Tattered Rose

♥Happy Valentine's Day to Our Customers & Friends♥

2012-02-14T07:49:00.009-07:00

Amidst the sadness and fighting in the world...we must still try and celebrate LIFE and LOVE. On that note, I hope that all of you have a wonderful Valentine's Day with enough love to get you through whatever life throws at us.

Some Old Stuff and Some New Stuff....

2012-02-13T15:53:00.002-07:00

....we're very versatile...and eclectic too♥

Here's a few of the items currently on display in our booth at the antique mall.....

Got Style?

2012-02-11T08:41:00.007-07:00

Style has very little to do with what's "in" or "out".....it has more to do with how an individual chooses what they wear, interprets what works for themselves and how those choices reflect who they are.

Not everyone is born with great style so, if you feel that you don't have it, we can work on that together. Wardrobe consultation is a (free) service we have always offered at Tattered Rose...and not necessarily just the clothing you buy from us.

We have helped customers find items that go with their own top/skirt/jacket/dress....and we will always be honest about what looks good on you 'cuz that's OUR style♥

♥Cats are One of God's Best Creations♥

2012-02-11T08:32:00.000-07:00

Paris and the Eiffel Tower

2012-02-10T11:18:00.007-07:00

Speaking only for myself, I believe that there are not many structures in this world that stand against the sky as such a powerful symbol of beauty, history and meaning. Whenever I see the Eiffel Tower in movies or pictures, I stop breathing for just a few seconds, allowing the image I have of Paris to sink in...I hear the song "La Vie en Rose" (corny I know) play in my mind and imagine walking down those narrow streets, filled with charm, history and character. I am instantly transported half way across the world to a place that has captured my imagination (and my heart) for as long as I can remember.

Customers have often told me that my shop reminds them of the ones in Paris. I consider that the highest of compliments!

I have never been to Paris (yet) but in my dreams, I have lived there.

Here Comes the Bride

2012-02-10T07:22:00.016-07:00

♥Bridal season is upon us once again♥

...for wedding retailers, that means that brides-to-be are looking for THE dress that will walk down the aisle with them.

If you are looking for a non-bridal store dress, a vintage looking, flowing pretty dress for your special day, then Tattered Rose is the place to find it.

♥Please keep in mind that we are not a full-service bridal shop. Tattered Rose is a lifestyle boutique that carries a small selection of special home decor items, beautiful & romantic jewellery and an eclectic collection of clothing...from bustiers and corsets, sweaters and linen jackets to lace tops and skirts.....to classic jersey clothing...and YES, we also have a small but pretty collection of wedding attire...for the bride who is getting married on a beach in Mexico, in a garden somewhere and/or who prefers a small and intimate ceremony.

The Urban Kimono

2012-02-03T09:09:00.003-07:00

The urban kimono....worn with jeans on your knocking about days or as your coat/cover when going to the opera. Don't you just love that kind of versatility?

The Calm After the Storm

2012-01-29T08:11:00.001-07:00

I'll admit I have not been in the mood for writing on my blog. It is a time of the year I hibernate a little, like my customers who are recovering from the holiday rush...the calm after the storm (of Christmas) so to speak and the quiet lull before Spring goods begin to arrive at the shop.

So, in preparation for the busy time of Springs' new arrivals (of some delicious and feminine clothing) I wanted to share with you this image of a squirrel who apparently wanted to be in this couples' photo album. It cracks me up every time I see it....

February and March will see a flurry of new arrivals at the shop.....dresses, corsets, casual wear......Sympli the Best jersey, linen, rayon, mesh.....new colours and silhouettes in keeping with the Tattered Rose look.

Velvet like the stars

2012-01-15T08:58:00.004-07:00

Velvet like the stars

Please click on the link ("Velvet Like the Stars") to read the article. I'm not sure if this link will work forever but it is active right now...

I am so thrilled to have Tattered Rose mentioned in the Edmonton Journal...the article was all about velvet, and our customers know that we have always carried beautiful velvet clothing...whether it is "in" or not, it is always part of our repertoire.

This is a Great Performance!

2012-01-13T15:55:00.001-07:00

To view full screen and get rid of the ad, click on the YouTube icon at the lower right hand corner.

A Postcard from Lingerie Town

2012-01-13T08:02:00.003-07:00

Tattered Rose is not a lingerie store, as such...however, on any given day we do have silky bias cut slips, frilly bustiers and lounge skirts that COULD be classified as lingerie.
We also recently recieved a few samples of pretty white, rib knit lace-trimmed undershirts and matching panties....just to see if they fit in with our repertoire.
You just never know what you will find here♥

*Collage created by the owner of Tattered Rose. Please do not use image without permission. Thank you.

Countdown to New Corsets

2012-01-11T09:29:00.010-07:00

30...29...28...27...26...
This is a famous photograph by Irving Penn of a woman wearing a corset.

These are photo's of some vintage & antique corsets, which we do not sell but occasionally have on display.

A vintage photograph (of a woman wearing a corset)

One of the black silk dupioni corsets we carry.......

We have some new corsets coming that will be dressed-down corsetry...something you can comfortably wear with your fav pair of jeans in place of a t-shirt (or with a t-shirt)
Pretty colours....cotton corsets.....underbust corsets...something for everyone who loves to wear corsets. Did you know they they are also very good for your posture? No slumping in a chair when you wear one of these...
Stay tuned for their arrival.....

Paris

2012-01-10T11:12:00.007-07:00

Note: Artwork/collage was created by yours truly and is therefore my intellectual property. Please do not use without permission....thank you for your understanding♥

Pretty in Pink

2012-01-09T21:14:00.013-07:00

So........what if we could wear a flower in our hair without feeling silly? The mannequins in Tattered Rose wear them sometimes.
Women used to wear flowers and hats and pretty combs all the time....of course, that was then....are we afraid to be too feminine now or is it just not "in style"?

Oh, and speaking of femininity...pink is such a pretty colour, don't you think? There's even pink duct tape now! In fact, our new window displays at the store are all about pink! (I should have thought of the duct tape earlier....I could have used it to tape a few things)

First Post of 2012....Paris Couture

2012-01-04T08:32:00.009-07:00

Paris Couture is definitely beautiful to watch as it saunters down the runway but who in Edmonton has the place or time to wear these mouth-watering, works of art to wear?

Elements of Paris style can be seen throughout the store, or so we have been told by people who have actually BEEN to Paris. Our clothing is, in some ways, even more beautiful than the styles found on Paris runways because it is more wearable in the city we happen to live in.

Don't get me wrong....if this market wanted couture, we would give it to them, as outlandish as it could be....but most of us will settle for pretty, romantic clothing with a hint of couture that we can dress up or down and not look like we are auditioning for a part in "The Courtesan" "Moulin Rouge" or "Phantom of the Opera".......but attending a Stevie Nicks concert, definitely and all sorts of other events too!

A Year in Review....Musings & Some Favourite Things of 2011 via Photographs

2011-12-31T19:42:00.021-07:00

...love braided hair and centre parts

...love the idea of a suede trench coat

...I'm a sucker for grey sweaters & t-shirts

...chandeliers!!

Ms Columbo, to you pal.

We lost our beloved Elizabeth Taylor this year

...sheep...this one's for my friend Valerie♥

love bows on clothing

don't you just love ruffles?

...and this colour of pale green/turquoise?

love vintage lace dresses

...oh, to have legs like this ballerina

(this song makes me cry instantly)

I love resourcefulness!

love old chippy paint mirrors

angel statues make my heart soar........

love chandeliers...

love stars

...farm girls unite!

the idea of seeing the Eiffel Tower in person is one of my long-time dreams.....

love old doors

pink hydrangeas

white roses

roses, roses, roses...and peonies too!

a beautiful bride she was

my favourite hairstyle is centre-parted, long wavy hair (which I had at one time)

adore monograms, especially embroidered ones!! (for my friend F. who does beautiful machine embroidery)

I like this portrait of Sarah Jessica Parker

who doesn't love old dress forms?

Did not like this movie...I tried but it wasn't very good.

We moved the store this summer...what a HUGE job that was but we are completely settled in now and loving the new bigger space. If you have not had a chance to visit, perhaps the new year will find you wandering through our front door.....we sure do miss our old customers, although many HAVE found us again.

Happy New year to all of my family, friends and customers...may 2012 bring you everything you need to be happy.

Pretty & Feminine...a Hint for Spring

2011-12-29T09:16:00.004-07:00

Now that the holiday season is almost over, we are headed towards Spring....where new hope springs eternal and when we want to shed the layers of our winter clothing.

For Spring, Tattered Rose plans for even more of the romantic clothing we are known for, in the prettiest shades of ballet pink, chambray blue, sage green and cream.....for the romantic woman who dreams of gentler times gone by.*

The world is fast-forwarding into the future but that doesn't mean you cannot dress in feminine, pretty clothing. We at Tattered Rose, love ruffles and lace and gossamer fabrics that conjure up images of our femininity & romance novels set in the Paris of the 1920's and 1930's.

