I'm still here.

 I'm still here. Hi friends, I know it's been an absence. I've been working hard, and also enjoying life. I've undergone some lows and highs.

Let's start with the seasonal changes here in Northwestern Ontario. It's late November, and I am packing away the denim jackets and light cotton layers I wore during the heat of the summer and early fall.

Here are two outfits taken while I am seated in my car...first one is of me at the mall car park.  Shopping trips are becoming rarer, and therefore have become a treat and excursion. I am planning more carefully, so that I make fewer forays into our local shopping mall. I enjoy people watching, and being out and about. So I savour looking at merchandise and seeing what people are wearing. I also like striding about in indoor malls...which may soon become a thing of the past as shopping malls are increasingly loosing flagship stores. There are waves of longstanding stores which are dissappearing...shopping is changing. I have changed with it, I am allowing myself a budget to snap up well made clothing at liquidation sale prices.

me-made corgi mask, thrifted denim jacket, orange t-shirt (from store liquidation), blue camo jeans (from another store liquidation).

Outfit pic of me prior leaving the car to go to my job as a retail clerk in a women's wear shop. 

Abalone necklace from women's wear store liquidation, tank top from RW sales, thrifted Calvin Klein jeans, long lacy cardigan from sales.

I became suddenly unemployed in mid-May...and wanting to be frugal and not slide too deeply into debt, I picked up 3 part-time jobs (retail clerk, newspaper delivery person, and corner store cashier/prep cook). I enjoyed these adventures,  but thankfully I have secured an replacement full-time job.  One which pays more than my previous job, and ensures that I will survive financially. It's extremely difficult to support a household working minimum wage jobs, as it's impossible to find a job with full-time hours. I made the best of it though...and I'm still here. 

Here is what I learned about myself from my part-time jobs

1. I absolutely adore staging outfits, and presenting accessories and merchandise for sale. My favorite task as a retail clerk in a women's wear shop was opening up boxes of merchandise and arranging them for sale.

2. I love opening up mysterious boxes of inventory and exploring the contents.

3. I adore fashion, but I cherish well made clothing that is durable as well as stylish.

4. I thrive on working in a corner store/restaurant...the pressure of prepping food at high-speed is intoxicating.

5. I enjoy the peace and serenity of getting up extra-early and traipsing through neighbourhoods for 2 hours to deliver papers (except for Thursdays, when circulars add additional weight and bulk to my carrier bags, ugh!).

Assorted jean jackets and other clothing, all purchased second-hand.

Covid has not been an easy go for me. I haven't seen my kids in a long time as they live with their dad. A long term relationship also ended. And a career job suddenly disappeared. But I came back stronger, with a new relationship and a better job. I hope that you, my blogland friends, also persevere and survive. Perhaps you will discover new strengths, and new ways to enjoy life in quarantine.

I feel nostalgic as I pack away my summer wardrobe. But as the temperature dip, Mother Nature is giving us a taste of frosty weather...time to unpack cozy sweaters, tights, thicker trousers and leggings, and long jackets. I also plan to unpack my festive clothing. My boyfriend and I may not be going out to Christmas parties...but I will be damned if I don't dress up in my glittering finery.

happy thrifting ;)

Organizing Thrifty

Happy Chinese New Year, ya'll!

The new year is traditionally a time where consumers sort out their belongings, and purchase high-priced organizing solutions.

I choose not to over-spend on storage solutions.  If I wait long enough, I'll find what I need at a second-hand store.

I have lots of clothes.  

And don't get me started on my purse collection! 

I used to store my overflow clothing in these plastic drawers.

$20 on sale at Walmart.

A few weeks ago, I found this fabulous wardrobe from Habitat for Humanity Restore.  All the contents from the plastic drawers fit into one of the drawers.  I have room to grow, hurrah!

Vintage Lane Wardrobe, $100

Did I mention that I have a plethora of purses?  I store them in suitcases.

This suitcase is a metal steamer trunk.

Aren't these leather handbags fabulous?

The remaining purses went in this suitcase.

Now I need to sort out my boot socks and my tights.

My overflow scarves went into a thrifted basket.

Here is a picture of my storage.  Items I use everyday are in easy reach.  Other items are stored up, and out of the way.  I hope you like the way it looks.  It's nice to have things organized in an interesting, eclectic way.  

The steamer truck was thrifted for $40. The suitcases and basket were thrifted for $6 each. The wardrobe was $100.

Be careful when purchasing furniture and suitcases.  Bedbugs can lurk in dark corners.

Other thrifted finds include this nice selection of china.

Royal Albert, fine bone china for a few dollars each, hurrah!

Crystal glasses for $1 each.

Vintage expo67 Canada Day ashtray for $4

Selection of CDs, DVDs, Toby mug and earrings.

Even though my jewellery collection has taken over several cupboards and the top of my dresser.  I had been eyeing these earrings above for weeks.

