Light my Fire

I'm not telling you how many lamps I have in my apartment. I love ambient lighting; it creates a wonderful mood.

This blue lantern was $4.99 at my local thrift store. For now it's sitting on my window sill and hangs out with my new blue sheer curtains, which I picked up at Fabricland in the discount bin.

These wicker lampshades are lined in satin and in fab condition. They were $5 for the pair, again at Stretch Thrift.

Again, I'm loving the symmetrical lamp look. It just adds a touch of class.

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Silver sparkle for the holidays

Silver is hot this holiday season, and I love the cool elegance of it. For my first Christmas party the other night I put together a thrifty outfit in a jiff. I bought a silver shift dress (Made in Canada, yah!) at a closing out sale on St. Clair Ave. West for $10.

Then I threw on some vintage crystal-esque beads, a three-tier strand, I found at a thrift store for a few bucks.

To add some contrast, on went a black quilted short jacket by Bergdorf Goodman, dug up for a great price at a 50 percent off sale at a resale boutique. Silver shoes picked up for $20 at Winners went on too.

My best find: a silver sequin handbag (by Danier Leather and in mint shape) found for $1.99 at my local thrift shop, Stretch Thrift, that very day!!

To add a bit of spice to the winter cool I donned a pair of handpainted stockings by DIM, found at a sample sale in the northern Fashion District last year (six pair for $20 if memory serves).

I'd been saving them for the perfect occasion and I found it. My date sure liked them! The outfit looked so classy and pretty!


My date wore a Neiman Marcus black velvet blazer (not thrift!), a red scarf, plaid vest and white shirt with black pants.

I'd say we look like quite the festive couple and our outfits complemented each other: he had a pop of colour to offset my glittery silver!

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Which hat is thrift? answered

Last week's post about which hat was thrifted generated some fun comments, but Eyeliah of www.theeyeline.ca and www.stylesymmetry.com guessed correctly - this navy Kangol hat was found for a buck at my local thrift shop, Stretch Thrift, while the black one was new and recently gifted to me (cost $45 I happen to know). Great eye, Eyeliah, and thanks to all who guessed or commented!

Speaking of outerwear I found my fave winter gloves, a pair of navy leather with Thinsulate lining, at Stretch Thrift last year for $2.99 or so --- only to lose one, arg.

The other day I found these, though, a pair of bronze-brown leather gloves lined in silk for $1.99.

They're not winter gloves but they'll be perfect for going to holiday parties in - in fact I wore them on the weekend to a Christmas party with a fab thrift outfit I'll show you this week!

I don't imagine these are too old or retro, but the stamp inside on the lining does have a retro vibe to it - the writing, in case you can't see it, says "Pure silk lined Hand cut Washable" and the size (which is 7 and a half, slightly too small for me but I can manage them in a pinch).

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Retro bling x 3 for under 2 bucks!

I woke up the other morning with this phrase in my head: wonderful pillows are to couches as great jewellery is to an outfit.

In other words, I can't afford a new couch or a new outfit, but I sure can jazz things up with a new pillow (ok, used, see post from two days ago) and new (used) bling.

So, after unloading a bunch of necklaces at my Grunge Queen Stuff Sale a few weeks ago, I stocked up on retro costume jewellery the other day at my no. 1 neighborhood thrift store, Stretch Thrift (see Top 10 Toronto Thrift Stores posts from last week).

How could I leave this retro silver tone choker necklace by Coro that Mary in the shop let me have ... for .50 cents??

Or this gold-tone retro choker by Monet, again for .50 cents?

The segments look like little fishies, don't they?

I love the weight of this piece - a trait I always look for when buying retro bling. The more substantial, the older, I find, and more expensive looking.

Mary upped the ante when she told me she wanted .69 cents for this three-tier gold tone strand necklace by D'Orlan.

But I took a deep breath and decided to go for it.

Three fab pieces to make countless outfits even better, all for $1.69!

Maybe one or two will be holiday gifts ....

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Ring-a-ding-deal

This is my latest thrift mega find: a red rotary phone!!

I grew up with a black one and loved it. When I saw this one for $6.99 at my local thrift shop, Stretch Thrift, I snagged it.

The guy at the cash was none too pleased it was priced so low, because, according to him, the red ones are quite rare.

This one was made in Canada by Northern Electric, which means it must have been made before 1971 as Northern Electric became Bell Northern Research in that year.

I have another phone I can check my voicemail on, but I gotta say I love the old-fashioned ring on this baby and that old-world feeling of - gasp - actually dialing the phone.

Go ahead: ring my bell.

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Super thrift outfit

Happy Halloween!

Here's what I'm wearing at work today for my costume, which is a generic Super Girl Hero type ditty. My pal and colleague Jill is Superman, or Superman's gal, depending how you look at it.

One of these outfits is thrift and the other isn't - can you guess which?

