Get the buzz for the month of October

Shop not

Could you go a whole year with no new clothes? In her book of illustrations A Bunch of Pretty Things I Did Not Buy, Sarah Lazarovic shares her year of no shopping (she painted pictures of coveted items instead of splurging for them). Her whimsical illustrations are paired with helpful tips like “Take a sewing class so you can mend and tweak old items.” — Lora Grady and Dominique Lamberton

A Bunch of Pretty Things I Did Not Buy, Sarah Lazarovic, $20.

For your eyes only

Good news, style-savvy spectacle wearers: Now you can rock chic European-inspired (but Canadian-designed) glasses for less than $100. We’ve got our eyes on BonLook, an online boutique launched by Montrealer Sophie Boulanger. The former fashion buyer, who studied in Milan, was fed up with emptying her wallet for designer frames. We love that you can shop by face shape or style preference and see how frames will look on you, thanks to a virtual try-on feature. New looks arrive monthly, from opera-style specs to sophisticated round sunglasses. — Mai Nguyen and Lora Grady

Glasses, from $69, Bon Look.

Little libraries

Looking for a juicy fall read? Thanks to Little Free Libraries, you don’t have to leave your ’hood. More than 200 are scattered across Canada. The idea for these book-borrowing boxes is simple: “Take a book, return a book.” The first LFL was built by Wisconsinite Todd Bol in 2009, modelled after a schoolhouse, in honour of his mother, a teacher. Curate your own personal lending collection and share it with your neighbours by ordering a pre-made library or designing your own. No more late fees! — Kristin Eliason

From $190, Little Free Library.