Details: Gap dress, Only & Sons jacket, Aldo shoes, Rebecca Minkoff bag (all secondhand)

Thoughts: This outfit formula — boho dress, oversized denim jacket, chunky white loafers — feels trend-aware but true to myself. And that’s the sweet spot, isn’t it? It’s not about ignoring fashion, it’s about making it your own. And look, I know this isn’t the cutting edge of fashion by a country mile; the cognoscenti have already probably moved on from chunky shoes, and denim jackets. But these pieces allow me to update this dress in a way that, to me, feels fresh but also comfortable. And by that, I mean comfortable in my own skin, which is always my first and most important priority.

Details: LoveShackFancy top, Max & Co skirt, Donna Karan belt (all thrifted)

Thoughts: It’s been a hot minute since I found a designer label at the thrifts, so I had to pick up this LoveShackFancy blouse for its novelty, if nothing else. Well, that wasn’t the only reason, of course. I love the cotton candy colours; they’re sort of intense pastels, which I think are more flattering on me than traditional, soft pastels. I have to say, I am not especially impressed with the quality of this piece considering its retail price point (north of $350CAD) which is disappointing even if I only paid $7 for it. What the heck is happening with the fashion industry if this is what’s being sold as “designer” these days? Sigh. At least I have my vintage … including this skirt (old) and this belt (new). Can you believe I found this genuine snakeskin belt for less than $3? It’s probably from the 80s, and it’s superb quality that has held up beautifully over the years. I’m not sure anyone will be saying that about the blouse in 2050. (And no, don’t tell me my math is off. I refuse to hear it.)

Details: Suttles & Seawinds dress, Le Chateau belt (both Poshmark), tulle skirt (thrifted)

Thoughts: I love this dress a lot but wish it was slightly longer. Got my tulle skirt out. Problem solved 😉

Details: Ines de la Fressange x Uniqlo shirt, BR tie, Tahari jacket, CoH jeans, Brave belt, Ferragamo shoes (all thrifted)

Thoughts: I am still exploring the possibilities of this vintage Tahari jacket — the cut is so unusual and so good. I wanted to juxtapose the femme vibes of that cut with more masc styling. The glasses were an afterthought (I often forget I’m wearing my reading glasses, a sign of my age in more ways than one) but they certainly helped the overall Jenna Lyons-ness of the outfit. I wasn’t mad about it one bit.

Details: Vince top, Icone blazer, UO pants, Donna Karan belt (all thrifted)

Thoughts: This blazer is new-masquerading-as-vintage but I am a sucker for Grandma’s couch florals, so I got it. For this outfit, I leaned into the colour scheme, pairing the blazer with my olive-and-black striped knit top for a relatively subdued pattern mix moment. I decided to pick a light belt as a way to introduce some contrast and stop the black from taking over too much.

Details: Anthro jacket, Old Navy tee & sandals, vintage skirt, Coach bag (all secondhand)

Thoughts: I call this summer boho casual. Cotton layers, a floaty skirt (plus bike shorts), sandals. Easy and literally breezy. This particular skirt is a no-brainer choice when I’m stuck for ideas, because the pattern affords so many pairing options. For this outing, I decided to pick the maroon as a focal colour, and the outfit basically assembled itself from there.

Details: unbranded shirt (swap),Zara top, LL Bean belt, CoH jeans, Fluevog shoes, Rebecca Minkoff bag (all thrifted)

Thoughts: I got this plaid shirt at my last swap because I love its colours, but it feels a little bit disingenuous. I can’t say I have ever been a huge Guns ‘n Roses fan per se. Does this mean I’m flying false colours here? LOL! Anywhoo. The shirt is very oversized, so I choose a crop top to balance things out. I debated a bit over the choice of denim, but this ankle crop ultimately felt like the best option. Of all things, I think it’s the hat that ties it all together. This damn hat will end up being the MVP of my summer, just watch.

It is no secret that, as with my personal style, I consider my home an outlet for creative self-expression. I’ve written about it more than once, and it only becomes more true with time. I thought about this a lot in writing my book, and while I have no desire to rehash my thoughts here, suffice to say that I believe you can understand a lot about a person from the objects they choose for their living spaces and the way in which those objects are displayed and used. I think objects tell stories, and I love listening to people talk about the stories behind the objects they collect. That is what inspired this post.

My house is full of objects, so choosing only ten to highlight here was a bit like throwing darts in the dark and then looking to see where they land. Mainly, I tried to go with variety. You may notice that most of these items are vintage and/or secondhand, and that isn’t an accident. I love old things. I think it’s because, as an immigrant, I have very few family heirlooms; the vast majority of things my parents and grandparents owned when I was growing up had to be left behind, and there were no opportunities later to retrieve them. The things I collect now can’t replace the history I lost, but they provide a way to recreate the atmosphere of my memories, and also to create my own history. For that reason, they are very sentimental to me.

A tour of my house in 10 objects, let’s go!

