Which is thrift?

I really put my foot in my mouth. Just after I buy two pair of new summer shoes I find two similar pair in the thrift store for next-to-nothing!

Can you tell which wedgie is which, new or thrift? One is by Geox and the other Easy Spirit.

I think I'll have to rethink my "Never buy shoes thrift rule." Rules are meant to be broken anyway, right?

How about these?

Both ballet flats are by Kenneth Cole, but one was super cheap and the other, though part of my two-for-one deal mentioned in yesterday's post, were still $50.

Arg.


I should mention both thrift shoes are in mint condition and look like they haven't been worn hardly at all. I guess that's the big issue I have with thrift-bought shoes: they tend to be really quite worn and stinky. But if you find a pair in good shape that suit you, take a second look by all means.

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Retro shades & hunky Aussies

What do you think of my movie star sunglasses?

I found them in an old hardware store on Danforth Ave. in Toronto for $3!

They're not new. The hardware store, Tracy's Hardware, has been around for 55 years. It does sell hardware but the window is full of second-hand treasures like brass Buddhas and 1960s Murano glass.

I couldn't resist these - purple too!

I wore them last night to the funkiest networking event I've ever been to, held at a drive-through storage facility in Toronto called All Canadian Self Storage and organized by Toronto area Business Network News. I paired them with a fab pink A.X.L. dress I found at ENDS in the Beach for $29!

Funnily enough I tried the exact same dress on a few months ago at the same place when it was $10 more, but left it there as I didn't think it looked good on me!

I also found this ring - new - for .50 cents at another end-of-the line place on the Danforth!

It looks so classy, doesn't it? I think it may be copper.

The lady said it's from Johnson's jewellery in New York but I'm still investigating. Looks like there may be a stamp inside.


I didn't get any pics of me in my amazing dress, but someone else did!

Here I am with some Aussie football players at the The Aussie X booth.

I think I may end up on a brochure somewhere!

Sunglasses, $3; dress that would normal retail at $200: $29; necklace for a couple bucks at a garage sale - that's $34 for this outfit not including the silver leather shoes, which were part of a buy one get the second pair FREE so they were really $50!

I call that a thrifty shopping goal - or is it a touchdown?

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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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Classy glass

My streamlining of clutter project has meant I've had to curtail my weekly thrift store digs, and in an effort to save moolah I avoid my local Value Village, which tends to be a bit more expensive than my local thrift store.

But I couldn't resist this gorgeous tealight at VV for $2.99. It's by Orrefors glass and it's uber heavy.



My sister received two of these for Christmas from a relation who loves buying expensive things, so I knew it cost something sweet retail.

I just love the design - it looks like a bunch of frozen berries clustered all together.

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A throne fit for a queen

Lest you think this blog is becoming a catalogue of my various social exploits, let me reassure you that this entry is 1). Related to a shopping column I'm doing about Yorkville in Toronto; and 2) An illustration of how you can rock in second-hand clothing and accessories!

But first: isn't that throne me and my date are sitting on fit ... for a queen?

We were at a party at MoRoCo Chocolat and we just had to get the sweet owner Kelly Kimel to snap a pic of us in this very regal looking chair.

My outfit: a Diane von Furstenberg wrap dress found at Toronto resale boutique Extoggery. I found the chunky silver tone necklace at the thrift shop for under $10, and decided to jazz it up a little (and cover the scar on my chest) by simply knotting it - looks neat doesn't it?

We saw some very classy looks walking around Yorkville that night, and also some trashy ones. Just goes to show you can look uber classy even when wearing second-hand duds!

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Grunge Queen gets crafty

Dear reader, if you know me well enough you'll know I'm an "as is" kinda gal, not crafty in the least.

Well at the opening of the new Yorkville Anthropologie store in Toronto last Friday night, let's just say I got a little crafty dafty.

Here's me with a hot glue gun to prove it.

To celebrate its launch Anthro held a "statement piece" necklace making workshop using used bits and baubles from vintage jewellery and such.

My gal pal Andrea and I were pretty useless, I'll admit. While droves of 20-somethings put together beautiful statement piece necklaces in 10 minutes to half an hour, we slaved away at that table for 2 hours!

Andrea, lucky gal, ended up finding her necklace mostly done. She strung it up and voila, she had a gorgeous piece!


Here's me with my final creation: a swirl of pearls and smokey grey beads glued to a royal blue felt bib. The silver floral pieces are really special.

It actually turned out ok, kind of elegant, n'est pas? The string part is a mess and I'm not sure about the velvet, so I may recreate the piece on a different fabric.

I'll post the full story soon on my Twitter feed, where you can read all about my local shopping exploits in Toronto!

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Grunge Queen does Yorkville

For Grunge Queen purchases, there's cash.

For Yorkville buys, there's my credit card.

My pal Andrea and I are pretty happy here, as you can see. Last night before the opening of the Yorkville Anthropologie store in Toronto, we popped into the charming www.kumaris.ca boutique, where there was an astonishing sale on their cashmere sweaters, wool scarves and other pieces: BUY 1 GET 2 FREE!

Once we could think clearly we decided to split the sale. Andrea bought one cashmere cardigan for $76 and change, regularly $195.


Meanwhile I bought a cashmere sweater and a gorgeous Indian scarf, each priced at $195.

The bill could have been almost $500, but with the 3 for 1 I paid $146 including taxes.

I just looove this gorgeous wool scarf made in India with all the boho embellishments - rather Anthro, come to think of it.

More to come on the Anthro visit and how we attempted to make our own statement piece necklaces using vintage beads and whatnot - truly funny!

For now it's the long weekend in Canada, and I'm off to the beach!! Have a good one!

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