Easy peasy holiday centrepiece

Sorry for the late post tonight. As I sit and do my holiday cards tonight I'm basking in the glow of this grungy-glam makeshift centrepiece.

I found these Williams Sonoma green pear-scented tea lights at my neighborhood dollar store (where I also got the cards). I plopped them on a silver tray I've had for years, picked up at a thrift store (silver trays are always in abundance for super cheap at places like Value Village), and voila, instant centrepiece.

Simple, elegant and all in five minutes - the Grunge Queen way! Now I must finish my cards. This week I'll also show some thrift gifts and a MISTAKE thrift outfit that is rather elf-like in its appearance! Goodnight!

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Sun on desk

If I were a true blue photographer, I wouldn't be a storm chaser: I'd be a sun chaser.

After a media photo shoot in my pad (SO excited - will link to article when it comes out this weekend!), I caught the sun sliding across my desk, as you see here.

I had to catch it quickly, though, as it was moving fast.

I love my desk area now, by the way.

I took a dining room table from the trash and covered it with dollar store wall paper by Ralph Lauren.

The lamps are thrift, and the spanky new phone is my recent thrift score. The desk chair was found in the trash, as was the chair to the left of the desk.

The green Toronto Harbour prints were found at Value Village for a few bucks each.




The blue head vase by the white lamp was one of my very first trades - I saw it in a junk store window when I was a starving student and traded a bunch of my jewellery with the owners - they were happy as they gave the bling to their daughter, and I was thrilled to have my first head vase.

See the finial on the top of the blue lamp? It's actually a tortoise shell drawer pull from an old vanity.

And before I knew it, the sun was gone ....

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The story of a lamp

I have this crazy Grunge Queen story for you:

I didn't always have a fab apartment.

When I first moved to Toronto just over 4 years ago, all I had was an air mattress, a crappy outside table for a desk, a laptop and a chair. My furniture was in storage in Ottawa, waiting to be moved up when I had cash and opportunity.

I desperately needed a lamp, so one day I bought a lamp on the street for $15, pictured here. I got it from a lady who was having a garage sale on the Danforth.


She was really nice to me, even driving me to her place (which is just around the corner from the place where I now live) so I could look at some other furniture she was looking to sell.

Fast forward 4-plus years: I'm in a Kengsington Market vintage shop a few weeks back, desperately looking for a cocktail dress for that rooftop wedding I attended a few weeks back.

A women who was minding the store for her friend, the owner, helped me. We both had this feeling we knew eachother, but couldn't think of where. I stylist, she swore she had dressed me before.

A few mornings ago I bolted out of bed and my first thought was: stylist lady and lamp lasy are the same!!

Crazy how the brain works eh?

And isn't it nice that us junky kindred spirits found eachother again? I have her card and I'm going to call her and tell her where I know her from - and that I still have her lamp! (shade was mine).

I call that grunging karma.

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Deco Nostalgia: a look back

As you can maybe guess by new new banner up top, I'm feeling nostalgic tonight for some looks I've created in the past.

I normally don't mourn what's done on the decor front; I just move on to the next look as I'm constantly craving change in my space.

But as you know, nostalgia plays a huge role in my Grunge Queen philosophy. It's only by exploring where you've been and what moors you to this earth that you can begin to express yourself and your style through your decor.

Looking back and revisiting ideas or looks isn't unimaginative; it's celebrating the essential 'you' and can lead to a more refined style.

On the subject of looking back, I'm wondering if the impulse to collect a particular item - like I collect jewellery or head vases - isn't on some level a re-living of that initial moment of love-dom.

It paints a rather compulsive picture of collecting, but there ya go: my deep thought for the eve.

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Decor & innocence

Kids love my apartment!

This is important to the Grunge Queen. One, I'm single and sans kids and always worry the little tykes will either destroy my apartment or swallow something tiny.


But more important, the fact that my tiny nieces and nephew visited my apartment yesterday and loved it - I believe my six-year old nephew called it "beautiful" - makes me rejoice in my design style and ethic.

See, Grunge Queen philosophy goes something like this: that you're happiest in your space when it's a reflection of you, your history and your tastes, and that injecting a bit of magic here and there is good for the soul.

Play is important here as a fun and self-affirming way of exploring your style is to tinker and toy around with items in your space until you come up with an arrangement that you love ... until you start playing again.

The elements of my apartment the kids were really jazzed about - the crystal ball, the swishy gold and satin pillows, the glittery purses hanging from my bureau ... basically anything shiny and shimmery - are exactly the decorative bits and bobs that attract me the most and that I seek out in thrift shops.

