I wanted to post on a thrifting trifecta from a recent shopping excursion.

First, I came across a vintage leather briefcase that has the most beautiful signs of wear: a patina imprinted by years of a career. I love items like this. I wonder who used it, what they did…. And I also marvel at just how worn it is, yet it still functions perfectly. It makes me envious of a time when products were made well, and were used for years and years: not replaced at the first sign of wear.

I also found a gorgeous plant pot, perfect for the orchid that is languishing in my kitchen.

And finally, I found a wonderful pashmina scarf: the pattern is perfect, and so is the quality. It makes me wonder why I ever used to stock up on acrylic scarves.

Three beautiful items in a half hour of thrifting on my way home…and they cost me $9.50!

Shotski in action!

Today’s DIY recycling project is brought to you by my sister, and it involves partying and old skis. We’re gonna make a Shotski! What is a Shotski? Check out the video below to find out.

If you’re a skiier, you might have an old set of skis kicking around. Or you can usually find them at yard sales or thrift shops (some thrift stores don’t carry them, I think because of liability issues).

Anyhow, when you come across a pair, all you need to do is find some hard plastic shot glasses with flat bottoms and glue them securely to the ski with crazy glue (the flat bottoms on the shot glasses will give them more sticking surface).  You should space them about 30″ apart).

As you can see from the photo above, the Shotski will liven up any party or ski trip this winter, plus you’re recycling!

p.s. Old skis are also made into durable, all season benches and chairs. Check out the products made by Green Mountain Ski Furniture or if you’re handy, you can make an Adirondack chair yourself.

I’m going to start with thrift stores. When you donate something you no longer want, what happens to it? I find thrift stores fascinating from an operational standpoint: they have vast quantities of merchandise coming in, and unlike retail stores, no two items are the same. So everything has to be assessed: Is it safe? Is it in good enough condition to sell? If so, will someone buy it? How will it be priced? Besides that each item has to be physically processed: it’s a never ending task, usually done on a small budget!

My first behind the scenes tour is a short video about Thrift Town, one of my favorite local thrift stores. I went behind the scenes with Debra Miller and Ashley Tapley of Thrift town, to see how the clothing comes in and how it gets processed and organized out on the floor.

In the next installment of the Thrift Town video tour I will share more about how massive amounts of donated goods that can’t be sold in the thrift store are resold/recycled, and provide statistics on approximately how much “waste” is diverted from landfill.

Please let me know if you have any questions or comments!

Why haven’t I been posting? A combination of reasons. I’m working on another green project right now, that I hope to launch in the next year. I can’t say more than that, but it’s really exciting (and takes up a lot of my time)!

Another big reason for the hiatus is that I stopped reading blogs, so it felt crazy to be writing one. I find that I now pick up information through Twitter/Facebook, or I search the internet for specific projects and information.

So to provide a better service to those of you interested in a stylish, green and frugal lifestyle, I decided to transform my blog into more of a website, with a user-friendly navigation and a handy search tool. This way you can easily find information on the topics that interest you, no matter how often you visit the Bonanza.

Yes, it’s taken some time to re-categorize and edit my old posts so that they work in the new “preview” format, but I think the changes are worth it! I’ve got some great new posts coming up, including some behind the scenes tours of my favorite thrift stores in San Francisco: Thrift Town and The Salvation Army.

Thank you so much for your patience. I hope to earn back former Bonanza readers, and reach new ones with ideas on how you can have a stylish, green lifestyle…and save money!

The wedding was held on a property where the bride’s parents and grandparents had been married, so the setting was perfect (check out the orange tree just dripping with fruit above!).

One of my favorite touches was the placecards, which were vintage San Francisco postcards with a message from the bride and groom to each guest. And no cut flowers were used in the decorations: potted plants were set into beautiful silver urns on the tables, and in pots around the property. Family wedding photos also contributed to the intimate setting.

Over the course of the evening, I also learned that some very stylish guests were decked out in Found Fashion! The gorgeous green dress was scored on eBay, and the gent in the blazer, jeans and white shirt got his duds from Buffalo Exchange.

