My Best of 2013: Thrifted Outfit Recaps!

MY BEST OF 2013:
Thrifted Outfit Recaps!

Click through the slideshow below to see all 12 of them and please tune in with me on New Year's Day
for a very special and inspirational blog posting!  Cheers!

 

8 Last Minute Thrift Gifts plus SPECIAL printable tags!

For the fashionista: a vintage clutch and matching gloves won't miss. 
Add a current copy of Vogue, rolled and tied with a fancy velvet bow!

LAST MINUTE THRIFT GIFTS

AHHHHH!  There is only one more shopping day until Christmas. 
Are you in a pinch and out of ideas...or possibly, money?

Try these thrift gift ideas for a unique combo! Don't be afraid or embarrassed to tell the recipient of your gift about your statement in giving upcycled, vintage and thrifted gifts; not only is it eco-conscious, but it's also fun. Previously owned items have history and personality. Use that to your advantage and learn a little bit, if possible, about the item's history, or even more fun...make one up!

BONUS: I've included some gift tag printables for you below to make your gift even MORE special as a vintage or secondhand item! See this link and image below and click the pdf to print tags you can add to your packaging for that extra special touch. 

1. Give a sweater (or two). They are abundant at thrift stores everywhere, like this nice collection hanging at Lakeshore Rescue Mission thrift in Holland, MI on Riley street! Notice that several of the sweaters still have department store tags on them? If you like to mix and match new and old, pair a sweater with a coordinating necklace and earring set to complete your gift. If a PRETTY sweater isn't your thing, what about a HIDEOUS one? Everyone loves a good "ugly" sweater party...give your friend or family member a leg up on their ridiculous getup for a holiday soiree and gift them something goofy!

2. Give a nutcracker. I love vintage nutcrackers and pondering over their history; who owned them, where they were displayed, etc. It's especially fun when they are out of the ordinary, like this little golfing fellow above. Why not give a collection? At a dollar or two a piece (like these ones spotted at the Chicago drive location for LRMT), you can afford to toss a few extra into the box. Combine with some fresh holiday nut mix and it's a wrap!

3. Give some vintage glasses (and booze!) Find some interesting, one of a kind tumblers or any other kind of glass and pair with your gift recipient's favorite drink! 

4. Give holiday decor! I think anyone appreciates holiday decor as a gift but for those who are notorious displayers and decorators during the Christmas season, you really can't miss with secondhand additions to Christmas villages, interesting Santa Claus sculptures and vintage snow globes!

5. Give sentimentally! It's fun to take a trip down memory lane and try to find a secondhand gift associated with a loved one. For example: this Holly Hobbie plate reminds me so much of my grandmother. =) A dozen cookies on top with a note about a precious childhood reflection would have made this gift sweeter than any holiday treat! I regret not buying it while I was there...

6. Give a collection! I mentioned these pretty china dolls in my last blog about being proud to give thrifted gifts (see the article that Grand Haven Tribune posted about it here). Why not give a collection of vintage dolls for the price of one? If you have a friend who collects something special, such as red Avon glassware, it can be an exciting challenge to "hunt" for items to fit right in. Perhaps you even know a friend, or child, well enough to give them a head start on a collection they didn't even KNOW they wanted! (My son loves animals of all kinds, and I began to find him miniature vintage ceramic cats, which he was delighted with!)

7. Give goofy! I honestly think the "cheesy" ceramic above is an ashtray, and I'm not a smoker, but I'm drawn to this goofy item and I just love a bright bit of retro kitsch. "White elephant" items can really lighten someone's day, particularly if they double as something that is actually useful, despite its oddball appearance. If there is a back-story on an item and it becomes a conversation piece, that is even better!

8. Give it in a vintage suitcase! Make your treasure extra snazzy by packing it into a vintage suitcase! I've done this several times before and it is always a hit. If your intended giftee isn't the type for retro luggage, consider packing the gift in a special tin or a more contemporary purse, backpack or container that is also thrifted! (Yes, the collection above is my own, and I will be the first to admit that I'm a vintage suitcase hoarder!)

This last picture is just for fun... It would actually be a Christmas dream come true for me. This gorgeous antique stove was located at the Chicago Drive Lakeshore Rescue Mission Thrift. Besides the double ovens, the top left hand burner is actually a DOUBLE BOILER! So awesome. They just don't make 'em like that anymore. ;)

____________________________________________________________________

THRIFT GIFT TAGS!

