Tag Archives: Goodwill

recently thrifted

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brunchLast Sunday, my honey and I made a quick stop at the Goodwill in Forest Lake. I brought home couple bags of good things for spring, including a sweet, “date night in June” kind of dress, some cookbooks and heaps of dishes, including this set of mini casseroles…five at 49 cents a pop. I love dishes that can go from the oven to the table. And the fact that these are durable, AND flat-out adorable means that they are going to see a lot of use in my kitchen…starting yesterday! I cut the recipe for this baked French toast casserole in half, using whipped cream cheese in place of ricotta. Served with homemade strawberry syrup, extra-crispy bacon and a pot of coffee, it made for a perfectly cheery, not to mention tasty, brunch.

Have you thrifted anything recently you’ve put to good use? I’d love to hear!

xoxo,

Meghan

heads up: goodwill’s bridal showcase

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weddingshowcaseOn Monday afternoon, I met up with a betrothed blog reader, Sarah, to preview Goodwill MN’s Wedding Showcase. We spent a super fun couple of hours, perusig rack after rack after rack packed with gorgeous gowns—600 in all, in sizes 4 to 28. At first, I erronously assumed that the dresses at this annual event were donated gowns, collected throughout the year, but that is so not the case! Goodwill actually solicits donations from local bridal boutiques and superstores, netting an impressive stash of brand-new gowns, supplemented only in part by once-worn dresses and floor samples. (Bad news for us vintage lovers, but great news for the “regular” population!) A whopping 90 percent of the dresses are priced under $299, including never-been-worn design gowns!

Not only do dresses range in size, but they have a huge array of styles as well. Strapless. Sequined. Beaded. Pleated. Silk. Satin. Princess. Modern. (Some) Vintage. Seriously, if you’re looking for a wedding dress, there will be something for you at this sale. Equally impressive was the stash of bridesmaids (hello prom!), mother-of-the-bride, flower girl (also great for First Communion!) dresses, also available in a rainbow of colors, styles and sizes. Brides looking to get “jacked up” can pick through veils and lacey boleros; there are heaps of slips and crinolines too!

Here are some pro tips, as shared by the event’s Coordinator, Alyson Coleman!

♥ Come early! More than 700 ladies came through the door last year and lines started forming at 8!
♥ For modesty’s sake, wear undies, a bathing suit or bring a slip. Changing rooms, decked out with on-site seamstresses, pedestals and mirrors, are of the group variety.
♥ Be decisive. Dresses purchased at the sale cannot be returned, so come ready to make some hard choices. (Or do as one shopper did last year and buy three dresses!)

High Plains reader Sarah, on the hunt for a non-poufy, sleek and comfortable gown for her July farm wedding, found an entire rack’s worth of dresses to try on (including two gorgeous Vera Wang silk beautifies!), with this beautiful handmade, lace-y 1970s number being the crowd favorite.

photo(63)Pretty darn cute, right?

Here are the deets!

Goodwill’s Bridal Showcase
When: Saturday, February 23, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Where: 553 Fairview Ave. N., Saint Paul
Are dress previews available? You betcha!
Are credit cards accepted? Yep!

xoxo,

Meghan

thrifting trip: elk river

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vscocam247I thought I’d start the week off by sharing a little about one of my favorite weekend thrifting destinations: the wonderful town of Elk River. Just 40 or so odd minutes outside of the Twin Cities, Elk River’s proximity makes it accessible enough to hit in an afternoon, and once you get there, you’ll find a bunch of thrifts clustered all together. Which to me, makes the drive totally worthwhile.

On 169, you’ll find a big ole’ Sal Val that’s in an old grocery store, a Goodwill and a decent-sized charity thrift called Samaritan’s Way. If you head into town, you’ll find Antiques Downtown, a two-story antique mall that’s packed with cool stuff. My favorite dealer there, hands down, is on the second floor, right at the top of the stairs. You’ll know it when you see it because it’s all vintage jewelry. It’s pretty cheap too!

Anyhow, I could go on and on about the many trips I’ve taken there through the years, but I’ll leave it up to you to discover for yourself. To make your thrifting journey easy as pie, below you’ll find a map to all my favorite spots. Tip: Click “View Larger Map” to see them all! And click the pinpoints to see pics and details like hours, phone numbers, etc.

