I love fall!

I love this time of year - mornings and evenings are cooler and the leaves are starting to turn.  It's almost boot season!!!

And speaking of...now that the kids are settled back in school (we start at the beginning of September), I've had some more thrifting time and got to a couple of stores yesterday.  I found some lovely boots that are slightly too small for me, but I knew that someone, somewhere would love them!  They're vintage Bootlegger!  Now, Bootlegger was all the rage when I was in high school.  I know it's still around today but not nearly as popular as the early 90's.  Which was only 10 years ago, right?  Right?

I also found two beautiful scarves: one from Lanvin (!) and one not labelled, but beautiful and very vintage looking.  I really must try to wear my hair like the lovely Eva Mendes to use the big pile of scarves I have.

(via scarveswraps.com)

Here are both scarves, which will hopefully be up in my Etsy shop later today!

Happy Thifting!  And Happy Boot Season!

thriftshare: July 1 / Happy Canada Day!

Thrifting was great this week, the weather has turned hot and sunny, and I just started some Christmas knitting!

Got a deal on some Twilley's of Scotland wool for about $1.00 per ball, so I decided to make this great bag from Purls of Wisdom via Handmakers Factory (a great blog/project site, if you have the time to check it out .  It's formerly Wardrobe Refashion)

So someday this:

will become this:

(via Purls of Wisdom)

I also found an absolutely beautiful Bokhara carpet from Pakistan.  It's small but in beautiful shape.  I would love to keep it, but I'm afraid we would just trash it, and I think it deserves better ;)  I will have it in my Etsy shop soon.

Last but not least, I found an awesome industrial lamp which I'm keeping all to myself!  Eventually, when we finish our basement (in progress), I'll have a little sewing nook, and this will be so great in it.  Of course, I haven't bought the bulbs for it, sooooo...I'm not sure if it works yet.  But I sure hope it does.  *fingers crossed*

Ignore the disgusting laundry room and just focus on the awesomeness of the spring-arm clamp lamp:

Happy Canada Day to my fellow Canucks!  We're celebrating by going to jump in the lake!

thriftshare: June 17

What an awesome week for thrifting!

I came across an ad in our local online classifieds for a mid-century teak table and jumped on it.  The ad only said it was made in Norway, and I'm always looking for a nice coffee table.  Turns out it's a Mobler table made by Rasmus Solberg!  It's awesome, I gotta say. I paid $85, then found an identical one on 1stdibs.com for $2700.  *BIG SMILE*

OK, so the top of mine is a little rough, and it's a little bigger  - I don't know if that's good or bad when you're looking at a coffee table? - but it's beautiful.  Larger in scale than our last table, but we'll get used to it.    Here's my baby ;)

I also got to a couple of stores and have actually managed to list some stuff this morning - it's a good day when I'm productive!  I left the store with a couple more silk scarves.  I find people just tend to overlook them, not being clothing, but some of them are so gorgeous.  One is an awesome must de Cartier scarf...drool....

And the other is a Pierre Cardin Jeunesse - lovely and summery!

...and I promise to one day, figure out a better way to photograph a scarf...

Happy thrifitng!

thriftshare: June 10/13 and a DIY!

So I'm a sucker for a nice wool blanket.  I have too many, yet when I see one, I just can't pass it up.  And so I have another wool blanket...

I also found some adorable apples tins - so cute for the kitchen.  Please note that the pics have been taken before I've cleaned anything....Monday morning seems to come so quickly ;)

(now available on Etsy)

And lastly this awesome Spartus alarm clock/light.  How cool is this!?  OK, maybe everyone had one as a kid, but this is a very cool space saving design - I love it! And, it works.  Gotta love that.

And my DIY....I love it, but I have to say, it's not for everyone.  I showed my visiting sister and she was nice, but "meh" about it.  Too bad she has such bad taste ;p  (kidding!)

My inspiration was from a recent Country Living magazine.  I thought this was so cool and have been looking for a front entrance 'landing strip' and storage.