Get ready for romantic-dressing-up-pretty.

*we will always have black & dark clothing too, so no worries my medieval-gothic-Victorian babes!

"Memoirs of a Junkyard Diva"

2011-12-27T15:08:00.001-07:00

There I was as a child, shivering in the cold, damp air of an attic in Paris....not knowing how I got there, who that lady was or how I would get back home with at least one of those cats.....

.....to be continued.

Christmas Flash Mob

2011-12-25T08:14:00.002-07:00

Merry Christmas to All and to All a Goodnight!

2011-12-24T19:39:00.005-07:00

For our customers who celebrate Christmas...here's wishing you a truly Merry Christmas, filled with love, peace and happiness.

To all of our customers who do not celebrate....wishing the best for you too.....on this day and for the year to come.

Thank you for your continued patronage and support throughout the years.

We do it all for you♥

Note: All art collages are solely created by yours truly and not to be used, pinned or reproduced in any way for any reason without permission. Thank you for respecting this request♥

Shipwrecked Pirate Wench

2011-12-21T09:12:00.000-07:00

Old Tyme Friends & Outlaws

2011-12-14T09:24:00.003-07:00

The Angels' New Boots

2011-12-13T07:14:00.001-07:00

Angels walk among us...they could be in an airport to comfort you when you just found out your Mom has died (happened to me)......they could be the person who helps you to your feet when you have fallen.....they could be the friend who listens to your fears and wipes away your tears........they live here with us....you just have to have an open heart♥

At this time of year, it is difficult to be a retailer and yet not like the commercialism of Christmas. We walk a fine line between trying to promote our store as a place to shop for gifts and feeling like we are annoying our customers with emails and such.

At Tattered Rose, we know that you know it is the season of Christmas....there are gifts to buy and dress-up clothes to be purchased for special events....we do not need to decorate the shop to the hilt with sparkly decorations, nor do we have to play continuous Christmas songs. You have enough of that everywhere else.

So, if or when you feel the need to shop (we are after all a business) come in and see us...you will find some of the most beautiful things...clothing, jewellery, gifts and home decor....but you already know that.

We hope that your holiday spirit remains intact in spite of the commercialism around you...that you may remember the goodness that also is a part of this holiday, and the religious aspect if you are a Christian.

THAT is something to be thankful for.

The Tattered Rose Woman...a True Romantic

2011-12-11T11:21:00.004-07:00

Few of us look like Isabelle Adjani (the French actress whose beautiful image was used in this collage)....but we are no less beautiful, each in our own unique way.

Celebrate womanhood in a stereotypical way by planning a shopping trip at Tattered Rose.....who says you can't buy yourself gifts at this time of year? It is an unwritten law and part of our romantic notion and charm.

Signed.....
The Universe♥

Velvet Amidst the Ruins

2011-12-09T06:14:00.005-07:00

This beautiful (new) velvet dress from Tattered Rose was photographed against the backdrop of our previous location......now a construction site for the new buildings that will be erected.

It's probably a good thing we moved, then...imagine how cold it would be in the store right now.

P.S. Thank you Sharon for reminding me that it would be a good idea to take a few pictures at the old store site....too bad it couldn't be a real fashion shoot like you suggested.

Dreams are for Dreamers

2011-12-08T07:08:00.001-07:00

What if....you could have a shabby chic little cottage somewhere by a lake and/or in the country? Wouldn't it be nice to know you have a place that you could go to get away from all of the city bustle and responsibilities...where your cats could relax on a windowsill without the noise of the city...where there was no phone or television...only your own resources to keep you amused?

I thought you might like the idea....I do too but it is only a dream right now.

Holiday Wishes for Our Customers

2011-12-06T08:00:00.008-07:00

Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah or some other event this season, the staff of Tattered Rose wish you and your family a truly blessed and loving life with inner peace and happiness...

Be as colourful as possible (without scaring your neighbours or small children) say YES to opportunities.....and may most* of your wishes come true♥

*I say "most" because "you don't always get what you want...sometimes, you get what you need."
The Rolling Stones

Love Wearing Scarves Again!

2011-12-04T08:16:00.000-07:00

Eclectic Doesn't Even Come Close to Describing Tattered Rose

2011-12-02T09:00:00.003-07:00

Angelic "Christmas" windows.......white is for winter but we miss our summer, don't we?

We love Black & Gold together!

Floral silk dresses are never out of style......

....Lagenlook......which, translated from German, means layered look...we love layers because they hide a multitude of sins.

Holiday Wear & Jewels: The Play

2011-12-01T09:26:00.003-07:00

(statement) Whether you love to be the centre of attention or not, we all like to dress up some of the time........enter Tattered Rose (stage right)

(setup the scene) Glorious jewels for all those who think they may have been a crow in a former life, and have a love of all things sparkly. We have non-sparkly jewellery too.

(action) You walk, run or drive to the store, enter through the main doors, looking a bit overwhelmed at all the beautiful clothing and jewellery that you see before you (look perplexed)

(enter the store owner, me) "Would you like to try that on?"
(you) "Yes, I'd like to try on a lot of things...let's start with the velvet maxi dress, the lace jacket, the jersey ruffled coat......(look towards the jewellery case longingly) "and those fabulous earrings!"

You leave the shop feeling all happy with the knowledge that you will be the belle of the wherever you are going....in your own home or at the fancy pants ballroom dance.
(exit stage left)

To be continued......

♥Private Shopping Event♥

2011-11-29T06:05:00.001-07:00

Do you love the idea of having a private shopping event, whereby the store is open just for you & your friends...where you get to peruse the latest and greatest vintage-inspired fashion this side of the ocean?

Let us know and we will try to accommodate (almost) your every whim...at the very least, we will open the shop just for you (and at least 4 friends) to make you feel very welcome....and you never know, there just might be a discount off purchases offered for the event too!

Our first ever such event is for local hair stylists (on Monday, December 12th) Why would they want to shop on a Monday? It is the only day off many hair stylists have and since Tattered Rose is normally closed on that day, they never get to experience the shopping experience that is Tattered Rose.....plus we have tons of black clothing and we know stylists LOVE wearing black to work!

Naked Dress Forms

2011-11-26T07:50:00.003-07:00

All this week, we have been rearranging the store....one corner is a little bit western (oh, how I miss my western store sometimes)....there are some naked dress forms ready for their new outfits....and there's a whole bunch of beautiful new jewels (OMGosh!) and silk and velvet dresses in time for the holidays...woohoo!

Corsets, Cameos and Crinolines

2011-11-18T07:06:00.000-07:00

Is there any one item of clothing that is more romantic, flattering and transformative than a corset? We have them in the shop...along with beautiful cameo jewellery and a few vintage crinolines...to wear in the privacy of your boudoir or on a night out on the town if you wish.

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas....

2011-11-16T05:45:00.002-07:00

I haven't had time to celebrate Christmas for years...ever since I have been in retail. It seems that being busy helping everyone else buy their special gifts for loved ones every year around this time and up to Christmas Eve (when we see all the husbands buying last minute gifts for their wives) gives us retailers little time to plan our own Christmas. I'm not complaining....not at all. I used to love this time of year, not because of anything to do with gifts but in how people acted towards each other....a little bit nicer and a lot more loving...that is what I liked most. That and the fact that I got to see my family and share Christmas dinner with them.

Since my Mom passed away almost 5 years years ago, I have not been able to be in a store that was playing Christmas music without crying and so I found myself avoiding most stores because most stores were playing Christmas music. I didn't play the music in my store either because it seemed a bit too commercialized and contrived and not what the true meaning of Christmas was....which is to celebrate the birth of Christ (whether he was born exactly on the 25th or not) and to bring families together to share in the love that seems to flow a little easier during the Holiday season.

This year, however, I am actually enjoying the Christmas songs on the radio as I drive to work....and I am planning on doing a Christmas-y window display at the store for the first time in....years!

The store will be brimming with new jewellery, new dresses, velvets, new home decor items such as rose-laden furniture...and many other gift-giving-appropriate items. I just hope the husbands find us in our new location this year.

And then there's the snow......very fittin' to the time of year, I guess....but can it all melt on January 1st, after the season is over please? Wouldn't THAT be nice?

Couture for Dummies

2011-11-13T07:12:00.011-07:00

They have all kinds of books "for dummies" as in "Blogging for Dummies" and "Math for Dummies", which is not to imply that the people who are going to read these books are dummies.....quite the contrary. These books are merely a simplified version of a particular topic made understandable for the masses and not just the super brains of the world (which I am NOT) So, I thought I would take a page out of the Tattered Rose Couture for Dummies (fictional) book to report that you needn't be afraid of wearing couture*. I'm not talking about the kind of haute couture you see walking down the runways of Paris on 7 foot tall skinny models, either.

I'm talking about simply beautiful, romantic clothing that may be different from what you see in other stores that carry the regular type of clothing we have come to expect from a mall store....jeans and t-shirts and mass produced items. I am referring to the kind of clothing that abounds in Tattered Rose.

