Vintage Fashion Rave?

Sunday's are great Flea Market days. But this Sunday was special. It kicked off with a Vintage Fashion Rave! What is that you say? Well, we set out to answer this very question at 10am this morning!

MaryAnn Harris, a vintage fashion legend here in Ottawa, orchestrated a day of great deals on some of her fabulous vintage clothing and jewelery collection. Everything was 50% off (OMG). Her house was transformed into a Reclectica store ... complete with shopping baskets, a free "reclectica dollar' upon arrival, a change room, snacks, and an overall warm and cozy feel! Guests were encouraged to wear their favourite vintage duds to the event, and 'staff' were dressed to the nines. Add it all together, and you've got a vintage fashion rave.

I got out alive -- but not empty handed. B'en non.

My focus: pearls, blingy earings or brooches, 1950's dresses.

The result: pearls, blingy earings, fantastic hat, girly aprons!

I LOVE PEARLS!!! A friend recommended that I have a photoshoot with all my pearls as a nod to a famous picture of Marilyn Monroe with all her pearls. Key difference - mine wouldn't be real. Plastic pearls are simply undervalued. LOL. At the end of the day, oodles of pearls = divine fabulousness.

APRONS are just about the cutest addition to a hostess' outfit for a dinner party or bruncheon! You know, a little domestication never hurt anyone ... even if it's just in one's outfit. Good quality, good condition, frilly aprons can be tricky to find in thrift stores! So voila ... two great finds at the vintage fashion rave. One will be the perfect additon to a Valentine's Day meal ... perhaps breakfast in bed for my one and only!?















The HAT was an unexpected find ... it's absolutely adorable, but more worthy of a live shot. It's black with a big bow in the front - almost tam like. It looked to lifeless laying there on the floor. Unfortunately I don't have a hat stand to display her.

No luck on the 1950's dresses. My search continues!! MaryAnn mentioned that she has some in stock, but decided not to include them in the sale. I don't blame her, they're hard to find. I was reassured that they would be proudly displayed at the Spring Garage Sale at Landsdowne Park in April. Check out my Ottawa Events post for show details! I'm hoping that with the increased popularity of tv show Mad Men, and a general influx of 1950's vintage in the mainstream interior design world -- that it, too, will make it's way into the fashion scene ... with many sizes and options to choose from.

After the vintage fashion rave we headed over to Bentley's Flea Market (Merivale & Cleopatra)... my FIRST visit, but not the last!! I brought a girlfriend with me who just died over the great jewelery -- brooches, bracelets, and more!! I died over well -- everything! I showed great restraint ... but did find the perfect ice cream bowls. They're from the 1950's, lime green, and originally terms Sherbet bowl. Yeahhhh. The vendors are very friendly, not too stuffy, and a number of the booths were quite well priced as.

The exposure to this Ottawa secret definitely paid it forward, thrifting style. We will be back.

I can smell a tradition brewing.... Sunday Thrifting Church anyone?

God life is good. Get out there an enjoy it!

XOXO
ThriftKitty

Oh Vintage Owls ... how I long for thee!

Without even knowing it -- I started a new collection! Ooops! It happened a little while back when I stumbled across this very adorable owl statue from VV. He had a few chips off his ear and beak, but had fantastic character. I knew he needed a good home. So home he came. A couple weeks after that, another owl crossed my path. I think he's actually one of those owls people buy to scare off other birds from chillin' on their balconies. Who would do such a thing!!? So home he came.

The two owls are now happily perched on top of our closet in the front hall. It's a perfect space, but they're getting lonely. Since those two lucky finds, I have yet to come across another.

After countless missions and no luck, the itch got stronger. In preparation for a cathartic blogging session about owls, a quick Google search for 'vintage owls' yielded the image to the left. It was actually a pic from a blog called Design*Sponge ... highlighting some beautiful vintage owls from Etsy: bluebellbazaar! I quickly went on the site, but no such luck ... they had been sold!! I emailed the vendor (Gosia) and she responded almost instantly! I'm now on her mailing list to find out when new gems get posted. Success. Fingers crossed.

We all have our vices. Mine seem to be centred around forest animals and dwellers -- owls, deers, squirrels, acorns, sticks, and birds. hmmmm. I suppose it could be worse. For now, I'll relish in the amazing experiences of the weekend!!! My first visit to Bentley's Flea Market and a trip to MaryAnn Haris' Vintage Fashion Rave at her home. More to come on that!

Ottawa might not be such a bad thrifting city after all. Just takes some digging into the subculture of the thrifting world. Diamond in the rough.

XOXO
ThriftKitty

A Guide to Thrifting: Part 1

There are many veterans out there - in the wild and wonderful world of thrifting - with great wisdom and insights. I aspire to one day be one of those veterans. In doing so, I commit to doing my best to document these travels, share tricks of the trade, and impart some of the ideas that work for me. I also plan to pick up a few of the books mentioned in an earlier blog -- no doubt many great thrift hunts have been brilliantly documented.

A Guide to Thrifting: Part 1

1. Have a plan. Whenever possible, have a plan. It's easy to get overwhelmed and lose focus. Decide in advance what you're hunting for that day. Whether it be a particular room (dining room, kitchen, bedroom) or particular item (dishes, jewelery, picture frames), zero in on that area of the store and focus your time there.

2. Take your time. When setting out for a thrift experience, you give yourself lots of time. Don't rush. Scan the shelves slowly -- and if possible, double back over the same area twice!! New items will pop out the second or third time around! The time factor is especially true if you're going to a Flea Market, large Antique store, or new spot. If you only have an hour to shop, don't try to cover the whole store. Focus your time in one area. Ideally, you have a whole day ... but sometimes the best time to go is on a weekday morning. The stores are quiet and new items have just been put out.

