Seasonal Blessings

Jacket? Thrifted
Sequin Sweater? 2 b Rych (?), Winners
Plaid shirt? Winners
Jeans? h&m
Boots? Modern Vintage, Winners

'Tis my favourite time of year. And it has nothing to do Valentine's Day... though I've always had a soft spot for sparkly hearts and chocolate induced stomach pangs... But even better then over priced red roses, are the end of the winter sales. Since this blog started, I have changed my shopping habits a bit. Mostly because I thrift so much, I find it harder to spend on new clothes unless I am getting a great deal. And right now, hidden behind racks of new spring merchandise and heavily decorated with red tags, lie some good treasures.

Especially Winners is a happy place to be. Shopping at Winners is an exact science to me and this is the time of year where things get interesting. Like throwing mentos in Diet Coke interesting... It's getting to the end of the season and the prices are good but Winners and I go way back and I know there is still a red tag or two to be added. I am currently taking chances on some heavily reduced designer shoes... they have multiple size 10s and with that buffer, I wait (though I was unwilling to play the Winner's Game of Chance with this sweater) for more red tags... Don't worry, I keep it normal. I would never press my nose to the store windows, watching the Winner's employees with their pricing guns, going up and down the aisles doing the further reductions. I just follow closely behind, breathing over their shoulders...

And if you are in the handful (I have big hands) of people taking on 30 for 30... I apologize for pointing out that February is the best shopping month. But I give you an extra high five for committing to the challenge and not shopping through out. Don't worry, I am doing your share of economic stimulation for you this month. I shoulder great responsibilty every day.

Thrift Day. A Guest Scarf Thrifter.

Special treat! Katie from Interrobangs Anonymous is doing a guest post! I like to think I am awesome at thrifting (humility is a way of life for me) but one of the things I don't look for enough are good silk scarves. In my defense, the scarf area at my favourite thrift store is right beside the bathroom and that is kind of a mood killer but I think I need to get over it because I am clearly missing good stuff. Tell me why Katie... !

Last week I caused little old ladies in my local thrift store to clutch their pearls in horror. I’m sorry it happened, but what else are you supposed to do when you find a designer silk scarf for $0.99? You thrust your fist into the air and yell, “It’s Givenchy, bitch!” Obviously.

I’ve had my share of fantastic finds while thrifting, but when you factor in material, designer, original cost and thrift store cost, the best deals I’ve ever gotten have been on silk scarves. In these days of pashminas, hipster keffiyehs and those circle/infinity scarves that I always get tangled in, you may think that there’s no place in your wardrobe or lifestyle for the square and oblong silk scarves made popular by grannies the world over. But you’re wrong. Silk scarves are fantastic fashion accessories and one of the best finds at a thrift store. Get ready: I’m about to start waxing in a poetic nature.

Luxurious. In a world full of synthetic fibers, there’s something so elegant, sophisticated, and even regal about wearing silk – even the wrinkles are expensive looking. Did Grace Kelly wear polyester? Well, maybe. I don’t know her closet. But since the woman once made a sling for her arm out of Hermes scarf, I think she was staying away from the synthetics.
Designer. Well, not all of them. But take a good look at the tags on most silk scarves in thrift stores and you’ll find names like Dior, Prada, Givenchy, Chanel, Vera, Liberty, DvF and Valentino.
A Fantastic Way to Add Oomph to an Outfit. I can’t think of an easier way to add layers, color, texture or pattern to an outfit than by throwing on a silk scarf. One piece and boom, you’re done!
Versatile. I’ve worn my silk scarves tied around my head, draped over the front of a dress, wrapped as a toga, cinched as a belt, looped as a bracelet, tied in a bow and, in the case of a particularly huge specimen, as a knee-length skirt.
Cheap. In thrift stores where the staff knows what they’re doing, the difference between a silk dress and a synthetic dress is steep. The difference between a silk scarf and a synthetic scarf? There isn’t one. Go for scarves and you can buy silk for a song.
Easy to Find. Every thrift store has a scarf section and most people (fools) aren’t looking through it. All the more for you (insert the sinister laugh of an evil but very stylish villain here)!
Season-less. One of the amazing properties of silk is that it warms you up in winter and cools you down in summer. So unlike that chunky knit cowl that will give you heat stroke as soon as April arrives, a silk scarf always feels comfortable, no matter the temperature.
Timeless. I’m probably not going to wear those acid-washed skinny jeans in ten years (actually, I’m not even going to wear them now). But the silk scarf I thrifted last week? I’ll be 80 and still wearing that thing. That’s because silk scarves, with their classic shapes and gorgeous material, are always in style.
Durable. Give me any sort of knit and I will inevitably snag it. But my silk gets stabbed with pins, threaded through chain, tied and retied in knots, and it’s fine.
Caterpillars! For all the animal lovers out there, there are few ethical, ecological and legal animal accessory options available. Ivory, feathers, and fur are outlawed, or at least strongly frowned upon, and for good reason. But silk? Silk can be reared and harvested sustainably in ways that resources from larger animals cannot. And caterpillars are so cute!

