Not packing - bad! bad!

So E and I are in the midst of the last weekend before we move. It was supposed to go like this: E finishes up the painting etc. at the house, I pack up at the apartment. E of course has accomplished his to do list. All I've done is slept. And spahed. And shopped.
Ah retail therapy. What would we do without it?
In a harried, driven world there is nothing more selfish, nothing more decadent then shedding one's frugal ways and joining the status quo in a little bit of shopping.
The cool aesthetic of a small boutique, the soft clink of hangers turning. Myself, I've never been a mall girl. Too dark, too crowded. NO, give me a neighbour hood boutique/dress shop any day. Something quaint yet luxurious, carrying independent designers, local labels, a find off the handmade mecca of Etsy. I loved splurging once or thrice a year, as the seasons shift and new lines are released. Love a small run as the exclusivity is even higher. I especially love one woman machines - a one person label, producing some of the most interesting clothing out there, with their own two hands.
I started out a Dagg and Stacey girl, a small Toronto duo who kept their creativity firmly implanted in the realm of vintage while adding their own take on a staple piece. I became a firm believer in paying a little more for something made well, chose one well constructed top over the sale rack at H and M.
After the accident, I was stuck at home, alone, with time to kill, Naturally, online shopping soon caught my attention and although I knew the risks of such indulgence, I soon became quite a fan.
I love parcels. I love mail. I miss getting letters, miss my pen friends. E-mail, as quick and convenient, while opening so many doors has also shut doors too. We have no sense of time, no sense of wait. We expect news when we want it. I can't fathom being a wife and waiting for word from my soldier husband, fighting over in France. Watching the news casts, looking for him on the evening reel. Heartbreaking.
So when I realized that online shopping meant regular parcels, I became even more excited! Something to look forward to, something unknown, save for what was on the photo. A risk, a gamble. An investment in the future. Sign me up.
Eventually I found Etsy and I became a nutter, trawling the Etsy world, looking for a pick me up. So many beautiful things. So many one many one person outfits, presenting their wears through my computer.
I've spent more than I should. I can see how this can get you into trouble, become an addiction. This becomes an exercise in self control. However, I've realized I am purging and renewing. I've managed to get rid of quite a bit of stuff. My spending, however, eventually led me to my writing workshop, which has spawned my story, my manuscript. My future?
I've treated this recovery as organically as I know how. If it feels right, do it. I've met some wonderful people. Discovered some wonderful things. If this retail therapy has, in essence, allowed me to heal, to feel good about something, then shouldn't it be viewed as an investment in my recovery? As long as it stays in control. Which, I am proud to say, it has. You should see my favourites list on Etsy!
It goes without saying, if I could trade in all of this, everything, to get my life back, no contention, I would. I miss my life so much. I miss my drive, my will. The old me would have finished today and yet here I sit, writing about shopping and essentially procrastinating. Ah well. Retail therapy.

So here is the hit list, my list of awesome. Most of it was found on Etsy, italics = non Etsy:

Clothes
Dagg and Stacey - feminine vintage brilliance
Minx Shop - perfection via vintage whimsy and imaginative design
Ahpeele - my husband loves the t-shirts!
Norwegian Wood - the motherload - crazy cool clothes, mind blowing accessories
La Mixx - cotton basics, amped up style
Thief and Bandit - great printwork - the knives, the knives!
Flux Productions - naturalist printing on quality cotton
Luna Shoes - ballet slippers for the everyday warrior
Twitch Vintage - the best vintage. period.
Les Enfants Sauvage - african beats, urban streets
Plastikwrap - intergalactic fashion, crazy creativity

Cosmetics
French Girl Organics - lip tints, potions, heaven
RMS Beauty - raw makeup that heals the skin in natural hues

Lingerie/Bedtime
Plum Pretty Sugar- pretty indian fabric, the ultimate in loungerie
Clare Bare - custom made undies, beautiful fit
Princess Tam Tam - french lingerie all can afford
Sandmaiden Sleepware - beautifully crafted sleepware
Bitchcraft - awesome boyshorts

Paintings
Mae Chevette - inspiration art
Gabriele Neveu - fairy tale fancy

Accessories
Jack and Marjorie - bags made out of old military wares. Gorgeous.
Valhalla Brooklyn - bags, wallets
Sparky Jones - awesome hats
Thief and Bandit - hair and neck
Norwegian Wood -the motherload - harnesses, fringes, BIG Jewelry
Leonie Saliba - transformer bags and wallets
Kove by Hand - any wool, and a couple of new ones
Flux Productions - AWESOME shoes and bags

Household Wears
Monkey and Squirrel - cast iron fancy
Skinny LaMinx - tea towels!
Imagine Fabric - yards of gorgeous fabric for home
Bluebird Heaven - jewelery organizers one could only dream of!
Erick Bily Designs - custom furniture, masterful stains

Jewelery
Round Designs - metal working genius esp. the necklaces and disk earrings
Touch the Dutch - metal work canadiana - esp. the wolf!
Jia Style - french and chinese influences = gorgeous pieces
Joanna Rutter - silver work
Minx Shop - feathers, bones, harneseses oh my!
Figs and Ginger - mother's day paradise esp. the family jewelery

Inspiring Words
Bindu Wiles - writer, yogi
Daniele LaPorte - affirmation maven rocking entrepreneurs
Chris Guilebreau - traveling all day, writing by candlelight
Zen Peacekeeper - yogi, peacekeeper
Caroline Owen - yogi, canoeist, the best thai masseuse

Online Shops
Etsy
Body Politic
Ebay
Knit Picks