Don't be afraid to throw on a fancy short dress over a pair of leggings or skinny jeans, boots and sweatercoat to go out for the afternoon. Or wear a steel-boned corset as a top with a pair of jeans and a blazer. You'll be amazed at the heads you will turn, and many of them will be women who WISH they had thought of doing it.

Pretty soon, the idea will catch on. Women in Alberta will start dressing up more and when you go to the opera, there won't be a pair of jeans or sweats to be found.

We really have to start dressing up more often lest we forget the art of dressing altogether. Save your casual duds for mowing the lawn, making a drop off at the recycling place or for a quick trip to Safeway. Wear something pretty for everything else.

Yep...Couture for Dummies....you heard it here first that I would like to write this particular "Dummy" book. It's a whole franchise, you know.....

*for our purposes, Couture refers to really nice clothing that may or may not be made by hand but definitely warrants a second glance because of it's beauty.

Home is Where the Old Doors Are

2011-11-11T07:15:00.004-07:00

I DO prefer authentic old doors, windows and gates for my home decor BUT it is not always possible to find the real ones, unless you travel to Europe or Mexico to find them, and then have them shipped home because the airline will not allow such heavy big items as a carry-on (or check-in for that matter)

What's the next best thing? Newly made wood and iron doors and windows that LOOK old...if done well, can be just as beautiful in your home.

We finally got them in the store yesterday...and I couldn't unpack the boxes fast enough to see what treasures were lurking beneath the cardboard....I was not disappointed! You really should come and buy them before I take every last one of them home myself...really. They are gorgeous!

Rusted wrought iron, faded barnwood-looking doors and wall hangings.....beautiful in most settings EXCEPT for a very prim and proper, highly polished, fine furniture kind of room....then you might not want an old door hanging about....not that I would EVER have a home with perfect furniture and perfectly upholstered sofas and matching lamps and end tables. I much prefer home decor that mixes a few newer pieces with things that look old and a little bit tattered, like they arrived on your doorstep individually, looking for a home and you took them in and made them a part of your family....//(*_~)\\

Inspirations Galore!!!

2011-11-08T06:01:00.003-07:00

Inspiration can mean different things to different people. For Stella, who got her groove back, it meant that while on a trip with her girlfriends, she learned to get back into the game of love, simply by being in a different place, experiencing new things and meeting new people.

For an artist, it can mean drawing inspiration from anything they see...from the shadows on a building to a person walking by on the street to seeing a sunset in a different country.

By the same token, a shop-owner/designer such as yours truly can be inspired to try new ideas with their shop or clothing designs simply by going on a trip....seeing the ideas of other creative people who share the attraction to aesthetically pleasing shapes, colours, images. I am always mindful of using ideas in my own way, never to copy someone else because how could I take pride in my creativity if I merely do a carbon copy of the ideas of another person?

Inspired to love more intensely, do more, see more and create more....that is my mission. After a 6 month hiatus from my designing, I will be getting back to creating clothing and home decor that I love and hopefully you will love too. I have so many gorgeous fabrics and treasures to work with and there are so many ideas floating around in my head that really need to made into reality.....for my customers who have come to expect the unusual and the beautiful from Tattered Rose.

P.S. My best design ideas are still locked up inside my brain for now......to be revealed as time goes by!

The Trip Back Home

2011-10-30T08:19:00.002-06:00

Many of you (my customers) who receive our newsletter already know that the shop will be closed the week of November 2 - 5 and will be back to business-as-usual on Wednesday, November 9th.

I wish just once I could say "I'm off to Paris...or Venice" however, my travelling is usually for business or to visit family. In this case, it is the latter and for me, more important than any self-indulgent trip I could take right now.. I'm going back home to visit my family, whom I have not seen for over 4 years....it is time.

Upon my return, there will be a lot of Holiday wear, jewels and home decor to put out for your trek to the store...you will not be disappointed!

Until we meet again...take care and "may God bless" (stolen from Red Skelton)

Inspired Brides

2011-10-28T09:14:00.002-06:00

We have an eclectic collection of wedding apparel....for the inspired and non-traditional bride. More dresses on the way soon...

Please Adopt Miss Kitty

2011-10-21T09:32:00.004-06:00

This sweet kitty (the cat, not the girl) is waiting to be adopted by a loving family. If I did not already have 3 cats, she would be home with me already.

She was surrendered at Tudor Glen Vet Clinic in St. Albert by her previous owners who moved and could not take her with them...so sad. She is a lovely, affectionate cat waiting to be loved by someone out there.

Please consider adopting this precious girl cat. Her name is Ducky. She is 8 years old, spayed and very healthy. She needs a family to love her!

Why have I made finding her a home my personal mission? I love animals and especially cats, yes...that's obvious. But...when I had to take my 3 cats in recently for their vaccinations, and saw Ducky in her cage...it broke my heart. So I am doing whatever I can to help find her a home. Surely someone out there would like to have her in their home and be part of their family.....she gets along well with other cats and is quiet and so lovely.

Call Tudor Glen vet Clinic if you are interested:
(780) 458-6051

Thank you.

New Jewels

2011-10-21T09:26:00.000-06:00

Lots of beautiful new jewellery just came in......oh my!

The Many Facets of A Tattered Rose Woman

2011-10-21T09:18:00.006-06:00

The Corseted Woman
You are a femme fatale and very womanly, with curves that would stop traffic...you like to enhance your curves with a corset over your vintage dress when you are going out to the opera.

The Classic Grace Kelly Type
You are familiar with the "lace" trend right now but know that you have always incorporated lace into your wardrobe.....preferring to keep it simple and understated but knowing you can add a whole mess of pearls (like Coco Chanel did) to make it more edgy and urban. A perfect dinner date outfit...no?

The Boho/Grunge Chick
So you are a 26 year old young woman who has been invited to a book reading by a local author, who happens to be one of your friends You throw on your lace bustier top with a black floral print vintage skirt worn over a pair of jeans and a bow at your waist just for fun and then as you head out the door, borrow your boyfriends' fedora because it just works with the outfit.

The Sporty Gal
You are a guys' kinda gal and LOVE going to football games with a few of your guy friends...one of whom may be your future husband. You like to wear your beautifully soft leather jacket with a pair of jeans...but then add a lace scarf so the boys will remember that you are indeed a girl!

The Romantic Librarian Type
An old-fashioned romantic who prefers to leave a lot to the imagination so you wear loose but still feminine clothing...like this coatdress-jacket over a pretty dress. Perfect outfit for church, brunch or a lunch out with a friend.

The Artist/Actress
You find Tattered Rose to be an extension of your personality in the dramatic and one-of-a-kind clothing. You dare to be different and have no fear when it comes to wearing whatever your imagination conjures up.

Tattered Rose, the store is eclectic and then some.....and there is something to appeal to just about any woman from 18 to 80+. So, what ever kind of woman you are probably a Tattered Rose woman.

Tattered Angel

2011-10-16T13:24:00.001-06:00

Today you may feel a bit tattered....but tomorrow's another day and a new chance to feel great! Never stop believing.....

The Romantic Gypsy

2011-10-16T09:42:00.005-06:00

A novel about difficult choices, the journey of a lifetime and a shopping trip to one of the nicest shops in Canada.....Tattered Rose.

*If the photograph used as the basis of this faux book cover belongs to you, please write to me so that I can credit you. Thank you.

Faded Red

2011-10-15T07:58:00.006-06:00

(Rose photo by Steven Green Photograpy)

There's something so romantic about the colour of faded red. It evokes in me a nostalgia for times gone by and forgotten treasures...something that perhaps was intensely red in it's day but has lost most of it's lustre and acquired the patina that only comes from many years of existence.
Maybe that's what it is.....I find comfort in things that look like they have been around a long time (like me)

Marie Antoinette

2011-10-15T07:18:00.003-06:00

Ever wonder what Marie Antoinette would wear if she lived in today's world? I have...

Of course, she would still wear her white powdered wig.....she wouldn't be Marie without it. And then, on a casual shopping Saturday, while Louis XVI was minding the kingdom, she would perhaps wear a faded red leather jacket, a full black mesh skirt with a tattered black lace overdress....all from her last shopping trip to Tattered Rose.

After a day of shopping, and with all of her packages in tow, carried by her two adoring assistants (Marie would love shopping at Tattered Rose) she'd stop at the Duchess Bakery for a piece of cake....and then pick up a grande cappuccino from Starbucks on the way home.

That's just one possibility....

The Crowns are Finally Here!!!

2011-10-13T09:09:00.006-06:00

After much gentle persuasion from my customers, who saw my own personal crowns displayed in the store, I have brought in an array of beautiful crowns for you to purchase....not many so come in and get them while they are still here!

Cute Kid!

2011-10-09T16:26:00.005-06:00

Pretty in Pink

2011-10-09T09:58:00.000-06:00

Drew Barrymore is one of my favourite people and actresses....and speaking of pink.....you just don't see enough women wearing pink. It's such a feminine colour and with the many different shades and tones of pink, there is bound to be a shade that looks right on each of us.

