After getting several invitations for baby showers this summer, I started looking for baby gifts in my local stores. I found plenty of adorable baby hats, but at prices ranging from $20 to $105 (for a baby hat!) I thought I could certainly make something cheaper and more memorable for my friends.

With Mother’s Day coming on Sunday, May 12^th, I’ve been thinking about all the things I could do for my mom this year. Friends have suggested the following: take a cooking class together, make matching aprons, or plan a bike ride and picnic. But, my favorite Mother’s Day gift has always been breakfast in bed. I can’t think of any mom who wouldn’t delight at the thought of waking up to a beautiful breakfast served to her on a platter with flowers and a handmade card. 

It happens to all of us. You find a great pair of jeans, you wear them religiously and they rip in remarkably un-strategic places. How can you revive them from the dead? This week I’ve got a quick (and effective) way to fix this problem. The next time you’re shopping at Goodwill and you find a fantastic pair of designer jeans with a big tear, you’ll have the tools you need to bring them back to life.

Slipcovers are a quick and easy way to update indoor and outdoor seating for summer. Transforming a button down shirt into a slipcover is quick, easy and looks very professional. Plus you can customize it using your own prints. All you need is a button down from Goodwill, cardboard, and fabric paint.

Last week I said I would talk about stenciling, so this week’s project is all about it. Stenciling aside, who hasn’t gotten frustrated over bleach stains on great t-shirts?  You can use bleach with your stencils to ‘dye’ your Goodwill shirts and from now on use those marks to your advantage.

With spring almost here, now is the time to bring out bright colors and bold patterns. This year skip the Hawaiian print and make your own patterns with acrylic paint and Sharpies. This week I took inspiration from Basquiat (a graffiti artist who became a famous New York painter) and painted a jacket that I sourced from Goodwill.

Short on time this week? With a dollar in your pocket and 30 seconds on your watch you can turn a Goodwill tie ($1) into a pocket square (and in another minute make a headband with the scrap). Pocket squares are a great way for guys to add play to their look without much effort. Choose ties that contrast your jacket - go for brights or match with shoes, shirt or other details of your style. 

I fell in love with African print fabrics in Ghana. They are bold, covered in big designs and have no fear of being too colorful or too expressive. When I am home I remark what a contrast this is to the American, often monochromatic, wardrobe. Our t-shirts however, come in the full rainbow of colors; they just need a little more sophistication. So this week you don’t have to go all the way to West Africa to add some color and confidence to your wardrobe. You just need a few t-shirts in your favorite colors from Goodwill. While you’re there, also look for stretchy patterned shirts, skirts or jackets whose fabric or embellishments you can use to complement those t-shirts. Certainly don’t shy away from bright colors: the point is for bolder to be better.

Circle your calendars for next Tuesday, March 26th, because it’s almost time for Holi, the Hindu festival of colors. While the celebration’s back-story is a little gory, the festival primarily celebrates the colors of springtime, the coming crops and the season of love beginning as winter comes to an end. 

What you’ll need: