Mission: Wedding Accessories: Accomplished

Yesterday I finally got around to enjoying some of the secondhand and vintage offerings in Toronto, and it turned out to be a smashing success! I have a wedding to go to next weekend, and wanted a clutch to complete my outfit. Since I have to fly to get to the wedding venue, and even with my long history of traveling and moving, I somehow haven't managed to keep a carry-on in my possession, I was also on the hunt for an inexpensive tote or satchel to act as a carry-on for the things I can't do without on a long weekend away.

At 69 Vintage Collective (new website coming soon, apparently), I managed to find both a unique clutch and a very suitable satchel! The clutch, which wasn't what I originally planned on looking for, is embroidered with flowers, has a small, old chain, and was made in W. Germany. The satchel has no provenance, but it's almost exactly what I've been looking for, in terms of caramel leather (faux or real), cavernous capacity, and sturdiness. I'm in love with both, and they're both perfect, no matter what I thought I wanted originally.

Both were much less than I had expected to spend if I found what I wanted, which is always a bonus. Another bonus? Buying secondhand, which I have missed. Knowing that I'm giving an item a second chance, and not adding to the endless consumer-driven cycle of creation and trashing of material objects, always gives me a pleasant little rush.

Here's an image of the clutch, at least (with the rest of what I'll be wearing to the wedding):

 photo credit: Sam

Here's another Green one!

Noticed this on the Facebook grapevine: stop wasting food.

These days, my fridge is pretty bare. That's a good thing, because I don't eat much compared to the cavernous interior of my fridge. Toronto composts, which is a really good thing - otherwise, I'd feel guiltier than I do, since I'm one of those who has eyes bigger than her stomach. Or so my dad always used to tell me.

Well, the link has some statistics and some ideas to help if you find yourself wasting food. Enjoy!

Confession # 38

Black Friday. The day of all days to avoid shopping. Shopping itself is not all bad - if the stars align, and there's no urgent feeling of "I-need-the-perfect-dress-by-next-weekend", it can be lots of fun! The crowds of people are what make shopping torture to be borne stoically (or not so stoically) rather than the pleasant outing it should be.

This year, for the first time ever, I went shopping on Black Friday. I didn't get trampled, I witnessed no crazed tug-of-wars between customers who eyed the last toy (or slippers, or cardigan, or iPod Touch) at the same time. There were no lines, no parking debacles (you know, the ones where you drive around the whole parking lot three times before finding some poor pedestrian to stalk back to his or her parking space). You might doubt my words. You really went shopping on Black Friday, in America? You might say. That can't be possible! Indeed, if I weren't the one telling the story, I might doubt them, too.

The story begins with a fit of cabin fever. I'd slept in that morning, after an intense food coma following Thanksgiving dinner. Having no plans until that evening, I watched some t.v., made some scones, and read a bit before becoming so bored I just had to leave the apartment. So I went for a walk. Didn't get very far before it started raining, so I ducked into the consignment shop down the next block for a bit of a reprieve. For half the time I spent browsing the few colorful racks, I was the only customer in the shop. I only saw three other customers the whole time I was there. Most importantly, I bought two items at a discount! (A discount completely unrelated to Black Friday, but it amounts to the same thing.)

And that's how I went shopping on Black Friday without losing my sanity. Not to mention, I helped the world by re-using unwanted (and lovely) clothes.

Just Say Yes - To Recycled Furniture

And no, I don't mean recycled as in that grotty, stained, lumpy old couch someone put on the curb to wait for a special trash pick-up.

I do mean Craigslist. After months and months (years even, if one counts the apartment-searching I did on that website) of using Craigslist to no avail, I finally met with success! In actuality quite a lot of success. In a very short period of time.

Last weekend, I purchased two beautiful charcoal grey, wool slipper chairs. Not exactly what I had in mind for my home decor, but neutral enough (as far as charcoal grey falls into the neutral category), simple, and oh-so-comfy. Plush, sink-just-a-little comfy. Sit-with-legs-crossed, OR whole-foot-flat-on-the-floor comfy. And that last one's special, given that my heels don't always touch the floor in every chair made by (tall) man. Only three days later, I picked up a steal of a table - solid mahogany, late 19th c. card table. It's beautiful. There's definitely some evidence of hard loving, but totally worth it.