Silk Scarf Thrifting Tips

Learn to Feel Quality. With just a little practice, you can learn to recognize silk by touch. This is especially handy for scarves, as it’s common for the fabric label to be absent. I go to thrift stores and am able to simply run my hands along the rows of scarves to pick out the silk ones.
Look for Damage. Because silk is so durable, it’s rare to find a scarf with more damage than a frayed edge. If you do find a scarf with snags, runs and/or holes, it’s likely that the fabric is quite old and will have to be treated with care.
Clean Carefully. As with all thrift finds, you want to clean your silk scarves. Dry cleaning is the safest route but, if you’re cheap like me, you can wash them at home. Depending on when the scarf was made (and you probably won’t know), dyes can run, so you want to be careful. Usually some tepid water, mild dish detergent, and a white vinegar rinse will be enough to protect and clean most scarves, but be sure to do a test-patch first!

Silk Scarf Wearing Tutorials
Liberty London - a fantastic series of videos on how to wear silk scarves and speak in adorable French accents. http://www.youtube.com/user/thelibertylondon
Super Kawaii Mama - how to be adorable and retro with our scarves, and gives us yet another accent to practice! http://www.superkawaiimama.com.au/2010/03/26/3-easy-ways-to-tie-a-headscarf-retro-style/
Hermes – Scarf-tying techniques from the masters. http://usa.hermes.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/PlayTimeView?storeId=10202&catalogId=10052&langId=-1#

(p.s. Yen here... A while back a reader sent me this great link concerning thrifting scarves too... check it)

Get Thrifting!

Snow More

Jacket? Danier
Vest? Thrifted
Pants? Gap
Boots? Kenneth Cole, Winners
Sweater? F21
Necklace? Stolen from my Mama

This can't possibly be an outfit post. I am frolicking far too much for that kind of seriousness. I prefer to clamour over the snow in heels and freeze rather then frolic. To be honest, these pictures were not meant as outfit pictures. We took them last weekend when Matt and I went up to Niagara Falls with my brother and his wife. We stopped along the water and scooted down to the ice that formed along the lake. We took some pictures along the ice ridges and I just cropped out my family. First I treat them to this kind of hospitality and now this. I am a treat.

I know everyone is gearing up and tweeting (which is pretty much the same thing; as tweeting is preparedness) for this major snow storm that is coming this way. Well, I hope you enjoy your snow days; eating popcorn in bed and watching foreign movies (or at least say that they are foreign, sounds smarter...)... I shall be plowing snow for a long time. I always plow in snow storms but I know this one is going to be a huge, frustrating snow storm... I shall have no sleep, I shall run out of places to pile the snow and I shall deal with rude people who think I asked for the snow and if I didn't, I can at least make it disappear. I have a bit of a nervous pit in my stomach because I know just how tired I will get... but excited too. Bring it, snow!

And because you are so lucky ... I shall include some bonus shots...

Matt and I.

Kees and Else. They are cuter, I know. They don't bicker in public either.

Kees decides to tackle me. I got cold.

For some reason I thought it would be funny to be Gollum. This time I couldn't crop out the riff raff that was behind me...

Sun Spots

This one time we took pictures in the middle of the day with snow on the ground and I couldn't see...

Skirt? Adec, Winners
Silk Blouse? Thrifted
Tights? Zara
Shoes? Zara
Clutch? Thrifted
Jacket? Costa Blanca

Between the kitten heels, the longer length skirt and the blousy shirt, this whole outfit came off looking a bit conservative. I thought I would add a touch of bada$$ (whaddup Ke$ha?) with red lips, a bomber and some nude fishnets.

Originally, I think the skirt was supposed to be quite body conscious; sitting high up on the waist, emphasising the hips and nipping in at the knees. I bought it years ago from the final clearance rack at Winners. At the time the hip emphasis was something different and the wool fabric felt so good that I bought it, even though it was a few sizes too big. I took it home, pinned it for alterations and then threw it into the Forgotten Pile (some call this the mending pile...) to languish. A year later I finally altered it ( an effortful mend too... perfectly aligned seams, enclosed seams and all) and when I put it on again, it was still too big. And at that point I was too stubborn to put the skirt back in the Forgotten pile for another year, so I neglected it in my closet for a couple years instead. Because that makes sense?... But I actually like it slouchy... it just gives the skirt a whole new look.

I will admit, that while I liked how the too large skirt fell in the front, it was hard to hide the odd fit in the back. It, quite frankly, gave me mom bum. To distract the attention away from the butt situation, I thought I would add a touch of bada$$ (whaddup Ke$ha?) to the back of my bomber with some safety pins, chains and a picture of Jason Mraz.