I ended up waiting an extra long time for my FabFitFun summer box to arrive, but despite a hiccup or two, it was worth it. Here are my (as always, unsponsored and honest) reviews of the products I chose.

This was part of a 3-item bundle that could be selected as one of the customizations for annual members. FFF has gone nuts with adding dozens of options in each tier, but the good stuff always seems to be lumped into the same one or two tiers, leaving the others to be full of, well, filler stuff. This time around, they seemed to do a better job of spreading things around so there were good options in each tier, but navigating all the choices was a bit overwhelming. Anyway, my daughter loved this ice cube tray. It’s cute but more of a novelty item.

This Seraphine lip mask was part of the same bundle. I really like it – smells good, seems to be moisturizing enough. To be fair, it’s hard to tell right now as my lips aren’t particularly chapped. I could save it for the winter, but I probably won’t as I enjoy slathering it on every night.

The last item in the bundle was this foot file, which is a very practical item for me at the moment considering that I haven’t had a professional pedicure in 18 months and my feet, umm, have seen better days. I was skeptical about how well it would work, as a lot of files aren’t gritty enough in my experience to really make an impact, but I’ve been pleasantly surprised so far. Using it after I shower, and then slathering my feet in Happy Feet cream seems to be working small miracles.

This was a default pick in a “meh” category. Am I ever going to use shimmering oil? Probably not.

This was another category where no item really grabbed me, so I chose this dry shampoo because I’ve seen lots of people rave about it on social media. I’m not a big user of dry shampoo, but I do need it from time to time, so this will come in handy. I hope I don’t end up loving it too much because it costs a whopping $70 a can or something equally ridiculous.

I don’t normally get make-up in my FFF picks, but I had good luck with the MAC lipsticks last time, so I decided to give this a try. I really like the formula – it’s like a gloss but goes on like a matte lipstick. The colour I chose (Blood Orange) is a bit darker than I was hoping, but I think I can get used to it; it’s a sort of brickish red/ dark orange. It will be a good colour for fall.

So here was a bit of shadiness. I selected a cooler bag as one of my main customizations, and it was a piece I was excited to get because my family could use it. I made my selections within the first few minutes after the window for annual subscribers opened up, and the cooler was still clearly available at that time. About 3 weeks later, I get an email from FFF telling me that they had to pull the cooler because of some quality issues, and that they would substitute another item and give me a credit. Fine. Except it turns out that a bunch of other people, including one of my friends, ended up getting the cooler anyway. I hate it when companies aren’t honest; just say that you didn’t have enough stock, and leave it at that. Anyway, the item FFF sent me as a replacement was this Sonix speaker. It actually worked out, because everyone in my family loves this thing. It’s easy to sync with all of our devices (Apple and otherwise) and has good sound quality.

This Summer Fridays vitamin C serum was one of my “big ticket item” picks because the reviews for it online were excellent. I’ve been using it and I have to say that I like it a lot. Is it better than the Sunday Riley CEO Glow oil? Hard to say, but it’s definitely not worse. I do feel like it’s improved the overall appearance of my skin, though it’s not some night-and-day thing.

I ended up adding a couple of extra items from some of the tiers, and this Dr. Brandt cleanser was one of them. I chose it because I had recently run out of cleanser and the one I was using before (The Ordinary Squalane cleanser) was impressing me. I think I prefer this one; it cleans well without making me feel like my skin is being stripped.

The other extra item I added was this Murad collagen serum, also based on reviews. I use it as a moisturizer, alternating with my blue tansy oil and the Dr. Perricone cream I got in my last FFF box. I like it so far, but I’m not sure it’s going to become a “must have” product for me. It falls into that category of “works, doesn’t irritate my skin, but is probably interchangeable with a dozen other products”. This is not a criticism, by the way. Getting products like this is one of the reason I like the FFF box: I can try different things and see what is truly worth the retail price and what isn’t.

Did you get the Summer 2021 FFF box? What was your favourite item?

Bold Red

There is something so fun about red lipstick, isn’t there? I mean, it jumps out on the t-shirt design, and it sure does brighten up the face too. I’m still masking up, of course, so my lipstick-wearing is pretty limited these days but I do like to put some on for photos because it’s just a nice little finishing touch. The other finishing touch here? Well, it’s a toss-up between the blazer and the shoes. The blazer was a spur-of-the-moment pick, which really jazzes up the basic outfit so nicely. The shoes … well, red sneakers are always the cherry on top.