Vintage Quilt

Everyone knows I love all things patchwork, and this quilt is a beautiful example of the craft. It was the first quilt I found at the thrift store once I started looking for them, and I fell in love with its design and colours on the spot. I mean, I do love a nice star motif. I believe the pattern is called Seven Sisters. According to the International Quilt Museum, the pattern predates the American Civil War and the 7 stars supposedly represented the first seven states to secede from the United States before the inauguration of Abraham Lincoln. Personally, I prefer to think of them as the Pleiades, the seven sisters of Greek mythology, daughters of Atlas. These days, handmade quilts are getting harder and harder to find at the thrifts, and I can only hope it’s because people are rediscovering their beauty and holding on to them, rather than donating them. One day, after I retire, I hope to start learning how to quilt myself. Machine sewing has always been intimidating to me, but I’ve got a few years to psych myself up for it. In the meantime, I might take a few baby steps, and explore ideas for incorporating textiles into my embroidery.

Russian Lacquer Box

One of the few family heirlooms I still have, this was a box that used to belong to my maternal grandmother, who passed it down to her daughter, who passed it down to me. My grandmother used to keep her jewelry in it, and I have vivid memories from my childhood of opening it to peer at the ‘treasures’ inside. I’ve always been a magpie, ok? This style of lacquerware is a traditional Russian craft, with the designs reflecting folk fairy tales. It developed from the art of icon painting, which came to an end after the collapse of Imperial Russia and advent of Communism. Instead of icons, the artists began decorating papier-mache decorative objects, like boxes and plates, which were lacquered. The work is beautiful and so meticulous – the artists would often use single-hair brushes to paint some of the tiny details. This box is probably over 50 years old, and sadly its hinges are now broken (and I’m too scared of damaging it further to try to fix them), but it’s still beautiful and, to me, priceless. I hope to pass it down to my own daughter some day.

Vintage Chair

My husband found this single chair on the side of the road in downtown Vancouver. At the time, he was a broke grad student, so he ‘rescued’ it and took it back to his bachelor pad which suffered from a shortage of furniture. A few years later, it travelled thousands of kilometers when he moved back to Edmonton and we started living together. This chair has been around the block and then some! For many years, it lived in our (unfinished) basement because we didn’t have a proper space for it. Still, neither of us ever considered letting it go, because we both love its faded elegance and neoclassical design. It’s something we have always agreed on, style-wise. I’m glad we didn’t let go of the chair because now it does have a space, finally – in our recently updated family room / library. This corner had spent most of the last decade as a storage space for random toy paraphernalia, so this is a big upgrade.

1980s Abstract Painting

This was one of the first original art pieces I thrifted, and it remains one of our favourite artworks in the house. It’s signed “J. Tanner” and dated 1987. I’ve never been able to find out anything about the artist, but that’s ok – a little mystery doesn’t take away its charm. You don’t always need to know everything about a piece of art for it to be meaningful. Art connects at an emotional level anyway. This piece is the centerpiece of our stairway art gallery; its style and colour palette tie everything else together, and it brings me joy every time I walk by it.

West Germany Decorative Plate

West German pottery is one of my obsessions, and this plate epitomizes what I love about it – the uniqueness of the designs and the bold use of colour. It’s another one of my thrift finds; in fact, as with so many other things I’ve come to love, thrifting is responsible for introducing me to West German pottery in the first place, which was one of my entry-points to mid-century modern design. (My husband was ahead of me in this regard. But he trained as an architect and I feel like it’s mandatory to love MCM if you work in that field. Ahem.) Sadly, these pottery pieces are getting harder to find these days, and more expensive; I suppose that’s true for all vintage, and all the more reason to treasure the ones I’ve been lucky enough to add to my collection.

La Mendola Scarf

Among my many fabulous thrift finds over the years, this La Mendola scarf is high on the list of truly special things. What drew me to it in the first place was the gorgeous print – I love botanical designs, and I love cacti in particular. The material is luscious silk, with hand-rolled edges. I knew right away that I would end up framing this, rather than wearing it, because it’s truly a work of art. I did some research and discovered that La Mendola was an Italian fashion label (founded by 2 Americans) in the 1960s in Rome. With prints that rivaled those of Pucci, its clothes were worn by many celebrities of the 60s and 70s, including Elizabeth Taylor. I feel very fortunate to have a little piece of fashion history on my wall.

MCM Candleholder

This is an example of patience paying off – I had coveted one of these articulated MCM candleholders for years before I finally found this one at Goodwill. Ever since, it has held pride of place on my mantlepiece. I love its shape, and it’s a great way to display candles — and I love decorating with candles. Do I use them for lighting? No. Do they look pretty, unlit but colourful? Yes. In the last few years, my appreciation for MCM design has grown by leaps and bounds; I think my husband’s aesthetic sensibilities are rubbing off on me. I also happen to think that this style works well with the neoclassical eclectic vibe we also love, which creates a nice synergy. We hope to add more MCM flavour to our home, especially through furniture, which tends to have the perfect proportions for a smaller house like ours.

