Great Saturday at Goodwill

I haven't been to my neighborhood Goodwill for a few weeks now. I try to stop in every few days since new things hit the floor every few minutes of the day. At least half of my home decor comes from thrift stores and I've saved a TON of money over the years.

First thing I noticed is that even at the thrift stores, the fall clothing in on the racks. Time to start updating the wardrobe for Fall 2010. Early bird gets the worm and a lot of times the savings too! I was happy to find a couple of items to kick off my update at Goodwill Saturday.

Here's the rundown:
1) Large Mirror -- ($14.99) The frame is metal and scraped up enough that it's going to need some repair or a complete repaint. I'm thinking repaint, because as much as I totally love dark brown home furnishings, I have come to the realization that I have way too much of it. A Before and After coming soon on that.

2) Bamboo Vase -- ($2.99) No idea what I am going to do with that, but it goes and I'll figure it out. I'm rarely this vague about something I buy, but we'll just have to see what happens with this.

3) White Lantern -- ($3.99) I am pretty sure I just saw this at Z Gallerie a few weeks ago. It is new and was priced on the bottom for $14.99. I'm debating a little spray paint work on this, but I do like the white. I just feel like it lacks a little impact against cream colored walls.

4) Wood Bowl -- ($3.99) A few weeks ago in NYC, I fell in love with the most amazing wood bowls. They started at $75. I just kept envisioning one on a long outdoor dinner table surrounded by friends, lined with a beautiful little cotton napkin and full of delicious french bread. This bowl looks amazingly like them and the savings is obvious. If I'd known I would find this a few weeks later I wouldn't have spent so much time lamenting the fact that I didn't buy the $75 bowl! I think I might sand it down, round the edges a little bit more with some sand paper and then juice it up with some Claphams beeswax.

5) Orange and White Scarf -- ($2.99) This scarf caught my eye quickly. I was thinking about wearing it in my hair as a bandana or around a ponytail, or around the neck in a tidy little scandinavian knot. Love the colors of course, a bit of gray, black, orange and white. Still bright and cheery but very transitional for fall.

6) Saffron Handbag -- ($7.99) I love this leather quilted purse and it's in perfect condition with no signs of wear. It looks and feels very luxurious, rich and supple. When I saw it the words Fall 2010 Wardrobe flashed in my head. I am feeling it with dark jeans, boots and jacket. It came with a long chain handle which I despise, so this will be a true handbag and not a shoulder bag.

That's the Goodwill wrap for today. As you are cleaning basements, closets and garages this summer, think about donating usable items to a good thrift store or people you know are in need. It's amazing how much we accumulate that we don't need or use. In this financial climate, there are plenty of people who could use some help! And donating to thrift stores can be a tax deduction.

Have a great day and as always thanks so much for stopping by!