White foot, thrifted shoe

Take a good long peep at this creamy white foot if you can bear it, 'cos tomorrow at this time it'll be as brown as a berry!In anticipation of a trip to a warmer clime with a beach and a wedding, I'm getting a fake, hand-sprayed air-brush tan tomorrow!I've done it before and let's just leave it at this: goddess.In anticipation of my semi-tropical trip, I picked up these leather Franco Sarto for $7.99 at my local thrift hang out in Toronto, Stretch...

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How much is that taxidermy special in the window?

This had got to be one of the grossest things I've seen in a thrift shop window - it's just icky on so many levels.The fox about to pounce upon and kill the birdie; the REAL fox and the REAL birdie; the $50 price tag; the dust mites that surely must be coursing through every ounce of organic material on the thing; a beautiful piece of driftwood made hostage to this gruesome little death tableau - oh, I could go on.I was all the more horrified to...

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Alexis in vintage necklace with gifted Grunge Queen shoes

This is my friend and co-worker Alexis, wearing some fabulous costume vintage bling around her neck.I love the colours; I love it that she stole it from her sister's closet.The piece says "West Germany" and reminds me of a brightly-hued plastic multi-tier necklace I have with the same stamp.Apparently the necklace was given to Alexis' sis by a friend whose granny had passed on.I like that Alexis decided to go all-black for the rest of her outfit....

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Tabula Rasa clothing in Toronto and my new skinny jeans

Fellow grungers, I know this is going to be hard to believe ... but ... sometimes I buy new.This is a RARE Grunge Queen moment: my entire outfit here is new! Crazy eh?I finally took the plunge and bought my first NEW pair of skinny jeans. Now I'm an addict. I bought 'em at a hip new boutique on Broadview Ave. in T.O. that I'll share more info in in a sec.The top, bought from Eight Clothing on Pape Ave. in Pape Village. The granny crochet top, from...

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Diana and vintage bling

Today I did a shopping column with my vintage pal Diana from A Touch of Vintage, who is looking very cool in her Preloved tunic bought and made locally in Toronto from vintage fabric relics. I also love her elasticized harness made by Montreal's I Heart Norwegian Wood. Very neat look with the leggings, vintage shades, and amazing shoes from Toronto shop Balisi.An obvious style maven and vintage lover herself, Diana has not only a good style eye,...

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Retro oversize shades - my collection

The long weekend in Toronto has been lovely, even though I've been chained to my desk working on a contract.Last night I let loose and went out. Here I am in my latest vintage acquisition, a pair of authentic 1970s sunglasses! Aren't they fab?I picked them up in a vintage shop that's squirreled away in the basement of a book shop. The place is called "Vantage Ground" and it's located at 758 Bathurst St. just south of Bloor in Toronto.The shades were...

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Gay Isber sample sale Friday, May 21 in Toronto

Ahh, bling.A gal's best friend.One of my fave local jewellery designers, Gay Isber, is having a major clear-out sale - tomorrow only! If you live in Toronto it's so worth stopping by.Gay uses vintage chains and beads, Swarovski crystal and new elements to create big, bold and beautiful neck pieces, bracelets and earrings.For the sale, items start at $8 and many average $20-35.Gay sells on the Shopping Channel, at the Royal Ontario Museum, and more....

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Green dreams

Yesterday was a stressful and busy day, but I'm going to share the happy parts of my day with you:The day began with this retro Hoover vacuum spied outside my apartment dumpster as I was heading to work in the morning.Just look at the dust bag at the back. The pattern is so pretty it could be a handbag!Appliances are more muscle-bound macho industrial now, perhaps to appeal to the growing male market - no longer us chicks staying at home and doing...

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Bookcases gone by

Ever get nostalgic for furniture you used to have?I found this pic yesterday of a custom-made blue bookshelf an ex gave me - romantic eh?The same man hauled two Barrymore loveseats in mint condition out of the trash for me.Shoulda married him.This was from a client of his, whose entire house was blue.The bookcase is so big it's been in Ottawa for five years. I miss it. I want it. I need to find a way to get it up here for cheap. I don't drive. I'm...

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Spring closet cleanout

I want to stay home today and stare at my newly organized closet and drawers.Busy weekend. Worked, cleaned, worked some more - then, in an effort to avoid more work, cleaned out my closet and big chest of drawers.Every time I opened this chest of drawers I got depressed. It was so messy. So I put everything on the bed and sifted through the tees and tops.Some went into the donation bag; the rest were folded neatly in the drawer.I also changed over...

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Thrifted outfit at OCNA awards

This is part of the work gang at the OCNA or Ontario Community Newspaper Awards ceremony last night in Toronto, where the newspapers I work for, Town Crier and Vaughan Today, were finalists in six categories!Who says thrift can't take you to an awards ceremony???I'm wearing a gorgeous retro pink brocade jacket I picked up for $9.99 at a Goodwill 50 percent off sale, and under it is a TeenFlo made in Canada LBD I found for $6.99 at Goodwill.This has...

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Trash rehash: magazine rack turned purse holder

I plucked this from the curb a few weeks ago as I was waiting for a friend to pick me up for an event.I really had no intention of using it as a magazine rack, but I didn't know what I would use it for until I was looking around for a place to store it.Necessity is the mother of invention: the only space I had for it was my bedroom, where several vintage purses have been scattered about on the floor and on a chair, poor bags without a home.Well looky...

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The Storm Window Saga

A walk by the trash bin close to my place yielded this little gem this morning: old wood window panes.My immediate thought: ahh, storm windows.See, every spring when I was growing up in an old 1950s A-frame house, my Mom and Dad would engage in the Storm Window Ritual.It entailed lugging a good 20 storm windows out of the garage, which had been stored there all winter, and cleaning them before putting them on the outside of each and every window...

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Barbie house for a fiver

If I had a Barbie I'd so be keeping this.For the chic uptown girl: a modest mauve townhouse with pink and green accents; two levels only, but look at that front door - talk about curbside eye candy. And the front window in the master bedroom? Barbie's drooling over it already. Quelle natural light and south-eastern exposure!If Barbie were real, this may cost half a mil.In the 'real' human new retail world, I'm guessing $100+.In the Grunge Queen alternative...

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Borrowed bling for Innovators' Ball at Ontario Science Centre

Tip: if you're an aspiring Grunge Queen and don't want to spend the cash on bling, here's a cheap strategy: get a loaner!Toronto jewellery designer Rita Tesolin kindly offered me some pieces from her Fall 2010 collection when she learned I was going to the LG Innovators' Ball last week at the Ontario Science Centre.Needless to say, I was thrilled. The beaded twisted chain was heavy metal glam all the way and totally rocked with my simple black dress...

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Vintage Stars Wars booty & meeting Roger Christian

Check this out.Vintage R2-D2 from the flic Star Wars. I found him last weekend at a garage sale for a twoonie ($2).I snatched it up as I knew my seven-year old nephew, who is currently obsessed with all things Star Wars, would go wild over it.I always liked Artoo - he's pretty spunky for a droid.The lady I bought him from was selling off her entire collection - some were a couple bucks like this one but others were $10.I also picked up C-3PO for...

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