Welcome, 2009!

I wonder what's in store for us all in the new year. The last one has been furiously fast, packed with challenges, interesting and a bit tiring.

I wish you and me courage, love and beauty to paint the months to come.

Modern-day Renaissance Men

I had 2 wonderful visitors (should I call them shoppers?) yesterday.

One of them is The Renaissance Man incarnate. He's finishing his 3rd Masters degree, and plans to go to med school next. He knows 8 languages, some of them extinct, and plans to learn more. He reads the historical scriptures and philosophers in their original form. His dedication to his family is admirable - he is translating his grandfather's life creation, an 8 volume book of history written in Sanskrit, into English as a token of thanks to the lessons his grandfather taught him.
And he comes to shop here to please his mother, bless her soul.
He's wearing a coat he bought here, naturally.


The other was introduced to me by one of the lovelier regulars, who said once - "I'll cry if you ever close this shop". He is a beautiful immigrant from Burundi, a musician, a young man with a gentle soul, a lover of music and rhythm and people and the world.

I never thought I'd find such inspiration doing what I'm doing.

The Double Holiday

I keep thinking why is there such a huge difference in the way we embrace what is essentially the same pagan ritual of mid-winter light worshiping celebration.
There are the historical explanations to why the Jews downplayed their celebrations throughout history since the original diaspora took root in Europe. But can it explain every difference?
The Christian holidays are so lavish, I feel both liberated for not having to go through all that craziness on one hand, and on the other I feel a little mean spirited for not participating.

I'm feeling sheepish

I've started to read a new book, "Three Bags Full, a sheep detective story" by Leonie Swann. It just so happened that I bought a little dress a few days ago, that match the story. The universe must be saying something to me, I'm not sure what.
Take a look yourself and if you're getting the hint of what the universe wants, please tell me.


The Sheep Song by Dresden Dolls

"I want your story"

This time it wasn't me saying it. It was one of my occasional visitors, who's a writer, and he wants me in his next book, which is "a 200 pages long love poem".
well, how could I refuse?
So here I am writing about a writer who is writing about me.

Now at Last I know

Feist sings Blossom Dearie

Now at last I know
What a fool I've been
For I've lost the last love
I shall ever win

And at last I see
How my heart was blind
To the joys before me
That I left behind

When the wind was fresh
On the hills
And the stars were new in the sky
And a lark was heard in the still
Where was I
Where was I

When the spring is cold
Where do robins go
What makes winters lonely
Now at last I know

When the wind was fresh
On the hills
And the stars were new in the sky
And a lark was heard in the still
Where was I
Where was I

When the spring is cold
Where do robins go
What makes winters lonely
Now at last I know

New Qoute

Both in thought and in feeling, even though time be real, to realize the unimportance of time is the gate of wisdom.
Bertrand Russell

Kisses and Chocolate

Today was a cold day in Toronto, but a good day.
It started off with a cup of great coffee at a local, very loud, coffee shop where all the cool crowd seems to spend their mornings: Jet Fuel on Parliament St. Apparently it's a hang out for writers, actors, hip older parents and their new born babies, and Michael Ondatji. I felt he was eavesdropping on our conversation to use it in his next novel...
Later, in the shop, a few of my regulars came to visit, shop, and cheer me up - one with a kiss planted gently on the back of my hand and a compliment (You look great! he said) and another with a pack of much needed chocolate.
And then I was able to relax in between customers and finish my book.

From the mouth of babes

My 11 year old son came up with the following philosophy - without any provocation whatsoever:

"I figured out what the meaning of life is - Beauty. There is nothing ugly in life, only our inability to see the beauty in everything".

Poll - Marilyn Monroe

Which one do you like the most?
I like #1. Why, you may ask. It's a combination of the light falling on the right curves, simple grace in a pose, the spot where she is, all of these make the scene mysterious, innocent and sexy in one shot. A winning mix.

Shoe obsession - not only for women

Just look at those Patrick Cox purple patent leather creation to know not only women obsess about beautiful shoes. They say to the world - have me and be happy.

New Qoute

Age does not protect you from love. But love, to some extent, protects you from age.
Anais Nin

Ties That Bind

I got some interesting, big name ties last week: Ted Baker, Zegna, Paul Smith and others. They are bold and beautiful in colours and designs. I put them on display on my desk to brighten up the scenery. I love them.

"You're facilitating Love"

That's what my customer said. He's shopping for a new job he just got, and for a new love he's hoping for and working towards. I feel honoured.
He bought, among other things, a cool and interesting wool overcoat by Diesel, and a Cashmere turtle neck to go with it, and looked dashing.

