There hasn’t been a better time than right now to start secondhand shopping. Here’s why.
1. People are decluttering and donating tons of items.
Since people are spending more time in their homes lately, the donations are flooding into the secondhand shops right now. Everyone is getting rid of unnecessary items that could be your next favorite outfit.
2. The holidays are coming up
Secondhand stores are really great places to find gifts for friends and family. A lot of time there are brand new, tags-still-on options you can pick up for a steal.
3. It helps the environment.
Buying new clothes costs resources and energy while buying used or secondhand costs nothing. There are perfectly amazing clothing items, kitchen appliances, and more that already exist. Feel good about yourself while getting some amazing items in the process.
4. Keeps costs low and gives you more for your budget.
Budgets are tight right now and clothing is definitely not on the top of the list. If you need a new work outfit or want a refresh without spending a lot, secondhand is the way to go.
5. You can try styles and trends that are out of your comfort zone.
When The Second Hand Stylist took me shopping I tried so many outfits and styles I never would have picked out for myself. I was able to try new things without putting a financial investment behind them. Plus it’s easier to keep up with popular trends this way without feeling guilty when it ends up in the back of your closet by next year.
Nearly a year ago now I hired The Second Hand Stylist to go shopping with me at secondhand stores to teach me what to look for when browsing the racks. Rachel showed me all of the tricks and ways to spot high-quality brands and items. She’s one of my very good friends and if you’re in the Grand Rapids area you should definitely check her out. She even does secondhand clothing boxes mailed to you! This post isn’t sponsored and she definitely didn’t know I was writing it, but she deserves mountains of praise for being such a bad ass boss babe!
If you find yourself in Grand Rapids, Michigan, be sure to make a reservation at Max’s South Seas Hideaway. It’s one of those places you just have to see to truly believe. The food isn’t cheap (my favorite meal being the Hanger Steak at $32), but if you want to treat yourself and have an experience along with a meal, this is the place to go. They’ve recently updated their menu to add a few more burgers, but the best one is still the Max’s Hideaway burger. Get yourself the Pu Pu platter to try a variety of staples. You also can’t go wrong with the Huli Huli ribs (they also come on the platter).
As soon as the front doors close behind you it’s as if you’ve been transported to a tropical island. The place is quite dim, but warm and inviting. If you plan on taking photos, Night Mode on your camera will become your best friend.
There are two stories full of fish tanks, bars (there are three), and an extensive tiki mug collection. The drink menu is just as expansive as the decor. The Blue Hawaiian is a safe bet if you aren’t familiar with tiki drinks, but the menu has a ton of other options if you want to be a bit more adventurous. If you’re with a group, definitely try one of the bowls.
So book yourself a reservation during you trip to downtown Grand Rapids. When you’re done, pop over to the new popcorn shop, Mosby’s Popcorn for a sweet after-dinner snack.
We finally got around to seeing The Womb by Rebecca Louise Law at Frederik Meijer Gardens before it leaves March 1, 2020. It definitely did not disappoint. Frederik Meijer Gardens is a must-see if you’re ever in Grand Rapids, Michigan and one of the few places we never get tired of visiting.
If you happen to find yourself in Grand Rapids, Michigan with a few hours on your hands this weekend, here are some of my favorite activities to do in the city.
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Make a candle at Wax Poetic Candle Bar
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One of the best ways to spend a few hours is creating your very own candle at Wax Poetic. There are a variety of different sizes and price points to choose from whether you’re looking to go big, or just try it out. With over 100 different scents to choose from, you could literally make thousands upon thousands of combinations. The staff are super helpful when mixing your scents and give great recommendations to round everything out. Come back in a few hours to a candle ready to take home with you.
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Take a cooking class at The Local Epicurean
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As your candle hardens from Wax Poetic, pop over to the nearby Local Epicurean for a cooking class. They offer a variety of different class options from Italian dinners to all things chocolate. Choose between a lunch or a dinner class. It’s best to make a reserve your spot ahead of time and you can usually find a good deal on Groupon. With a bar in store, enjoy a glass of wine as you learn new recipes.
