Thrifting, Exchanging and Sewing.

I recently came across a great little thrift shop on Monk Street, in Ville-Émard. They're unfortunately going to close in two months if they don't start making sales. They'll be one more hidden gem that just can't keep up. I offered to help them put up a more attractive window display but they can't afford the mannequins, shelves, etc. They don't have enough furniture in the place to allow for that to be used, either.

Here's a little look at what $20.00 got me:

Some time before that, I scored this coat for $15, too.

And lastly, my friends and I get together every year in January, for a post-holiday pot luck dinner. At some point in the evening, we play a gift exchange game and this is my haul from that event:

The Yves Rocher lavender shower gel is actually quite nice and I do believe I may be addicted to these Sriracha peas.

For the next little while, I'm focusing on creating as opposed to purchasing, as my new flat costs quite a bit more than my old one did and I am saving up for my birthday trip. So, you can finally expect a sewing post in the very near future.  

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Thrift Store Haul. $15.50

last week-end, my mother and i were getting a few errands done in my neighbourhood, when we noticed that the goodwill that opened up a few months ago was actually open on a saturday. we attempted to simply duck in and check things out, seeing as i had brought bags of clothing to donate and had intended on leaving them on the step, anyway.

to our surprise, everything in the store was marked at 50% off for the day. we tried to leave three times but something caught my eye each time and we rounded back into the shop and back to the cash. together, we spent $15.50 and got a gracy boat and dish, a roots mesenger bag, a nike top for 
my son's upcoming boxing lessons, and, the pièces de resistance, were these eleven (i know. i guess one of them broke somewhere on the way to the store), blue glass goblets:

for some time now, i've been thinking about collection mixed, vintage, glass dishes, thanks to this photo (i've had it for so long i don't recall where i found it so please excuse the lack of photo credit).

thanks to it, i'd been thinking that i would like to hunt down pieces in different shades of pink and purple but these glasses have steered me in another direction and blue and, perhaps, green they shall now be!

i also scored some sewing notions and buttons:

this crucifix to add to my collection of religious iconography:

a roll of this green fabric i photographed the other items on, whose fibers are unknown to me. notice the yellow flecks throughout:

for a chance to score incredibly cheap, vintage and/or useful finds, check out "deuxième vie" at 6030 rue monk, in ville-émard.

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Today's Thrift Score: A Top and Purse for Spring 2013

today, at the fripe prix renaissance on st-jacques west, i picked up this adorable combo for a mere $9.98 CAD. the top is ralph lauren and the purse is a veneto so not a big deal, label-wise, but really cute.

while i do prefer the one in verdun, i was surprised at what i managed to find today. nine west, zara, jones new york, alexander mcqueen (wtf), morbid threads, etc. i've created an album for such finds on my facebook page so check it out. 

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A $27 (And Therefore Thrifty) Mini Haul

here is what i scored for $27 tax included, at the friperie renaissance in verdun, yesterday afternoon:

a lovely, dark blue tristan and iseut skirt:

i'm never sure about this silhouette but the detailing reeled me in...

a cute, nautical, tommy hilfiger top. i was thinking about boat rides with my dad, stepmom and sisters, when i snagged this:

an addition to my spring/fall jacket collection:

a skirt for mom (i love the pleating on this one!):

and i do believe that the pièce de resistance in this particular haul is the adorable little mod-inspired dress i picked up for my daughter:

i can't wait to see her rock this!

...and the best part is that a friend of mine is coming over in about 15 minutes and we're heading back to the friperie. 

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My New Facebook Page

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Montr%C3%A9al-Style-Fashion-and-Sewing/371093202983081?ref=hl

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My Spring and Fall Jacket Collection (And How The Whole Thing Cost Me $131).

as temperature lows have been holding steady below the zero mark, with the exception of that one, freakishly warm day last week, i've been once more hit with the sad realization that it's time to put away all of my lighter jackets until march. every year, when i store my jackets and again, when i take them out, i get rid of a few pieces. i'm happy to note that, in the last two years, i've been feeling the need to purge diminish, as i have been building quite the little collection and i am very pleased with it.   the best part is, the grand total spent on these pieces was $131 plus tax. 

i bought this lovely houndstooth jacket a few months ago at the friperie renaissance, in verdun, for all of $6. it's still a bit tight around the shoulders but, given how my weight has been fluctuating, i've decided to keep it. 

i'm getting tired of animal print, in general, thanks to it having exploded in mainstream fashion over the last few years and that's too bad because a lot of my rockabilly and psychobilly clothing is now this close to actually annoying me. anyhow, i've decided to keep two of my animal print jackets (i got rid of the other three, last spring).