Thanks to everyone who entered the contest to win a scarf/shawl from Nimli: I really appreciate it! Just a few examples of items that you’ve acquired used include: cars, cats, cameras, strollers, walkers, furniture, belts, evening gowns, sundresses, belts, records, toys…oh, and husbands!

I drew the winner from my precious thrifted silver trophy (which cost me $3) and it is Leah! Congratulations Leah, I will get your address so we can get you that pashmina.

The contest was designed to celebrate a new way of consuming: extending the lifespan of existing items, and making careful decisions when buying new. Thanks again to everyone who entered, and have a wonderful long weekend!

I decided to pursue accreditation because I work in real estate, and because I’m interested in the impact that careful design can have on environmental outcomes.

Anyhow, yesterday I took (and passed) the 2 hour test. I studied my butt off! I was incredibly nervous because I heard that the pass rate was really low… But I did it, and am SO relieved that it’s over.

Interestingly, my sister and husband both work in LEED buildings (the photo is of my sister in her LEED platinum office building in Victoria B.C.). So I’ll wrap this post up with some highlights of their observations about living la vida LEED:

• The temperature is always perfect, windows can be opened for fresh air
• No more drooling over an office: offices are clustered around the core of the building, and cubicles are set around the perimeter to maximize daylighting (and sick views!)
• Energy is harvested from solar panels and a wind turbine
• Extensive recycling/composting
• Cool touches like counters made from wood salvaged from the ocean floor

And probably my favorite feature:

• Signs advise that the toilet water isn’t suitable for drinking

* ALSO: Please remember to enter to win a free pashmina scarf: all you have to do is tell me something that you’ve acquired second hand!

I really hope this blog encourages people to experiment with Found Fashion, but I also urge you to shop smart when you do buy new items.

That’s where today’s giveaway comes in. It comes to you from Nimli, a website that sells clothing, accessories, home décor, beauty products and more, from independent designers. The site features products that are natural, organic, recycled, sweatshop-free, and cruelty-free. There are icons below each product to let you know whether items are recycled, handmade, fair trade, etc.

I like to scope out their Beauty and Wellness section, their jewelry, and of course, the undies!

About the Giveaway: what you could win is a beautiful pashmina/silk wrap or shawl from Nimli. You won’t know the color/style of the wrap until you win, but it’ll be similar to the ones in the photo.

Giveaway Guidelines:

1. Tell me one thing you’ve acquired used. It can be anything: car, microwave, belt, tuxedo…
2. One entry per person
3. I will compile all entries and draw names from a hat on video next Wednesday, July 1
4. How you can let me know what you’ve acquired used:
   • Comment on my blog below
   • Follow me and message me via Twitter (find me here)
   • Becoming a fan of my Facebook page and post your comment on my wall

Be sure to leave me some way to reach you if you win, and/or check back next Wednesday.

Tell your friends to enter, and gentlemen, don’t be afraid to contribute: one of these scarves would make a great gift!

She’s accessorizing almost entirely with vintage, hand-made or handed down pieces, (and in nearly 2 months she’s covered way more fashion ground than I have since I first learned how to dress myself).

The Uniform Project demonstrates that with some creativity and pre-loved or handmade flair, you really don’t need a ton of clothing!

And if all that isn’t cool enough, The Uniform Project is also a fundraiser for schools in India (and pays homage to the individuality that Indian schoolchildren bring to their uniform dress code). Definitely check out the blog, and consider making a donation!

The pots often don’t have a recycling symbol on them, and when they do, they’re usually not one of the “good” (readily recyclable) plastics (numbers #1, #2 or #7).

So I called Flowercraft, my local garden center, and learned that they accept pots back for recycling. I was so excited that I documented the pots before I dropped them off (note that my concerned looking dog, the plant, and the pink sneakers were not recycled).

I was also really inspired by the flowers that I saw at the garden center. Each of these has an undersea feel to me… like beautiful anemones: