[SERIES: thrifting has changed my life]

as i have said many times, thrifting is not a trend for me. it is a lifestyle. it is a great way to be eco-friendly and save money at the same time. i did not start thrifting last week or last year, i have been doing it for as long as i can honestly remember.

thrifting can be a great way to find the perfect piece for a space or the perfect accessory for your wardrobe.  regardless of how u flip the coin, the art of thrift has been around for years and will always be around 

next up in my NEW series "thrifting has changed my life" is:
courtney from the joy of decorating. 

Thrifting has always been a way of life for me.

Growing up, I moved every six months to a year (my dad worked as a contact engineer) and so we never had a lot of furniture, especially not expensive furniture. If we wanted a large piece of furniture, we would have to give it up before the next move, so it had to be cheap.

I remember my first furniture "thrift" was a leather club chair my parents hauled back from the apartment complex dumpster. I was only seven-years-old and it swallowed me whole. I fell asleep in it the night they brought it home. I cried when we had to give it up.

After that, thrifting was a serious part of my life. In high school, I was part of the set crew in drama; so going to goodwill was a regular part of my day. Almost all of the period costumes were Goodwill finds re-imagined for Shakespeare's era.

In college, like most students, I was poor, and Goodwill and Salvation Army were the best places to grab new clothes.

By the time I graduated and was on my own, I was well-versed in the world of thrifting. . I knew where to go, what was a good find, and how to make it my own. I am very proud of my thrifts. My dining room table and chairs was $100 on Craigslist, my entryway mirror was salvaged from my parent’s bathroom and I even have a collection of tacky Christmas sweaters that I purchased from the thrift store for all my holiday parties.

While I still shop at regular retail shops, I rarely pay full price. Thrifting taught me how to save money while getting what I wanted and I can't imagine my life, my closet and my home, without it.


thanks so much courtney for sharing your story with us. if you would like to read more about courtney, please visit her at her blog, the joy of decorating. 


if you would like to share you story, please send one picture of you in an "i <3 thrifting" shirt, a 300 word story and as many photos as you'd like to mr.goodwillhunting@gmail.com and i will share it with the world.


always know if you need professional design assistance with your home or wardrobe you can contact me for full service and partial service design help.


this discussion always continues on facebook and twitter.