Maybe it’s the refreshing feeling Spring brings, but I’ve been on a bit of a beauty/houseware kick lately. It seems I am getting more excited about buying makeup and skin/hair care products rather than clothes, and organizing/cleaning my home and welcoming cute wares into our abode. So I thought I’d share a few things I picked up recently.
I recently picked up Kiehl’s creamy eye treatment with avocado from the Kiehl’s store in Yorkdale Mall (a big ol’ mall in Toronto). I have a tough time justifying a more expensive purchase for a skincare product if I haven’t heard a recommendation or haven’t tried it myself (ie, a sample), but I had heard some good things about this eye cream, and I was looking for an under eye treatment product, so I picked this up and I love it. It may be a little pricey, but it will last a long while, so, well worth the money in the end. I’ve only been using it a few days now, so I don’t have much to report, but I do love using it as a morning product. The avocado sort of helps wake me up, and it’s a nice base for my under eye concealer.
Value Village is one of my favourite places to find houseware goodies. Sometimes there is absolute shit, and other times there are some real gems. This time I found some gems in the way of 4 little colourful bowls and this adorable teapot/kettle hybrid. I actually don’t know what it is (which is embarassing), the wooden handle confuses me. I originally thought it was a kettle, but then when I got home I thought maybe it’s a teapot. To be honest, it’s making me feel like an idiot that I don’t know what it is. Someone, if you know, please enlighten me! LOL
A new makeup bag!! I had been using the same disgusting (read: old) makeup bag for quite a long while. So while I was waiting for a prescription at the drug store to be ready, I walked over to H&M for a wee browse. Now I don’t really like many of the clothes in H&M, at least, not the way I used to, but I do get quite excited about their accessories and this makeup bag immediately caught my eye because of, you guessed it, pink! There isn’t much to it, just a zipper and the inside, but it’s pink, it’s clean and it’s new, so I’m a happy camper.
While Ryan and I were in Yorkdale Mall, we also headed into Bath and Body Works to pick up some wallflower fragrances because our home was starting to smell of big stinky dog breath (ie, Beans). Bath and Body Works is a dangerous place for me – scents and candles everywhere! This body wash/bath foam immediately caught my eye. I swear, anything that says stress relief I’m like a moth to a flame. If you know me on a personal level, then you know how stressed out I can become (I sometimes talk about it on here), so anything that says it will help with stress, even if it is a stupid gimmick, I’m usually intrigued by. This body wash is with eucalyptus and spearmint, which sounds like soothing properties. I’ve used it a few times now and so has Ryan, and we both quite like it.
You might be shocked to know that I really don’t use any products in my hair, like at all. I shampoo and condition, and that’s it. But when I was in MTL, Kristen had the Fructis Marvelous Oil in her cabinet, so after I washed my hair I gave it a go and the silky difference in my hair was so apparent I knew when I got back to Toronto I had to buy it. And buy it I did. I also picked up Fructis Triple Nutrition Double Care which I spray on my hair while it’s damp and it helps with tangles. The downside to having long hair is it tangles so easily, like dreadlocks style. I’m loving both these products. The oil helps my hair dry faster and leaves it feeling silky and the spray helps to make brushing my hair a less painful experience.
Candles!! Bath and Body Works has amazing smelling candles. I really like the Lemon Mint Leaf one and Ryan liked the Eucalyptus Mint, so I got one of each.
There is a vintage/antique shop called Ransack The Universe really close to our home, and the last few weekends we have walked passed it on our way to get donuts and coffee from TBC Vegan Bakery. They usually have some furniture strategically placed outside on the sidewalk so as to force you to look at all the neat stuff they have without even having to go inside. Well, each time I walked passed I noticed a little light blush pink end table that so perfectly matched the colour of my kitchen table. So after about the 4th time of seeing it, I finally gave in and headed to the shop on Monday to see if it was still for sale. And now here it is, looking lovely as ever in my livingroom. I’m especially excited about it because our livingroom is very “Ryan”, which is fine, but it’s nice having some girlyness added to it.