So what does that mean? My take? I'm a kid! The Romantic poets, particularly Wordsworth, wrote about capturing the innocence of youth that is invariably lost as one ages.



I suppose Wordsworth believed he could connect with his inner child through poetry. Just as I believe I can connect with my inner child through the creative endeavor of decorating and "playing" in my apartment.

Decor and innocence: what an amazing concept!

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Celebrate style with roses & reorgs

Men just keep giving me beautiful roses in my fave colour, this peachy orange hue.

This was a pleasant surprise indeed, sent long-distance from a kind man I do editing work for, on the completion of a project.

After my stressful and technically challenged week, they made my day.

And they just happen to look fab in the corner I re-jigged as a result of my angst-ridden decorating identity crises (yes that's an Antrolpologie lampshade, doesn't it look great?).

I've learned the past few weeks, the hard way I guess, that tweaking and de-cluttering is good for the soul (thanks to Sonya from Dime Store Thrift on her comment to this effect), but stressing about whether or not your design style is "good enough" is just so self-defeating.

So, this slightly pared down but still wholly me a la slightly junky-clunky Grunge Queen is where, happily, I'm resting.

For the moment, that is.

And speaking of tech challenges can anyone tell me why the photos in my Flickr badge aren't showing but the badge is? Or can you see them and I can't?

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My new dinner table

Thirty dollars.

When I was at my friendly neighborhood thrift shop, Stretch Thrift, and saw the price tag on this uber heavy solid wood dining table with slightly worn veneer on top, I was flabbergasted to say the least.

Why so cheap? A bit of wear and tear - charming in my opinion - but otherwise in fab condition.

Who cares, really? The purchase of the table coincides with my streamlining re-do. It confirms that Kelly's got her groove back, not to mention her thrifting Karma.

I can leave it as is, in its grungy worn state, or spruce it up when I'm feeling ambitious in the future.

I love the legs and the curves at the bottom.

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Decorating identity questioned

I junk; therefore I am ... a good decorator?

There's nothing like seeing someone else's beautifully decorated apartment. It can cause tremendous joy, seeing art and Persian rugs and books so artfully arranged - but it can also inspire neuroses.

A few weeks ago I visited the apartment of a pal in the building, and let me just say it threw into question my very grunger's existence:

One look at my pad after and I could see what I never saw before: the clutter, the papers, the mis-matched furniture, the junky look.

It wasn't a good feeling.

Since then I've been cleaning out the papers and rearranging and editing furniture, objects and art in an effort to streamline my space.

Some furniture has been tossed. Other bric-a-brac has been shoved in the closet and may make its way to a sale of some sort, or even a thrift shop.

I'm not sure if my new look is going to work out - I think when we question and compare ourselves in negative ways that creativity can be stifled. And after all, once a junker, always a junker, no?


Still I like what I did above with the big white (new) lampshade found at the Salvation Army Thrift Store for $7.99. It had a funny base that wouldn't allow me to attach it to the lamp the correct way, so I flipped it over and voila: I have a funky Art Deco-inspired look with an upside-down lampshade!

Maybe the Grunge Queen has a tad of spunk left in her.

Stay tuned. The overhaul - and identity crises - is still in progress.

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Family & garage sale necklace

It's been a fun, busy week as family has been visiting.

Here's a pic of me and my sis on a patio in Toronto.

I'm wearing one of my fave garage sale finds here: a 1960s three-tier necklace made of heavy plastic (I think) with gold jangly bells inside the black circles.

Crappy description, sorry, but for $22 - the most I've ever spent on one piece at a a garage sale - this necklace was well worth it.

I wear it with everything. It can morph from a classy outfit to slightly more rocker-hip garb with ease.

Grunge Queen philosophy: you can always jazz an outfit up with an inexpensive piece of costume jewellery found at the thrift store or in someone's driveway.

Nest week I'll have a story for you about a necklace I found for $10 that I just discovered may be worth something, thanks to a B-day gift from my best pal!

Happy weekend!

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Thrift ring challenge answered

The answer to the thrift store ring challenge you read about here:

The big pink & sterling silver cocktail ring, snagged for two bucks at my local thrift shop!

The other was purchased new at the Bay for over $50.

I loved this pink one so much, but so did my pal Parm, and it did look so much better on her with her dark skin.

So now it's hers.

The wonderful thing about finding rings for so cheap is that I can give them away to good friends when they admire them ... and it's a tradition I like. It makes people happy; it makes me happy. Plus a ring is more symbolic and I'd like to think it serves as a concrete reminder of some of the friendships I have valued and value.

