I would love to be writing a post about our finished basement renovations … but, alas, that post will have to wait for another day. Hopefully a day soon. The downside of DIY is that timelines have to cede precedence to a million other deadlines, emergencies, and just, well, life. We are making progress on the basement, which is good; though, after 12 years, it does still often feel like a herculean task that will never be completed.

So, in the meantime, I continue to focus on other parts of the house that feel more within my control. I’ve become very fond of the idea of vignettes — little corners of the house that present a pleasant view, something to be savoured and enjoyed in quiet moments of contemplation. As I move about the house (and I do that a lot, being a homebody who also happens to work from home) every day, I try to stop and take stop of these vignettes as I come across them; sometimes, looking at things from a slightly different angle can reveal something new. And I’ve been capturing them as I go along. It’s a nice reminder of all the beauty that surrounds me all the time.

Remember my recently reorganized mantlepiece? About that …

My husband decided that the large commission painting that I had just re-hung above the mantlepiece was something he preferred to have in his (future) office in the basement. The dimensions certainly pointed in favour of this plan, but I was a bit annoyed (to be honest) at having to upend my mantlepiece tableau so soon. Nevertheless, the heart of happy cohabitation is compromise, so I got work reimagining the arrangement.

I decided to build the new mantlepiece around another piece of art (naturally). Since it has to be a piece of fairly imposing size, my options were somewhat limited; however, as luck would have it, there was one perfect choice.

The story of how I came about this painting is funny in itself; I had admired it years ago 4 or 5 years ago on someone’s IG account, but had not been able to find it locally at the time (it’s a reproduction piece that was sold at Structube). I had ended up buying another large piece by the same artist (which I also love) but never forgot about the one who got away. Well, long story short, a few months ago we went to Structube to look for a coffee table for the basement and what do I spot in the back? Yes, THE painting. The staff told me they had found it in the back of their storage room where it had been sitting all these years. Honestly, what are the odds?

Here, you can see the before and after. I love the new mantlepiece, even though I had to sacrifice my rainbow candle display which was hard. But if we know anything, we know that a mantlepiece is forever an evolving thing, so who knows … the rainbow may make a comeback some day.

Oh hey, speaking of that other painting by the same artist — here it is! This is one of my favourite little corners of the library/family room, which I recently tweaked just slightly. This plant, meanwhile, continues to thrive on benevolent neglect. Unlike most of my other plants, it doesn’t seem to mind not having a window nearby, and it also doesn’t need too much water.

I discovered how much I liked this angle/view accidentally; I had to temporarily move a couple of chairs to one end of the library while the basement is getting done, and this afforded me the chance to sit in a new spot in this space. Another reason why rearranging furniture from time to time is a good exercise — you can end up seeing your house in a different light/from a different angle, and fall in love with it all over again.

I also rearranged my little “art gallery” shelf. Mixed some old and some new personal art things, and I love the riot of colour.

Sorry, needed to take a moment to memorialize iris season, and specifically this one perfect stem (which, sadly, I had to cut during a bad rainstorm to stop it from breaking off and crushing the flowers).

This view from the library daybed/sofa is nice too. I love being surrounded by books, art, and plants.

Here, I am trying out a new tableau. I like the mix of textures and materials in dark/warm tones, but I am still deciding if it works or if it needs a tweak.

I’ve been wanting a ladder to display my thrifted blankets for a while, but I knew it would be a hard thing to find at the thrift stores — I figured that I would have to take my chances with the antique mall, and hope to get lucky. Well, who needs the mall when one has awesome friends? I was visiting one of our dear friends and ended up admiring her beautiful ladder … and she offered it to me! She had decided to switch up her decor as well, and well — it was kismet. It’s the perfect colour and it looks great in our main bedroom.

The library is still a work in progress due to the basement renos but I did manage to finish reorganizing the shelves so here is a little sneak peek. I can’t wait to have this space completely finished! That blue corduroy chair you can see in front is a piece that my husband made more than a decade ago. It had been sitting in the basement for years, never quite having a place in the house; we had only kept it for sentimental reasons. Well, its time to shine has finally come! I think it’s going to be a great addition to this space; it already looks so good with the thrifted patchwork quilt topper and pillow — I love it.

Here’s hoping that, next time you read one of these posts, it will be the long-awaited basement reveal. Wish us luck!

Details: Papillon dress (thrifted), Denim & Supply jacket (thrifted), Anthro belt (thrifted), Old Navy shoes (Poshmark)

Thoughts: This was 10/10 a very Adina outfit, and I felt so good wearing it. It’s simple but it works harmoniously together. I love using brown as my neutral colour in the summer, and buying these Old Navy slides has turned out to be a smart move. I still haven’t seen anything similar at the thrifts, and I’ve been wearing this pair often so I am getting my money’s worth for sure. Ditto for belts in general, including this one. Belts have become one of my favourite accessories, and I’ve been lucky to find some great ones recently (including this one).

