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 be smaller. Enter the handbag pictured above.

Photo courtesy KeepitRetro on Etsy

It's just so gorg, featuring an idyllic woodland scene with flowers and trees and various creatures. And it's large enough to fit a whack of stuff in it - love!

I did some research on the maker and discovered that Carpet Bags is a UK-based company that still exists. It started hand-making carpet bags out of recycled fabric in the 1970s and its products have graced the shelved of Harrods and Liberty of London. Wowsers. Somewhere along the line it started using tapestry, which my bag is made of, and then switched back to new carpets that reproduced old patterns. I am so thrilled to have this piece of UK heritage and am also chuffed the business still exists - a tough feat in this mass-produced offshore manufacturing kind of world, to be sure. I have to email the owner to find out how old my bag is but I'm guessing 1980s. Will keep you posted.

For the bag's first outing, I wore skinny jeans and a tunic (bought new in Canada) with a thrifted jean jacket and my fave thrifted leather lace-up booties. I love that I can take the long strap off the bag and use the bag handle if I so choose - though I may feel like Mary Poppins if I did that!

To honour the home-made heritage, and to make the outfit a bit more feminine, I added my fave Liberty of London scarf (found in a junk shop in Canada for two bucks) and a pretty silver ring with a large cut green stone (new, but 50 percent off). Notice the button on the jean jacket that I wrote about this week?

This is why I love old things: they bring the satisfaction of knowing a bit about the history of the maker, and also of giving the piece an appreciative home!

Photo courtesy KeepitRetro on Etsy

If you're a novice buying vintage handbags, especially online, I've learned to always take a whiff of the bag or ask the seller if it smells. Some old handbags just smell too musty when you open them, so it's always worth asking. I haven't had extensive experience buying on Etsy but I have looked at a lot of pieces and I find most sellers will declare any flaws and if if they don't I imagine it's in their best interest to answer such a question honestly. That's my two cents! Anything else you seasoned vintage bag hunters look for or ask when shopping?

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I heart Avon hearts these days, and Etsy too

I used to have a heart pendant, years ago, but in recent years I've thought of them as too cutsie. Then in February, while waiting to emigrate to the UK to be with the new hubby, all of a sudden, hearts had all kinds of appeal. Guess love was on the brain. Etsy.com, a fab online selling site for vintage and handmade items, yielded this vintage Avon heart necklace for less than $20 including shipping. It's not the style I typically favour, being small and sweet, but I really rather liked it, and I've worn it quite a bit in the UK. I also picked up a filigre ball pendant for my Mom for her B-day from the same seller, which she loved. Yah Etsy!!

I also found this larger Avon pendant that I reacted to emotionally, loving it on sight - don't get me wrong: it's lovely. But it's hard to dind things to wear with as I don't really wear red, and I'm not into wearing it over black as I think it would look silly. A statement piece like this merits just the perfect outfit to go with it.

A word of caution about Etsy: shop around for the same piece to see if you can get it for a lower price. The day I searched (and reacted emotionally, buying quickly), this was the only piece of its kind. Two days later there were two more, priced at substantially less. Vintage Avon pieces are common enough on Etsy, and I've seen many necklace pendants that I already own for prices ranging from $10-$50 for the same piece! So do your comparison shopping, and buy quickly only if you suspect the piece is one-of-a-kind or hard to find. Have fun - and while you're at it grab a glass of vino and take your time - before you know it, I betcha you'll have spent a good chunk of time sifting through all the vintage goodies!

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The Gift of Thrift: Christmas

Tonight I gave a "Shopping on a Shoestring" talk to a lovely group of ladies who are part of a professional women's group associated with the local chapter of Dress For Success, a charity that helps clothe women who are preparing to enter the workforce.

The theme: holiday shopping. Natch, the topic of thrift came up. I brought a little tickle trunk of thrifted gift goodies to show during my talk, including this HUGE hardcover coffee table book on Van Gogh I found at Value Village for $5.99.This is at least a $100 book, more I bet. And it's in excellent shape - only a wee tear on the back jacket - and doesn't have that musty book smell that all too often accompanies used books. The cool thing: when I was carrying it home after I bought it, a girl stopped me on the street and told me it was an excellent book!

It's for my artist sis and I know she'll love it. Hope she doesn't read this post!

I'll be featuring more nifty thrifty gifty ideas for the holidays coming up!!

