The First-Ever Thrift Core Black Friday Sale! Get Vintage Gifts for 25% to 35% Off!

I'm hosting my first-ever Black Friday Christmas Sale! This is a chance to get stocked up or maybe get something you've had your eye on for a while. 25% is taken off of everything in the shop! Use the code "GETME" to get 35% off until NOON today!  Get Shopping and knock Christmas shopping out of the way before the rush!

Have fun hunting, things are already moving fast! I had a lot of fun staging the photos for this sale! I'll see you on Monday with my latest vintage scores and next week with an awesome giveaway, a peek at glorious secret vintage collection I was allowed to photograph, and more! COMMENTS are turned off, but If you have any questions about anything you'd like in the Etsy Shop or if you're looking for anything in particular, send me an e-mail!

Note: For future Christmas and gift shopping needs, I forgot to note that I ship everything out SAME DAY I get your order so you get your gifts and wrap them up quicker. I do this all year round.

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Easy Vegan Sides for a Lighter Thanksgiving Feast: Stuffing, Pudding, Pie & More

Today's going to be a busy one, if you're anything like me you still need to rush around and get a few ingredients for the proverbial feasting! Here's a few sides I'm going to bring to Thanksgiving, healthy raw vegan bites that'll help everyone digest the heavier fare! Let's start with a new one for munching a seasonal fruit:

This persimmon pudding is full of autumn flavor, delicious, nutritious and fool proof. Simply blend soft-to-the-touch ripe permissions (they take forever to ripen, you can use the hard ones and still get  a yummy pudding) I used 7 but you can use as many as you like, and cinnamon, 3 teaspoons or more. My vitamix turned it into a completely smooth and dreamy pudding!



I'm also going to make this amazing looking Raw Vegan stuffing by Megan Elizabeth. Goes to show you anything cooked can be reproduced with the right spices and creativity! The zucchini will give it that soft "bready" feel.



Kristina also has an amazing looking raw vegan Pumpkin Pie brownie recipe I may have to try. I have a raw pumpkin pie recipe too if you want to look at some options.

More Go-To Recipes: Here are some more ideas from the archives!

Banana ice cream (toss in nutmeg and cinnamon to make it festive), pumpkin pie or peach crumble for desert anyone?

Creamy onion or broccoli cheddar soup for your starter

Make your own nut milk for recipes or to serve with desert

Raw Hummus and/or nutritional yeast dressing with veggies on the side

Choose from any of these five lush salads

Comments are off today, I'll be running around flea marketing, visiting people, taking photos for an awesome Christmas post/home tour, working with a customer, grocery store, adding as much to Etsy as possible, business! E-mail me, tweet me, or hit me up on Instagram if you have any questions or recipes to share! Please come back for my BIG BLACK FRIDAY VINTAGE SALE on Friday!

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Why I Won't Shut the Hell Up About Veggies: A Weight Loss + Health Journey

I post vegan recipes, grow as much food as possible and generally spend many hours thinking about fruits and veggies. Changing my diet to include as many unprocessed, (often uncooked) fruits and vegetables as often as possible helped me lose 30lbs and more importantly, completely revolutionize my health. This is my weight loss story.

Before: 2011  After: 2013,  30 lbs lighter. Went from a pant size range of 9-11 to 4-5!

I was bought up on a rather balanced diet where a veggie serving was always on the plate. My brothers and I were string beans, often the slimmest in our classes and healthy. By 8-9th grade my mom worked more hours and home-cooked dinners were replaced with frozen dinners. Like many Americans I ate a diet of almost entirely processed food without even realizing it. I caught colds incredibly easily, my immune system being compromised by a lack of nutrients. Verrrrry slowly as to make detection trickier, weight crept on each year. Digestion was pain! Gas! Cramps! Every. Day.

From ages 21-24 I was working my ass off (at least 65+ hours/week as a copywriter & on Thrift Core) and stressed. I was up late after work networking in the local art scene and with the free booze abounding at such things, drinking too much. One morning near the end of living this unhealthy lifestyle I hit my nadir. I woke up and and saw my bloated, broken-out reflection, under-eye bags prominent after a night of drinking with only a couple hours of sleep. My boyfriend, friend and I still went to Metro Diner for an indulgent breakfast of fried chicken and waffles right after! "I'll clean up my diet tomorrow," I rationalized. I'm sharing that point to be honest, hey, bad food is incredibly addictive even when you visibly see the harm it causes your body. Ironically I was eating at least a salad a day and vegetables at this time and had been since I moved out at 20, but with bad food and lifestyle choices mixed in it wasn't enough.

