Modern Girl Style

GARAGE SALE AMERICA by Bruce Littlefield

As the approach of fall settles across America, you've got to wonder...do I really need all this stuff in my house? Or vice versa...OMG! My home needs something unique & special because it looks just like the latest catalog of Pottery Barn! Well, buyer & seller beware, Bruce Littlefield, author of GARAGE SALE AMERICA, has just written the perfect book on how to garage sale shop America like a pro. What? Are you kidding? A book on garage sale shopping? No! This isn't a joke. Everyone needs help and shopping a garage sale can be one of the most frantic shopping experiences that a girl can face! This quarky book is nothing short of a hiring a professional garage sale shopper to help you sort out all the issues that could potentially come up. On top of that, Bruce did his homework. With a thousand dollars in his pocket and a map to America, he struck out across America in search of garage sales and the people behind them. There really was no better way to for him to collect, research, and organize some of the best tips that this country has got to offer.

One surprising element of this book, is that his garage sale expedition is also a wonderful cultural record of America today. But, don't forget at the heart of this book is a wonderful guide to shopping and hosting garage sales. It is packed with tips on how to buy and sell anything and everything that ends up on the table. 

Ultimately, garage sale shopping is a passion. It's the journey that's the destination, as they say. Get swept up in this sweet and happy style guide to shopping at on your neighbor's lawn. This is one book, unlike the brass elephant lamp sitting next to your bed, that you'll never ever want to part with!

 

The Interview

Bruce Littlefield loves to design, garden, write, and laugh. It'll be evident in this interview that his style and advice is every bit as charming as his wit.

1.    Bruce, you are an American culture expert and a garage sale king. How do you know if you’ve got junk on your hands or treasure? 

If you can't remember where you got it, what it is, or if you've been saying you'll fix it for more than a year... IT’S JUNK!  Value is what it's worth to you. And, I find that only things with a story (or gold content) are actually valuable to me. For example, a shell that a wild dolphin dropped in my hand and my grandfather's wedding ring have such value to me that I could never part with them, even though they probably have very little monetary value.

2.    Have you ever come across something that shouldn’t have been sold like a personal letter found inside a book?  If so, what did you do about it?

Human hair and Preparation H. I've seen both at garage sales and both grossed me out. The human hair was a woman's family collection, each envelope was marked "Little Timmy, 1936" and "Uncle Fred, 1940." Asking price, $35.  The Preparation H was partially used!!!!!!!  It was going for a quarter. Both, I had to pass up. As for finding letters, I love when things like that are sold.  They have new life. I think the writer would be thrilled to have a new reader, especially if she's dead!

 

3.    I know people that hold onto everything for dear life because “one day it’s going to be worth something!”  What advice do you have for pack racks?

Unless it's your grandma's wedding china, get rid of it. Look, only things that mean something to you are worth something...Otherwise, let it mean something to someone else. Don't be scared to even let go of a family heirloom if you think it's going to the right person. I'm always amazed at the notion of keeping something in a sealed box, like a Barbie, hoping that one day it will be "worth something."  That poor little girl that has to stare at that thing and not play with her. Can you imagine the torture? {He laughs} Get that babe out of the box! Don't try to start a museum..Mattel will take care of that!

 

4.    When does garage shopping become an obsession? For example, I lived in Chicago and it just so happens that the garage sale shopping was extremely awesome.  Now after a few months of this, I realized that I had issues with collecting table service. I mean I could serve a party of thirty! What advice do you have on collecting objects from garage sales in which you only have one opportunity to buy?

I talk in the book about the "one that got away." There's nothing worse! It eats away at you like a bad dream.  My advice is...If it's a good price, grab it.  Then, host a brunch for 30! Your friends will love you, and if a piece gets broken, you're not crying.

 

5.    After the spirit of the hope-based adventure (as you call it in the book) dies down and you’re left with a bunch of stuff, what is the best way to integrate new garage sale finds into your home?