Details: Superluckycat top (swap), Free People dress (thrifted), Lena Bernard necklace (Poshmark)

Thoughts: I had high hopes for this dress when I found it; it checks off so many boxes for me. But I was defeated in the end by one of the things I loved about it in the first place: its length. I love maxi dresses but this one is a mega maxi; I found myself tripping over it constantly, and wearing sky high heels to try to fix that problem just isn’t in the cards for me. I sold it not long after, but we will always have this boho-princessy outfit to remember.

Details: Maeve top (thrifted), Thierschmidt skirt (thrifted), Napoleoni shoes (thrifted)

Thoughts: I still haven’t found any short crop tops to wear with this (very high waisted) skirt and my magenta one, so I am trying to make do with the shorter tops in my wardrobe; tucking them in can be tricky because my skirts are snug in the waist and there is little room for extra fabric. This top isn’t too bad because the material is very light, and it’s also quite short so it doesn’t require a lot of adjustment.

Details: Everlane top (thrifted), Everlane pants (swap), Josef belt (thrifted), Fluevog shoes (thrifted)

Thoughts: I very much enjoyed this simple outfit. The colours work together so nicely, and I’m quite happy with this belt as well. The vintage gold buckle compliments the mustard-y top. There is a tie front detail which I don’t love-love, but I was able to tuck in the ends behind the belt, so that was a win too.

Details: Pelican Cove vest (thrifted), Max & Co skirt (thrifted), vintage belt (thrifted), Barbara Barbieri shoes (thrifted)

Thoughts: I got so desperate about my crop top situation that I ended up wearing my Aerie bralette as a top one time (I was working at home and didn’t have meetings, it was okay, I promise!). And you know what? I loved the look. This is exactly the style of crop top I want; to be honest, I don’t think it looks all that lingerie-like anyway. Hmmm, maybe that’s something worth looking into…

Details: Topshop top (thrifted), DKNY shirt (thrifted), Everlane pants (swap), Isabel Marant belt (thrifted), Barbara Barbieri shoes (thrifted)

Thoughts: I recently rediscovered this top (it had fallen off the hanger at the back of my closet) and wasted no time in wearing it because, hello, it’s somehow July already. It will be fall in the blink of an eye, I’m afraid. I’m glad I bought this DKNY shirt; it’s the perfect cover-up for days when I know I’m going to be in the sun a bit, but don’t want to slather myself in sunscreen BUT also don’t want to boil to death. It’s light and airy, but gives good coverage.

I’ve starting keeping a running list on my phone of pieces I would like to add to my closet, which is something I haven’t done in years but I’m hoping will help me manifest some luck at the thrifts. Okay, I don’t really believe in manifesting … but also, maybe kinda I do? Remember my dream rainbow dress and how I randomly found it at the thrifts weeks after I was searching for it, fruitlessly, online? Or that other very specific Pink Tartan dress that I hunted for years and finally found, also at the thrifts? Whether my anecdata stands up to scrutiny or not, I’m making a list just in case.

The list is also good for strategizing. I’ve come to rely on Poshmark as a sort of online thrift store, but the higher prices mean that I have to be strategic about how I use it. Some things are better left to the thrifts; some are worth searching for on Poshmark. What’s my strategy?

I have a few considerations. If it’s a very specific item from a specific brand, Poshmark is usually my go-to. I will, of course, always keep an eye out for the item at the thrift store, but if I find it first on Poshmark for a price within my budget, I won’t wait. This is especially true for rarer items — anything designer and/or vintage. If it’s a non-specific item in a general category, then I will usually prioritize looking at the thrifts because it’s likely to be cheaper there. The exception, as you will see below, is for categories which I know, from recent experience, to be hard to source at the thrifts.

Let’s look at my list for summer 2022 and see how it’s been coming along.

White maxi

Here is an example of a non-specific item in a general category. I didn’t have a strong preference between skirt or dress, as long as it was something ankle-length or thereabouts, airy, and white. There were lots of options on Poshmark (both skirts and dresses) but none were under $30, after accounting for shipping, and I was sure I could do better at the thrifts. Plus, in person, it’s easier to assess the sheerness of white garments.

Funnily enough, as soon as I started looking, it seemed like all white maxis vanished from the thrifts — I swear I used to see tons before. I did recently manage to finally find a dress that I liked and checked off most of my boxes for under $20; it does not have a full skirt and it is a bit sheer (I have a slip I can wear with it, luckily) but I really like how it fits and it’s vintage which is a bonus for me.

