I figured this was suiting as I will be going on a shopping expedition in ONE WEEK. I love shopping, and there are certain stores that I start dreaming about when the time comes for me to actually get to visit them.
Living on the West Coast of Newfoundland, there isn't much readily available to you in the form of prime shopping locations. The closest I have to a decent clothing selection is an eight hour (or a click) away. Once a year I am usually lucky enough to travel to somewhere on the mainland and become over whelmed in the aisles of H&M or F21. I guess online shopping has its perks, but there is a certain lazy bone in me that constantly reminds me I'll never return anything that doesn't fit, and Canadian shipping rates have a lot to be desired.
So, between all the jigs and reals, here are the stores that I can't live without- though I am most likely forced to do so for most of the year.
If someone were to take my decorating style, and all the household things that make me happy, and create a store out of it, it would be Pier 1. I can afford hardly anything in the store... but I am a smart shopper. I check their clearance section online almost daily... and save my money for their irresistible cushions that have ran out of room in my house. There happens to be a Pier1 in St. John's... so to make up for the lack of one in CLOSE proximity I take full advantage of their Pier1-to-go service and just about anybody travelling to and from the St. John's area.
London Loves Pier1 cushions as much as her mom.
I used to have to stock up on BBW body wash whenever I went to Ontario, and then a very exciting thing happened- they came to Newfoundland!!! It's the first place I'm heading to next week when I get to St. John's. I love their body wash, their cute little hand sanitizers, their wallflowers and refills and their candles. I will be buying some of each. I think my entire piano lesson earnings will be blown at this store.
3. Ruche
I have only ever purchased one thing from this store... which is this skirt (picture taken from here):
However, I ordered the wrong size (I'm pretty sure it was meant for a child) and they were SOOOO accommodating. The company is very small and personable, the clothes are beautiful and affordable and the shipping to Canada is AWESOME!! If you love the bigger Modcloth, check out this beautiful online store!
4. Chapters
To me, Chapters is not just a store. Chapters was how Jonny and I spent lazy Sunday afternoons in the city; he would sip on Starbucks and study and I would spend my time browsing through the books. My favourite Chapters memory is the final Harry Potter book release, during which we spent the night drinking butter bear and attending "Hogwarts" classes (even if I was placed in Slytherin). Chapters is a place where my nerdy self has finally made it home, and is allowed to prop it's shoes up on the coffee table.
5. Winners
Winners is misunderstood by a lot of people. The thing is, you can not enter the store looking for something specific, or even something you may have randomly caught sight of the day before- because it won't be there. Winners is the store you enter, knowing that somewhere there is the perfect item for the perfect price waiting for you. The trick is, there are only a select few that has the patient to find it. I have bought everything from a poodle purse to a blue shelf from Winners, and I'm sure next time I go there I'll add another random thing to that list.
6. Bootlegger
Bootlegger offers average clothes during an average shopping experience, but the reason why I have to love it is because it is actually HERE... I could get in my car and drive there in 15 minutes. I also love it because they always have a very awesome "extra 50% off" sale on their already reduced inventory. For example:
this sweater was 8 dollars.
7. H&M
The only bad thing about H&M is that you can't buy it online in Canada. It's always the first store I go to when I make it to a shopping mall that has it.
8. Michaels
Many wonderful things that I have made have started at Michaels, including many things from my wedding- such as these handmade programs:
Make sure you never go here without a "50% off one item" coupon (available on the iPhone app)
9. Etsy
I guess Etsy isn't technically a shop, but more a collection of little independent shops. Etsy is pretty much filled with everything I loved, made or collected by people who love to do the same things I do. I've often thought of starting my own Etsy shop for my art but the Canadian shipping rates would kill me. Etsy is the perfect place to find something vintage and fabulous, to find the perfect gift for someone or even to find crafty inspiration. Etsy is where I found these beautiful dresses, for three beautiful girls:
10. Last but not least: Jimmy White's.
Jimmy White's? you may ask. Is that some swanky (I love that word) shop in some urban downtown that sells designer clothing? NO
Jimmy White's is the convenience store located in the town of 800 that I grew up in. They sell everything you need living 45 minutes away from the nearest grocery store- sugar, flour, Sunday dinner vegetables, salt beef and butter. They also sell candy and ice cream... which is awesome when you're 8. We used to have a tab at Jimmy's. What was awesome about that is when I was 10, and could walk to the store by myself, I could just take whatever I wanted and say "put that on Dad's tab". When I was 18 and took the car, I could fill it up at Jimmy's and say "put it on Dad's tab". It was a perfect arrangement.
Just to clarify... Jimmy White's is the store in my wedding photos:
And it's also where I got these hand-knitted bad boys for 8 dollars:
I hope you enjoyed!!! From one shopper to another,
Tara
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