Once Possessed...One of my favorite places

Once again, I have to laugh at the inside joke, running circles in my head, regarding this blog title.

"Once Possessed" is a wonderfully quirky, antique consignment shop owned by my good friend, Melody. The story behind the shop is truly worthy of, at least, a guest spot on Oprah. Melody and her mom shared a dream of opening a shop together and planned, down to the smallest detail, how their vision would come to fruition. Mel's mom was going to re-locate to New England, from California, so they could birth their business in the quaint town of New Fairfield, CT. Melody's mother was, tragically, killed in a car accident months before she was to head east. Their shared dream was, naturally, put on the back burner as Melody tackled the agonizing task of getting her mom's estate in order, while dealing with her own grief. When the emotional dust settled, Mel realized that, in order to most fully honor the memory of her mother, she had to make their vision a reality and so...as a one woman show...she opened "Once Possessed".

The shop has such an eclectic mix of fabulous finds, all beautifully displayed with Mel's uniquely, creative touch. I met Melody, over a year ago, after a close friend had written a story about "Once Possessed" for the local paper. After my friend Laura interviewed Melody, she called to tell me this shop was right up my alley and I had to get over there immediately. It was love at first sight for me...and the beginning of an incredible friendship with an amazing woman, who embodies the strength, courage and drive of a woman on a mission of love!

Once Possessed

#1 Sawmill Rd.

New Fairfield, CT 06812

(203) 746-9999

Thrify Things

I am continually amazed and inspired by the ingenuity & creativity of the ladies, whose blogs I follow...that's one of the perks of being part of this community. On the downside, my natural desire to scour thrift stores, The Salvation Army (a.k.a "Sally's Boutique") and Goodwill (no tag sales this time of year in CT) has increased exponentially as I come across all of your latest treasures. Yesterday was MY day to hit a few local thrift stores and I was fairly pleased with my finds. I say "fairly" because one of my favorite shops apparently has someone new doing all of their pricing, which has made finding real steals a bit more challenging. Good thing I find the thrill of the hunt as appealing as the outcome because I REALLY had to dig this time. My big ticket item was the 4 piece set of bathroom accessories...at $15, it was more than I would normally spend at a second hand store, but it matches my colors perfectly. The brass canister set, perched proudly on top of my 1940s stove, was only $2; so, it balanced out my splurge.

Hat & Shoes

I'm already laughing at my own lack of originality with the title of this posting. Lately I've been really into "Victorianizing" (is that possibly a bona fide term for something????) hats & accessories. One of my older posts shows my embellished baseball caps, but I branched out, a few months ago, with wide brim hats. The owner of the boutique at which I used to work, a classically beautiful British woman (think Audrey Hepburn with a little more "sass"), always wore the most fabulous hats...always! They were her signature and customers would scarcely recognize her on the rare occasion she went bareheaded. Ladies who wear hats...and wear them well...are a dying breed, unfortunately. Even the most simple outfit is instantly transformed when topped off with a chic chapeau! Here are a few that I made. I found all three in the clearance section of Burlington Coat Factory (for under $10 each) and added ribbons, lace, millinery flowers & feathers. Such fun & they look great perched atop my windows when not in use. The ballet flats were a project I also did several months ago, when I needed to doll-up for a (rare) grown-up event. Since I topple over in heels, these were done more out of necessity than anything else, but I was pleased with the result. I've since worn them with jeans & a simple black top for a touch of bling!