September is not the worst month of the year – no other month can be, as long as January exists – but it might be the most melancholy and also possibly the busiest. As a lover of summer (and also a summer baby), September always comes as a stark reminder that time is passing. Frankly, I’m not fond of such reminders and it’s not even something I can blame on my age; I hated it at 18, and at 28, and I hate it now. And September is busy, hot damn! Kids are back at school (which comes with a whole slew of logistical issues to navigate), the seasonal ramp-up at work is underway, and I am somehow perpetually sleep-deprived even though I’m in bed by 9 every night and have no social life to speak of. Ahem.

September is a weird month, and that’s why my outfits were all over the map. That’s the story I’m going with, anyway.

There are all kinds of things going on here, and I feel like it’s all a reflection of my distracted mood. Kinda holding on to the idea of summer, kinda trying to adjust to a new season, kinda not caring much either way. There are some really cool outfits in the mix, but they mostly feel like (happy) accidents. As I mentioned last month, I have re-dedicated myself to exploring the capsule approach – my own version of it, at least – going forward. I’m pretty stoked about October’s outfits, but I think I can do even better in the coming months.

Why a capsule approach? I find that it really forces me to pay attention to silhouettes and the way that pieces play off each other, and how they make me feel. While I love variety – especially in the long run – it can be distracting and challenging when one is trying to pursue a specific aesthetic (even if mine is not a particularly narrow aesthetic).

So, yeah, I’m pretty excited for October – at least as far as outfits are concerned. And (Canadian) Thanksgiving!

Tell me: what are you excited about this fall? I need some vicarious thrills, people; help a woman out.

What are your best tips for thrifting for your home?

1) As with all thrifting, take your time and check everything. Most thrift stores are a jumbled mess, so you have to dig around.

2) Research your finds. If something looks interesting, Google it. You may have inadvertently hit a goldmine. Or not. Either way, it might help you decide if the sticker price is worth it.

3) Take measurements. I’m guilty of not doing this often enough, and just winging it. But if you’re looking for something to fill a specific hole/spot – a frame, a sofa, whatever – then go to the store armed with the information you need.

4) Trust your instinct. You live in your house, so if you like an item and it makes you happy, then buy it.

Also, keep in mind that houses (like people) evolve over time. With small items in particular, if I really love it, I will buy it even if I don’t have a concrete plan for it at the time. I don’t like clutter, so I don’t recommend mindless hoarding, but I have bought items simply because “I’ll find it a home somewhere/sometime”. And I did, usually sooner than expected.

Is it too late to get married in your 30s?

I can’t really answer that. To start with, too late for what? Also, it depends. Actually, scratch that. My general life philosophy is that it’s never too late to try anything that makes you happy. From that perspective, as long as you’re both still alive and kicking, it’s not too late.

I got married a month shy of my 30th birthday, and had 2 kids before I was 35. Kids more than marriage is a question of timing and, even for that, there is no absolute right answer. There benefits and drawbacks to having kids in your 20s, and your 30s, and your 40s. Finding the best balance (or compromise) is a personal decision.

What is your favourite thrift find? Have you ever decided against buying something only to regret it later?

I honestly don’t know if I can narrow it down to one favourite thing. How about a list of favourite brands that I’ve thrifted, by category:

– Designer: Marni, Dries Van Noten, Rick Owens, Zero+Maria Cornejo, Sarah Pacini, Iris Setlakwe, Armani Collezione, Lela Rose, Burberry.

– Mall brands: Aritzia, Madewell, Anthropologie.

– Shoes: Manolo Blahnik, Ferragamo, Jimmy Choo, Christian Louboutin, AGL, Chie Mihara, Stuart Weitzman, Arnold Churgin.

I have experienced a fair bit of thrift regret, but it’s always temporary. Off the top of my head, I can’t think a single item that I still remember and regret not getting months after the fact.

Do you think your style would have evolved in the same way if your job hadn’t changed?

That’s a difficult question. I think so, because I had started to go down this path before I changed jobs. Would it had been the exact same evolution? Hard to say. My current work environment is definitely more casual, which helps me to embrace a less traditional approach to professional dressing that coincides with my overall aesthetic.

How come you are all over Pinterest but don’t have many followers on Instagram?

I am? I mean, that comes as something of a surprise to me, since I’m not on Pinterest. But to answer the question, I have no idea. Possibly because people don’t link to my Instagram or blog on Pinterest? I also don’t buy followers on Instagram, and have nothing to sell, which probably impacts my followers count as well. I try not to get too hung up on that. I don’t care about numbers for numbers’ sake; I care about connecting with people who are interested in the same things I am.

What are your best thrifting tips? How do you make the most of your time thrifting? What are the best stores?

Go often. Honestly, that’s the number 1 tip. I go every week. The merchandise turns over quickly in thrift stores, and they get new stuff every single day. The more you go, the more you find. By going often, you also get to know the store inside and out, which helps you to maximize your time.

My personal approach is to hit up all the areas of interest (usually in the same sequence) and scan quickly for fabrics that stand out, either to the eye or the touch. Sometimes, if I have lots of time, I will meticulously go through each rack; but that’s rare. Using my approach, I’m sure I miss some good stuff, but I’m still able to find lots of things in a relatively short span of time. The key is to develop your eye/touch for quality fabrics. That takes time and practice. So, again, going often is key. Also visit luxury department stores and spend time observing/touching the pieces (in a non-creepy way, haha!). You will learn to quickly recognize quality.

