Filed under: Fashion, General, Retail and Donations | Tags: Clothing, Consignment, England, Facebook, fashionista, Frugality, Goodwill, Home, Look and feel, Price, retail, Shopping, Triad Goodwill
Karen Goodin was born and raised in England, then catapulted across the pond in 2002. She’s always had a unique sense of style with an innate European flair. Before she began Frugal Fashionista, her friends (and sometimes strangers passing her on the street!) would ask her for her style secrets. It finally made sense for her to follow her abilities and make her passion for helping others look and feel great a full-time job!
In addition to shopping thrift stores like Goodwill, she answers a common question by other frugal fashionistas in training on how to save money. Is this you?
Q&A Submission:
Q). I know that one of the most frugal ways to fill out my wardrobe is by frequenting consignment shops, but I just can’t kick my addiction to new clothes. How can I still buy new items, yet be frugal?
A). There is a secret, and it is, in my opinion, one of the most savvy shopping moves a bargain hunter can make: Shop out of season so you can stretch your dollars to unbelievable lengths.
Buying items you may not be able to wear until months after you’ve made the purchase not only allows you to get great deals, but it also frees up funds so that you can take advantage of rock-bottom prices by buying in “bulk.” Just think of it as buying yourself a present you get to open and enjoy a little later. I like to keep the price tags on as the clothes hang in my closet waiting for their time to be worn. Not only does this allow me to see lots of new clothes in the que, but I love to see the marked-down prices as a reminder of the great deals I got.
From experience, if you can make a habit of not buying items until the end of the season, the savings can be substantial—often up to 70-80% off the original price. It takes patience and the willingness to really ‘work’ those clearance racks, but you get to leave the store with shopping bags stuffed full of NEW clothes!
Use this as a clearance season guide:
January – February: winter clothes
April – May: spring dresses and shoes
July – August: swimwear, shorts/tees
September – October: rain coats and fall suits
November – December: winter coats and fall shoes
In the game of smart shopping, timing is everything. Sometimes being behind the times can help you get ahead. It makes fabulous sense!
Happy Shopping.
Karen Goodin
Frugal Fashionista
Watch Karen in action and get more information by visiting www.karengoodin.com or check her out on Facebook. If you know you’re ready to look and feel FABULOUS, call 336-456-2072 to get started!
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Filed under: Anniversary, Fashion, General, Retail and Donations | Tags: anniversary, April 19, Birthday, Business, Cake, Coupon, Goodwill, North Carolina, North Elm, North Elm Street, retail, Shopping, Triad Goodwill
What could you do with an extra $5 at a Triad Goodwill store?!
Our North Elm Street location is turning 1-year old and we’re going all out to celebrate! On April 19, come out to an all-day party with the North Elm staff and our friends at 105.7 NOW to commemorate one year from the opening of our first retail store and career center model. Since, the location has become a neighborhood shopping favorite, a donation resource, and more than 800 people have utilized the career center’s free job training services.
But what’s a birthday without cake or present?!
PRINT OFF the below $5 coupon, good on April 19 at our 3519 North Elm Street store in GSO only, towards your total purchase. (You get the present, but save a little cake for us!)
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Filed under: Fashion, General, Retail and Donations, Rock the Runway | Tags: break, cool, DIY, Fashion, Goodwill, looks, outside, spring, Triad Goodwill, warm, weather
This year, spring is the thing! And we’re offering a little inspiration from our Rock the Runway 2012 fashion show and from the looks of some of our favorite Pinterest pins! Plus tweet or post to our Facebook page your favorite Goodwill looks or creations and we’ll feature you on one of our boards. One random submission will even win a Triad Goodwill gift card! Let the pinning begin!
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Filed under: Fashion, General, Rock the Runway | Tags: Arts, Business, design, Fashion, fashion show, Goodwill, Goodwill Industries of Central North Carolina, Hanna Garner, Magazines and E-zines, News & Record, Rock the Runway 2012, Runway, Tina Firesheets, Triad Goodwill
News & Record Features Reporter and Goodwill Enthusiast talks about her fashion show experience…
It was my first time attending Rock the Runway, and it was really cool to see this caliber of a fashion show here in Greensboro.
