Biggest Bang for Children Consignment

Consignment shops or consignment sales sell secondhand goods for owners, with some sort of fee kickback for the sell. Most consigned goods are normally priced a little higher than thrift stores but most always lower than the original purchase price. Both sellers and buyers can win through consignment markets. As a seller you can get rid of closet clutter for a reasonable profit and as a buyer you are getting quality clothes for a discounted price. A lot of consignment stores do specialize in name brand or luxury  clothing, jewelry and accessories, making it more appealing for both the seller and buyer. The seller doesn’t have to give away a high end item and for someone who cannot afford a luxury item new, buying consignment puts an item in an a realistic price range.

My recent experience with consignment was not in a store but through a community sale benefitting a non-profit called The Eastern Prince William Mothers of Multiples Club. The Club is organized to be of aid to mothers of multiples with networking and support, and also fund towards education, research and charitable purposes. The prices were comparable to local thrift stores and I felt good actually seeing the women who were selling their items and knowing that it was helping local mothers.

This was also possibly the MOST organized I’ve ever seen a secondhand sale. Everything was categorized, fully labeled, in bags, prices, etc. It was amazing! And I lucked out because it was a rainy morning, that the sell was not that busy yet and I didn’t feel like I had to fight for things. I had the girl 18-24 month aisle all to myself and took my time picking what I wanted out. Of course with full arms in about 20 minutes, I had to still reexamine my picks with Willie at the checkout, but we still walked out with a huge bag full of clothes for $50!! 18 items for $50 to be exact which averages out to about $2.70 per item (1 jacket, 3 sweaters, 4 onesies, 3 pants, 2 skirt/dress, 3 pajamas, 1 pair of shoes, and one fitted crib sheet).

How to get your biggest bang for your buck?

1. Look for jackets. The pink medium weight Oshkosh jacket was a great find at $8.
2. Look for items still with tags or in original packaging (like the fitted crib sheet I found) = AMAZING 
3. Look for full outfits. I got 5 full outfits for around $30!
4. Pajamas. We love these easy zip up PJs and for $2-3/each, they were a deal from buying brand new at about $10 each. Buying secondhand  saved us over $21 for 3 pairs.

5. Look for shoes. These adorable (brand new condition) Carter's white toddler shoes were $4, which are normally $15 (70% savings!)

Some things to look out for:

• Stains...yuck.
• Socks are extremely hard to find in good condition. The bottoms just gross me out entirely.
• Rips, tears, pulled fabric, missing buttons, and any imperfection that would make you unhappy with your purchase.

Support the recycling of clothes! Your baby grows way too fast to splurge on new and it’s a great way to be GREEN!

Statement Wedding Signage

This year has been full of bridal showers, bachelorettes, and weddings! Willie and I have had a total of six weddings to attend (plus a wedding reception for an elopement in St. Thomas). It was an absolute joy to celebrate these amazing couples and wish them a lifetime of happiness.

My friends are also the best wedding decorators on earth! I totally need another wedding from all the ideas I’ve gotten this year. Metallic was huge this year, especially the use of gold accents. Two of my favorite uses were of course from repurposed frames.

 A little history on this first repurposed frame…This was my grandmother’s frame that used to host a huge collage of family photos in her home. When she passed I drove all of her belongings (including this frame) from Florida to Virginia. I removed all the photos for safekeeping  and painted the backboard using chalkboard paint. I had left it the original teal color until the recent bridal shower for Nicole (my other gold bride) where I just used gold spray paint to give it a little facelift and match her color theme. This frame has served so many purposes including my wedding, my baby shower, two bridal showers, and of course Kelly’s wedding.

My friend Kelly created the most perfect wedding out of a southern magazine and I was so honored she used a little piece of me in her decorations. Her cousin is an absolute amazing artist and created this one of a kind sign for the guest seating assignments. Kelly's vision for the entire wedding was absolute PERFECTION. The stunning bride (and handsome groom) really treated their guests to an amazing party too!

The second gold frame was a spectacular find as well! Nicole is the most amazing person with the absolute perfect style, so I knew that her wedding would be nothing less than 100% perfection…and it was. All of the little details Nicole included were flawless and with almost all of them borrowed, secondhand, or handmade, she really delivered detail on a budget.  Nicole bought this frame from another bride that found this at the thrift store for $30!! If you could see this frame in person, it’s giant! So for $30 already chalk painted from another bride’s craftiness, it was a steal!! 

So if you are in the market to glam up your wedding with some metallic signage…scout your local thrift store or yard sales and repurpose a large frame with some spray paint and chalkboard paint…viola beautiful DIY wedding signage!

