Jontue perfume necklace - so cool!

I bought this necklace a few weeks ago at the Toronto Vintage Costume Jewellery Club Sale - for a mere eight bucks. A friend from the club pointed it out and thought it would be good for me, and she was right. It's not just the simplicity of it that attracted me.The petal disc is quite thick - that's because when you pop the top off, you'll find a thick solid circular slab of perfume - in perfect unused condition - called Jontue, a real 1970s classic....

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A new chapter begins, my thrifting friends

Dah-lings, it's been ages. Here I am at a party pour moi, with my dear pal Nadia, wearing my M. Kors booties (look how big my feet are compared to hers!), a 1970s vintage skirt, my vintage fur coat (it's the warmest thing I have), thrifted 1970s shades and vintage beret made in England that I nabbed off Nadia when we had our pop-up shop. Nadia in turn is wearing thrifted booties and I coat I have her, which I had thrifted.We're celebrating. As you may...

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Vintage costume jewellery sale - tomorrow in Toronto

It's time for the annual pilgrimage to the Leaside Memorial Gardens for the Toronto Vintage Costume Jewellery Club show & Sale. It's tomorrow, Sunday, Nov. 27 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 1073 Millwood Rd.Am I selling any of my fab vintage costume bling? No. Will I be shopping there? Likely.Maybe I'll see you the...

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Fall chair, among the leaves

It was an absolutely gorg day here in Toronto, more like September than November, wonderfully warm, with lots of leaves still on the trees. One of those days when you're happy to just stroll around and frolic. On my way to meet a pal, I came across tios chair right on the corner of someone's lot. It looked as though there was an open house going on, and I guess this velvety wonder was deemed inappropriate for the function.But I thought it looked...

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Hello, my blogging friends

I apologize if you've been visiting regularly and finding no new posts here. I have been MIA as life has hit me with a huge change - all good, really good, but it's left no time or gumption to blog, my dear blogger pals. Not sure how long GQ will continue. Bear with me for now.Here is a lovely bracelet I picked up recently for a song. Can't place its era, but I just love ...

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Bling that makes me think Brit

Well, maybe that's a bit misleading. I bought this ring with my English man in Canadian Thrift the day he flew home in September after a lovely visit. It was only a few bucks and has this foil under the facets that appears to shift in colour depending how you angle the ring. Now it reminds me of him! (Though he's in no way shifty).Remember this? Another Brit bling connection. It's the 1970s Avon pendant and chain I saw in Portobello Market in London...

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See ya later, Alligator

In spite of the tag inside that proclaims, or at the very least strongly suggests, that the clutch is "Alligator", it doesn't (thankfully) seem that it is. But I loved the simple, classic shape and it was in perfect condition.I didn't really have a chance to wear it as I sold it before doing so. I have a lot of vintage clutches and such that I never really use, so it was ok to say goodbye to this one. May it find a happy ho...

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Turtle love

Aren't they cute? Wee turtles kissing (or hugging?) eachother, wrapped around this 1970s bracelet.I've been meaning to show you this for some time - my dear gal pal Nadia bought it for me at Stretch Thrift as she knew I loved it. What a sweeatheart. I do love ...

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Golden rose a la 1980s

I have to restrain myself from going into a new shop close to where I work, the Used House of Vintage at 489 Queen St. W (just west of Spadina).The vintage bling pickings are so good that I could easily get me a little pick-me-up every day!This 1980s-esque choker with big rose detailing stopped me in my tracks. Prices aren't bad - this baby was $...

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Who woulda thought mustard silk would look so good?

Maybe I have a wee cat-that-ate-the-canary look here (ew, what an awful expression!) - but how was I to know this thrifted silk dress ($4.99) would work out so well for me?It was 'new' - ie: never worn, still with a Winners tag on it - and I thought I'd give it a whirl as it was so feminine. It totally worked with my Michael Kors boots (NOT thrifted but purchased years ago), vintage carpet bag and vintage belt.I accessorized with crochet tights,...

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Pop-up shop success

Well, it was a pop-up shop success. Here's my pal Nadia at the beginning of the day, yesterday, with all our vintage goodies for sale.The traffic ebbed and flowed, but we met so many great peeps in the hood, and I had the chance to connect with a dedicated reader, Darlene, who made the trek to meet me and take a gander. Wish I had snapped a pic of her!Daina from Continuum Moderin Vintage popped by too, and bagged two glorious purses, one a vintage...

