5 buck pick-me-up with G-Q reader pal

Happy Grunge Queen story: I met Doreen, a reader who found this blog and contacted me after the Toronto Star article Rita Zekas wrote on me and my pad came out in November.

Doreen and I have become friends, and recently we took a stroll along Mount Pleasant Rd., where there's a bunch of antique and decor shops.

At one shop specializing in refurbished lighting, we found bins of chandelier pieces selling for $3 to $6.

This big red piece, about 2 inches long, called out to me. The owner let me have it for $5 - luckily exactly what I had in my purse! It'll make a striking pendant necklace with a velvet or silky ribbon.

Doreen says all I have to do is buy a clasp at a bead shop to go through the hole on top. If I'm feeling really lazy and grunge-queenish, I can just string a ribbon through it.

Anyway I love it. It satisfies my constant need for bling, and will turn out to be a nifty statement piece necklace once I'm done with it.

The gent at the shop tells me red chandeliers were quite rare so these pieces aren't easy to come by. I thought the shape was really different too.

If you're ever on the Mount Pleasant strip in T.O. check it out; the shop has unique chandeliers and some very cool Art Deco wall sconces with icicle-like chandelier pieces dripping from them:



Akladios Antiques
558 Mount Pleasant Rd.,
416-544-1960 www.akladiosantiques.com

How do you get your bling bang on? Any creative ways you've found or put together inexpensive jewellery?

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New pillow, thrift outfit

Yesterday's post mentioning pillows was inspired in part by my dream pillow, pictured here with moi at an event I attended last week in the Beach at Jane Hall Design. www.janehalldesign.com

Jane is a creative colour guru and interior designer who works magic with fabric and rooms. This silk pillow, $88, is just the teeniest example of her decorating verve. I love it, but will have to leave it on my Santa wishlist for now. Besides I bagged a wonderful used pillow for $30, as you'll see from a post earlier this week.

Though I'm hating the way my hair looks in this pic (I'm trying to grow it, arg), I got a lot of compliments on my outfit that night, the entire ensemble being thrift.

The statement piece wool jacket made in Toronto by Miranda Lumley was only $3.99 at a 50 percent off sale at Goodwill - the Friday before last my date and I were on our way home from dinner and we saw the sign and ran in 5 minutes before close ... I found this in 2 minutes and I sure think he's a keeper if he can get off on hitting Goodwill after dinner....

The wool turtleneck was $5 or so, the Jones New York lined wool skirt I can't recall how much I paid for, and the chunky retro chain I bought for $15 at Bead Goes On in Toronto (see my Top 10 Toronto Thrift Shops below as that store is one of 'em). Even the blue beret and black cashmere cape (not pictured here) were thrift!

PHOTOS COURTESY PARMJIT PARMAR OF MONTANA RIDGE MARKETING & PROMOTIONAL SERVICES http://www.montanaridge.com/

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Boho pillow, late Victorian fabric?

Here's THE pillow, purchased at Around the Block in Toronto (see yesterday's post) for a mere $30.

It's green velvet - not surprising considering my decor fetish for blue and green velvet.

Warren, the shop owner, told me the fabric was early century and that the owner has someone make it into a pillow. The pillow is huge, sturdy and firm and has these lovely tassles that have been sewn all around it - so boho pretty.

Something like this would have been BIG bucks new at a decor or custom design shop. I've seen handmade pillows for over a hundred bucks!

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Top 10 Toronto Thrift Shops, Finale!

Ok fellow grungers, so these last two listings aren't thrift shops per se, but they're pretty fab place to pick up some thrifty-type finds, and I haven't really covered the midtown area in Toronto (there are a couple thrift shops here, like Sally Ann and Goodwill on St. Clair Ave. West, but since I've already covered those I'm not writing them up.). Here's 9 and 10:

Midtown:

9). Bead Goes On
256 Soudan Ave. (just off Mt. Pleasant Rd).
416-481-7622

This is one of the teeniest shops I've ever seen but every time I hit Mt. Pleasant I check it out. Owner Cyndi is a blast and her collection of vintage and retro handbags, jewellery and some clothing and accessories is to die for. You can find every style and era from Victorian to Art Deco, everything from vintage croc bags for a couple hundred bucks to Hermes scarves for $150. Natch, I eke out the inexpensive costume jewellery, like the Sarah Coventry ring pictured here, bagged for $15, or the 1970s carpet clutch also pictured here, about $40.

10). Around the Block
1903 Avenue Rd.,
416-546-1760
www.aroundtheblock.com

I hit Avenue Rd.north of Lawrence Ave. West every few months and always find something in this fab decor and accessory consignment shop - the prices have been around the block too! There's everything from original art to Persian carpets and dining room sets, and the bonus is the decorative accessories like vases and lamps are super well-priced. There's also some good costume jewellery with more expensive baubles under glass. You can see a full review I did as a shopping columnist if you go to their website ....

Recent finds: Uber worn Persian style runner rug, in rare blue tones, for $95 (pictured here: can you spot the kitty?). My cats can scratch away on it all they like! Just the other day I found a WONDERFUL boho Victorian pillow here ... that I'm saving to show you in tomorrow's post!

Night night!

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