i got this jacket as part of a trade made at a craft fair, last fall. i met a really good friend of mine there and i believe i got this jacket in exchange for a vintage, art deco necklace i was selling. it may have been two autumns ago. (it's one of those friendships that feels like it's been a part of my life for much longer than it has and so i'm losing track of time). 

the other animal print jacket i'm keeping (although i haven't worn it in over a year and i've only worn it two or three times in all so i should reconsider this, next spring) is this one that i bought at the le chateau warehouse for $25, about 5 years ago. a part of the reason i like it so much is the detailing in the fabric, seen in the second photo. it's such a fun texture, even if i have to be careful to not hook it onto anything sharp or protruding:

i, of course, have my harrington. i keep it out all winter, though, because i sometimes wear it indoors. 

i had three aviator jackets but gave a matte, leather one to my daughter. i'm keeping this one, that i bought on sale for $15, about three or four years ago:

this warmer one, on the other hand, i will be selling as soon as i find the clearly detachable, faux lamb collar that came with it. i bought it on sale for $30 and wore it once. 

i have one blue jacket and i bought it in a large store downtown that sells a lot of hideous things and plays their techno music way too loudly. they stuck the rack in the entrance, by the sidewalk and it caught my eye as i was walking down ste-catherine west, last spring. i bought it for $15. it needs a little love (and some buttons) but i'll deal with that when i pull it out again.

i love both of my red jackets but i must admit that i have not worn this first one in a long time. i bought it a few years ago, on sale, for $15 and i put it on once or twice, last spring. this will pain me to share but i bought this one at the same store as that blue one. what?! they sell cute, $15 jackets! 

(i have the exact same on in black and that one is staying my closet for the odd, warmer day). 

this other red one i scored in july, at the "take off your clothes" swap team event i mentioned here so, i got it for free. it appears to be vintage and comes with a great little sash that always slips out, hence why it is not in the photo. (i'm going to have to find it before i store these or it will nag at me!). the sleeve length and large buttons are great for pulling off the perfect, early 60's look. it's light and pretty and i feel great in it!

my absolute favourite spring/fall jacket score of the year was bought just two weeks ago, for all of $10 at la friperie renaissance, in verdun. i can barely express how thrilled i am to have found this. it fits perfectly and i feel beautiful and confidant in it. i'm only sad that i found it so late in the season and i can't wait to wear it with some elbow-length, leather or crocheted gloves in the spring. the photo doesn't show you just how awesome it is so i'll post a photo of me wearing it, in the spring. 

my prized cape:

i want to mention two more coats in this post. firstly, a moment of silence, if you will, for what was my favourite spring/fall coat (that looks much better when on an actual person than it does on an emaciated mannequin). i wore it for years and now it is frayed, missing buttons, ripped in the shoulder... it's a mess. i will give myself one more week to decide whether or not i love it enough to unsew it and use the pieces to draft myself a pattern for a new one. a reincarnation of sorts... *sigh*

and, finally, a sneak look at a coat that deserves its own post. it's vintage (the only time i wear fur) and was given to me. this one needs to be shot outside, on me and with a fresh blanket of snow on the ground. 

i will create a similar post when it is time to put away my winter coats, in april, but for now, this is it. 

...i do also have two prefectos or leather, motorcycle jackets but i'll be painting those over the course of the next few months and i'll share the results with you when i'm done. 

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Wardrobe Challenge Update: The Navy Blue Skirt

as previously mentioned, i've challenged myself to upgrade my fall/winter professional wardrobe and i've given myself until the holidays. (i know this may seem like it's late but i live in canada; it stays cold for a long time, over here!). the point is to either find clothing in thrift stores, score them in clothing exchanges or make them myself.  i've been sewing every chance i get and will post an update on that when i feel that i have enough to show. 

in the meantime, i will share one key piece with you. for a long time, i've been seeking the perfect navy blue skirt. i have this great, jones new york top i found at a thrift store, over a year ago and, last week, i finally found its partner. check out the lovely, denver hayes skirt i bought at the friperie renaissance, in verdun, for $5, here with the aforementioned jones new york top.

fitting betsy, this mannequin, is a bit of pain, given how much smaller than me she is and given that she has such a bizarre shape but you can nonetheless see how great this skirt's silhouette is:

bonus number one: this outfit, as you see it here, without a cardigan or blazer, will be perfect in the spring, with a pair of red heels and a matching clutch or with tall, brown boots and a matching handbag. 

bonus number two: it is replacing the only other navy blue skirt i had. i hate having to squeeeeze my size 12 frame into anything, let alone something with a slit in it and a sheen to it. (i'll soon be posting about how i've become a fabric snob without breaking the bank). this guy is going in the pile for the clothing exchange i'm hosting next week-end:

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