The New Thrift Core Headquarters: Where I Resell, Blog, Ship, Watch Horror Movies...

I haven't found the perfect way to define an office, craft/dining space, packaging/shipping station, and merchandise storage in one "great room" attractively-- while buying as little "new" as humanly possible! It keeps getting better, though. Here's my current progress and a wish list for the future.

I hung my favorite piece (maybe a post on that someday?) above a spot where I probably spend the most time, in front of the computer editing pictures, writing, listing...

I hate the 2nd non-mod couch, looking for a mod sectional maybe for the living room space. The "ugly couch" will host visiting butts for now. I recently re-staged the art to help define the living room space. Needs something horizontal like a tall lamp or plant to break it up. I used to have the art stationed all around but I like having 2 large gallery walls and 2 small ones for interest now.

This corner of books I need to scan/photo backdrop just sucks. I tried to make the white shelf hold packing materials but I have way too much for the shelf to hold well. I'm looking for some cool vintage lockers or a large cabinet to put here to hold the supplies.

My expedit unit (stuffed with more books to scan, craft/art supplies, some merchandise, paperwork...) kind of divides the living room and working area and having the dining table right in front of it now gives me a spot to craft, since I sure as hell never eat at that table. Bad me.

I could use some more rugs to define spaces, perhaps. I love that I took a year to get rid of excess but minimalism can be a tad boring if it's not balanced right.

As detailed in this post, I use the top of the expedit unit as a photo-taking station for all online listing needs. Love how the shades keeps it tidy yet easily assessable.

It still needs some work but I love my spacious, super-light-filled apartment and living/working here every day. I really want to transform it to a more completed state this year and will update you throughout the process. Perhaps with some design info to go with it.

The Yuko always enjoys it. She has ample space to explore, many things to destroy...

What improvements are you trying to make to your casa this year? What's on your thrift wish list? I'm looking for area rugs, a mod sectional couch, tall lamps/plants, lockers/storage cabinets, and kitty-proof fiberglass chairs...

Daily thrifting updates, information, & Inspiration: Follow Thrift Core on Twitter and Facebook.

The 5 Reasons Why You Should Buy, Use, and Collect Vintage

There are many reasons to collect, use, and sell vintage. Beware, once it starts you'll become an addicted vintage junkie, jonesing for your next fix. Modern retail won't do, you'll need housewares manufactured in the past in every room of your home! Allow me to be an enabler! Here are the top five reasons why you should buy, use, and collect vintage:

Environment

We often forget the negative environmental impact of shopping retail. When you shop vintage you're helping the planet- and getting something you can;t buy just anywhere. Win win!

Value

Your vintage housewares are more valuable than regular retail counterparts, and the value will only increase with time. Buying the right vintage is wise investment.

Quality

It's sad to think that today's particle board furniture won't stand the test of time. Old stuff is just made better, with thoughtful, practical and timeless design to boot.

Nostalgia

I display "vintage" (My god, I'm old! We're old!) from my childhood, like my Transformers and Ninja Turtles posters, in my home for nostalgia's sake. The amount of people who stop in and want to buy them proves that many of us want to surround ourselves with the items that reminds us of happy childhood times and people we love or miss.

Expression 

Vintage design is often practical and beautiful. It's inspiring to behold and stimulates creativity. Vintage can express many things: the rejection of status quo, environmental causes, love of wunderkammer style or kitsch playfulness.

Four years ago when I started my job as a writer I never thought I'd leave it behind to embrace life as a vintage seller. The flexibility and creativity offered by vintage keeps me excited and engaged in this career. I don't see myself leaving it behind anytime soon! I get more inspired and driven to work in this field daily. Feel free to share this post with your vintage non-believer friends and family. Maybe you'll convert them ;)

Why do you buy, use, collect, or sell vintage? It ain't easy, but it's rewarding!

Daily thrifting updates, information, & Inspiration: Follow Thrift Core on Twitter and Facebook.