 There are two ways:  First,immediately start using the things that are useful, like glassware, tablecloths, fancy espresso makers. Second, find what things give you emotional satisfaction and decorate around it. In the book, I talk about the old kid's camp truck.  It belonged to a kid named "Butch."  I designed the guest room in my house around it.  Guests love to stay in the room I call "Butch."  Everything in there is for a kid and it's so much fun!

 

Bonus Question!!
Is there any object in America that you are praying to find sitting on a garage sale table? Is so, can you tell us what it is and what you would do with it?

Keep your hands off the Franciscan Starburst dishes!!! Sold only in jewelry stores in the 50s and 60s. My grandmother and her friend Reba collected it and gave it to me. I adore it and finding a piece at a garage sale is equal to a mountain climber topping everest or a gold miner yelling, "Eureka!"

With that, enjoy one of the last perfect weekend's in September. Host a garage sale or visit one, but make sure that you've got a copy of Garage Sale America in your hands! It'll help you unload or acquire all the riches and wonders of the world!

Watch Bruce on the Today Show talking about Garage Sale Shopping!

Need immediate help on eliminating clutter? Watch this!

Joan of Arc

Modern Girls are as smart as they are well dressed. Take a moment to reflect on one of the most celebrated women in history, Joan of Arc. Let her strength and integrity inspire you to fight for your dreams!

The Centre Historique des Archives Nationales, Paris owns the only known painting of Joan of Arc that has survived from the 15th century. It was painted between 1450 and 1500.

Joan of Arc,born 1412 and died May 30, 1431 , is a 15th century national heroine of France. She was tried and executed for heresy when she was only 19 years old. The judgment was broken by the Pope and she was declared innocent and a martyr 24 years later. She was beatified in 1909 and canonized as a saint in 1920. 

Joan asserted that she had visions from God which told her to recover her homeland from English domination late in the Hundred Years' War.

She has remained an important figure in Western culture and many other nations. From Napoleon to the present, French politicians of all leanings have invoked her memory. Major writers and composers who have created works about her include Shakespeare, Voltaire, Schiller, Verdi, Tchaikovsky, Twain, Shaw, Brecht, Anderson, Honegger, Cohen and Anouilh. Depictions of her continue in film, television, song, and even video games.

A church has been erected in the spot where Joan of Arc was executed in Rouen.

The Brave Choices of Jodie Foster

Neil Jordan, director of Brave One, has never been a man shy of surprising the audience. If you can, recall his films like The Crying Game (1992) or Breakfast on Pluto (2005). One thing is certain an audience can never be certain exactly where a Neil Jordon film will end up. His newest film, Brave One, is a fantastic, seat-gripping, tale of moral surprises and revenge. With that said, drive  directly to your nearest movie theater & watch this film. Watch the trailer to get yourself into the mood for one of the first Hollywood films of its kind ( or link here)

One of the other great aspects of the film is rediscovering why Jodie Foster is brilliant. I think she's is one of the few Hollywood actress that is willing to stick her neck out and play a character to completion. There is never a single moment when Jodie is in character & wondering if she looks good, like so often happens in lesser actors. But, let's  not forget, Jodie was different from the start. Here's a quick peek at Jodie & her awesome celebrity style. If you can't make a weekend movie, why not rent some of her other films and make it a Jodie Foster weekend.

Discover your Style Statement

Carrie and Danielle are two girls that understand the importance influence of personal style.  These ladies are in the business of getting a woman in touch with the positive knowledge of knowing thyself. After an hour long telephone interview, these two ladies produce a blueprint style statement, that consists of two descriptive words. The style statement is a personal branding tool that will assist in clarifying most every decision in your life.  At $500 a session and over six hundred clients, a girl might start thinking that she's missing out on something.

Not getting it yet? Alright, read this:

Your Style Statement defines your authentic self.

