April at Experienced Goods
By Jennie Reichman ~ At Experienced Goods, we try to stay a couple of steps ahead of each upcoming holiday. This is because over the course of the year we box up clothing and housewares appropriate to each celebration and trot them out a week or two before, to get everyone in the spirit of the season. After Christmas, we are thinking about Valentine’s Day, which augurs St. Patrick’s Day, which slides right into Easter and Passover. At the moment, bunnies and ducks and pastel colors abound; there are materials for making Easter bonnets and baskets, pretty spring dresses to wear to brunch, vases and dishware for flowers and serving delicious Easter and Passover treats. A couple of weeks ago a mom came up to the sales counter with three children under the age of four, each clutching a brightly colored basket for the Easter Bunny to fill. The kids were wide-eyed and excited; I had to think of a photo I have of myself at about that age, hunting for chocolate eggs in our back yard that my mom and dad had hidden (but not TOO hidden) while my dad helped me search and my grandpa looked on from a lawn chair, leaning on his cane and smoking a cigar. April is here, we are past the brunt of winter’s cold and snow, mud season is easing up, the garden and outdoor adventures beckon.
Another of the much-anticipated seasonal activities on our minds at the shop is….Spring Cleaning! Are you feeling inspired? Is your closet too full, your kitchen too cluttered, your bookshelf overflowing? With a fanfare of trumpets and drums we invite you to begin the great spring hoe-out and bring all those unwanted items to us. We love clean, sellable clothing, shoes and accessories, housewares, toys and games, art, books, linens, jewelry, electronics (in working order, please), small furniture and all manner of trinkets and tchotchkes. Donating is so easy: Just pull up to the curb in front of the store or grab a parking space in the lot (you will see the bright orange cones that designate the donation area), enter through the door on the right (marked Donations) and someone will be happy to help you bring items into the store. We have carts and totes to make the transfer smooth, and can give you a receipt for your tax records. Better yet, we take donations during all the hours we are open, 10 am to 5 pm, Tuesday through Saturday. Not sure if we take the items you want to donate? Peruse the large, new sign in one of our front windows detailing what we are able to use. Nothing could be simpler, and giving your unwanted items to Experienced Goods means everyone wins: You, Center for Solace, and all the lucky shoppers who will scoop up that fine stuff.
After Easter and Passover, the parade of holidays takes a bit of a break. Next up is the 4th of July; imagining summer heat, grilling, gardening, picnics and swimming seems like a dream of another reality right now, but it's not far away. We are starting to slip summer clothing into the rotation, like straw hats and sleeveless dresses and tops, soon to be followed by shorts and swimwear. If memory serves me, we usually go from temps in the 40s to thermometers hitting 80 in a matter of days, so expect to see delightfully airy summer clothing soon. And for all those beautiful people going to prom and having spring weddings, we have a rack of floofy, glittery, slinky, gorgeous dresses, many brand new with tags, at unbelievably low prices. DO NOT spend hundreds of dollars on a gown. Come to us first.
In other news, the start of spring was marked by Center For Solace hosting a spring equinox disco dance party fundraiser, which was a roaring success and a ridiculous amount of fun. Saturday Night Fever has nothing on us. Experienced Goods was expertly represented by our own Karen and Gemma, who were apparently unrecognizable behind 70s-era giant sunglasses. There was a rack of excellent disco clothing available at Experienced Goods for two weeks before the party, so you can imagine the level of style out on the dance floor. There will be more dance parties to come, hopefully on the equinoxes and solstices throughout the year, so watch this space for the latest inspo. In the meantime, turn your face to the sun, and be grateful for all the new, green life springing up around us!