Going Green for St. Patrick’s Day

Every March 17, I wake up, head to my closet to get dressed, and I’m surprised to see that there is not a green shirt in sight. “Ugh, that’s right!” I’ll remember, with frustration, thinking about how my lack of planning will get me pinched repeatedly throughout the day. How could I have let this happen again? You see, green just doesn’t look great on me and the other 364 days of the year pass perfectly fine without my incorporating green into my wardrobe. Then comes St. Patrick’s Day and I remember how I promised myself the previous year that I would just get something green to wear for one day to avoid all of the pain.

Image via pommel.co

I’m confident that this year will be different, though. First, because I still have six whole days to get down to my local Goodwill in search of something appropriate to wear, and also because I’ve had a revelation. As I was scrolling through the variety of greens in Goodwill Grand Rapids’ (MI) St. Patrick’s Day pinboard (where I found the lovely hand-lettered napkins pictured above!), I realized that the item I wear doesn’t have to be a shirt and it doesn’t have to be in the classic kelly green either! Mint, olive, and army green are not off-limits nor are pants, shoes, or accessories! It does seem like most people who get into this Irish holiday go head-to-toe in green, but if you won’t wear the color for the rest of the year, why not just grab a few more neutral (but still technically green) hues for a great deal at Goodwill? Scroll through their pinboard for more moss, jade, and sage-colored inspiration!

Image via confessionsofaplateaddict.blogspot.com

Now, decorating with green is something I can do. Is it strange that I don’t really wear it, but I surround myself with it in almost every room of my house? It’s just such a calming color so I find that a little DIY décor inspired by the Emerald Isle is right up my alley. If you’re busy, but still want to whip up a few decorations for the holiday, you have some great options! Debbie, the blogger behind Confessions of a Plate Addict, has shared a few easy-to-change seasonal displays that she took straight from Valentine’s Day hearts to shamrocks with very little fuss. Since the supplies can be found at Goodwill, you won’t be shelling out too much green either. Find out how she made the display pictured above and a couple of others by clicking through to her blog!

Image via facebook.com/GoodwillNCPA

Goodwill Industries of North Central Pennsylvania (Falls Creek, PA) is always ready to Go Green for St. Patrick’s Day! For Goodwills across the country this holiday (and every day!) are about going green as much as wearing it. Through its entrepreneurial business model of collecting and selling donated goods, Goodwill helps communities extend the life of usable items and prevents items from piling up in local landfills. For example, a green tee-shirt that was destined for the trash may have been donated to Goodwill instead. Even if it isn’t going to be worn again by its new owner, customers who shop at Goodwill often use their creativity to turn Goodwill finds into DIY crafts so it could be turned into this bright St. Paddy’s Day décor that will look great all year long!

Do you dress up for St. Patrick’s Day? We’d love to hear your creative twists on décor and attire. Will you be head-to-toe in emerald or modestly infusing your look with paler variations of the hue? Is your home already decked out or are you planning to casually pop a few shamrocks here and there as statements? Either way, have a wonderful weekend!