From a Cluttered Desk

I am Tammy Cardwell, she of the cluttered desk. (Hey, you think I'm kidding?!) I'm having a blast here in Blogland and invite to you to peruse my ramblings. Like a buffet, they offer variety - essentially whatever makes it to the top of the piles that sometimes clutter my brain. We'll eventually cover it all - homeschooling, God, our church, the Eclectic Homeschool Online, books I'm writing and publishing, conferences I speak at, the joys of grandmotherhood, and hopefully chocolate. Of course, this is only what's near the top now. Who knows what's in those piles?

I just slipped over to read The Conservative Contessa and found a thought-provoking post.

Here’s a short excerpt.

When in England , at a fairly large conference, Colin Powell was asked by the Archbishop of Canterbury if our plans for Iraq were just an example of empire building by George Bush.

He answered by saying, ‘Over the years, the United States has sent many of its fine young men and women into great peril to fight for freedom beyond our borders. The only amount of land we have ever asked for in return is enough to bury those that did not return.’

You could have heard a pin drop

She has several other such stories in this blog entry. Are they all true? Well, I didn’t check them out, so I can’t really say. They are the type of story that makes you think, however, and that is always good.

Celebrating Jesus!
Tammy C

How many ministers use their wives as examples in their sermons? A lot? Most? All?

Well, in this video the wives of Florida Hospital Church get a little of their own back. This is hysterical.

Celebrating Jesus!
Tammy C

I found a couple of interesting blog posts today and thought, since I was in thrift store mode, that I would pass them along to you.

This gal bought a TERRIBLE, old-fashioned, Ugly (pronounced YOU-gly), huge dress at a thrift store and turned it into an adorable, retro summer dress. The post title is Summer of 69 Thrift Store Refashion Frock Giveaway!!!! Giveaway, you ask? Yes, one lucky commenter will win this refashioned dress. The point, though, is that she shares her technique and this is a great example of how you can take an item you would otherwise have thrown out with the trash and turn it into something fun and useful.

If you sew, of course, which I don’t do much anymore. I wonder if I should pull the sewing machine out? My sister and I were talking about that just yesterday.

That blog post mentioned this next one.

Wardrobe re-Fashion

Wardrobe re-Fashion is actually a community of bloggers who have committed to refashioning clothing instead of buying new. Here are the first two paragraphs from "About Wardrobe re-Fashion"

Wardrobe Refashion is a community which has had an online presence since early 2006.   Based in Melbourne, Australia, owner Nichola Prested started up the site after deciding to quit buying new manufactured clothing in a bid to do her part for the planet, save money and improve her sewing skills.

Participants of the blog pledge to abstain from the purchase of new manufactured clothing for the period of 2, 4, 6 months or LIFE.  They pledge to refashion, renovate, and recycle preloved items with their own hands in fabric, yarn or other medium or make their own from scratch.

And here’s a good post at Frugal Simplicity - Save Money Shopping for Clothing at Thrift Stores

I’ve dealt with clothing here, of course, because clothing is what I need with my recent career change, but you can find myriad things at thrift stores. I’ve discovered books (Surprise Surprise, right?) that were good reading material an/or collectibles at bargain prices. I’ve also found furniture, toys, and more.

Celebrating Jesus!
Tammy C

I made a haul at a thrift store this morning. I went to a Value Village about half an hour from my house and bought 2 dress shirts for my husband (One brand new with tags), 2 jackets for me, 1 denim skirt for me, 11 dress shirts for me, and 3 tanks (mostly for wearing under thin shirts) for me. I went in with a 1/2 off coupon in hand, so I came out having spent a little less than $32. Thirty two dollars for 19 items! Now, some of these things may not fit or may fall by the wayside for other reasons, but even so most of them cost around a buck each.

I’ve had several people tell me that they never find anything at thrift stores. It occurs to me that perhaps it’s because they don’t know how to shop them. So here are ten tips to make thrift store shopping more productive.

1. Go EARLY (And avoid Saturdays if possible)
           Today’s trip was a great example. We got there an hour after the store opened and there was hardly anyone there. Within a couple of hours, though….oh MAN!!!!!!! We’ve already decided to be there pretty much when they open next time.