Thrifty Work Space Solutions: Dining Room/Office Before and After

You ever dream that you'll finally have every single thing you own pedantically organized, labeled, filed away in a spreadsheet? You every wish every yawn and blink was scheduled? I'm almost there! I'm almost organized to the extreme and it feels so good! Regard my new work space if you need inspiration:

This is an in-between shot, I was moving items to be stored in the new work space to dining room/office area and searching for the "perfect" cabinet to store it all. After months of hunting at thrift, flea markets, curbsides (no shame!) and comparison shopping I gave in and bought the cheapest thing I could find retail.

These are two tiny Closet Maid closets I got on clearance from Target and stacked on top of each other. It's a huge help having this right in the work space! I'll keep searching second hand for a second cabinet to store packing materials.

This was the first time in a while I've to break the "Buy Nothing New" rule to retain my sanity! Worth it though, I love how rearranging this space hasn't just made it organized, a fresh new look in the work space  is always inspiring. Now I'm going to jump in there and get back to work!

What do you use to get to organize your art/craft/reselling supplies? I'm always on the prowl for furniture and items to use for organization while thrifting.

Daily thrifting updates, information, & Inspiration: Follow Thrift Core on Twitter and Facebook.

Thrifty Living Room Makeover: Using What We Have for Impact

I'm enjoying being in my living room (where a lot of work and computing happens) much more these days. Before I felt like it had an imbalanced dorm room feel, so I moved existing furniture and art around to yield a better solution, the whole area just feels more open now.

Now the full height of my tall walls is utilized and it makes the space more cozy. It also displays my interests with lots of books, Batman, childhood posters (Ninja Turtles and Transformers) and even some Freddy Krueger.

I love to display collections for visual impact. These are some of my favorite toys. I'll let go of a few of them...one day.

I'm going to work on the TV wall but this will do for now. Pretty thrifty use of decor, with a shoe rack (ha!) supporting my gifted TV and a thrifted shelf from my mom to balance things out and hold my DVDs and my roommate's laptop (connected to the TV so we can watch internet videos and compute on the big screen.)

I've made a vow to buy nothing new (except necessities) and rely on second hand finds to furnish my home. This impacts my home design, but I love the challenge and it certainly exercises my creativity and makes for a unique living space.

I'll soon have to rely on retail for the other side of my large combination living room/dining room space after months of hunting second-hand didn't yield what I wanted. Next week I'll show you what I've done to make a satisfying work space! I'm excited to finally have my entire home completely organized for the first time ever!

How do you decorate your home thriftily? You know me, I need unique finds and color everywhere.

Daily thrifting updates, information, & Inspiration: Follow Thrift Core on Twitter and Facebook.

Getting it Together 2013: The Closet Evolution and a Wardrobe Purge

For years I've been forced any and all closets in my apartments for art project or merchandise storage. I worked hard at it to clear out and get my closet back at the start of this year and got rid of as much clothing as possible. Now everything I own to hear is hanging in one closet and easy to access. I can see it all at a glance and appreciate how less is more. It's easier to put outfits together when you own only your best.

I used this thought process to separate feelings and purge my wardrobe. I was brutal and effective  don't let emotion get in the way of a good clothing purge!

Doesn't fit? Donate it! (Don't wait until you "lose weight" again, to the thrifts with it!)
Don't "feel right" in it? Donate!
Don't like that color on me? DONATE!
Don't wear it anymore? DONATE!
Doesn't make me feel AWESOME when I wear it? DONATE!
I liked this in high school but don't wear it anymore... DONATE! 
Doesn't fit quite right...DONATE!
Not clothing or bedding related? Get it out of the bedroom closet!
Work clothes I no longer need or wear? DONATE!
But it was a gift! BITCH, DONATE IT!

And so the thrift stores received a huge donate or pretty clothes I just don't wear anymore and in return I have a normal closet and I can see the floor! This has been my theme with  my home purge this year, keeping only what I use, and only the best. There's no room for anything else.