Roseville Vase

I first saw Roseville pieces on a vintage reseller’s Instagram account and was instantly drawn to the distinctive floral designs. Florals are my jam, as you all know. Roseville pieces are quite pricey these days, so imagine my delight when (after years of looking) I found this vase for $3.99. It’s my favourite colour palette, and decorated with one of my (and my mom’s) favourite flowers: freesia. I think this vase is something my mom would have loved, so it always makes me think of her.

Pendleton Blanket

One of my interior design inspirations is English country, and what I love about it is the exuberant use of textiles – lots of colours and prints. One of my current goals is to upgrade the textiles in our home – everything from rugs to pillows to blankets, and so on.  This is something we’ve never really prioritized in the past, and I want to change that. We’ve been slowly sourcing some nicer area rugs for different parts of the house, and I’ve also been focusing on upping our blanket game. Pendleton is about as fabulous as it gets, in my book, so it’s been on my list for a while. I adore their patterns, and the quality is excellent. I was thrilled to find this Chief Joseph throw blanket at the thrift store in like-new condition; it was not cheap, but totally worth it. A great way to start what I hope, someday, will be an heirloom-worthy collection. And it makes snuggling up on the couch in front of the TV in our (almost finished now, hallelujah) basement extra cozy!

Picasso Poster

In the scheme of things, a poster might not seem like an especially “wow” thrift score … but this one is special. I was thrilled to find it. I’ve seen similar pieces featured on vintage resellers accounts and get snapped up immediately, so I knew I was lucky to find it for a relative bargain. Not only is it one of my favourite Picasso paintings, it looks extra striking at the scale of this massive, mounted museum poster, making it a fantastic focal point. There are several spots in the house where I considered hanging it (and may still do, in the future) but it fits perfectly in this corner of the basement, creating a little tableau that makes me happy every time I walk by it. I love the juxtaposition of the modernist and classical aesthetics here.

Well, that’s it for the tour … if you enjoyed it, drop me a comment and let me know if you would like to see more.

Details: Anthropologie dress, Lena Bernard necklace, Coach bag, Brixton hat, cowboy boots (all secondhand)

Thoughts: A simple outfit — you can’t get more simple than this — that is ALL about the accessories. I didn’t know how much I needed a black felt hat in my life until I thrifted this one. I was surprised by how wearable it is even on a warm day, which is great because it offers a nice alternative to my straw Panama hat. I like having different options to suit different aesthetics, and this one works better with the SW/prairie side of my closet compared with my other option. I am also surprised by how much I love this short dress/cowboy boot combo. Now that I have acquired a pair of (black) bike shorts, making it a proposition fraught with a lot less risk (of flashing), I see a lot of appeal in it. Too bad I only have 2 short summer dresses in my closet. Just imagine a flirty, swirly eyelet number! Something to think about, anyway. In the meantime, this dress never not gives 110%.

Details: Reitmans top, Lira jacket, vintage skirt, Dooney bag, Chie Mihara shoes (all secondhand)

Thoughts: I found this patchwork skirt at a garage sale, which is noteworthy insofar as (a) it’s fab! and (b) I never find clothes at garage sales! It is a teeny bit sheer, which is fine because — remember my bike shorts? Yeah, that was a good thrift purchase too. They’re another staple I never knew I needed and now can’t live without. Sometimes, it’s “boring” pieces like it that can make the biggest impact on your wardrobe, by unlocking the potential of other items or combinations. I might add this striped tank top to that list. I have a love-hate relationship with stripes; they’re so versatile — this top will go with so many things in my closet — but if they’re the wrong type, they make me sick. Literally. Thin stripes spaced too close together make me dizzy. This version? Works great.

Details: Tommy Hilfiger shirt, Fossil belt, H&M pants, Coach bag, Ferragamo shoes (all secondhand)

Thoughts: Vertical stripes, on the other hand, I can wear all day long. I love this men’s shirt so much; the navy, red, white and yellow combo is eye-catching but classic. This was a super basic outfit that punched above its effort level.

Details: Ralph Lauren shirt, Dries Van Noten skirt, tulle skirt, vintage belt, J. Crew shoes (all secondhand)

Thoughts: Speaking of stripes, this was my homage to Dries Van Noten upon news of his retirement from his eponymous label. As many of you know, DVN has been an inspiration to me for many years, and I treasure the pieces I own — including this skirt, which a dear friend gifted me years ago. It’s knee-length, which isn’t a style I enjoy wearing as much these days, but it’s too fabulous and precious for me to ever part with it. To make it fit the me of now, I layered it over my blue tulle skirt; the colours work together perfectly, and the skirts are compatible, size-wise as well. The DVN is loose enough to accommodate the extra layer, and the tulle skirt is not so voluminous as to be impossible to accommodate. Call it kismet.

Details: Zara dress, Jessie vest, Elizabeth & James vest, Manolo Blahnik shoes

Thoughts: Double the vest, double the fun? I would say so, wouldn’t you agree?