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Add Some Holiday Decor To Your Entry Way

. DIY

It is that season, you know, the season of pumpkins, travel, and good times with family and holiday guests. Why not bring a little of that seasonal fun into the house. I know that most people don’t have the budget to go out and buy new interior decorating items for each holiday, but if you take a visit to Arc you can update and create charm for less than $25. At least this is what I found out last Saturday. I have been trying to reorganize my tiny entryway and at the same time give it a little thanksgiving/fall spirit (Thanksgiving is my second favorite holiday, Halloween being the first).

The first thing on my list was some sort of organization center or key hanger for things like mail, sunglasses, keys, etc. I found a few things that were a bit impractical, though would have been fun in another space. Then I came across this shabby chic style, birdhouse mail holder. It was white which didn’t support my fall theme, but hey I could paint it. That is what is great about Arc, it is like a hobbyist’s dream come true. If I had found that at a department store I would have shied away from it because of a higher price tag and because a I wouldn’t want to ruin something I paid big bucks for.

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I then came across some wall candle holders that featured a solar design. At first I thought it didn’t quite fit the theme, but then I realized I could find some orange and fall themed candles to tie them in, and that they would also work with other seasons because I could change the candles out. Plus, this is harvest season; a time when the colors mirror that of the sun’s evening rays.

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Next I grabbed a clear vase that I knew I could fill with fall leaves and then looked around and found a great little wooden box with a leaf cutout. These would be perfect sitting on a shelf in the entryway and could hold seasonal flowers and foliage.

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I knew Arc has a great selection of baskets, and I wanted something I could display the corn stalks from my garden and cattails from the creek down the road. This was my last find. At other stores, baskets come with a hefty price but at the arc I could find them for under $10. So I picked one out that would fit in the corner and then headed to the counter to make my purchases.

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The next day my kiddos assisted me in painting the birdhouse and, when it was dry, I set everything up. I hung the candle holders and then placed in the great candles that I had found at the arc. I spent around $22 for the whole project.

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Written by Jessica, Colorado Momma. http://coloradomomma.com/

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The Unique Halloween Costume Challenge

. DIY, Halloween . , ,

My friends and I challenged each other to create new and different Halloween costumes for our families this year. We had to come up with three and not the usual “on the rack” costumes. I knew just where to go – Arc Thrift Stores.  I have been going to Arc for years to put together Halloween costumes. Not only can you create something unusual, you can do it at a fraction of the cost for costumes anywhere else. So we headed out to Arc and came up with these costumes: The Shady Lady, Graduation from School of Hard Knocks and The Duck Empire.

We started building the Shady Lady by finding the perfect lamp shade in the furniture department. Remember, brilliant ideas can be found anywhere at Arc Thrift Stores. Once we had the green lamp shade, the dress was waiting in the costume department along with the glamorous eyelashes, gloves and shoes. We went shopping for accessories in the jewelry department where we found a large bin of costume jewelry.

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For the Graduation from the School of Hard Knocks, we started with the cap and gown that we found in the costume section, added a scary mask and scepter. Arc employees use their imagination to pull possible costumes from inventory all over the store. There were many caps and gowns in different colors and sizes – only $7.99 each.image3

The Duck Empire was the easiest and least expensive. Arc has a large selection of camo jackets – only $5.99, pants and hats. These items had been pulled from inventory and included in the costume section. Arc also has a large selection of wigs and costume accessories in the Halloween department.image4

We enjoyed our Halloween experience at Arc as we scanned the options in the costume department (as well as all over the store) for ideas – and we weren’t alone. It was fun listening to kids and their parents as they looked through the vast possibilities to build the perfect Arc Halloween costume.

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Building your own unique Halloween costume on a budget

. DIY, Halloween . , , ,

It is October, which means it’s time to find Halloween costumes. There is no better place to find a creative, DIY, costume than the arc. So last Saturday I paid a visit to the arc for some Halloween inspiration and affordable goodies. The spooky spirit was in the air and the arc was crowded! Everywhere I turned, someone was searching for the perfect costume. There were racks all around the store loaded with Halloween odds and ends.

