Boho-sexy dress for a pound

For my first-ever link up, for Visible Monday and Thrifter's Anonymous, I'm wearing a contemporary thrifted dress with all vintage and second-hand thrifted accessories. Not only is this dress visible in that it makes ME pretty visible, but it was also highly visible on the sale rack of a local church charity shop .... for A POUND! (Btw, it seems like an oxymoron to have a sale rack in a charity shop, doesn't it?). Though...

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Pink post-script & UK carpet bag update

Eww. Today is another grim, rainy day so the hubby and I will stay indoors and play house. To follow up on the pink thread, I wanted to show you another pink dream I thrifted in Canada - it's a pink leather crop jacket by Alfani and it was a mere 6 bucks at a 50 percent off sale last summer at Stretch Thrift in Toronto (TIP: When every one else is scouring the racks for sun dresses, hit the winter jacket aisle). I'm wearing it with a ludicrously...

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Saturday togs & fave thrifted sweater

Happy Saturday! The hubby's home and life is good, good good ... so I hope you'll understand if I keep this short, short short! When I'm scragging around home, I tend to live in leggings and my suede booties. This wool-blend tunic is a major thrifty fave - picked out by my gal pal Nadia in at Stretch Thrift in Toronto's Pape Village (where I used t live). Man, I miss that shop, and the people who work there. Anyway, I love the Nordic...

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Thrifty pink antidote to the blues

Pink "harlequin" sweater by Perry Ellis that I've had since 2001 - pretty much the only fashion item I have kept from that era!This post is dedicated to my dear pal Robbie, with whom I haven't spoken in ages (but rectified that with a Skype marathon yesterday), who also knows the joys and pitfalls of living in a coastal town (in his case, in Vancouver, Canada): the happy part entailing glorious beaches and dunes; the bad part, icky bone-chilling...

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Score: auction house bracelet for two pounds

As a result of my roamings in my new town, I recently found an auction house that features an indoor market where sellers rent out cases showcasing  vintage and antique bling, paintings, pottery and other goodies. I've been sans hubby this week and was feeling sorry for myself, so I popped in and found this amazing bracelet ... for a pound ninety-nine!I'm not sure how to begin dating it but it's tiny, which could be an indication...

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Score: vintage carpet bag made in the UK by a still-existing company

Though I am holding out hope, I appear to have lost a few treasured vintage bags and carpet bags in the move from Toronto to Ottawa and then overseas. Maybe it was that loss, but in the last few weeks I've been absolutely obsessed with vintage carpet bags on Etsy. But not any carpet bag will do - I wanted something huge, which, if you've ever trolled Etsy for vintage tapestry bags, you'll know are hard to come by. The vintage styles just tend to...

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New charity shop, a cardi & a carpet bag, and a friend

Welcome to my new carpet and tapestry handbag obsession. I normally stalk these babies on Etsy, but since hubby's instructions to mind what I spend, I have had to back off from Etsy (but if he wants to buy me the 30-pound, plus almost that in shipping, leather and tapestry bag I am currently lusting after there as an early B-day pressie, I suppose I shall have to deal with it). But I digress: yesterday when I checked out...

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One of my latest vintage obsessions: handpainted boho brooches

I recently found these boho-like brooches in two different charity shops, one for a pound and another for a pound-and-a-half.  I'm not sure how to describe them as they're not in line with the typical vintage brooches you find out there - they have a boho, artsy and almost rustic feel to them that, along with the flowers, I find appealing.The first, a mere pound, I dug out of the bottom of a bauble dish at a charity shop in St. Annes. The flowers...

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Green day: dress gifted by Nadia & other goodies from Toronto

In Honour of Earth Day, and thrifting lovelies everywhere, I'm showing you a vintage 1970s dress that used to hang on my gal pal Nadia's wall (it's nylon - don't come near me with a match as I may melt). A fellow thrifter and style icon in her own right, Nadia gave this to me when I left Toronto. Je love. Je also miss Nadia.The bodice is super small - perfect for me! Not a lot of room in this baby now that I've put on some curves, but that's a good...

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Charity shopping "problem", simplicity & my Victoria Beckham look

My hubby came home from a day out with the boys at St George's Day to find me wearing this white tuxedo top and statement piece necklace, both of which I found at charity shop for a few pounds each. He calmly asked me if I had a "problem" with charity shopping.Moi?Well, I do love finding great deals and I do roam the shops when he's away flying and I'm lonely - then again I always have been a thrift shop maven, and let's face it: it is slightly addictive....

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Granny-Annie polyester skirts can look chic

Not to be insulting to little old ladies but the polyester fashions of Finn Karelia are pretty granny-Annie, in other words what my Grandma would have worn when she was alive - elasticized polyester pants and huge printed blouses. But when I saw this polyester skirt with the Finnish label in a charity shop this week, for three pounds, I instantly fell in love with the 1970s print and shape.I'm wearing it with my fave Michael Kors...

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My fave thrifty decor creations

Now that I'm married to a contemporary streamlined decor kind of guy, I've had to make some major style concessions in our new home together - and indeed, most of what you see in these photos are no longer in my possession, sigh. Not to say that our newly painted living room (pics coming soon) won't have a wee bit of boho injected into it, but let's just say, compromises have been made - on both sides. This post will honour a couple of looks I created...

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Purple Queen; two vintage statement pieces

Can you do two vintage statement pieces at once? You bet! This is my absolute fave shawl, both vintage and handmade. The vintage velvet patterned fabric was over-dyed purple on one side, and sewn to a brown velvet fabric on the other side. A vintage fringe was added, which was also dyed purple. It was made by an interior designer in Toronto who does custom drapes and reupholstery for a living. The seller told me Hermes did something like it, la-di-da!!I'm...

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