Natch, most of my outfit is thrift, and most items I wear in my every day life when I'n NOT super.

The red cashmere cape was $24.99 at Value Village, the short blue skirt was dug up at Goodwill yesterday for $5.99, the tights and top I had, and the funky disco belt was found at True Blue Vintage in the Junction (2919 Dundas St. West, no website yet) for $15 - thought it was pretty special.

The real deals were the blue suede boots made in Italy, bagged for $14.99 at Stretch Thrift on Pape Ave. in Toronto.

But I didn't win the contest, alas; Jill came in second.

Still I think thrift is pretty super. Maybe I should have called myself Shopping Girl?

Was your Halloween costume thrift or used?

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Updates & new thrifted blazer

I have some important Grunge Queen updates:

One, the Oriental Screen in the trash stayed there for a few, very wet and rainy, days and then was hopefully carted off by some brawny person instead of being dumped in the landfill.

Two, remember my Statement Piece Blazer dug up at the Parkdale Sally Ann for $4.99? Knew it was spanky as it was made in France by Canadian-born designer Tara Jarmon. DIDN'T know it was worth so much until I did a shopping column in Midtown Toronto the other day as saw her blouses for $500 and dresses for $600 in a boutique there. My blazer must have retailed for the same if not more, wowsers!

Three, speaking of blazers, I found this Theory blazer at my local thrift shop. Stretch Thrift, for $6.99. It's a fitted brushed cotton style in this olive-brown colour I'm nuts for these days, and it goes perfectly with my thrifted Bongo jeans (Value Village, $14.99) and magenta Dex top I'm wearing underneath (thrifted for a few bucks).

Also goes perfectly with the Statement Piece Pashmina I bought at a 3-for-1 sale in Yorkville in the summer with my shopping pal, Andrea.

Theory sells at places like Holt Renfrew and the blazers appear to run around $400-$600!

While shopping for the blazer I met a kindred thrifting spirit, Pam, who also shops thrift all over the city. Pam told me she's found Gucci and more in the shops. Hope she calls me so we can do a dig together!!

Thanks to my Editor in Chief at the Town Crier newspapers for letting me pose in front of a picture in his office - makes the perfect backdrop. By the way if you want to read my latest Toronto Shopping Column please follow the link!

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My thrift tribute to Chanel

The new Coco Chanel flic is out, so here's my thrifty tribute to one of the biggest style icons of all time who still influences fashion today:

It's all thrift.

The pink wool-cashmere sweater with cute pockets is Chanel-ish by virtue of those pockets and the pink. The ruffle is darling too. $5.99 at my local thrift store, Stretch Thrift in the east end of Toronto.

The faux pearls: $10 at Around the Block, a great consignment store in North Toronto.

The skirt: black silky Jacob skirt thrifted for under $10 years ago. The tank is a black stretch Bedo top found for a couple bucks at my local thrift shop.

The shoes and tights are new.
Total for outfit: under 30 bucks.

What would Coco think?

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Coat a la thrift

I'm not just a chair addict: I also have a thing for retro, well-made coats.

And since it's 12 degrees C this morning it's the perfect time to show you the ad FAB coat I picked up at my local thrift shop, Stretch Thrift, for $12.99 - yes, $12.99!

There's more: it's in mint shape, not a hole, hanging thread or pill to be found.

The tag says Heatona, Leeds and London and it says it's made in Scotland with pure new wool cloth, and it actually has a trademark symbol on it for the Scottish Woolen Association.

Just look at the detail on this coat! The buttons, the collar, the pattern - even the lining hasn't a rip in it.

This baby is going to look incredibly stylish with everything from skirts and boots to jeans and chunky sweaters - I can hardly wait to wear it!

I always look for well-worn (ie: not worn) wool that doesn't stink of mothballs. Lately I have been looking for wool with tags from Scotland as they seem to wear better and appear to be of a higher quality than most I see. Generally these makes tend to be more classic in style as opposed to trendy, meaning their styles are applicable today and highly wearable!

Tomorrow I'll show you another goodie I found at Value Village ....

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More mirrors, no smoke

I'm still on my mirror theme today. They add glitz and glam and light to any space and, well, they're shiny and I'm attracted to them like a kid to a lollipop.

This uber heavy gilt mirror suits my rough-and-tumble chic look. It has an old flaky gold leaf look to it that speaks of age and a certain amount of decrepitude.

It was sitting in the basement of a dingy second-hand store in the west end of Toronto (that didn't stay open for long, alas) for $3.99. Natch I snapped it up.

I love the way it pops against the deep blue.

I've already shown you my little beauty nook in a tiny hallway, where a heavy second-hand mirror (about $30, pricey for the Grunge Queen) hangs over a gilt shelf ($2 at a garage sale in Ottawa when I went on vacation last year!).

I recently jazzed up the hallway by hanging a print under the gilt shelf. It extends the space and makes the ensemble look like an entire unit.

