Seasonal Clothing Switch Done Right

Warmer days are upon us here in East Tennessee and it’s time to break out the sundresses and tank tops! For many of us, this may mean a shift in our dresser drawers or closets. As with any transition in our lives, this is a great opportunity to take the extra time to ensure you store the clothing that feels good and fits, serves your current season of life, and you actually like it.

---

What to keep and what goes?

Here are some tips from one of our favorite resources, The Spruce, for how to make the decisions about what stays and what goes.

---

Once you’ve made the decisions on what to keep and what someone else can now enjoy, it’s time to decide how to store the keepers and how to share items that no longer serve you.

How to Store Seasonal Clothing

1. Clean all seasonal clothing before packing.
   

2. Use the right storage. HYD recommends a weather-proof bin such as this labeled “Off-Season Clothes” so that you store one bin of clothing per member of your household.
   

3. Hang the proper items. HYD recommends hanging dress coats, winter dresses, and slacks or skirts properly with a breathable garment bag to reduce the risk of mold or mildew. Add a cedar block or sachet to deter visitors. Make sure to fold knit items and sweaters into a box to prevent stretching them on a hanger.

---

How to Share Unwanted Clothing

1. Sell gently used clothing in a consignment sale.
   Here are some local options here in Knoxville:

   Statemint Consignment
   Planet Xchange
   Taylored by Maria
   Repeat Boutique
   Clothes Mentor

2. Donate professional clothing to Smokey’s Closet at UTK or Dress for Success.

3. Give clothing to local rummage sale. Check with churches, women’s shelters, or children’s groups to see who may be having a sale soon.

4. Contact local homeless shelters directly. Call first to ask what items they are taking and how best to pack them so your donation is helpful and can go directly to those in need.

5. Give away hand-me-downs to neighbors, friends, or family members. It’s fun to see your kids’ clothes or a dress that never fit you well on others who love it.

---

Want a closet you love in a flash?

Let the experts at Help You Dwell work alongside you to expedite the process so that you can spend these lovely days doing the things you love, not stuck in a closet!
Click below to get started and mention this blog to get 15% off your next session!

3 Ways to Refresh Your Entry Way for Spring

Entry way by Meegan Buschor of Mia Interiors

When March rolls in, we move out… outside! It’s that time of year to transition our lives from cozy and cuddled to playing and planting. Spring is just around the corner and we want to come alongside you to help transition your home and life for the changing days ahead. Each week this month we will bring you helpful insights, inspirations, and steps for you to get a kickstart on spring organizing. 

Let’s begin with the places in our homes we use every single day! Do you think much about your entry ways? We’re talking about any space that welcomes you and your people into your home. This could be your front hallway, garage entry way or mud room. Whatever you call your “drop your things and kick off your shoes” space… we’ve got some tips for you to get you ready for a new season. 

Inspiration from @industrieelchique

PURGE

Begin with a fresh start! As you look at your entry way, consider what clothing, jackets, or shoes may be piling up that you may not need anymore. Perhaps kids have outgrown shoes. Start by pulling everything out and organize them in piles with like objects. Sort through each pile determining what to keep and what could be dropped it off at your local KARM store. 

Tessa Hop’s natural tones brings simplicity to this clean entry way.

ORGANIZE

Put away your winter coats (when its finally warm enough!) and your heavy boots in their off season home. Pull out that rain jacket and gardening shoes to replace your winter gear! As you enjoy the simplicity that comes as bulky clothes leave, leave only what you need in this area as it can become cluttered easily. Start with assigning a hook, cabinet, or cubby to each person in your home.  

Consider decorative bins or a shoe rack or tray for your remaining shoes to stay tidy. Tyne Martinez of Atlanta, in an article on The Scout Guide recommends “choosing a material that adds interest without detracting from the house’s aesthetic, and opting for a style that reflects the formality of the abode.” 

Here are a few links for items much like you see in Tessa’s simple and stylish entry.

Pegs
Bags
Bench

Juniper Home’s recent mud room reveal has us drooling!

DECORATE

As always, we want to walk into a beautiful home as well as a functional one… but keep it simple! A small antique table for your keys can add some charm to a small entry way. A welcoming bench brings a warm space for taking off muddy spring boots. Save a hook to show off your favorite hat or basket full of spring flowers! Transition a favorite piece of art or collectible to display in this area to bring some life and warmth. 

Unsure where to start when considering donating unused items from your home? Read these past HYD blog posts on donations:

HYD 2020 : A Growing Team & A New Office

Image: Texture Photo

It’s been a day over 3 months since we posted a blog. That’s not normal for HYD. For over 5 years, our leadership team never missed a blog each Thursday.
2019…. you were a doozy for HYD!

We won’t spend too much time focusing on what was, but I did want to take just a moment to give a short state of the union for those who are interested…

Our team is now 16 incredible women strong. The Divine intervention involved in bringing all these women together for such a time as this is clearly nothing I or any one of us could have orchestrated on our own. For that I am beyond grateful and very humbled to be at the helm. I can’t wait to introduce them to you over the next few months in your homes and through the blog.

