It Was a Diva Moment!
Filed under Blogs
Ahhh, another Diva moment!
An organization called Behind the Moon was celebrating their 7th Anniversary last week and I decided to check out this intriguing networking group. Aside from the scrumptious cake, some delightful wine and a host of interesting people, there was also a fun photo opportunity. Chris Hibner of Chris Hibner Photography LLC was actually shooting DIVA pictures … go figure!
Well, this Diva couldn’t resist. After all there were pink boas and wide brimmed hats … not to mention the array of sunglasses. Darling, the opportunity simply too tempting . Oh, what’s a Diva to do in a situation like this?
Go figure! They had fun shades…
And this sultry pose was just way too Diva….
I was just getting warmed up … too fun! You know even grown Divas like to play dressup!
FORT COLLINS DIVA TOUR
Filed under Press Room
The Diva Tour heads to Fort Collins, Colorado. Simply Beautiful Consignment Presents … An Evening with the Thrift Diva!
From Farm girl to fashion model to frugal fashionista, Barb Tobias, America’s “Thrift Talk” Diva, has audiences on the edge of their seats with her entertaining and timely presentation …
Frugal Fashions and Decorating Secrets
Have you run out of money or at a loss for new ideas for your home or wardrobe? Enjoy an engaging evening of networking, refreshments, an autographed copy of Barb’s newest release, Tossed & Found and a lively presentation from world-class speaker, author and entertainer Barb Tobias.
Date: Thursday, November 11, 2010
Time: 7:00pm – 8:30pm
Location: Simply Beautiful Consignment
426 S. Link Lane, Fort Collins, CO 80524
970-691-5645
$20 pre-registration or $25 at the door
To pre-register visit Simply Beautiful Consignment
Or call: 1-877 711 DIVA (3482)
Or: Send $20 via paypal to BarbTobias@ThriftTalkDiva.com – Comment: Simply Beautiful Event
Simply Beautiful Consignment
Edie Barton
424-426 South Link Lane
Tuesday-Saturday 11-5:30, Sundays by appointment
970-691-5645
For more of Barb’s upcoming events, please click here.
The Diva Chronicles … Colorado’s Western Slopes
Filed under Blogs
A river runs through ...
A river running gold from the rich deposits of iron ore.
Having lived in Colorado for five years, I’ve (regrettably) explored far too few vistas that pepper this amazing state. When I received a call from Kathleen, Diva extraordinaire, offering a chance to do a girl’s trip to the Western Slopes, I jumped at the chance. I looked forward the experience—Colorado wine country—in the fall.
It was early morning when the car arrived at my mountain home. Hastily shoving my bags on top and around the existing luggage, I hopped into the car giddy with anticipation. With camera in hand and a good supply of munchies close by, we headed west.
Three Divas ... Barb, Susan and Kathleen
I hadn’t met Susan, one of the threesome, and was delighted to get to know this feisty little sprite as we maneuvered out of the foothills and into the mountains.
Iron oxide turns the Sierra Madre Mountains red
Driving through the glorious weather that marks Colorado autumns, I had an inkling that this was going to be another trip to register in the Diva Chronicles.
An abandoned homestead.
Crossing the state was awe inspiring … an incredible unfolding of changing topography and color; from the evergreen foothills to the arid majesty of the western slopes sprinkled with nostalgic mining towns and old abandoned homesteads.
Fences make for good neighbors
We drove leisurely, with no set plan and stopping as often as we wished to snap pictures of the ever changing topography.
Refrigerator repair woman
Ok, so here’s Susan getting creative shots while doing her version of the refrigerator repairwoman thingy … only you have to admit, she’s much cuter.
Tailgating
Whenever we parked the car to view a particularly lovely vista, it seemed reasonable that we should also take time to stretch and restore ourselves. We would open the trunk; pull out our spare munchies and partake in chunks of creamy, warm cheese and a robust glass of local wine. (Of course, we repeatedly congratulated ourselves on having the foresight to pack these travel necessities.)
As we crossed the continental divide the sun was setting softly behind the lofty peaks that sheltered Colorado’s wineries. Although we were getting a bit travel weary, we decided to take a quick detour and head for the wine tasting houses before they closed. Since Susan was not one to imbibe in any form of bubbly brew, we basked in the good fortune of having our own designated driver.
Cherry wine rimmed with chocolate ... mmmm
Our first stop was at Carlson Vineyards in Palisade, CO. (Visit them at www.CarlsonVinyards.com). Once nestled into their lovely mountain tasting retreat we were happily introduced to their decadent cherry dessert wine lavishly rimmed with … CHOCOLATE. Delightful, Decadent and soooo Diva!
The country's highest vineyards
Sharing the fruits of labor ...
As for those wine snobs or skeptics (as you prefer), the hills and valleys of Colorado’s western slopes have the perfect climate for growing grapes. They routinely make countless award winning wines, giving some stiff competition to that little wine producing state on the other side of the Rockies.
