SALE IN MY SHOP TALK OF THE TOWN ON ETSY!!!

TALK OF THE TOWN

I sell vintage jewelry, clothes and accessories.

BUY ANY ITEM IN MY SHOP WITH A VALUE OF $10.00 OR OVER AND RECEIVE A FREE ITEM FROM MY DEALS AND STEALS SECTION. SALE ENDS FRIDAY, JANUARY 31st. 

Big Holiday Sale in my shops on Etsy. You can purchase any item (excluding sale items) and save 20% Off! 

Here are the links to both my shops:

Talk of the Town: https://www.etsy.com/ca/shop/talkOfThetown?ref=si_shop
You will find a selection of vintage jewelry, clothing and accessories, up-cycled clothing and hand crafted jewelry.
AND 

Kookyhandbags:https://www.etsy.com/ca/shop/kookyhandbags?ref=si_shop#
You will find Bags, Pillows, Sachets and more!

**SALE ENDS THURSDAY, DECEMBER 12TH**

FIRST WEEK OF SPRING SALE AT MY SHOP ON ETSY, TALK OF THE TOWN AND KOOKYHANDBAGS!!   

 

SAVE 15% OFF ANY ITEM, EXCEPT MY SALE SECTION. i CARRY VINTAGE CLOTHING, ACCESSORIES AND JEWELRY. SALE IS FROM JUNE 20TH TO JUNE 27TH. USE CODE SALE22 WHEN CHECKING OUT. I HAVE SOME GREAT SUMMER MERCHANDISE!

HERE ARE SOME ITEMS CURRENTLY LISTED. I WILL BE ADDING NEW ITEMS EVERY DAY SO KEEP CHECKING BACK.

HERE ARE LINKS TO MY SHOPS:

TALK OF THE TOWN and KOOKYHANDBAGS

What I've Been Up To

It's been quite some time since i've blogged and i do apologize.  I've had this blog going almost 6 years i believe, and you now how gung ho you can be in the beginning, then slowly it loses it's novelty.  I really can't explain why. Possibly a combination of loss of interest and boredom. I mean if it's not exciting or fun for me will it be for my viewers?  I've been checking my activity with the ol' blogarooni every week and i still get from 2 -6 views per day which is probably due to searches for certain tags, like trips for instance.  Or maybe from being on other bloggers lists of sister blogs.  


I am very excited about my shop on Etsy 'talkofthetown'.  It is my sister shop to Kookyhandbags, and i have just listed my 100th item! It's a milestone i guess. It's been my goal this year to have over 100 items listed. And the more you list the more sales. I've had more this year than last which is great. Still, i'd like to have more of course.  I still have another 40 items to list. I have a new passion for vintage jewelry and i'm buying from several sources. Goodwill, Ebay lots, Etsy lots, Church sales, Kijiji and Craigslist.  I just scored a bunch of designer scarves for $2 apiece. If you would like to take a look at my shop i would love that!  Here's the link talkofthetown Besides the vintage jewelry, i'm starting to list vintage housewares, plus i have handmade jewelry, up cycled clothing, and vintage clothing. I'm more into the jewelry and doing a lot of research on vintage brands. There are countless design brands and i'm having a great time doing my research. I want to be able to learn the value of my listings so i don't undercharge or overcharge my customers.  So that is my main activity at the moment.  I have been gardening a bit and taking my dog for long walks while i admire all the neighbors gardens, getting ideas for my own. This weather has been the pits lately though, windy rainy days. Summer is just around the corner though. Then i will be complaining of the mosquitoes, weeds and humidity and pining for fall.  I am looking forward to eating ice cream, walking along the lake, iced coffee on the porch and a trip to PEI in August. Hope you all have a super summer!

Tulips from the backyard. Only one pink one.

Fave breakfast...whole grain cereal with strawberries in my orange bowl from Barcelona.

Finally, the sunroom is warm enough to hang out in.  Lulu and Archie are sunbathing. In another month it will be a sauna in there though. Then they'll take their afternoon siestas on the shady porch.

The like to nap together.

Dinner: black bean and rice stuffed peppers with plenty of tex mex cheese and salsa. Yum! And leftovers for tomorrow! I can sew instead of cook!

My niece Melissa with Archie and Lulu, waitin for some food to drop on the floor.

My sis Cathy giving some lovin' to Lulu.

My brother Tom and friend Susi

 

 Lulu watching Dog Whisperer reruns

 

 Hogging the remote as usual.

Steve and Lulu..well, Lulu's eye

Brother Tom being his goofy self.  He took a photo of Lulu's eye.

Lulu loves her pillows. Yes, HER pillows. She doesn't like to share them.

Archie with my kitty tea towel. 

I just made some chocolate espresso hazelnut biscotti. They are pretty yummy.

They go great with my afternoon lattes, with my new espresso maker. A Gaggia Classic...i highly recommend this machine. It makes espressos as good as Starbucks. Ahhhh, the smell is awesome, and that first sip...sheer heaven. Can you tell i like coffee?  My fave part of the day!

Lulu doesn't always sleep like this, but it is funny that she chose the hard floor to lay her head.

Lulu's rooster toy, which also doubles as a chapeau. She looks very Swiss Miss. 

Oh, the humiliation. I am chewing your new sandals when you're asleep. Actually when she was a pup she did destroy new sandals. Little bugger!