A Farmgirl Living in the City

2011-10-09T09:37:00.001-06:00

Lace & Ruffles

2011-10-09T08:30:00.002-06:00

Tattered Rose is a synonym for "ruffles" and "lace".

We will always offer ruffled and lace clothing, even in 20 years, when everyone is wearing space suits and stretch polyester bodysuits.....we will be carrying on the tradition of times gone by. There will always be those who prefer to wear romantic clothing.

Fall is Officially Here...

2011-10-07T21:28:00.004-06:00

What do you wear during this transition time of the year?

Sweatercoats
Jackets
Long skirts
Sympli jersey
Boots (my fav)
Scarves
etc.

P.S. Happy Thanksgiving everyone♥

Something to Ponder...from the Universe.

2011-10-03T08:49:00.007-06:00

(Photograph by Irene Suchocki)

Picture if you will the disciplinarian who micromanages every step in their very careful dance with life and then picture the hooligan whose only disciplines are daydreaming and showing up.

Now, whom do you think is most likely to be heard whoo-hoo'ing from the top of their lungs as they cruise along Rodeo Drive or some winding mountain road, top down, shades up, singing I Did It My Way?

Whoo-hoo!
The Universe

Incredible Bias Dresses

2011-10-03T07:31:00.004-06:00

One of the styles Tattered Rose was always known for: the long 1930's style bias dresses (designed by me) carefully created by hand in an array of vintage and new fabrics.

Well, they're coming back! Stay tuned......

Optimism in a Harsh World

2011-10-02T07:48:00.007-06:00

Is optimism a dying art? With the constant bombardment of bad news and images of bad things happening in the world and what we plainly see around us....how on Earth do we stay optimistic or hopeful?

I am affected by everything around me. If I see someone crying or hurt, I cry or hurt. When I know of someone who is struggling, all I want to do is help that person....

But I realize that I alone do not have the power to help EVERY person who is hurting or struggling. But, what if we ALL did it? I mean...show kindness towards our fellow human beings. Give when we can. Cry with a sad person or at least listen to what they are saying....really hear them and show compassion.

A random act of kindness is rare these days...but I TRY to do something nice for someone every day...even if they are a stranger. Why don't we all do this...together? If we all know that we are in this sometimes harsh world together, and support and love each other...wouldn't THAT make it a little easier to be optimistic about the future?

I say we give it a try. To quote John Lennon...."you may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one".

P.S. I wasn't always this way....I was much more self-centered in my youth. As I have gotten older and lived through some difficult times, I feel that God has given me this insight into myself and has given me the gift of compassion and the dream of what is possible.
(and I'm certainly not perfect)

DISCLAIMER: You must always consider your own safety while doing random acts of kindness.

Must Love Flowers

2011-10-02T07:12:00.002-06:00

A Little Bit of Paris.....in Edmonton

2011-10-01T08:20:00.006-06:00

I have never been to Paris! I love all things Paris...the Eiffel Tower, the French cafes, the song "La Vie en Rose", the (historical) architecture that lines the narrow winding cobblestone streets, the idea of a Paris apartment, French decor, the boutiques I have heard of...but I have never been able to go.

So many times my customers have told me that my shop reminds them of a boutique you would see while strolling down the streets of Paris. Then they see all of the references to Paris in the shop...from the wood "PARIS" words to the prints of Paris and the Eiffel Tower, and they know how much I love Paris. They are always surprised when I tell them that I have never been....

Not yet, anyway.

In the meantime...the home decor area nestled into a cozy "room" at the back of the store has taken on a decidedly Parisian ambiance about it...from the rusted French cross that may have once graced a church to the old frames....and the old Victorian dress form. Oh, I love the time worn colour of sepia and "old brown".

We have crowns coming very soon! (like the one in the picture)

Stay tuned for more Paris home decor...

Words to Describe

2011-10-01T07:21:00.011-06:00

If you have never been to Tattered Rose and are not quite sure what to expect when you visit...I will try to describe it in 500 words or less (probably less) Hang onto your coffee....

...bohemian....
...romantic gypsy....
...tattered couture....
...Paris boutique....
...Victorian cowgirl....
...Gothic....
...boudoir diva....
...saloon girl chic....
...Stevie Nicks....
...haute hippie....
...pirate wench....
...prairie girl....
...courtesan....
...1930's movie siren....
...everyday couture....
...deconstructed couture....
...Marie Antoinette....
...Parisian chic....
...medieval babe....
...steampunk....
...vampire chic....
...destination wedding....
...Gothic Princess...
...beach wedding....
...one-of-a-kind....
...hand made....
...faded grandeur....
...vintage look....
...vintage inspired....
...vintage....
...western romantic....
...gypsy....
...Ralph Lauren meets Morticia Addams....

Well, that's about it for now.

A Lovely Gift

2011-09-30T22:16:00.000-06:00

One of my customer-friends made this for me.....so beautifully worded.
Thank you so much♥

The Leaves are Blowin'

2011-09-29T07:22:00.002-06:00

The leaves are so beautiful in the Fall when they change colours but not so pretty when they start falling off the trees and get blown all over the place.....we all know what's not far behind....yuck!

I suppose if you're this cat, you might find it fun to play in piles of leaves. It wasn't that long ago that I was a kid jumping in the piles of leaves my dad had raked up.....what did I know then?

Cozy Sweatercoats

2011-09-29T06:26:00.006-06:00

Whether we want to say it loud or not...Fall is in the air....which makes the arrival of our newest sweatercoat perfectly timed!

A slouchy, avant-garde, beautifully cable knit sweater coat in a blend of viscose, wool and acrylic, you wear like a jacket....and it has pockets! Two colours: marled grey (on the mannequin shown) and marled oatmeal. Of course I have the grey one because that is my favourite colour!
marled oatmeal

marled grey

*Marled describes a knit that is made using two different colours of yarn...in this case slightly different shades of the same colour.

If I Could Turn Back Time....

2011-09-27T08:07:00.001-06:00

Besides the obvious wish, like being with my loved ones who have passed, my next thing would be to visit the Victorian era, Edwardian era, 1920's and 1930's to see the clothing and jewels. What inspiration I would get for my Tattered Couture line!

Tattered Couture Found at Tattered Rose, Canada

2011-09-27T07:25:00.003-06:00

Tattered Couture...the appeal of time-worn, faded grandeur.....like something you found in an old trunk that belonged to your Great-Grandmother, who lived her prime during the 1930's. The only difference is, this clothing doesn't have that old musty attic smell...it is as fresh as the day it was first made......and it can be worn in everyday life....you don't have to wait for the Ball of the Century or anything.

Tattered Couture in Sepia and Not

2011-09-25T19:45:00.007-06:00

Enchanted Maiden

2011-09-25T16:38:00.003-06:00

Pretty Woman

2011-09-25T16:37:00.001-06:00

Monica wearing one of our sweet little bustiers with jeans.

Photo Shoot!

2011-09-25T09:57:00.000-06:00

We are doing a photo shoot today. I am so excited about the model I found working in my bank! She is beautiful and will look amazing in Tattered Rose clothing.

Stay tuned for postcards and other such things!

Tattered Rose: The Original Tattered Rose

2011-09-24T07:51:00.008-06:00

What's in a name? EVERYTHING if it is a name that you carefully chose to evoke the image of what your business is all about.

I came up with the name of Tattered Rose in 1998 and opened my shop of the same name in early 1999. It was the best way to describe what would become the signature look of the shop...a lifestyle boutique filled with romantic clothing, jewellery and home decor...things you would not see anywhere else, at least not this side of Paris.

Tattered is a word that was RARELY used back then...no one wanted shabby looking clothing...except ME! I already loved Shabby Chic home decor, the look created by Rachel Ashwell. Perhaps she did not invent the idea of shabby looking furniture and peeling paint, but she certainly put a name to it and presented it in a neat little package. Along this line of thinking, I did not invent the words "tattered" or "rose" BUT I did put them together to describe my store and used them when no one else was.

That is what I intended to do for my clothing store....to sum up the look and feel of this romantic way of dressing. I was determined to add my own designs, which were hand-made and at times a bit weathered...like they had survived a ship wreck or something.

There are a handful of people who have begun using the name "Tattered Rose" online (for websites and blogs) in the last few years...most likely because they have seen it from the original source (me). It really upsets me. I foolishly used the name Tattered Rose as my I.D. on a popular website called "Polyvore", where literally thousands of people from all over the world can see the Tattered Rose name and logo.

So, if someone living in the UK, for instance, sees the name "Tattered Rose" and decides they like it for their own business, what can I do to stop them? I do not have the deep pockets of Chanel who can force a store called "Coco's" located in a distant Canadian city, to change their name.

No one with a unique & great business name wants someone else to use it for their own business. That is why there are Trademarks and copyright laws.

I just wanted it to be known that when I created the name for my business 12 years ago, before anyone else used it, it was created from the love of time-worn clothing...faded grandeur. I knew the word "rose" had to be in the name because my Mom loved roses and this was my homage to her. "Tattered" was the part I struggled with for weeks...until one morning, in that state of half-awake and half-sleep, it came to me like a bullet.....TATTERED ROSE! Of course! That was it!