It really drew a diverse crowd – from young teenagers to grandmothers. And you could tell a lot of people really had fun getting dressed up for the show. I love clothing and fashion, so it was really neat to check out what everyone was wearing at the mixer.
The show, itself, was even more fun because the audience was so supportive. The applause and cheers as the models came down the runway was really infectious.
The looks, themselves, were totally amazing. I have shopped Goodwill, so I wasn’t surprised that you could get such finds there, but it was super cool to see how everything came together – shoes, handbags, the amazing jewelry (which I know didn’t come from Goodwill, but totally complemented the outfits).
Because Hannah, the stylist, is a fashion expert, it also was a neat preview to what’s going to be hot this spring and summer!
See the amazing looks from the Rock the Runway 2012 show at http://goodwillrocktherunway.org/.
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Filed under: General, Partnerships, Going Green | Tags: Goodwill, Goodwill Industries of Central North Carolina, Harris Teeter, Coupon, Belk, Home, Homemaking, Frugality, Faithful Provisions, Shopping list
We know if you love thrifting at Goodwill, you’re a recessionista or recessionisto who’s heard all the hoopla about Extreme Couponing. Today, check out these money saving tips from local coupon expert Kathleen McGirty who’ll help you discover all the benefits of the newest money-saving trend.
Are you looking to make that New Years resolution that is actually easy to keep? Make the commitment to save some money! And one of the easiest ways is to make the commitment to use coupons and save on your shopping bills. You don’t have to be an extreme shopper to save real money. Here are a few easy ways to get started on your savings:
1. “Purchase the Sunday newspaper. For a 1.50 a week your Sunday paper can contain over 200.00 dollars or more in savings. There are manufacturers coupons from Red Plum and Smart Source. But the Sunday paper also contains coupons for department stores such as Macy’s , JC Penny, Belk and other retailers that offer big savings off of your purchases.”
2. “Join a store rewards program. Sign up to get a Vic Card from Harris Teeter or a CVS Rewards Card. These reward programs can offer you the lowest price in the store plus other insider savings tips. If you don’t have computerm, all of the stores offer forms you can fill out to receive your reward card. In the meantime, check out these sits to get started”:
http://www.cvs.com/CVSApp/user/home/home.jsp
3. ”If you do have access to a computer, sign up for special email savings from these same stores. Harris Teeter offers special coupons online for Evic members. If you sign up to receive the weekly email from Earthfare they send out coupons for free items with a minimal purchase.” Several others shops offer the same e-savings programs.
Take it from me – just following these quick and easy steps can set your budget on a new track for the New Year!
Find Kathleen McGirty on Facebook.
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Filed under: Career Services, General, Success Stories | Tags: Career Center, Goodwill, positive, Triad Goodwill, Work, Workshop
Each week, Triad Goodwill will highlight someone who has achieved employment success, thanks to Goodwill.
Read Sherly Sylvester’s Success Story below…
The Goodwill Career Center has been a positive and encouraging influence in my life. The Career Center offered many different workshops for everyday use in the work place. One of my favorite workshops, which I enjoyed, was the “Sell Yourself in 30 Seconds.” By attending this workshop, I was able to use keywords relating to the position I was applying for.
The employees were also very knowledgable in their area of expertise, and so I felt comfortable asking questions that were job related. I was also very thankful to have so many available resources at my finger tips. The Goodwill Career Center is the place to be and I absolutely love the work they do!
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Filed under: Fashion, General, Rock the Runway | Tags: Clothing, fashion show, Goodwill, Goodwill Industries of Central North Carolina, Rock the Runway, spring, style team, Summer, Triad Goodwill
The Rock the Runway fashion show that presented to a sold-out crowd earlier this year is making a flashy return for its 2012 fashion celebration! Showcasing ensembles found on the racks of Goodwill retail stores, next year’s show will fuse more Goodwill looks and bolder fashions – and did we mention each look can be found on the racks of Goodwill retail stores!
If you attended the 2011 show, you know that the phrase (that captures the sheer shock at the many facets of Goodwill and uttered so often we finally pressed into Goodwill T-shirts last year) “I Had No Idea,” was never more true than at that show. Every attendee saw an outfit that would make them look amazing and knew immediately at what occasion they could sport it. From a suit that screams success to the showstopper cocktail dress that everyone will be talking about at the holiday office get-together, that show offered it all.