Photo from a couple years back, at a Dr. Sketchy's event with my gummy bear & beer dinner.

After a break-up with my then-boyfriend and a proverbial break-up with my copywriting job I channeled new time and energy into completely changing my diet. I found a book on break-outs at the thrift store that boasted an anti-inflammatory diet for immediate break-out healing. (Shared here.) I know it works because my break-out was significantly better in just three days! After years of trying and failing to improve the condition of my skin, it was proof I needed that diet is the solution to 99% or more of our health problems. I slowly continued to improve, going from pescetarian with loads of vegetables to vegetarian, to raw vegan over a few months. For the first time in my life I was losing weight and keeping it off.

Now I adore being mostly raw vegan (there are cooked meals and treats here and there) for the ease (mostly just blending up meals in my vital vitamix). The food is delicious, the health benefits fast and visible. It used to be hard for me to even go one week without eating meat or junk food, I never thought I'd be where I am, but it's easier than you'd think when the changes are gradual. I believe the before photo was taken near my peak at 164ish, now I've plataued at 134, within the healthy weight range for my height (126-140). I'd like to lose another 10 lbs but I'm not rushing it. I have so much energy it's hard to sleep, am rarely sick, and never have digestive problems unless I sneak in processed food.

A Note: This is me near my largest. I feel better at my lower weight, and sometimes felt uncomfortable in tighter clothes and being photographed at my largest, but never felt "fat" and was confident for the most part. I was still cat-called at, haha. Weight is not the only determinant of health and beauty, I firmly believe that. 

Do you need to be an insane raw vegan extremist to feel a difference from eating fruits and veggies? Hell no! But I do recommend stuffing in as many raw unprocessed fruits as veggies as possible, even changing out your lunch for a huge salad and your breakfast with a fruit smoothie can make a big difference. Fruits and vegetables are investment for your health, saving you on medical bills in the long run. As the wise father of western medicine Hippocrates said, "Let Food be Thy Medicine".  And now you know why I won't shut the hell up about my vegetables! I hope you'll continue to try raw vegan recipes I'll share in the future! I do believe I'll share some easy vegan recipe ideas for Thanksgiving tomorrow.

Got any weight-loss stories to share? Questions? Tips? I'll answer any questions in the comments :) I'm sharing all this to encourage others who were in my shoes, I honestly thought I'd never lose weight, it can be a slow and discouraging process, but it's totally possible. Making it about getting healthy and stuffing yourself with delicious fruits and vegetables and not the number on the scale makes it easy!

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Thrift Haul: Retro Yard Sale Scores, Cute Critter Figurines & Christmas Sale Time

I'm finally back to the hunt after taking a long break, I haven't hunted in earnest since early October. I scored yard on a warm, sunny Saturday morning and left with a few choice goodies following my new rules. (I try to resist big cumbersome items the mugs/glassware these days- so hard, I see so much I want) Here's what I scored:

I scored some adorable 1960s big-eye figurines, can never resist explemary specimens like this squirrel... ----->>> On Etsy

Or This Hippie Flower Child Rabbit in neon hues, I love the sunglasses. ----->>> On Etsy

And a teenie tiny vintage fawn right in time for Christmas. ----->>> On Etsy

This isn't the full snack set but I loved the looked of this dachshund ceramic piece and had to list him anyway. ----->>> On Etsy

I also scored on this awesome working polaroid camera and film set!  ----->>> On Etsy

And scored some awesome How-To-Draw books, I try to resist these days but these two were too beautiful to leave behind. ----->>> On Etsy

This bigger plastic reindeer showed up in time for Christmas, too. ----->>> On Etsy

And with this gorgeous deer drinking glass the deer theme is complete! ----->>> On Etsy

Or IS IT?! Looks like reindeers and fawns have snuck their way into the Christmas themed product photos I've been killing myself working on behind-the-scenes. A kind yard sale vendor gave me the gorgeous pyrex set above. ----->>> On Etsy

Another fun yard sale score, likely not vintage, but irresistible to for my Japanese-stuff collection nonetheless. The back reads "Decorative Crafts inc, Mebel". I have it on my computer desk/work space to use as a catch-all and coaster.  Like everything else it's for sale if anyone's interested.

