The look of the Week!

Red and gray are a dream-team when it comes to business attire. Break out of basic black by taking its lighter counterpart for a test drive - and use a bold color (like red) for a pop of personality and confidence.

Items in this look:
Top: New York and Company, size M, $8
Cardigan: Talbots, size petite, $13
Skirt: Dots, size 10, $6
Necklace: $15
Handbag: Dooney and Bourke $75

A reminder from our Furnishings store

Hey y'all! Anybody out there about to go through the overwhelming, oversized task of downsizing? If I just got your attention, I hope you'll take advantage of the FREE workshop Finders Keepers Furnishings is hosting tomorrow for NAPO member Jonda Beattie. Her workshop: "The Magic Suitcase" helps steer people smoothly down that sometimes scary road. She will begin at 9:30am sharp, and the workshop should last about at hour. Seating is first come, first serve - so arrive early! The address is: 2753 E. College Ave., Decatur GA  30030. Call with questions: 404-377-1944

In other news, Finders Keepers Furnishings just got its very own facebook page! It's been sharing nicely with us and Boutique, but it was time to let it spread its social media wings with a page to call its own! Check it out: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Finders-Keepers-Furnishings/137525492976138

FYI

"Getting rid of clutter will reduce your housework by 40%" - Martha Stewart. Do you have clutter in your closet? Turn it into cash! Our spring consignment season starts TODAY!

Quick News!

You got it? We want it! Still have winter clothing and accessories that you want to consign? This is the last week that we're accepting winter consignment at Finders Keepers Stores, so bring it in by Saturday!

Leading by example

Finders Keepers Consignment owner Bonnie Kallenberg was interviewed by a Patch.com writer as she shoveled snow and ice from the Finders Keepers Furnishings parking lot on Wednesday. The article appeared on Aol.com's local news section! Check it out at: http://decatur.patch.com/articles/the-great-thaw-more-businesses-ready-for-customers

Talk about Do-It-Yourself!

We missed you so much that we dug out our parking lots to make them safe for you to shop and consign. Our stores will open today from 11am - 5pm, so come see us! Here are a few of our snow pictures and pictures submitted by our customers:

Day Three: Do it Yourself!

It's now day three of Snow Fest 2011. My neighborhood has been completely iced in since Sunday night, and watching people attempt to drive up the massive hill in front of our house reminded me of a bad video game. By Monday afternoon people simply stopped trying to come or go - scared off by the pile of abandoned cars and fender-benders at the bottom of the hill. But by yesterday morning, enough people had had enough, and about 15 residents joined forces - and shovels - and literally dug the main road out from several inches of packed snow and ice. "Sometimes, you've just got to do it yourself," one neighbor said when I brought them out drinks. And then that got me thinking: I *love* do-it-yourself projects, especially arts and crafts. I found a great website that has all kinds of do-it-yourself ideas, which is especially helpful for homes with kids who by now might be ready to head back to school just to get out of the house. Check it out at: http://www.instructables.com/

Here are a few of my favorite snow pictures. Send us your favorite snow-day pictures and stories and we'll feature them on our website! Email them to: casey.kallenberg@fkconsign.com

Another Day, Another Project!

If you're anything like me, you constantly think about what you could get done at home if only you had more time to spend there. Well, it's now day two of Atlanta's winter wonderland. I spent yesterday morning organizing my closet and have a pile to take with me to the store when we re-open (hopefully tomorrow). Afterwards my husband and I took to the couch like two potatoes and spent the evening watching movies, scrapbooking, and eating way too much junk food. So now this morning my living room looks like a bomb went off. I stared at it in fury and dismay for a few seconds, and then thought: silly me, I have plenty of time to get this back together - and to get it back together better! HGTV.com had some great tips to keep a family/living room neat and tidy. These are a few of my favorites:


1. Welcome the Waste Basket: Few family rooms actually have a wastebasket in them; they're not attractive and they can smell. Counteract this by choosing a can that fits your room's decor.