Hola Muchachaos!

My sis and huz recently came back from one week in heavenly Mexico. We love Playa del Carmen, a half hour drive from Cancun, and have been there on past trips.  I have been to Cabos San Lucas once and since it's on the Pacific side, the water at the beach was always too dangerous to swim in...waves strong enough to carry you off to Hawaii.  So if you want to go to the best region of Mexico try the Maya Riviera, with the ruins of Tulum only a half hour drive, beautiful!  Also you can snorkel in the nearby Xchela...spelling prob incorrect, the worlds second largest lagoon...the best for snorkeling. Pretty fish galore! They also have a bird paradice there to walk around after you finish snorkeling.  The beaches in Playa are lovely.  Soft sand and clear, warm, turqoise water.  It's hard to find umbrellas and loungers as they are there for the various resort people, so if you are not with a resort you can pay for an umpbrella or find a shady palm tree if you get there early in the morning.  If you love shopping,  well then Playa Del Carmen is the place for you. to shop until you drop. Don't go mid day...too hot, got to the beach and shop later in the evening after or before dinner.  They have an insanely long street called 5th Ave...it is full of boutiques, souvenier shops, art galleries, restaurants, bars, and jewelry shops. Some of the shops have agressive owners who have no shame about barking at you as you approach and then pass them.  They say 'Hey honeymooners' or 'Mr, buy something for your pretty lady', and then eventually give up on you and zoom in on the next strolling couple.  Try not to make eye contact or you will be prey for vendors tenfold. They want your business! Badly!  Don't be shy about dickering prices. They like to do that. I'm not surprised by that since  they likely  hike their prices up and will come down to make you think you are getting a good deal. Not uncommon. An example of vendors aggessiveness. I stopped at a hat shop and tried on a few hats and then, deciding not to purchase, started moving along. Said vendor dashed toward me and said 'Hey lady, don't you want to buy'????"  "Um...no, i said.  "It doesn't look good on me'".  He was still pestering me. "You need a hat lady. The sun will burn your face".  I kept on walking. Faster.  I get really annoyed with this kind of thing.  Up and down 5th Ave.  Not all vendors are this bad of course. Just be warned.  There are shops, the really nice ones, where the shop people will leave you a lone to look and not hover too much. Another thing that bugs me about shopping. I hate hovering!  Making comments about each and every item i look at or touch.  Jeez!! I'm sorry but i don't need commentary about every thing i pick up in your store Senora.  I usually move on to another shop hoping to be left in peace. They can say 'hola' and i'll say it back.Thanks fine.  But it's nice to shop without being anxious amd annoyed.  Just my 2 cents. There are so many restaurants in Playa.  In one week of trying out different ones we never had a bad meal.  One of the restaurants made guacamole right in front of us and brought a big plate of delicious ceviche...a variety of fish and shrimps marinated in lime juice. We finished off this late night nosh with flan. That soft sweet dulce de leche famous all over Mexico. A favorite of mine. We were sitting on the  second floor of a restaurant and had a great birds eye view of 5th Avenue, people watching and listening to strolling Mariachi bands.  Muy excellente! 

. We are looking forward to returning to Mexico one day.  Might try somewhere different like the Island of Cozumel or to Isla Muferes, a 30 min. ferry ride from Cancun is a smaller island and is very beautiul. I woulld love to go back there someday. I love the Mexican people...they are so friendly and fun.  Very nice to  talk to and if you try out some Spanish on them they will be impressed even if you misprononce. 

So here are some photos for you to enjoy!

 Our jazuzzi at the condo

 Steve hiding in the tropical trees at our condo.

Our balcony

 Kitchen in our condo which wasn't used much except the fridge to hold Steve's Coronas.

 

 Condo livingroom

One of the best fish i've eve had...grilled grouper caught fresh that day. Just a few squeezes of lime. Perfecto!

Enjoying a meal on 5th Ave.

Relaxing at the pool

Steven at the pool peeking under my umbrella.

A beach bag i made for the trip.

Dun Dun Dun Dun!

Margaritas at a lunch spot near the beach

Steve couldn't get enough gucamole.

Shrimps...juicy and big!

Beautiful Candle shop. I bought a few to take home

.

A fish spa!!  Where teeny fish nibble on your dead feet skin. Yummy for them, and you have smoother feet. Too bad it was closed. I have rough patches on my heel.

Snacks on the beach.

Guacamole coming right up to go with my strawberry margarita.

 

Lots of gorgeous flowers on every street.

Lucky to find a bug that matched my dress perfectly

Purple Bug!!!

Me on the beach

Many margaritas and Mojitos  were had

Steve enjoying the beach.

Getting a bit tipsy from the Mararita.

Fresh Grouper

Unable to score an umbrella with lounge chair, i was lucky to snag this shady palm tree

Steven waving from the heated pool.

My sis on the beach at sunset. They were setting up for a wedding.

One of THE best desserts we had. Molton Mexican dark chocoalte cake with rasberry vanilla and mint ice cream. Heaven!

Cool wall decorations

 Breakfest of Huevos Racheros and a delicious omelet with cafe con leche and fresh squeezed OJ.

Last night walking on the beach.

So that's it for the photos. Hope you liked seeing them. How i wish i was swimming in the ocean again. Ahhh, Mexico! Adios.