Now, mine is not perfect.  I tend to be a "eh, good enough" sort of diy-er...but I love it!

Apparently filing cabinets come in 5000 different sizes, widths and heights.  So I will replace one if I find a perfectly matching size, and I still have to spray paint (and reinsert) the plastic handle inserts but it's just perfect!  I'm so easily pleased, it's silly.

Have a great thrifting week everyone!

thriftshare: June 3, 2013

Wow, where did May, April and March go?  

I found a couple of great items at the thrift stores this week, one for myself (yay!) and one to put on Etsy.  I have quite a little collection of Descoware/Le Creuset that I've thrifted over the years, which is simply awesome, considering I'd never spend the money on a new one.  I found another Descoware pot last week - it's the most I've paid for one, at $20, but it's also in the best shape.  The inside is flawless and the lid is only slight banged up.  I cannot wait to make soup, or stew, or something!

And I found this simply gorgeous silk dress.  Not sure how vintage it is as the label is entirely in Chinese, but I did Google translate 100% silk on the tag!  I think it would look lovely belted, and it can fit so many sizes.  It will be up on Etsy soon.

I hope you all have a great thrifting/gardening/running week, cause that's what I'm gonna be doing ;)

An unintended break, or, Oops, I forgot my blog!

So, the first half of the year is almost gone...and I've posted once.  Not gonna harp on it, onwards and upwards!

I love scarves: they're plentiful, cheap and beautiful things.  I have the best intentions of sewing with them, but it's really hard to take apart a gorgeous silk scarf, let me tell you.  I feel like I'm destroying it, rather than creating something new.

So some that I find, I will put in my Etsy shop because I can't bear to cut them up.  I just listed a couple here and here.  This one is my favourite:

I also found a couple of awesome vintage white clutches, perfect for summer.  I'm in the process of listing them but my photos are taking forever to upload to Etsy.  If I thought I could pull off patent vinyl, I'd totally be all over this one:

And I like this Jane Shilton leather one too.  It looks like it could actually fit my wallet...

Have a great week everyone!

New Year, New Things

I hope you all had a great Christmas and New Years!  Ours was good - quick (as it always is) and full of extended family (for a short period of time ;)

I've made a few resolutions this year.  I am fine with making them.  I'm tweaking a few things here and there that I'd like to do more of, or become better at, and things I'd like to do less of (...gotta get off the computer at night...).  Most are good, attainable goals.  One of which is to keep this blog better maintained and more organized.  I'd like to add a little more lifestyle-ish things as well as thrift.  I'm always trying new crafts or hobbies that I'd like to show to people and get their opinion on.  I will try!  Starting NOW!

So, I may be late to the party,  but these things are cool.  My cupboards need a little more organizing and prettifying (see, just made up a new word there! Resolutions baby!) I was at Staples today to grab a pen (like this one in Maggie's list - I'm such a copier) and saw these:

Removeable, reusable chalkboard labels!  How geekily cool!  I know my husband wouldn't think they were all that, but I'm hoping someone here would.  I began the cupboard prettification and started with some of my flours.

Notice that I have cropped out most of the rest of the cupboard which still looks like sh*t :)  *But it is the start of the new year and I shall get more organized!  And the kids go back to school next week and then I shall thrift!* (This part, btw, was said in Superhero voice.  Sounds cooler that way)

Monday Finds

Glad to hook up with a living space this week for The Nifty Thrifty and Apron Thrift Girl for Thrift Share Monday!  I've been woefully bad at keeping my blog up-to-date, but equally as bad at getting my Christmas shopping and holiday knit gifts done.  So it's not just you ;)

I did get to thrift with my mom last week and found an awesome, though perhaps somewhat expensive,  body form.  It's very cool, vintage, and I needed one badly.  It's so much easier to take photos of many things with a nice dress form.

My new form with my Matt&Nat bag here

I also found a gorgeous Gucci silk scarf - wow! - also seen here on....yep, my new dress form!