It is a compass for designing a life that reflects the true you. From your wisdom to your wardrobe; from your longings to your living room, your business, finances, and the parties you throw -- your Style Statement is where your essence meets your expression.

Your Style Statement helps you make more powerful choices. Confusion costs energy, time and money. Clarity creates ease. With your Style Statement as a grounding rod, you’ll have far fewer “what was I thinking?” moments.

Your Style Statement builds confidence by affirming what’s already working in your life. When you accentuate the positive--from your looks to your personal genius—you direct people’s focus to the best of you.

These are a few sample Style statements:

Sophisticated Natural

Refined Organic

Refined Feminine

Simple Dramatic

Genteel Vitality

Feminine Design

Tailored Romantic

Testimonials

For years I was constantly comparing myself to other women whose style I admired. Thanks to my Style Statement, I see the futility and illegitimacy of that. It’s transformative. It’s an amazing way to honour yourself. I always wanted to be the kind of woman who “knows who she is”. Now I do. And I am really quite delighted to finally make her acquaintance.
            - Karryn, Classic Lustre, Vancouver, BC

            

I am just in awe of this and of the clarity and direction that my Style Statement has given me. I am eternally grateful.
            - Rhonda, Cultivated Vitality, Ottawa, Ontario

            

To my surprise, I have benefited immensely from having my Style Statement done. It makes decisions about difficult things incredibly easy. And guess what? Everything I own and love fits my Style Statement…and everything I own and don’t like doesn’t. Like having a personal advisor, it has saved me time and money.”
            - Andrew, Designed Ease, Film Maker, Vancouver, BC

Empowerment & knowledge are powerful tools. Carrie & Danielle are two woman making life easier for all of us.

 

Light Up Your Life

Stonegate Designs is an American company that's fixed on lighting the world up one room at a time. But, these fab lamps will do more than shed light, they'll brighten your life with the beauty of good design. Modern Girl Style clicks & picks some of their their very best designs.

Blossom Design

Astoria Chandelier

Diego Desk Lamp

Roots Double Arm Sconce

Morgan Table Lamp

Pure Floor Lamp

Should We Live Together before Marriage?

Living together before marriage is as common as a nonfat decaf cappuccino these days. But, does it make it any easier to take the big leap? No. Living with your man is a real big deal even if it is the 21st century.

How to make the big decision

If you put aside all the morale implications of  living together, then set your attention on the secular studies conducted on the risky business of living together before marriage. The results just might surprise you.

In 1999, Rutgers University started the an in-depth study known as The Marriage Project. It has slowly been digging deep into the institution of marriage for the last eight years and has some surprising results. iVillage had this to say:

Some call it living in sin, others call it living in bliss, but these days it's almost expected that a couple will live together before tying the knot. Only 40 short years ago, this wasn't the case. According to the U.S. Census, less than 500,000 unmarried couples were "shacking up" in 1960. (In fact, it was actually illegal in many states at the time.) But by 2000, cohabitation had lost its outlaw status -- and nine times as many people were doing it.

What's behind this sweeping social change? "I would never commit to spending my life with a man without living with him first," explains iVillage member lucy4980. "You get to know a person's private face this way, rather than the public face that he presents to the world." Besides testing the waters, other couples say the benefits include sharing expenses and the reassuring thought that breaking up is easier than getting divorced.

  But despite the rise in cohabitation and its growing acceptability in our society, studies show that living together before marriage holds risks to the longevity and stability of the relationship, and to the happiness and welfare of those in it. Read on to find out what two researchers at the Rutgers University Marriage Project found when they put all the facts together, then decide for yourself.

 

3 Warnings: Living Together Might Not Be Smart

 

1. Higher Divorce Rate
Perhaps the most compelling and widespread argument against living together before marriage is that several researchers say it increases the risk of breaking up. Virtually all studies of this topic have shown that the chance of divorce is significantly greater for married couples who lived together first. And in 1992, the National Survey of Families and Households found that, in 3,300 families, married couples who had lived together first were judged to be 46 percent more likely to get divorced.

