I saw a Reel recently where someone was making a case for an upcoming Golden Age of Thrift. If you’ve been reading this blog for a while, you will know that I believe that the Golden Age of Thrift is past. I thought this creator’s argument was interesting, but ultimately unpersuasive. Basically, their premise was that large numbers of boomers are on the verge of downsizing or riding off into the sunset (sorry, can’t think of a nicer euphemism) and all their nice sh*t is about to hit thrift store. I don’t quarrel with the first part of that premise, but I question the second. There is a host of systemic reasons why I don’t think boomers’ nice sh*t is going to end up in thrift stores, at least not in large enough quantities to represent a Golden Age for the average thrifter. Most of them are too depressing to talk about, and certainly would deserve their own separate post.

I mention this because it does offer a glimmer of hope (and in dark times, we need all of those we can get) even if I think it’s unrealistically optimistic. And I want to focus on the positives in this post. As we are finally coming out of a long winter – and whatever the hell the first 90 days of 2026 have been – I am looking for reasons to feel excited and enthusiastic. And thrifting is something I want to feel excited about again.

So here’s a list of the things I’m looking forward to thrifting in 2026 … which is really just an excuse for me to gas myself up about hitting up the thrift stores again like it’s 2019. [If only. Sigh.]

Perfumes

I haven’t talked about perfumes in a long time here, but I’ve been adding – very, very slowly – to my collection over the past couple of years, so the passion has never died out. And, lately, it’s been rekindled. Other than the perfume(s) that my dad buys me for my birthday and/or Christmas – which is ‘our thing’ – I am not looking to purchase any new ones. Rather, I am excited to see what gems I might stumble upon at the thrift stores.

This is especially so because my personal scent ‘nose’ gravitates towards older perfumes; most of my faves are fragrances from the late 90s through the late 2000s. Many of them have been discontinued … but they do occasionally end up at the thrifts. Sometimes full bottles, or nearly full bottles. A quick sniff is enough to tell if the juice is still good (and most perfumes can last decades if stored properly, away from direct light).

Books & Media

Books are a perennial thrift category favourite of mine, and recently I’ve been expanding into other media, specifically DVDs. And more specifically, DVDs of my fave TV shows. I am so sick and tired of the proliferation of the subscription model*, especially when it comes to movies and shows, and I want to rebuild my media library. Of course, my book library is an ongoing pet project of mine. I am a huge fan and supporter of public libraries (and use our local one regularly, alongside my book-obsessed daughter) but I also love the comfort, convenience, and security of having my own (non-digital) library. It’s my version of ‘living off-grid’, haha!

[*Again, I could write a whole separate post about this – and my fears that we are on a slippery slope towards a system where the average person owns nothing and has to pay a fee to enjoy basic amenities – but that one would be a bummer too.]

Silver Jewelry

Last year, I made a conscious decision to stick to buying only fine and semi-fine jewelry moving forward. Basically, I want pieces that last and that I can pass on to my kids. Of course, that means buying (a lot) less and sticking mainly with secondhand. Gold tends to be overpriced at thrifts, so I’m focusing on sterling silver pieces. Prices on silver jewelry have also gone up, but with patience, it is possible to find decent bargains. My faves are rings – I love stacking pieces, in particular. My holy grail is chunkier silver necklaces and pendants, but those tend to be rare finds.

Vintage Ralph Lauren

I mean … you’re not surprised, right? I don’t really need more clothes, but I have RL in a different category altogether. I am a collector of vintage pieces that feel representative of the brand’s ethos and heritage. Rarer than hen’s teeth at the thrifts these days, but I’ll never stop hunting for them.

Collectibles

Speaking of my collections … when I say “collectibles”, I am referring to my own personal niche interests – mostly stuff like MCM pottery, dishware, Pendleton blankets, and stuff like that. This is a category I used to love thrifting, and had a lot of success with, but the finds have slowed down to trickle in the last couple of years. Nowadays, it’s so disheartening to see rows and rows of shelves filled with Winners and Dollarama mass-produced home décor items. But I am determined to keep at it, wade through all the junk, and hopefully find and ‘rescue’ some vintage gems again.

Specific Items

I meant it when I said that I don’t really need more clothes … but there are a couple of items that I am still actively, and specifically, looking for:

• Vintage jeans: I’m still on the hunt for that perfectly fitting pair of vintage CK jeans. My size has changed a bit in the last year, so I’ve been on a journey to update my jeans line-up. The hardest thing to find has been a good pair of straight-leg jeans. I think vintage would be my best bet, but I haven’t found that perfect pair just yet.
• Brown cowboy boots: yes, I am still looking for a pair. Hopefully 2026 will be the year!

OK, your turn: what do you hope the thrift gods will send your way in 2026?

