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Hello, I hope you're all well. I'm afraid to say Thrift Crush never got off the ground, nor have I had any time to blog here, with a toddler and a baby. If you want to follow my charity- shopping exploits (yes, I am still finding time to charity shop, although increasingly online), you can find me on Instagram at Kelly_Grungequeen. Hope to see you there! And maybe one day I'll be back in this wee space - just not for the foreseeable future! Xox

Canuck parka

Grenfell Handicrafts parka, Oxfam.

Meet my new bestie, a wool-lined canvas cotton coat with embroidered detail and fur-fringed pointy hood.

Do you really need another coat, you ask? True, I have many, but the bulk are ill-suited to my busy life as a Mom. A second-hand ankle-length double-breasted affair, or vintage French swing coat, lovely as they are, don't work that well for a gal living in maternity jeans and UGG boots.

Leather gloves & UGG boots: local charity shop.

This parka, made by Grenfell Handicrafts in Newfoundland, Canada, fits the bill: it works with my life right now, has that folksy look that I like, and is super warm to boot. The cotton exterior has been treated as it's waterproof too, just what I need as I slog around with a double pram in the rain. I wear it practically every day.

Funny how I came all the way to the UK to find a Canadian coat.

I found it while trolling Oxfam UK's website. it was a great deal, considering these retail new for the equivalent of 150 pounds. I'm pretty sure it's vintage (it was listed in the vintage section) as contemporary coats on the company's website look slightly different.

Oxfam online, by the way, is my new thrifting drug. An online charity shop is ideal for a gal who doesn't have the time to check out the plethora of shops in her 'hood. Generally, it's more expensive. But that means you look for the high-end stuff that you won't find locally, like this coat, and like the 1970s Bill Gibb knitwear I've featured in my inaugural post on Thrift Crush (teaser: there will be another Oxfam gem, a vintage tapestry coat by Mulberry, featured there soon).

Thanks for all your well-wishes and words of encouragement. Life is crazy now, but it is good!