So all you people out there who feel it is your right to use the name I created....go ahead. We all know the original Tattered Rose and what it stands for....well, I do anyway and I know what it means to me.

A Photographers' Eye

2011-09-23T07:24:00.005-06:00

As I glanced out of our window this morning, I saw an unusual and beautiful peachy-pink glow filtering through the trees in our back yard. Seeing the world through the eyes of somewhat of a photographer, I knew I had to capture it on film, so to speak. I grabbed my camera, threw on my ankle cowgirl boots with the zippers and went outside in my pajamas to take a few shots of the most beautiful shade of pale peachy-pink.

This photo has not been edited...that is how it came from my camera. However, I must say that in person, the sky did not seem quite as intensely pink....it was much lighter.

What a beautiful world we live in!

Inexplicably Connected

2011-09-23T06:47:00.005-06:00

I have often felt that my husband and I are in tune with each other on a level other than what we can see and hear. Many times I will have the phone in my hand, ready to dial his cell phone number, only to have it ring in my hand...with him on the other end of the line! That's just one example.

So last night, during our "dinner chat" I was asking him how he knew he didn't like a certain food if he's never had if before (can't recall exactly what it was) and he said..."well, I never been to England...but I kinda like the Beatles" to which I replied "but I been to Oklahoma..." to which he replied "they tell me I was born there" and we both knew we were quoting lines from the song Three Dog Night "Never Been to Spain"

It was just a cute little exchange between me and him and besides our similar sense of humour, it is one of the things I love about being with him.

But wait...there's more. Since we had dinner early, I had time to watch one of the 6 DVD's I had purchased the other day. I decided I wanted to watch "Management" starring Jennifer Anniston and Steve Zahn. Part way through the movie, a song began to play (I have goosebumps just writing about it now) and the song was "Never Been to Spain" by Three Dog Night!!!!!!!!!!

I turned up the volume so that my husband could hear it from downstairs...as he came up to hear more of the song we had just earlier been quoting lines from....we both knew that something special was happening.

We have never talked about that song, and I haven't thought or heard about it for YEARS. Then I randomly choose a movie to watch (just moments after our dinner exchange) and THAT song is in the movie! The odds of that happening are like a billion to one.

I don't know how to explain it other than knowing we are connected in a way that none of us really understand or know. Things like that happen to us (and me) all the time. I love that about life!

As William Shatner would put it...."weird or what?"

New One-of-a-Kind Designs Coming Soon!

2011-09-21T08:48:00.001-06:00

With the move and getting settled into the new store space these last few months, my designing has taken a back seat...but that is all going to change really soon!

Stay tuned for one of a kind, hand-made, hand-dyed clothing in sumptuous burn-out velvets, silk and lace♥

Sympli the Best...Jersey & Mesh

2011-09-19T07:05:00.008-06:00

Let me share something with you...being a designer and knowing how hard it is to work with jersey fabric, I really didn't like jersey B.S. (before Sympli). But then one day, I brought into the store a sampling of Sympli the Best jersey clothing and from the moment I started wearing it, I was hooked! Yes me...the Queen of rayon and silk and velvet and vintage!

This outfit is SO gypsy woman!

Now two years later, Tattered Rose has one of the best selections of Sympli the Best clothing...in black (of course) and also in their best colours (that suit our customers)

This dress is very "Donna Karan" looking.....simple, classic, sexy, New York/Paris/Toronto beautiful!

They keep coming out with new styles and colours and this Made in Canada line of clothing is irresistibly comfortable, stylish, easy care and just plain gorgeous!

Great travelling outfit!

Such a pretty outfit!

Recently, the addition of mesh to their extensive line of clothing makes new outfits out of your existing wardrobe. A long mesh dress that can be worn under a shorter style dress or over a pair of leggings and a cool jacket or sweater.

For Holiday, they have mesh leggings in black!!! How sexy! Shrugs too....so many options it is mind-boggling.

BUT have no fear, we have filtered out the colours and styles that suit Tattered Rose best. However, we can order any garment you wish in any of their colours any time....you just have to wait 6-8 weeks for it to be made just for you. They even put the customers' name on the special order...so personal.

Sympli can take you from office to evening....from cocktail party to Mother of the Bride wedding outfit and anything in between! The other beauty of it is that you can mix it, like I do, with your jeans, woven fabric clothing and sweaters too.

...and the best best part of it....this clothing hangs away from the body and is therefore perfect for us curvy girls. Every body shape, any age! I stand behind this line 100 percent...I not only buy it for the shop....I wear it all the time!

Victorian Inspired Sweatercoats

2011-09-19T06:18:00.000-06:00

What could be more urban romantic than a ruffled sweatercoat? Modern yet old-fashioned...with lots of ruffles and lace....very Victorian-inspired.
In two colours: Black & Antique tan

Yummy♥

Wild Wild West

2011-09-18T09:12:00.003-06:00

Once upon a time, I had a western shop....not like the saddle and horse accessories and starched jeans kind of store, but rather a romantic western store...the prequel to Tattered Rose.

There are still elements of the west in many of the displays and clothing we have at Tattered Rose. I love horses and the smell of leather in a western store and I really love wearing jeans with many of the sweaters and duster coats we sell now.

Romancing the West......coming soon. Until then, happy trails to you, until we meet again. Yippee-ei-o!!

Dark Romance

2011-09-16T07:12:00.004-06:00

We believe in black lace..lots of it.
We adore velvet in any colour but black is the best....followed closely by charcoal, aubergine, olive green, sapphire blue....
We wear whatever we want....no fear.
If we want to wear a flower in our hair, we do.
Maxi skirts....tattered jeans....long sweaters.
Messed up hair.
Statement jewellery.
Corsets.....worn over our dresses or with jeans.
Dark, smoky eyes...and dark lips.
Like something out of a Dracula movie but not as scary.

We are the "Dark Romance" girls. Very sweet on the inside but with mysteriously dark attire.

Romantic Gypsy Woman

2011-09-14T08:43:00.002-06:00

A Romantic Gypsy, according to us at Tattered Rose, is someone who buys what she loves (to wear) staying true to herself, not caring what is trendy. She has many different moods and dresses herself accordingly....finding many of her favourite pieces to wear right in our shop.

She might be a Sweater Girl today...

or a Leather Mama tomorrow.....

And if the moon and stars are lined up just right or she is going to a Stevie Nicks concert or an Art exhibit, she might even be in the mood for full-on glamour with a desire to be a Victorian gypsy....

...or maybe she's been invited to a wedding or cocktail party and needs the perfectly sweet lace dress, not too fussy and a lotta sexy in 4 different colours (taupe, charcoal, black and soft rose) and two different styles...

What ever her mood or taste, she is devoted to Tattered Rose and loves the idea of never knowing what she will find on her next visit.

The End.....for now♥

Johnny & Felix

2011-09-13T20:16:00.000-06:00

One of the cutest pictures I ever snapped......my little brother and the family cat, Felix...the big black cat. This was taken years ago with my Brownie camera given to me by my sister. It was the start of my interest in photography. Felix belonged to my older brother but I wanted him to be my cat so badly!

The Sweaters are Here!

2011-09-02T22:03:00.000-06:00

We received some of our Fall sweaters this week....from beautifully soft layering cardigans to cozy, romantic ruffled sweatercoats.....you know, the kind you wear on a crisp fall day to walk the dog or go shopping/run errands when you want to look put together.
Colours: Black, Camel, Burgandy, Grey and Cream.

(Not all styles are shown)

Fall is in the Air

2011-08-26T08:54:00.002-06:00

If you have read my blog for the last few years, you will know that late summer going into early fall...is my favourite time of year for clothing, weather and everything.
Our Fall things have started to arrive at the shop...sweaters and such.
In the meantime, finding a way to dress yourself for this transitional season doesn't have to be difficult. Just add a sweater,jacket or even a crocheted scarf or shawl to your outfit and voila! Instant transition.

I love sweatercoats and layering. I love mixing my Sympli (the Best) jersey pieces with my wovens and jeans at this time of year.

I will keep you posted on new arrivals, including our exciting home decor!!!
In the meantime...here is a mish-mash of some items in the shop now....including lots of black!