2. Be prepared to spend TIME
           This is a huge reason why most people don’t find things in thrift stores; it flat out takes TIME. When I first arrive, sensory overload hits. I have to walk the floor for a few minutes and then hit a rack and start looking - one piece at a time, in an organized manner. It’s a fact that in thrift stores you may go through a hundred things before you find one that works, but that one could be a $60 shirt that you’re getting for $3.50, so it’s worth it. I lost track of time, but I think we were in this thrift store for about three hours…maybe more.

3. Never shop alone.
           Maybe it’s not true for others, but for me it helps a LOT to have someone else shopping with me. Today, for instance, my sister pulled dress shirts for me that I probably would have bypassed because I didn’t see their potential at first glance. Too, I don’t do dressing rooms at thrift stores so it helps to have someone there who can tell me what she thinks when I throw a shirt on over what I’m wearing.

4. Dress comfortably
          Forget the heels (unless you plan to try on shoes…not something I’d recommend unless you bring wipes to clean them first) and realize that these stores always seem to be either too hot or too cold.

5. Wear a shirt that’s thin enough that you can throw shirts/blouses on over it.
         Not only do many thrift stores not have dressing rooms, but I have a thing about using thrift store dressing rooms regardless…just can’t bring myself to do it. Besides, I’ve never been in a store where there wasn’t a line at the few available dressing rooms anyway.

6. Have candy or maybe a small bottle of water
         I got VERY hungry and thirsty before we were ready to leave today, so I was grateful for the peppermints I’d stashed in my purse.

7. If they have buggies/shopping carts, get one
         You want to find things, right? So you need somewhere to put them. This also provides a place to park your purse (Keep an eye on it!) and something to lean on when you get tired.

8. Pick it up if you think it might work
         Knowing that the odds of finding an item a second time are slim, my sister and I catch and cull. You pile the basket with everything you think you might want and then, when you’re nearly ready to go, you go through it one last time to see what you really want and what doesn’t look as good on closer inspection.

9. Pay attention to the sales people
         They were constantly putting things out while we were shopping today. Sometimes getting THAT item means being the one that’s right on the sales associate’s heels when she’s heading to the racks with more goodies.

10. Inspect everything - CLOSELY
         Are there stains you can’t remove? (Especially check underarms and collars) Are there tears? Are there missing buttons? One shirt I bought today almost got tossed because a missing button would have meant purchasing a whole new set of buttons and I didn’t consider it worth it; then I found the "extra" button still attached and it became a keeper. Do the zippers work? Does it REALLY fit? (You’ll never wear it if it doesn’t) Are any seams coming loose? Is it missing beading? Is the elastic worn out? If you’re like me, you’ll never get around to fixing those minor things that bug you, so the item’s not worth it if it has problems.

Then, of course, I wash everything before I wear it. In fact, I wash everything before I try it on. And if something doesn’t fit after all? Well…if it’s something I bought today, I probably only lost a buck.

Celebrating Jesus!
Tammy C

I’m not linking this post to my Living on a Dime category, because we’re not talking low-end products here, but I really am tempted when I consider just how much you can save with this site, especially with the invitation rewards.

The online company is The Gilt Group. I first read about them in Reader’s Digest and was impressed. These two ladies founded a business that sells upscale products (clothing for men, women, and children; accessories of all sorts; and home items) online via an invitation-only website. The "invitation only" part is the key. Because their customers have to be "members" and because they must be invited to be members, big designers are willing to sell them products that they know will be sold at greatly (GREATLY) reduced prices.

If you’re wondering about credibility, let me add that Forbes has also written about them. You’ll find the article for yourself if you google it.

The concept is that they put up a designer sale (11:00 a.m. my time, which is Central) and the sale stays up for 36 hours or until it sells out. From what I’ve seen people saying online (Yeah, I did my research), things sell out quickly, and I’ve noticed that it’s true. The Cole Haan slingbacks that I was drooling over this morning are totally sold out now. I’m not in a position to have bought them, but seeing these $185 shoes in my size for $85…

Currently, they’re running sales on…
Cole Haan Shoes
Walter
Habitual
A. Testoni
Alexis Bittar
Converse by John Varvatos Mens
Converse by John Varvatos Shoes
Gustto
Boy by Band of Outsiders
Authier
Women’s Sunglasses (various designers)

Of course, if you read this two days from now, it’ll be a different story entirely.