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True blue thrifty patio

I'm still on my patio kick. Since I haven't had time to work on my current patio re-do project, here's a little look I put together four years ago in Ottawa - along the Rideau River - using thrift store and dollar store finds.

The tablecloth was $14 at a dollar store and I ended up giving it to the person who owned the house and let me do the photo shoot there.

The rest of the items you can see listed in the article I wrote for the Ottawa Citizen newspaper; simply click on the image to the left to make it larger.






Some of my fave things:
I turned this wrought iron telephone table - picked up for $5 at a garage sale! - into a serving nook.

I threw tiny carnations into old glass sugar containers.



I think these dollar store wine flutes look perfectly elegant on an old silver tray.







Speaking of old silver I love putting flowers in old silver water jugs - the look would just get better as the silver tarnished over time.


I cheated a bit by putting old pillowcases over the bright purple vinyl seatcovers on the wrought iron chairs bought at the Sally Ann - that's the grunge-queen way: fake it!




Here's the look from afar, overlooking the river. It was the end of May and not quite full-on green-ess.


Hopefully this will inspire you in your weekend entertaining!
Have a good one!!

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Patio project, part 1

I'm a closet Shabby Chic-er, I discovered after a $22 dig at Goodwill yesterday, on my way home from doing a shopping column.

If you're a regular visitor to this blog you'll know the look in my pad is slightly funky - not very country or feminine.

But when I saw these faded blue pillows, $2.99 each, I was inspired to do something with my icky looking balcony and give it a Shabby Chic redo!

Shabby Chic was popularized by Rachel Ashwell http://www.shabbychic.com/ who has built an empire on white slip-covered furniture and contemporary country-esque decor. It's characterized also by pale faded blues and pinks and greens.

I threw the pillows on the chair I bought at the Sally Ann for $10.

I had the tablecloth already - I got the faded pink look by accidentally washing it with a red towel (very grunge queen of me) - and I bought two chunky green wine glasses during my Goodwill dig for $1.99 each - I asked for a better price as I could likely find them at the dollar store for a buck, but no go.

I had a glass of wine to celebrate the beginning of my patio project. I still have more to show you from my $22 patio project redo shop at Goodwill and will be posting more as the look evolves ....

More to come!

P.S. One day later: I'm re-posting the story of how I got the chair you see here for Frugalchick - it was found almost a year ago for $10 during a Sally Ann auction that was truly fun - the Salvation Army has even posted the article on its website! Just click on the link below:

How grunge queen got her $10 rattan chair at the Sally Ann

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Empty frames

Here are some effortless decor ideas, totally in keeping with la grunge queen philosophy of inspired yet easy-peasy decorating, gleaned from my garage sale booty last month ...where I picked up three wood frames for $2 total.

Actually the oval one is a frame for a table. It's been sitting on my floor propped up against the wall with the other frames until today, when I felt the urge (in the face of looking deadlines) to do a little refresh to my living space.

My first thought: hang it on the wall, as is.

And doesn't it look nifty? I think it really completes the corner in an interesting way.


My second attempt is still a work in progress.



















I like the contrast of the heavy dark mirror frame and the shell of an empty frame below it.


















And I really love the dried up roses on the silver platter that match the pillow so nicely. I put my black velvet scarf from the thrift shop on the chair of the seat to provide some contrast.

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Thrift outfit, low end

I rarely get pics of me in my thrifted outfit showing you how to put it all together, so when I was doing a shopping column yesterday with stylist Afiya Francisco www.thestylehouse.ca I asked her to snap a pic of me by the green bins - appropriate for the grunge queen, no?

The majority of my outfit here is thrifted from my friendly neighborhood thrift store, Stretch Thrift on Pape Ave. in Toronto.

The jeans, long and lean and flattering, were $5.99. Pointy Italian boots: $9.99.

The scarf and bag I already owned and had purchased new.

Now for the jacket and the top - I broke some of my thrift shopping rules here, you should know.

The white cotton ribbed jacket is H&M ($6.99 if memory serves) and the silk floral swing top, $3.99, is Joe Fresh.





Normally I don't buy what I consider to be trendy fast fashion pieces at thrift shops. I find them over-priced because they are mass market and people recognize the labels, so stores generally tend to price them at maybe half of their regular retail price - not worth it in my books.

But I broke my rule here as the price was right, plus the blazer looked of a good quality - I wear it tight and fitted and it's perfect for the really chilly weather we've been having.

Plus when you're just lollygagging about I don't think you need to wear high, high end thrift pieces. If pieces like these fit into your life and look fab on you, go for it.

