Lake Worth Beach – This is my hobby.

Trader Joe’s is Now a Core Part of My Personality

A Trader Joe’s opened up by my house and…I’m in danger.

It has actually been both a bad and good thing (but mostly good).

We’ve now reduced our Costco trips. For us, Costco shopping can often lead to overspending and food waste.

Now, instead of one massive haul every couple of weeks, we are popping into Trader Joe’s several times a week.

I would normally hate going to a grocery store that often, but it is genuinely a joy to shop there.

Elaine is obsessed with the little kid carts and the staff treat us with loving kindness — the opposite of most South Florida shopping experiences (or experiences in general), tbh.

There are also so many delightful treats.

This week, I discovered the vanilla bean mini sheet cake and, once again…I’m in danger.

I’m venturing into the body products too, and I fear I might be a Goodwill + Trader Joe’s girlie head to toe these days.

My favorite thing about having TJ’s next door though is that it greatly enhances my hosting offerings.

I had friends over last weekend and supplied quite a spread of TJ goodies in various thrifted serving plates scattered amid thrifted table decor.

We tried a couple of their flatbreads from the frozen section and, naturally, I had to throw in a few sweet treats. The cookies aren’t as good as oreos but they were still pretty delish!

I’ve been waiting to use these adorable napkins I found at Bealls. The woven mats are from Goodwill, along with most of the serving dishes.

Cabbage serving tray also from Goodwill. We tried the curry chicken salad and bacon ranch chicken dip — both delish.

I love that I can throw together a spread without making a huge production of it with TJ’s help.

So, yes, I might be spending too much money there, but I’m spending it on friends and vanilla bean sheet cake.

The math works for me.

Styled in South Florida Season 2 launches on Sunday, August 16th!

I can’t wait to introduce you to this season’s tour hosts and their gorgeous homes.

Keep your eyes peeled for five more home tour episodes!

Last week’s thrifted ‘fits:

T-shirt, sunnies, and bag from Goodwill West Palm Beach

Tour Heidi Ferguson’s Colorful, Completely Thrifted Lantana Apartment

I’ve known Heidi Ferguson, thrift maven and Lake Worth Beach vintage boutique owner, for about seven years.

Our boys were elementary school friends, and her son was one of the few kids my kid was allowed to have sleepovers with.

A clear indication that she’s always had high marks in my book.

I stumbled over her cozy little shop back when it was called Stitches and Rust and was located on North Dixie Highway in West Palm Beach.

I was instantly drawn to her sense of style and impeccable eye for curation — every corner of her shop was filled with the most unique secondhand and vintage treasures I’d seen.

Her prices were were fantastic and the atmosphere a total vibe, so I came back over the years to purchase items here and there for my home.

Her shop location has changed several times, and her style has evolved, but the constant has always been the way she’s able to source and layer patterns, texture, and color masterfully.

When I filmed her home tour, I wasn’t surprised to learn that every item in her Lantana apartment is secondhand — no exaggeration!

Heidi’s passion for thrifting started young. She stole away to thrift stores as often as she could, rearranging her room and bringing in new pieces to revamp and style.

She was never the cool kid in school — that was her brother. When he would throw parties while their parents were out of town, Heidi had to make herself scarce; she wasn’t invited.

But, she’d come home to find that all the cool girls liked hanging out in her room.

Like I said, she has an impeccable eye for curation.

In a world that often feels chaotic, having a beautiful, collected space has always brought Heidi peace.

Her ability to style feels innate — not necessarily informed by a specific moment, but rather the seasons of her life.

Where she’s living and how she’s feeling bring out different angles in her design eye, and it always naturally flows. A true gift.

This home tour highlighted a sense of style that is fearless, unconcerned with trends, and deeply personal.

After you watch her episode, you’ll understand why people have always gravitated toward the spaces she creates, whether it was her childhood bedroom or an iteration of her vintage shop.

Heidi has a gift for making spaces where people want to linger.

Inside a Lake Worth Beach Jewel Box of Art, Color, and Thrifted Finds

Some of the best pieces in Liz Schoettel’s Lake Worth Beach home were found at Goodwill or on the side of the road.

Liz and her family discovered the cozy, artsy, coastal town of Lake Worth Beach during the pandemic, when they were looking to escape the Chicago suburbs to sunny South Florida and discovered almost everywhere else was booked up.

This town wasn’t their first choice but quickly became one of their favorite places in the world.

They rented a house on M street and completely fell in love with the community — the neighborly feel, proximity to the water, delicious food, and iconic Lake Worth Beach cottages.

Liz was bidding on houses on their flight back home.

She wound up making offers on at least 20 homes, flying back and forth from Chicago only to lose out again and again before finding her current house in a stunning historic neighborhood.

The yard was overgrown, the fences were falling down, the a/c and roof needed replacing, and the property just hadn’t been loved in a long time.

Liz and her friend Alicia, a former coworker from her retail days in New York, collaborated on redesigning and styling the house into the beautiful jewel box it is today.

They drove a truck around to different thrift stores and on Facebook Marketplace runs — sometimes finding pieces on the side of the road.

Liz refurbished and repainted, giving each piece new life and creating high end designs with materials that were anything but.

The house has become so beloved by Liz’s entire family that her daughter chose to get married in Florida and wedding festivities were hosted in the backyard.

Artifacts from that special day can be found throughout the house, many created by Liz (did I mention she’s an artist?) — the watercolor guest list hangs in a bedroom, a massive painted flamingo in the garage, and little pink touches here and there were all part of the celebration.

This Lake Worth Beach house tells several stories: of Liz and Alicia’s friendship, of a daughter’s wedding, and of an escape from daily life in Chicago to a tropical dream.

I love that this home represents Liz’s journey from knowing nothing about my community to becoming a Lake Worth Beach resident. It’s a place where friendships have deepened, family milestones are celebrated, and new roots are planted.

There are many more stories for that house to come.