I’ve decided that I will continue to look for a white maxi skirt in a fuller silhouette — because I’ve been enjoying wearing both white (as a colour) *and* full skirts this summer — but I’ll still stick to the thrifts. One of these days …

Duster

Again, I wasn’t looking for a specific item but I had certain criteria — it had to be long (calf-length or longer), light and airy, a nice pattern, and coat-style (no asymmetrical, waterfall, or handkerchief hems). Items answering this description have been vanishingly rare — nay, impossible — to find at my local thrifts, so I have been focusing mostly on Poshmark. It took a while to find one that answered to my specifications and fit my budget, but I did manage it. That being said, I love it so much that I’ve decided to keep an eye out for another. I’m not actively looking for one, but also not NOT looking for one, if you know what I mean.

Boho belt

Belts have been one of my favourite accessories since my recent style shift. I wanted to find one (or more!) boho-style belts similar to the ones I’d seen in Ralph Lauren’s past collections — big buckles, perhaps something with a southwestern flair. This was a category where my local Goodwill really delivered; I was able to find several cool belts there recently.

But I also really wanted a belt with a silver-and-turquoise buckle. I’ve started checking the jewelry showcases at all the thrifts I visit, but I know I have a small chance of finding something like that. You really have to be in the right place at the right time, because a lot of people scour the stores for silver pieces, so anything of quality goes very fast. So I also started to actively hunt for it on Poshmark. In this case, the price differential wasn’t likely to be as much of a factor because thrift stores price silver very high (I’ve seen unexceptional silver rings priced at $50 and up).

Finding good deals on Poshmark is not unlike finding gems at the thrifts; it takes time and patience and knowing how to recognize a bargain. I think I’ve gotten good at the later, if I do say so myself. When I spotted a vintage leather belt with a silver, turquoise and carnelian buckle for under $60, I JUMPED on it. The eagled-eyed may have spotted it in my recent OOTDs; I am obsessed with it.

Corduroy blazer

Okay, this is not a summer item but your girl is thinking ahead to fall. A corduroy blazer would be a great addition to my Historian closet. In terms of specifics, I wanted a fitted blazer in a warm-toned colour, and the material had to be wide wale corduroy. The wider, the better — I’m really obsessed with that texture at the moment. I haven’t seen anything like that at the thrifts in recent months; while it’s possible to find cord blazers from time to time, it’s usually a fine wale material with little texture to it. I resigned myself to looking on Poshmark where, of course, I quickly found some great options including a vintage, grey Jaeger blazer, and a new, camel J. Crew blazer. However, both were over $75 which didn’t really suit my budget, so I decided to wait. Sometimes, sellers drop prices, or the same item pops up for a lower price (the J. Crew was a better candidate for that, being a more recent piece) — you never know. And maybe, just maybe, there will be a surprise at the thrifts one of these days.

Leather blazer

Similar deal to the above, except that I had my eye on a specific item here — a Gap leather blazer from the early 2000s. It came in several colours (black, brown, and olive) and there were a few of them listed on Poshmark for under $50. Not bad, but the prices weren’t enticing enough. Again, I adopted a wait-and-see approach.

And then … yes, you guessed it, I found a black one at the thrifts. Which is funny because it was the kind of item I was *sure* would turn up there sooner or later (I’m convinced I’ve passed them up before, sigh) and, don’t you know it, it did much earlier than expected. I paid $20 for it which is cheap, these days, for leather pieces, sigh. I am now debating getting a brown one too … but I will definitely wait for it to manifest at the thrifts again.

Brown sandals

I wanted a pair of sandals just like the J. Crew Factory ones I’ve had for the past 5-6 years, except in brown because I find it works better as a neutral with some of my summer clothes. The sandals are basically two straps, flat sole. Super basic. Easy to thrift, right? WRONG.

I am positive that last year, I saw a bazillion of these types of sandals. This year, nada. Considering that this is an item with a short window for wear, I was getting frustrated. So I did something that I hadn’t envisioned I would ever do: buy something very basic on Poshmark. It hurt my soul a little bit, but I found a deal on 2 pairs of brand-new Old Navy sandals for $30 shipped; I figured I would have paid about the same for them new at the Old Navy store (and I did try, but couldn’t find this style in stock). One is brown and one is black (and will be a back-up for my old J. Crew pair that will probably need replacing soon).

Crop top

I’ve been loving crop tops lately and wanted to add a couple more — one black for sure, one white or possible a pattern — to my summer wardrobe. The main criteria is that they have to be really cropped; ideally, I want something that is more or less bralette-style. I have a few super high waisted skirts, and if I want to show a sliver of skin above the waistband, the top has to be that short. Again, there are lots of options on Poshmark, but for something this basic, I don’t want to spend a lot of money. You would think there would also be lots of options at the thrifts but … nope. No luck yet, but I am determined to find something in time for the rest of the summer. Wish me luck.