Hello lovely readers!
Just wanted to beg and plead that you switch your reader and (hopefully!) your blogroll over to the new url: www.wickedthrifty.blogspot.com!
We haven't actually moved but who knows how the redirect will work.
So... why?
If you're not from Boston, you may not know "wicked" as a synonym for "totally" or "absolutely." But really, it is. And a great one at that. ...And then there's the whole us being kind of a recovering goth, witchy type (think Stevie Nicks... and stay tuned for news about our new planned Etsy endeavors!) ...And also the matter of the lovely blonde Swede-in-California publishing under nearly the same name, a few months before this one.
So there was an epiphany, and it just made sense.
The focus of the blog will remain on beautiful clothes under $30, but we may switch it up a bit with some more home posts like this one and also about our decluttering process when the fiance moves in in May, along with some ideas and recipes for eating non-factory-farmed food and organic when possible without killing your food budget. Lots of tasty treats.
Hope you stay with the blog. Thanks for your comments- they mean so much!
Please take the poll on the right, just to satisfy curiosity ;) Thanks!
Showing posts with label boston. Show all posts
Showing posts with label boston. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
The Thrifty Stylist At Home
We are definitely primarily a fashion blog over here, but we thought we'd discuss being thriftier in your home for a change... We consider ourselves environmentally conscious, so we certainly try to be "green;" however, recycled (thrifted) housewares are not only more economic but likely higher quality (they just don't make 'em like they used to, as they say) and vintage/ handmade/ reusable items can be ridiculously stylish and so much classier than disposable crap!
Our favorite places to find vintage housewares are flea markets or consignment and antique shops (that aren't too high-end); there's a permanent flea market in a barn in Newburyport, MA that we've had some amazing scores at (lots of cast-iron pans, hanging baskets, old wine boxes to use as planters, trunks for coffee tables, fish-grilling baskets, napkin rings- ours are made from old sterling spoons) , and there are so many fleas, yard sales, church sales, tag sales, out there that really there's almost no reason to ever buy anything new, in our opinion! There's also Etsy, for wonderful vintage goods and handmade lovelies, although shipping is a consideration with heavier items like pots and furniture.
We're not nearly as frugal as some folks we know who make their own soap and such (or maybe we just covet leisure time too much), but here are some of the things we've changed in the past couple of years to try to fulfill the dual goal of environmental responsiblity and personal savings:
-Switched from paper napkins to reusable. We bought both of our sets on Etsy:
Turquoise and Black Hand-Sewn Striped Batik by GoodKarma
Our favorite places to find vintage housewares are flea markets or consignment and antique shops (that aren't too high-end); there's a permanent flea market in a barn in Newburyport, MA that we've had some amazing scores at (lots of cast-iron pans, hanging baskets, old wine boxes to use as planters, trunks for coffee tables, fish-grilling baskets, napkin rings- ours are made from old sterling spoons) , and there are so many fleas, yard sales, church sales, tag sales, out there that really there's almost no reason to ever buy anything new, in our opinion! There's also Etsy, for wonderful vintage goods and handmade lovelies, although shipping is a consideration with heavier items like pots and furniture.
We're not nearly as frugal as some folks we know who make their own soap and such (or maybe we just covet leisure time too much), but here are some of the things we've changed in the past couple of years to try to fulfill the dual goal of environmental responsiblity and personal savings:
-Switched from paper napkins to reusable. We bought both of our sets on Etsy:
Turquoise and Black Hand-Sewn Striped Batik by GoodKarmaAren't they gorgeous? They're so much more attractive than a paper towel, and they go right in the wash, so it's not any less convenient, really (and we only hit the big T for paper towels every few months instead of weeks now...) We also have a hand towel hanging on the refrigerator and paper towels are absolutely banned for hand-washing purposes (we have become our mother. Sigh).
-Switched from petroleum-based laundry detergent to vegetable (coconut)-based (with plans for next time to get it in bulk from the co-op!) According to IdealBite, "If every U.S. household replaces one box of 48-oz, petroleum-based powder laundry detergent with a vegetable-based one, we'll save enough oil to heat and cool 5,300 homes for a year." Wow! Most eco-detergents are made with coconut-- pretty renewable, right? And they really do work just fine. (we've also switched the dish detergent). Look for any brand that says "vegetable-based surfactants" or "coconut surfactants" or the like- Arm & Hammer is offering one, Trader Joe's and Whole Foods definitely carry them, and of course Seventh Generation at most regular groceries is non-petrolate-based. We hope you won't buy Clorox's version, even if it's not that awful; we boycott Clorox because their bleach is one of the leading products contaminated with mercury (other brands of bleach do not have it- we know this from working in a lab where Clorox was banned!)
