Tag: Christmas

Challenge complete! Five Goodwill stores in five hours, lots of great stuff, one big weird, fabulous chair that was an amazing bargain, and a really great day with my Mom and Dad.

I usually arrive at Goodwill wide open for adventure. To me, finding something completely unexpected and amazing — something I didn’t even know existed— is one of the best things about thrifting. 

But this year I’m trying a new approach.

I realized that arranging flowers into the coffee mug took a little more care than plopping them into a vase. For starters, a mug is much shorter than a vase so the stems need to be cut more. On my first attempt, I cut the stems too long, still too long, then—oops!—too short. Then I got the length right, but the stems kept falling out of place.

Sure, I could have gone to a big box store or looked online to purchase a new set of dishes. But I like this way better. I like the thrill of discovering something completely unexpected. I like that my little platter only cost $2. I like that purchasing pre-owned items is a less wasteful way of living. I’m doing my small part to help our Earth by keeping useful and beautiful items out of the landfill. 

I was walking to the cash register at Goodwill with my arms full of treasures when something colorful in the clothing section caught my eye. I loved the colors and the patterns on this long-flowing blouse so much. I shifted everything around to free up a hand to grab it.