Ya know, the ‘fear of missing out’? I know you do. And, I know you don’t want to miss out on what you’ll see on the runway and all the bargains you’ll find in the Goodwill Fashion Show Boutique!
To avoid the worst case of FOMO you’ll ever have, GET YOUR TICKETS NOW! It’s easy – just click here!
The calendar doesn’t lie, we are heading into the Holiday season fast and furious! With the hustle and bustle of the holidays comes stress and chaos. Say Yes to Less now and simplify your life so the holidays are less stressful. This will allow to enjoy more time with friends and family. …and isn’t that what the holiday season is really all about?
Say Yes to Less and have a less stressful holiday season!
Have you noticed that snakeskin print seems to be everywhere? Literally. EVERYWHERE? This is a hot trend with a timeless feel. This print has been a part of fashion for many years, and the vintage pieces you’ll find at your local Goodwill store will be a new treasured piece in your wardrobe. Think of your snakeskin pieces as neutrals, and wear them with everything! Here are some ideas how to wear snakeskin now and later!
A snakeskin pant is a fun alternative to jeans. Pair them with colorful blouse now. SHOPPERS HINT: remember think of the print as a neutral. Whatever you’d wear with your favorite jeans or black trousers try with a snakeskin pant.
When boot weather officially arrives, pair your snake print pants with your favorite cozy sweater. Maybe in the season’s ‘it’ color Sugar Almond? SHOPPERS HINT: Try a cape or poncho with the pants, or search out a fun ski style sweater in the men’s department!
For all of you fashion forward divas, try this look with your snake print boots now. Break out a basic walking short, pair it with a sweater or turtleneck to create a monochromatic look, add a little sass with the snake print boot…and you know you are going to turn heads when you leave the house! SHOPPERS HINT: Add a statement belt to the look to finish your outfit.
When winter arrives, the same feeling of the short outfit can be a wardrobe favorite. Simply swap out the shorts for your favorite black jeans or ankle pants. SHOPPERS HINT: Goodwill is a great place to find a vintage jacket with fur trim!
We’d love to see your #dressingroomselfies showing what you found in this color at your Goodwill Store! Post your finds on social media, and use the following hashtags: #GoodwillTrends #KathyFriendStylist
This month, our Style Makeover is Natalie – who will be one of our models for the Little Black Dress Fashion Show on October 30, 2019 in Merrillville. The event will be held at Avalon Manor. Be sure to get your tickets NOW for the runway show, appetizers and amazing shopping!
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-Uwt01xQtE&w=560&h=315]
I know the calendar says it’s Fall, but the temps outside still say it’s summer. Here are some ideas on how to wear one of our favorite fall trends now and later.
One of the most popular colors this season is called Sugar Almond. This is a great autumnal color that you need to search for now at your local Goodwill Store. This color looks good on just about everyone, and will definitely be a hue you’ll want to add into your wardrobe. Think of this color as a neutral. It really looks nice with a lot of other colors. Here are some ideas on how to wear it now…and later!
Wear this deep fall hue with colors that feel more like warm weather. TREND TIP: The colors shown above are actually from the Fall trend color palate. When worn together, they feel very warm-weather. But, when paired with dark neutrals (like Sugar Almond), they take on an autumn feel.
This brown hue is easy to wear now and keep cool. Find an easy light weight pant, and pair it with your favorite summer blouse or t shirt. SHOPPERS HINT: if searching for a paper bag waist pant like above, look for trousers that are in a larger size than you normally wear. The key is to have this style unstructured and slouchy.
This color looks great with denim blue. Longer skirts are very on-trend this season, finding one in Sugar Almond and pairing it with a denim shirt will look fantastic on you! TREND TIP: Silk and satin skirts are all the rage right now. Look for this style skirt at your Goodwill Store, and don’t be afraid to try something in a different size. Make it your own with a big belt or cutting a slit in the side.
Once the temperature outside catches up with the calendar, this rich fall color can easily work into the other bold colors of the season. TREND TIP: The darker colors above are also part of this season’s trendy color palate. Prints that have all of these colors in them will be everywhere!
Adding a shoe or boot in this color will be your favorite go-to this season. And, yes. You can wear black and brown together! SHOPPERS TIP: Shop for basics that are high quality pieces… things you will wear for many years…and of course, pieces you can wear a number of different ways. If you can’t think of 3 different ways to wear something, it might not be a smart addition to your wardrobe.
You will see a lot of plaid this season, and chances are you’ll see Sugar Almond in many of these prints. A cute skirt and chunky sweater is perfect for cool fall nights. SHOPPERS HINT: look in the men’s section for this color too!
We’d love to see your #dressingroomselfies showing what you found in this color at your Goodwill Store! Post your finds on social media, and use the following hashtags: #GoodwillTrends #KathyFriendStylist
Back to school organization isn’t as overwhelming as it seems. Preparing for this exciting time takes energy, effort, and can be expensive. However, if you are organized, it will take a lot of stress out of this time of year. I recommend heading to your nearest Goodwill store to look for fun and unique containers for school supplies.
Back to school organizing means being organized for the first days and weeks of school. This organizing begins at home and will become habit. For example, you might have a drawer in your house that can be emptied and used for school supplies…extra pens, #2 pencils, markers, erasers, tape, glue, etc. While at Goodwill, look for square or oblong containers that fit in your supply drawer. Sort your supplies so pens are not mixed in with markers, for example. Have a home for these things to make it easier and less expensive to restock your backpack. Don’t re-purchase crayons and glue, shop in your supply drawer!
