The Thrifty HoG: A Golden Find in the Flat Iron District

On a recent business trip to New York City, I was wandering through the Flat Iron District, making my way to Penn Station. I turned down 25th street onto the block behind the office where I used to work, and made a wonderful find. The Thrify HoG’s bright and cheerful window display caught my eye, and welcomed me to enter the store. Once inside, I beheld an airy and beautifully colorful boutique, which belied the fact that it was a “thrift shop.”

There was a huge array of chic, gently-used men’s, women’s and children’s clothing and accessories, as well as books, home décor, and small home furnishings. Each and every item was obviously very carefully chosen since they were all in impeccable condition. And by the cash register sat a big golden piggy bank along with brochures and cards for Hearts of Gold, a non-profit that was benefitted by the sales from The Thrifty HoG. I asked the woman who was tending the store to tell me a bit more about the relationship between the two.

As it turned out, the woman with whom I was speaking was Deb Koenigsberger, founder of Hearts of Gold and creator of The Thrifty HoG shop. Deb had founded Hearts of Gold in 1996 to help homeless mothers develop sustainable change in their lives. In addition to providing many programs and services through Hearts of Gold, she had opened The Thrifty HoG in May 2010 to provide job opportunities and job training to the moms. Net proceeds from the shop go to support Hearts of Gold programs. What a wonderful concept!

In reading through their brochure, and their website, I saw that there are many ways to support this great organization. They hold fundraisers throughout the year, and you can shop guilt-free at their store at 11 West 25th Street. For those of you who don’t live in the New York City area, they have an online shop. To learn more about Hearts of Gold and The Thrifty HoG, check out their website.

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Miss Wonderful and Other Finds at Ginger Root Design

stylish vintage black patent pumps

On a recent shopping trip, I discovered a shop that I hadn’t noticed before. Ginger Root Design, at 1530 U Street, NW has a small, but excellent selection of vintage clothing. They also carry eco-friendly clothing and accessories by ReVamp for men and women that have been fashioned out of repurposed fabrics and notions. The owners of Ginger Root design, Erin Derge and Kristen Swenson, have a passion for sewing, so they offer tailoring and sewing classes. On my recent visit they showed me a cute little bow accessory made from repurposed men’s ties.

best shoe brand name ever!

The first thing that caught my eye was a pair of cute black patent leather pumps with a bow and interesting cut-out design. Because my feet are petite, I don’t easily find shoes that fit (which is a good thing as far as keeping a shoe addiction at bay), so I was thrilled when they turned out to be my size. The owners scored the shoes at an estate sale in Minnesota, from whence they hail. The shoes were unworn and in the original (awesome) box.

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While I didn’t have time to thoroughly peruse their store, I did spot several cute women’s items that were fashioned out of a variety of great fabrics, and I plan to go back there soon for a real visit.

For more information on their hours and contact info, or for news on their classes and latest items, you can visit the ReVamp Facebook page or follow them on Twitter.