I've created these one of a kind gift tags so that you can proudly label your vintage, secondhand and thrifted gifts with pride. Please feel free to share and print...click on the PDF below for a sheet of 9!

CLICK HERE FOR A FULL PAGE (9 Tags) COLOR PDF

Tis the Season To Repurpose! 1 Minute Centerpiece DIY

TIS THE SEASON TO REPURPOSE!
(Fa la la la....well, you get the picture.)

Thrifted, gifted or free...that's what I always say!

This retro plastic topiary was given to me in a bag of other things from "Christmas Past" and I decided to re-purpose it a little and turn it into a lovely little center piece! These little vintage snow owls were just waiting to be a Christmas focal point along with gold pinecone candles.

Truly, the only step in this DIY would be: spraybomb.

I love the look of white, cream or almond when it comes to holiday items, so the idea for me was to just cover the whole thing...and that's precisely what I did. To be honest, because I love the vintage kitsch, the original somewhat appealed to me! However, a little coat of paint really freshened and modernized the piece, and I'm very happy with the way it turned out! 

I'm still decorating! I love adding things here or there!

These wonderfully "tassel-y" ornaments and extra silver bulbs were orphans, so I strung them on ribbon over the doorways. 

What can you re-purpose for the holidays? Is your shopping done yet? I'll see you soon for a last minute thrifted gift blog!

Thrift a Gift: 3 Reasons to be proud of secondhand presents

I spotted this adorable vintage snow globe at the Lakeshore Rescue Mission Thrift on Chicago Drive in Holland!

THRIFT A GIFT:
3 Reasons to Be Proud of Secondhand Presents 

1) You can be proud that your "present" is in the "presentation".

Are you afraid to give a secondhand gift for fear that the recipient of your gift will be offended at receiving something used?  I hear this often from people, and I can completely understand the concern. Will the person I am giving to dislike this gift because it is "used"? Let us consider the term "used". Do we think "used UP"?  What happens when you replace the term "used" with the word "vintage",  or "up-cycled"?

I believe that the way we present the item and how we describe it is of utmost importance!

Package and wrap your secondhand gift with care--present it with pride! Because we are talking packaging and wrapping, it can't be forgotten that PLENTY of wrapping papers, gift bags, and unusual boxes and fabrics are at the thrift store! I find it fascinating and unique to package gifts in vintage magazine ads, unusual vintage fabrics, and retro papers. But even if "vintage" isn't your bag, there's no reason not to utilize the inexpensive leftovers from Christmas past. It's not just about being thrifty; it's about reducing your carbon footprint and using what is ALREADY available. Save a tree or two and go secondhand! 

Being truly green means utilizing the resources that are already before you, instead of wasting energy and resources on new items just for the sake of "being new". Stop this cycle! Start today!

This selection was available at Lakeshore Rescue Mission Thrift on  Riley Street in Holland!

2) You've put some "cause" in "Claus".

Imagine, for a moment, that instead of wandering  amongst the herds in the toasty, crowd-laden mall, searching for something unique and meaningful to give your loved ones that you were, instead, searching for shelter; hoping for a nook or cranny to fit into. It isn't the most pleasant holiday reverie, but for the homeless, transient and under-served population in your community, it is NOT A DREAM. It is a real life nightmare. It happens to all types of people who deserve your attention. That's where Holland Rescue Mission comes in, with programs like their Emergency Shelter. This is only the tip of the iceberg--from employment rehabilitation to Stepping Stones Daycare, the mission is involved in providing for the under-served community around us in many ways.

Precious little students from Stepping Stones Daycare

When you thrift from a store that offers services to the community such as the rescue mission, you can feel PROUD letting your gift recipients know that ALL of the proceeds from thrift sales go directly to funding the rescue mission. Pamphlets, rack cards and business cards can be found on almost every counter at Lakeshore Rescue Mission thrift stores.

Proudly display reading information about your non-profit support within your packaging, so your recipient understands the motivation behind your generous gift!

Do you feel proud about where your money goes when you shop at Kohl's, Target, or any other super store corporation? NO. (Let's not even bring Walmart into the picture....)

3) You added "bang" to your "buck".

China Dolls from Lakeshore Rescue Mission Thrift on Chicago Drive in Holland!

Do you have a special little girl who loves dolls on your Christmas list this year? For the same price as one Barbie play box, (that's right, an EMPTY BOX decorated as the "Dream House" that you put your Barbies in) you could purchase an ENTIRE COLLECTION of beautiful china dolls! The dolls shown above averaged $5 each, and they were quite lovely. Hurry down to the store on Chicago Drive and I'm sure some of them can still be yours!

Collections of items or play sets are a great place to start with thrifted gifts. For the cocktail aficionado, vintage martini shakers and fun tumblers would never go unappreciated. Pair with a secondhand book on fancy drinks and you have an amazing "ThriftGift" that is much more unique than something brand new, and five times more meaningful if you consider the purpose behind it's sale.

It really pays to thrift a gift...in more ways than one. I estimate that 40% of the gifts under my tree this year are SECONDHAND--and I love that!

P.S., do you have a tree yet?


Artificial tree selections from Lakeshore Rescue Mission Thrift on Chicago Drive in Holland!

Check back with me this week for a gift giving blog PACKED with super ideas on how you can put together fabulous thrifted and secondhand gifts for family and friends this year!

______________________________________________

LAKESHORE RESCUE MISSION THRIFT INFORMATION:

Click here for locations!

Three dollar necklace and a two second trick!

$3 DOLLAR NECKLACE 
and a {2} SECOND TRICK!

I was so pleased to find this pretty little turquoise and gold statement necklace at Family Dollar for three bucks! They seem to always have fun, bold jewelry for under five dollars, and I couldn't resist this twisted bead piece when I saw it. (It came with matching earrings, too!) I honestly could have picked up the white version with minimal guilt at that price, but I decided to let it stay on the shelf. They also had purple and black! The rest of the outfit is one hundred percent thrifted. I've really been digging all black lately!

HERE'S MY 2 SECOND TRICK:

I tie my dress shirts!

I love wearing high waisted, long skirts. Often, I pair them with collared shirts so that I can also rock bold bib necklaces and scarves. For me, letting the shirt tails hang out looks sloppy and adds a lot of loose girth--not something I love to do. If I belt them to accentuate my waist, I can sometimes end up with a bit of a peplum look, and depending on the shirt, I might like it. I'm still not always thrilled at the way it shapes my body. For that reason, I often tie a knot in the shirt instead! I leave the last button undone and tie it right at my waist. It's a little bit of a feminine, vintage look, and I feel that when you do it with more of a formal piece like a high waisted skirt, it looks quite polished too! Make sure to tie it at the smallest point of your natural waist line...and watch the curves appear. ;)

Holiday Zebras: Shorts with tights and heels

HOLIDAY ZEBRAS: Shorts with tights and heels

How do you feel about shorts with tights and heels?

I LOVE them. It might sound funny to some (or miserable with the hot and humid Michigan summers) but I've never cared for shorts with bare legs in the summer. I don't love the way they look with flats or sandals, and they always rode up my body in unflattering and uncomfortable ways, being that I have a thicker bottom and thighs. Also, they just don't look polished to me unless they are paired with heels or boots.

That all changes for me when they are paired with tights. In fact, my FAVORITE time to wear (thrifted) shorts is in the off season; fall and winter! Paired with tights or leggings, a blazer or sweater and some slammin' booty heels, I feel that shorts can be totally cold-weather appropriate!

This was my Thanksgiving outfit this year, and I think it would be a great style to wear to an upcoming holiday party or even New Year's eve! (Just be careful walking in ice on heels, hah! I brought along boots to change into for outdoor passage, trust me.)

The coup de grace for this outfit is DEFINITELY this fantastic zebra clasping, briefcase style shoulder bag!

I was thrilled to find this unique purse at Lakeshore Rescue Mission Thrift in Grand Haven, Michigan--it is the perfect addition to my brown and black ensemble shown here with one of my favorite 99 cent thrift finds ever--a fantastic faux snakeskin Michael Kors belt! I've styled it many ways over the last few years! Here's an old throwback from 2011--a red plaid and purple outfit  using the same belt.

Also shown are some yellow vintage clip ons I thrifted years ago for 99 cents as well as a secondhand double faux gold chain and bracelets.

 

 

Would you try SHORTS IN THE WINTER?
How about BROWN AND BLACK?

Whatever you do--aim to reduce your carbon footprint while increasing your creative thumbprint by going secondhand!