Q: Could  you advise me where I could find a punch bowl with about a dozen cups? Not too expensive, as I don’t use these often. They used to have them at Zellers, but no more.

A: Best answer is to go to the St-Michel Flea Market which is open on the weekends. Go to my site and look in the right hand corner, click on Household and scroll down to Flea Market. I found mine at a garage sale. Ares, on the West Island might carry them too.

Everyone has clothing in their closets and drawers which they no longer wear, never wore or avoid. Now you can be green – reduce and recyle them. The S.W.A.P. Team holds twice yearly events, a big one in July and a smaller one in the Fall, where you can trade clothing. Fashion designers also donate new clothing to the mix.

How it works: You bring gently worn clean male, female or children’s clothing, and you are given tickets valid for exchanges. There is no limit on swapping on a one-to-one basis. In a typical event over 4,000 items are swapped, and leftovers (3,000 or so) get donated to Fripe-Prix Renaissance Montreal.

Take Off Your Clothes – Montreal:

1. Buy your ticket now before they sell out.
2. Bag your clothing, shoes and/or accessories for men, women or children
3. Download, print and fill out the handy label and attach it to every bag of clean and folded clothing you’d like to swap.
4. If you want to know what not to swap, check on their web site and also look at their laundering policy.
5. Drop off your clothes by July 22 (check out drop-off locations/hours)
4. Come to the event, pick up your exchange coupons at the entrance, and start swapping!

Location:  Place des Arts
Admission: $10 adv. / $12 door
Dates: July 28 & 29
info@theswapteam.org
www.theswapteam.org/montreal

Canada’s best known and largest retailer has gone bankrupt and 15,000 tuxedos are being sold by L’Entrepot du Tuxedo. Although unfortunate for them, it is very fortunate for anyone who is getting married, graduating or for those of you who always wanted to own a tuxedo for special events but could not fit it into your budget. Now you can get a previously enjoyed one for less than the cost of a rental and it’s yours forever!

– 45 styles to choose from
– A deluxe package  is  only $79.99, which includes a jacket, pants, dress shirt, tie, backless vest, handkerchief, cummerbund and cufflinks
– For boys and youths, sizes 4 to 18, a deluxe includes tuxedo jacket, pants, shirt, tie, backless vest, handkerchief, cufflinks, and cummerbund for only $29.99
– Oversizes are available as well
– Group deal ­ grooms and groups of friends – if you buy 4 men’s or boy’s/youth’s deluxe packages, you get the 5th one FREE
– You can get a pair of tuxedo shoes for only $9.99
– You can also purchase separately: tuxedo jackets: $29.99, tuxedo pants: $14.99, tuxedo shoes: $9.99, tuxedo shirts (previously enjoyed): $9.99

Location: 8211 17th Ave, St-Michel (2nd Floor)
corner: Jarry
Tel: 514-721-2839
Hours: Mon-Wed 10-6, Thurs & Fri 10-8, Sat & Sun 10-5

Here’s a win-win situation. If you need money to cover some of those holiday bills and you have been thinking of clearing out some of your furnishings, why not sell them at a consignment store?  Galerie M is a beautiful new retail  environment which buys and sells finer home furnishings, furniture, decorative accessories, art, china and crystal, pewter and silver.

The 5,000 sq ft showroom is filled with affordable luxury in Antique, Modern, Vintage Art Deco and Contemporary styles. New merchandise arrives several times a week.  There are some high end samples of brand-new luxury merchandise at exceptional prices. This is also a place to find unique gifts for a special friend.

Location: 8160 Devonshire, VMR
corner: Royalmount
Tel: 514-564-3600
www.galeriem.ca

I   We love to write about a store where everything is made in Montreal. At L’Arterie Boutique & Friperie, you can buy from the 50% that is the friperie (men and women) or from the 50% that is handmade crafts.

So shop for the vintage look jeans, tops, skirts, windbreakers, or  buy the jewelry, soaps, and hand-made animal creatures. This is the place to head to for vegan shoes made with micro fiber that imitates leather.

Location:176 Bernard ouest
corner: Esplanade
Tel: 514-273-3933
Hours: Tues-Fri 12-6, Sat & Sun 11-5
www.arterieboutique.ca

If you have an old fur coat, you have such value in your closet. Why let it sit there when Les Fourrures Elextra, a fur magician can transform it into something wearable and beautiful?  Spiros Ladovrechis opened his own fur business in 1972, so he knows how to make patterns from your body and how to be very imaginative with fur. Sure, he can make you a brand new coat out of mink, beaver, Persian lamb or chinchilla; however, give him an old coat and his eyes sparkle with ideas.

