Dear readers,

The end of summer is the perfect time to start planning and preparing projects to get us through the upcoming winter.  I have been reading about a number of inspirational projects the last few weeks.  Here is a sampling:

DIY School Supplies

One of my favorite things about school was putting the brown paper grocery bag on all my schoolbooks – I could then decorate it any way I wanted.  Why not go DIY with all your needed school supplies?  Reuse binders, bring in a reusble snack bag, and more.  Crafting a Green World has some more ideas…

Sheets into Tanks

One of our favorite blogs, New England through Yummy Mommy’s Eyes, recently featured a great project on how to take bed sheets and transform them into comfortable tank tops.  This is a great idea for those vintage patterned sheets you often find!  The tank looks super comfortable and is perfect for hot weather.

Dreamcatchers

Apron Thrift Girl shared a beautiful dreamcatcher her daughter made using an old embroidery hoop, yarn and odds and ends.  This is a great project for kids and adults and allows you use anything you have around the house.  Imagine how nice these will look in your windows all winter!

Toothpaste Caddy

I LOVE THIS PROJECT!  Crafting a Green World featured this very easy project.  It is a great way to reuse old toothpaste tubes.  Though the project calls for Colgate tubes, use any tubes you have around the house.

Dear readers,

It has been too long!  We apologize for the delay in postings, it has been a busy summer.  We are working on a lot of exciting projects for the fall, so please stay tuned for some announcements.

But for today, I would like to feature a recent donation that we are currently selling on eBay.  It is a 14KT yellow gold ring featuring citrine/topaz stone and tiny diamonds.  It is a size 9 and we are fairly certain it has never been worn.  It weighs .12 oz.  There are already two bids, so be sure to get your bid in today!

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!

Dear readers,

Would you like to shop at four different Goodwill stores in one day? Now you can!  Join us for the second annual Goodwill Bus Tour on Saturday, May 8 at 8 am.  The tour starts at the new South Portland Goodwill store, heads to Augusta, Rockland, Topsham, and then returns to South Portland in the early evening.

Join us for a great day of shopping, raffles, and “tour only” dressing rooms and check out lines. We will even ship large items to your local Goodwill store. It’s a great opportunity to meet other Goodwill shoppers, learn about Goodwill’s mission, and find some fabulous deals!  Here are some of our tour-goers from last year!

The tour costs $45 and we encourage everyone to bring a bagged lunch.  For more information and to sign up, please contact Tour Busters at (207) 781-8896.

Dear readers,

We are slowly recovering from the amazing opening of our new South Portland store – thanks so much for all your support!

Erin from the blog Domestic Adventure has graciously shared another of her fabulous Goodwill makeovers with us – read below and be inspired!

A Goodwill Eye: Stool Makeover

It is rare that I go into Goodwill actually searching for a specific item or piece of furniture, but sometimes I am looking for something specific and, amazingly, I am rarely let down.  Such was the case when I was hunting for a stool for our first floor bathroom.

There is something about seating in a bathroom that just screams sophisticated to me (seating other than the throne, of course).  You’ve seen the chairs in bathrooms pictured in magazines, and in swanky hotels and restaurants.   Well, our first floor bath isn’t exactly spacious enough for a chair, but I knew I wanted to include a stool of some sort in the budget bathroom makeover that we have underway.

With my new stool and a bottle of spray paint in hand, I had a pretty new-to-me sapphire stool.

It wasn’t always so pretty, of course.  But I knew this dirty old thing had potential.

After removing all of the fabric and giving the piece a good sanding, it was set for a new punch of color that would brighten up the bathroom.

On a gorgeous spring afternoon, I headed outside with my trusty can of spray paint and went to work.  The lawn even got a little blue treatment…

A few days of drying in the basement later and my stool was ready for action.

This stool adds some warmth and color to the otherwise cool and clean room, and its overall style lends a bit of traditional to the more modern touches of the our curtains and paint color.

Oh, and I should mention that this little piece was a steal.  The piece was marked $9.99, but I got it on a 50% off day for that color sticker!  So, with $5.00 for the bench and $4.00 for the spray paint, I spent less than $10.00.

Some days it pays to have a Goodwill eye!