Remembrance of Things Past

This is such a 2018/2019 Adina outfit. The monochromatic thing, the tulle, the layering. And you know what? I still dig this. I wouldn’t wear it every day (because I’d miss colour too much) but I love a goth-lite moment every now and then.

And Again

Speaking of revisiting past inspiration, remember my Jo March obsession. This is very on point, if Jo were to discover the joy of culottes. This is my current favourite pair of pants, by the way. It’s Kimchi Blue, and they are incredibly comfortable. The material is a sort of thick ponte (but nothing too sweaty) that has structure to it but is still stretchy and comfortable. I wear them a lot.

Case in Point

I rest my case.

Graphic x 2

I love graffiti prints, and this is a double take. Probably my favourite outfit with this skirt – the tee is a perfect match for it.

Step Outside the Comfort Zone

This one was def outside my comfort zone, both in terms of proportions and colours, but I ended up liking it a lot. The skirt is a stunner — parts of the pattern are entirely beaded — and I can’t wait to remix it.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I’ve turned much of my thrifting focus to house wares and decor lately. Decorative objects are not everyone’s cup of tea — one person’s treasures can be another person’s clutter — but I love them. Being a maker has taught me to appreciate the skill and artistry that goes into creating these things which exist primarily to be beautiful. I enjoy having them around my house, though I do like to switch things up from time to time. I think of my house as an ever-evolving ecosystem (much like my closet, actually). That’s another reason why one of my longer term plans is to open up a small curated vintage shop.

Anyway, that’s my preamble for a post that’s all about the house wares I’ve thrifted lately. Let’s dive in!

The large still life, a Jae Dougall print (on stretched canvas) is one of my fave finds. This is actually the second Dougall piece I’ve thrifted, without really knowing much about the artist. I guess you can say that I really love her style. This also happens to fit in beautifully in my little reading nook in the living room. For a long time, that corner was fairly bare (well, the walls were) but it’s starting to really come together. That’s what I like about adding things slowly over time; it gives a space room to grow organically.

Candle holders are a small obsession of mine (after I gave up collecting globes, haha) and while I usually buy brass ones, I couldn’t resist this little ceramic one. The colour is so cheerful! It’s made in the Czech Republic!

Speaking of brass candle holders …

And then there was Lumiere! I’m not sure a formal dinner party is in the cards for me any time soon, but if and when it will be, I’m all set for table settings. In the meantime, I may use this outside on the deck. Fancy!

These Portuguese ceramic candle holders are also too adorable to pass up.

I know I said that I stopped collecting globes but how could I resist this little paperweight? It’s now sitting on my desk at home, and makes me smile whenever I look at it.

I haven’t yet found a place for this little antique mirror, but I know that I will. Besides, for $3, it was a no brainer.

I loved the abstract shape of these Hoselton made-in-Canada aluminum statuettes (one is a Canada goose, one is a crane). They’re lovely for shelf styling; I personally love an eclectic shelf, and have a few of them “curated” around the house. I think of them as little mini-museums.

Benjamin Chee Chee is one of my fave artists, and this is one of my fave prints. I adore the elegant simplicity of the line work – they are so graceful and fluid, and they perfectly capture the essence of the animals (in this case, more Canada geese).

This is a lovely little bowl from a pottery studio in Washington state. I love the colours, it’s my fave palette for ceramics.

This West Germany bud vase has a little bit of damage, but its shape is so wonderfully weird that I had to add it to my collection.

Japanese pottery is one of my favourite things to collect, and I could not resist this vase. The colour, the design … all so very lovely. It’s a piece I know my mom would have loved, which makes it extra special for me.

I guess I’m a sucker for oddly shaped vases because I also couldn’t leave this one behind. The thing that got me was the birch tree design; they remind me of my grandmother, who used to love them.

This is an 1980s Denby vase, but the shape and colour palette make it fit in well with my earth-toned Japanese pottery collection.

This is another Japanese piece, likely from the 70s (with a Sears Canada sticker still on the bottom). It’s hard to capture just how beautiful that glaze looks in real life; it has a milky sort of translucence that makes it seem as if the design is painted on water.

I guess I’m collecting swans now too 😉 (I have a few other Blue Mountain Pottery pieces, they’re a sort of Canadian classic.)

And although not a swan, this little made-in-Japan bird planter-vase had to come home with me too. Such a little cutie!

Do you have a favourite piece? If you also collect decorative objects, I would love to hear about your favourite categories or items, and how your collection started.