It’s been a hot minute, friends. Sorry I dropped off the (blog) map for a bit; I needed a little pause and reset. The last few weeks have not been quite the reset I hoped, but I felt like it was time to pop back in here and say hi. We’ll see how it goes. I’m in my “give yourself grace and do what feels joyful” era. This year’s had a bit of a rough start – safe to say, collectively as well as personally – so I think this is the right attitude for the times. I’ll say no more, because I don’t want to turn this into a therapy sesh. I’ve had a few good ones lately (with a new therapist, who is amazing!), so you guys are off the hook 😉

In exciting news, my second book, Murder Takes a Holiday, is coming out in ebook and paperback on Tuesday, March 24! I’m testing out a new approach and making the ebook available on Kindle Unlimited. It does mean, sadly, that it will remain an Amazon-exclusive for the next 3 months. I am hoping for a “wide” release after June.

I won’t say more about my writing journey for the time being; it’s been a rollercoaster ride since the publication of A Party to Murder, but I will save the details for another time.

I will leave it here: if you read A Party to Murder and enjoyed it, I think you will love Murder Takes a Holiday and I would love for you to read it. Your support (and reviews!) mean the world.

Remember my goal to reduce phone screen time? Yeah, I really dropped the ball on that. Seeing a recent weekly screen time summary was a wake-up call … again. So I am bringing fresh energy to tackling this! I’m pairing this goal with one to slow things down. I’ve been in “go, go, go” mode since January 2025 and I’m perilously close to serious burnout. I want and need to (re)learn how to do, well, nothing. Nothing “productive”, that is.

I still have things I want to accomplish this year, but I am going to let up on the gas pedal for a bit, and give myself a bit of breathing room. I should have been doing that over the winter, to be honest – winter is the perfect time to hibernate and rest – but I didn’t because … I like to make my own life more difficult, hah. So, instead, I am going to focus on bringing balance back into my life this spring. Balance between doing and being.

I also want to make more time for hobbies like reading and thrifting, because both have kinda fallen by the wayside lately. I know what you’re thinking: ‘even thrifting??’ Yes, even thrifting. I have a lot of thoughts about the current state of thrifting, but I’ll save those for another time. I do want to reignite my enthusiasm for the treasure hunt. Thrifting helped to reframe how I looked at the world; in particular, helped to fix the idea that there is beauty everywhere, including in overlooked places.

And I need to get back into reading for fun! After the holidays, I fell into a slump. Then, recently, I finally got around to reading E.F. Benson’s Mapp & Lucia series, and that reminded me of how delightful and fun reading can be. I cannot recommend it enough if you need a cozy, humorous escape. Imagine if Jane Austen and P.G. Wodehouse had a baby, and that is the delight that is the incomparable Lucia (social queen bee of her picturesque small English village) and her rival Miss Mapp.

It’s hard to believe we are nearing the end of March because the weather has been so atrocious, but there are signs that we might be turning the corner. And, of course, with the Equinox, spring is officially here! I cannot tell you how excited I am to embrace my warm weather wardrobe again. I need a change … and a break from my sweaters. Yeah, I said it. Sorry, sweaters – I still love ya, but we need some time apart. Like, say, 6 months or so?

Have a great weekend!

A short work week and it’s almost the end of February all of a sudden? It’s like Christmas all over again. I kid, I kid. But I had a mostly good time and that’s worth celebrating these days.

I’m gearing up to finish the behind-the-scenes technical stuff so that Murder Takes a Holiday can go up for pre-order by the end of the month! I’m so excited about it! For everyone who loved A Party to Murder, I think you are going to really enjoy this one. It will be officially out at the end of March … which is coming right up. Whoa.

[I’m currently editing book #3 in the series and honestly? It might be my favorite yet. You’ll have to wait a little while longer to read it though ;)]

My reading has slowed way down because I’ve been going HARD with my writing, but I did manage to finish The Scapegoat: The Brilliant, Brief Life of the Duke of Buckingham by Lucy Hughes-Hallett. It’s a chonker of a doorstopper of a book but it was brilliant. I love how vividly Hughes-Hallett paints the portrait of not just George Villiers (a fascinating figure) but also his milieu – his family, friends, patrons and lovers, rivals and enemies, and various associates. It’s an engrossing glimpse into the 17^th century, the history and the psychology of the age.

Doomscrolling on IG (yeah, that’s not going great) I came across a bunch of videos from Chinese content creators talking about the Year of the Fire Horse, and one of my big takeaways is that (as someone born in the year of the Monkey) it is good to wear white, blue, and earth colours in 2026 to balance our the fiery energy.

Blue and earth colours, you say? What, like … brown? Hmm …

SIGN ME UP, BABY!

Have a great weekend!