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One thing to keep in mind when searching for costumes in a thrift store is flexibility. I went in with the goal of finding a train conductor outfit for my son and a cute ladybug costume for my daughter. Well, that changed very quickly when I came across the perfect tiger hoodie and a fun, whimsical skirt that had obviously been handmade. All I had to do next was find the right accessories.

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I decided that my son was getting a tiger costume. I needed a pair of tiger striped pants and shirt. I couldn’t find anything in his size, but no worries, I’m at the arc! I just went up and down the aisles and found a great tiger striped ladies shirt that I could cut up and re-sew to fit him. I also came across a toddler sized, tiger ear headband he could have fun with.

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Now that my son’s costume was taken care of, I needed to finish my daughter’s. Next to the great skirt I found was an orange fairy tutu that I could add on top. I looked around and found a small hula skirt that would serve as the straw in a scarecrow outfit. I went to the baby section and found an adorable pair of skirted overalls that were her size and she could wear any time outside of Halloween. Now all I needed was a cute straw hat to complete the scarecrow look and, luckily, the arc had an amazing selection of straw hats. Right on top was a hat just her size.

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I took my goods home and proceeded to cut up the tiger striped shirt. I used a pair of pants that fit my son for the pattern. I used the sleeves of the shirt to make his pants. The bodice of the shirt had enough fabric to sew tiger sleeves, but not a whole new tiger shirt. So I cut out the shape for the sleeves and then rummaged through my closet for an old black shirt that could use. I made a new bodice and sewed my tiger sleeves to it. My son was thrilled and he put the new outfit on right away.

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Everything that I got at the arc totaled under $30. Similar costumes would have cost around $40 for the tiger outfit and upwards of $20 for the scarecrow costume. Oh and did I forget to mention that I also found some cute Halloween baskets at the arc, and I still came out under $30!

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Written by Jessica D, Colorado Momma. http://coloradomomma.com/

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Golfing with a Purpose 2014 Recap

. Donation, Our Mission . ,

arc Thrift

“FORE!”

On August 11th, arc Thrift Stores held it’s 4th annual “Golfing with a Purpose” Charity Tournament Fundraiser at the beautiful, scenic, and well-manicured Red Rocks Country Club in Morrison, Colorado.  In attendance, were over 150 supporters of arc and its mission to support people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.  Among them were 120 golfers participating in the tournament, 25 corporate sponsors supporting the event, and dozens of volunteers.

It was a perfect day for golf, and our players enjoyed on-course contests like a Long Marshmallow Drive, a Buy a Drive from a Champion Long-Driver who hit the ball 450+ yards for the teams, and Hole-in-One challenges worth cash and prizes.  Arc Ambassadors Garnons and Ryan showed off their stellar putting skills on the 9th green.  We had a wide variety of raffle and auction prizes, uniquely peppered with those one-of-a-kind finds we discover at our stores.

Special thanks to everyone who participated in this great event, and extra special thanks to our Platinum level sponsors:  Prime Trailer Leasing, and Colorado Storage Systems, and our Title Sponsor OrthoColorado Hospital.  This event grows in support and FUN every year, and we can’t wait to out-do ourselves again next year!

 

Written by Ethan “The Razz” Raczka.

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Feed CO 2014 RESULTS ARE IN!

. Donation, Volunteering . , ,

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Each year, arc hosts their Feed Colorado event to benefit Volunteer of America’s Meals on Wheels and City Harvest food bank. The donation process starts at the arc call center, where our employees call those people who have registered to donate to arc as a reminder to when their scheduled pick up time is, as well as asking these giving individuals to set out some canned food for Feed Colorado. The donations as well as the food are picked up by arc drivers beginning April 1st through May 15th, with each year having a higher goal than the year before. This year’s goal, 150 tons of food, was like the previous year surpassed—with the 2014 Feed Colorado food drive raising over 170 tons of food for those around the Colorado area who are food insecure!