It can be your old coat, your Mother’s or an aunt’s coat, and he will take it all apart, re-size it and restyle it, and then put it all back together in a completely different way. You can easily just put it inside a reversible waterproof winter coat, which is snuggly warm and oh so soft inside – and amazing light. If it was a long coat, the bottom can become a hood.

When remodeling your coat, he will make a new pattern himself – this is truly shopping directly at the manufacturer – and then he takes his tools and cuts, carves, shears, grooves and can add inserts with patterns like falling leaves, curves and squiggles, or he can even out fur ruffles. If you would like, the coat can be dyed a different color.

Besides the total re-modeling, he can of course clean your coat, do alterations, store it for you – or sell you a new coat.

Location: 1625 Chabanel W, Suite 960
corner: Jean Pratt
Tel: 514-845-9287
Hours:514-845-9287

NOVA West Island (formerly VON) is a charitable foundation that offers home palliative care and cancer support groups and runs 2 adult day centers for the elderly, all without government funding.

Their 3  stores  are having a 50% off sale this weekend.  Why not support this terrific organization when doing your holiday shopping?  Gift possibilities could be jewelry, home accessories, clothing, books, china.

The 3 stores help raise money for their great cause. You can scoop up second-hand clothing for the family nicely hung on racks, or look for shoes, purses and hats. “Green” shopping by recycling is a planet saving idea: there’s home knick-knacks, china and glassware. The sale does not include the furniture.

Locations: (biggest) 43 Ste-Anne (514-457-1642); bookstore, 43 Ste-Anne (514-457-1948); furniture, 449 boul. Beaconsfield (514-694-8417); 2750 boul. St-Charles  (514-697-6692).
Dates and Times of Sale: Dec 16 & 17: 10-4
www.thriftshopsfornova.com

Every now and then you come across a hidden treasure. Boutique S.I.L.K. Prêt à porter is nestled in a courtyard and is divided neatly in half between new samples (European labels and domestic labels) at 50% off (suggested retail price) and quality designer consignment clothing. The collections are so carefully handpicked that’s it’s really quite difficult to tell the new clothes from the gently worn ones.

Labels such as: DVF (Diane von Furstenburg), Dolce Gabbana, Escada, Max Mara, Marccain, Sonia Rykiel or Save the Queen are might be there. You can stock up on great basics or classics from Jones NY, Joseph Ribkoff and Simon Chang. New locally handmade artisanal jewelry is showcased for you to accessorize the clothes.

The impeccably organized shop is for the discriminating woman. Each piece is hand selected for style, season and condition (any loose threads are snipped and wiggly buttons re-sewn), so perfect quality is assured.

S.I.L.K. accepts for consignment fine clothing and accessories from European, Canadian and American designers. Consignment is accepted by appointment only.

Location: 1213 Bernard Ave, Outremont QC H2V 1V7
corner: Bloomfield
Phone:  514-274-8282
Hours: Tues-Fri 11:30-6, Sat 11-5

Niche Decor & Mode  is a combo store – a household consignment business where you can buy (or sell) nearly new and mint condition pieces of furniture and furnishings – and in the rear, a super vintage clothing shop. Amongst the pretty vignettes, you can choose from great deals on good looking chairs, lamps, table linens, rugs and jewelry.

After you’ve dressed your home, , women (2-16) will find something in this treasure chest from jeans to furs and accessories (shoes, jewelry, purses) amongst the designer names like Manolos, Dolce & Gabbana, Dior, Louboutin, Prada, Sergio Rossi, Moschino, Chloe, Versaci and Michael Kors.

For a limited time, there will be a temporary location, right nearby (3296 St. Antoine St) selling off the contents of an Eastern Townships estate.

Here is a partial list of what you might still find there: Italian lacquered desk, Italian pottery, wicker recamier and tables, equestrian sofa, mirrors, upholstered armchairs, French country armoire, Spanish console, dishes, decorator pillows and lots more.

Look on my site  (under Household, Home Fashion) for a 10% off coupon for when you shop here:   http://www.smartshoppingmontreal.com/store.php?s=183

Location: 3289 rue St-Jacques
corner: Greene
Tel: 514-439-8870
Hours: Mon-Fri 11-6, Sat 11-5

Looking for something special for the holidays or New Year’s Eve?

Boutique Encore is still going strong for close to sixty years, in a townhouse, that is fully stocked with new and almost new apparel with designer labels for men & women i.e. Armani, Burberry, Chanel, Dolce & Gabbana, Hermes, Louis Vuitton, Prada, Paul Smith and many others, too numerous to mention.

You will also find a very good selection of formal wear and very high end purses, bags, wallets and luggage.  If you are seaching for high end scarves, hats, shoes and boots, there here too.  A must see is their well stocked jewelry cabinets.  There are many treasures waiting to be discovered.

You will enjoy your shopping experience here where you are guaranteed excellent service right along with the excellent fashions – and excellent prices.