It may not seem like a big deal what you choose to wash your clothes with, but personally we think it's foul that we were using oil, anyway (!), and we're glad to help save some fossil fuels. Also, most "green" detergents are concentrated, so they use less water in the bottle; if we're just going to dilute it in the washer anyway, why do so many manufacturers waste water in the package, driving up shipping fuel costs at the same time? Baffling.
-Started washing all clothes in cold water. Maybe you already do this sometimes, or maybe you don't at all- but unless you're trying to kill dust mites, you really don't need hot water for anything, and you'll save tons of energy (and money) not heating the water up. Bonus: with cold water you can throw everything in together and save yourself a few minutes of sorting (more time to shop!) We also do.not.dry.clean. Bad for the earth, bad for your bank account. Most things that say dry clean only can be gently hand-washed, hung to dry and then ironed inside out to restore their softness.
-Joined a CSA. That's Community-Supported Agriculture, if you haven't heard the acronym, which means a "subscription," in effect, to a local farm (ours happens to be our mum's :D ). You prepay for a set amount of produce per month for the harvest season (usually June through October), and each week you either pick up at a designated location or have delivered to your home a box of seasonal surprises. It's true that sometimes you'll have more zucchini or kale than you really know what to do with, and occasionally you may get something you don't know what to (or don't want to have anything to) do with... But for the most part, at a truly bargain price you get a steady supply of nutritious, delicious food grown without pesticides, genetic engineering or chemical fertilizers. Not to preach, but Big Food is a terrifying entity and we should all try to eat as close to the farm as we can!
You probably can't get into a CSA this late in the year but do research and get in on one for next year! We pay $60/month for a half-share which translates to a dozen eggs, a pint or two of berries, half a loaf of amazing whole-grain homemade bread, and at least two full meal's worth if not three each of myriad vegetables like greens, squash, potatoes, peppers, and come August, luscious vine-ripened tomatoes and sweet corn, every single week. We scarcely have to go grocery shopping anymore!
-Stopped buying cleaning products. No, we haven't just decided to let our house go to hell- but after watching "How Clean Is Your House" on the BBC, we discovered that salt, white vinegar, baking soda and lemons are really all the cleaning products you will ever need. Everything else is a scam in an expensive package sent to you through the tremendous expenditure of fuel.
-We also don't drive. That hasn't changed in recent years-- we never got a license-- but we're mentioning it here because it certainly helps our wallet and "carbon footprint" to use exclusively pedipower and public transportation! Hooray for living in a city where it's (somewhat of) a priority!
Boston- MBTA system map
We assume you recycle. You do, right?
...And here are some things we really ought to do and hope to in the next year:
-Install dual-action ceiling fans to heat in winter and cool in summer (it really works)
-Start a compost bin
-Put out rain barrels for lawn watering
-Install low-flow shower head (has anyone seen a dual-pressure one for, say, when you're shaving your legs, or when it's heating up? Feels so horribly wasteful, right?)
-Try SoapNuts!
How about you? How are you trying to be thriftier and a more responsible human? Were any of these new to you or are you already way ahead of us? (We're looking at you, goodkarma)
Share your favorite tips and/or thrifty secrets!
-Switched from petroleum-based laundry detergent to vegetable (coconut)-based (with plans for next time to get it in bulk from the co-op!) According to IdealBite, "If every U.S. household replaces one box of 48-oz, petroleum-based powder laundry detergent with a vegetable-based one, we'll save enough oil to heat and cool 5,300 homes for a year." Wow! Most eco-detergents are made with coconut-- pretty renewable, right? And they really do work just fine. (we've also switched the dish detergent). Look for any brand that says "vegetable-based surfactants" or "coconut surfactants" or the like- Arm & Hammer is offering one, Trader Joe's and Whole Foods definitely carry them, and of course Seventh Generation at most regular groceries is non-petrolate-based. We hope you won't buy Clorox's version, even if it's not that awful; we boycott Clorox because their bleach is one of the leading products contaminated with mercury (other brands of bleach do not have it- we know this from working in a lab where Clorox was banned!)
It may not seem like a big deal what you choose to wash your clothes with, but personally we think it's foul that we were using oil, anyway (!), and we're glad to help save some fossil fuels. Also, most "green" detergents are concentrated, so they use less water in the bottle; if we're just going to dilute it in the washer anyway, why do so many manufacturers waste water in the package, driving up shipping fuel costs at the same time? Baffling.