Best stores vary by location. In my area, Goodwills and Value Villages are the best. Both are chain stores, and get the bulk of donations.

How do you find such good scores all the time?

See above. Also, I live in a place with a good thrift scene. I still haven’t quite worked out what makes a town have a good thrift scene, but I have some ideas. Edmonton is generally considered a “blue collar town” – hence my blog title – but it’s actually far more diverse (economically and culturally) than people realize. There are tons of rich folks here … you just don’t necessarily see them/hear about them in the same way that you might in Vancouver or Toronto, let’s say. It’s also a good size – big enough to have a diverse customer base, not so big that there is a lot of competition (both in terms of people consigning their stuff versus donating, as well as thrift competition from resellers) and crazy high prices. Although Value Village is certainly doing its best to change that last part …

Got a question? Drop it in the comments. And stay tuned for Part 3 of my Instagram AMA.

Of all the strange twists in my life, this one might be the most unexpected (though not especially life-defining) one. My “brown thumb” is family legend, and being keenly aware of my shortcomings, I have always shied away from keeping plants around. Yet, somehow, within the last couple of months, my home has become a veritable greenhouse. At last count, we had twenty plants, not including the half dozen cuttings in various stages of growth.

How?

Contrary to common familial misconceptions, I actually really like plants. I am not overly fond of the outdoors (bugs, too many of them), but I like indoor greenery. Having spent a lot of time lately combing through interior design books, I came to realize how much of a difference plants can make in terms of making a space feel warm and inviting and, well, alive. In the past, I might have been tempted to recreate the same effect with fake greenery, but I’ve reached a stage of my life when I don’t want fake anything in my life. It’s the real deal, or nothing.

When I switched jobs last year, a couple of assistants at my old firm gave me a potted plant “bouquet” as a farewell gift, with a promise to call me weekly to remind me to water it. I’m sure you can guess why. Well, as it turns out, the promised calls didn’t happen (more’s the pity) but – in another unexpected twist – I managed to keep those plants alive, all by myself, for over a year. Granted, we are talking about a bunch of pothos and philodendron (aka as indestructible as plants get, short of bamboo), but still. I felt emboldened by this minor success, possibly to an unwarranted degree.

I decided it was time to reconsider my stance on the keeping of plants.

As my mom sagely noted after the fact, I am not a person who enters upon a new hobby with anything less than full steam. This is true. [It’s why my hobbies tend to be either unqualified successes or terrible failures which are never mentioned again. Now that I think about it, this post may be premature. Ahem.] I tentatively bought a few plants at IKEA and Home Depot, but quickly went all in once I discovered a proper plant nursery within 10 minute’s drive from our house. They know us by name there now. Their “tropical” greenhouse is a plant-lover’s delight, and even after my recent buying spree, I still have a wishlist that’s a mile long. I may have told my husband that he should be looking for my next Christmas/birthday/anniversary present there. See, my mom’s not wrong: I am intense.

[Lest you think I am kidding, I also bought a couple of books on plant care, a moisture/light/pH meter, a cute watering can, soil, fertilizer, you name it. And I am now following several plant care IG accounts.]

We are a pet-free home due to my husband’s allergies, so I have channeled all my extraneous attention upon the plants. The kids and I gave them all names, and I have found myself legit talking to them on more than one occasion; sometimes, the kids follow suit and it is the cutest thing ever. I am constantly worried about how much light and/or water they’re getting and/or not getting, and I can tell you that, as far as that goes, being a plant “mom” is a lot more stressful than I anticipated. But there is also nothing like the pride one feels when a new leaf unfurls. In fact, when Augustus (our fiddle leaf ficus) showed signs of a new leaf, I went all Sally Field in the middle of my living room – “you like it here, you really like it here!” *cue tears of joy*

Ahem.

You may think I am being overly dramatic, but I assure you that I am embellishing by no more than 15, 20% at most.

Anyway, I thought I would formally introduce our current plant family:

The aforementioned Augustus (his new leaf is still “cooking”).

This is Geraldine, our very first plant. She recently unfurled TWO new leaves in one week. Another leaf is on the way. The small pot on the shelf is Arthur.

These are (left to right) Arnold, Ruth and Leopold. Arnold is part of my original “plant bouquet”. I split the various offshoots into 2 pots when I brought the original container home from the office this summer; the other half is now Arthur (see above).

These are (left to right) Phinneas, Helga, and Winston. By way of full disclosure, all of our plants have middle names – which I have not included here for brevity – except for Helga. We got her at the Devon Botanical Gardens, and she is a Sedum Voodoo plant. My husband also likes to call her the Red Baroness.

These are (left to right) Evelyn and Luella.

This is Frederick, who came to us from a friend. Frederick is a Monstera plant, and is named after Frederick the Great, aka Barbarossa, aka Stupor Mundi. I am hoping that encourages him to grow as large as the cheeseplant we used to have in my childhood apartment. My mom is still traumatized by that plant, but I have nothing but fond memories of our living room “jungle”.

Lastly, this is our succulent garden. I call this my “needles corner” – all prickly things and needlepoint. For some reason, most of these remain unnamed. The tall silver lantern cacti have been collectively nicknamed Mr. Fuzz, but that’s about it. We did have a flowering event a few weeks ago, which was extremely exciting:

Sadly, these blooms (there were two) only lasted one day. I am cautiously optimistic that we will see them again next year.

In the meantime, if you have tips, tricks or general words of encouragement, let me know in the comments.