Holidays – This is my hobby.

Holding Off the January Scaries in Dominica

This week, I’m coming to you live from the island of Dominica.

In 2024, Vince and I discovered that our favorite way to vacation is visiting islands in the Caribbean.

It started because Hawaii is on my bucket list, but a plan we had to visit fell through, so Vince started researching islands closer to us that gave similar vibes.

We wanted hikes, waterfalls, beaches, and tropical rainforests.

After diving down several reddit threads, the French Antilles quickly surfaced as the ideal location — these tropical islands are only a 3 hour flight from Miami and offer what we wanted and more.

So far, we’ve explored Guadeloupe twice and are now on our second visit to Dominica.

(We’re taking advantage of having a pre-school aged child. Once kindergarten starts up for Elaine, we’ll only take long trips on school holiday breaks.)

Dominica, in my opinion, has the most stunning beaches I’ve ever seen.

It’s technically not part of the French Antilles, but it’s sandwiched between the French islands Guadeloupe and Martinique.

I know, I live in Florida, and we have nice beaches, but these beaches are secluded, provide excellent shell hunting opportunity, and the water is crystal clear for snorkeling, an activity I only recently got brave enough to try.

There’s also something about traveling to a beach — on vacation I can’t be distracted by laundry and my never ending list of errands like at home. So, beach times just feel different here for that reason too.

There is no thrifting on the islands, of course. My collecting hobby translates into shell and souvenir hunting.

I’m not big into t-shirts and refrigerator magnets. I’m drawn to woven baskets (obvi) made of local materials, handmade accessories and caftans, and any children’s books written by islanders we might run across.

I love spontaneously stopping into a shop during a drive or discovering an outdoor market with locally made goods.

Should I share a souvenir haul at the end of this trip?

Here’s one of my highlights from this trip so far:

We hired a guide for the first time to take us on a jam packed island day:

-A visit to the Red Rocks
-A tour of a chocolate factory
-Lunch in Calibishie (we stayed in this tiny beach town on our last visit)
-A quick beach dip
-A waterfall hike

On the drive back to the resort, our guide mentioned we’d be driving by his mom’s house and asked if we’d like to stop by for some “coconut jelly” (coconut water).

We got to meet his mom, step-dad, and brother, and he grabbed coconuts from the backyard tree for the freshest most delicious water!

Our guide told us the only Caribbean island that holds a candle to Dominica’s beauty is St. Lucia, so it’s on our list.

For now, we’re holding off the January scaries just a tad longer and soaking up island life. No thrifted outfits this week, friends, just swimsuits, robes, and hiking shorts. 😉

>> Final Goodwill haul of 2025 on my Instagram profile here! <<

A Thrifted Christmas Table

This year, our boys were out of town for Christmas, so Vince and I hosted a small Christmas dinner with just baby girl and our moms.

I’ve been collecting items for my Christmas tablescape for several months and am sharing here all the details of my completely thrifted, gifted and secondhand Christmas table:

-White Dinner Plates – Goodwill West Palm Beach
-Green Cloth Napkins – The Nearly New Shop West Palm Beach
-Napkin Rings – Thrifted and gifted from a friend
-Silverware – Wedding Gifts
-Milk Glass Goblets – Passed down from my mom
-Candle with Glass Christmas Tree Charm – Goodwill West Palm Beach

-Taper Candles – Thrifted from Goodwill West Palm Beach or gifted
-Crystal Candle Holders – Wedding Gifts
-Table Runner – Goodwill West Palm Beach

The table runner originally had tassels on either end, but they fell off after I ran it through the washing machine, so I tied ornaments on either end to replace them! The vintage wreath ornaments were sourced from The Nearly New Shop West Palm Beach.

-Brass Candle Holders – Passed down from my mom
-Small White & Green China Candleholders – Goodwill West Palm Beach
-Glass Christmas Tree Votive Holder – Passed down from my mom
-Christmas Holly Candle Holder – Goodwill West Palm Beach
-Cake Stand – Garage sale find
-Wooden Nativity People – The Cozy Cottage Lake Worth Beach

Now that all my Christmas gifts have gone out, I’ll also be sharing details on most of the items I thrifted for friends and family this year — stay tuned!