If you look behind it to the left you'll see a smaller version of the lacquer mirror I showed you yesterday, hanging over an empty frame I found at a garage sale (3 of them for $2).

This is the smallest decor mirror I've ever bought. It was about $6.99 at my local east-end Toronto thrift store, Stretch Thrift.

I use it to check my butt out in my oblong mirror when I'm getting dressed in the morning.

I love the rustic, semi scraggy look. It provides an interesting contrast to all my pretty shiny perfume bottles.

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Gold, silver & gold

I'm not a huge fan of brass nor am I a clock collector, but I loved this clock by H. Samuel made in West Germany.

I found it in my local thrift shop for $5.99.

It looks very Old World when positioned in front of some of my old books.










Though I love glittery things, I also like old, worn and tarnished pieces that used to gleam and glisten.

This silver jug has a nicer look when oxidized, I think, than it would all shiny and new looking.

I bought it at the same thrift store in Toronto, Stretch Thrift, for $3.99. I tried to fit a plant into it but it didn't work, so it's just on its own for now.

This silvery vase was $10 at a west end Toronto junk store. Sometimes I put flowers in it but more often than not it sits empty and hangs out with my other gold & silver stuff on my new dining table.

What I'd love to find, for super cheap natch: an old silver trophy, with the handles and everything.

Once I get an idea in my head about something I'd like, it tends to come to me. So I'm just putting the trophy thing out there.

Now, what about that rich & romantic man?

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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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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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Jewellery junkie gets her fix

You know by now my penchant for retro bling.

On my way to do a shopping column yesterday I popped into my friendly neighborhood thrift shop - an absolute must if you want to bag the good stuff.

TIP: GO OFTEN.

Just as I was about to leave one of the employees who's sold me many baubles for a couple bucks or less mentioned a whack of jewellery had jusy come in.

REMEMBER: EMPLOYEES AND OWNERS OF STORES WILL REMEMBER YOU IF YOU GO AND BUY OFTEN - THEN AS THEY GET TO KNOW YOUR TASTES THEY'LL HAUL OUT OR PUT ASIDE STUFF FOR YOU IF THEY'RE REALLY NICE....

My spidy senses tingled.

Out came a plastic bag. I restrained, as she went through the bag.

TIP: DON"T BE GRABBY. WAIT FOR THEM TO PRESENT ITEMS TO YOU.

I ended up walking away with a three-tier a vintage glass bead necklace for $3 (TIP: DON'T ARGUE, ESPECIALLY IF YOU THINK YOU SHOULD PAY MORE)!!

And this totally tubular necklace, a cross between a Tribal and Industrial worm, was also $3. Though it's contemporary I thought it was pretty funky.

I also bagged a huge sterling cocktail ring with a pink stone for $2.

Thrift shops can be havens for both contemporary, retro and vintage jewellery - you just have to know what you like!

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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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Reunion outfit was second-hand!

So after obsessing about my highschool homecoming outfit for months and purchasing SEVERAL dresses, grunge queen ended up wearing a largely second-hand outfit to the first night of her big reunion....

Go figure.

It worked out pretty well. The jeans were thrifted at Stretch Thrift a few weeks ago for a mere $5.99 and they're now my fave summer jeans.

The top was given to me that day, a castoff from my very well-dressed best pal Di. Under it I wore a bodysuit I bought at Costa Blanca (column coming soon on that shop).

The necklace you may recall from my garage sale dig a few weeks ago, and the square gold-tone 1970s hoops were dug up at a thrift shop for a couple bucks.

The purse and shoes were bought new months ago.

My sis (the one that looks like me) has followed the thrifting bug too: she bought the Mexx pants she was wearing at Stretch Thrift as well for a few dollars. Her top and jacket? Let's just say Di-Di came to the rescue again, this time with a loaner.

God bless best pals for their great wardrobes.

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Who says shoes won't do? Decorating with heels

Well, why not?

Once I left behind a pair of gorgeous retro lace lace up shoes handmade in Paris - they were a size 6 and since my clompers are huge I figured I had no use for them ....

But when I saw these yellow pumps in excellent condition, handmade in Spain, I took the plunge and bought 'em for $5.99 at Stretch Thrift.

I can either give them to a pal - the colour is so hot right now - or keep them for a display.



This isn't the most brilliant display but I like the contrast between the blue and the yellow - complementary hues on the colour wheel - and the simplicity of the tableau is in keeping with the sleek lines of the Danish modern teak hutch that I'm using as a bookcase.

But sigh, I wish I could cram my feet in them. They're in fab condition and the gold script reading "Arnold Churgin handmade in Spain" isn't smudged or worn at all.

Arnold Churgin, a quick Google search reveals, is a Calgary, Canada--based ladies footwear company that started in 1964. Love that they're Canadian but the Spain connection has a certain amount of Euro cache. http://www.arnoldchurgin.com/

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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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