AWFUL!

The thrifting situation has been awful and dismal. Yes those are strong words! I read your blogs about the thrifting riches, the Pyrex cornucopia, the plethora of vintage linens all because of something called spring cleaning......

So I was realy psyched when I saw that there would be a flea market in a church basement in Verdun! Oh JOY OH BLISS!

Not what does a flea market in a church basement mean? Usually it's vonlunteers from the church that gather second hand stuff and also sell tables for commoners to sell their unwanted wares.....usually there's a counter with snacks and coffee.

 NO SIREE! No church vonlunteers, no snack counter, no thrifting joy....Just cheap dealers, selling leftover cheap new flea market stuff and vintage expensive stuff. At one table a guy was selling Star Trek glasses @ 5 $ each (the new star trek)....I got those glasses new in box shipping included for 20$ on ebay (a gift to my lovely Dan). I saw boxes and boxes of mood rings and cheap jewelry and at one point I could not take this a single minute more!

I ran to 2nd avenue for some respite and came across my old appartment....

It was in 1992. It was a large 6 1/2 with wood floor and the rent was....

Are you ready? 450.00$ a month. No not heat included.  

Here is my balcony on top where I grew herbs.

It was a nice place to live but the neighborhood left a lot to be desired....lots of poverty, social welfare,unwed mothers, drugs, crime you name it they had it!

Across the street I was remonded of something else....

Yes there are still Xmas ornements in the tree!

Here lived a really LARGE woman who would come out every morning and pick out the trash from her lawn. In her night gown WITH NO UNDERWEAR. Yes I saw some things no unwilling person should see! I wanted to gouge my eyes out and scream at the top of my lungs OH THE HUMANITY! GOD TAKE ME NOW! 

By the looks of grass she's not living there anymore!

On a more palatable note....

 Yes Barbie cakes still exists!

For all you french fries lovers I took a pic of Patate Normand; a Verdun institution. Just the prospect of a fry from that joint would put me in a transe! Those were amazing patates! Since the name is now Casse-Croute (Snack Bar) Normand they probably changed owners and I wonder if the fries are still amazing....Maybe another time!

And last but not least.....

A Pyrex sighting!

A Woodland bowl hidden in a flea market (small thirft). I didn't see the price but I bet it was at least 15$. NOT THRIFTY AT ALL! DID THEY READ COUNTRY LIVING? DAMN YOU COUNTRY LIVING!

I now must go, the open road beckons and the possibilities too!

Good saturday and good thrifting :)

La Binerie Mt-Royal

Continuing on my last visit to Mt-Royal street....I came across another Montreal institution: The Binerie Mt-Royal. I don't know how well known it is....It might be known only to francophone.
I'll start with the name Binerie, it means beanery, yes a place where you eat , well mostly beans and other typical old time french canadian food.

See? even their sign has a bean pot on it.

To tell you the truth, I've only been there twice in their 73 years of operation and with mixed results....Let me clarify, it was 1986 and I was 20 (with a matching judgment!). I went and ate pork meatball stew and meat pie in mid-July,,,,needless to say I had a lot of trouble digesting that meal (it stayed with me for EVER).

But I loved the atmosphere! It was a crack in the wall kind of place with a counter and only enough place to fit one table. All the regulars sat at the counter. You could get some classics like texas tost with butter and Bovril on it. Now I did my research and Bovril is not sold in the US, let's just say it's like syrupy OXO beef cubes. My dad loved it on toast and so do I (about onece a year).

You could also get your bean lean or greasy. To obtain the lean beans they would get served with a slotted spoon.

You can get shepperd's pie, beef macaroni, french canadian plate, porc roast sandwich on crusty bread.

I was glad it was still opened and serving the classics.

On another nostagic note....

                                            This taylor is still in operation.

 Isn't a to die for vintage sign?

What about this one?

I'm sorry to day that this deli closed about 20 years ago. The family still owns the building but the store is all boarded up. What a waste!

I smell a roadtrip on saturday.....

Happy Easter!

Christo e rodi! That's what my Serbian friends would shout after Easter mass.It is such a joyous cry: Christ has risen!

These lovely bunnies were in the lobby of my work place

So cute and Springlike!

                                             Happy Easter!

Nostalgia

I can't believe I haven't posted in nearly a week! Weather conditions have been really depressing and winter like and real bad for taking pictures!

Thrifting has been even WORSE! I went to Le Chainon (a Montreal thrift store benefiting  battered women) and it was soooo dismal and depressing, if I had a lighter I would've set fire to it all and be done with it.

I still can't believe that dear old mom gave all the silverwear, porcelain and dishes to that place. She didn't want me to get any of it.

At another thrift shop I saw these...

This was the best view I could get from this vintage pinball machine. It was sqeezed between desks and sofas.

I was glad to see some Pyrex and Fireking. Didn't pickt the casserole up because i already have it! It was a gift from Erin from Toronto Yard Sale Snoop . Thanks again girl I cherish this Turquoise Snowflake casserole. It has a special place in my heart.

Being in Plateau Mt-Royal I was taken back to my childhood.

But really no joke! I actually stuck my lower lip to this door handle in 1970 and my mom pulled me real hard when the bus came and I left part of it on it (my lip of course). My mouth hurts every time I watch A Christmas Story!

In all the gentrification madness, it is very refreshing to find little indie stores like this one. They sell second hand records.

Oh I almost forgot! I saw this and nearly pick it up! It's a toilet paper roll holder! How crazy is that?