3. Bring cash. Smaller stores may or may not have debit. Cash can also be a negotiating tool. If you only have a certain number of dollars, you can use that as your best offer. Carrying cash can also be a way to manage your budget. If you only want to spend $20, bring $20 cash with you and stop there.

4. Collect, then sort. Whenever possible, take a basket or cart. It's best to grab whatever catches your eye, then sort through your basket at the end. It's okay to put things back -- someone will be glad you did. Not only will this ensure you get first dibs on taking that treasure home, but it will also give you time to plan out where it will live when it gets home, which items may be given as gifts, or whether you really need that piece today!

5. Go often!! This may be the most important one of all. Frequency is key. Some trips may not be very fruitful. Don't be discouraged ... it's the thrill of the hunt that makes the find truly rewarding. You may also get to know the salespeople, who can give you tips on when new merchandise is put out, or even keep an eye on certain things for you. Frequent thrifting can be challenging for a few reasons, 1) The hours of these stores may not align with your work schedule during the week - this drives me nuts, or 2) You may have a number of spots you like to hit -- where to go and when, oh my!?!?, 3) You may end up spending way more than you expect - this requires diligence and focus. Give it a shot ... even pick a day of the week and stick to that schedule.

... to be continued!!

XOXO
ThriftKitty

Thrift-worthy Events in Ottawa

One of my earlier posts referenced a fabulous "Vintage Fashion Rave" that's coming up in January ... but this past weekend I stumbled upon a few more, and thought it would be ThriftKitty worthy to share them with fellow thrifters:

Vintage Fashion Rave
Sunday, January 25
10am - 4pm
1495 Chomley Crescent (off Coronation Ave)

Yesteryear Antique Fair
February 13 - February 15
Friday: 5pm - 9pm
Saturday: 10am - 5pm
Sunday: 10am - 4pm
Nepean Sportsplex
1701 Woodroffe Avenue

Vintage Fashion Sale - Round II

Sunday, March 1st

11am - 3pm

1495 Chomley Crescent

Amazing pieces - Cash only - Great deals!

Antiques & Vintage Living
March 27 - 29
October 23-25
Friday: 5pm - 9pm
Saturday: 10am - 5pm
Sunday: 10am - 4pm
The Fieldhouse
Carleton University
Bronson & Sunnyside
www.asinter.com (for a reminder and discount pass)

Spring Garage Sale
April 18 & 19
Landsdowne Park
Sat & Sun: 9am - 4pm
Coliseum Building

Capital Clothing Show
May 8-10
Friday: 5pm - 9pm
Saturday: 10am - 5pm
Sunday: 10am - 4pm
The Fieldhouse
Carleton University
Bronson & Sunnyside
www.capitalclothingshow.com

Great Glebe Garage Sale
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Go EARLY!
http://www.glebeca.ca/events/garage_sale.html

New Edinburgh Garage Sale
Saturday in September 2009
Details TBD
http://www.newedinburgh.ca

Old Ottawa South Garage Sale
September 5, 2009
http://www.oldottawasouth.com

See you there!
XOXO
ThriftKitty

Vintage Shopping: Online!

Today is the day of Vintage!

Lulu's Vintage held a 2008 People's Choice Awards for the best vintage sites. What a great service ... talk about narrowing down the search for us newbies!!

Here are the winners:

Dorothea's Closet Vintage
Sweet Cherry Vintage
Dandelion Vintage
Vintage-a-Peel
Denisebrain
Daisy Fairbanks
Damn Good Vintage
Vintage Secret
Fast Eddie's Retro Rags
Sydneys Vintage Clothing

I'll work my way through this list and report back on which sites ship to Canada. I've found that a number of the vendors on Etsy won't ship to Canada.

Happy shopping!!

XOXO
ThriftKitty

Vintage Calendars: Re-use at its best!!

Thanks to a great thrifty blog, WISEBREAD, I have an exciting new thrift hunting mission: Vintage Calendars!!

What better way to:
1) Add character to your kitchen or cubical wall with a piece no one else can match, and
2) Collect great prints at reasonable prices to put in your fantastic vintage frames.

I don't know about you, but I'm completely addicted to ornate vintage frames. Sometimes they come with fantastic old prints or art within, but other times, the best deals are frames only. A solution has been found. Yeahh!!

So what's the catch -- Time & Date. Use this smarty-pants website to determine which years from the early 1900's match 2009 (or any year to come).

There are so many wise people out there! Thanks WISEBREAD.

XOXO
ThriftKitty

Spot on: Personal Provenance

In my blog readings this evening, I came across a local blogger known as "girlaboutOtown". She recently published an article in Ottawa Focus, and I thought it was perfectly spot on.

The article is about "Provenance", which is defined by the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary as "the history of ownership of a valued object, or work of art, or literature." The article encourages us to ditch that cookie-cutter image of design and style -- be YOU -- make your interior design and even your personal style more meaningful. Value the origins of each an every piece. Whether it's sentimental value, a sense of history, the story behind the find, or simply the I LOVE THIS PIECE factor. Storing everything away and over de-cluttering can be too sterile.

This concept is the cornerstone of not-so-new, vintage, thrift, consignment or antique shopping. Very fitting.

The article is definitely worth a read, check it out. Then read up on the writer behind the article ... girlaboutOtown.


I'm impressed. Inspired.

XOXO
ThriftKitty