I’m not big into designers, so most of the ones I’ve seen are news to me, but I can definitely appreciate their designs. Well..okay..some not so much. But there are some great things here. There were some great things when I first joined, too. Among other things, I had fun perusing the Links of London jewelry offerings, and If I’d not already bought my dress for our music ministry banquet, I might have looked seriously at some GEEEEEEORGEOUS evening gowns that were up last week, up and with many at prices even I might have been able to pull off.

When you’re on the main sale page, you can scroll down to the bottom and click on the calendar on the left. This takes you to the list of upcoming sales so you’ll know which days you want to be in hover mode by your computer. You can also sign up for the daily emails that remind you about the sales in your preferred categories.

Also at the bottom, on the right, you’ll find "Quick Style Picks." This focuses on half a dozen individual items; I’m assuming these are things they have left from a sale that has ended. I’ve seen more than one item here that I’ve seriously considered as banquet gifts (See my earlier post), but so far I’ve held off since none felt like just the right fit.

Are you interested in checking it out for yourself? If so, here’s my Gilt Group Personal invitation Link. As I said earlier, if you sign up as a result of clicking this link, and place an order at some point, I’ll receive a $25 credit within about two days of your order shipping. This means that you, too, can invite people and if they place orders you get credit. Now that’s a great system!

Celebrating Jesus!
Tammy C

I’ve linked this to both my Walking with God and Living on a Dime categories because I learned long ago that you always come out better when you’re getting God’s input as you shop. This week has been no exception and is a great example of how shopping with the Holy Ghost means spending a lot less money.

Our music ministry has a banquet every year, and every year the ministry gives gifts to all of the members who attend the banquet. This year I felt led to step out in faith and be the one to supply those gifts. Now… We’re not a small ministry and I knew when I decided to do it that it was a major stretch, especially given the way things have been financially, but I also know that when you make such moves at God’s nudging He always comes through and the rewards are fabulous.

Anyway…

Technically I need around 60 gifts, but my goal is to have 75 just in case we grow some more between now and the banquet (And that is VERY possible!). My intent is that every gift be at least a $10 value. My goal is to not spend more than $5 on any of those gifts unless special circumstances warrant it. Some gifts may end up being of greater value. For instance, I get a $25 credit every time someone uses my link (http://www.gilt.com/invite/tmcardwell) to join Gilt Group and then places their first order. Right now I have $25 credit with them and I’m keeping my eyes open for items that fit the budget and would work as banquet gifts - so I could get a REALLY nice (As in $75 value) gift and it not cost me a thing.

Anyway (again)…

Yesterday I felt fairly strongly that I needed to go to JC Penney and use a $10 off a $25 purchase coupon I’ve been hanging onto. So my husband and I headed to the mall and went pretty much straight to the jewelry section in search of items that were 50% or more off. (Like I said - minimum $10 value, maximum $5 spent) I found a really fun ring right away - $18 value for $6.99. Picked that up and continued looking.

And then I saw them on a bottom shelf! The packaging was terrible, which I’m figuring is a large part of why they’d not sold already, but they were $15 necklaces with interchangable stones - very pretty (And I’m not the only one who says so). And they were…

Are you ready?

$1.97

How’s THAT for a bargain?! And remember, too, that I had the $10 off coupon, which translated into another 44 cents off each necklace.

I got the one ring and 19 of these necklaces in assorted styles and colors, and my sum total was $37.26. At the bottom of the receipt it says, "Your Total Savings Today: 268.58."

Twenty gifts, each of which is worth at least $15, for less than $40. Does God rock or what?

Celebrating Jesus!
Tammy C

Okay, this is SERIOUSLY cool. A couple of years ago, a double amputee asked Richard Taylor and Weta Workshop to build her a mermaid tail.

And they have.

This rocks!

Double-amputee New Zealander has mermaid dreams fulfilled

Celebrating Jesus!
Tammy C