*SOLD* Hunter green & cognac vintage satchel/briefcase: $20

*SOLD*

This two-tone vintage Farnell bag is the perfect way to tote your everyday items around! It has three compartments, including a zipped one in the middle, as well as a front pocket and a zipped one on the outside back. It has a few minor scratches and dings, and there a couple of spots flanking the back zipper which you may want to have reinforced - hence the low price. I adore the colour combination of hunter green & cognac, as well as the faded gold-tone hardware. This bag does not come with a long strap, but there are spots for one to be easily attached.
Price: $20



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*SOLD* Versatile vintage black velvet blazer, size 8: $20


*SOLD* Canadian-made black velvet vintage blazer in a classic silhouette.    This blazer can add a luxe rock  roll touch to a pair of comfy jeans and a white tee (just pile on the costume jewelry!), and is also an easy menswear-inspired topper for your glittery  lacy holiday party frocks!
Size: 8
Price: $20

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Tea & Trove success, and introducing the new kittehs!

Sunday's Tea & Trove in Old Montreal was a sparklesome & flavourful success!  Thirty guests arrived over the afternoon, some with menfolk and kidlets in tow, and my amazing hubby didn't leave the kitchen ONCE in three and half hours.   Whenever I looked over the happily shopping & munching crowd of Trovers, Sohrab was brewing up a fresh pot of tea, cutting up more sandwiches, or topping up the fruit - all while amiably chatting with the gals at the milk, lemon & honey tea -dressing counter.   Pictured above is what was left of the 60 scones, 40 banana chocolate mini-muffins, and 80+ Coronation chicken sandwiches that Sohrab and I had whipped together that morning.   I can't thank my lovely hubby or our elegant co-hostess & her handsome husband enough for their unflagging good spirits and whirlwind energy over the course of the event!   Most of all, my thanks to all the wonderful gals who filled the light-filled loft, made purchases (I am now privy to dozens of secret holiday plans!), and stayed to enjoy a light tea.   It was a real pleasure to see you all!


In other Trove news, there are two new as yet un-named kitties who have made themselves quite at home in the apartment.   My friend Gen sent me a video of a momma cat and her three six week old kitties who had been left to fend for themselves in a backyard, just as the nights were starting to get cold.   Gen has numerous pets of her own, and wasn't able to keep them - as soon as I saw their little furry faces, I knew I was in trouble!    My sister and her fellow have two of the kittens, and Sohrab and I decided that momma cat and the smallest kitten should try our place on for size.

We haven't found names for them yet, but I had a bit of a giggle fit last night deciding that perhaps I'd name them after some of my favourite things.   Some of the names which haven't made the cut:

"Brie" and "Apples"
"Small Sammiches" and "Vintage China Patterns"
"Winter Skirts" and "Opaque Tights That Don't Fall Apart After Two Washings"
"Full Fridge" and "Sticking to my Budget"
"Neil Gaiman's Past, Present & Future Work" and "Built In Bookcase"
"Buffet" and "Potluck"
"Real Mail" and "Not Credit Card Bills"
"Secret Santa" and "Finding The Perfect $20 Office Gift"
"Costume Dramas" and "Dame Judi Dench"
"Grilled Cheese" and "Really Good Coffee"
"Alliteration" and "Hilarious Hippocampal Hiccups"
"Conan O'Brien's Silly Hip Thing" and "Long Weekends"
"Antiques Road Show" and "Plummy Hammy Accents"
"Johnny" and "Depp"
"DesignSponge" and "Apartment Therapy"

So, you see, it may take a while to name them, as I'm having far too much fun with the possibilities.  Also, it'll take a while for them to show their true colours to us, and in the meanwhile we're enjoying getting to know the newest additions to our home.

Kitten - she can basically fit on the tea saucer which she eats from!

Momma cat - happy to be warm and well-fed :)
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Details to be emailed by midnight...

Hello all!

There are now 2 spots left for tomorrow's Tea & Trove - they're both at 5pm, so you can be sure the jewelry prices will be lowered ;)

I'll be sending out emails to all who have RSVP'd tonight by midnight.  Details will include the address and sneak peek photos of some the pretties waiting in the wings: cameos and amber pendants and sterling silver rings, oh my!

Now, off to make a grocery list for sammich fillings and baked goodness...

Have an excellent Saturday!

MJ & S.
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3 spots left for this Sunday's Tea & Trove!

(click for larger image)
Our gracious co-hostess has informed me that a wide selection of stunning embroidered wool shawls will be available for purchase as well.   Perfect for layering over a lighter coat, for leaving on your reading chair, or for a special gift!

Here are just a few of the shawls:

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Five shopping spots left for this Sunday's Tea & Trove in Old Montreal!