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This is an example of what I am selling today

At a pop-up shop sale I'm doing with my pal Nadia at 983 Pape Ave. (Pape just a few streets north of Mortimer, north of the Danforth/Greektown). Starts at 9 a.m. and ends at 5 or 6 but I may not be there after 2. Stop by and get great deals on clothing (some vintage), jewellery and accessori...

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Pop-up tomorrow with Nadia & Grunge Queen

ATTENTION GLAM QUEENS: My best gal pal Nadia and I are hosting a pop-up shop tomorrow, Saturday Sept. 24 from 9 a.m. to end of day at 983 Pape Ave (near Floyd, practically across the street from Stretch Thrift).Nadia has some great vintage/noveau pieces, dresses to coats (she's tiny, fyi, smaller than me and I'm a size six), and she also has great handbags and accessories. I'll be bringing jewellery, handbags and accessories and maybe some clothes.The...

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1970s knit dress and sassy legs

I bought this 1970s knit dress a while back and thought it was pretty sexy. Teamed it up with some thrifted Carlos Santana shoes - who knew there was a line of shoes etc by Carlos Santana? - and some purple fishnets (I love fishnets, anything but black - they're comfy, never run, and make you look and feel super sexy). I'm wearing vintage 1970s Napier around my neck. A true 70s queen! Too bad you can't see the handmade handbag I scored that goes...

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Saturday afternoon outfit

Ahh, gorgeous fall days spent wandering in Toronto's Greektown, having coffee, visiting with a dear gal pal and generally having all sorts of adventures that a Gemini and a Sag can get into!! I threw this Saturday afternoon outfit together in a hurry but I like the look: everything but the statement piece Anthropologie scarf (which a man even commented on yesterday!) is thrifted. Angel jeans, $5.99; sweater, thrifted but I've had for years;...

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I kid you not: the dollar store

I found this, new, at Dollorama for a couple bucks. Sure, it may be riddled with some toxic sludge for all I know, but it's so heavy and substantial it looks like something you'd buy in a boutique shop.I got this one too. Not as substantial and bordering on semi-cheap looking, but I thought it was kinda pretty.Who would have thoug...

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Big bling

Here's a recent find from Canadian Thrift - I just love it. It was only $2.99.The pendant part is pretty big, but that's my bling bent this days: big statement pieces (cheap helps to...

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Fall look, thrifted

Yeeks we went from 40 degrees with the humidity this last weekend to mornings of 11 degrees C and cool days! I love fall, but when you go from wearing sundresses to jackets methinks it'll take a while to get my fall fashion legs on, if you know what I mean. Here's my first attempt:Thrifted designer Angel jeans out of L.A. ($5.99 if memory serves but perhaps less) and a thrifted mass market style jacket (a couple bucks). The scarf (Anthropologie)...

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Redeemed: orange velvety

Ok, so I missed my chance with the red velvet couch I saw in the trash last weekend. But the very next night on my way home, I spotted this baby: orange velvety.He was sitting on the sidewalk with a "FREE" sign on it. I stood there looking at him, wondering how I'd get him home, when I heard a voice from the bedroom window of the house it was in front of.Turns out, the family had bought the chair years ago for 20 bucks at a garage sale, and they...

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Someone stole MY couch

Wah! Someone stole my couch! I spied it from my balcony in the trash on Saturday night and was certain it was red velvet (and you know by now my near-obsession with velvet). When it was still there the next morning on my way to coffee with a pal (and I affirmed that it was, in fact, red velvet, and gorgeous at that), I felt quite sure in my bones that it was mine, that the trashing Gods had deemed it mine, that it would still be there upon my return...

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Sunday morning and a new cuppa

I love Japanese stoneware - its simplicity yet elegance of design. Recently I found a trio of retro Mikasa cups, plus creamer, at my local thrift shop, Stretch Thrift, for 99 cents each. Way nicer than the cheap dollar store mugs I have that are now going in the 'donate' pile.They complement the bronze ironstone cups by Primastone that I thrifted a few years ago - similar in shape and the colours work. Now I'll just have to have a cappuccino par...

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