And this one's for you Mom...Happy Birthday, wherever you are. I love you and miss you more than words can say♥

Wench Clothing and Other Such Stories

2011-08-18T08:24:00.011-06:00

(I apologize for the blurry picture above...I was in a hurry to post this before I forgot)

Many people do not know what to make of my shop the first time they come in and I thought I would share some of the questions/comments (and my responses) I have had from these first-timers over the almost 17 years I have had a shop:

1. "What is this place?" ("A beautiful store?")
2. "This looks like the stuff those saloon girls of the old west would wear!" ("You mean like the loose women?")
3. "Do people actually WEAR this stuff?" ("Of course!")
4. "Where do you find everything?" ("From all over the place....including some of my designs")
5. "Is this a costume shop? Like do you sell to the people who do movies?" ('"No, it isn't a costume shop but I have sold to the wardrobe people on movie sets")
6. "Is this consignment?...I have never seen clothing like this before" ("No, it's not consignment but it's different, isn't it?")
7. "Where would you wear this clothing?" ("Safeway or the Opera" is my usual response but I always try to make it fun for my potential customers)
8. "WOW! I have never seen a store like this ever!" ("Thank you!")
9. "Is this one of those old-time photography places?" ("No, it isn't" as I look back at them perplexed since there are no cameras anywhere in sight.....I totally wear my heart on my sleeve)
10. "What era would you say this is?" ("It's not one era...just romantic clothing inspired by the past"...that's a pretty good answer, no?)

and my all-time personal favourite:
11. "Do you get this stuff from dead people?" (honest to goodness....someone asked us this years ago......I don't recall my reply but I think I did a fake drink-spitting-out-of-my-mouth routine)

I LOVE my customers...each and every one of you because YOU are what makes all the hard work worth it. Thank you for 16 1/2 years of never knowing what will happen next or who will walk through my doors. You brighten my day because you bring me the gift of friendship and laughter and all I do is try to help you be all that you are by finding clothing and jewellery that compliments you, whatever the trends may be. If I wanted to be rich, I would have gone into real estate or some such career, certainly not clothing (although some have made a fortune in clothing but I am not those people)♥

Here Comes the Bride

2011-08-07T09:18:00.000-06:00

Sh-h-h-h.....we have a secret wedding closet filled with beautiful, vintage-inspired dresses, lace coats and skirts.
The dress on this magazine cover (which I created) is not something we have right now...but who knows what the future will bring?

How Much is That Helmet in the Window?

2011-08-01T18:23:00.000-06:00

Metal helmet: not for sale
Slate Blue jersey outfit, 3 pieces (cami, ruffle coat & Stevie Nicks style skirt): $479

The windows on the new shop are expansive.....and hopefully will be changed often to showcase new items as they arrive for that season that follows summer........sorry......the sweatercoats are coming♥

Love

2011-07-29T07:52:00.000-06:00

If human beings loved more and fought less....this would be a much better world♥

Home Decor

2011-07-28T21:03:00.009-06:00

Finally.....our home decor area is done...well, done for now. It will always be a work in progress, continually changing as new things arrive and other things go home with their new owners.

This has been one of the most exciting parts of the move of the shop...finally being able to have the space to devote to a home decor area....again. Not since the shop was in Winnipeg 5 years ago was there enough room to fulfill this part of my design vision.....it's not just about the clothing and jewellery....it's a romantic lifestyle and for Tattered Rose, this completes the circle.

Framed prints, vases and urns, mirrors, trunks and cases, textiles, lamps, crowns, (mostly) retired Sid Dickens tiles, crystal embellishments.....and so much more....a combination of vintage and new. I truly hope that my customers will enjoy perusing and be inspired to decorate their homes with a few new pieces from the shop.

No More Heels for Me

2011-07-28T07:47:00.007-06:00

When I was (a lot) younger, I wore heels like nuthin'.......now, my feet hurt at the mere sight of them. That does not mean, however, that I do not still lust after all of the beautiful footwear with heels. Even though I am more of a boot girl, if I could, I would wear these gorgeous sky-high shoes.....

Even the heels on these brown suede boots (below) would hurt my feet after a few minutes of wearing them because there is no padding on the front part of the boot. I am sure many can echo my thoughts on this...after years of being in retail and standing on my feet for hours and hours...my feet get sore really easy.

Oh, to be able to wear heels again.......I'd wear them with everything...rolled up boyfriend jeans, long skirts, overalls......even my pajamas, which usually consists of a long gypsy skirt and boyfriend shirt.

So, it seems I am relegated to wearing THESE types of boots (shown below) which I love, but I am afraid they are not very sexy. If I still lived on a farm they would be OK...better for running around with the horses and my golden retreiver (which I do not have yet):

Oh well.....I can still dream about being able to wear sexy heels.

The New Shop

2011-07-26T07:55:00.002-06:00

As many of you know, Tattered Rose has moved. Our new address is: 9917-110 Street (99th Ave & 110 St)
Hours: Wednesday - Friday 11 - 4
Saturday 11 - 3

The floors in the new store are bare concrete, which I love. They suit the faded grandeur of our vintage inspired clothing and jewellery.

The new dressing room area is beautiful and very user-friendly...and carpeted! Two spacious change rooms with real doors....pink doors! Very girly!

I will be sending out a mass email shortly to all of my lovely customers who signed up for email notification. Until then, please visit the new Tattered Rose. Parking at back of building, along side of building (visitor parking) and along the street.

I leave you with this picture of Duster asleep in his new favourite place...the vacuum hose:

Opening New Shop on July 13th

2011-07-11T06:08:00.004-06:00

I thought I should post something positive for a change. The move of my shop has tested me in every way possible and while it is not over with just yet, I can see light at the end of the tunnel....and I also mean that literally...the electrician should be done today?!?

Ready or not, the new Tattered Rose is opening on Wednesday, July 13th. With 13 being my favourite number (thanks to my sister) I thought it would be fitting to open on that date.

For the few of my customers/angels who came by hoping to find me open on Saturday, July 9th...in the pouring rain, no less...I am sorry but grateful that you are anxious for Tattered Rose to re-open.

See you soon.

Love,
Tattered Rose

A Broken Woman

2011-07-09T08:50:00.002-06:00

As I sit here writing this, taking a few moments from the hectic, stressful pace of my life since I began moving my shop over 2 months ago....I am reminded of all the times I heard from people that they would "LOVE" to own their own shop. For every time I listened to those words being uttered, I have 10 reasons you should never even consider it...at the top of the list:

You NEVER get away from it.....never completely....ever! Even if you have staff to run it while you are away, your head is always back at the shop, wondering how they are doing and worrying that things are being run as you want them. When you lay your head down at night, or wake up in the middle of it...it is there, like a bad house guest that never leaves...taking from you, robbing you of your peace of mind.

For this move, I began slowly packing up the back room in May. I had no where to stack the boxes so I had to rent a storage place. At the end of the business day (which for me is 4:00, so not that bad) I would pack boxes, load my Jeep with them as many of them as it would hold, and drop them off at the storage unit. This continued until my last day of Tattered Rose being open...June 25th.

Then began the super packing. I had movers coming on June 30th to take the bigger stuff...cash desk, mirrors, etc. so I had to get things ready, which included removing all the jewellery from the showcases (for which I gratefully accepted help from a friend) Then, my husband and a buddy loaded and moved and unloaded the rest of my shop AND all the things that I had stored. It took the better part of the day and we were all exhausted.

So far, this was the easy stuff. These were things I had some control over and what I had expected. What I didn't expect was all the things that would not be done on my schedule and all the problems I would face.

1. The glue problem. When I was given the keys to the space, part of the landlord's work had been to remove the ugly carpet squares from the floor. I wanted to have bare concrete and what was left was this ugly, very sticky yellow glue. You could not walk on it without your shoes sticking with every step. This delayed the carpenter's work, as he refused to do any more work after his initial first day. So, I had to wait for the property management person to have the glue removed....but this was after me having to convince her that it was written in black & white on the offer to lease agreement that the glue was also to be removed, not just the carpet. This took a few weeks and caused me undue stress and worry right off the bat. Once the glue was gone, the carpenter resumed his work, but this put us WAY behind schedule.

2. The airconditioning. When I leased the space, there was a portable AC unit that was in the space. When I got the keys, it had been removed by the previous tenants, who also happen to be the management company who manage the building. They were not supposed to do this, but as much as I insisted it be returned, it was not. I chose not to continue fighting for this but I knew I had to have AC or I and some of my customers would suffer from the complete lack of air flow. Not only that, but the warm weather caused it to be unbearably hot in there until we opened the front and back doors to allow some air movement.
So, I had no choice but to get air conditioning and pay for it out of my own pocket. We got a reasonable price from one of my husband's colleagues and asked him to go ahead. BUT you guessed it...he fiddled and faddled around until it was time for the move of all the stuff from the other store 4 weeks later, and said he was too busy now. I called around to many other AC businesses, including one I always hear advertised on the radio..."Weiss Johnson" but everyone was either too busy to fit me in or they didn't do commercial work because that means ductwork.

As luck would have it, one day I was picking up more baggies at Save On Foods downtown for my friend who was packing up my jewellery. I parked beside a Gateway Mechanical van and a young fellow was getting some tools out of the vehicle. I asked him if they installed air conditioners to which he replied "Yes, but we only do commercial". I said "That's what I need" He gave me the name of someone to call, which I did as soon as I could. By this time, I was so discouraged and distraught that the air conditioning was not done in my space yet and that no one seemed to be able to help me, the message I left must have sounded every bit of that.
He returned my call several hours later and to make a long story short, THEY are doing the work for me, at a higher price than I had from the original guy, but I am so thankful that they were willing to fit me into their very busy schedule, even though it would have been SO much easier to have it done while the space was vacant.

