Thrifted Thursday

          Today's Thrifted Thursday comes to you via the Vernon Value Village. Now heres the thing- first of all the Vernon Value Village is usually the most disappointing of the bunch- there is never really anything good. And two Value Village has become way too expensive these days for my thrifting tastes! Pricing has gotten out of hand and more often than not one can turn up items that are priced the same as new items at the mall. I am however a creature of habit and often go into VV just to browse- hoping to stumble upon a gem. Thats the thing about thrifting-  you never know what might turn up and so no stone should be left un-turned which proved true on this particular day when we hit gold- figuratively speaking in the thrifting department!

           Just as I was turning away from the racks and towards the check out a little scrap of blue and polka dot fabric caught my eye- quickly followed by a quick flip of the seam to check for finishing. A quick quality check goes a long way and I always check to make sure something is well made. This day the thrifting goddess was smiling down on me and revealed that this scrap of blue fabric was in fact a hand made (by someone) dress- we quickly slip it over my girl's head and it was like the dress was made just for her.

        My Girlie was thrilled of course- she is going through a phase of all dresses and skirts all the time. And so when paired with her fancy new space boots and a favourite green cardi she was all set to head out for some serious playing!

        Shopping for a six year old can be tricky- on a recent foray into conventional shopping at the mall( which is rare for either of us) I discovered that once a girl reaches size 6 apparently the clothes are designed to fit a size 6- 14. Trappings such as spaghetti straps and low or no back lines abound and don't even get me started on the crappy fabric. Not to say that this is an ideal situation for a 14 year old either and one day when I have a 14 year old daughter I'm sure I will once again be railing at the state of fashion. But come on- what happened to sweet little Easter dresses with a side of modesty?

         So needless to say when my Girlie slid that little blue dress with the most perfect of twirling skirts over her head and it settled onto her shoulders and we zipped up the zip I let out a whisper of Thanks! By the way did I mention the most best dress ever was only $3.99?

Thrifted Thursday

          This summer has been the hottest summer in recent memory- save the summer my girl was born because no matter what if you are pregnant in August it is hot! Anyways this summer has been a scorcher for Vancouver - the less clothing the better it seems. For me it has been all about lots of light layers- enter in this flowy little tunic top.

         Picked up on one of my wanders it is the perfect beach cover up- going from water to cocktail hour in a pinch- we have very casual cocktail hours when home in the Okanagan! This top reminds me of my childhood where ladies would wander about in simple cotton garments, cut off jeans and bare feet- just the way summer should be!

Thrifted Thursday

          This Summer I am trying my best to really curb my thrifting- I am trying to consciously consume only what I need. I've found that it is so easy to be swept away by the thought of a gem passing through one's fingers- when in reality if you don't find that gem to be useful then there is no point. So it is with this in mind that I have focused on creating a wardrobe that is useful and loved- which means garments being worn and used.

         One of my current go- to pieces is this yummy off white gauze dress- picked up for a song because of some minor imperfections- just wonky enough to not be a top quality vintage piece. I love it and have been wearing the heck out of it during this heat wave! This piece embodies everything I love- that throwback to Victorian style- all be it Victorian night ware perhaps! This dress is meant for adventuring and that is just what I have been doing while wearing it! Adventure is out there!

Thrifted Thursday!

       For me thrifting isn't about individual scores any longer- its still about the thrill of the hunt but over the last little while I have been refining my entire wardrobe. So it only follows that instead of thrifting willy nilly I now thrift with a keen eye to my over all look- I am creating a capsule wardrobe with in my own closet. Paring things down to a look or aesthetic has really helped with impulse purchases that end up just heading back to the thrift shop- saving me money- time and most of all emotional energy.

      This entire outfit- except for the socks which I stole from my son and the pin which is from Dress sew- is thrifted. The fantastic heavy knit vintage cardigan was found on Gabriola Island by a friend of mine at the recycling depot- it has been my go- to staple since she gifted it to me- the perfect weight for this time of year and its a wonderful shape. The little brown bag I blogged about last summer- again this is one of those pieces that is always in use. The linen dress and Birkenstock clogs- those are my newly thrifted treasures from over the weekend!

       Someone said to me yesterday that I must have a thrifting fairy sitting on my shoulder- I think she was right. These clogs are possibly my best score of the year- they were something I was going to buy new anyways but just hadn't gotten around to it yet- then into my life the land! That's the best part about thrifting- you never know what your going to come home with!

Thrifted Thursday

          These crisp days are probably my favourite fall weather- cold and crisp and sunny- no rain- which means bring on the layers of wool! Wearing wool on the west or wet coast has it's merits but it also has it's draw backs- usually my wool is worn in layers- topped off with waterproof rain gear. These days it's the wool thats the star of the show- so many good outfits to be seen- layers of sweaters and scarves- not to mention all the great boots that have been spotted lately! Not a speck of rain wear to be spotted!

