Getting Marketing, Design and Promotional Help for Your Shop. I'm Here!

The past few months I've learned just how much I absolutely love helping newbie business owners get on the path to being gainfully self employed. I definitely want to make this another focus of what I do! If you need help, September is an excellent time to get started! Here are services I offer:

Advertise on Thrift Core: My blog is my #1 sales provider, no question. I'm close to 200 high ticket Etsy (See 'er here) sales in 8 months and I know it's because of Thrift Core traffic. I also sell lots of items directly from the blog. If you advertise on Thrift Core this September I will promote your site or blog to my readers and social media followers. (Thousands strong, worldwide!) I'd love to help promote your site. See ad sizes and more info here. E-mail me if you have any questions or would like to get started.

Banner or Blog Design: I love designing banners and blogs for indie business owners! E-mail me if you want to work with me. Here's my latest banner design, I'm always working with someone. This one's for an eBay store:

Product Photography: Product photography will make or break you, it's paramount for selling online. I absolutely love shooting vintage items, handmade, and art. I would love to collaborate with your on creative photoshoots that will make your items shine. Samples in my Etsy shop and on the blog.

Marketing/Coaching: I write business plans and coach/work with creatives, newbie resellers, etc. Would love to help you out if you need it.

Credentials: I was a pro marketer and copywriter for three years and helped my employer earn thousands before my brand grew to where I could make a living from it full time. I've been designing graphics and making websites for 16 years!

Do it, Man! Gonna lay the biggest tip right on you for free though. The time to get started is RIGHT NOW. You want to be an artist? Draw! Want to be a reseller? Sell. Don't put it off anymore. Work up that will power and get started, the time is now. And of course, e-mail me if you need help getting started. I'd love to guide your, help promote, design, etc. :)

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

What I Didn't Buy at The Thrift Store: Batman, Toys, Pop Culture, and Vintage

My home's purged and I'm about to drink some tea and take hundreds of photos. Definitely makes me I feel better about hitting up the flea market this weekend again! But no matter what, I'm always careful not to bring home too much or anything that costs too much. This is hard with the market can yield much goodness. Here are some things I left behind at the flea market the past couple of visits:

I pass a LOT of these pop culture goodie tables! I want it all, always! Thing is, it always costs too much. And I have enough to sell. And enough toys on display. I've been resisting toys unless they're the right price and extra special. Hoping to find a glass-front case to display them with my art supplies.

More pop culture, I'm a nineties kid and was raised with this show. Love it, never know they made a board game.

The dolls don't tempt me but I do enjoy seeing them grouped together like this. Nice assortment.

As potentially offensive as this is I always enjoy Blue Q merchandise. It's too colorful and kitschy not to love.

I used to enjoy putting eye patches and battle scars on My Little Ponies for fun juxtaposition. Having G.I.Joes and Transformers mount their candy colored steeds is always fun, too. Had to stop to take a photo, it's like a barrel of diabetes. So colorful.

I adore succulents, pretty awesome that they had them set up at the flea market. I've been wanting to do something like this with mod plants and fun props but they don't really sell around here.

And lots of fun salt and pepper shakers. Another case of something that doesn't sell well, people just don't use 'em any more. Not very practical, although cute to display in your kitchen.

Beautiful shot glasses! I love 'em! Again, not something that sells so well, though they always tempt me. I only bring home extra special ones.

Another shot of beguiling shot glasses. Guess my inner lush cannot resist.

This is from a vendor with very high-priced merchandise. I'll often see things I like but they are way out of my range of affordability.

I keep wanting these beautiful owl salt and pepper shakers but they're priced around $25.00. I like the beer bottles, too.

This mod children's chair was glorious but I didn't want to go through the labor of repairing it.

This Coca Cola cooler isn't vintage but it's appealing nonetheless, fun to have out for a party.

Books! How I love them! Love the retro art on these paper backs, forbade myself from digging deeper.

Love kitschy jelly jars and glasses like these. Rarely pick them up though, in this case they were really expensive.

I desperately wanted these robots! They were priced way too high and weren't in working order, it wouldn't make sense. They remind me of a robot fan in this exact retro 80s style that I still crave!

I love chalkboards but this Raggedy Ann was was a BIT too Raggedy. Would have been nice to put in the antique mall.

And a scary find for last, creepy clowns to haunt your nightmares! Nice book but I already have a couple of clown things to get online.

Not a find but I really appreciate this dealer's sign at the flea market. I always appreciate digging/mining/treasure themed branding with thrifting and vintage. So appropriate.

What have you been leaving behind at the thrifts and flea markets? Anything in this post that you'd be powerless to refuse?

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

Home Organization Inspiration: Tips for a Refreshed Bedroom and Wardrobe

I've been hard at work on my ambitious 26 before 27 list behind-the-scenes. I accomplished #11 and have purged over 100 items (can't wait to do more!) and I'm practically complete with #2) Deep cleaning and deep organization. I thought this would be the perfect time to reflect on the room I'm most pleased with at the moment, my now fresh and relaxing bedroom and newly purged closet and wardrobe! Here are some tips for making your room of rest perform at it's best:

1. Only the Essentials: I removed everything but exactly what was needed and love the results. The bed breaking and having to be removed was accidental but I enjoy the open space so much I might never replace it! Having little visual clutter in the bedroom makes it such a respite from my workspace where things get chaotic!

2. Your Favorite Things: A bedroom is so pleasant when you're surrounded with your favorites. I took advantage of my apartment's high ceilings and installed a gallery wall in my bedroom. I display my favorite Prince records in there, too! They make me happy. I chose Prince for the bedroom for the sexy music, but of course!

Left side: winter clothes stashed in luggage, art supplies in cases, excess packing supplies in the middle for now. Left side has spare clothes for BF when he spends the night. This is ALL my clothes now! Love it!