Shop Talk

Yesterday afternoon a couple, new customers, came in and bought a few very good things for the guy. They are a young, beautiful couple and it was lovely to help them choose these "new" outfits. The guy obliged both of us by trying on many items (such hard work, shopping is) and coming out to show us the results. Yumm...
The woman was gracious enough to say how happy she is to have my shop in our neighbourhood. We both commiserated about the recent loss of a few of our favourite consignment shops (for women).

A bit of poetry goes a long way on a rainy day

I just found out about this writer/poet - Jill Bialosky - and I like her stuff.
Here's one of her poems, I hope you like it. (you can click on the title to get to her web site).

The End of Desire

When I was a child
I used to love to stare at lovers--
at couples kissing, a man looking
longingly into a woman's eyes,
a woman adoring back
and marvel over the possibilities of love.
Usually I was with my sister,
standing in a grocery line,
or outside a theater.
She would tug at my sleeve,
roll her eyes and banish me with her words:
"Stop staring! What's wrong with you!"
I did feel that something was wrong--
that I could be so content absorbing
the wave of her hair, the scent of perfume,
his strong fingers cupped around her shoulder.
It was the long, uninterrupted gaze I most preferred.
At the movies, I would draw into myself
as I watched on the big screen lovers kiss
and felt a stab of pain in the center of my stomach
travel through my body like a drug--
and for that brief time it was as though
I was the lover, the receiver of such rapt attention.
When the lights came on I carried the kiss
with me all through the rest of the late afternoon,
through the long walk home underneath the autumn arbors,
through the dull and tedious routine of dinner,
until I was alone in my bedroom and could replay
the scene in my mind without interruption.
I knew that as long as I was allowed to look,
to linger, to stare,
to become one with that spell that was so other,
to know and then to have--
that one day, my desire would end.



I think it goes quite well together with this piece of art by Levan Mindiashvili:

What is it with Mae West?

It boggles the mind, I confess. Ever since I posted a quote and a picture of Mae West, a few months ago, the amount of visitors here keeps increasing. I had no idea people are so fascinated by her, she must be a cult persona.
In any case, if you stumble upon this blog because of her and you keep reading, I'm glad. I love that picture of hers, she was such a gutsy, sexy woman, long before Madonna came around.
If you are a MW fan, please tell me what is it that keeps you drown to her.

Here's another eloquent quote from her:

Is that a gun in your pocket, or are you just glad to see me?

Word of Mouth

As it happened, people heard me on the radio and are coming in to check out the shop, from all over the city and from out of town if they happen to be in. I'm so happy I had the nerve to call and talk my shop up, I guess I can't afford to be modest anymore, business wise. Everyone agrees word of mouth is the best advertising, and if occasionally it's from my very own mouth, so be it.

New Qoute

In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life: it goes on.
Robert Frost

CBC anyone?

I was on CBC radio this afternoon. They had a segment on the Ontario Today show with Rita Celli about second hand clothing so I thought it wouldn't hurt to call, and they put me on, I was the first caller. And later some guy who heard me and works around the corner came into the shop to check it out. Yea!!!
This is in fact the 3rd time I've been on that show, by the way. Once I called when they wanted to hear about being an immigrant in Toronto, the second time I called when they asked about what people write and I told them about this blog, and today.

if you heard me and you read this, please leave a comment.

Sign This Petition - save these animals

I usually don't do things like that here, but this seems like the best way to help - make it known around the world.

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/petition/148436045

To sign click on the title of this post, or copy the link above to your browser.

New Qoute

If you can't get rid of the skeleton in your closet, you'd best teach it to dance.


George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950)

New Qoute

Men think about women. Women think about what men think about them.
Peter Ustinov

But I Do

I got this as a blessing for the new year from a very good friend back home. I'm not a religious person. I don't fast. But if I offended anyone over the past year, I ask for your forgiveness. If I did, it was not done maliciously.

Blessings for the new year

A year of peace for our tortured planet
May we think of the future and smile
Remember what we have and be glad
Love each other's soul
And breathe quietly

And may our labours bear many fruit, just like the lusciously red, juicy pomegranate.

That clever SOB

Managed to write a great film, a real pleasure to spend 2 hours in the midst of this creation - Vicki Christina Barcelona is so well written, and so beautifully filmed. I don't like Woody Allen anymore, after he just couldn't resist picking his next woman from his own dining room table and convincing himself it was all in good taste, I couldn't laugh at his jokes anymore.
Nevertheless I had a great time and I end up thinking if I could ever have managed to live the life of such high drama - love, art, changing partners and countries and all that. I sort of did, for a while, and it was exhostingly interesting and fun. But now that I'm older and not much wiser? don't know. I suspect you can't do things like that when you have kids to consider.

