RRISA's Threads of Promise and Artists Market

We had a busy Saturday! Finders Keepers Furnishings was host to not only Carrie Fowler's free workshop on down sizing and re-organizing management, but also enjoyed RRISA's Artists Market, including weavers from Threads of Promise. RRISA's Learning Center houses the Threads of Promise weaving co-op, a program that enables refugee women to retain the cultural practice of weaving while simultaneously developing streams of additional income for their families. The Threads of Promise co-op supports community development through engaging members in all aspects of production and sales. We had so much fun with these extraordinary people. I posted pictures below!

p.s.
Our Fashions location also hosted a Bag Sale charity event to raise money for RRISA - and raised $1638! Click here to check out their blog and see pictures from the event. Also, click here to take a peek at our youtube page, which has video clips from the Bag Sale madness, interviews, and more!

Carrie Fowler dishes on space management and organization.

A RRISA artist talks about her products

Stunning and unique artwork

Summer Clearance Bag Sale - 2010

We spend a couple of hours setting up bag sale: roping off the parking lot, blocking off the driveway to thru-traffic, rolling out racks (and racks) of clothing, lining up shoes, hauling out armfuls of handbags, and mentally preparing ourselves for the best kind of madness and mahem there is: the first five minutes of Bag Sale. And last Saturday was no exception. The line started before dawn, and by the time 9am arrived over one hundred people stretched across the store front and down Lake Street.

And then Bonnie, owner of Finders Keepers and our Fearless Leader, introduced Haji, a refugee from Sierra Leone, who works at our Furnishings location. Haji and other refugees are the reason - the real reason - that we hold this semi-annual event. Shoppers can stuff bags full of clearance merchandise for only $10 a bag and 100% of the proceeds from our Bag Sales go directly to Refugee Resettlement and Immigration Services of Atlanta (RRISA.) Last Saturday's Bag Sale raised $1638 for this very worthy, very necessary cause. I couldn't help but wonder what he thought about the event. But just the idea of it made me burst into big, pregnant-lady tears and I didn't want to be a blubbery, teary mess when I asked him because I have never seen him cry. In fact he smiles. A lot.

I've posted pictures below. Be sure to check out our youtube page for video clips of interviews and the total madness of Bag Sale! And take a peek at Finders Keepers Furnishings blog to see pictures from RRISA's Artists Market, which showcased products from beaders, weavers, and painters!




Forget gilded streets - how about shoe-lined sidewalks?

Bag Sale Enthusiasts waited for hours for the 9am start

So neat and tidy... not for long!

Three stylish shoppers await the start

What a fun way to start your Saturday!

The line just kept on going...

and going...

Jessica armed and ready to collect money!
Shoppers could stuff as many bags as they wanted for just $10 a bag!

I think Bag Sale had been underway for about... 90 seconds...

They came. They saw. They shopped. And they supported a great cause!

Way to multi-task! Get in some shopping and some strength training!

There are clothes down there?

Time elapsed: less than 5 minutes and the rack is almost clear!

Hi Haji! One day I'm going to ask you what you think about all this!

Meet Tessa and Leanne - representatives from RRISA.
Check out their website at: http://www.rrisa.org/

It's been a really (really) good day!

It has been QUITE a day! For starters, I finally finalized the new website (the web address to the test site is: http://www.finderskeepersconsignment.vpweb.com/ in case you want to check it out before it goes live.) And fantastic news just keeps coming in!

The Atlanta Journal Constitution's Blogger Rena Cash picked up the email we sent out about our bagsale and posted this on her blog:

Finders Keepers semi-annual bagsale

As the weather cools, it’s a great time to think about summer clothes. Seriously. Finders Keepers is holding its semi-annual bagsale on Saturday from 9 a.m.-11 am. in front of the store. During this time period, stuff as many summer clothes and accessories from Finders Keepers Fashions and Finders Keepers Boutique into the bags they provide and pay only $10. Only cash will be accepted and all proceeds will be donated to Refugee Resettlement and Immigration Services in Atlanta. Additionally, everything in the store will be 20 percent off.

And then we opened the much anticipated Best-of-Atlanta 2010 Issue of Creative Loafing and saw that... YES! Finders Keepers Consignment Stores won best consignment stores in Atlanta! Thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone who voted. We are so grateful for your support. We love what we do, and winning these titles make us feel like you love what we do too!

In Transition

The store - and the state - are both in that splendidly awkward time of transition between seasons. (It came back to bite me yesterday when I opened all the windows the night before and turned off the AC then tried to grin and bear it as the temperature climbed almost 30 degrees - and into the 90s - the next day.) The store is packed to the gills: the summer merchandise is in its final stage of clearance - 1/2 off the lowest price! - and the fall and winter inventory has come in like a tide: engulfing every rack and shelf. And fall/winter pieces take up almost twice the room as the summer apparel as we trade in tank tops for thick wool coats. In brief: space is always a precious commodity during this season. But the good news: the inventory is amazing!

New Inventory = New Inspiration!

My favorite part of walking into Finders Keepers Furnishings are those first few steps. My eyes adjust from the bright sunlight to the soft track lighting and I have that "wow" moment as I take in a completely new scene - every single time. Turnover in our store is pretty fast, and even pieces that call us home for a little while longer than others get to take a turn in several new displays during their stay. So here's what I saw when I walked into the store this week:

A Day with the Diva - The Thrift Talk Diva!

Barb Tobias made a stop at our store as she tours Georgia promoting her new book: Tossed & Found. Former fashion model, author, life coach, survivor, thrift-a-holic, and a self-describe diva, Barb's message is as down to earth as a pair of jeans and as applicable as sunscreen. If you missed her, you missed one heck of a presentation. Good luck with the rest of your tour, Barb! We hope you'll be back our way some time soon!