Kate Moss in vingage Chloe Jeans

At Velveteen Vintage The Prices Are Right

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Until the end of February, bag vintage clothes at great prices—and do something great for entrepreneurial teens at the same time.

Kate Moss in vingage Chloe Jeans

 

Free spirits have always scoured thrift stores for distinctive apparel, but it took one in particular to make used clothing fashionable: Kate Moss. Moss, whose perfume line includes scents called Vintage and Vintage Muse, has appeared in recycled items from jeans to jackets and boots to ballgowns.

One of the newest and most economical Vancouver sources for retro and good-quality consignment clothes for men and women is Velveteen Vintage. Every item in the store is less than $20 and most are $5. Read more

Thermador Dishwasher Interior

When Dishwasher Soap Packets Are Overkill

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Premeasured dishwasher soaps are convenient but overkill almost everywhere—and particularly unnecessary in places where the water is soft.

Thermador Dishwasher Interior

 

WASTE NOT | When my four-year-old European dishwasher crashed a while back, I called in a repairman who made an eye-opening comment about my dishwashing detergent. “You use that stuff?” he asked, pointing at the Electrasol Dishwasher Detergent with Powerball Tabs I’d bought in a convenient 100-tab tub at Costco.

“Yes, and I love it. It’s so easy,” I chirped, citing a no-mess no-fuss defense and explaining how my dishes looked at least as sparkly clean as they had with other detergents I’d employed. Read more

Labware - Clinton Hussey

Thinking Outside The Conventional Vase

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It’s not the flowers, it’s the unusual containers that make these arrangements pop.

Labware - Clinton Hussey

 

 

CREATIVE SOLUTIONS | In early February, when thoughts turn to hearts and flowers, it’s easy to think that a dozen red roses are the key to a woman’s heart. Not necessarily. In the floral department, sometimes something both ordinary but imaginative will do the trick. It’s not the flowers, it’s the original containers that make these arrangements pop. Read more

How To Polish Your Skin To Perfection

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Cold, dry weather makes skin look dull; microdermabrasion can restore its glow. Here’s a top product that mimics this polishing procedure at home.

 

Winter is upon us, and while we welcome the sunshine instead of the usual dark, gloomy Vancouver weather, sunny days are cool and crisp. You may have noticed your skin feeling dryer, tighter and lackluster at this time of year. Even oilier complexions feel dryer and tighter than usual. As a result, we often reach for heavier creams and moisturizing masks, which can help, but the best solution is a good exfoliation or polishing of the skin. Read more

American Tax Man - iStock

Some Relief For Expats Filing US Tax Returns

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Americans living in Canada can’t escape paying U.S. taxes, but they can reduce the cost of filing a return.

American Tax Man - iStock

 

SPEND SMART | If you’re an American citizen resident in Canada (or know someone who is), you know from the ruckus in the press last year that you’re required to file two income tax returns annually: a Canadian one because you live here, and a U.S. one because you are an American citizen and the U.S. taxes on the basis of citizenship rather than residency.

Never mind the fairness issue, or that people such as Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney game the system by legally parking their jillions in accounts in the Cayman Islands and Switzerland, you still need to file—and unless you’re familiar with the U.S. tax code, you will require professional assistance. This service can cost plenty in Canada, which is why some filers head south. Read more

Red Jean Leggings From The Gap

Red Jeans Look Great On Just About Anyone

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The lucky colour for Chinese New Year, red works for just about anyone anytime.

Red Jean Leggings From The Gap

 

SHOPPING AROUND | “Tangerine Tango” may be the Pantone colour of 2012, as Sarah Richardson reported in The Globe and Mail last weekend, but I’m not sure how many fashion retailers got the memo. Local shops are showing red right now, particularly in the pants department. Red jeans can be spotted on everyone who is anyone—Ines de la Fressange, Reece Witherspoon, you name her—and I just don’t see these women trading in their ruby trousers for orange ones anytime soon because red is the more flattering colour all around. Read more