New Quote

I don't mind living in a man's world as long as I can be a woman in it.
Marilyn Monroe

Visitors

Today was a day to record. I didn't. But I wish I had recordings of the conversations I had with my visitors today.

One man told me how he and his brother blew their inheritance while their mother was still alive and very sick, on sending her with her best friend of 75 years to a grand world tour cruise on the QE. She died a month after it ended. I implored him to write this wonderful heartwarming story to share with the world. It never occurred to him.

My favorite Canadian grandmother, 82 and counting, invited me to the opening of her art show. And she bought the only item I had for a woman in the shop - a full length fabulous dress coat. She looked so sharp in it, it was irresistible.

My favourite opera singer told me of his latest work, "War and Peace". They sing in Russian. I don't think I'll attend when they open...

And this lovely young lady completely blew me away by telling me she's a minister's daughter. I just had to take her picture...

Look At Me

"I wish men would stil dress this way" one visitor said of this costume.

New Quote

The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it.

Oscar Wilde (1854-1900)

Robert Musil - The Man without Qualities

I just got the second volume of this enormous book. I read the first volume many years ago, in Hebrew, and couldn't find the second at the time. I wonder if it will be as much a pleasure to read as it was when I was younger. At the time I fell in love with the man without qualities, who was so very charming, as with Musil's writing.

"...Man needs no more for his happiness; for what one achieves is what moulds the spirit, whereas what one wants, without fulfillment, only warps it. So far as happiness is concerned it matters very little what one wants; the main thing is that one should get it."

Dear Fred

Fred Astaire is the inspiration for my shop sign, and here he is in all his glory.

Dylan Thomas Reading a Poem

Click on the title to get there.




here's a picture of his writing shed - imagine that life.

What the well-dressed crime writer sould be wearing

I've been reading lately a series of excellent books by Philip Kerr, with a wonderful protagonist called Bernie Gunter. These are crime novels set in Germany before, during, and after WW2. Highly recommended for the quality of the writing, the style, and most of all for Bernie himself, a witty, cynical but good-hearted, sexy private detective. While searching for an image of Mr. Kerr I found this amazing photo of him and other crime writers posing as their characters. Isn't it just beautiful? He is second from the right.

New Quote

Only two things are infinite, the Universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former.

Albert Einstein (1879-1955)

The Rosenberg Trio - great music

I put their CD on in the shop often. One of my regulars, a musician, asked me what it was, and was very appreciative. He says I always have good music on. What a nice compliment.

Book Report

OK, I finished reading "The Kindly Ones" by Jonathan Littel (see my original post about it in July).
Reading this book is hard work. It's very long, and loaded with details that are hard to follow. It took me longer than usual to get to the end, and I forgot what's in the beginning, so I'm starting it again to see if I can get more out of it now that the war (WW2) is over.
It raises so many difficult question about this "episode" in human history.
One that is hard to swallow is the implied complicity of the victims in their own destruction, and is referred to the Jews mainly, not so much to the other groups. Some readers, I'm sure, will find this outrageous, judgmental and cruel. I haven't made up my mind yet.
There is a point early in the story where one of the Nazis asks a colleague how they managed to collect so many Jews so fast, and the guy says it was so easy, all they had to do is post a notice that the Jews should come to the town square by a certain time, and that was enough, they came by the thousands. The Nazis thought it was funny that people are cooperating so well.
The protagonist, Max Aue, says at another point, towards the end, that the Jews had to be destroyed because they were so German, and the Germans hated them for it. And that those Jews who will survive will be more German than the Germans. If you know Jews and Germans, you know there's some truth about that last bit.
There are parts of the book in which Max tells his own personal, tragic family history. He talks about his incestuous, hopeless love to his twin sister. It's sad and crazy, yet gripping in its emotional and sensual intensity.
I'm curious to read what readers here in Canada are going to make of this unusual book.

What We Wear and Why

So many W's in one sentence...

I wanted to post something thoughtful, a cheerful reflection on what I do for a living, and looked for inspiration on Google. Big mistake.
Most of the listings there refer to dress code for religious purposes, while I was looking for something that would reflect more on the creative, inclusive, wide range of the way people dress. What I found was the opposite - a lot of rationalizations of the restrictive code that some people who have negative relationship with their bodies try to enforce on the rest of humanity.