Hug in a Cup

In the spring and fall our city hosts a very prominent arts and craft show that pulls the attention of thousands of attendees and of course...I am one of them. There are tons of local businesses and artists which makes it one of my favorite events. This year I found a pottery artist that I was absolutely obsessed with!! Clays of Our Lives (pretty hilarious) by Brian Beckenheimer does not disappoint with his wonderfully crafted (almost tie-dye colored) functional stoneware. I went crazy and at $12 for these huge custom mugs, they were a crazy steal! These beauties just make my morning coffee so much better with their little personalities! (I also got a soup bowl and he threw in the mini vase as a thank you gift...so nice!)

Easy Housewarming Gift

A personalized wreath is the perfect housewarming gift for a newly married couple who just but their first house together. I gave this to my friends and on moving day the proudly displayed their new initial on the front door and helped mark this new chapter and transition into married life. This is something that won’t cost you much but will have a huge meaning behind it.

All you need is a wooden wreath, artificial flowers, scissors, hot glue, and an wooden initial. I’ve also seen this project done with house numbers or other items that you can personalize for different occasions.  I also included a wreath hanger so it was a complete set, but that is up to you! Don’t forget to coupon cut for savings! Everything is always on sale at craft stores.

Didn’t it turn out great?

I also made one for our front door. I am actually going this weekend to pick out some fall colored flowers to replace the Spring motif. The great thing about the wooden wreath is you can change it with the seasons! Great investment!

And here is another version that my friend made. How amazing is her farmhouse red door!! Love it!! You really cannot go wrong with decorating these wreaths. Use your imagination! 

Have fun crafting!

OBX Faves!

YAY! Another successful trip to OBX complete!

As Hartley’s first beach trip, she was amazing! The toys and bathtub we purchased from the thrift store were lifesavers. We set her up under a big tent with towels underneath and either let her play there or in her bath tub with some salt water (so she got the real beach experience J). We also got her to take a nap every day, which was AWESOME! The little diva got to take her naps with a little battery operated fan. Excited to see her next year running around and splashing in the real waves.

Going down there always reminds me of the slower paced life and the wonderful happy people who live down there. My favorite spots that I ALWAYS have to visit are Front Porch Café, Outer Bean Juice and Java and Déjà New. Front Porch Café has some amazing coffee and I’m always a proud supporter of local coffee shops. Outer Bean Juice and Java and Déjà New combine my two loves in just a few steps of one another...Outer Bean has great coffee and amazing healthy food options while Déjà New has awesome reclaimed artistic furniture. Outer Bean is possibly my favorite spot to have breakfast. We visited multiple times on our recent trip, but my favorite morning was when Willie and I strolled Hartley up and were able to get some coffee and enjoy the morning breeze outside, then we went inside and ordered some breakfast. Willie got a yummy smoked salmon bagel while I got their Healing smoothie. The Healing smoothie is made with avocado, celery, ginger, banana, parsley, spinach, kale, romaine, almond, walnuts flaxseed, hemp protein, chia seed with almond milk. It is possibly the best and most healthy way to start off your day. Hartley loved it too! I couldn’t even get a sip in because she wanted more and more. We also always get a special treat…I mean we are on vacation…and split their delicious homemade spiced apple cake….yummm! Go visit these amazing local OBX businesses…you won’t be disappointed.

MacKenzie-Childs...Splurge or Save?

I have been lusting over a MacKenzie-Childs teapot for quite some time. Her designs are absolutely amazing, however a little pricy for my budget. This Sunday I hit the jackpot at our local thrift store. On the top shelf I spotted the trademark black and white checkered pattern…my heart stopped…have I found a MacKenzie-Childs in a thrift store?!?! Unfortunately, it wasn’t the designer, but for $3 vs. the $325 I would have spent on the designer brand, I am totally amazed and happy with my purchase. It brings such a fun and funky twist to my rustic kitchen and I absolutely LOVE this find!

Of course I couldn't resist the $2 matching mug...LOVE!

Baby beach trip under $30

We are so excited to be heading to the Outer Banks for the Fourth of July. This trip has meant so much to us over the years that it is fitting that this will be our baby girl’s first trip to the beach. So this is a BIG DEAL. We are a little nervous of all the things to pack, how to keep her cool, safe, fed and most of all entertained for the long days we like to have at the beach.

This weekend we were on a mission to take care of the entertainment concern of the trip. Well…mission accomplished. We were able to beach prep for under $30 at our local thrift store. You can spend $30 on two toys alone at the conventional markets, so we were ecstatic with our finds. This way if they are lost or ruined at the beach, we don’t have to worry about money wasted. I’m telling future parents now…this is one area you can save HUGE! Just clean the toys off really well with children safe wipes or soap and you have a practically new toy for your child. We also got a bath tub to make her a safe sand/water play zone and an extra protective swim i play t-shirt (normally $15 alone) all included in our $30 budget. Can’t wait!!