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by Jenna Pfueller

Nothing says Thanksgiving like a table full of– Sharpies. No? Well, maybe I can convince you that it’s worth setting one out for each of your guests with the same care you place your grandmother’s finest silver.

When I was 19 I found a beautiful old turquoise formica table at a yard sale for $15. I dined at that table with a laundry list of college roommates, various boyfriends, dear friends, family members, strangers, co-workers, hungry pets, and eventually my own little growing family. It was a glorious table that witnessed 16 years of birthdays, holidays, special days and everydays. But during it’s ninth and final trip in a moving truck, it bent so badly to one side that I had to consider that all the memories I had invested in it may not follow me forever.

Which is why I especially love this woman’s super-easy DIY idea to keep the memories of all our dinner guests past and present alive each year at the holidays, or at any gathering. I only wish I’d known about it years ago and made one sooner!

Simply visit your local Goodwill or dig through your own linen closet and find a table cloth, runner, or even a plain white flat sheet. Put it on your table for Thanksgiving and Invite each dinner guest to write what they’re thankful for, sign their name, write a message, trace their handprint, or draw a little doodle to remember them by. Then each year you can bring it out again and again to add more and more, like a blank canvas for holiday memories that you can hold onto forever and cherish alongside guests past and present.

You can leave it at that and reuse it each year, maybe cover it with plastic to keep it clean and safe — OR you can take it a step further and embroider over their doodle for a more lasting mark that you won’t have to worry about fading with wash and time.

Don’t know how to embroider? It’s simple. Here’s a few quick tips to get up to speed. And if you’re lucky enough, I’ve occasionally found embroidery floss and other crafting supplies for sale at Goodwill, too! Need help with thrifting the rest of the table setting? Mary Elizabeth has a few tips for you.

The best part about these memories are that you can take them anywhere and relive them anytime you want. It’s a treasure that can be enjoyed and added to over and over again. And by creating one of these heirloom pieces with linens from Goodwill, you’re helping to prevent one more piece of textile from needlessly entering the waste stream and helping other families in your community. A thrifted canvas for your family’s memories will help to connect people to support services through Goodwill’s programs, including childcare, financial education, transportation, and youth services that help people reach financial independence. And we all know, that’s truly something to be thankful for.

By Carissa Chatfield

A chill is in the air and cold weather season has begun. Chilly temps are a perfect excuse to wear a cozy, soft sweater. What’s amazing about sweaters is they are versatile and look great with a casual or dressy outfit. Every fall I look forward to wearing sweaters because they are very comfortable and look great on anyone. Need some helpful style tips for your sweaters? Keep reading below for a few helpful tips.

Scarves

A scarf is an easy accessory that will make any sweater look put together. Patterned and blanket scarfs are a popular trend for a good reason. They are comfortable and you can practically wear with them with anything. At Goodwill, we have many different scarfs at a great price of only $2.00! With this price you can buy several for the long winter ahead.

Boots

Boots are a fall staple. They can be paired with your favorite sweater and make the outfit look instantly stylish. There are many different types of boots, short, tall, over the knee, patterned, solid, furry and sparkly. If you grab a pair of boots to pair with your sweater your outfit will always look amazing. Need a pair of boots? We have a fantastic selection of boots at a great price of only $6.50.

Handbags

A handbag gives a finished touch to any sweater outfit. Handbags can match the outfit or give some much-needed contrast. No matter what type of handbag you love, whether it is cross body, shoulder, or clutch, be sure to check out handbag selection in all of our retail stores.  

Don’t forget at Goodwill we have an incredible selection of sweaters. Give your closet some love and stop in one of our stores and grab a few. Your closet will definitely thank you!

Just a little bit of decoration can go a long way to welcoming the transition of a new season into your home. Though it doesn’t quite feel like fall just yet in the Northeast, everyone is starting to get excited for the changing colors of leaves, holidays like Halloween and Thanksgiving and spending cozy evenings indoors. When it starts getting colder out, I know I tend to start spending more and more time indoors, and creating a warm, seasonal atmosphere is important to making me and my guests feel at home and comfortable.

It isn’t difficult to add a few seasonal pieces to your home, but you can be strategic about it. I am trying to create less waste and be more sustainable, so for me, instead of heading to the dollar store to find some fall decor, I’d rather do a DIY project, buy a few pumpkins and gourds that can be composted after they go bad, buy a few versatile statement pieces that I know I will reuse or, head to my local Goodwill® store to find some well-loved treasures for great prices. When decorating, I’ll usually start off in the home section of Goodwill to see what they have that day for inspiration and then base the rest of my decor around what I find. Recently, I’ve been seeing a lot of great art in the home section there, and think that would work nicely in my apartment.

Whatever you decide to base your decor around, remember that you are decorating to make your home more you. You want to be comfortable, so even if you want to do minimal decorations this season that’s okay. It’s your space!

Below are some great set ups (all including items found at Goodwill!) for more fall decor inspiration. Be sure to tag @GoodwillIntl on Instagram with your finds, and you might be featured in an upcoming blog post.

1. Seasonal Art

Photo: @threebluebirdslovenest

You guessed it – these stunning autumnal paintings were scooped up at a Goodwill store! You can find beautiful art, prints and frames in the housewares section of many Goodwill stores, it’s definitely something to check out and it’s all priced extremely reasonably too!

2. Accent Furniture

Photo: @ashlandcraft

Whether you’re moving or redecorating, it can be unreal to see how expensive accent furniture can be. You want your space to feel like it’s yours and like it is a reflection or extension of yourself and what you like. Trust me, I know. Since I moved back in July I’ve been on the lookout for an accent chair that doesn’t make me cringe at the price tag. In the image above the lucky shopper (and owner of that happy dog) found that accent chair at Goodwill for just $10!

3. Leaning Shelf

Photo: @bohodelsol

I really love this look and think a leaning shelf like the one above can be really flexible for any holiday decor. It’s also the perfect place for plants, foliage and coffee table books. Basically, anything you want highlighted in your apartment should go on this shelf. Here, I think the rattan pumpkin makes the shelf feel really fall while also keeping with the clean minimalist look of the decor. And of course, that was the item found at Goodwill!

We had a fantastic first day of our new store in Rapid Valley. The community came out and supported us and we are looking forward to serve the Rapid Valley area. If you haven’t checked out our store yet, come on over, we would love for you to see our new store on 611 Timmons Blvd.