Backpacks need a home. Ideally, hang backpacks near the entry/exit door of your home. If you do not have a mudroom with lockers or cubbies, create your own. Use simple, sturdy hooks at eye level. This encourages the habit of getting home from school, emptying the backpack of homework and other papers, and hanging the backpack directly on the hook.
If you don’t have space for hooks, try a door organizer. The one pictured was intended for handbags, but works perfectly for backpacks.
No more searching all over the house for the backpacks or the papers that need to return to school.
Paperwork Organization
Back to school organizing means dealing with mountains of paperwork. Create a home for all that paper – shop at Goodwill and look for containers suitable for holding temporary papers. For example, baskets and trays work well. Label the containers with words that suggest action, such as “Homework to do”, “Mom to sign and return”, or “Put on calendar.”
Another area in your home where organization is key is the kids bedroom closet. Simply decide on your next day’s outfit the night before and set it out (don’t forget the shoes). One easy way to organize the next days outfits is to find hanging storage cubes at Goodwill. Having 2 of these storage units makes things even easier. One for tops and one for bottoms. Label days of the week for each cube to eliminate morning frustration. Get your kids involved with choosing outfits by allowing them to choose tops, and you add bottoms.
This smart move will give you extra time in the morning for a healthy, relaxing breakfast.
Have a Happy, Organized School Year!!
This months guest blogger is Cathy Fairchild from Say Yes to Less.
Get in touch with Cathy at: http://www.sayyestoless.guru
Find Cathy on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/sayyestoless.guru/
Last February, many of us had flooded basements when combined snow and rain caused flooding in our area. For some, it was a total loss (as evidenced by all the “stuff” that went to the curb in the days and weeks afterward). Organizing your basement using simple tips could have avoided this disaster.
Thinking ahead and organizing with water protection in mind can avoid a catastrophe. Melting snow/rain, an overflowing washing machine, a water heater leak, bathtub on the main floor runs over, all disasters that will ruin your memories that are in storage.
Organizing basements is on all of our to-do lists. It only takes a few hours and some simple organizing tools. As a result, you will accomplish one of those never ending to-do list items and protect your possessions from water damage.
ISSUE: In this “Before” picture, the basement floor was used for storage. Therefore, the clutter is a dangerous tripping hazard, and it makes it hard to see what is underneath the piles.
SOLUTION: A few hours later, we eliminated the clutter and hazard to reveal an organized space. First, we found several metal and plastic shelves. This kind of shelving is a real treasure when you find it at your local Goodwill Store!
Second, we used several clear storage bins to keep the items safe from dust and moisture. Items in the bins are organized by type; for example holiday decorations, documents, and family memories. Label each bin so in the future, it is easy to see what the bin contains.
Finally, clear the floor and donate to Goodwill!
When you organize your basement using simple tips, you will know what you have, be able to find it easily and quickly, and above all you will able to put things away in a place that makes sense to you.
Your organizing challenge is to go through the things in your basement and declutter! Keep only what you know to be useful or important and let go of the rest. Protect what remains in waterproof bins and/or put them up on a shelf. This will create a safer space for your family and your things will hopefully survive any unexpected water.
This month’s guest blogger is Cathy Fairchild
Get in touch with Cathy at:
today and tomorrow!
The model call for the South Bend Goodwill LBD is soon! Interested in being a model for the Little Black Dress Fashion Show? In the coming days, we will announce the dates for the model calls in Granger and Elkhart. All interested models must attend one of the model call events.
This is a volunteer casting for the Goodwill Little Black Dress Fashion Show & Boutique in South Bend.
Thursday, April 25th is the date of the show. The venue is the Century Center in downtown South Bend. Get tickets NOW by clicking this link.
Be up to date by being a part of the Little Black Dress fan club on Facebook.
It’s that time of year. We start to get holiday cards in the mail from friends and family…near and far…and then…PANIC! Thoughts of Family Holiday Pics and Christmas Cards bring on the stress!
Before the panic feeling hits hard, plan a family photo shoot this weekend for this year’s Holiday Greeting Card. Sound overwhelming and expensive? I promise, this will be the easiest part of your holiday season.
WHAT TO WEAR?
We’ve all seen the typical family pics where everyone is wearing the same color(s). Why not embrace one of the biggest trends of this holiday season, and go Mad for Plaid? Trust me…
CHOOSING PLAID
When choosing the right plaid for your Christmas Card, keep in mind:
1. Size & Scale – the size of the plaid should match the size of the person. In other words, babies should wear a smaller print than mom and dad.
2. Color Choices – either keep all of the plaid worn in the photo the same color(s) (for example, all reds and blues), or make sure everyone is wearing something different.
3. How Much plaid? Not everyone needs to wear a plaid shirt. As a matter of fact – it is best if you mix it up. Goodwill is a great place to search a variety of plaid pieces all in one place. Look for a top, skirt, pants, shoes, scarf.
4. Props – maybe add in some fun plaid “props” like a mug, blanket or pillow. Don’t forget to get your family pets involved too!
This is a display that is in the Niles, MI Goodwill Store, and is a great example of how mixing a lot of different plaids in one ‘family picture’ can look pretty amazing!
DIY FAMILY PICTURE TIPS for your Christmas Card
Professional photographers and wardrobe stylists offer these tips for a perfect Family Christmas Card picture:
With our Goodwill mannequin family from the Niles Goodwill Store, we spent less than 5 minutes editing to come up with something we’re sure this family will be thrilled to use for their Christmas cards this year!