2. Keep Flat Surfaces Clutter-Free: Make a quick sweep of all flat surfaces by piling papers in a bin, then sorting and purging as necessary. Take a vow, and get your family to follow it, to put papers in files rather than on the coffee table.

3. Curb Your Collectible Enthusiasm: Large collections display best when bits and pieces are shown at a time (think shadow boxes) and rotated to keep the decor fresh.

Read the whole article at: http://www.hgtv.com/organizing/quick-tips-for-organizing-living-rooms/index.html

Finders Keepers Stores will stay closed again today. We hope to open tomorrow. Until then, stay safe and warm!

What a great day for a treasure hunt!

Stuck Inside? We are too. In order to keep our staff safe, all Finders Keepers Stores will be closed today, January 10th. Are you stuck at home? If so, it's a great day to clean out your closet! Get rid of clutter and make money off of things you no longer love. Already organized your wardrobe? Rearrange a room to refresh the energy and see if there's a piece or two you no longer have use for.

NAPO... GO... what??

In a world of ever-increasing acronyms, these may not be so familiar: GO or NAPO. Allow me to translate! GO is the abbreviation for Get Organized, and January is officially "Get Organized" month. This is where NAPO comes in: the National Association of Professional Organizers. Whether you need someone to light a fire under your organization goals or want to tackle it yourself, it's likely you can make some money off of things you're ready to part with. Check out this video that a NAPO member and Bonnie Kallenberg, owner of Finders Keepers Consignment Stores made to tell you about consignment:

Finders Keepers Saturday Workshops are Back!

It can plague any home - and it probably followed you into 2011: stuff. Knick-knacks, clothing, clutter, papers, receipts. We stash away an old jumbled pile - out of sight, out of mind - only to have to face it again in the future. Stop making more work for yourself and G.O. this January, which is Get Organized month. Finders Keepers Saturday Workshops are back to help you jumpstart your goals, and we're bringing you four of Atlanta's savviest organizational professionals who will teach you how to make the process easier and more effective.

January 8th: Creative Order
Suellen Germani, certified Life Coach and Organizer, will help you clear the road to your goals by helping you identify and eliminate your "Life Clutter," which often claims the time, space, and energy that could instead be used to pursue your passions. Her workshop will outline four key elements to developing an organized lifestyle, which includes exploring the important emotional aspect surrounding our "stuff." Learn more on her website: http://www.creativeorder.com/

January 15th: Chaos to Comfort
Susan Fox is a true warrior of stuff and can help you declare battle on the piles of I'll-get-to-it-when-I-can-or-when-I-figure-out-where-to-stick-it clutter taking over your house. Learn how to reclaim every inch of your home and make the space you have work harder for you. Susan's service, Chaos 2 Comfort, has been written up in the Wall Street Journal for her organizational know-how. Learn more on her website: http://www.chaos2comfort.net/

January 22nd: Creating your own Sanctuary
Carey Lynn Quinn practices what she preaches: our mental states mirror our external environments. Maintaining tranquility and order within is easier when your surroundings work towards that sanctuary instead of creating more stress. With a desire to share the secrets of serenity, she began OrganizeAtlanta in 2005. Carey Lynn will (neatly) spill the beans on a few critical steps to turn your own home into a place to truly recharge, regroup, and relax.

January 29th: The Magic Suitcase
Professional organizer and author Jonda Beattie knows that there's nothing small about downsizing. Whether you're facing this major life decision now or considering it for the future, this workshop will help outline how to make this transition a successful time in your life by exploring how to get started, pitfalls to avoid, and rewards that can be achieved at the end of that long - and often intimidating - road. Learn more on her website: http://www.timespaceorg.com/

Workshops will begin at 9:30am each Saturday in January and are hosted by our Furnishings location: 2753 E. College Ave., Decatur GA 30030. Call with questions: 404-377-1944.

p.s.
Finders Keepers Consignment Inc. is a proud member of NAPO - the National Association of Professional Organizers!