Three Cheers for the Red, White & Blue

 

Let's indeed celebrate from one end of Southwestern Michigan to the other!

Here is a little inspiration for your July 4th holiday get together.

 

An inviting setting...

 

To recreate this retro picnic setting, serve food in vintage bowls and platters and pick recipes that would be common from the 50's & 60's like mustard & ham sandwiches, deviled eggs, jello salad, and coconut macaroons. 

 Source

This settings vintage appeal is in the period pieces and adding height with the stacked old suitcases.

Source

Time to eat!

Slice a watermelon and cut out star shapes with a cookie cutter to make these watermelon pops.   

Source

 

Taco salad is a perennial summer favorite.  Use your favorite recipe and just follow the picture to make the stars and stripes.

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How about a coke float bar or root beer float bar? Shop garage sales and thrift stores if you need a large number of serving glasses.

 

Red, White and & Blue outfits.

These colors are well loved and plentiful at thrift shops.  Pick up pieces for your whole family. You will wear them all summer long!

 

 



Treasure hunt for picnic items, family outfits and maybe a little vintage flair at your local Goodwill Store. Here are pictures of items we gathered in stores this week.



Kalamazoo Alcott Store



Benton Harbor Store

More ideas to celebrate on our Pinterest Board  Hip Hip Hooray!

Thank you for your support of Goodwill and our Mission!

The business of changing lives....

 

Fashion Trend perfect for Michigan's warm days and cool evenings

Variety! That word probably best describes the type of weather we experience in Michigan. And the beginning of this summer is no exception.  A little cool in the morning, warming up nicely in the afternoon, and back down again when the sun goes down. 

Right now an inspired fashion trend that will work great with this daily fluctuation in temperature is the sleeveless, high-neckline blouse. 

                                                      This pretty blouse is modest yet flirty....

Fun but refined....

                                                                                                                                                                                       Just cover with a sweater, jacket or shrug for cooler mornings and evenings (or air-conditioned offices!)

Treasure hunting will not be too much of a challenge at our Goodwill Stores this summer for this pretty blouse. Here are several that we found in our stores this month.

Alcott Store

Sturgis Store



Sturgis Store (and a couple dresses!)

Treasure Chest Hot Tip:

Our Online Treasure Chest Department has a large selection right now of NWT - NEW WITH TAG - items up for bid, take a look and find a great new piece at a great price! 

Here is the link and type NWT in the search bar:

Shopgoodwill



you're a grand old flag by George M. Cohan

You're a grand old flag,

You're a high flying flag

And forever in peace may you wave.

You're the emblem of

The land I love.

The home of the free and the brave.

Ev'ry heart beats true
'neath the Red, White and Blue,

Where there's never a boast or brag.
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,

Keep your eye on the grand old flag.

Vinyl Records for Father's Day.

Does your Dad say things like "they just don't make music like they used to" or "back in my day, they knew how to write good songs!" Well, he could be on to something.  Maybe the songs were better, maybe not, but the sound of the songs pressed onto vinyl records and played on a turn table is different and special. And that retro sound is becoming very popular today. Here are a few quotes from around the web that describes the sound of vinyl and why it is attractive again:

 

Take a trip to Goodwill stores to find records from Dad's teen years, or find bands and singers he played for you when you were young.

 

Vinyl is also becoming more than just finding treasures at garage sales and thrift shops. Today's music artists are pressing records like Mumford & Son's "Babel", The Black Key's "El Camino", and The Zac Brown Band's "The Foundation".



So surprise Dad with some music memories. While hunting for albums, keep an eye out for an old turn table. Dad might need one of those too.



Kalamazoo Alcott Retail Outlet, June 2013

 



Sturgis Retail Outlet, June 2013



Visit our pinterest page for more musical Father's Day Gifts Ideas.

Pinterest Board "Musical Father's Day Gift Ideas"

The Denim Shirt. A classic and comfortable trend.

The denim shirt is trending again this summer.  This classic button down shirt gives you a polished, but comfortable look and is very versatile.  

You can find these shirts on the runway and being worn by today’s celebrities.

 

2013 Runway





This top can be worn throughout the week.

Running Errands

 

Business Casual

 

Source



 

Splurge and Save:

Splurge on a pair of patterned or bright colored pants which are a hot item this summer.

Save by matching them with a thrift store shirt. 

Guys! You look great in denim too!

Here are denim shirts found at the Kalamazoo Alcott Retail Outlet this week.

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Shopping tips for denim shirts:

• Visit the dress and suit area for pieces that you can separate. 
• Check the men's department for the boyfriend look.
• Look for a larger size for layering.

Visit our board "Summer Denim" on Pinterest:

http://pinterest.com/vtgtc/

Happy Treasure Hunting!

 

 

 

 

 

Blain, our Treasure Chest Department Coordinator and antique aficionado, shares a little of his knowledge about candy dishes…

Candy dishes come in three styles.

The lidded style is the most common and what usually comes to mind when you think of a candy dish.

A bon bon style is a small, flat, decorative dish.  This style is also commonly referred to as a decorative dish.

The compote is a candy dish that is raised in the air by a pedestal or it is footed.

Candy dishes have been made by a wide variety of companies over the years, many are made by glass companies such as Fenton, Imperial and Viking.