Visit Whitewater Hill Winery at http://www.whitewaterhill.com/
We closed out day at the Whitewater Hill Vineyards which produce luscious varietal wines at the quaint winery which overlooks the broad vista of the Grand Valley bordering the Colorado River. We really enjoyed kabitzing with the owners. You can visit this lovely winery at WhitewaterHill.com.
During the day …
Old fire station and fire truck ... and one good looking cowgirl!
We played tourist …
Continued sightseeing …
Power thrift shopped … ate more chocolate…
Susan checking out the mattress.
And threw in just a tad bit of R & R.
As each day gently unfolded we stood, each in our own separate peace, inspired by the majesty of this land we call home.
Our adventures soon drew to a close. On the last day as the sun settled behind the peaks, we came upon this incredible scene. Although I always loved the words to America the Beautiful, I never realize how incredibly perfect they were. The verses played over and over as we viewed the majesty of this country.
At every bend, stunning canyon and mountain peak we visually celebrated the magnificence of this nation.
O beautiful for spacious skies,
For amber waves of grain,
For purple mountain majesties
Above the fruited plain!
America! America!
How to Live a Life of “RE” … Renew, Recycle and Restore!
Filed under Decorating, Fashion, Garage Sales, Recycling
I began thrifting because it was fun and, quite frankly, I loved to shop. Okay, I still do. But, initially there was a deeper motivation for my need to haunt the secondhand shops that peppered my town … I was broke. I loved the fact that I could buy fabulous things for pennies on a dollar. It didn’t take long for me to get hooked on the thrill of furnishing my homes or fashioning chic wardrobes found in thrift stores, garage sales, flea markets, consignment shops and auctions. I became a veteran power shopper, quickly falling in like with each venue I tested and every tarnished treasure I uncovered.
It wasn’t until much later that I began to realize I was actually recycling, inadvertently turning into a green queen rather than adding to the burgeoning problem of waste in America.
It began to occur to me that how we dispose of our used goods was critical to the overall health of our planet. Although we are encouraged to recycle our wastes, the truth of the matter is that this country still leads the world in the amount of trash that it produces.
I was astounded to learn that Americans generate over 200 million tons of garbage every year. That didn’t resonate until the EPA broke recycling figures down to the fact that each person produces about 4.5 pounds of solid waste per day! Yikes, that got my attention.
I thought that our country was pulling its weight in the recycling movement, but a full 67% of our junk is still tossed into landfills, while only 17% is recycled and 16% is burned as an energy source.
What really blew my mind was how much of our resources consume every year. The average person, over a lifetime, will use up;
- 411 trees
- 900 wire hangers
More packaging than product!
- 43,000 cans of soda
- 3,895 paper cups
- 2,025 rolls of paper towels
- 15,334 plastic water bottles
- 18,306 shopping bags
- 12 shopping carts full of wrappers from candy bars!
Recycling is certainly the answer for those that are intent on the greening of America, but only 17% of our nation has yet to establish an effective way to dispose of their used goods. According to the Wise Geek, 35% of the total material filling up landfills is packaging;
- new product wrapping
- fast-food containers
- office paper
- disposable diapers
- Styrofoam inserts
- and plastic bags
A partial answer to the country’s recycling woes might be eased if more people proactively chose to purchase used goods from the wide variety of thrift venues that pepper our nation. Shopping for goods at these thrift outlets could all but alleviate the 67.9 pounds of used clothing each person tosses out every year. That individual number quickly adds up to a whopping 20 billion pounds of used clothing and textiles that make their way into our landfills yearly.
In the end it is up to us. Companies have little incentive to use recycled materials because it is expensive … a cost that is passed on to the consumer. It is simply cheaper for them to use new materials to make new products. Therefore, buying used clothing and household furnishings eliminates the time, energy, labor, and money that go into making new products.
In summation, buy less, buy used, reduce the amount of garbage we produce, chose items with less packaging, reuse what you have and donate items that are no longer needed.
Resources
Turning Garbage into Gold – http://www.solidwastemag.com/library/garbage.htm
Reassessing the History of U.S. Hazardous Waste Disposal Policy – http://www.fplc.edu/risk/Vol8/summer/Brown+.htm
Environmental Protection Agency – http://www.epa.gov
Start you own High Profit Thrift Store -http://startthriftstore.com/index.html
Wise Geek -http://www.wisegeek.com/s/recycle
Surprised by all the waste dumped into our landfills.
Barb Tobias, America’s “Thrift Talk” Diva, is an admitted thrift-aholic. This veteran radio and TV personality has crisscrossed the nation in her search for thrift. She is a master at teaching people how to find deals, repurpose before they toss, and reconstruct the broken.
A professional speaker, author of Tossed & Found and entertainer, Barb’s passion has become her profession; sharing her cost-conscious secrets with the nation.
Visit her at www.ThriftTalkDiva.com.