-Started washing all clothes in cold water. Maybe you already do this sometimes, or maybe you don't at all- but unless you're trying to kill dust mites, you really don't need hot water for anything, and you'll save tons of energy (and money) not heating the water up. Bonus: with cold water you can throw everything in together and save yourself a few minutes of sorting (more time to shop!) We also do.not.dry.clean. Bad for the earth, bad for your bank account. Most things that say dry clean only can be gently hand-washed, hung to dry and then ironed inside out to restore their softness.
-Joined a CSA. That's Community-Supported Agriculture, if you haven't heard the acronym, which means a "subscription," in effect, to a local farm (ours happens to be our mum's :D ). You prepay for a set amount of produce per month for the harvest season (usually June through October), and each week you either pick up at a designated location or have delivered to your home a box of seasonal surprises. It's true that sometimes you'll have more zucchini or kale than you really know what to do with, and occasionally you may get something you don't know what to (or don't want to have anything to) do with... But for the most part, at a truly bargain price you get a steady supply of nutritious, delicious food grown without pesticides, genetic engineering or chemical fertilizers. Not to preach, but Big Food is a terrifying entity and we should all try to eat as close to the farm as we can!
You probably can't get into a CSA this late in the year but do research and get in on one for next year! We pay $60/month for a half-share which translates to a dozen eggs, a pint or two of berries, half a loaf of amazing whole-grain homemade bread, and at least two full meal's worth if not three each of myriad vegetables like greens, squash, potatoes, peppers, and come August, luscious vine-ripened tomatoes and sweet corn, every single week. We scarcely have to go grocery shopping anymore!
-Stopped buying cleaning products. No, we haven't just decided to let our house go to hell- but after watching "How Clean Is Your House" on the BBC, we discovered that salt, white vinegar, baking soda and lemons are really all the cleaning products you will ever need. Everything else is a scam in an expensive package sent to you through the tremendous expenditure of fuel.
-We also don't drive. That hasn't changed in recent years-- we never got a license-- but we're mentioning it here because it certainly helps our wallet and "carbon footprint" to use exclusively pedipower and public transportation! Hooray for living in a city where it's (somewhat of) a priority!
Boston- MBTA system mapIf you live in a place where walking or taking buses and trains is just not possible, think about trying to use a bicycle for smaller trips- those things go like 25 miles/hour if you're cruising! You can get places. Plus, then you don't have to worry about a gym membership or expensive exercise videos and equipment. Beater + frequent riding = cheap hot body. Hey! Wait, we should take our own advice.
We assume you recycle. You do, right?
...And here are some things we really ought to do and hope to in the next year:
-Install dual-action ceiling fans to heat in winter and cool in summer (it really works)
-Start a compost bin
-Put out rain barrels for lawn watering
-Install low-flow shower head (has anyone seen a dual-pressure one for, say, when you're shaving your legs, or when it's heating up? Feels so horribly wasteful, right?)
-Try SoapNuts!
How about you? How are you trying to be thriftier and a more responsible human? Were any of these new to you or are you already way ahead of us? (We're looking at you, goodkarma)
Share your favorite tips and/or thrifty secrets!Sunday, June 14, 2009
High on Bargains
Oh.My.God.
We went to Raspberry Beret. It was amazing. Truly. We're still a little light-headed.
The boutique is beautifully and absolutely perfectly arranged-- by color and size! We could just die. The entire place is gorgeously decorated, from the giant vintage mirror to the dressing rooms filled with silk embroidered throw pillows and wrought iron hooks... Just a pleasure to be there and take in the exquisitely designed wall displays. But the clothes, of course, are the main event...
Pictures will follow but we just had to post about what we got, right this moment.
8 items, $102.00 (most things were marked down further than the price tag because they had been at the store a certain amount of time! Score!)
Lace plunge-neckline evening gown, $16
Forest green faux leather megahandbag, $17
Black & white floral a-line skirt with ribbon belt, $8
Black tiered crochet-trim summer skirt, $10
Black chiffon-trim beaded shantung skirt, $15
Multi-chain teal & turquoise glass bead necklace, $17
Purple suede pointy-toe pumps (marked 6 but fit my 7 feet perfectly!) $14
Turquoise lightweight boatneck sweater, $5
We are so absolutely thrilled and can't wait to drag our man back to the store (haha). A bonus for him, they had a lovely ottoman between the fitting rooms; a provision he calls the "man corral" and one that we rather enjoy for its prolonging of the disinterested shopping companion's patience!
We have no idea to what event we'll ever wear the nude-with-black-lace-overlay evening gown, but it fit so magnificently and was so inexpensive that we had to have it. Surely we'll go to some sort of fancy event someday? It is a classic style, with a tulip skirt and some serious decolettage, so we're pretty sure it won't look dated in a few years. We're thinking of it as an investment piece. For not much of an investment :) (Oh how we love second-hand!)