          On a recent trip to good old Value Village I happened across this vintage Alia wool plain topper- now I realize the risk associated with such a brand- it is easy to venture into crazy cat lady territory when sporting Alia! To keep this cute topper youthful I'm pairing it with my ever present dramatically cuffed boyfriend jeans and some basic desert boots. This light weight yet warm jacket is the perfect thing to throw on for school pick up or to run out for milk. Functional for my Mom duties yet still cool enough for me to channel my inner beatnik!

P.S. yes I am growing out my hair- again- and yes it is a bird's nest these days so thank heavens for hat season!

Thrifted Thursday

          I celebrated the break in the rainy weather the other day by busting out my favourite new- to- me dress paired up with a few of my fall classics. Getting dressed at this time of the year can be a bit tricky- I'm always either too hot and sweaty or freezing cold and soaking wet- obviously layers are called for! Layers combined with a dress is a win win situation- and I love a good dress as dresses are outfits unto themselves- no brain dressing if you will.

       Obviously my penchant for early 90's Grunge comes through in this outfit- my favourite work boots combined with a flowey cotton dress and a denim jacket- I would not have looked out of place at a Pearl Jam concert in 1994. This little gem was unearthed amongst a multitude of glorious frocks at Community Thrift and Vintage- which may or may not be conveniently located on my walk home from school- yay kid free thrifting!

         After a solid day of rain it can be easy for me to fall into a pit of despair- it only takes one fair day for me to fall back in love with this place we call home- I'm a fickle creature that way! I fully celebrate getting outside and loving our neighbourhood- nothing beats a walk through Strathcona early in the morning in the fall- watching the sun filter through falling leaves. Love where you live!

Thrifted Thursday: Clogs

        This year and a bit I have become completely obsessed with clogs- I'm not sure if it's thanks to that 70's persona they exude or just the basic comfort factor- but I- am- obsessed. Until recently I have only bought new clogs- straight out of the box- and endured countless hours (and blisters) breaking them in. Then last week- in the face of returning to work- I was parsing a few of my favourite vintage Etsy sellers online- lets just say vintage shopping from the comfort of one's couch is a dangerous thing! At any rate I came across this super cute and well loved pair on Shudder Emporium- based out of Edmonton Alberta.

        I have never bought vintage footwear online before- it was a bit risky but the measurements matched up and I took the leap of faith- hitting purchase with bated breath. These clogs were just too good to pass up- aside from the correct measurements they looked soft and totally worn in- avoiding the pain of breaking a new pair in- also they were made in Italy- which according to my friend is THE hallmark for a good product! When my vintage purchase arrived a speedy 3 business days laterI was not disappointed- my new -to me- clogs fit like a dream.

         Part of the appeal of vintage to me is the patina or worn look- I'm not a fan of things that look brand new- I like an object to have a story a past history. Obviously the romantic in me compels even my purchasing history! These clogs have seen a lot of miles but are as soft as can be- I'm happy they came into my life to make new stories and travel new paths- long may we wander!

P.S.- this staircase is my new favourite- it looks like a stoop that needs to be sat on- copious cups of coffee should be consumed here in the fading summer sunshine!

Thrifted Thursday

           Today's Thrifted Thursday is a little bit thrifted and a little bit crafty- truly the best of both worlds- made all the better because it came in the guise as a gift from a dear friend. I have been meaning to write about this for quite some time but honestly so much has happened this summer that I just haven't had the time to write about yet! At the end of July we were paid a visit from my dear friend Sarah- who incidentally wrote a guest post for me last summer which can be read here- she and her family were visiting from Wisconsin. Sarah truly is one of my kindred souls- we bonded in University over beer and thrifting- some things really never change!

          So anyways Sarah and her sweet family stayed with us for a few days and of course she and I both had a few gifties for each other- I almost died laughing when we essentially exchanged wool! Into my yarn stash went this dreamy, soft neutral skien- from a local Wisconsin mill- Blackberry Ridge- the perfect base for one of my natural dyes. Along with this yummy little treat was this wee maroon satchel- purse to you non fashion types! I used this diminutive little bag only a handful of times before my little Miss declared it perfect to tote around her treasures- so I feel I may never get to use this bag again- shades of things to come!

         In other news as much as I am desperately trying to hang onto these final gentle days of summer I can see and feel fall creeping in. The mornings now hold a crispness that simply wasn't there last week- soon it will be boot and sweater weather. The nights come quickly now and the beach toys have all been packed away- I'm reassessing our rain gear- patching jeans- starting to think about soups and baking bread again. The Littles are still out of school- which feels a bit strange and yet totally right- their nature collection is growing daily as we wander and explore our way through our city- easing out of our summer skin and on into fall.