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Sassy pants outfit from St. John's Thrift

Ok, so there are no pants here. But I sure felt sassy in this outfit yesterday, which I thrifted at St. John's Thrift Shop on Danforth Ave. near Woodbine.

I hadn't been into St. John's for a long time. The last time I was in the shop the pickings were good, but the place was a bit ramshackle. So I was pretty jazzed when I popped in this weekend after a scary dig at the nearby Value Village (Halloween shoppers in full force there; eeps the crowds were out). The shop had been remodeled and cleaned up and has a lovely boutique vibe - and the crowds were thankfully at a minimum.

Brown wool skirt: five bucks. Cashmere blend sweater by Alexandra Bartlett (with the most darling neck and bat-wing sleeves): another fiver. (Wedgie Kenneth Cole boots plucked a year ago at Value Village for $49 - expensive for VV but I have worn them to death and just replaced the heels, so well worth the cash outlay). Then I threw on a worn leather belt thrifted at Stretch Thrift for a couple bucks and voila: 1970s chic.

That's not all. I honed in on this faux-suede (that is so soft it took me a while to figure out it wasn't real) coat of an unknown label with these darling military-style buttons. Reader, only $25. It's chic, and it's super warm!

Total thrift dig cost at St. John's: $35, no tax.

TIPS: I shop high on the food chain and look for great fabrics that wear well and feel and look fab, like wool and cashmere.

St. John's is a division of St. John the Compassionate Mission here in Toronto, the same organization that runs St. John's Bakery. All thrift shop proceeds go back into the community.

2155 Danforth Ave., 416-698-9848 St.John's Mission



Thanks to reader and pal Kathy P. for snapping the pics!!

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Big, boxy blazers from the 1980s

It's big. It's boxy. It's the 1980s Blazer -- in this case courtesy of the good ole' thrift shop.

These types of blazers abound in thrift stores, and you can make them work for you if you find the look attractive.

My tips for wearing the 1980s thrifted boxy blazer:

- Don't go for any blazer. There are tons of tapestry shoulder-padded nightmares out there. Go for a style that can still be styled into a somewhat current trend or look. In this case, this wool navy blazer with the big gold buttons made me think nautical and preppy. Here I prepped it out with jeans and a yellow turtleneck; I could just as easily have worn a striped red and white or navy and white fitted top.

- Consider proportion. As you can see, this is one big blazer. It would look ridiculous with the kind of jeans I normally favour, which are wide-leg long lean pants. Skinny jeans, or a short fitted skirt, would create the most pleasing silouette and proportion. A long full skirt or even a long straight skirt would make me look like someone from the 1990s, or Olive Oil, respectively.

I really hate to give a list of "don'ts", because I like to encourage creativity and don't think we should slot ourselves into little impenetrable style boxes. But having said that ....

- Think seriously before you don leggings or jeggings with a blazer as if they were a pair of pants. Actually if you're not 20 or not caught in a 1980s time warp, seriously rethink wearing leggings as pants - period. Unless, of course, you have amazing legs and rear-end - in which case I say kudos to you! Ok I'm being silly here;it's the end of a long busy week! A big oversize blazer like this may be just the piece to pair with leggings because it will cover your butt and look a little less like you're wearing tights for pants. It's all about your comfort zone.

- I'd be leery of wearing a blazer such as this if you aren't on the average to tall side. Again we're back to the proportion thing. If you are quite short, the blazer will look like you've shrunk. A fitted shorter blazer would better suit your proportions. If you're larger, a  blazer such as this may look rather tent-like on you. Again, though, you have to wear what makes you comfy, and if it's a big blazer, then it's a big blazer.

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Thrift shop bling for under $6

And we're back to regular scheduled programming.

I have some cool thrift shop baubles to show you this week.

This silver-tone flower pendant was only $3.99. It reminds me of a shape made me think of that retro 1970s game, Spirograph - remember that one?

Here's a link to a retro 1973 Spirograph commercial in case; groovy man: Spirograph commercial.




I'm not that much into bracelets, but this retro 1950s one called to me.

And it was only $5.99.

I liked the beads; and the chain detail is different.

This is another Value Village special, as is the Spirograph one. I find they tend to price their jewellery high, but sometimes you can find a few gems that have missed the eye of the pricing Gods.

This sterling silver chain with glass faceted bobs was only $3.99 at Stretch Thrift.

Quelle deal eh?