If shopping leaves you famished, stop at Minne’s Diner in Rogers for some good eats. And then go to the Goodwill across 94! There’s also a Sonic and a Culver’s off 169 in Elk River, if fast food floats your boat.

Happy hunting!

xo,

Meghan

P. S. Check out some other thrifting maps I made of Family Pathways stores up Highways 35, thrifts in St. Cloud and stores on the way from Minneapolis to Cambridge.

heads up: veteran’s day sales

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Veteran’s Day is this coming Monday and lots of thrifts around town are having sales in honor of the holiday. Here’s a quick run-down of special savings happening at thrift stores in the area.

Savers
Monday only, take 50 percent off all used merchandise. Stores will be open 9 a.m. all the way until 9 p.m.

Unique and Valu Thrift
VIP card-holders will get 50 percent off their entire purchases Monday only. Stores will be open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Goodwill
Tomorrow (Sunday) and Monday, all green tagged items will be 50 percent off at all of these metro-area and out-state locations. Stores open at 9 a.m. and close at 8 p.m.

Hidden Treasures Thrift Store
Seniors can enjoy 20 percent savings on anything in the store on Mondays; all blue tagged clothing and linens are half-off the whole week through. Hours of operation? 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

ARC’s Value Village Stores
All items with a purple tag will be 50 percent off tomorrow through next Saturday and 99 cents on Sunday, November 18th. Stores are open 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on the weekends.

Salvation Army Family Stores
Starting Monday and running through Saturday, all blue tagged items will be half-off at all nine Twin Cities locations. Stores are open 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays.

Hope Chest for Breast Cancer Stores
Just in time for Thanksgiving, Hope Chest stores are offering 30 percent off dining tables, china cabinets and dining accessories today and tomorrow. Both the Orono and St. Paul location are open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. today and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. tomorrow.

PROP Shop of Eden Prairie
All purple-tagged clothing will be 50 percent off on Monday (and through the rest of the week). Pillows of all varieties are also half-off.

Happy shopping y’all!

xo,

Meghan

ice cream for dinner

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I glanced through my nearly empty fridge after work and made the very adult-like decision to have an ice cream sundae for dinner. And, if I’m honest, I needed an excuse to put one of my new rose bowls to use. I scooped up this set of four at the Goodwill in Virginia (Minnesota) for just 25 cents a pop. (I noticed them immediately because they match my favorite glasses!) Four bowls for $1…I’m going to miss those small town thrift-store prices.

I hope your Friday night is off to an equally decadent start!

xo,

Meghan

recently thrifted, forest lake goodwill edition

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I paid a visit to the new Forest Lake Goodwill Saturday morning and came home with a tidy haul.

I found a half-dozen dresses, including these two ’70s sundresses. Ugh…between the strawberry print on one and the pastel eyelet trim on the other, they are just too much.

I was also stoked to snag a handful of books, including Real Simple’s Celebrations guide, Bobbi Brown’s award-winning book on teenage beauty, a vintage Betty Crocker cookbook and a fun read from Reader’s Digest that’s full of DIY bath and beauty recipes.

Other finds, not pictured, include a lacy ice-blue nightie, a couple pairs of shoes, a set of vintage napkins, an embroidered runner and some skirts. The surprise bonus was the sweet promotion Goodwill stores ran last weekend—I saved 20% off everything, since I spent $50+! But don’t worry, there’s another sale coming up on March 23rd and 24th.

Have you checked out any of the new Goodwill stores in town yet? In addition to Forest Lake, there are new stores in Champlin and Lakeville too. Fill me in on your finds!

xo,

Meghan

heads up: goodwill’s bridal showcase

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Heads up, all you lucky brides-to-be! Goodwill’s Bridal Showcase is happening this Saturday, and it promises to be a good time. Hunt through 2,000+ dresses, including some vintage and designer gowns, priced at $99 and up. (See some sneak peeks of the gowns, ranging in size from 4-22, here.) Bridesmaid and mother-of-the-bride dresses will be available, too, starting at $39. Seamstresses and cleaning pros will be hanging out, offering tips and alteration advice, and suppliers including florists, photographers and photo booth rental companies will be there too, pimping their services. Dressing rooms are communal, so wear underthings you’ll be comfortable being seen in, unless you’re cool with public nakedness, in which case, go you. The sale’s happening this Saturday, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m, over at Goodwill’s main office at 553 Fairview Ave. North in St. Paul. Good luck!

xo,

Meghan