What thought process do you go through for a purge? There may be a level one or two Hoarder lurking within us, let's defeat it and reclaim our closets this year!

Daily thrifting updates, information, & Inspiration: Follow Thrift Core on Twitter and Facebook.

Getting it Together 2013: Organizing a (Mostly) Vegan Kitchen

I love a fresh new year and the opportunity to start it on the right track by getting the home organized. This week I want to talk about organizing our homes, business, and inner turmoil! I started with a room I've found myself in a lot this year, the kitchen.

I am blessed with an enormous amount of storage space for an apartment dweller, I have a big kitchen outfitted with 6 roomy cabinets and a large pantry space, and I wasn't utilizing it to it's fullest potential. In the before picture above you see wasted space. I can't see my items at a glance.

Now everything can be seen at a glance, I have stations for frequently-performed actions, and I've rearranged the art collections displayed within for better visual balance.

One thing I do to reduce kitchen clutter and dish pile-up is limit the amount of dishes and cups I keep in the kitchen- helpful for a high traffic apartment with a roomie and frequent visitors! If we want more cups, we have to wash the ones we have. I love having all my spices displayed and easy to select now.

For those who are curious about pantry staples for raw vegans, it often looks a lot like this. I love keeping my nuts in sealed glass jars, it has an attractive apothecary look while keeping my food fresh. Not much drinking happens around these parts anymore so they're put in this shelf, out of the way of the main kitchen traffic.

I'm excited about how I re-arranged the kitchen art, too. This watercolor painting looks better above the stove and the thick black frame goes well with the appliances. I like how it's a portrait of the artist's friend cooking with her favorite Sanrio character, My Melody.

And I love my display of masks Ponce carnival masks from Puerto Rico, every time I visit family I bring home a new one. I love how it brings my personal culture into the "heart" of my home.

I set a chopping/juicing station for chopping up my daily salads. The dressings often need some lemon or orange juice for my "Octojuicer" is always on Stand-by. And the Mario and Donkey Kong art just makes me smile!

Then we have the tea station, the kitty and tea set were bought back with me from Japan, and I talk about how I framed the Junko Mizuno art in this post.

I make a smoothie daily and often use these tools and ingredients, so I set up a smoothie station with a vintage tray. The Kirby chef toy kind of adds to the fun Nintendo theme.

The little coffee area is for my roommate, I can't drink coffee. It makes me bounce off the walls like a rabid banshee! I'd have to work up my caffeine tolerance again.

I re-arranged things in our large pantry. My roomie (who isn't vegan) has her food on the top shelf and we share the rest.

And now I'm off to make some luscious grub in the kitchen! Time to blend and chop up some masterpieces.

How do you keep your kitchen organized? Any tips to share? What are you organizing for the new year?

Daily thrifting updates, information, & Inspiration: Follow Thrift Core on Twitter and Facebook.

Thrifty DIY Idea: Cheap and Easy Wall Art From Magazines

I'm on a purging/organizing kick. It's been exciting to streamline the household and make "stations" for each activity. The next necessary step was adding artwork, I can't thrive without it! Other than local art, my favorite thing to frame and display are pages from book and magazines.

I immediately swooped in on this issue of Hi Fructose at the flea market featuring one of my favorite artists, Junko Mizuno. Her weird, dark style is perfect for adding art to the kitchen, bedroom, and office area with their bright colors, intricate graphic design, and food and crafting themes- what's not to love?!

I start by...this is the heart breaking part...ripping the magazine in half at the seams right at the first page I want to take. This way I can rip out all the pages I want to use without fearing of damaging them.

Next I frame them in matching frames. It would fun to make a Junko gallery wall , but I need these pieces to add color throughout the house.

Three are now living in the kitchen. One by the new "blending station." I love the artichokes and bunnies in this piece, gorgeous!

The next two add color and life to the "tea station," I love the piece with the girl and the blender, so kitchen appropriate.