3. The electrician....started working around June 1st, changing over the fluorescent lighting to track lighting and moving my chandeliers from the other store to the new one. He was supposed to have finished long before any of the things were moved in. Now, he has had to work around the boxes and furniture and ME, trying to get unpacked. My attempt at some kind of window display to let people walking by know what they might find in the shop once I open has been moved so many times so they could work on the lighting above I almost gave up.
I was supposed to be open today, July 9th but I knew this week that there was no way the lighting would be finished so I am not opening today...instead I am writing on my blog...venting...ranting.

4. The city. I am only going to say that dealing with the City Planning & Development has been a nightmare and pretty much the straw that broke this woman's back.

These are some of the bigger problems...there have been many many more that I have had to deal with but I DO have to get into the shop and do more work. Do I even want to have my shop any more? We'll see what happens. I have been working non stop, with no day off for months and I am truly exhausted. My memory is fragile and I am beyond my limit of what I can endure. I am seriously ready to give up. I would never wish this on anyone. And to anyone who has read this far, thank you for listening.

Moving Date

2011-06-24T08:32:00.000-06:00

This is the last week we are open at our existing location! Saturday, June 25 is the final day before the BIG move.

We will be closed from June 26 to July 9 to facilitate the rest of the packing, the move and the unpacking. The fun part will be re-merchandising the new store!! It is a really nice, big space and I think you are going to love it, especially the new home decor area, large carpeted changerooms and the seating area for friends and husbands/boyfriends.

Our new address and location will be:
9917 110 Street (in Rosedale Place.....a condo building)

For now, our hours will remain the same, Wednesday to Saturday
11 -4. We will see how it goes in our new place and may consider opening later on Thursday evenings.

Well, that's about it for now. Hope to see you all there when we re-open♥

Inspired Musings, Cats & Other Big Doin's

2011-06-16T06:57:00.011-06:00

I know...you are wondering what the title of this blog entry is all about. Well, here's the rub: I was reading an entry on one of my favourite blogs this morning:
http://lucyabroad.blogspot.com (she is a very funny woman) and was inspired to write on my own blog, which has been sadly neglected for a while.

In the midst of overseeing renovations on my new store space, packing up part of the existing store without taking away too much from my sales floor, and running around like a chicken trying to get and do and buy and whatever for the BIG move to the new space.......I also agreed to visit my real estate agent/friend's 4 cats while she is away in Italy for 3 1/2 weeks!

Now she may believe that I offered my help for her but in reality, it is for those 4 sweet, beautiful cats, whom I had just met for the first time the week before my friend left for Italy. They are indoor/outdoor cats who come and go as they please through an open window and ladder my friend has provided for them. However, with her being away they are confined, and not very happily I might add, to the inside of the house.

Each day when I go to visit with them, they are waiting...waiting for canned food but also waiting for human companionship, which I am giving with as much as energy as I have left to muster....after packing, and running around getting things done, dropping boxes off at the storage unit I rented and running my store as per usual. They are SO anxious to get outside and tell me so, in no uncertain terms...especially Girly...she is the sweetest looking cat but is displaying Jekyll & Hyde personality in her desire to escape the confines of the house. She is hissing at the others, and she is miserable. But I play with her and the others, and that seems to take their minds off their troubles, if only briefly. Geez I love cats!

We will all get through it...at least that is what I keep telling myself and the cats. By the time I get home, I barely have enough of myself left to give my husband and our own 3 cats....but I make the effort to at least talk to each of them and hug them as usual, yes, even my husband.

I have so much more to get done before the movers come to take away the big furniture and mirrors from my store and move it to the new space on the 29th. Then, my husband and I and possibly a few friends will move the rest...boxes and mannequins and all the stuff that has accumulated in the storage unit.

It is exciting to be starting fresh with a new store space that is almost twice the size I have now....with the thought of being able to have room to breathe and to have a MUCH better change room for customers and seating area for husbands and friends. And then there is the best part, for me anyway....the home decor "room" where there will be a wrought iron bed, lamps, mirrors and pictures arranged in a home-like setting. I have always wanted a bed (or an old '49 truck) in my store but never had the space for it....now I will and I am just giddy with the possibilities. One-of-a-kind bed accents like ruffled linen throws, tattered home decor accessories and all the things I do in my own home that I can now share with my customers...as my husband would say..."there's some big doin's going on" at Tattered Rose.

I am planning on the store being closed from June 26 to July 8......give or take. If you are planning on coming in.....please call first to see if we are open.
Which brings me to my final thoughts for the morning, inspired by http://calmthings.blogspot.com

"kindness"

As I have (inevitably) gotten older and more mellow and introspective, I have known that there were two things I wanted to be remembered for: my sense of humour and being kind. I have become a kinder person, partly because I have become more compassionate and less selfish than I was in my youth. I have been through hardships and pain, like many others but I have tried to turn those experiences into being a better person. I strive to be less selfish, more helpful, kinder and just generally more giving & thoughtful. I am far from perfect on these scores, but I do try.

The humour part, I am pretty sure I have covered, mostly because I am a middle child and learned from an early age that the best way to get attention was to make people laugh.....still one of my favourite things to do.

Well, I must get on with my day...pay some bills, write some orders, go the the lighting place to choose my track light fixtures, then off to my store to be open for business until 4:00. Then I will pack up some more boxes to transport in my Jeep to the storage unit but not before stopping by the cat house to visit my 4 feline friends. I really should go to spiff up my booth at the antique mall too. By the time I get home, I will no doubt be exhausted and emotionally drained but I will find the strength from some where to talk to my husband, play with our cats and eat dinner....and then try NOT to fall asleep in front of the t.v. before going to bed.

Vintage

2011-06-01T07:04:00.000-06:00

While our clothing and jewellery is primarily NEW, we do have a small collection of vintage dresses, jackets, and jewellery....just enough to make you wonder.

Wonder what? Oh......wonder if we are a vintage store, which we are not, of course. If I had a dollar for every time in the last 16 years, I was asked if my store was a "vintage" or "consignment" store...well, I could almost retire......but then what would I do? Maybe I'd open a vintage clothing store........no, not really.

♥

Shania Twain's Autobiography

2011-05-31T08:19:00.011-06:00

I'm not sure if I like Shania Twain so much because she is from my home town of Timmins, Ontario (Canada) or if it is because she is such a great songwriter and artist who seems to be very down-to-earth, and wears gorgeous clothing in her video's......and is beautiful too....maybe it is a combination of all of the above.

Over the years, I have enjoyed her music and video's, and any time she was on a talk show or there was a program on t.v. about her, I watched with fascination and the hope that there would be mention of the place we both grew up....Timmins.

When I learned that she had penned her autobiography, I thought I might like to read it; however, since I rarely have time to just read (I'm big on multi-tasking) I dismissed the thought from my head.

And then one day, I was buying spray-on sunscreen at Shopper's Drug Mart and what did I spy but Shania's book...so I bought it!
This is the cover of her book:

I began reading it that same evening, totally absorbed in the childhood she described...such poverty and hardships, it made me cry. She talks of her parents, her love for them and their shortcomings as caregivers...she writes of her siblings for whom she had much affection...and she writes of living in different places in Timmins and some of her favourite songs....so many things I have in common with her (not the poverty, thank God and thanks to my Dad)

There is something about a person who had a less than ideal upbringing....it can either break you or make you. I guess Shania chose the latter, thankfully.

This morning, when I couldn't go back to sleep at 3:00 a.m. my first thought was to get up and continue reading her book...I just can't seem to put it down. I am only about 1/3 of the way through it,but

I cannot wait to see what happens next...her writing is honest and real, very down-to-earth and smattered with that Canadian sense of humour that I love (and have), in spite of the tough times she endured.....I love this book.

Thank you for writing your autobiography Shania...and for sharing so many personal things with the world, or at least those who choose to read it and find out more about you...not always an easy thing to do, especially for someone with secrets from their past that they thought would die with them.

She is a truly inspiring, strong, wonderful woman with not a smidge of conceit or a sense of entitlement...she worked really hard to get where she is and I just love her!

Following the Trends

2011-05-19T07:17:00.003-06:00

At Tattered Rose, we do not follow fashion trends. We try not to jump on the bandwagon when the newest big thing comes along; however, we do seem to be in tune with what's coming up in fashion and most often, before the crowd arrives.

Colourblocking:
The latest thing apparently...wearing blocks of colour in the items you wear, such as a solid colour top paired with a different colour cardi and skirt...stuff like that. We DO that already with our Sympli the Best jersey line. Tons of colours to choose from as well as styles and items that you can mix and match.

Lace:
Well, lace is "in" and "out" of style supposedly but at Tattered Rose, lace is and always has been a huge part of our collection...and always will be, even after "they" say it is not cool to wear it...oh yeah! That's when I REALLY love to wear it...when no one else is.