I hope you had a cozy Christmas full of warmth and love, friends.

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Last week’s thrifted ‘fits and treasures:

>> Mom and I visited the Rust Market in Lake Park for last minute Christmas shopping – reel on my Instagram profile! <<

Sweater and MANGO tote from Goodwill West Palm Beach

Ring from A Timeless Treasure West Palm Beach

Sweater from Goodwill West Palm Beach; Madewell Jeans from Goodwill Boutique in Boca Raton

Hightop chucks from Goodwill West Palm Beach

J. Peterman jumpsuit and leather belt from Goodwill West Palm Beach

Anthropologie skirt from Goodwill West Palm Beach; Amazing necklace made of vintage fabric, charms, and shells sourced from thrift and estate sale trips made by Sarah Bray Bermuda

A closer look at my stunning Sarah Bray Bermuda necklace!

Baby girl’s dress from Goodwill West Palm Beach

Mom bought me a pair of tassels from the Rust Market in Lake Park – they are on our end tables in our bedroom for now.

This stunning handmade, one-of-a-kind dress made from a hand stitched vintage tablecloth is from a Rust Market vendor named Marcia. She doesn’t sell online/has no digital presence and more people need to know about her!! This dress is one example of many gorgeous designs. I highlighted her in my recent instagram reel – check it out!

Vince and I brought a bottle of wine to dinner with friends and I popped on this vintage ornament sourced from a collection I found at Goodwill West Palm Beach.

Elaine’s set from Goodwill West Palm Beach

White Elephant Exchange

Every year, my office gathers for a holiday lunch and white elephant gift exchange.

Since my thrifting habit has been insatiable, and I constantly seek excuses to be in the shops, I decided to create my first thrifted basket of the season for the holiday lunch.

We have several animal and nature lovers where I work, so I’m hoping someone enjoys the items I found — brand new and unopened (!!!) — at Goodwill.

I’m always snagging baskets when I find them, so it was easy to pull one from my growing collection in which to place all the white elephant items.

I think, ideally for a thrifted basket, I would arrange the items cutely and tie a ribbon on the basket handle — kind of like a typical fruit or gift basket.

But, the whole point of a white elephant exchange is that nobody can see what the gift is before selecting it from the pile.

So, I decided to tie up all the items in a thrifted scarf.

I don’t love the look, but it got the job done.

I found a fun dog puzzle and wild flower field guide — both great gifts for the animal and outdoor lovers.

Our white elephant gift spending limit is $25. This puzzle would’ve almost reached the limit, had I purchased it elsewhere.

I don’t imagine anyone is going to pull this field guide from their back pocket whilst traipsing Mounts Botanical Gardens, but I think it’s a fun thing to have on a table or bookshelf.

I added this beautiful glass ornament I found at the Nearly New Shop in West Palm Beach.

To decorate the basket, I tied on a bow of holiday ribbon (I found a collection of ribbon at Goodwill a few weeks ago), and another ornament found at Goodwill.

I’ll never tell you I’m good at wrapping gifts or tying bows. It’s a skill I have sadly not mastered, but I did my best and I think it looks kinda cute!

Happy holidays!

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Last week’s thrifted ‘fits round-up:

>> Last week’s thrift haul video on my instagram page <<

Lord & Taylor gingham dress from Goodwill West Palm Beach, layered with a non thrifted sweater.

Baby girl’s top from Goodwill West Palm Beach

Top and GAP jeans from Goodwill West Palm Beach

Linen top and pants from Goodwill West Palm Beach

GAP oversized button up and jeans from Goodwill West Palm Beach

Comfy coastal dress and MANGO tote from Goodwill West Palm Beach

I forgot to do a proper outfit selfie, but the top I wore to brunch with Santa is from Goodwill West Palm Beach!

A Thrifted Thanksgiving Table

I was thrilled to host Thanksgiving this year, not only because I love spending time with my family, but also because it gave me an excuse to create a holiday themed tablescape.

In recent years I’ve gotten more and more into tablescapes.

It’s another outlet for creativity, and I like pulling things from around my house to place down the middle of my dining table.