I pick up this Good Seasons dressing bottle a couple of weeks ago for 50 cents in a church basement. It's perfect to make dressing with my new fave spice mix! It's called Streu Mi and it comes from Switzerland. Since I'd never ever seen this, I just had to get it. It's a mix of spices and herbs and it has curry in it and it's DELICIOUS! Ok,ok I must admit it has some MSG in it, but not too much. Swiss people don't seem to mind too much about the MSG....I add a bit of cider vinegar and EVOO. It's great with a green salad with red onions :)

Be well my friends and good luck with your thrifty endeavours!

Still Pissed OFF!

I must admit that I'm still pissed OFF about the Pyrex feature in Country Living. Every time one of those 'well meaning' magazines publishes something about Pyrex, thte prices soars and they are so much harder to find! The first moron to do that was our friendly neighbourhood busybody , the one and only Martha! If she had left good enough alone we would be able to buy jadeite and Pyrex for pennies. Yes I know Rachael Ray is in the same boat.
And no way the prices are accurate for the Pyrex. If it was I would be able to buy a small third world country with what I have!!!

I was packing away my hutch this morning....because the imminent weekend of painting is nearly  upon us...and here is what I found:

As you probably know, this is a Pyrex restaurant ware pattern: Green Fern.

How ever if you turn the bowl over this is what you see....A Fireking bowl with a Pyrex pattern? How crazy is that??? What hapened here? Did Anchor Hockings decide to copy Pyrex? Did they share production facilities and a booboo happen? I don't know!

If you have info please share!  

Other than that I cleaned and replaced itrems from the store, cleaned some Stephen King bookds and shrink wrapped them and started to make boxes of paperbacks to donate. We have a lot to do before we start to paint the living room/dining room/ hall (damn you open living!). Having big room is much harder to decorate!

Speaking of cleaning and packing...I emptied the hutch and I was able to fill 7 boxes of dishes! OMG! Wait till I empty the big Pyrex cupboard! LOL!   

Square Eggs and Funky Shoes

We had a free breakfast at work today! You know how I love all things free!!!

Well let's just say I was quite surprised with what they served us.....

Bacon (delicious), home fries (ok), crescent rolls(delicious) but I'm still surprised at that square of yellow matter they called eggs! It reminded me of creme caramel but way less tasty. Let's just say that it wasn't a big favorite. I had to be discreet in taking the pic; my new co-workers are not aware of my bloggy ways....And I can be not a lot of them have vintage thingies in their homes!

I wanted to share my shoes. I was worried they would be totally out of style, but no. I got those in 2002 or 2003 in the Nine West outlet in Freeport Maine.

I love the faux croc effect.

I was plaisantly surprised to find some whoopie pies in one of our local supermarkets (IGA), only here in Québec they call them Yoyos. I didn't buy any, I didn't want to be disappointed. I tasted some amazing ones in; you guessed it : Maine! LOL

What can I say; I love this state! Unfortunately Maine is not in the cards this summer....However a long weekend is already in the cards in New Hampshire! Hampton beach here we come! In a couple of months....

Still very slow on the thrifting front (sad face).

Have a nice evening!

Signs that Spring has sprung!

I just realized that a week has passed since I last blogged! It was a busy week, lots of social, not a lot of thrifting and a big ol' spring cold.

There is some monetary stress and while I now make a good salary some things just have to be bought now, right now; like a car....and a BBQ (ours is like cooking steak over a candle) and some general upkeep for the house.

We don't want to fall in the same spending patterns we had before I lost my job. Charging stuff, not repaying them right away and ending up owing tons of money to the evil credit card companies. In the last three years I managed to clear up most of our credit card debt and I don't want to go that way again. So money is tight, but it's okay we won't go hungry.

Now how do I know that Spring is back in Québec?

I see these wonderful blue stars all over my borders....

And I love seeing the crocuses blooming!

These are my favorites1 I love to see those sunny little faces; all perky!

The street vendors are out again selling their beautiful handmade jewelry on Ste-Catherine street

The flower lady is back (year in year out, foul or fair weather)

And most of all.....
I just want to go here.....

And stuff my face with delciously decadent ice cream!

Enjoy the sun, while I treat my cold. I hope to spend more time at home, blog more and definitely thrift more!

I can feel delicious goodies out there :)

Retro Tuesday: Better early than late!

I know I know this is Monday night and all of america is watching DWTS. I confess I'm watching but just from my right eye....I have been dreaming of mexican food....Not any kind of mexican food, but the kind that lives deep in my childhood memories....

In the 70's my BFF was sylvie and she stayed my friend well in my 20's. Her family was different, her father (an engineer from France) was building a sail boat from the ground up in Plattsburg NY, her  mother (a french Canadian) was the first person I knew to cook Vietnamese food from scratch at home). I would often go to Lake Champlain on weekends with them. We would sand and stain, hang out at the marina and the supermarket (Price Chopper).

Once they took me to Tijuana Jail Mexican restaurant....OMG it was a revelation, I had never eaten mexican cuisine. Was it real authentic mexican cuisine in the 70's? Your guess is as good as mine!

If I remember correctly I had tacos, corn chips and salsa maybe guacamole...Everything was so fresh and crunchy....aaahhh memories!

The crowning glory was mexican fried ice cream.....Vanilla ice cream in a flour tortilla fried and sprinkles with cinnamon. It blew my mind! Heck I'm still thinking about it!

I tried to go back over the years, but either we couldn't find it or it was closed. I don't know why but I've had Mexican food on the brain lately. So I've been trying to find out if it was still opened, or if they had a website. I also wanted pictures! Pictures of cheesy 1970 mexican food!

Well I was really disappointed. Not only I didn't find anything on the web, but I also found out that Tijuana Jail is now closed and in the same local now stands an english pub! NOT THE SAME!

AAAAAAGGGGGHHHHH! Now I need to find a cheesy place for my mexican food fix!

Sorry I don't have pics :(

Have a great Retro Tuesday!