3. Only the Best, None of the Rest: As for the wardrobe, I only hang my favorite, seasonal, and most flattering pieces.  If I don't feel 100% comfortable in it or if it's winter clothing I store it in my carry on luggage (seen pictured above, far right corner). If I feel meh about it, it's just donated. It's so nice to open my closet and pick out what to wear in seconds, no digging, ever! And anything I pick will be a favorite.

Winding down after a stressful work day and starting a new one in my new minimalist bedroom and bathroom is so nice, can't wait to get the rest of the house in the same perfect working order. I'm close!

What are your home goals? Got any home decor items on your thrift wish list? I need a big cabinet to hold all my bubble wrap, boxes, and other work supplies!

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

The Garden Update: Permaculture, Food Growing, Herbs and Tomatoes Aplenty

Been documenting my garden progress on Instagram. Next time I'll document my process in detail!

I've been quiet on the gardening front these days, it's just been to fun to immerse myself in growing, harvesting and devouring the goods without slowing down to capture the process with my SLR. I pedantically photograph most of my processes (even house cleaning, organizing sometimes!) so it was nice to have a space where I could just work without stopping. This year has given me my largest crop of my favorite feast, the tomato, and more herbs than I can eat.

Our raised beds when they first started. They're overflowing with goodness to eat now.

First, let's look at my growing space. I'm an apartment dweller but boyfriend's offered me his large back yard for full growing goodness. There's a tall staircase on his deck that used to connect to an above-ground pool. When I climb it and survey the land offered to me I always flash to the famous scene from The Lion King. It's so much more land to work with than is pictured, I could grow enough to completely feed myself and then some if I had set aside time and planning for it.

I volunteer at a community permaculture garden to learn the ropes on this style of growing. First photo, we're planting out first tree. Second photo, delicious food in raised beds.

All that land confronts me, daunts me. With everything else going on in my life I'm taking it slow out there, maintaining one raised bed, but planning to transform the space into a thriving  herb, fruit, and vegetable garden. I've been volunteering with Our Fertile Earth, a group that's working to transform unused land into food gardens across the city, and learning permaculture techniques along the way. Permaculture is both a thriftier and more environmentally friendly way to grow, where you mimic the natural environment rather than adding store bought soil and fertilizer  I can't wait to put it to work in my own garden and share the progress where!

So expect many more updates on the gardening and foraging front on Thrift Core. I may put growing on the back burner from time to time but documenting my garden was one of the big initial reasons why I started blogging! I can't wait to share more progress.

Been growing anything lately? Got any garden tips to share OR would you like me to write any gardening tips in particular? I think I want to try an indoor herb garden DIY...

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

Thrift Haul: Graphic Design 'Gasms Everywhere. Calendars, Patches, & More

Most of my finds are selected by my inner graphic design/typography fetistist and this haul is definitely an exemplary sign of that! Behold some gorgeous vintage art and design in this week's finds:

I paid more for this wall hanging than I usually would at Southern Crossing but I fell in love with this vintage Little Boy Blue illustration mounted to thick cardboard. The fact that it's paper gives it an interesting animated texture and feel and the muted watercolor-like colors are gorgeous! Check it out right here on Etsy.

Another Southern Crossing score is this beautiful 1972 mixed drinks calendar, couldn't resist the blocky late 60s early 70s art within!

Which one is your favorite? I'm tempted to go with May, I LOVE that girl in the glass. I have it available here on Etsy.

I'm finally getting more of my vintage patch collections online. I adore the graphic designs and color choices on these sets, so beautiful. See this American Western patch set in more detail on Etsy. I'd love to see all of these spots, there is no mountain scenery in the raised sandbar (Florida) I occupy! 

 And even more beautiful patches, check 'em out here on Etsy.

And no patch collection is complete with a dinosaur patch. Here's another spot I'd really need to visit someday! See it on Etsy.

I love the pun on the Seagull cock napkin! There was another one for this set but he alludes me for now. Ah well, here are these two on Etsy.

I'm a huge sucker for paper ephemera, even though cards tend to be slow sellers. I almost bought home a big box of them this weekend, but decided to wait 'til I'm done photographing the huge pile of merchandise behind me! I Check out these cute baby shower invites on Etsy.

More ephemera! I'd been saving this adorable 1960s wrapping paper for a decoupage project for years but decided to sell it instead. The color combination here is just perfect with the right color compliment hues and striking black/white. It's waiting for another more motivated crafter on Etsy.

I love this Catwoman wrapping paper. It's one of the few finds I don't regret bringing home from a Shep's junk store adventure. Was so excited to discover a rare bit of Batman Returns (one of my favorites and a definitive Catwoman representation for me.) You have to see the whole set on Etsy, it includes a card and bow! I have several of these so let me know if you'd like to buy one. 

Moving on to some wood design I have this adorable swiss-style plaque available on Etsy finally.

And this hilarious novelty plaque I showed last time finally made it's way to Etsy as well.

Along with a nice set of big eye art sitting pretty on Etsy awaiting its new home!

Now Back to Work With Me! literally got  huge pile of vintage to photograph behind me and tons to organize to correspond with my crazy ambitious life goal list!

Group and Daily Deals? I'm cleaning out my merchandise stockpile so daily deals are returning to social media. Follow me on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook for crazy low deals of gorgeous vintage. I also make deals on Etsy items with readers and often do group deals, so send me an e-mail if there's anything you see and want! Don't be shy!

Find anything amazing at the thrifts this weekend?! Do share your finds and posts in the comments.

Linked to: [Nifty Thrifty] [Thrift Share Monday] [The Penny Worthy Project] [Sir Thrift a Lot]

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