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.

Dear Readers,

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is next Monday, January18.  MLK Day marks a national day of service and giving back to our local communities.

There are dozens of volunteer projects taking place across northern New England.  To get involved, please visit the sites below:

Maine

There are more than a dozen opportunities across the entire state on the Maine Service Commission site.

Goodwill’s AmeriCorps members are also organizing service projects throughout Maine with which you can get involved:

1. January 18: Snowshoe Trails Mapping Day
(Mount Blue State Park, Weld)

Mount Blue State Park is open all year round, offering great winter recreation trails.  At 9:00 AM we will offer an Introduction to Using  GPS for new users.

We will be hiking the park’s snowshoe trails with GPSs and doing some light trail work in an effort to help the park and map the trails as part of a project we are doing to help promote healthy communities.  We will provide hand-held GPSs for event and some snowshoes.  There will be a brief intro training for new GPS users and hot drinks and light refreshments served to participants.

For more information, please contact Joel Alex at (207)649-0018.

2. January 17 & 18: Game Loft Opportunity (Belfast)
Come join us while participants role play a small town harboring an escaped slave in the 1850’s. The purpose of the scenario is to show the moral and ethical complexities of civil disobedience and to make the story personal to the young people who act in this role play session. The program is open to others as spectators and will be open to the public 1 – 4 PM.

For more information, please visit the Game Loft.

3. Janury 18: Wolfe’s Neck Farm (Freeport)

Wolfe’s Neck Farm volunteers will serve by learning to grow food in indoor containers – a gardening method that is available to almost all people, regardless of class, economic standing, or time of the year. We will serve ourselves and our families by learning how to grow food, and we will serve our larger community by donating half of the vegetables to our local food pantry.

Participants will also examine food in justice by participating in a “World Lunch.” By experiencing firsthand the unequal distribution of food across the world and in our communities, we will be challenged to address hunger and poverty. Contact Liz Brownlee at (207) 865.4363.

4. January 18: ReGift It! (Portland)

Our project hopes to bring together people of all ages and backgrounds to strengthen our community and bridge social barriers.  By collecting unwanted goods and redistributing them in the community, we will be meeting real needs for Maine people who are struggling to purchase normal goods in this tight economy.  AmeriCorps Alums of Portland, Maine believes that sharing goods and services is one of the best ways to make use of our community’s scarce resources and sees that the values of Martin Luther King will be upheld as we work toward social justice in this way.

ReGift It! is entirely volunteer organized and led – since we all have busy schedules, email is our preferred method of communication:  portlandregiftit@gmail.com If you don’t have access to email, feel free to call Caitlyn Horose at 720-298-2490.

New Hampshire -

Check out opportunities at VolunteerNH.org

Vermont -

Visit the VT Commission on National & Community Service at VolunteerVT.org

You can also visit MLKday.gov and Serve.gov for a complete listing of national and regional opportunities.

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!

Though Winter Solstice has passed and the days are slowly growing longer, there is still plenty of dark left this winter.  Why not light up your place with a gorgeous set of RED vintage lamps?  They measure 18.5″ tall and come with off-white shades.  They are missing the harps to attach the shade to the lamp, but you can pick those up at most hardware stores.

Bidding is now open!

Did you want a set of new sheets for the holidays? New bathroom towels? Well, if you did not get what you wanted, you can come to Goodwill from now through January 31 and receive 20% off all new bed and bath products. It’s a great time to stock up on household products you need! The sale is occurring at all 27 Goodwill retail stores in northern New England.

Post-holidays is also a great time for winter cleaning. Round up those clothes and home goods you’ve been hanging on to and donate them to Goodwill! The winter months are our slowest donations period, so every donation really counts! Be sure to bring in donations before January 1 to receive receipts for a 2009 tax deduction (be sure to check with your financial adviser about tax questions).

Need to find out how much your donation is worth?  Access our Donation Deduction Guide for a full description.