All posts by RavenWerks Guild

10 Tips, Tricks, & Rules

FIRST, lets discuss why thrifting should be a part of your life.

I won’t get super to into why we (as in Mikaela and I) thrift right now as Mikaela is also posting on this topic (see her Upcycling… There are no downsides) BUT I just want to list out a couple reasons that I love it:

But this is only if I am thrifting the right way! I can still spend way too much, waste a bunch, and have buyers’ remorse if I don’t go into it with the right mindset and rules for myself. I have a couple things that I must put limiters on myself about or else I can get out of control. So, with that in mind, I have a couple things I have learned and some rules that may help you in your thrifting journey.

Tips, Tricks and Rules

1- Know your stores.

This seems obvious but know what stores you want to check out. I thrift enough that I know which are favorites for different things. I have one I know will always have amazing clothes, one I go to if I am looking for art supplies and tchotchkes, and even a favorite for furniture. Something else to consider is that a lot of stock is determined by the neighborhoods around the store because when people donate, they go to a close location. So, if I want to look for nice business suits, it seems reasonable to go to a thrift store either specializing in what I am looking for OR go to a thrift store in a neighborhood where I might find people who work in offices and wear suits. Call it profiling but it works. This isn’t perfect but it has upped my chances when I am looking for something specific.

2- Know what you already have.

Again, something that seems simple, but I used to not take this into consideration. When I know what I have in my closet, what books I own, and what art supplies I already have, it helps me narrow down what I should buy and what would be a duplicate. It is a horrible feeling when you buy something and realize you have 3 of it already because you keep forgetting. I am not saying make a list of everything you own (although I do on some things). All I am saying is if it is a planned outing, maybe just take a brief peek in your closet or your Sterlite tubs of yarn/fabric to refamiliarize yourself with what you have in order try and cut down on those accidental duplicates.

3- Have a list but be flexible.

Speaking of lists… there are a few things I like to keep list of for when I go thrifting. I love collecting and am also an avid reader. Thrifting is an amazing way to find missing pieces of collectables or a book you may not have a copy of, but it is hard to remember that in the heat of the moment. I keep a list of missing pieces on my phone OR for several collections I have a list of what I already own- depends on what is easiest. This way I can make sure I stroll through books and have a solid idea of what I am looking for (no questioning if I was missing #4 or #5 in hard cover of this series). I also know that I am avoiding duplicates in more expensive pieces (have you ever spent $120 on a piece for a collection and then gotten home to find out you bought the wrong one? Trust me when I say 10/10 would not recommend that frustration). On a different note, if you have that list handy already, it makes for a good Xmas list to send your mom so that she doesn’t yell at you for not knowing what you want.

I also take a list of generally what I am looking for on a specific trip. Pieces to alter for a costume? Things to turn into a multimedia art project? Outfit basics? A new bookshelf? It gives me a basic place to start.

That being said, DO NOT BE SO MARRIED TO THAT LIST THAT YOU MISS OUT ON A GEM RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU!!!!!

4- Grab everything that interests you and do not be fooled by looks.

This doesn’t mean BUY everything that looks interesting. If you do that then it will defeat the purpose of this being more cost effective. Trust me when I say you will find a lot of interesting things. I do put anything I find even vaguely cool in my cart though. There is no back stock when buying second hand. What is there right now may be gone in 10 minutes so I may not be able to change my mind and go back BUT I can always whittle down and put things back.

Here are some things I look at/for in different categories:

• Clothes– I look for things that have interesting patterns or cuts. I also look at solid basics that can go with literally everything. At this point I usually pick up items that I am not even sure if I will like or are not necessarily my usual style. When I try them on, I often find pieces that surprise me- in good AND bad ways. Plus, it is fun to play dress up. On a separate note though, do not grab it just because it is a brand because it could be fake and/or it will just sit in the back of your closet because you do not really love IT- just the status of the brand.

• Books– These I put in my cart on less of a whim. By the time it’s in that sucker… I am half in love with the book after having read a synopsis. If I am honest, there is no whittling unless I am tight on money. Sue me. I can spend hours sifting through books. A trip to the VNSA book sale in Arizona is a whole day affair.