What I tell people who come to my shop is my simple way of using clothes: Wear what you feel comfortable in, mentally as well as physically. Look at yourself in the mirror and if you like what you see, go for it. Use your gut reaction, believe yourself. Use the image you have of yourself in your head and make it happen in reality, if you can afford it.
The nice thing about a shop like mine is that you can afford a look that's closer to the image in your head. It works for me, and it works for those who come to shop.

I try not to judge those who leave the shop when they realize it's second-hand (sometimes only after shopping - because my stuff is so good sometimes they can't tell the difference). But I must admit it's not easy. I tend to think it's somewhat narrow minded not to shop second-hand on principal. Am I wrong here?

The Frogman

Something fun I found today.

Clarence "Frogman" Henry - Ain't Got No Home

New Qoute

It is never to late to be what you might have been.
George Eliot

I Was Here

It was hard to come back to the city.

A Mannequin Story

There was a little boy in the shop today, his mother was browsing and he got board, so he started to roam around the shop, crowded as it is, and ended up talking to the mannequin, carrying on a conversation. One of my regulars (See him in the picture, wearing this lovely shirt he bought here) happened to be there and heard the little boy's chat. He told me this story:
"When I was a boy this age, my mother took me to a large department store and I got lost. I walked up to one of the mannequins thinking it was my mother and took her hand in mine, and the whole arm came off!! I screamed like I've never screamed before..."

New Qoute

When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on.
Franklin D. Roosevelt

If you like knots, click on the title. It's a very useful link, trust me.

Comments - Where are they?

I know some people visit here from time to time, my stats tell me so.
I'm curious to know if this blog is of any interest to anyone. Kindly leave comments if you have anything to say, if you liked something I posted or not, or just to say hello and let me know you've visited. I will answer.

Sophie Calle

I read this article (click on the post title to get there) and was immediately hooked on the projects this French artist is producing. So much so that I've decided to go to Montreal and see her latest multimedia show "Take Care of Yourself". I intend to go in the next few weeks.

The image is taken from a previous project, in which she invited strangers to sleep in her bed (not with her) in shifts of 8 hours, documenting them.

New Qoute

When I have to choose between two evils, I always try to pick the one I haven't tried before."

Mae West

And another tough read

David Grossman's new novel "Until the End of Land" was recently published in Israel. It tells the story of a woman who drops her son off to participate in a military operation when he's just about to complete his service, and she's afraid she'll never see him again.
The horror of reading it lies partly in the knowledge that the author's own son, a gentle, beautiful boy, was killed in the last war in Lebanon, as he was writing this novel. The inevitability there is devastating.
Every second page I start to sob and must stop to breath.
Is this all there is for us from now on, in terms of great Hebrew literature (it is a great book, no doubt about that) - holocaust and war, death and sadness? I hope not. There must be more. In that vibrant, sensual culture of the middle east there's got to be more.

Reading Corner

I'm reading this controversial book, ("The kindly Ones")a fascinating read in a disturbing way.
Written in French, the book has not been published in English yet, I'm reading it in Hebrew. It's enormous - about 900 pages. I take breaks every few pages because it's very intense.
Written from a point of view of a closeted homosexual SS officer who talks about his part in the war, the language is direct, explicit, graphic and unblinking.
I've just past his account of Babi Yar - for those unfamiliar with the name: This is about the 2 days during which the Jews of Kiev were marched to the edge of the city and were shot to death by the Nazis. More than 30,000 of them in those 2 days, and another 100,000 or so in the months that followed. He talks mainly about the difficulty he and his fellow killers encounter in the process of killing so many people in such a short time.
I find myself suffocating while reading this, yet I can't stop. It's obscene, I suppose.
My father got this book for his birthday, it's a best-seller in Israel these days, but he and my mother refused to keep it. She said it's disgusting and that they don't want to read it, not to mention keeping it in their apartment. She didn't like his frequent mention of various bodily functions, fluids, emissions etc. I must say it doesn't bother me in the least. I find it quite fitting to describe how stinking the violent death of thousands can be.

Visit this blog

http://www.zacsunderland.com/blog/
(click on the title to get there)

Here's a fearless young person, a kid really, who goes after his dreams, with the help and support of his family.

How much do you like shoes?

Would you, could you, spend $8000 on one pair, custom made from crocodile skin, wear it only once, suffering for hours in discomfort? I couldn't, although my fascination with shoes is something I've been battling for years.
Yet there are people who do that. This person ordered a pair for his beloved sister's wedding ("I'd pay anything to get rid of her", he joked), walked her down the aisle in them, and never wore them since. I'm dying to see them.

The Kissing Project

My husband and I volunteered to participate in a film production that aims to promote Toronto as a romantic city. All we had to do is gather with other couples and kiss in public for a while as cameras are filming around us. It was fun.