Image: Suzy Collins Photography

We are fully moved in to our new office at 214 W Magnolia Ave just around the block from Regas Square. The very talented Megan Stair has curated an incredible gallery full of one of a kind art, as well as handmade leather goods, textiles, plants, jewelry and so much more.
214 Magnolia Gallery is also the perfect place for HYD to offer our carefully selected furniture and home goods for sale on consignment for our clients. We miss hosting HYD’s bi-annual flea at The Hive, so this has been an incredible opportunity for us to continue offering this service to our clients and buyers. Come by and see us!!

2020 is here and HYD is too. Our holiday takedown teams are busy as bees assisting in homes all over Knox County and beyond. We are looking forward to walking alongside several families as they relocate, renovate, or prepare their homes for a move this Winter and early Spring. And HYD is looking forward to hosting workshops later this Spring and throughout 2020 to give you tools for organizing in your own homes.

Be on the lookout for more blogs to come! We’ve got home tours lined up, all kinds of tips for organizing and moving, stories of local folks doing great stuff here in K-town, and so much more.

In the meantime, don’t hesitate to reach out with a call or text to 865.245.9080 or an email to info@helpyoudwell.com if you need any help with an unruly closet, a packed out garage, a frustrating pantry, an upcoming move, or just a consultation on how and where to begin in your home.

No job is too big or too small for HYD and we look forward to helping you get unstuck in 2020!

Pineapple Consignment

Fall is here! The weather is finally getting cooler and the leaves are starting to turn and now is the perfect time to do a house purge. While that may sound intimidating, it doesn’t have to be. Turn on some music, grab a hot tea and take a walk around your house. Walk through each room and take the time to notice what’s around you. Look at the items hanging on the walls, the lamps, the items sitting on surfaces, the furniture, and the rugs. Take the time to open cabinets and drawers and just take a peak at what you’ve got. Often life is so hectic that we stop noticing what’s around us and don’t even remember what we have. We have two tips to help you make decisions about what to keep and what to let go of.

1. Ask yourself, “Do I love this item?” If not, is it at least serving a practical purpose? If you don’t love it and you don’t “need” it, let it go.

2. The most helpful question for me is “If you saw this in a store today, would you purchase it?” Often times, it’s hard for me to decide whether or not I love an item but much easier for me to know whether or not I’d pay money for it. Sometimes, we hold onto things because we’ve had them forever and don’t even see them anymore or because someone gave them to us and we feel guilty getting rid of them. These are not valid reasons to give an item valuable real estate in your home.

Here’s the best part, once you’ve done your house purge (don’t forget to check closets and attic/basement and garage spaces— these typical storage spots are house purge jackpots) sign up for Pineapple Consignment and make some money on all those items that you are letting go of.

What is Pineapple Consignment?

Pineapple is a weekend long (October 26th-28th) consignment shop where you can earn up to 75% commission, and consignors get to shop early. The pictures above are just a few of the items that will be for sale! Want an even better deal? Shop the half off portion of the sale on Sunday the 28th from 8-12.

You set your own prices, and Pineapple’s online system makes tagging and managing your inventory super easy. At the end of each sale day, you can check earnings, and they’ll pay you via PayPal within 10 days. For more information on signing up as a consignor or to see what items they accept, check out the participation page. Sign up now because registration (and the ability to enter inventory into the system) ends on October 21st!

Here is your opportunity to make some easy money on your home decor items without putting the time and energy into a garage sale or making a million online postings.

---

Megan & Austin Church.

Who started Pineapple Consignment?

The lovely Megan Church! Want to know more about her and where the idea for Pineapple came from?

Here’s what she has to say…

Nice to meet you (virtually at least)! I grew up in Virginia and Indiana, but Knoxville has become my forever home. I’m wife to one, mom to three, and stylist to many. Life is full to bursting right now, so the only logical thing to do is start a business, right?!?!

This Pineapple dream started earlier this year. I was selling an ottoman on Facebook, and six or seven people said they wanted it. “Awesome!” I thought. I scheduled a time to meet the lady who had responded first. Later, I packed up all three kids and drove to the rendezvous point. The lady stood me up. In fact, I got stood up FOUR TIMES IN A ROW, and I vowed, “NEVER AGAIN.” So here we are!

I happen to be one of those crazy people who loves consignment sales, and over the years I’ve saved a ton of money by up-cycling my clothes, as well as my kids’. Ever since I had my first baby and quit my day job, I have been needing a creative outlet. Hospitality is really important to me, and I’m passionate about bringing women together.

So, now you see how this whole thing got started, the Pineapple seeds. Pineapple Consignment combines many of my favorite things: styling events and creativity, secondhand shopping and bypassing Facebook/Craigslist weirdness, and of course hospitality and making my family’s home beautiful and comfortable. 

I certainly hope you love being a part of Pineapple Consignment! If you have any questions abut consigning, volunteering, or shopping, drop me a line at megan@pineappleconsignment.com.”

---

If you don’t have items to sell, you can still shop!

