White Kenneth Cole Jeans (Goodwill $5.99 1/10th the retail price!)
Silpada Belt- Party.....can you say pricey?!
Black Studded Shoes (Target via Goodwill)

J Crew Breton Shirt (Goodwill)
Kenneth Cole Jeans (Goodwill)
Shoes (Goodwill)

Threw on a sequins top (Goodwill) and a blazer(?).

Same Jeans
Throw on a T-shirt
Sequins Converse (Target then I saw them at the Dub!) take the doggie for a little walk.

(making a commercial)
That is my HUSBAND! After 4 hours of makeup making him into an old man! YIKES!! This is what I have to look forward to......oh......my..... (all of his old man fabulous clothing from Goodwill!)

Oh man I love these boots soooo much! (GDub)
Michael Kors Jeans (Goodwill)

I was shopping (I work for Goodwill..in the PR Department) for a news segment on the Royal Wedding so I dressed a little British Queen Mum here with pearls, and tweed cropped pants and ballet slipper pumps......all GDub of course.....

love these boots.

Mother of the Year

It was easy...homemade chocolate chip cookies,(I use half white whole wheat and half all purpose flour) and the box of cereal my younger son has been asking to try (but I have forgotten to buy it for weeks). Well it all came together for me. However, I almost lost the title last night when they noticed the broccoli lurking in the pasta dish, so we'll see how this all plays out for me.

Beach Blanket Bozo

We had a beautiful sunny day in Florida so we hit the beach. I'm hanging out, lounging, you know, your basic beach stuff. I notice that the ruffle on the front of my tankini bottoms is not quite right...so as I look further I realize that my bottoms are on inside-out.....ok that in itself is a little troublesome.... but then it hits me..........Ohhhh laaawwwd please don't have that white lining in the crotchical region of this bathing suit in full view for all so see! Then what??!! I've been walking around with the white lining thing all flailling about in the wind all day...come on!.... So I had to do the very discrete la..laaa..laaa, I'm just going to look for something in the sand and do a quick check of the nethers........Alas no lining hanging out.....whew! And then my friend says, "are those tags hanging out the back of your suit?" "Why yes they are, please take a picture so I can blog about it."

And here we are.

What $99 and a truck will get you...

I love this but have nowhere to put it! Aaaaggghhhh! I hate that. If it is still there today should I buy it and hope to find a spot? $99.00? That is almost free....(in my math anyway.)

WIWW What was left in the camera week...

I'm trying to change the image of Goodwill (G-Dub) one shopping trip at a time.

My computer bit it while we were on vacation....so here is what was in the memory stick that survived!

In Florida for Spring Break
Sweater Old Navy
Dress Goodwill (no brand)
Shoes Cynthia Rowley (Goodwill)
You know they are good when Goodwill only puts one shoe out on the sales floor and you have to ask for the other one. Not inexpensive for the G-Dub but I love them. yes they kill my feet.

I love this orange jacket!
Orange Jacket Suni brand? (Goodwill)
Skinny Jeans Old Navy via Goodwill
Sporto Boots (Goodwill)

Out running errands with my better half!
JCrew button down...I flipped my collar....G-Dub!
Same Skinny Jeans cuffed G-Dub
Floral Flats Chinese Laundry G-Dub

Yes the G-Dub is Goodwill and yes I buy almost all of my clothes there......you could say I'm obsessed with the 'Dub!

Yikes, that hurt!

I'm thinking of going old school and sticking to a cute blue typewriter.....can you blog on that?

You know when you are reading a blog that begs you to back up your data and photos so it doesn't all disappear one morning with no warning? And you say to yourself, I should really back up my photos or get that external hard drive I've had my eye on?

Yeah... that....Well guess what? My computer bit it the other morning and all my stuff is GONE. Thank goodness my blogs have so many photos that I can copy and paste back but still. That little lesson stung!! (My husband is the family photographer and of course he backs up every day and even has multiple hard drives just in case...so our family photos are all safe...thank goodness!)

So starting now my data goes "in the cloud" whatever that means. (on-line storage), the external hard drive is on it's way.)

Ouuuch.

What to do in Florida when it rains...

Find the closest Dunkin Donuts and drink a gallon of iced coffee to wash down a dozen donut holes...they have a special name, but I can't remember it.....I miss Dunkin Donuts!

*Munchkins! Thank you LMM

Watch some baby ducks when the sun peeks out for a minute...awwwwww

keep your eyes on the pesky squirrels....

hang out in the cute beach house....throw the dog toys a little...

meet up with the husband for dinner..... (half of us were at a baseball tourney...other half relaxing in Jacksonville)

eat out.....a....lot! (Thanks Lisa and Rogie)

play a lot of chess....(Boy #2 and Roger......Boy finally beat Roger the day before we left)

2011 Style.....two computers at a time...... We had a great time!! Rain and all!