Huntington Community Thrift Shop 2012

What is the best destination on Long Island for a cold winter's day?  The Huntington Community Thirft Shop, 274 New York Ave., Huntington, NY.  631-271-4883.

 When people ask me where to find this gold mine, I always point out that it is directly across from a huge parking lot with a purple mural of Huntington Harbor, Route 110, (New York Ave., Huntington village).  If you walk across the street you will be there,

at the shop.

 On the front door there will be signs describing the sale of the day.

 Inside there are many, many shifts of volunteer workers sorting donations, pricing items, taking these items out to the floor for display, and  maning the cash register up front.  Here Joan the head volunteer for the Visiting Nurse/Hospice House charity, works in the back room.

Zelda working for Cancer Care.

 Lee is the shop manager on Mondays, Dolly the other days.

 The shop has many, many pieces of art, including paintings, watercolors, prints, and sculptures.

 There is a cabinet containing fine jewelry, and collectibles.

 Piles of housewares including fabulous glassware, dinnerware, and other serving pieces are in the front room,

 

as well as on display in the back room.  Our volunteer Karen artfully puts everything into tableau's  of color,

which she changes as per the season.

 Classic cookware and bake ware, including vintage cast iron pans, can be purchased.

Quality classic Corningware casseroles and Faberware pots and pans,

and newer homegoods can be found.

Hubcaps?

I am dedicated to using the vintage American products like a Singer sewing machine, mainly because these products have stood the test of time and work better than items imported from Asia.  Make no mistake, these items are hard to keep in the shop, because we are realizing that "made in the USA" meant something that would last and perform well.

The shop gets a large amount of woodenware and

baskets of every description.  Baskets containing assorted items, are wonderful for creating interesting gifts, and you can match a lovely dish towel, place mat or fabric remnant as a liner.

When you enter a thrift shops,  you think women's clothing,

but there are racks of clothing for gentlemen, including the occasional tuxedo, and baby and children's outfits too.

Lighting of every kind can save you money,

as do small appliances.

There is a spearate book room with paperbacks and hard cover books.

Art tiems

from around the world

come into the shop

Collectible dolls are reasonably priced.

Vintage furs,

 quality shoes and boots are there for a fraction of their original prices.

We have jeans,

evening gowns, for that one-time use,

and plenty of souvenirs which traveling Long Islanders have donated.

We have an antique expert, Seta,  examining jewelry and objects.

and smiling volunteers, such as Nancy, working the donation desk that day for Huntington Hospital.

Sissy Moffet is the lead volunteer for the shop.  When you think about what is generated by this thrift shop and the six charities that we work for: Cancer Care, Daytop Village, Family Service League, Huntington Hospital, Planned Parenthood, and the Visiting Nurse Service & Hospice of Suffolk, Inc., you begin to understand  how our countless hours of work recycles the "stuff" people no longer need.  It benefits the shoppers and hopefully keeps them out of credit card debt, (we only accept cash). We send items to other charities that we are not permitted to accept as an outreach, and support community residents because most of the money collected stays within the township of Huntington.

Our hours are Monday-Saturday 10:00 am-4:00 pm.  Donations are gratefully accepted during those times.   We give receipts for donations which are handy for your taxes.  There is no down side to this venture.  If you have larger items, call first to see if we have the room to accept them, and thanks for helping us to be considered the number one Thrift Shop on Long Island.

Halloween at the Huntington Community Thrift Shop 2011

Had to post this photograph that I took today at the Huntington Community Thrift shop.  One never knows what will be walking in the front door.   A lovely volunteer, Harriet, greets a Raven named Glenn.  Can't make this stuff up.

The Thrift Shop had been hopping all week with high school and college kids looking for elements to be used in costumes.  Next, we will be saving "ugly" sweaters for their next bout of holiday parties .

 This mantle was designed my daughter in Virginia.  She saw the unbleached coffee filter rosette garland on a black ribbon, in a crafts magazine, and completed her Halloween tableau with black candles, a spray painted terra cotta flower pot and branch, decorated with black birds, white bird house and bat, antique black ink engraved  prints, skeleton, snow globe, and very old silhouettes.   Great job!

Create Your Own Live Evergreen Centerpiece

 

Here's a fun activity that you can do with your family, with a group of friends as a fundraiser, or as a  hostess gift.

 

You will need containers such as baskets, or metal buckets, the plastic liners that fit inside, oasis (flower foam that can be moistened, tape, wire, candles, clippers, garden cloves, floral wires, floral picks, ribbons,  and pine cones.

 Fit the plastic liners into the various containers.

Cut the oasis with a kitchen knife and pop it into the liners.

Tape down the liners so that they will not move while creating the centerpieces.  Floral tape, wire, string, or other tapes may be used for this step. Add plenty of water to soak the foam before starting.

 Try to save your trimming of shrubs until December, so that you can take advantage of all the different plants in your garden.  Here are sprigs of Yew, American Holly with its berries, Japanese Holly, and some sort of variegated Euonymus.

 Here we see English Boxwood, White Pine, Spruce, and Leyland Cypress.

 These are two shiny shrubs with interesting leaves, the Acuba and a sort of  large leaf Euonymus.

Snip the evergreens to about 9" long.

 

Start with the four corners and work inwards,

 to fill the foam with branches.

 Add contrasting evergreens and a candle.

 Make a pine cone pick.

 Make the design a bit asymmetric.

 To create the bow, pinch a loop of ribbon.

 Add 6 loops in all and then wind a wire around the middle, attach the pick.

 Tuck the tape in better than I did when you are finished.