March News: We are All Winners!

Since we have a lot going on here at Operation Sparkle this month, and because the definition of "news" in mainstream media includes 20 minute long stories about how it is snowing in Minnesota and not only are the roads bad, but people are going to say in and watch movies, I figured it would be a good idea to let you all in on the happenings. And, since it is so hard living day after day in this dog-eat-dog world, I also decided to spread the love by having a "group love" theme of everyone being a winner.

Our first winner:



Sharyn Morrow wins our first ever Operation Sparkle Giveaway! Sharyn 'liked' us on Facebook and was randomly picked to win this amazing static print crop top leotard (and even though I was drunk writing everyone's names down, I can assure you that the most deliberate care was taken in randomly picking the name—and I did it out of a thrifted hat (of course))! Even if you missed out on the first Giveaway, you can still join us on Facebook to keep abreast of all things Operation Sparkle (and to have a chance at winning future Giveaways)!

Choose the Winner for Our Second Thrift Off!















































Voting for our second Thrift Off, Swimsuit Styles, will be open until March 5th! You can vote on the poll near the top of the blog, underneath the "About" link. It's super easy! It's fun! It's democratic! If you feel as though you would like to add more input/explanation, just comment on one of the Thrift Off #2 posts—we truly care about your voices, unlike Scott Walker.

What We Have in Store for March:

Guest Bloggers!
For real, this is the month we are starting our Guest Blogger feature! Look forward to hearing Molly's tales of being a Black Friday thrifting virgin, Jake Thompson's sunnier side of the day I went a little thrifting nuts, and Rebecca Bengal's take on thrifting vintage t-shirts. It is gonna be a blast! And as always, if you have a thrifting tale you would like to share, let us know! We are always looking to spread others' thrifting joy!

Shop Operation Sparkle!
As you may have ascertained from reading this blog, Laurie and I (especially I) have a tendency to buy a lot of crap (I mean, treasures) when we go into the thrifting haze. Even with the most careful editing, we find ourselves with pieces that don't fit perfectly, that don't quite reflect our most current looks or that simply don't fit into our stuffed closets and dresser drawers. To deal with some of this overflow, we will be debuting the Operation Sparkle shop on Etsy later this month. In keeping with the thrifting ethos, we are offering Operation Sparkle-approved merchandise at low prices—there might even be a bag sale or two! All proceeds from the Operation Sparkle shop will go directly to funding future Operation Sparkle activities, including an East Coast thrifting trip we will be documenting this summer!

Operation Sparkle in N.E.E.T.

To show our support for independent, DIY fashion and creativity, Operation Sparkle will be advertising in the newest issue of N.E.E.T. magazine (as well as on the publication's blog), out March 1st. For those of you not familiar with the publication, N.E.E.T. is an online magazine based out of England that is amazing, beautifully laid out, super cute and inspirational—not to mention a great way to learn about independent designers and creative persons. Essentially, N.E.E.T. is exactly what fashion magazines should be, and for that, N.E.E.T. (and all of its readers) wins! Check out it out here.

Operation Sparkle Business Cards




In probably the most self-involved news, I am pleased to announce that after hours of swearing at my computer, I have ordered brand spanking new business cards for Operation Sparkle! While they didn't turn out exactly the way I wanted (after five hours of design work, the colors refused to pop as I uploaded the file), they are a million times better than my old business cards, which I used a pre-designed template for because I am so cheap.

New business cards after having "get new business cards" on my To Do list for a year=I win!

Happy Birthday Laurie!

And, finally, a very special Happy Birthday to Laurie, who turns 29 on March 2nd! That means she is almost in her thirties, which I have heard are supposed to be a million times better than your twenties! Laurie was born! She wins!