For Rock the Runway 2012, we’re bringing back the rockin’ style team that created the looks we now crave, and we’re extending the runway to offer even more combinations for work, play and evening, fresh for spring and summer, and all at Goodwill prices to suit any recessionista…or recessionisto!
And what makes this event so special is when you remember that the money you’ll spend on your ticket will go towards Goodwill’s mission of helping local residents with barriers to employment obtain job training.
Continue to follow real-time, weekly Rock the Runway updates by visiting Goodwill’s Facebook and Twitter (hashtag #RocktheRunway) pages that will highlight behind-the-scenes exclusives, photos and show updates.
Are you ready to Rock the Runway?
Filed under: Fashion, Rock the Runway | Tags: artist, Business, Charitable organization, design, Fashion, furniture, Furnitureland South, Goodwill, Greensboro, Greensboro North Carolina, Latasha Driver, New York, North Carolina, Rock the Runway, Runway, styling, Triad Goodwill
Only three weeks left until we Rock the Runway with some amazing fashions for bargain prices! First, get to know another Rock the Runway Style Team member, Hanna Garner of Rebecca & Co. , who’ll transform our models into New York fashion chic for the evening!
Since 2003, Hanna has been the manager of Rebecca & Co, a high-end contemporary ladies boutique with locations in Greensboro and Winston-Salem. Hanna is an envied and familiar face to stylish women in the area, 
with a reputation for being sophisticated, professional and the best fashion stylist in the Triad.
For this year’s event, Hanna has the critical role of selecting and styling all the runway looks, as a member of the Artist Collaboration Group,” a NC-based team of women, organized to provide end-to-end art direction & styling for fashion, interior design and photography projects for both high-end clients and charitable organizations, such as Triad Goodwill. Hanna’s efforts will be the result of tireless hours spent visiting Goodwill retail stores to pull clothing and items that represent the best that Goodwill has to offer. What she presents at the show will blow everyone away! In the meantime, come see Hanna at Rebecca & Co in Greensboro, and see her styling Rock The Runway on Feb 24.
Filed under: Fashion, Rock the Runway | Tags: artist, Boho Salon, Business, Catherine Brockway, Creative director, Dana LeBlanc Designs, design, Fashion, Fashion design, Goodwill, Green Bean, Greensboro, Greensboro North Carolina, hair, Rock the Runway, styling, Triad Goodwill
The Rock the Runway fashion show is well underway, and among our many volunteers and Goodwill staff members working hard to pull it all together, we want you to get to know the style team. They’ll pull together the set and clothing design, and hair, makeup and jewelry looks for the big day. They love what they do and they love Goodwill so we’re shouting them out!
Meet Catherine, this Master hairstylist has made leaps and bounds in a short career…
After beginning her career assisting International CHI Platform artist Bradley Tuggle
just three years ago, Catherine has already gone on to collaborate with several established photographers and designers, including Dan Routh, Abbie Cooke of Chariot Creative, and Dana LeBlanc Designs. Her portfolio includes work ranging from costume design for stage productions, to runway shows to photo shoots. She is a core member of the “Artist Collaboration Group,” a Greensboro-based team of women, organized to provide end to end art direction and styling for fashion, interior design and photography projects for both high-end clients and charitable organizations, like Goodwill.
Catherine’s latest endeavor is taking on the role of Creative Director for the new Boho Salon located in Downtown Greensboro. Objectives for the staff at the innovative eco-friendly salon are to support the community, the planet and art in as many ways possible. From their 100% vegan product line, displaying and selling local artists’ work, serving Natty Greene’s beer and Green Bean’s coffee, to decorating the salon using furniture found at local antique shops, Boho Salon is committed to its purpose! Not to mention their team’s ability to deliver beautiful and consistent work for their clients.
From behind the chair, to her work outside the salon, Catherine Brockway is passionate about her work, her clients and the community. Come see her work and meet her in person at Rock The Runway on February 24!
Filed under: Retail and Donations, What Is It Wednesday? | Tags: arm chair, comfortable, Goodwill, Triad Goodwill, Wednesday