I wore this in West Palm Beach, and the pale pink and yellow glass looked great against my tan.

When searching for jewellery in thrift stores, remember this tip: leave no stone unturned, literally. Often I have found jewellery outside of the case at Value Village, hanging in plastic baggies. Sometimes the most collectible stuff can be there, like the 1980s Coro earrings I saw at VV but left there, alas.

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Spring streamlining

I'll give you a break from the bling and show you my mini-re-org in my pad, inspired by my recent lamp acquisitions - to those who have requested more decorating posts, thanks for your patience.

As you know from last week's post, I found this silver mirrored glass lamp and shade for $10 at a big sale at my fave lighting store in TO, Consumers Lighting & Lamps.

I decided to relocate the 'library' (ie: old brass retractable bookends with books in them) that was in my bedroom to the top of this vanity.


I cleaned up the Barrymore loveseat by putting a blue cover under the upholstered cushion.

I had a slipcover over it before but it went to the floor, and I must admit I prefer a clean line that shows the legs of the sofa. The huge pillow was found at my fave decor consignment shop in TO, Around the Block, for $30. It's custom-made with Victorian floral fabric - such a find.

In the warmer months it just feels natural to streamline the clutter and keep surfaces sparse and crisp.

The vignette on this bureau (which was dug up in the trash) was pretty extreme for me - there's only one ornament on it! But I like the clean look. Here the wood lacquer mirror and the piece of folk art are my 'accessories'.

I did the same clean sweep with my dining room table, relocating the strip of Ralph Lauren wall paper that was on my desk to the table. A couple lamps and just a couple decorative pieces finish off the look.

It's always funny to see peoples' reactions to my space when they visit. Just when I think I've been the ultimate streamlining slut, someone says, "Gosh you have a lot of stuff", or "Wow you have a lot of healthy clutter." Guess it's all relative eh?

Here's a view of the new lamp looking over the bottle green Kroehler sofa.

I didn't change much here; just put the thrifted gilt mirror where a big print was. In the mirror you can see that I relocated the big floral print to my work space.

I'm calling this a mini-re-org as I didn't get down and dirty and move any furniture. All I did was add and then rotate some lamps, change up a few lampshades, and move some accessories and art/mirrors.

You can get a whole new look by changing up and rotating your accessories - just as you accessorize the basics in your wardrobe by donning different pieces of jewellery, handbags and scarves.


I often think that lamps are the bling of the decor world - they really function like jewellery to me.

Gee, I am still finding a way to bring it all back to jewellery, aren't I???

I added a dramatic punch to my teak hutch by swapping the large gilt mirror for this darker lacquered one. I took off the runner to show off the wood, kept the books but added the large base lamp with the red shade.

The lamp is so big I think it merits being on a large piece of furniture, for scale. Then I plopped on an orange Made in Canada glass vase, for extra oomph. On the subject of mirrors, I love placing them directly across from or kitty-corner to windows - they reflect the light, make a dark corner lighter, and enlarge the space.

Voila! Mini-re-org complete!

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Beauty splurges & saves

Ok I lied: Giant Tiger outfit coming tomorrow.

Since I'm on vacay the theme this week has been R & R, and some pampering thrown in.

My beauty splurge: a facial for $60 (def an -out-of-Toronto price!).

This is me after my facial, pretty much without makeup (save for the cheapie but oh so wonderful liquid navy eyeliner purchased at my local Dollar Blitz in T.O.). Nothing like a good facial to plump you up and make you want to swear off makeup for good.

BUT I couldn't resist a beauty save: the"Paris Collection" sparkly berry lipstick with Vitamin E I picked up at the dollar store near where my folks live. It's a brand I always seek out when I come home (hey, Paris for a buck, wouldn't you buy it?) and it makes my lips so soft.

Yesterday it was 26 degrees C, so Mom and I, after doing a day's worth of yard work and cleaning, decided to park ourselves on the back deck with a bottle of vino and some nail paraphernalia.

We also decided we'd save ourselves $35 each and have loads of fun by implementing another beauty save strategy: giving each other a pedi!

Two hours later, after quaffing white wine and a good gab and laugh fest, we were done.

Don't our toes look great? My feet are so soft. Now I have to get a bit more sun on my white legs.

I have a balcony in my apartment and think this could be a fun way to do some chicky bonding with gal pals (providing we're ok touching each others' feet) and not have to shell out for a summer pedi.

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