• Household Goods/Knick Knicks– With this section I do the obvious and pick up items that look cool or I could use BUT I will also pick up items that I think I could upcycle into something else. A chalkboard could be turned into a clock. Some of those super ugly statues and toys can be painted into something else. A lot of my Xmas decorations are literally from me finding ugly things at Goodwill and breathing some new life into them with acrylics. Look at shapes and what they are made of. If you are in the electronics section, that clock may not work but can you pull it apart for pieces for a steampunk or cyberpunk project (or a repair on another clock if that is your thing). The sky is the limit so do not be boxed in by what it looks like at that moment!

5- Be realistic about the quality and how much work you are willing to put into what you are purchasing.

So, this has been a tough pill be me to swallow sometimes. I have to ask myself some tough questions to reign me in back to earth when I get extravagant thrifting dreams. Ask yourself these questions:

• What kind of shape is this in and what kind of work will I need to put into it?
• How much time/money am I willing to pour into it?
• Do I have something similar?
• Is this a want or need?
• I love this now, but will I actually wear/use it?

6- Dress Appropriately.

You dress appropriately for going out on the town or to work or to a party. Why would this be different? Stick to something that slips on and off easy for trying on clothes (no laces or buttons). Stick to separates so if you want to try a shirt on, you do not need to worry about only being half dressed to show a friend outside the room. I also like to make sure my makeup is done. That way you know how the clothes fit your aesthetic AND how you feel/how you dress tend to correlate so if you have makeup on and are feeling yourself, you are more likely to feel good in what you are trying/ get items that make you feel/look good.

7- Give yourself some rules.

These will be different for everyone but what I like to do is pinpoint a couple places that I tend to go crazy in and find ways to limit myself. For example, if I buy a jacket, when I get home, I have to pick one to get rid of (I have a jacket problem).

8- Clean it immediately.

You do not know where your purchase has been or who has been trying it on. Make sure you are being safe and cleaning your purchases before you use them (especially now-a-days).

9- Haggle if you can.

Some places allow you to haggle or ask for a lower price. Ask! Just remember to be polite about it.

10- Have fun.

Remember at the end of the day that this is supposed to be fun! This are tips, not hard law. Go play and figure out what works for you!

Happy Hunting!

Taylor

Food is something I am incredibly passionate about. And I’m sure you will see this as our physical space comes to life in the next few years.  Food is a powerful thing to me, It can bring all kinds of different people together and share all different kinds of feelings. Food can warm your heart, give comfort & take you back to your childhood. So I try to share a little of my passion for food with other people. Like everything else in life, my relationship with food has ebbed and flowed over the years. All the way from a childhood in the kitchen with my mom and grandma to culinary school and major stadium kitchens to a career shift where I drifted away from my love of cooking, through a medical diagnoses that changed my life because it completely altered how I ate and how I cooked; food has always been an adventure for me. 

 
For a while, I gave up on cooking. With a sudden diagnosis of Systemic Lupus and Fibro Myalgia, I hit a point where I felt like I was hearing the phrase “you can’t have that.” a lot. and it destroyed my love of food for a long time. Everything I loved was on a list of foods to avoid as I was put on a low sugar, low carb, no red meat anti-inflammatory diet. Cooking was no longer fun, it was frustrating, and depressing, and a constant challenge. BUT after all the crazy dieting, and structural changes, I noticed that nothing was really changing. I wasn’t getting any better, my symptoms weren’t changing. I was still spending a crazy amount of time in doctor’s offices or in pain. So, I shifted gears again. I tracked down a rheumatologist, and spoke with a nutritionist and dietician. And again, my lifestyle changed. It became about moderation and regular exercise instead of keto/paleo/ low sugar or whatever else it was they had been trying to throw at me before. It reaffirmed my personal beliefs in nutrition. It allowed me enough wiggle room to begin to enjoy cooking again. I cannot stress enough how strongly I believe that there are no such things as bad foods…

EVERYTHING IN MODERATION

But it did allow me to educate myself a bit more thoroughly on balanced nutrition. On tracking your macro nutrients- which is incredibly important to finding balance. On the importance of having balance in your gut bacteria; and on the fact that no 2 people’s diets should really ever be the same. There is power in food science. and if you’re like me and not only have congenital terminal illnesses and therefore don’t want to spend the rest of your life on a slew of narcotic pain killers and steroids, then it is an amazingly liberating feeling to be able to take back some of your control simply by altering or supplementing your nutrition without giving up all of the things you love.  
 