Sohrab & I are very much looking forward to welcoming you to our first holiday Tea & Trove this Sunday.   Our friends have graciously allowed us the use of their lovely & light-filled loft in Old Montreal, a five minute walk from the Place D'Armes metro.  There will be a very nice selection of vintage and costume jewelry in the $5-$40 range, and you're welcome to stay for tea and treats after you've perused the pretties.    There are still ten eight six FIVE shopping spots left!   Please feel free to contact me to RSVP, or to ask any questions you may have.
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Thank you

Hello,

Sohrab and I are quite touched by all the supportive and sympathetic messages we've received and we wanted to thank everyone who wrote for taking the time to share your own stories of pets loved and lost.

The Trove space will be dormant for a few more days as we spend some quiet time together, tidying the apartment, and sharing good memories of our Betty-cat.

Thanks again for your kindness and patience.

Best,

MJ
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The best belated wedding gift we could have hoped for...and saying good bye...


Sohrab and I are having a difficult week.   We made a very hard decision about our dearest Betty-cat on Thursday afternoon, after watching her fade quickly over the last few days.  

We rescued her two weeks after our wedding, and she helped turn our first year as a married couple into a very special one indeed.  Betty was part of  every major family celebration for a year, charming everyone she met with her friendly disposition, aerial acrobatics, and intense golden stare.   Every evening when we came home,  one of us would stand a little ways away from the door, ready to catch her as she sprang out of the apartment, meowing and rolling on the hallway floor before dashing down the stairs to call at my sister's door, sniff at strange shoes, and wind around any bicycles in her path.

Betty had many nicknames.  We often called her "Mad Eyes Betty" - especially when some hapless housefly caught her attention. She'd turn into a feline laser tracking device - ears pointed forward and eyes agleam as she followed its progress around the room.    We also called her "little Pervert" as she loved to walk into the washroom when one of us was showering, where she would casually take over the small bath mat after scratching at the wicker laundry hamper.   The one time Betty went into heat, we called her all sorts of nasty things, but we loved her even through that bizarre, hilarious, and sleepless weekend.   In her first few months with us, she was still very much a kitten, and we'd sit very still at night as our feline furball zipped and zoomed and zowied her way around the apartment, from shelf to couch to carpet at a blistering pace - we'd warn each other "Betty's gone torpedo!"

Betty loved to observe her apartment domain from high places.  Her favourite spots were the china cabinet in the Trove and the tall bookshelf in our bedroom.    Many nights, the outline of her large ears poking out above the bookshelf was the last thing I'd see before sleep - and the soft thud of her landing on the bed in the morning was my alarm clock.   We kept a pale green fleece at the foot of the bed, and she would often sleep there.  She seemed to derive comfort from that blanket, often purring and kneading at it with her front paws.   We both became accustomed to keeping our legs ever so slightly bent when going to sleep, to accommodate her presence.   I suspect we will continue to do so for a while longer.

When we found out she had feline leukemia, we were sad, but hopeful, as many cats mount a successful resistance and trounce it.   Unfortunately, this was not the case with Betty-cat.  The virus was there to stay.   We knew our time with her was limited, and we lavished her with the best food, lots of cuddles & playtime, and all sorts of improvised toys.   Betty ignored the pet shop doodads, but would go kerwonkers with any little plastic top from a box of juice, or a bunch of twist-ties snarled together.

Over the last six months, we (and her excellent vet team) watched in awe as Betty battled back from episode after episode - she even managed to live with a large mediastinal tumour,  barely permitting it to slow her down.   She responded well to antibiotics, prednisolone, LTCI, two chest drains, and a blood transfusion but eventually she began to fade for the last time.   The cancer entered her bone marrow, she became severely anemic, her breathing became laboured, her movements slow and uncertain...and we knew we had done everything we could for our sweet little girl.   As hard as it was to come to the decision, it was evident that the time had come to say good bye to our amazing little fighter, our mad-eyed spider hunter, our home welcoming committee, our purring morning alarm clock, our living room aerialist, and the best belated wedding present anyone could have hoped for.

On Wednesday night, Betty-cat somehow jumped onto the bed one more time (she was barely able to support her own weight that day - I still don't know how she managed that leap),  and pushed her little face into our hands before making her way back down to the floor, where she stayed til the next morning.    I like to believe she was saying good bye.

We miss you Betty-cat.   Thank you for being part of our family, and for filling our home with so much radiance, courage and love.
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*SOLD* Set of four depression glass Pyrex cups in delphite blue: $20


*SOLD* 1940s Canadian-made depression glass cups in a glowing delphite blue.   This pattern is from the "Pie Crust" collection - each cup is marked on the bottom with "Made in Canada - Pyrex."
Price: $20 for the set  (These are highly collectible, and are sold for $10-$20 each in vintage shops.)


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