And I'm spending the rest of the day trying hard to list more items in my Etsy shop...I've got an excess of inventory to list.  Happy thrifting everyone!

Giddyup!

First off, I hope everyone in the Eastern States are holding up alright!  Sandy sounds nasty.

So I have a find that I'm hoping someone can help me with.  I found this beautiful piece of folk art at a local thrift and it's obviously handmade, and I believe it's old, just not sure how old.  And I'm going to list in in my etsy shop, as I know it's probably quite collectable.  I've been trying to research  it, but prices and sizes are all over the place!  Has anyone ever found anything like this; anything you can tell me about it?

The horse stands about 22 1/4" tall floor to ear and it's about 19" long knee to tail.

The patina and colours are great.

The legs and head are removable too - hey, makes for easy packing!

I'm really trying beef up my listings before the holidays, but the weeks keep sneaking by on me.  Happy thrifting everyone!

thrift share Monday

Thrifting's been a little thin this week, but I got a couple of items I'm happy with.  Scarves.  Again. I find alot of scarves, nice ones.  Makes me wish I were more of a scarf girl, just like I wish I was more of a vest girl.  I can't pull it off, don't know why.

So, a couple of nice silk scarves: Oscar de la Renta and Echo, a brand I hadn't seen before.  But, I love a good polka dot - couldn't resist ;)

Oscar - love the fall colours!

Polka dots!

I also grabbed this beautiful Dooney & Bourke handbag.  I love the classic lines and simple shape.  I, however, just spent a handful on a vintage Cashin handbag and need to sell this one!

Lastly, this ones a keeper!  I bought this from a local lady who was downsizing and selling her late husbands things.  It's a beautiful stereo cabinet with storage (and a working record player. Score!) and her husband made it!  I love the style, thought for sure it was Danish or a look alike mid-century style, but he made it in the 60's.  The story makes it even more special and perfectly awesome.

Please ignore the crap on top and the cords beneath - I'm working on  it!

Happy thrifting guys!

Oops

Hello!  Anyone...anyone...

Well, I've really gotta get my act together.  To say that summer is completely unproductive for me is an understatement, but that nice excuse ended a few weeks ago when the kids went back to school, so...

a heartfelt sorry if I ruined your summer by not posting ;)

Back to thrift scores!

I found a few things that I'm just going to list in my Etsy shop.  Nothing big but very cute:

And a couple of Fire King horderve serving plates (does that word look wrong to you?  I googled it and everything..)  Oh how embarrasing....->  Since hors d'oeuvres are lacking in my house, I thought they would make cute jewelry or soap holders as well.

A few weeks ago I scored a gorgeous vintage Lawrence dress - black with jeweling on the collar and cuffs - I just cannot take a good picture of it without and dress form!  I'm really hoping to find one soon so I can get that on Etsy for the holidays.

Have a good day.  I'll be back soon, I promise, I have alot of catching up to do ;)

A slow thrifting week

I'm going out on the hunt today, hoping to find some great stuff!  I have to hurry and shop, shop, shop, as my kids are done school for the summer on Thursday.  For some reason, they don't love to browse around the shops like me?!  I just don't get it ;)

Last week I found some lovely Bensimon shoes, looking like NOS (new old stock) to use some Ebay slang. I don't think they've ever been worn - and they're awesome.  Too bad I have big feet, these babies are a size 7 - 7 1/2.  I'm going to relist them on Ebay today.  I did have them on a couple of days ago, but someone helpfully pointed out that they're marked as a 38/5.  I wasn't thinking and assumed US 5 but realize now it's a UK 5.  That would've been an embarrassing blunder!

Very cute and perfect for summer

Have an awesome (and hopefully sunny!) week everyone!

Why hello there!

Sooo...this is what happens when you go on vacation and forget (practically) that you have a fairly new blog.  Sorry about that.  I have gotten to thrift recently (yay!) and found some grrrreat (channeling Tony the Tiger) stuff.  


