ready and willing

typewriter: 5.00
granny sunglasses: 1.50
bow-tie pins: 50 cents (for two)
purple clutch: 2.00

Today was 50% off day at Value Village (also deemed affectionately amongst my group of friends as 'Val Vills', 'Cape Value', 'the Tiny Village of Value), and I hurried over as fast as I could to the nearest outlet to get my secondhand fix.

Like the magnificent full moon, this special day comes around only once a month. Accompanying it is a lot of hectic dashing, tripping over fallen hangers, and attempting to maneuver politely around people while hauling around a giant tote of goodies. As the prices of secondhand goods keeps rising, it's hard to get a good deal in this town anymore. And although VV doesn't touch the extortionary prices of previously-loved goods in the Kensington Market or Queen st. boutiques, its prices often hit inexplicable heights. Which makes these discount days all the more sweet.

My shopping companion made off with a couple shirts, and I lugged about a typewriter (similar to the one a few posts below- it must be fate that I found it today!) and a handful of accessories. The typewriter is hands-down the best buy of the day. Although it's not the most charming typewriter I own, it's in fantastic condition.

School is out for... strike-times. Hopefully I will be on the computer more, updating and reading, although I will tiptoe about my dust-gathering textbooks quite guiltily.

happiness

Glorious Kate Spade mittens! Perfect for the slow Canadian winters. Bet these would make some mean snowballs.

autumn!

(leah bartholomew, gorker gallery)
Hurray for autumn! It is wheezing to a close over here in Toronto. Leaves flaming out and then drifting to the ground. I got off school early today after class and some meetings, peeled out of the parking lot, and made it home in time to cram in a quick walk through the local gardens with my main squeeze before the sun sank.

sharon margaret russell

My parents came back from Australia/Hong Kong with a cartload of magazines that my middle sister, who lives in Sydney, had saved up for me over the past few months. frankie magazine (art*fashion*music*craft*life) was one of the best discoveries she made after landing on the other side of the world, along with the realization that toilet water swirls in the opposite direction. She's passed many issues along to me, and they've entertained me through long train rides through the country-sides of China; one issue really pulled through for me last year when I ended up in the hospital linked up to an IV for three hours, giddy from the antibiotics rocketing through my veins.


frankie is like the cool cousin who blows into town leaving perfectly-worn-in plaid shirts and old records underneath your bed. The columnists are hilarious and sharp, and the fashion's steeped in that natural laidback charm that Australian's are notorious for. Most importantly, the magazine talks to readers like they are intelligent and creative art-lovers, not like a lot of N. American fash/culture rags, many of which I feel talk down to readers or come off like one long advertorial (cough, Nylon).

Knitter/Photographer Sharon Russell's photographs featuring naughty knitted bits were showcased in the July/August issue of frankie. The tiny squares of wool juxtaposed against large expanses of skin are amazing and do great work in un-granny-fying the craft.




All images by Sharon Russell from the ‘A fleshy self : consciousness’ series.All images copyright Sharon Russell 2007

{This is Glamorous} has the most gorgeous accumulation of fashion and interior design pics. The minute I click on that site my inspiration nodes start hopping and my heart starts to glow.

This framed chalkboard would be perfect for creating little menus at home or leaving messages for loved ones. Any To Do list written here would probably be completed with gusto and style.

Old typewriter at the boyfriend's cottage.

It was placed on a little white desk, next to a teeny white chair. A brown rocking chair lilted slowly next to it. Places for so many great ideas to sit and rest before being dashed onto the page.

Type-itty type type!