Dear readers,

With many of us heading back to school in the next few weeks, there are many questions on our minds – what is the class schedule?  What do my kids need for winter?  Do I need new work clothes?  Goodwill offers clothing, accessories, and school supplies to help you be ready and look your best.

And that’s what we are wondering – what recent finds have you made for back to school?  What fall work outfits have you found?  Any early Halloween finds?  Any coats for winter? Send us a picture of your recent finds and we will share them all the blog.  We would love to have a fantastic collage of all our shoppers – please contact us if you have questions.

Dear readers,

We are very busy this week getting ready for the First Annual Women’s Clothing Swap.  We are partnering with the Portsmouth Public Library for this great event.

How does it work?

1. Drop off donations

2. Grab a Goodwill reusable bag

3. Swap!

Easy! Bring a bag of gently used, clean women’s clothing and leave with a bag of new-to-you items.

In the spirit of giving, we encourage participants to give more than they get. Remaining clothing and accessories will be donated to Goodwill.  And remember, the selection depends on you!  Bring in your old vintage dresses, t-shirts, suits, skirts, hats, scarves, coats, jewelry, accessories – swap it out for something new and donate to Goodwill!  The swap promises to be a fun, upbeat event, with music and lots of fashion decisions to be made.

And!  It’s all a part of the Portsmouth Sustainability Fair, so once you are done swapping, head next door to enjoy the festivities!

Oh my goodness!  This week’s eBay feature is a FANTASTIC find.  Someone has generously donated a brand new Roberto Cavalli evening dress (sold at Neiman Marcus).  It’s a European size 44, which is equivalent to a US size 14.  The retail value of this dress is $460.  The current bid on eBay?  $18!  There’s only four days left open in this auction, so make sure you get in on the bidding!

This week we are featuring a gorgeous antique charm bracelet that is a must have for your jewelry collection.  Charm bracelets are one of those pieces of jewelry that never go out of style – they are simply updated for the times.

Note the charm bracelet on actress Romy Schneider (popular in the 1950′s – 1970′s and best know for her work in the “Sissi” trilogy).

And here is Mary-Kate Olsen flaunting some modern charm bracelets:

The bracelet we are featuring is from the late nineteenth-century (height of the Victorian era) and makes a great vintage addition to your collection.  The bracelet is gold filled and measures 7″ in length (note one charm is detached from the bracelet, but easily fixable).

Check out the pictures below and visit our eBay site for more photos and description...the auction is open and bidding ends on Tuesday, January 19.

It’s that time of year when static cling decides to make itself known.  That cute sweater dress that looked so great in the fall is now sticking to you like glue (you don’t want to be seen walking down the street tugging at your dress like Lily Allen) .  While there are many fabric softeners and dryer sheets that advertise themselves as static cling prevention, the majority of these products are filled with chemicals that are not good for you or the planet.  Never fear, though, because there are several ways to get rid of static cling that are easy and chemical free:

1.Air dry your clothes!  Static cling is caused by friction between materials, especially when the materials are dry and there is low humidity, which happens when you machine-dry your clothes in the winter.  Wash  your clothes and then use a drying rack as the easiest way to avoid static cling.

2. If you can’t wait for your clothes to air dry, toss them in the dryer, but take them out before they are 100% dry.  Hang them on a drying rack and that 10% or so of moisture left in the clothes will create some humidity that will prevent static cling.

3. Machine-dry cotton clothes only.  Synthetics like nylon, rayon, and polyester are the culprits of most static cling tragedies.  Learn more tips at the Grinning Planet.

4. This site recommends adding 1/4 cup vinegar and 1/4 cup borax to your wash load.

5. They also recommend the “metal hanger trick” for clean clothes:  “Put on the garment. If it is a skirt or dress, simply reach up underneath it with a metal hanger and brush the inside of the garment with it, top to bottom. If it’s pants, elongate the hanger and reach up inside each pant leg, brushing downward.”

6.  Try using natural fabric softeners by companies like Seventh Generation, which uses vegetable-based ingredients instead of chemicals.

How do you avoid or get rid of static cling in the winter?  Share your thoughts in our comments section!