I bought the earrings, and a few other treasures very cheaply.  The Loft crystal necklace, crystal heart necklace, zipper necklace and cloisonee clamper bracelet came home with me for $3 each.

This month I knitted several infinity scarves.  You can loop the scarf several times around your face and neck to keep out the cold.

One friend kindly commented that the scarves I made are nice enough to be sold!  Well, perhaps I will while my time away knitting for profit once I complete more urgent projects ...hah!

Happy organizing everyone! I hope you all enjoy a happy and prosperous 2017!!  Cock-a-doodle-doo!!

happy thrifting ;)

Thrifty handbag haul

Hello friends!  Well another interesting week for news indeed. Turkey foils an attempted military coup (good thing because dad is there!), Trump has a VP pic, and Pokemon GO has gamers stumbling about outside.

Phew, where to start?  How about some handbag pics. All of these handbags came from the Salvation Army for $10 or less.  I collected them over a period of several months.  They were in excellent condition.  I wiped them down with a disinfecting wipe and they were good to go!

I dithered whether or not to buy this purse, as I already have two others in this color.  But the workmanship was beautiful. - look at the even stitching that pieces the leather pieces together!! So this patchwork lovely came home to join the hoard collection.

Burgundy patchwork Ellepi, made in Italy, genuine leather.

I spied this adorable black and white purse on the racks and pounced on it.  I love Betsey Johnson!!

White and black, heart motif, Betsey Johnson.

Our Salvation Army has random bins of smallish items.  That is where I found this snakeskin clutch for $4.99!!  If you have time, check all bins and corners.  Poke high and low when you thrift.  You'll never know what you find, or where you'll find it!

Snake clutch, $4.99

On the topic of reptiles, this eelskin handbag was also $4.99. Whew!!

This lovely travelling set holds all  the essentials.  Manicure scissors, eye shadow brushes, eye-lash curler...indepensible, and a steal at $3.99!!  It will come in handy the next time I have to travel and look glamorous.

Our Salvation Army periodically has silent auctions.  I was the winning bidder on this mannequin head.  I call her Julie, as she reminds me of Julie Andrews. 

happy thrifting ;)

Crystal decanters, oodles of handbags and stuff

Hello everyone!  I've been tardy with this post.  Life, as usual, interrupts the most well-planned schedule.  In the past 3 months there has been a job change, several unexpected hospital visits, numerous medical appointments, a large number of shiny, distracting items and piles of winter clothing to sort through and pack away.

Our weather went from cold (with a dusting of light snow in MAY!) to double-digit hot (requiring floaty sun dresses), then back to cold and damp and foggy.  Today we are blessed with sunshine, warm weather....and gale force winds... which whip long hair and dust into one's face.

We have been getting copious amounts of rain.  Which is good, as there were terrible forest fires in Alberta.  I just wish the sun would shine long enough to that I could whip out and cut the grass.

I have treated myself to several, calming visits to thrift stores. Our city has the best thrift stores I have seen.  But since I am actively trying to de-clutter and organize...I will leave lots of things I like behind. 

Witness these lovely tidbits.

Ugh, it hurt to leave this scrummy blue crystal decanter set behind...but I just don't have the space for it.  I find loads of these vintage sets.  Usually they are in mint condition, but missing one glass.

$25 at the Salvation Army.

This cute wicker purse almost came home with me.  I justified buying it because it's cute...and it's cute!  Basically, if it's cute enough I can persuade myself to buy it.

But then I thought of all the wicker purses I have, and I put it back. 

Being all grown-up sucks, doesn't it?

Did I mention that eye-catching lining in this purse??? This purse was $4 at the Salvation Army.

Lookit these gorgeous boots!!

They're vintage...made in Canada!

Genuine leather!!

I would pair these with shorts over leggings, or a broom-stick skirt, or a 90's grungy dress.

I hope these beauties found a good home!

More crystal...I can't stop finding this stuff!

 Loads of decorative plates.

Aha!  What do I spot here!!!

I felt duty-bound to bring this vintage purse home.  

It's stunning!  The pics do not do justice to the precise piecing of the asymetrical strips, nor do they do justice to the even stitching or the construction.

I have a rule that when I fine something perfect (and I really want it), it comes home with me.  Done and done!

Here are some random pictures I took on a walk close to my (new) workplace.  Isn't they sky gorgeous?

That is one of our city's heritage buildings off in the distance.  Someday I'll try to get a pic of the stone carvings near the top of the building.

Outfit post!

When the weather is kind of unpredictable (and windy), I favour maxi skirts, a jacket and scarf (for warmth) and my ever-present large handbag (containing no less then FOUR packets of wet wipes...because I'm prepared for any type of mess!).

I particularly like this maxi dress.  It has a halter top, and the print has one of my favorite color-combinations, which is black and blue.

What have you found lately?

happy thrifting ;)