Hey folks! I’m Jen and I am thrilled to be a part of this Trendy Thrifty Now blog as I am a huge advocate of Goodwill! Goodwill is a retail store, unlike any other, with hidden treasures and one-of-a-kind gems! Goodwill is a place where I can shop completely guilt-free because I know that, not only am I purchasing merchandise at incredible prices, but I am also helping to prevent more waste from ending up in our landfills by giving these pre-loved items another life. And the best part about it (yes, there’s more!) is that over 90% of the money that I spend in a Goodwill store goes towards helping individuals with barriers to employment gain job skills so that they can become self-sufficient! And I’m guessing as a reader of this blog, that you already know most of this and love Goodwill as much as I do! So, I’ll move on…

My absolute favorite part of shopping at Goodwill is finding those soon-to-be-masterpieces! You know, those pieces that have been a little too well-loved and are a little, well, rough around the edges, so to speak. Many of those items can be found for dirt cheap and have so much potential! With a little elbow grease and inspiration from Pinterest, these pieces can take on a brand new life and fit perfectly into my (or your) home!

So, my focus on this blog is to take you step by step through my journey of recreating, or to use the trendy term “upcycling”, pieces found at Goodwill! Don’t worry – Brit will still be posting her latest fashion and style tips – she is the true professional when it comes to latest style trends for clothing, accessories or décor (seriously, you should see her – always completely put together in high style!). But I will be contributing by adding posts every Friday illustrating how to repurpose things found at Goodwill. And here’s the kicker… each month we will give away one (or a few) of those items to one of our loyal readers!

Well, I look forward to sharing with you my Goodwill experiences and I hope to hear from you your stories and experiences. We would love to hear about pieces that you have upcycled or how you have turned someone’s “trash” into your treasure!

Looking forward to sharing this experience with you!