 

2. Lower Quality of Life
When it comes to living together, more research suggests that the quality of life for unmarried couples is far lower than for married couples. Researchers David Popenoe and Barbara Dafoe Whitehead say cohabiting couples report lower levels of happiness, lower levels of sexual exclusivity and sexual satisfaction, and poorer relationships with their parents. Annual rates of depression are more than three times higher. And, finally, cohabiting women are more likely than married women to suffer physical and sexual abuse.

 

3. Living Together Doesn't Necessarily Lead to Marriage
After five to seven years, 21 percent of most cohabitating couples are still doing just that -- cohabitating, without getting married. In a new study by Popenoe and Whitehead, one of the top 10 reasons why men said that they are reluctant to get married at all is because they can simply live with a woman -- and enjoy the same benefits.

4 Tips for Couples Who Want to Live Together Before Marriage

With nine times as many couples cohabiting today than there were 40 years ago, the likely reality is that this trend will continue. Researchers at the Rutgers University Marriage Project recognize this, but they want young couples to think twice before they jump into living together. Recently, they offered these four pieces of advice to anyone trying to decide if living together is as beneficial as it seems.

1. Do not "just live with someone" more than once.

The idea of learning from one's experience doesn't apply here. "People who live with more than one partner in their lifetimes have a greater chance of getting a divorce," say David Popenoe and Barbara Dafoe Whitehead of the Marriage Project. Meaning that if you are a "serial cohabitant," it might be a sign that you have problems with commitment, and you could think about looking into why.

2. Put a time limit on how long the living together phase will last.

When you live with someone you are not married to, your level of commitment to the relationship is not at its full potential. So even if you end up marrying this person, the longer you've stayed in this uncommitted mind-set, the more likely it is to stick.

3. Do not live with a partner if children are involved.
In 2000, 41 percent of cohabiting couples included a child. The problem is that these cohabiting parents break up at a much higher rate than married parents, and the effects of these breakups on children can be just as devastating and long lasting as a divorce. Also, Popenoe and Whitehead found that children living with mother's boyfriends are at higher risk of sexual abuse and physical violence (including lethal violence) than children who live with married parents.

 

4. Get engaged first.
The only time when living together before marriage doesn't pose a threat to your relationship is after you've gotten engaged, have formally announced your engagement and set a wedding date. Since you've publicly committed to be with each other forever, Popenoe and Whitehead say, it's almost as if someone pronounced you husband and wife.

Their final words of warning are to simply think twice before cohabiting. "There is no evidence that if you decide to cohabit before marriage you will have a stronger marriage than those who didn't live together," they say. "And some evidence suggests that if you live together before marriage, you are more likely to divorce later."

What do you think? Should women live with their boyfriends? Does it work? Who benefits from cohabitation? Did you ever have a bad cohabitation experience? Was cohabitation better for your relationship in the long run? Share your thoughts at Modern Girl Style! Send an email (moderngirlstyle@gmail.com) or post a comment to get the discussion rolling!

Quote of the Day

New-Found Old Family Photo: Young Grandma and Her 5 Be-Suited Suitors, originally uploaded by Indignico.

I did not wish to live what was not life...I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life.

Henry Thoreau

Micro Love

Brangelina has been a Hollywood IT couple for well beyond a few years. Though you might not be into the politics of their love life, one thing is certain. They, beyond any other Hollywood couple, have made an effort to make the world a better place. But, what if you want to make a change & you ain't got the wallet of Brad Pitt or Angelina Jolie nor can you afford exotic trips to places like Vietnam or Africa. Umm...Modern Girl Style can't wait to break the news to you...but there is something you can do & it all starts with clicking over to Kiva.org to pick a business that you'd like to loan money to. I'm talking loans that start at $25 bucks a company. Isn't that like lunch these days? And, unlike most charities, you get your mula back so that you can loan it out to another company that strikes your interest. Are  you starting to feel more glam, worldly, and giving? Good..let's hear what a few well-respected people have been saying about Kiva.

