The move fall out – renovation & decoration!

I spent the weekend moving to a new hood in TO. And after our first two homes were brand new we thought we would buy something that we would renovate to our liking.

What I am most obsessed about right now (aside from finding where all my clothes are, dreaming of a new kitchen and bathroom…) are lights.

The majority of the light fixtures are brand  new but quite frankly hideous. Or the wrong light in the wrong place. So I have been window shopping.

I have been all over from Home Depot, to Aristocrat Lighting in Queen West and Universal lighting (and all the others out there north of Orfus Road). Prices have been as low as $30 to as much as $1000 for things that we liked.

But the lights that I a most pumped about are the ones I found today at Home Depot. They will be great for the living dining area – I just have to sell my husband on the idea!

I am also set on getting my daughters room outfitted with an inexpensive chandelier to make her room all princess like. I a most likely going to hit up Aristocrat for that as everything is half price indefinitely until they vacate their current space!

If there is anywhere else you think  I need to hit up for a mix of modern and traditional lighting let me know!!!

Leather luv

It was some time this summer when I realized that leather was hot for this fall winter season. It was everywhere from over the knee boots, studded leather accessories and a bit of rock n roll added with a leather jacket.

But I already had a bunch of leather so I thought cool and drove on.

Until I was in at Danier recently and fell in love with so much stuff!

I had to be crazy to think I needed another leather jacket (I have 3) but there were so many slim flattering silhouettes that I had to look. There is no harm in looking right?

But what really put me over the edge was a bag from the limited edition line.

It was a luxuriously soft black leather back similar to the Foley +Corinna fold over styles. Maybe some Christmas money will have to be devoted to the purchase of this bag!

I might have a handbag addition.

BlogCatalog & Blogorama

Just submitted this blog to BlogCatalog & blogorama, both blog directories. Why you might ask? Well this is all blogger talk not shopping talk but what the heck.

Getting approved to be in a directory (or two or more) helps get you ranked better in the search engines and put your blog on the map.

This helps more people find ontarioShopoholic and find about about shopping, fashion, sales – all the stuff I love to chat about.

Fingers crossed!

What are you wearing on your feet this Winter?

I put on my Uggs yesterday only to find a big hole where the sheepskin is attached to the sole.

After thinking crap now what am I going to wear I ditched my Uggs, salt stains and all and went with my knee high Fryes and drove on.

So while I love my Uggs they are so cozy and warm I don’t think it is practicle to get a new pair unless they stay inside the majority of the time. Toronto’s streets are not made for Uggs, the slush soaks right through and the salt stains make for unsightly footwear.  I need new winter boots.

So I think I might jump on the latest bandwagon and get a pair of Sorels. Yes SORELS.

They have been featured in the pages of Vogue and like Uggs are so ugly they actually make a statement. Once a pair of practical boots for shovelling the driveway these are now a fashion statement.

Plus the waterproof toes are perfect for a city winter!

What are you wearing on your feet this winter?

Stella for Gap

So they just announced which stores are going to carry the new Stella McCartney collaboration for Gap kids. The clothes look fantastic. And I am guessing they are going to sell out super fast.

A select few Gap kids stores all in Toronto/GTA will carry the line, check them out if they are near you!

Toronto Eaton Center, Bloor Street & Yorkdale.

Etobicoke Sherway Gardens.

The Perfect Grey Hobo

I think Roots is underrated for its leather handbags. Roots is constantly putting out extremely wearable bags.

I have been using a large hobo that I bought when I was pregnant as a purse/diaper bag. I love that it came with a change purse that clips in so I can’t lose it at the bottom of the bag.

Plus it is huge. I can fit pretty much everything and everything in there. Maybe that is more of a drawback??

And they are doing their bags this season in grey, which to me is much more soft and luxurious than black.

My favourite from this season is the Michelle Bag in Terrazzo Leather.

Its perfectly slouchy and the pleated bottom gives a touch of femininity. I might just have to go out and get it.

What is your favourite Roots bag?

Tale of a Coat

I found a coat that I absolutely loved and had to have at Banana Republic. Its the belted wool trench in Dark Loden.

I hinted (ok told) my husband that this would be a great present for my birthday/Christmas. We had just bought a new house so I didn’t want to be greedy.

He said ok and I figured well I will just have to wait for Christmas then. But then a sale hit. It was just 25% off but it was all I needed to get that coat!

So we headed over to Yorkdale and I had it. Up until now I had though loden was another word for grey but once I was out in the sunlight I saw that it was in fact dark green. Who CARES the coat was fab.

More importantly when paying for the coat the sales associate handed my husband another coupon, this time for a one day 40% off sale! Wow.

So we decided on a plan of action. I wasn’t certain that with this type of sale we could simply get a price adjustment so I went in on the day of the 40% off and re-bought the coat so that my husband could return it later.  Seemed like the long way around but now I have the coat which retailed close to $300 for less than $200!

Moral of the story? Most major retailers will allow you a price adjustment, but if you think you won’t get one and have plenty of time to return the items, pull a switcheroo and take advantage of a one day deep discount!

VS PNIK

I had no idea until reading the LouLou editors blog that Victoria Secrets had heading north of the border.

Of course I had heard they had purchased La Senza a while back but no actual VS stores here.

If you shop the catalog you will be familiar with the PINK brand that is targeted to a yonger customer and is similar in feel to American Eagle’s Arie.

Well VS PINK is open in Ontario with stores in Waterloo, Burlington, Mississauga and Vaughn Mills (open tomorrow!)

JCREW free shipping

It seems to me that JCREW has free shipping promotions pretty regularly. That said it makes one of my favourite catalogs easier to afford when there isn’t that pesky shipping charge.

For 2 days only on orders of $150 or more use the code ship150

Isn’t online shopping great?

more shopping with ontario shopoholic

I found that I had more to say about shopping than just what was going on in Toronto. torontoShopoholic.com is my main website and you can find all sorts of great maps and store reviews if you are going to be shopping in Toronto.

But what if you aren’t? Well I have great stuff for outside TO too. Stay tuned.