We began this food drive in 2001 to alter a simple fact of life for many Coloradans: where their next meal is coming from. This year we exceeded last year’s collection by over 30%, or 3,636 boxes on 10 trailers! This food will help feed Colorado families for an entire year! And we couldn’t have done it without the help of all our hardworking arc employees, everyone who donated, as well as our sponsors. We would like to send out a special thank you to our newest sponsors: Left Hand Brewing Co., Caution Brewing Co., and Hogshead Brewery. A full list of our generous collaborators can be found at http://www.arcFeedColorado.com

 

 

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Pinterest-Worthy Baby Shower…on a Budget

. DIY, Thrifty Tips . , , , ,
All this was done under $20 thanks to arc Thrift!

All this was done under $20 thanks to arc Thrift!

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Here’s the truth: I’m in the stage of life when all of my friends are either getting engaged, getting married, or having a baby.  I love to party plan as well as attend parties, so this time of life ain’t too shabby!  However, party décor is expensive, my friends.  Plus, I’m on Pinterest every day and just wonder about the income of the people who can recreate these freaking adorable parties.  I, on the other hand, opted for a career that won’t ever pay well a career in the school system, so I need all the help I can get planning these Pinterest parties.

Then came the day that my best friend got preggers.  With the now impending baby shower, I knew that I was in a pickle.  I wanted to do a cute DIY baby shower, but not have to donate blood to do so.

I immediately got on Pinterest for baby shower inspiration.  So many cute ideas, so little time (and money)!  Days went by as I thought about how I could pull this off.  Then it dawned on me:  I have an arc Thrift Store right around the corner!  They were bound to have some of the items I saw in the pictures.

I headed to arc that night.  I was nervous.  I was excited.  I was nervously excited.  As I walked through the aisles, I began to get a vision.  I walked by vases, baskets, serving trays, and so much more.  I pictured these items in my house, and all of a sudden, I knew I could do it.  And by golly, I could afford it.

– Guest blogger, KW

DIY arc thrift

Platters, vintage frames and vases were perfect for decor.

 

 

 

 

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A Green-ish Thumb

. DIY, Thrifty Tips . , ,

DIY CraftsI have an obsessive love of vintage pyrex. The beautiful designs and bright colors bring out hoarding tendencies within me that I’m not proud of. For these reasons, I do anything I can to make vintage pyrex useful within my home. If it’s useful then it’s not hoarding…right?

After I saw this beauty at my local arc ($3.99!), I knew I wanted to do something “useful” with it. This is my favorite pyrex pattern—the friendship pattern—in a small, casserole dish. I decided that beyond the normal cooking and serving uses it would be great to see if I could use it as a planter. I’ve seen some gorgeous succulent plants lately and wanted to try my hand.

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With the fabulous “planter” already picked out, I then hunted for some rocks or decorative stones that I could use underneath the plants in order to let them drain. ARC did not disappoint: a bag of rocks for 69 cents. I headed to my local garden store to find some succulents and was able to select a whole variety of small plants to group together and fill the dish.

Untitled4 I filled my pyrex with a couple inches of rocks and then took my time and arranged the plants throughout. I put the biggest plant in first and then slowly filled in the gaps.

After I had arranged all the different varieties of plants in the manner that I wanted, I went back through and placed some rocks around the plants just to make it look nice and neat. I LOVE how it turned out, and now I have one more piece of vintage pyrex on display!

– Julie W.

 

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Vintage Dictionary Art

. DIY . , , ,

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Vintage dictionary art is all over the place lately. There are countless examples online at sites like Pinterest and Etsy, but it’s always seemed like something that would be simple to make versus having to buy. I’ve wanted to try my hand at it for a while now but I had to find the perfect vintage dictionary.  That’s where arc comes in; I found a beautifully aged, large dictionary from 1936 that was under $5!  It has great pictures and wonderful sepia-toned edges.  Other books I’ll keep an eye out for are old encyclopedias or vintage children’s books with great illustrations—I think both of these would also make great art work.

