I think at one point or another all of us has had a piece of clothing lying around that we couldn’t bear to toss, but really didn’t have a use for anymore, either.  We glance at it from the corner of our eye, feel a pang of guilt and then just go on with our day.  From a dusty closet shelf, it cries out to us to take it down, wear it, love it.

And who hasn’t passed a skirt in a thrift store or garage sale and thought to themselves, “Hmm…I love that fabric but that skirt would never look right on me.”

Well, The Fabric Floozie knows how to handle these situations.  She’s the master of spotting a random piece of clothing and reconstructing it to work for her family.

For instance, she found these capris and didn’t adore them as they were, but the fabric caught her eye.

Armed with a great sense of fashion, the urge to be green and a good pair of scissors, TFF went to work.  In no time, she whipped up this gorgeous little dress for her lovely little daughter.

And this maternity top?

Another toddler dress!

But this one?  This is magic.  She was given this coat with a recon in mind.

Would you look at this??  This todder version of it is absolutely, 100% gorgeous.

So, are you feeling inspired yet?

Good!  Because The Fabric Floozie has a challenge for us all!  She’s hosting the 2010 Recon-A-Thon!!  She wants us to dig out that big dress from the early 90s with the horrid sleeves and give it new life!  Or recon that old prom dress into a magical plaything for you daughter?  What about that old sweater you just had to have from Goodwill??

Let’s do it!  I double-dog dare you to join me in the Recon-A-Thon. Reduce, reuse, upcycle, baby!  I’m on this like white on rice.  Like a duck on a June bug.  Like a 16 year old on Twilight.

We can each enter up to 3 items.  We simply put the Recon-A-Thon badge in our sidebars and post before & after pics on our blogs.

OH!  And!  The winner will receive at least 2 yards of fabric that they design themselves from Spoonflower.com!  Who hasn’t gone fabric shopping with a very specific mental picture of the fabric they need only to come home disappointed and empty handed.  How cool is it to design your own high-quality, eco-friendly fabric?? Whoa.

Now, I’m no recon-girl for the most part, so this will definitely be a challenge for me.  I think, though, that this is a great way to upcycle old items in a fun, competitive way.  It’s going to be a blast to see what everyone comes up with!

I’ve got ideas flowing like crazy!  And the cool part?  It doesn’t have to be a clothing item.  It could be anything that reuses fabric from an existing item.

Don’t know how to sew?  Get out the glue gun!

So…who’s with me??  Who’s up to the challenge?

Is that applause I hear?  I thought so.

Just look at these cool, creative designs!

I love the details on the inside.

The lovely lining fabrics…

And all the zippers, pockets and pouches to stash everything you need to take along with you.

The best part?  It’s winner’s choice! Pick whichever Super Jumbo suits you best!

These Super Jumbos are magnificent creations that make great gifts…and they’re pretty great to keep for yourself, too.

I have to say just how much I love their slogan, too.  It’s clever.  Simple.  Fun.  Makes me laugh.  Just check out their ad in my sidebar.

So, what I want you to do is enter our giveaway, then go check out the other funky little goodies on the Slaughterhead site.  Keep in mind that through December 4th, they have free shipping on orders over $40.  Just in time to get a unique gift for that unique someone in your life!

To enter:

Enter one comment only, telling me about your stocking stuffers.  What was your favorite one you received as a child?  Do you have a stocking as an adult?  What are you stuffing stockings with this year?  Do you not celebrate Christmas?  Then tell me about what you will do with the wallet if you win.  Will you keep it or pass it on to a friend?

Contest closes at 12pm central time, Thursday, December 3rd and the winner will be announced soon after.

*WINNER*

Oh my gosh, I enjoyed reading the comments so much!  I adored stocking goodies as a kid and I’m surprised at just how many of us got fruit and nuts!  I thought that was just something my Santa did.

I used random.org to choose a winner from the 51 eligible entries (excluding double entries and replies) and the lucky Slaughterhead recipient is Nicole!  Nicole, please contact me within 14 days to claim your prize.  Don’t forget to include your mailing address and wallet preference.

Today I got to watch my brother’s sweet new thing–a new son–on webcam. He’s absolutely beautiful and I am in love with my new nephew. I can’t wait to meet the little guy in person! Today is his one week birthday already! Happy birthday to him! I’m dying to share a picture but I didn’t ask for permission, so I’m just going to leave you guys hanging on that one! Just get a mental picture of a beautiful baby boy that’s just chilled out and sweet…with his sweet new feet poking out of the blanket. That’s him.

EDIT: My brother read this and said I could post his sweet little thing! Yay! So here he is: Liam Reece

The other sweet new thing on my mind today is a set of ribbon I bought. While it’s not as sweet as my darling little nephew, it is pretty darn sweet. So sweet that I ran home and immediately made a set of clips and put them on the products page for ya. I think they’re sweet new things!

Oh…don’t forget to sign up for the clip giveaway by noon Friday!