Thrifted Thursday

         

           The hot weather arrived a couple of weeks ago and with it my panic in regards to my wardrobe- here's the deal- over the past year I have just been wearing out my clothes and not really replacing them- a novel approach these days perhaps. Since becoming more aware of fast fashion and how it relates to the environment I pretty much put a halt to any new buying- home sewn garments yes, sustainably made garments yes, vintage and second hand yes.

          When building a wardrobe becomes more like a scavenger hunt what often happens is that large holes appear in one's closet- this was the case regarding my summer items. I had very few warm weather items going into this heat wave and so walking down Pender one day I decided to stop into the new consignment shop Hunter & Hare to see what all the fuss is about.

        Hunter & Hare is a gorgeously well curated shop- full of good quality, fashionable items as well as a nice selection of locally made goodies- candles, soaps,totes and accessories- lots of lovely bobbles! I found a few things I liked and as I was chatting with the gal at the till I noticed a wee bit of lace peeking out the bottom of a stack of clothing on a chair- items not yet out on the floor. The sales girl was gracious enough to pull this lovely white smock out and I added it my take home pile immediately- I'm a sucker for white in the summer!

      This is what I love about thrifting or vintage shopping- you go with a general idea of what you need or want (because the two are not mutually exclusive) and magic happens! I'm so happy to have discovered yet another well appointed consignment shop in my neighbourhood- it makes life and my wardrobe so much more interesting!

Thrifted Thursday & A Southern Adventure

           There is something so special about the perfect sundress- lightweight and not stiff at all- moves in the breeze- dreamy and cool. Today's Thrifted Thursday is just that- although technically not thrifted at all-but vintage- bought from an Insta-seller on Instagram- my favourite @bonjourmoon! This sweet little gauzy dress is just what I needed for my visit to the Okanagan and it arrived on my parent's doorstep with excellent timing. It was the perfect, lightweight dress for heading South down Hwy 97- into the desert yesterday!

        The Mr. was gathering shots for a project he is on at work and so our entire family of course went along for the ride- excellent sandwiches were procured by my Dad from Il Vechio's in Penticton- to be enjoyed later on in the warm shade at Nk'Mip winery. We caravanned down the valley- enjoying the scenery and taking note of all the various wineries we would like to come back and visit- Blasted Church I'm looking at you!

       After exploring up Anarchist Mountain to Bridesville- Population 30- we headed back down to Osoyoos for a dip in the lake- always the warmest lake in the valley thanks to it's super shallow depths. A few more stops along the way to get interesting shots- including the old Hayne's Ranch in Osoyoos- which was amazing.

          Smart footwear is called for in places like this- not Birkenstocks like I was sporting- after stepping on a few cactus I decided to take my chance with the spiders and headed for higher ground. This ramshackle old farmhouse was once the home to the "Father of Osoyoos" and his family- sadly left to the elements- what once was a beautiful family home is now returning to the earth.

          As the Mr. wrapped up his photo shoot I sat and just watched the landscape in front of me- barren hills covered in scrub brush transitioning into verdant orchards and vineyards- truly a testament to the pioneers who carved out a life in this valley- turning it from desert to irrigated paradise.

Thrifted Thursday

 
       I wasn't going to do a Thrifted Thursday today- I already posted my thrifted pic to Instagram- then I realized how could I not post this picture! The longer I look at it the longer I feel time shifting to 1994- the year I graduated and my actual life began- in fits and starts but it did begin the moment I walked across that stage. I carried almost this exact bag for all of my Grade 12 year- I carried it that morning to my Grad ceremony and then later that night to a crazy bush party- yeah thats a thing in rural British Columbia- bush parties yeash! I more than likely was also wearing my favourite pair of Birkenstock sandals- only because it was either that or my well worn Doc Martens- which was unlikely in June.

     I have spent all of my years carrying my life in some sort of bag on my back or on my shoulders- usually too much stuff- a heavy sketch book or novel is usually in the mix- consistently this has been the case since I was a child. The miles I have traveled since I was eighteen are too many to count- but still I walk in well worn Birkenstocks carrying my too heavy bag of tricks. Reluctant to let too much go.

     So this Thrifted Thursday is an ode to my eighteen year old self- funny how as much as most things change many really don't change at all- including but not limited to my choice in footwear and bags- my Gypsy lifestyle- my love of the beach and all things water related. If I could go back and talk to eighteen year old me I wonder what I would say- all the warnings I would give should go ungiven because with out mistakes made I would not be where or who I am today. Perhaps I would just tell he "everything is going to be OK". So cliche perhaps but twenty years out I am more than fine with what I have turned out to be- I'm still eighteen- I still have no idea what the heck is going on- and I'm OK with that!

P.S. To all the Grads of 1994- they said this day would come- in the Valedictorian speeches made across Canada they spoke of our future and how one day WE would be in charge- that day is now! How does it feel?