I became incredibly passionate about nutrition and focused on nutrition for people with chronic illnesses. I have seen a complete shift in my attitude about food and in my overall health and happiness. This is one area of our community I am most excited to build: a place to share information, along with practical people recipes. 

I’m hoping that what I share will resonate with some of you, and even more so surprise you- both in its results but also with its simplicity. Eating well doesn’t have to be the mystery that the modern world makes it seem, and in the coming months I cannot wait to dive into more diverse and specific topics within the food/ nutrition/dietary sphere. 
 
And no, I’m not about to try and sell you some bizarre dietary supplement, vitamin or convince you to go vegan, keto, vegetarian, pescatarian or anything else. I still eat bread- yes, bread with GLUTEN in it. That word that has all of a sudden become evil in the 21st century after 2000 years of it being a building block of society. I will also never give up my cheesecake. EVER. you can pry it out of my cold dead fingers. I still enjoy sitting in my grandfather’s old chair with a glass of Scotch from time to time. I will still share cake recipes, and book reviews, and all the bread recipes you can take. But I also want to create a space to teach people about true nutrition: Balance. Little tips and tricks you can use to make eating more intelligently a heck of a lot easier. I want to break down definitions and make dietary and culinary jargon less scary for people. I want to share (dare I say it) HERBAL remedies. I strongly believe in a blend of true food nutrition, regular exercise, modern medicine (when used correctly), and old school herbology (yes, some homeopathic treatments really do work; its called grandma’s kitchen wisdom for a reason folks). 
 
This section of our community will be a place to learn and talk about shifting food paradigms on the most basic levels, and too hopefully remove many of the stigma’s surrounding certain food choices.  

 
I really hope you’ll join me on this next exciting journey, and that hopefully it will benefit someone else as much as it has helped me.  
 
Happy learning! 
Mikaela  

Tervetuloa! We cannot tell you how excited we are to unofficially welcome you to our growing community! We have such high hopes for this part of our platform and all great journeys must start with great intentions, so we wanted to take a few moments to share with you our intentions for this space.  

Our goal for RavenWerks Guild as a whole is for it to be a community of acceptance and learning. Our long-term vision is to buy a piece of property to be able to bring you an amazing multi-purpose creative space. A place where we can all finally come together in person to make crafts, test projects, learn things, host events, and meet new friends.  

As part of this journey, we plan to share crafts, culture, projects, events, tutorials, and host conversations through a variety of platforms. We want you to feel like you can take us with you everywhere. We want you to see and experience this journey right along with us.  

This blog is just one more exciting way for us to let you hear our voice. As excited as we are for videos and in person events- we feel like we get to know a person differently through the written word (call us crazy, but we tend to read things in character- we play too much D&D).  

This blog is also meant to focus more on the education side of this journey. While our videos and events and tutorials provide an awesome way to interact with you daily, this blog will hopefully turn into a growing source of information that you can refer back to if ever necessary. As we delve into topics and research things we want to know more about or want to try; we plan to share what we learn with you. This will be the place to come for the facts and history behind some of our projects, re-creations, and experiments. 

Join us as we learn about and share what we already know about a variety of topics. Our hope is to cover everything from cultural recipes to different holidays basis in a myriad of religions and how things came to be the way they are now, history and lore. We’ll explore certain forms of crafting & DIY, runology, tarot, herbalism, Sustainability, Upcycling, gardening and most important of all: How it’s all connected. 

We both sincerely hope that this will add value to your life in some way, and that you enjoy it just as much as we do. All we ask in return is that you come into this space with an open mind and a willingness to learn as well as possibly to teach (after all, we certainly have a lot to learn). So grab a drink and a comfy chair, and please don’t ever be afraid to chime in or reach out.  

We’ll see you on the journey!  

All the best, Always, 

Taylor and Mikaela