DO IT GORGEOUSLY FOR EVERY BUDGET

Goodwill sales rose 10% this summer and little boutique thrift stores are doing business like never before. I stopped at a garage sale the other day and it was packed with fashionistas snapping up bargains, vintage and otherwise. This is seriously exciting news, as secondhand clothes are no longer uncool. Women are becoming creative and resourceful, which is reflected in the growing sales of sewing machines. I’ve a funny feeling that secondhand items will outlive the recession. Once bitten by the bargain bug, there’s no going back. I’ve spent the last nine months, trawling thrift stores for anything that begs to be transformed into something new. Fleeces have been sewed into cozy dog beds, summer dresses into little girl’s skirts and men’s shirts into sexy aprons. You’ll discover all these projects and more in my new book, Do It Gorgeously (June 2010). I became passionate about making just about everything from skincare products to dog biscuits, when I discovered how easy it was to make a far- superior -in- quality product for half the price. Now there’s no going back. Mercifully reusing has become the smart and sexy thing to do, which makes the Gorgeously Green girl very happy. Every time you buy a secondhand item, remember that in doing so, you are doing your part to lesson your impact considerably.

We are huge fans of HandMeDowns.com, a fantastic website for finding specific baby and kid’s items that you need. Check it out this week, as they are having one of their Celebrity Auctions and this time you can bid on Matthew McConaughey’s Hand-me-downs, the proceeds of which will go to an extremely worthy cause.