Kiva lets you connect with and loan money to unique small businesses     in the developing world.  By choosing a business on Kiva.org, you can     "sponsor a business" and help the world's working poor make great     strides towards economic independence.  Throughout the course of the     loan (usually 6-12 months), you can receive email journal updates from     the business you've sponsored.  As loans are repaid, you get your loan     money back.

 

"A revolutionary idea has made it possible for anyone to help people in Third World countries via the Internet - and it can be addictive! Visitors to Kiva.org can read the story of someone who needs help starting a small business. For as little as $25, they can choose a loan to partially finance - and help lift someone out of poverty in the process.”
THE OPRAH SHOW

"Kiva has re-invented lending in the 21st century. Anyone with at least $25 can log on to the site, browse the profiles of entrepreneurs in third-world countries and choose which cause to support.”
THE TODAY SHOW

“Kiva -- which means "unity" in Swahili -- allows individuals to make loans as small as $25 to entrepreneurs in developing countries. Since Kiva.org was launched more than two years ago, it has brokered more than $6.5 million in collateral-free loans to more than 9,000 businesses.”  CNN

THE KIVA ENTREPRENEURS

Mrs Hoa is married to Hung. He was wounded during the war and cannot do any hard work. He only can earn money as a day laborer, and he finds work about 6 days per month. They have only a small hut and 2000 square meters for growing rice. They have two children of 9 and 5.

So much depends on Hoa selling fruits at the village market. She has already repaid 3 loans in full and this improved their income by $1.6/person/month. Hoa wants to borrow again for expanding her sales and to buy fertilizer for her paddy field. She is asking for a $75 dollar loan & that's it!

Saadeh is a 31 year old woman living in the South of Lebanon in the village of Al Hibarieh. Saadeh owns a small beauty shop where she provides hairdressing and make up services, and she is also a good tailor who proposes sewing services in the village. She is her family's head of house and financially provides for her retired parents as well. Saadeh is very dynamic in the village community and is part of the local women's association. She would like a $1200 loan to purchase new equipment and to make aesthetic improvements to her salon.

Some people think that only men can be farmers. Hana proves this belief wrong. She is only 31 years old and joined SPBD when she heard about it from other ladies. Initially she bought vegetable seeds from the agriculture shop and started growing a garden. After three months, she started taking her vegetables to the market to sell and that is how she gets money to support her family.

KIVA LENDER

OCCUPATION: Writer

                       


       

I loan because:	My father  got me intersted in all things global and gave me a gift certificate to make a loan through Kiva...
About me:	I am presently writing an Encylopedia of American Toys.  It examines the relationship of toys to American society.
Check out:	www.nolo.tv
Member Since:	Aug 21, 2007

RiKa's Loans

Juana Velasco Matóm

PATRICIA GOMEZ PEREZ

Yevgeniya Medvedeva

If you got some spare money, then give out some micro love. Kiva is a hip charity just waiting for you! Be the next lender to make a difference in a woman, man, or family's life. Dreams happen when people work together. You can do it! So, go for it!

Kiva Rocks!

The Hills Update

Drinks, parties, & OMG! How about singing a song & dancing on stage at your own birthday! Yeah, it sounds like just another episode of My Sweet 16. But, alas, Modern Girl Style is talking about Heidi Montag & the following live clip of her singing, ah, lip syncing one of her new songs at her B-Day bash. So, is Heidi a rock goddess or just another young Hollywood girl looking to make it big? You be the judge! All I know is the The Hills rocks!

Best Dresses of 2007

People has started to roll out a 2007 fashion review of the best dresses of the year. There isn't much to complain about. These gals are looking absolutely fabulous! Don't you agree?