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Obsolete tools

With the recent gift of a wood grainer, pictured here, I realized I have a little collection of industrial tools forming - all of which were given to me as gifts, come to think of it.

Mark Taaffe of World Headquarters at 2885 Dundas St. West in the Junction gave this wood grainer to me. I love it. It looks like there's a patent number and a 1911 date stamped on the handle on the back.

If you're like me and need some help figuring out how this would have been used, I'll tell you what Mark told me: this would have been run down the length of say, a cupboard that had been painted, to create a grainy effect.

Doug Killaly of Post & Beam Reclamation, another Junction gem at 2869 Dundas St. West specializing in architectural salvage, gave this to me a couple years ago.

Can you guess what it is?



It's a wood block floral pattern stamper, from Hungary if memory serves, and was used to stamp patterns on clothing.

I love that it's stained blue. Doug mounted it on a little stand, so now it's a decor object just like my wood grainer.

A man gave this to me many years ago as a Christmas gift - he found it in a Paris flea market and the tool generated much conversation around the holiday tree in the south of France that year ....

We never figured out what it was used for.

I think I'll be haunting the salvage and junk shops for other old artisan-type tools and implements such as these. Is there such a thing as feeling nostalgia for items you've never experienced before? Let's just say I appreciate their artisan handy bent and their history, known or not. And the tools make for neat decor groupings.

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Emotional decorating, part deux

I truly believe we shop and buy largely for emotional reasons - when we're stressed, sad - even happy. Grunge-queen is no exception, except I revel in decorating my home and even injecting a bit of nostalgia in my wardrobe with items that conjure up happy times from my past ... all found at the thrift shop, natch.

On my way home tonight I took a quick peep in my fave local thrift shop, Stretch Thrift. I saw a glass or crystal bell on display that was pretty garish, but I thought how lovely it would be to have a little tinkle sound to announce, say, dinner or maybe even drinks.

Lo and behold my eye zoomed on on this darling brass number made in India - a dinner bell JUST like the one Mom and Dad had while growing up (except the one from childhood HAD no bell and I always missed it)!

Price? Two bucks.

Now I'll have to have a dinner party. Or maybe I could use it for the cats in the morning? Not that they need a bell to remind them, ferociously hungry felines that they are ....

Meanwhile I grew up with a clock EXACTLY like this, an Ingraham of Toronto clock in this exact green hue that Mom and Dad hung in their retro 1950s kitchen, in the decorative wood yoke above the sink.

I found it in a junk shop for $15 (bartered to $13 as that's all I had) and was so pleased to find it worked.

Crazy that I can be emotional about a clock, but hey, I used to dash down our killer steep 13-step stairs when getting ready for school as a teenager and would glance at that thing umpteen times to ensure I'd catch the school bus on time (we lived in a rural area so yes, the school bus was a necessity even for an 18-year old).

Now I have this positioned so that I can see the time when I leave and come into my apartment.

And this painting, which I've posted elsewhere, I bought at Stretch Thrift for $39.99 'cos it reminded me of how I saw Heaven as a child- as a desert wasteland of sand and sun where people slept on the rooves of houses like the one depicted here ....

I love having these emotional reference points surrounding me in my little nook of a pad - they reinforce where I've been and who I am and give my soul a sense of home.

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Anthropologie find & get the look

Yesterday I visited Canada's first Anthropologie shop in the new Shops at Don Mills in Toronto.

Needless to say the store's boho beachy chic look is lovely, and very much meshes with my aesthetic.

I couldn't resist this orange (yes, it's now a trend colour in my living space) transparent lamp shade.

Price?

Let's just say this grunge-queen could have bought a whole bunch of second-hand lamp shades ... but none such as this I must admit.

But some of the Anthropologie wares are a bit dear for what they are ... for example over $3000 for an "antique" chair covered in patchwork?


You can get the Anthropologie look the grunge-queen way. Sure I bought my $88 lamp, but you also know, dear reader, that most of my apartment is from the thrift store or the trash.






Can't afford the lamp shade with cut out felt birdies on it?

I found this crafty chic lampshade on a pottery lamp base at a garage sale for $5.















Handcrafted dishes too dear?

This handcrafted and painted wood bowl by Baribocraft (1960s? Quebec company) was a $1.99 at my local thrift shop, Stretch Thrift.



It's not a patchwork pillow such as the kind Anthropologie sells, but it does have that bohemian look doesn't it?

$1.99 at Value Village.






Antique patchwork chair beyond your budget?

This chair was from the trash. The boho Baroque pillow was $5 and the silk fabric that's folded over the seat was maybe $40.

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