The first step, which felt almost sacrilegious for a book lover like me, was to cut out the pages as neatly as I could.  I wanted to cut very close to the book’s spine so that the borders on each side of the page were even.  Also, the neater I cut it at first, the less trimming and fixing I had to do later. Image 3Image 1

After I had my pages cut I did some research to find a quote.  I wanted it to be a quote about books or reading, and something that I wouldn’t mind looking at on my wall for a long time to come.  I found a great one from writer, Lisa Kleypas.  After experimenting with how to best print on the delicate vintage pages, I finally developed a good system of just barely taping a page onto a regular sheet of printer paper.vintage

After a few mishaps and many rough drafts (see picture above where I tried to print over a dark picture…) I ended up with an awesome piece of art!  I found a very simple black frame at arc (where else?!) and LOVE how it turned out.  Already thinking about the next one I want to make; maybe, “The only thing I like better than reading is thrifting” or “I ♥ vintage.” Until next time, happy crafting and thrifting at arc! -Julie

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A Visit Down Home

. Our Mission . ,

Sometimes this life is unpredictable and presents us with unexpected challenges. We believe that we are headed in one direction and, before we know it, something or, in the case of Judy and Jerry Horton someone arrives on the scene and our lives are changed forever. Judy and Jerry were reflecting on the onset of their “empty nest” years when Judy found out she was pregnant. Several months later Kelly Page Horton arrived. She was a healthy, beautiful baby with Down Syndrome.

Since Judy and Jerry spent most of their working years at colleges and universities, they were very adept at research. So the search began for answers. The same questions that all parents of children with Down Syndrome face: she’ll be safe and secure at home, but what will she do when she grows up? What about friends? Education? Work? How can we meet all of her needs? Who will pay for her care?
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This was the beginning of a remarkable journey for the Horton’s and the birth of the Down Home Ranch. They decided, with the help of friends, clergy and the community, to build a working farm and ranch for people with disabilities. This would be a place of love and opportunity, the best hope for Kelly’s future life. They envisioned a place where residents could enjoy
freedom to study, visit friends, learn, train and join in a variety of activities.

Down Home Ranch is a residential facility and working farm and ranch. Forty adults and children live year round on the ranch caring for 330 beautiful forested acres of Post Oak Savannah in Central Texas.  The 32 Ranchers and 30 staff and family members tend animals, raise food and celebrate the seasons of life together. Although the ranch has become the old-fashioned community that was always envisioned since the very beginning, it is not an isolated community. Residents are welcomed into the surrounding communities and cultures.

There is room for more! Residency is open to persons who: are at least 18 or older and have finished high school; desire to live on a real working Texas ranch; are able to benefit from the residential social, educational and vocational programs offered by Down Home Ranch; and wish to live in close proximity to friends and co-workers on the Ranch. If you are interested in finding out more about residency options and opportunities, check out the web site at www.downhomeranch.org.
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When I visited Down Home Ranch, I found the friendships and camaraderie to be overwhelming. The spirit of harmony is amazing. Each camper or resident is a precious individual. Their life choices are respected and honored. There is a remarkable sense of belonging and succeeding. Ranchers may, at some point, decide to move from the ranch and strike out on their own in a nearby community. Perhaps they’ll marry or receive more training and education. With the strong friendships that have been established at Down Home Ranch, horizons are expanded through shared work, play and worship. I found myself bonding immediately with residents and family members. Down Home Ranch was started in a tent and is now a thriving community that has been created for people with Down Syndrome and other developmental disabilities. It is a place where lives are changed. It is a place of complete acceptance where our precious children can develop into valued independent adults. It is Down Home Ranch.

By, Lloyd Lewis
President/CEO, Arc Thrift Stores

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Make Your Own Mug

. DIY, Thrifty Tips . , , ,

So the other day I went by arc Thrift and I bought a white mug for my latest (affordable) craft project!  I wanted to make my own custom designed mug.  These are great for gifts, special occasions or just for plain fun.  Next, I hand drew on the white mug with a sharpie (preferably a sharpie paint marker), you can find these for cheap at any arts and crafts store. You can use all kinds of colors and designs on your mug, get creative and crafty Colorado! Be sure to wipe the mug off with a damp cloth and dry it before you start drawing.  Once you have completed your artwork its ready to be baked.  Heat the oven to 365 degrees and put the mug in there while the oven is heating up, this will prevent it from cracking.  Now once the oven heats up you will want to bake to start a timer and bake it for 30 minutes. Afterwards let it sit in there while the oven cools.  Take it out. Wash it. Enjoy it! Image

 

– Lian, arc Thrift’s college blogger