Next my office area got some love, I adore how the muted colors in the two Junko knitting pieces match my Cuttlefish anatomy poster.

Any finally two pieces are perfectly at home in my bedroom. I thought these were perfect to hang above the dresser with their feminine themes.

Ah, it's the little details that make a house a home. If there's any blank corners in your home that need warming up,  look to the thrifts for old magazines and books for art to fill the walls. I love displaying unconventional masterpieces and thrifted objects in my home.

What do you like to frame and/or display on the walls? It feels good to change things up for the new year. Look out for some home organization posts next week!

Daily thrifting updates, information, & Inspiration: Follow Thrift Core on Twitter and Facebook.

Thrifty DIY: Office Area + Desk Quick and Easy $1.00 Make-Over

Just thought I'd share a quick make over that's made working around these parts more pleasant. With a roomie I try to be kind and isolate my work mess to one area by the end of the day, this time my desk was the victim:

I quickly cleared it up and then decided to address the actual desktop. I've had it since early high school and it's very worn from frequent use. Not inspiring to look at. I snagged my thrifted woodgrain contact paper to give the desk an easy make-over.

It was as easy as measuring the surface, cutting the right shape, cleaning the surface, then sticking on the contact paper. I left some of the original and less damaged wood showing in the back for contrast.

If I get dark wood furniture pieces in the future I may cover it with contact paper early on to help prevent it from damage, it's an attractive way to protect your furniture. I love being able to set down a cup without looking for trivet to protect the wood.

The result is a cleaner feeling work space, quite refreshing! I'll hang more on the walls because visual stimulation helps me thrive, but the clean look is a nice change for now!

And it matches the contact paper chessboard table I made that sits right behind the desk.

A New Desk for $1.00! Not Bad!  What does your work area need to keep you motivated? I need a nice clean flat surface to work on and LOTS of stimulation on the walls. A big calendar for notes and planning is a must, too.

Daily thrifting updates, information, & Inspiration: Follow Thrift Core on Twitter and Facebook.

Quick and Thrifty Bedroom/Bathroom Colorful Art Remix

It's been eight months since I shared the first peek at my huge, sunny new 2 bedroom/2 bathroom apartment in Riverside, Jacksonville. I finally got the reseller mess (oh the boxes, they were everywhere!) under control but I'm still setting in and making the space a home. 

Today I'm sharing a look into a space you haven't seen, the master bathroom, and showing how hanging a few thrifted things I had around made a space more cozy and inspiring:

After I cleared out the final boxes to be organized (any other apartment dwelling resellers forced to use your poor bedrooms as storage?) I had to tackle the bedroom and attached bathroom which felt empty, imbalanced, and soulless.

Left: My nightstand, Right: A Wall in the Master Bathroom

Displaying art I've collected from thrifting, local art shows, and comic book conventions that were languishing (!) in the closet gave the spaces the personable, cozy, relaxing vibe they needed.

The bathroom feels much more comfortable with eclectic art pieces displayed on the walls, too. The Italian Little Mermaid Poster is a childhood relic...

And pieces like the Audrey II on the left and small fish paintings on Canvas on the right are from artist friends. Thrifted Plaques and art from sandy beach artists around the world are on display, too.

This is the biggest apartment I've occupied and I don't have enough furniture to make it feel cozy, but filling the tall walls with eclectic collections is helping to fill the gaps. I hope I'll encounter some chairs and couches while thrifitng to fill some voids as well!

In the past I'd have been tempted to hit retail stores to fill unattractive white space in my home, as many people do. After two years of buying nothing but essentials new, I'm patient. I wait for the right pieces to come to me and use what I have on hand to create a space that's uniquely me!

What do you use to decorate your home? I like to use record cases (I have Prince, Michael Jackson, and Jackson 5 ones on the walls!), and thrifted collections... 

Daily thrifting updates, information, & Inspiration: Follow Thrift Core on Twitter and Facebook.