A day late but not a $ short

A local thrift shop in my area is ensuring that plenty of clothing is available for $5 or less. Goodwill Outlet at 22nd Street and Passyunk Avenue in South Philadelphia states: "All of our clothes, regardless of tages, are five dollars or less," according to a Savings with 6abc story posted on 8/18/2010.

Selected brands include Guess, American Eagle, Lucky, Halston, Kasper, Wet Seal and Limited Too. At the time of posting there was even an Alfred Angelo wedding dress tagged for $595 going for $5. There are 2 Goodwill Outlets in the Philadelphia area - 22nd & Passyunk and Atlantic City. Outlet stores have excess merchandise from other stores on offer for a last chance grab. Items tagged over $9.99 are sold for $5. Items tagged under $9.99 are offered for half price.

Outlet shopping is not for the faint of heart. Go with plenty of time to sift through the merchandise for the best finds. Merchandise is not sorted by category and size. The ambiance is lacking but view your trip as a treasure hunt and you are bound to get a steal or two. 

Goodwill Outlets are located at 22nd & Passyunk in Philadelphia, 215-755-1320 open Mon. - Sat. 9am - 7pm and in Atlantic City at 3711 Ventnor Ave. 609-348-8401. Open Mon. - Sat 10am - 8pm and Sun. noon- 6pm.

Reuse to the max!

--till next week Restore, Refresh, Recylce & Renew

Iceland Inspired Scarf Part 3

We've made it back from Iceland and now it is time to get serious about finishing our scarves. Here's an inspiration from uncommon goods and here's what you do:

1) Layout your t-shirt pieces in 2 strips of 8 squares. Arrange them until you are satisfied with the sequence on each set. Then place one set on top of the other so you can see what is underneath.

2) When you are satisfied with your arrangement, use a running stitch or a back stitch to connect the squares on each side. You can use various colored thread - we used metallic which was grand.

3) Select a couple of squares with interesting colors behind them and slit the fabric with your scissors to reveal the color beneath. (Note: you could do this before stitching like making paper snowflakes) You could also cut the end squares into fringe if you like.

4)Stitch the front and back together. If you use a running stitch, you can also gather your scarf to create interest.

5) Finally, add beads or other adornments as you see fit.

Voila - you have created your very own scarf from recycled and reused materials.

--till next week Restore, Recycle, Refresh & Renew

Have a Hand Made Green Holiday

So Black Friday and Cyber Monday have come and gone. You're shopped out. You still don't have all the gifts you need and the funds are getting tight. Not to mention you need a festive wardrobe update for the holiday social rounds.

I've said it before, but I'll say it again. Make It!!!!

Here is a new to me blog that has a wide range of items with easy DIY instructions - P.S. - I made this... Self-proclaimed a movement, P.S. - I made this... describes itself as "a call to action to re-imagine, re-use, and re-invent. I see it. I like it. I make it."

Recent posts feature a variety of fashion(Chunky necklaces, Art deco earrings, etc.) and home accessories (textured pottery) that are on trend and oh so easy to make, many from things you may already have kicking around. Remember what MacGyver could do with a little string, duct tape and chewing gum? Now you won't necessarily escape from the bad guys, but you can have a festive runway inspired hair bow with a trash bag, lace ribbon, gorilla tape and scissors - a quick fix to your personal fashion emergency;)

Now there really are no excuses. See it. Like it? Make it! Give it. Wear it. Use it.

--till next week Restore, Recycle, Refresh & Renew

Columbia Sportwear Saves some Trees

More on packaging. Columbia Sportswear decided to offer their customers shipping in used boxes through their e-commerce site. More than 2/3rds of the customers are participating. In true Social Media tradition, Columbia has added to eco-friendly fun. Customers can now follow their box as it is used by others, adding pictures and stories about the journey. What a great way to raise awareness about environmental issues surrounding packaging. Another example of going green and saving $$$.

--till next week Restore, Recycle, Refresh, Renew