Once upon a time there was a most beautiful and righteous princess named Katherine Jane Miranda Wolk-Stanley, although she was known to her most loyal subjects as Princess Katy. (You may remember her from this post.) She was renowned both for her thrifting prowess and a certain fondness for all things Marimekko, which was how she came to transform a $3 Goodwill tote bag into a lampshade.
The princess was aware that she would be sacrificing a perfectly good tote bag for the project, but affairs of state required that she be comfortable with making such difficult decisions. Her background as a beloved member of the royal family buffered her somewhat from the critical eye of the kingdom, but she knew one wrong move could sway the nation.
Princess Katy was well known throughout area thrift shops, and she tried to visit them at least a couple times per week, often purchasing small gifts for her ladies in waiting. She knew the ladies intimately, and considered them to be her most loyal confidants.
One special lady in waiting was named Trish, and she ran a blog called Modern Thrifter, which was full of inexpensive, beautiful and clever ways to furnish and decorate a mid-century home. Princess Katy knew that Lady Trish also held a special place in her heart for Marimekko fabrics, and that knowledge drew the two women close; and they would often sip tea late into the evening, fantasizing about their next royal voyage to Finland.
And although Princess Katy had birthed two boys, (an heir and a spare) Lady Trish had a daughter with whom she was able to lavish the womanly bounty of her area thrift shops.
Princess Katy was going about her beatific daily business one day, perusing the ball gown section of her local Goodwill, when a glint of bold graphics caught her eye. Did her eyes deceive her, was that really a twin set of Marimekko Unniko/Poppy sheets? Her tunnel vision kicked into gear and she elbowed glided gracefully over to the bedding section.
Being the magnanimous royal that she was, Princess Katy knew that Lady Trish would be most pleased to receive the sheets for her daughter, so she snapped up the $4.99 bedding and made her way to the register.
Because being a member of the royal family means always putting the needs of the realm before oneself. Even if a tote bag has to pay the ultimate price, and even if a once-in-a-lifetime Goodwill set of Marimekko sheets presents itself.
Princess Katy may have lived a life of privilege and inheritance, but she knew better than to shop at the mall.
Katy Wolk-Stanley
{ 29 comments… read them below or add one }
And she lived happily ever after!
Totally excellently wonderfully written!
Thank you, it was fun to write!
Katy
Fun story….and the lampshade is stellar! The tote has reincarnated into a higher level of usefulness/loveliness.
Thanks. I guess I do believe in reincarnation after all!
Katy
Fantastic! I hope someday to write half as well as you. Thanks for a warm afternoon smile. Oh, and the lamp looks lovely too.
That’s so sweet, thank you!
Katy
You are a kind and generous Princess, and I am delighted to be in your royal court. Long live Princess Katy of Thriftingdom!
Too funny!
Katy
Love this post! Thanks for the giggle 🙂
Beautifully written and impressive lampshade…You can come and work your magic on my house sometime…
You pay the airfare and I’ll be on my way!
Katy
i love this story 🙂 and that lampshade is rockingly awesome! (is that even a word?!)
It is now!
Katy
That lampshade is tooo pretty! I wish I was crafty.
Love the finished lamp shade…good work!
I think that “Princess Katy” should be a recurring feature of the blog. And permit me to say that you completely lucked out in the first-names department as well. My parents are long gone, and I still haven’t entirely forgiven them for naming me Agnes Marie.
This is off topic but I met a girl when we were teenagers (she was actually a friend of a friend) and her name was Agnes as well. I remember everyone making fun of her name but everyone called her Aggie and let me tell you she was the coolest chick around. She had bleached blonde hair and black fingernails and knew how to dress and wear makeup before everyone else did. She also smoked more pot than anyone I had ever seen. She really knew how to make herself unforgetable and everytime I hear the name Agnes, I think of her immediately. I have no idea what ever happened to her but I’m sure she is still rocking that name. Thanks for taking me back.
Magical, simply magical!
The lampshade is way more beautiful than the bag. I would never have seen it; the princess has such a decorating eye! And the story was just beautiful too.
Agree that I would not have seen the tote as a lampshade. I like the fabric much better on a lamp shade. Good eye Princess Katy.
Keep in mind that I bought the tote a couple of years ago. I’ve been using it to bring my lunch and extra supplies to work.
Katy
Dear Princess Katy,
I would like to buy you a perfectly good tote to use as a tote. Meet you at the 6th Ave Goodwill? Your loyal reader, Classic Carol
That’s very sweet of you, but I am rich in tote-age. 😉
Katy
are you going to give a tutorial so that Katy wanna bes can transform their shades too?
Probably not, as there are a thousand how-to tutorials on the web.
Katy
All Hail Princess Katy!
It made my day to be reading a blog written by someone that I don’t know, about someone that I graduated from high school with. In a class of 38. In central Montana. Small world I guess. Great post!
Looove the story – and the lamp shade turned out pretty terrific! I have to admit I was skeptical at first, but your amazing transforming skills won me over. 🙂
I have a girls size small marimekko sundress in a light and dark orange wave pattern that I would happily send to you if you were interested in upcycling it. I could send a pic and measurements. There is a small light stain toward the bottom. It was a dress that was handed down to me that is in the goodwill bag.