So now my apartment doesn't look like my apartment, and I feel a special little swell of pride when I rest my eyes on my small but cozy (with furniture!) demesne. I especially enjoy knowing that my furniture has now lived at least two lives, and even though neither purchase was likely to end up in the landfill if I hadn't bought it, I did engage in "green" shopping. It's wonderfully satisfying to take one more small and so-rewarding step towards my goal. Not to mention I've finally gotten back on-topic on my blog!

Green Furniture Update

Success! Just proved the old adage that begins "If at first you don't succeed..."

On a whim, and because I was in "furniture-buying" mode, I decided to go to the local antiques store, just on the off-chance I might find a table/sofa/chairs that I liked. Well, I did! I found a 19th century primitive country table - made to last 200 years, I suppose. Though scratched and beat up, it's still in excellent shape. At any rate, I can't afford it. What I could afford, however, were two 50s diner-style chairs from Royal Manufacturing Co. They're teal green with light yellow upholstered seats, metal frame with vertical slats in the back - and surprisingly comfy! Definitely an impulse buy - they're not going to "go" with any of my (admittedly few pieces of) other furniture.

I can't find any images online that even remotely resemble the chairs I bought today, but the next time someone comes over with a digital camera I'll have them take photos to put up.

Green Furniture

I haven't written about anything "green" in a very long while. I suppose that goal of mine got shoved to the back burner while I was going through some stressful challenges over the past three months. It looks as though I'm on the climb back up to good days however (knock on wood), so I'll devote just a second here to get back to my "green" choices.

Unfortunately I consider my plans for today to have resulted in an epic fail. I meant to go to Upscale Resale, a consignment furniture store in the area, and actually purchase something. I need furniture with seats for butts, tables for drinks and coasters, and possibly a TV stand. Basically, I have no furniture.

It's lucky for me that my two interests related to furnishings align. I love historical ... well, anything, really, including furniture ... so you'd think this would work out great, because most secondhand furniture is usually from some sort of historical period (whether it be the art deco of the '20s or more traditional Colonial style). Sadly, no dice. Not today.

A Tupperware Party With A Reusable Twist

Saturday my plans for a new kind of party came to successful fruition. I've always enjoyed planning and having parties, especially when they go off without a hitch. I'm not talking large raving, drunken parties - I never have enough energy for those, for hosting or for cleaning up after them. But small dinner parties and the like... much more fun.

So my latest plan, which came to me in a flash, like intuition or an epiphany, a lightning bolt sent from the heavens... you get the idea. Anyway, all of a sudden, I thought, what a great way to update and clear out my wardrobe, by throwing a party and exchanging them with other peoples' unwanted clothes! Voila'! The Thanksgiving Clothes Swap was born.

Ayah. Some people, not into the idea of reusing other peoples' clothes, might not appreciate how brilliant my idea was. Others might like to try it for themselves.

Five of my girlfriends came over, with bags of clothes they didn't wear anymore, and I put some wine on the stove to mull while we chatted and I created a hasty party soundtrack. We thought about some different strategies for the exchanges, and ended up with the easy, chaotic, and fun idea of just tossing the clothes out on the floor and just going for it. Then, we spent an hour trying on multiple pieces of clothing, and picking out what each of us liked best. One of the most useful things about trying on clothes with girlfriends is the way they'll tell you when things look good, and when they don't.

Some guidelines that we found useful, though not entirely necessary:

1. Everyone must have fun.
2. Everyone must bring something, and exhanges only are to be made. You must end up with exactly the number of things you brought, unless at the very end people still want to give items away and there aren't enough things left over to exchange.
2.5. Exchanges should be made at an even ratio, so everyone ends up with a similar number of items at the end
3. There will be no negative judging of clothing
3.5 Clothes must be tried on and viewed by others, who may comment on how well it fits (or doesn't). Honesty is strongly recommended.
4. There will be a contest at the end to see who can come up with the most outrageous outfit created out of the items that everyone has brought. I will work on a prize for this.
5. Leftovers that are not exchanged may be given away (see rule #2) but everything must go to charity, which is not exchanged or given away. No throwing away any items of clothing will be permitted!

6. There will be gossiping. We will require full disclosure.

The best perks? Free clothes that have been reused, giving clothes a second chance, seeing the delight on friends' faces when they try on a flattering piece, and the gossip and good times that accompany the swapping.

Oh yes, and the "craziest outfit" included a beret, a sparkly black top with a cut-out back, a teal knee-length skirt with a flower print, and cowboy boots. Unfortunately the words don't do the outfit justice, but I hope to get a picture up eventually.