We were hoping to find a few more bright accessories, but the green handbag and purple shoes should go a long way to livening up our regular black-centric outfits (which we further propogated, heavily, we're aware).
You should absolutely check out this store if you're in the area. Next stop, the Cambridge branch...
We went to Raspberry Beret. It was amazing. Truly. We're still a little light-headed.
The boutique is beautifully and absolutely perfectly arranged-- by color and size! We could just die. The entire place is gorgeously decorated, from the giant vintage mirror to the dressing rooms filled with silk embroidered throw pillows and wrought iron hooks... Just a pleasure to be there and take in the exquisitely designed wall displays. But the clothes, of course, are the main event...
Pictures will follow but we just had to post about what we got, right this moment.
8 items, $102.00 (most things were marked down further than the price tag because they had been at the store a certain amount of time! Score!)
Lace plunge-neckline evening gown, $16
Forest green faux leather megahandbag, $17
Black & white floral a-line skirt with ribbon belt, $8
Black tiered crochet-trim summer skirt, $10
Black chiffon-trim beaded shantung skirt, $15
Multi-chain teal & turquoise glass bead necklace, $17
Purple suede pointy-toe pumps (marked 6 but fit my 7 feet perfectly!) $14
Turquoise lightweight boatneck sweater, $5
We are so absolutely thrilled and can't wait to drag our man back to the store (haha). A bonus for him, they had a lovely ottoman between the fitting rooms; a provision he calls the "man corral" and one that we rather enjoy for its prolonging of the disinterested shopping companion's patience!
We have no idea to what event we'll ever wear the nude-with-black-lace-overlay evening gown, but it fit so magnificently and was so inexpensive that we had to have it. Surely we'll go to some sort of fancy event someday? It is a classic style, with a tulip skirt and some serious decolettage, so we're pretty sure it won't look dated in a few years. We're thinking of it as an investment piece. For not much of an investment :) (Oh how we love second-hand!)
We were hoping to find a few more bright accessories, but the green handbag and purple shoes should go a long way to livening up our regular black-centric outfits (which we further propogated, heavily, we're aware).
You should absolutely check out this store if you're in the area. Next stop, the Cambridge branch...
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Thrifting Weekend!
Just a quick post here- wanted to mention what appears to be an AMAZING consignment shop here in the Boston area that we're going to check out this weekend: Raspberry Beret (two locations: Wakefield and now between Harvard and Porter Squares on Mass. Ave!), named after a Prince song, painted bright fuchsia and, from the looks of it, totally awesome.
We absolutely can't wait to peruse their stock and hopefully come up with some fun new pieces in bright colors and some terrific accessories... reading other daily wear blogs, we're starting to feel a little boring. And boring is the last thing we ever want to be :(
We will report back! Has anyone else been there? What are your favorite thrift shops? We wish we lived in the Pacific Northwest for Buffalo Mercantile, easily the best, biggest resale shop we've ever seen. Here in Boston we're quite partial to Oona's in Harvard Square, even if it's more of a vintage shop (read: expensive) than thrift per se... and we can't wait to check out the new Goodwill in Davis and Poor Little Rich Girl and Artifaktorie, too-- any reports on those? Lastly, Urban Renewals in Brighton is purportedly an amazing source of vintage costume jewelry (according to InspiredVintageJewelry) and also well-organized and not-too-expensive clothing. We miss the AmVets that was a few doors down, and haven't found anything comparable in terms of prices at any of the shops (even Goodwill wants $7 for jeans these days!)
Please leave any tips or reviews of your favorite!
We absolutely can't wait to peruse their stock and hopefully come up with some fun new pieces in bright colors and some terrific accessories... reading other daily wear blogs, we're starting to feel a little boring. And boring is the last thing we ever want to be :(
We will report back! Has anyone else been there? What are your favorite thrift shops? We wish we lived in the Pacific Northwest for Buffalo Mercantile, easily the best, biggest resale shop we've ever seen. Here in Boston we're quite partial to Oona's in Harvard Square, even if it's more of a vintage shop (read: expensive) than thrift per se... and we can't wait to check out the new Goodwill in Davis and Poor Little Rich Girl and Artifaktorie, too-- any reports on those? Lastly, Urban Renewals in Brighton is purportedly an amazing source of vintage costume jewelry (according to InspiredVintageJewelry) and also well-organized and not-too-expensive clothing. We miss the AmVets that was a few doors down, and haven't found anything comparable in terms of prices at any of the shops (even Goodwill wants $7 for jeans these days!)
Please leave any tips or reviews of your favorite!
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