Want a shot at first dibs on an item? You are in luck, the sip n see is Wednesday (Oct 24th) evening from 6-9pm. For just $5, you will be entered into the raffle to reserve an item and get to join in on a fun evening with friends. Come for a drink and be one of the first to see the items for sale. Along with shopping some pretty amazing previously owned home decor and furniture items, Pineapple will have several local artists and makers selling their creations at the sale.

Announced Vendors Include:

Alex Jaynes: custom furniture

Rob Scott: art

Matthew Peters: furniture maker

Sarah Moore: art

Spencer Ratliff: furniture maker

Kristen Wasik: art

Erica Beck: art

Knox Wood creations: frames featuring prints from Native Maps & Paris Woodhull

Ashley Addair: art

Highline Coffee

Rob Scott

Sarah Moore Studio

Old North Designs

---

For more information and to stay up to date on the details and announcements, follow @pineappleconsignment on Instagram, RSVP to the event, and like Pineapple on facebook.

donating and selling books

As organizers, one of the questions we consistently get from our clients is how and where to donate or sell the books that they are ready to pass along. We've compiled our list of recommendations and are eager to share it with you.

If you are ready to organize and purge your books, we recommend that you take the time to look through all the books throughout your home. Rather than simply purging a bookcase in one of many places that you keep reading material, plan to put your hands on every book in the house! Don't forget cookbooks, textbooks, and children's books. Once you've gone through all of them and have your purge pile, the following steps will come in handy...

Step 1: Determine whether each book is donate-able/sell-able or whether it simply needs to be recycled. If it's water damaged, dry rotted, or torn up it's not worth donating. Go ahead and recycle that sucker.

Step 2: Donate: If you don't want to fool with selling, simply donate your books to your local library or to a thrift store. If you have children's books to donate, you can also drop them at one of the many free little library's around town.

Step 3: Selling: There are many approaches and ways to go about selling your books. For a quick way to offload mass quantities of books, McKays is our recommendation. The amount of books you drop off will determine how you sell/how long you wait. For guidelines check out this link. In addition to McKays, Amazon now has a buy back program for certain books that they will pay shipping for and purchase from you in exchange for an Amazon gift card. For textbooks we recommend Barnes and Noble's buy back program.

Step 4: Enjoy the space you've created in your home by purging the books that you no longer need or want!

Fall Flea

We are so excited to announce and invite you to the Fall Flea @ The Hive. Come and shop with us! 

Our team has been curating a shop full of vintage treasures, gorgeous accents, and eclectic one-of-a-kind pieces of furniture and home decor. 

Friday // November 3
Saturday // November 4
8 am - 2 pm

Follow us on Facebook + Instagram for more sneak peeks of items for sale in the Fall Flea. 

donations 101

Once you've purged, it's helpful to know which organizations locally need which specific items. It's empowering to know your donation is going to a purposeful cause and is serving your local community. We've put together this resource of where to donate specific items!

Household Items-
KARM: drop off and pick up available
Ladies of Charity
Angelic Ministries

Antiques, vintage furniture & historic building materials-
Salvage Shop

Clothing & accessories-
bare.Thred: Exciting things ahead... Be on the lookout for information regarding donations on June 1. They repurpose clothes and aim to reduce clothing waste in Knoxville! 

Bikes-
Kickstand
DreamBikes

Medical Equipment- 
East Tennessee Technology Access Center

Books-
Friends of the Knox County Library

Arts & Craft Supplies-
The Basement Community Arts Studio

Eyeglasses-
The Lions Club
Volunteer Ministry Center

Construction & Building Material-
Habitat for Humanity

Please share other specific donation spots in Knoxville that you know of! 

*Blog Image from Native Maps. 

so you've purged, now what?

One of the biggest questions we get from our clients is what to do with the items they are ready to part with. We separate items into two main categories: donate & sell. Here's some helpful information regarding where & how to sell different items. In two weeks, we'll share resources for where & how to donate your items. We're currently gearing up for our Spring Flea at the Hive next weekend, April 21-22 and wanted to invite you to come shop vintage home decor and furniture! 

WHERE TO SELL & CONSIGN

Consigning Household Items- 
Consign to Design: Furniture and home decor in excellent condition
Backroads Market: Old, new, used and transformed farmhouse style furniture and home decor
Mid-Mod Collective: Mid Century Modern, Danish Modern, Industrial, Vintage Clothing, and Quality Books and Vinyl
The Flea: Pop up consignment held twice a year, selling home decor and furniture

Consigning Clothes & Accessories-
Clothes Mentor: gently used women's clothes size 0-26, petite and maternity
Repeat Boutique: women's designer clothes, shoes and handbags
Statemint Consignment: twice a year pop up clothing consignment for adults 

Selling Books & Music-
McKay's: gently used albums, books, instruments, movies, video games, gaming systems, board games, comics and more

ONLINE MARKETPLACE

Household Items-
Craigslist: convenient to sell without the hassle of shipping
Local Facebook groups: easy to post and expedite communication with buyers
Letgo app: quick and streamline process for selling unwanted items in your area

Clothing & accessories-
Poshmark: online clothing sales made easy
 eBay: world wide marketplace, can sell almost anything here