I actually picked up this perfume oil while I was in MTL 3 weeks ago. My usual scent is Daisy by Marc Jacobs, but I ran out of it and I’m looking to get a Chloe perfume next, but when Kristen and I were browsing a shop (which I can’t remember the name of now) we found these perfume oils by Dot & Lil and I fell in love with the vanilla scent. I’ve never used a perfume oil before, but I quite like it. It seems longer lasting and I can also get whiffs of myself throughout the day, which I like. It’s also an added bonus that this perfume oil can be used in a diffuser in the home, so you could also have your home smelling of delicious vanilla – double whammy of goodness.
Tag: antique
Everly
Have you guys heard of the online shop Everly? It’s a darling place filled with antique and vintage treasures, run by the beauteous Hannah Hayes. I have been following Hannah online for quite a few years now, and while she doesn’t blog as much as she used to, I’m always excited to see an update from her because her photography is stunning and she always, always finds the most adorable antique treasures. To me, it felt like a natural progression for her to start up her own shop so she could combine her love of photographing vintage knick knacks with her ability to find the cutest curiosities and be able to share them with us folks who are not as lucky or as keen when searching for those special vintage goodies.
Sur Ma Tête / The Ethel
Meet Ethel, probably the silliest gal of all my hats. Silly mostly because she sits right atop my head (kind of like a turban) making sure you don’t miss her for even a second – she is in no way understated. Another pillbox hat, which I probably have a thing for. This one is an old girl, and you can tell – there is some staining (as you can see in the second picture below), and the ribbon and twisted straw that has been basket woven together are coming a bit undone in some places, but I love her all the same. I got her at an antique mall in NY State. I saw her just wasting away on top of a shelf and knew if I didn’t take her home, someone probably wouldn’t, although I can’t be sure of that because she’s pretty awesome.
Name: Ethel
Age: 60-65yrs (1950s)
Talents: stands out of the crowd, doesn’t give a shit what nobody thinks, has a darling bow to make her tough exterior a little more sweet, when worn she shares her wisdom from her many years of experience, and just a real hoot!
Home Sweet Home / The Spences
As I mentioned in a previous post, my parent’s have been redecorating their home for the last several months. Their shared love for antiques and vintage has created an almost entirely different looking home than the one I grew up in. I couldn’t really get down with that home, but I’m definitely down with this one. In the early days of this blog I photographed some friends homes (and this one), but sort of got lazy at continuing that series, but I’d like to bring it back. So here is my parents home, filled with antique wood, amish tools, tea pots, collectibles, antique crocks and more – it distinctly reminds me of an old country home, which I do hope one day they are able to actually have a country home, something they have desired for awhile now.
*dont forget to enter my giveaway with Ellen Face Vintage!
The Little Shop
Last weekend I surprised my best friend Kristen by showing up in Montreal for her birthday. Besides me getting extremely and disgustingly sick on the final days visiting that glorious city, it was such a fun time (as always, Mtlers are the best people). Mtl has alot of genuinely interesting stores and neighbourhoods, if you’re willing to really dig and wander. It’s hard for me to say, but as far as I can tell from the many visits I have done in that city, the vintage stores are some of the best. Better than Toronto, in my opinion. And there is one particular shop I speak of, a strange shop – strange because it is only known through word of mouth – The Little Shop.
I have many friends who reside, or can call Montreal their home city, so I had heard about this shop from several of them. But alas, every time I visited Montreal, the shop was either closed, or we were staying far enough away that the trek to it would have been ridiculous without a car. It is only open 4 days a week for only 3hrs on those days. It is owned by a wonderfully eccentric woman, in her home. Yes, a house! We’re talking vintage and antiques EVERYWHERE, 3 floors filled to the brim, washrooms, kitchen, no place is untouched by the glorious dust of decades past. We spent a good hour digging through old objects and clothes, and were given tea to sip on and cookies to munch on. It’s the sort of vibe I would like to have if and when I own my own store.
If you ever find yourself in Montreal, I highly recommend checking this place out.
1002 Ogilvy
Park Ex
Wed, Thurs, Sat 2-5pm
Sun 12-3pm
514-992-3364
twitter: The_Little_Shop
instagram: @thelittleshopmtl