I’ve pulled framed photos, shells, and collected trinkets for my tables when hosting friends and family.

Lately, I’ve been feeling like almost anything goes for a tablescape.

You want bows? Butterflies? Bird houses? Tie and stick them onto candle holders or table runners and make it a thing!

(My husband was sure to tell me that placing miniature chairs down the middle is a little insane — I just love a miniature piece of furniture, okay?!)

This holiday, I’ve had a lot of fun thrifting specifically for my tablescapes.

Here, I’m sharing the details on where I sourced all the items for my Thanksgiving table.

Goblets – Goodwill West Palm Beach
Glasses – Home Goods (I store these separately / away from our daily use cabinets so nobody can break them, and only bring them out for guests)
Flatware – Passed down from my mother-in-law
Crystal candle holders – wedding gifts
Pink taper candles – Goodwill West Palm Beach
Beaded/wooden candle holder – Nearly New Thrift Shop West Palm Beach

Napkin rings – thrifted and gifted from a friend
Fall wreath – Goodwill West Palm Beach
Bronze candle holders – passed down from my mom
Dark blue dessert plates – Goodwill West Palm Beach
White & blue dessert plates – thrifted & gifted from my mother-in-law

Floral urn – Nearly New Shop West Palm Beach
Block print napkins – Etsy
White vessel thingy I used as a candle holder – thrifted & gifted from my mom
Glass cake stand I used as a candle holder – found at a garage sale years ago

Baby girl made this sweet centerpiece at school!
Teacup I used as a candle holder – thrifted & gifted from my mom
Dinner plates – fiestaware; I chose dark blue plates for our family’s everyday use because the color hides scratches and they look nicer longer!

It felt like a blessing to be able to make my table beautiful for friends and family to gather around — I hope your Thanksgiving was fab, too!

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Last week’s thrifted ‘fits & highlights:

Easy breezy dress from Goodwill West Palm Beach

GAP shirt dress, linen pants, Target sandals from Goodwill West Palm Beach

I left this at Goodwill and kinda regret it!!!

Top from Goodwill West Palm Beach, Madewell jeans from Goodwill Boutique in Boca Raton

Cutie frog earrings from A Timeless Treasure West Palm Beach

Shells and rocks from Goodwill West Palm Beach styled in one of my plant pots

Still screaming over this bag found at Goodwill West Palm Beach — the red and the bamboo handles!

Button up from my Denver Goodwill haul, MANGO bag from Goodwill West Palm Beach

I styled an area in my bedroom with shells, a basket, and design books from Goodwill West Palm Beach

This basket from Goodwill West Palm Beach is solving a clutter problem on my desk!

Christmas Tree Weekend

The weekend before Thanksgiving is “Christmas Tree Weekend” in our house.

Since our daughter was born, it has been magical to reinvigorate holiday traditions — naturally, the teenage boys are less interested these days.

We only truly began defining the elements of Christmas Tree Weekend a few years ago, really.

There aren’t many tree lots open this early, but we found one in Boynton Beach. So, the tradition is that we pile into the car and hit shuffle on our Christmas playlist for the first time.

It’s the official start of a nonstop loop of Christmas music from now ’til the new year.

Picking out the tree is always a battle between Vince and me. I want a smaller, more manageable tree, he wants a sky scraper. I think we met in the middle this year.

We take a family photo and Vince always requests the guys save a slice of tree trunk to turn into an ornament — he uses a wood burner to make them every year.

Elaine was 8 months old for her first Christmas, and picked out an ornament at the tree lot. So, we always have her pick out an ornament! These beautiful beaded ornaments support makers in a Guatemalan village.

After we lug the tree in, the Christmas music continues, we don our matching jammies, and start decorating.

As you know, I love to decorate my home, but for the holidays I don’t do much. The tree is the main event.

Elaine is three, and it’s the first time she’s truly aware of tree decorating, which made this extra special.

She was so thoughtful about each ornament she placed (and screamed for us to look each time 🤪).

Elaine loved seeing the ornaments her brothers made at her age, and I imagine she’ll love it even more as she gets older.

We added another layer to the tradition this weekend: we took a break from decorating to order Chinese food and eat it while watching a Christmas movie.