Surfing around on the net recently I came upon a post of The Recycle-ista's about flatware.  SO glad I found that post.  Silverwear was something I've never looked at as I really haven't ever been interested in it, not too fussy about what we eat with and I've never known any names to look for.  Fast forward to yesterday at my local VV and I stopped in front of the flatwear to look.  (I always feel self-concious squinting at the bags and trying to move things around to see the marks)  Anyhoo, I found myself some Lauffer (forks and spoons) that was made in Norway.  Now, I know pretty much anything Scandinavian is good.  Period.  So that piqued my interest.  I couldn't remember the list of names that the Recycle-ista had put in her post, but thought I'd take a chance.  So, along with some completely useless and cheap cutlery in the bags, I brought home the Lauffer that I'd found.  I was doing some research last night and turns out, it's worth more than I'd ever pay for a fork!  I haven't listed it yet, but think I'm going to put it on Ebay, as I'm not sure how well it'd do on Etsy.  Update:  The Lauffer flatware is now on Ebay here, here and here.  Yay!  Something accomplished ;)

Some Vera scarves were calling my name...and I've finally figured out a way to photograph them.  It's only taken me 6 months.  Genius, I know.

The board hanger (for lack of a better name) is an idea from Soulemama.  I believe it is in  her first book, The Creative Family. I can  move off some of my kids art and hang the scarves.  It's life changing for me, let me tell you!


So, up went the Vera and a Patricia Dumont, very cool design, alas, polyester.  But she's got very mod looks to her scarves - I like them alot.

I also picked up an awesome Pyrex flameware coffee pot.  Yet another reason I wish I had a gas stove...it'll be going in my shop as well.  Just gotta get my butt moving.  Soon. 

Happy thrifting guys!

I love to see how other people have furnished and decorated their homes, especially people whose tastes I admire. So I don't go on Pinterest, I think I would lose entire days on there. When I see other peoples homes and art on their blogs, or places that they liked that they've linked to, I get so many ideas and things I want to try and do. That being said, we've lived in our house for nearly 10 years and our living room/dining room is seriously lacking. The furniture is great, a giant leather sectional that we can all fit on to watch a movie, a few pieces of mid-century Scandinavian furniture, but the walls are...ugh.

Mmmhmm, tried the fabric thing. I'm done with it now.

Ignore the cushion on the chair, notice the lovely furnishings ;)

Surfing around lately, I've found some beautiful homes that are just so full of character, not like anything out of a magazine, but which look like they convey the look and things the owners love.  I think they're awesome and would love to steal some of their ideas.

via rummage.typepad.com

via a-living-space.blogspot.com

And I loooovvvveeeee Tiel Seivl-Keever's art, found here

via tsktsk.typepad.com

Time to hit the thrift stores again, me thinks!

I've got the blues...

OK, so thrifting this week was so much fun!  I got a couple of awesome things, but the bad news is it's all for me :)  Nothing to share or send to the shop, oh, except a silk scarf!

And everything was blue, or teal, or a combination.  I found an awesome workhorse of a Singer in a beautiful tealy colour along with the original wooden case.  OK, so no one but me will see it in the basement in my sewing "room" but I love it to death!  And it works great so far.

I also found another Liberty of London silk scarf.  Really pretty.  I just wish I was more of a scarf girl, just like I wish I was more of a vest girl...I just can't pull them off.

And last but not least, my most awesome (I say that alot, I think) find. I know you'll agree.  A large, very large, Le Creuset French Oven.  I believe it's a 12.5L.  It is around 11" in diameter.  So AWESOME!  I felt like I was getting away with something, walking around the thrift store with it.  It was $5.00.  Really.  The outside is nearly perfect - the inside is a little rough, but nothing that bad!  It works perfectly.  AND, it matches the other oval Le Creuset oven I found a few years ago at a Value Village.  For $6.00.  Am I making you jealous yet?  Sorry for the crappy picture.  Do not photograph in front of a sunny window.  Photography 101.  I was in a hurry ;)