I've been playing catch-up listing some things that haven't made it to Etsy yet, like this beautiful thermos. ----->>> On Etsy

I went on a Thermos spree, this Aladdin one finally made it online as well. ----->>> On Etsy

Along with a lovely large Tartan print posing with a Scottish terrier, appropriately. ----->>> On Etsy

And an industrial military style thermos. ----->>> On Etsy

Moving back to barware, this gorgeous serving tray is finally in front of admiring eyes. ----->>> On Etsy

Along with lovely mid century modern glassware pieces. ----->>> On Etsy

A gorgeous Hellenic style ice bucket to go with the party. ----->>> On Etsy

And sexy lady glasses I struggle to photograph with accuracy, I need to get a gray backdrop but haven't found anything to use as one yet! Hence the poor quality photo on this one, you can't see the detail without over-sharpening the photo. ----->>> On Etsy

This retro lamp was a beautiful flea market find, rustic 1970s goodness. ----->>> On Etsy

Along with this unique medevil style plaque, love the red and gold, reminds me of the Holidays somehow. ----->>> On Etsy

This beautiful retro clock is just as lovely as a display as it is a functional object. ----->>> On Etsy

This is the second set like this Rye and Scotch Gay Nineties style decanters I've found, the last once flew but these have stuck around for a bit. ----->>> On Etsy

And a final beautiful score for Christmas, a beautiful coaster set.  ----->>> On Etsy

CHRISTMAS SALE TIME, LOOK OUT: I've been marking down items and will likely host an additional Black Friday and Cyber Monday sale on Etsy, so check out the site for gifts if you're hunting for something unique for friends and family, it's gift hunting time! (And you support a struggling soloprenuer too, win-win!) E-mail me if you're looking for anything in particular, I have a lot I've yet to list online- or if you have any questions.

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

Linked to: [Nifty Thrifty] [Thrift Share Monday] [Thrifter|Maker|Fixer] [Sir Thrift a Lot]

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

MODify: Three Thrifty Ideas for Hanging Artwork In Your Home. Think Outside the Box!

A room is not complete for me without artwork to contemplate and inspire on the walls. When I worked in the corporate world my corner of the office was filled with an explosion of artwork and color! I need it to focus, blank walls make me crazy! You don't need expensive custom framing or conventional expensive store-bought frames to hang your artwork in style, here are five thrifty MODified methods I've adapted over the years moving from apartment to apartment and office to office:

1) Black or White (Dollar Store) Foam Core: I want to custom frame my Batman (pictured above) and Dragon Ball Z calendar pages someday, in the meantime I have them mounted on cheap black foam core I cut out seven years ago. It gives a similar affect without the cost! I used sticky putty to adhere the pages to the foam core and there they've stayed without falling for nearly a decade.

2) Vintage Wooden Pant Hangers: I've been asked about my high-tech designer-looking "wooden picture hangers" by apartment visitors, customers, or blog readers who see them in photos. They're simply wooden vintage pant hangers. (I have some for sale on Etsy here.)

3) Thrifted Binder Clips: Vintage binder clips are another way to hang art prints, records, or other pieces creatively. I bought a huge bagful for cheap at thrift store and often see them at yard sales for cheap, too.

4) Thrifted Frames: When you're patient and hunt enough you can often find frames of any size for your pieces. I'm still holding out for another poster-sized frame, I found one for my transformers poster above for around $5.00.

5) Dollar Tree $1.00 Frames: This isn't such a creative option but when I need a frame for an 8 x 10 art piece (standard paper size and the size of many art prints)  and can't find one for months while thrifting I will rely on the dollar store for some. Most Dollar Trees will have these available although the stock does vary from store-to-store. (Eight of the pieces pictured above are hung with dollar store frames.)

Past MODify posts: File Organizers

Got Any Creative Artwork Hanging Tips to Share? Let's discuss ideas in the comments.

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Studio Apartment / Small Room Solutions For No-Space Woes with A Living Space

I'm back the another A Living Space apartment, this time looking at their stunning studio apartment in Salem, MA. I'm amazed that they carved a distinct sit-in kitchen dining area, living room, and bedroom out of one small undivided space. Definitely an inspiration for those of us trying to find solutions with any space. If they can do it beautifully here, anyone can!

