The Urge to Run Away

Creepy silo at Riverdale Farm, last winter. We haven't had as much snow this year.

It's the last day of January and the February blahs have set in. My heat-seeking Australian father lives on two calendars: one in which the days get longer each day, the others in which the days get shorter. He says the days are getting longer now. It doesn't feel that way. I wake in darkness, come home in darkness. The cold beauty of the North is great if you're watching a documentary on TV with a glass of wine in your hand. If you're living in it, things just start to get bleak: the salty crust on the car door that gets on your just washed black pants, the salty crust on the TTC bus windows that prevent you from seeing civilization. There is awesome beauty in nature during winter, but I'm just not feeling it, or noticing it in the city right now.

I played the Ladyhawke CD when I was washing dishes this afternoon. The music transported me to a happy memory of driving with my husband and son last summer. Not sure where we were exactly, but the days were warm and long and the music took us through sleepy towns in Ontario.

Just get through the next month or so...

Crikey - Another New Follower + Song of the Week #31 Lene Lovich "It's You"

Welcome to another new follower - Leah from Storybook Ranch. This isn't the same Leah that works with my sister Lise, is it? Welcome regardless. I'm starting to feel like a much older and less perky Taylor Swift. That makes three new followers in two days! Hope you enjoy the scenes.

Here's new wave pop singer Lene Lovich with one of the coolest songs and videos of all time. What woman in her right mind wouldn't want to dress up as a Spanish princess, then cross dress and sword fight with a Nazi? Exactly. The monocled man is actually her real life husband. Don't ask me how I know this obscure piece of trivia, yet can't figure out how to check the voicemail on my cellphone. I'm a former music journalist. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Shoe Keepers and Stuff Diet Weekly Recap

A few months ago, the city of Toronto passed a bylaw in which shoppers would be charged five cents for every plastic bag they take from a supermarket. I'm all for this. I think they should ban plastic bags outright. Apparently they take 400 years to break down. Pretty depressing. Here's my trusty Frida Kahlo bag that goes everywhere with me. You can see my Mexican change purse through the fabric.
I've always wanted a pair of these wooden shoe keepers. I'm not sure if they are called something else, but they're stamped "Shoe Keepers." Let me know if there's a proper name for these. The pair turned up today at Value Village for $3.99. They won't get used for the intended purpose. I'll put them on display somewhere down the road. You can't help but look at them and wonder who used them. I like to think of an elegant businessman from the fifties or sixties who would come home from his job and tuck these into his leather shoes before hanging up his silk tie.

Made in Rochester, NY: a great city.

As for the "Stuff Diet." If you haven't been following, I took a vow of thrift about two weeks ago. I'm trying to not buy anything new, except for groceries, booze, and medical/bathroomy supplies. So far, so good. My only questionable purchases have been the following: a bunch of flowers, a blue beta fish (but the bowl was thrifted), and a school-related book. I feel like these aren't nasty consumer purchases. I've been good - VERY good otherwise. If you can buy booze, you should be able to buy a book for the betterment of children.

Bye for now,

Erin

Another New Follower - and it's a HE

Welcome to my second new follower in the last two days - Mick. Yes. Now I've got two male followers of TYSS: Stan from Elegant Thrifter and Mick of the trés cool blog Everyone Goes to Mick's. Check it out. I've linked it to the right.

I'm going to go eat some poached eggs with junior now. I hope to do some photography and thrifting today. Come back later,

Erin

Hello Hello

Welcome my latest follower Passion of Milkglass Collecting. You have to love collectors of specific things. Her gorgeous, feminine blog is linked over to the right. I'm starting to see familiar faces in the thrifty blogosphere. It's a real circle of friends.

Hello also to Crazy Suburban Mom. I've come off a crazy week at my school, but it's all good as they say. Hope you're happy as ever.

I'm so buzzed with ideas right now and I'm also a feeling a little introspective. It's an odd sensation. Tomorrow I'm taking Duncan out to try out his new kid-friendly camera. When I was a child, I had to beg my father to let me hold his binoculars. Things have changed - at least in our family.

I hope to thrift and document it tomorrow.

Erin

A "Find" in the Post From a Fabulous Friend

Stan Williams, otherwise know as the Elegant Thrifter, otherwise known as the author of The Find, sent me a little something in the post today. I tend to not look in the mailbox. Instead, I leave the grim job of pulling out bills, etc. to my husband. No bills today. Look hither.

You know that Stan is a class act, just by looking at his penmanship. I'm struggling to teach cursive to some of my grade five students. I should show them Stan's script as inspiration.
Look at this cute London sticker on the back of the envelope. I'm sure these have a proper name that I'm not aware of: envelope seal? I love the old wax and stamp seals too.
Look what Stan sent - a beautiful bookplate for my copy of The Find. As luck would have it, my sister who had been borrowing the book for a prolonged period of time, handed it back a couple of weeks ago.

Thanks Stan! I appreciate that you espouse great things that are within reach of the common person, not just the über wealthy. You are one of my new favourite writers. I'll be buying my sister a copy of The Find for her birthday in May.

Cheerio,

Erin

P.S. Mom Wald was the first person to reply to the Pay it Forward post below. Two people can still write in to have me make them something. I'm thinking paper art/photography. No hideous clay ashtrays. Promise.