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Shop at Oh, Hello Paper & Gifts
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Pop into OHPGfor gifts made my local artists and vendors or a quirky greeting card. The inventory is constantly changing so you never know what you’ll find.
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Try to get out at The Ruse Escape Rooms
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Escape rooms are a great way to get a group of friends together for a fun activity. Ruseoffers some really well-thought-out rooms with detailed themes. The staff is incredibly helpful and no matter if you escape within the hour or not, you’re sure to have a great time solving intricate puzzles.
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Get a tiki drink at Max’s South Seas Hideaway
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End your day of activities by stopping at Max’s South Seas Hideaway for a cocktail. There are roughly 50 different drinks to choose from including a scorpion bowl that’s on fire and quenches the thirsts of a group. The decor at Max’s transports you to a tropical getaway and you’ll forget where you are for an hour or two. A great way to end a fantastic day in Grand Rapids.
What a title. I can honestly tell you I never thought I would write that sentence. We opened a gift shop. Full stop. It’s happened. It’s here. People come and shop daily. What is life?
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In 40 days we went from getting the keys to the location to our soft opening. 40 days of sleepless nights, gallons of spackle, and a whirlwind of emotions. But here we are on the other side. We’re no where near “finished,” but we’re at a point where I feel like I can take a deep breath before diving back into things. Like blogging. And videos. And sleep.
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We got the keys to our location in downtown Grand Rapids on November 1st. Look at us…all smiles without a clue in the world what we were doing. I mean we still don’t know, but we’ve learned a ton since this photo (like you can’t paint outside if it’s below fifty degrees. The awkward paint swatch on the outside of the building is testament to that gained knowledge…)
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Looking at this photo I’m amazed at how far the space has come. I remember standing in this space not two months ago thinking, “what the hell did I just do?” I had so much doubt and fear that I had just made a terrible mistake and four year commitment to something I most definitely could not do.
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I’ve tried my best to document the journey. It’s been lacking in the recent weeks as we turned our life up to eleven to get the store open for Small Business Saturday. But there are still a few videos showing you where we started and walking you through the journey.
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Putting the logo on the door really made it real for me. You’d think the hours of painting and rearranging furniture to get the perfect “customer flow” would have done that, but nope. When we put that vinyl on the door it became officially our place.
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There were so many 2 a.m.’s that I thought for sure we wouldn’t be able to open for Small Business Saturday, yet we somehow pulled it off. A sneaky selfie was a must.
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And people showed up. People continue to show up to shop. It’s mind blowing. When I’m able to complete full thoughts I’ll do another post I’m sure, but it’s completely astounding what can happen if you decide to do something and just do it. I’m a gift shop owner now.
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I’m currently planning our calendar of events for 2020 and it’s been amazing to meet local artists and talented crafts-people to talk about workshops. Be sure to follow our Instagram and Facebook so you know what events are coming!
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Thank you so much for your cheerleading and patience during the past months as I completely disappeared in a whirlwind of paint swatches and wholesale orders.
Over the weekend the inlaws came to visit us in Grand Rapids, Michigan. They’ve been to our home a few times, but we haven’t really had the opportunity to show them just why we love our city so much. Although the weather was pretty mediocre, we dodged the rain and took a trip to Frederik Meijer Gardens to wow them with its awesomeness.
Alex and I have been here countless times before, but never in the fall and I just about died over all of the awesome decorations and pumpkins. It’s a gorgeous location with tons of things to do and you can never seem to see everything in one go. Right now Art Prize is going on so we were able to explore the gallery on site and see some larger instillation pieces.
Our weekend continued to include a lot food, seeing the art downtown, and more food. But I failed as a lifestyle blogger and toted my camera around not really using it. The gardens however lent themselves to some very fun shots and its days like this weekend that make me want to constantly have my camera on me.
The city is still quite new to us and Alex and I really need to devote some time to exploring it on our own. We always get so caught up in Oh, Hello that we barely take a break unless people are visiting us. Yet every time we go into the city we fall even more in love. So I’m excited to see where we end up next.