Ruffles:
Don't get me started on my love of ruffles! I swoon at the mere sight of them and catch myself gasping when I see ruffled garments in magazines or old movies....I could write a book about how much I adore ruffles! From the first moment I became aware of them as a child, I knew they were always going to be a part of my life. Even during the "minimalism" period of the mid 90's (no, not the 1890's) I incorporated ruffles into my wardrobe wherever I could. And now that I am kinda grown up with a store of my own, they play a BIG part of what we offer to our customers.

Corsets:
The corset trend usually follows what's happening in the movies. After "Moulin Rouge" the movie, was released about 10 years ago, we saw a HUGE spike in corset sales. Why? It was because the female lead, Nicole Kidman and the rest of those vivacious ladies donned corsets a plenty in the movie. Women everywhere wanted to emulate the shapeliness of the corset-wearing courtesans featured in the movie.
Since then, the "Pirates of the Caribbean" movies have also influenced the desire for corsets....and we always have them in our store, whether they are "in" or "out" of style.

I could go on with other trends that we don't follow but just have as part of our repertoire...like leggings and long sweatercoats, maxi dresses and floral, peasant tops and duster coats.....western influences, boho chic, grunge chic, rosaries and crosses, pearl and cameo jewellery....and so on, but I think you get the picture.

Tattered Rose is a way of life that cannot be defined by a word or two nor by trends that seem to permeate the fashion world. We simply have beautiful, wearable, urban-romantic clothing and jewellery for those women who express their own style, no matter what everyone else is doing. That's who we are here for...

Stay tuned for news about the big move to our new store space!

Custom Design.......too Stressful for Me

2011-05-18T07:31:00.011-06:00

                                              (this is not her dress)
I sometimes refer to myself as a clothing designer (after all I did go to school to learn how to be one) but I always insist that I "don't do custom designing"..........it has been my mantra for many years.
I found out a long time ago that I do not have the personality necessary to practice this noble profession and my hat tips to those who somehow have what it takes.

HOWEVER....when a bride-to-be called me from Winnipeg (where my store was until 2006) and told me she was flying in to Edmonton to buy her wedding dress from me...I was flabbergasted and very honoured.

Little did I know that when she came 10 days ago, she needed to find her dress for the Victoria Day long weekend...this weekend! She almost immediately found the outfit she wanted....a lace wedding coat and a tulle ruffled silk skirt.

Guess what? I did not have them in her size nor was their time to order them...not in less than 2 weeks, that's for sure. So I did something I swore I would never do again....I told her I would have to make them in her size. She was very thankful to me for offering and seeing as there was no other option, I was happy to be helping her achieve her dream wedding outfit. After all, she came all the way here trusting that her wedding dress was in my store....she knew that if she ever got married, there was no other place for her to even look. This she told me later.

Since the two pieces were not MY original designs, I had no patterns for them. So, not only did I have to figure out how to make the patterns, but I had to make them in her size.

I then had to go about finding just the right lace and trimmings for the coat which was no easy feat because it had to be a bone/ivory colour. Do you think I could find that colour of lace on the shelf of some fabric store? NO! I found the perfect lace but it was white...bright white. Then I found the perfect trimmings and they were white too. It all had to be hand dyed by yours truly, to a beautiful shade of stone/ivory. I do believe that angels guided me as I threw the $140 per metre Italian lace into the dye bath of my washing machine, along with the silk and tulle I had found for the skirt...all different shades of the wrong colour.

In the dye bath, they took on a hue of golden cream...not the colour I was looking for but I quickly rescued all of the fabrics from the water, rinsed and washed them...then dried them...only to find that they emerged from this mission the PERFECT shade of stone/ivory that I could ever have hoped for.

After 52 hours of time spent on this outfit, from the search for fabrics to the last button sewn......I promised myself that I would NEVER do that again! I was tired, beyond stressed out...worrying and wondering if the coat would even fit her, let alone if she would like the lace I had chosen, since it was completely different from the one she saw in my store (not my design). She had gone back to Winnipeg so I had no way of doing fit tests along the way. It had to be right or darn close to it for when she came back the following week (this week) Her wedding is this weekend and there was no back-up dress. GULP!

So, we met for her fitting yesterday at my shop. She brought along a wonderful friend who helped her get into the entire outfit...the bustier, the shoes and jewellery she had purchased to go with the phantom wedding outfit that I was making for her. I heard screams coming from the change room and asked what was wrong......nothing was wrong...the coat and skirt fit her like it was made for her! Oh wait...it WAS made for her!

There was some magic happening that day because when the bride-to-be stepped out of the fitting room for the first time, I saw one of the most beautiful, happy brides I have ever seen! It was all perfect...she looked radiant and so very happy....almost like a fairy tale come to life!

(this is not her dress...just an image I found somewhere on the Internet)

I breathed a HUGE sigh of relief. Not only did it fit perfectly everywhere but it was the perfect outfit for HER. She told me that she knew I could do it and didn't have one bit of stress over it while she waited back in Winnipeg....even knowing that time had run out and there would be no other option for her wedding this weekend. I am so humbled by her confidence in me....wow! That's a lot to live up to!

She and her lovely friend left my store, after many hugs and thank you's from both of them and a few tears of joy. I was so happy to be part of this very special wedding....a romance of a lifetime and first wedding for a mature woman who is as beautiful on the inside as she is on the outside. I was on cloud 9....floating around with pure relief and utter happiness. One of my biggest challenges ever and it worked out perfectly, for which I take some credit but certainly not all. Thank you God. I must also thank my husband for taking up the slack during the past 10 days.....I had no time to even think of anything but the wedding outfit and he did EVERYTHING...so thank you honey♥

By the way....have you ever heard that expression, "I don't do windows"? Well, "I don't do custom!"
//(*_~)\\

Speaking Out About Unnecessary Plastic Surgery

2011-05-12T06:55:00.000-06:00

This blog is mostly about my store...what new clothing and jewellery has arrived in the store, ideas about how to wear Tattered Rose clothing, upcoming events and such; however, I DO show the more personal side of me...like my love for cats and boots and old trucks....because it is a package...me, my store....we are one.

Today, I am expressing my dismay at the sight of Bristol Palin after she has had plastic surgery...supposedly to correct her misaligned jaw.

Look at her "before" picture....a beautiful, young woman with a full face, gorgeous eyes and a sweet smile. She looks so natural and lovely....simply stunning.

Then look at the "after" picture, after the "corrective jaw surgery". She is almost unrecognizable, and is no longer the natural beauty...her face looks "done" and her outward appearance depicts someone else...someone whose face is a bit "off"...and I have to say I do not like it.

I know it is HER face but it is MY opinion that she has taken something beautiful and turned it into something not so beautiful because it is no longer her. Yes, she is still pretty but where is she gone...the young woman who WAS Bristol Palin?

All of this may seemingly have nothing to do with my store and this blog; however, since I feel that Tattered Rose is about embracing a romantic lifestyle and being beautiful women who are comfortable in their own skin, this really DOES have something to do with it.

I am saddened by society's obsession with youth and the pursuit of perfection, for one thing. But even more, I am greatly disturbed by the desire of an already attractive person/celebrity to have plastic surgery to theoretically look better, younger, more desirable, more acceptable. I think it often makes them look worse, not better. At the very least, it changes the way they look and alters our perception of who they are.

When you see a celebrity who has had OBVIOUS work done on their face, such as unnatural plumping of the upper lip, or having their eyes tweaked or their chin narrowed, it is immediately obvious to me. Their face is not quite natural looking anymore. I'd much rather see a person look like themselves and/or age gracefully than have them get plumped and injected and cut up to resemble some other person. I want to see that person as they are...and aging as they should....not become a distorted version of their former selves.

I'm all for doing whatever you can to maintain as youthful appearance as possible sans drastic surgery or injections. For people who really DO need corrective surgery to feel better about a disfigurement or an overly large nose (for example), it can be a good decision...if all goes well. What I object to is celebrities (and regular people) who have nothing wrong with their faces choosing to go under the knife and end up looking like someone else. When they change the proportions of their faces....the ratio of all the parts to each other that make them who they are, they are messing with nature...and usually not for the better.

Below are examples of how surgery changes the proportion and character of the face:
Rupert Everett, Joan Van Ark and Bruce Jenner

The specifics of what they have done is not important. What matters is that they have forever lost themselves...the way they were, the faces they had that made us love them and feel comfort in seeing an old friend....and for me, it is a sad thing.

*I promise my next blog entry will be about the new arrivals at the store.

Beautiful Images

2011-05-01T10:32:00.001-06:00

Dear Vickie and others.....

2011-04-18T07:52:00.002-06:00

Hello My Dear Potential Customers:

When you send a comment on one of my blog posts, asking about something you want to buy, I have absolutely NO WAY of contacting you to respond to your questions.
If you can include your email address in your comment, I promise I will not publish the comment and it will allow me to reply to you directly.
There have been quite a few people who want to know how they can purchase the clothing from Tattered Rose, so please write back to me via a comment and I will answer you.
Thank you for taking the time to write and for reading my blog.
Sincerely,
Tattered Rose

P.S. What do you think of this cute little car?