Mapping out their home and creating a detailed floor plan helped Chris and Julia create a space that's functional, beautiful and uncluttered- even being one large open plan!

I love the use of texture, pattern, and color in this space to make it vibrant and happy. It's small but feels open and airy.

With choice mid century modern pieces and uncluttered artful arrangements their living "room" puts mine to shame even being a small part of one room!

The vintage Periodic Chart of the Atoms is a dream score, absolutely beautiful way to solidify the "bedroom" area and just a beautiful piece to look at. As you know I'm a hardcore sucker for amazing vintage science pieces.

The one thing I do miss about tiny spaces is the effortless "coziness". It's easier to fill a small space and make it feel full and inviting.

Small spaces come with many storage frustrations but I do miss how it forces you to edit carefully. This little bedroom nook is giving me nostalgia from small-spaces-past.

Clever to use a organ to divide the living room and eating area beside the kitchen, too. They got creative with what they had!

I also love how everything is cohesive but doesn't match perfectly. When you thrifting for furniture pieces sometimes you have to make due with what you have until you find the perfect pieces you'll keep forever.

No space was wasted, a small alcove beside the bathroom was turned into a "Dressing area".

Got any small space organizing/living tips to share? Would love to hear them as I figure out attractive storage solutions for merchandise. I'm thinking some bookshelves in my large bedroom closet, hmmm...

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Tranquility at a Mid Century Modern Building and Garden in Arlington, Jacksonville

This Saturday mid century era homes were opened to be toured by mod lovers and photographers. I found the flyer the address, my only lead was a church where the tours kickstarted in the past. It was a bust and I didn't make it to the Mod Arlington tours, but at least I enjoyed tranquility and relaxation at this beautiful church.

I was told the church was considered one of the "Top 100" buildings in Florida despite being in a "state of disrepair". The owners strive to not only maintain but restore the building to its former glory. It's shaded by pines and boasts a zen garden, trail, naturalistic mod-style installations, and a "labyrinth."

The short trail takes you around the pond, when you reach the end you're facing the beautiful church and surrounded by trees. I was pleased to see undisturbed swamp land as far as the eye could see behind me at one point. Nice to see some undisturbed land in always-developing Florida.

I even collected a couple of pieces of rare Florida foliage, ours isn't brilliant solid colored beauty the Northern states enjoy. Instead the trees feel confused and shed diseased looking leaves. Better 'n nothin'!

The church boasted some peaceful sitting areas like the one above with a relaxing vase fountain.

And a lovely "zen" rock garden featuring a statue of a praying Buddha.

I meandered through hallways and peered into spaces, some boasted high ceilings and gorgeous exposed beams in a distinctly mod style. Wish I could have got inside for some shots but the doors were locked.

I do believe this is the first building of its kind I've extensively explored. I loved the abundance of rooms with open glass walls.

The hallways were peaceful to explore and gave me ideas for some mod crafts I should cook up.

This is the Unitarian Universalist Church Labyrinth. There were three posted staged to the walk:

Releasing distractions and extraneous thoughts to find your natural peace. Reaching the center where you sit and stand as long as you'd like to meditate, pray, and "receive what is there to receive" and Returning, follow the path you took in back out. "A strange sense of strengthening can occur. You take back out into the world what you received."

The rules posted suggested sitting down and "quieting your mind" before you enter. I've never been good at meditation, I'm an anxious busy-minded person. (Meaning I probably really need some meditation.) I followed their rules as best I could and gave the labyrinth a try, not feeling any immediate difference.

There were several lovely decks for sitting and enjoying the cool shaded areas as well.

And tables and benches. This space would make a very relaxing library or small school, so many spaces to sit and work in peace.

I appreciated clean, modern, natural details like this suspended branch. Beautiful shape.

On the drive home I definitely felt more relaxed than when I'd arrived, humming to myself along the way and not feeling the usual anxiety I feel driving over the Mathews Bridge (I have an unfounded fear of heights.) Maybe it was the magic of the labyrinth, but it was probably the inspiration of finally visiting a gloriously mod building.

Have you explored a mid century modern building? Do share any recommendations in the comments, I love checking out retro/mod/kitschy spots around the world.

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