One month on and only one post, sorry I've been lying low.

Here's another op shop oily. The texture and detail is really lovely and I won't tell you how much...

Ok, ok, $8!!! I think my future picture wall is coming together.

Oh yay! I gots me an army bench from max watt's industria - looking pretty perfect in the hallway.

crazy sweet september

Thank you for the birthday wishes. It was a lovely yet frantic week :)

We both don't like making a big hoo ha out of our birthdays, so we spent them with just the two of us, out for lovely dinners. On the Saturday we had a small back yard gathering - Mum and Grandma (with the help of my little brother) made an absolute feast and in usual form, Mum sent people home with food.

My sister, who knows me too well and got me some Gorman flats and Muji slippers. My brother contributed to this vintage school map (he's very practical like that). Very pampered with some Diptyque candles, JD's siblings gave me oranger which reminds me of chai tea and my sister gave me tubereuse. Our friends got us a lovely outdoor garden setting for two, feeling very spoiled!

This weekend we celebrated more September birthdays and the watched the footy finals.

I scoured some local op-shops and I found lovely patterned side plates and vintage bedcover. I'm so chuffed - the bedcover was new in it's original packaging for only $4!! And very similar to some I had been eyeing off from Urban Outfitters.

Hope you had a nice weekend!

found

I found this little vase in Philip Island some weeks ago. Nothing grand but I think it's a little spesh - It has a lovely texture to it - not sure if their leaves or feathers.

sails away

I came across this vintage oil painting in a inner city op-shop. It had a $90 price tag on it - Was it worth it? I am yet to decide.. So I kept walking and left it behind. Should I go back?

This was the most expensive op shop I have been to, given it's location, they knew the market rates; art deco drink trolleys for $300, vintage Bentwoods $80. Better that it goes to charity then dealers to on sell I suppose.

I took this photo with my crappy 3 year old nokia phone - I am perhaps the only person I know without an iphone.. it didn't turn out so bad.

new dust collectors

I kept telling myself no more, but I couldn't resist. The op-shop was having a half price bric-a-brac sale, and this ceramic vase has such lovely texture. The oil landscape is only 9cm x 20cm and is a cute addition to my growing collection.

Speaking of dust, I spent the whole of today vacuuming, mopping and got lots of housework done. A pretty darn good effort given the big Saturday night that was had.

op-shop finds

I feel like ranting about some of my op-shop finds, so bare with me..

This check smock shirt, I bought a few months ago in Philip Island. I love the big pockets cut on the diagonal. It reminds me of kindergarden art smocks or like some thing out of the Toast catalogue. Oooh I feel like going camping or finding a log cabin hideaway.

This week I uncovered three op-shops near work.

Paid $3 for these Italian woven navy flats. Shame they're half a size too big and are in serious need of topy shoe sole grip. So I found out the hard way: I had a magnificent stack down the stairs in our apartment foyer. Was on my sore bottom picking up all my handbag contents! Lucky no neighbors were around to see it. Bargain? Perhaps not.

little buds of spring

The warm sunshine over the weekend has inspired me to get out some of the my frocks out of the wardrobe, sans opaque tights.

Here's one of the dresses I bought in Phillip Island. I think the white flower buds are rather sweet, however, I will need to take the hemline up..

Hoorah to some colour...

Lovely vintage light weight dress made of 100% Thai cotton but well lined. I had to hand sew the hemline up, but went a wee shorter than I had intended.. Tsk, tsk, tsk, oh when will I ever learn?

Well then good bye for now, see you again in Summer..

Grey pleat skirt

On occasion my op shop purchases will require a little bit of work shopping ie. hemline to be taken up or re-sizing and to be taken in. They currently sit in my wardrobe and are added to my never ending to do list..

So with winter here and hibernation in mind, little niggling projects can now be taken care of. Lets say I aim to alter one piece a week I should have a new wardrobe by Spring.
Here's one I did this week..

Before: Long length skirt

Grey pleated checks

Now: High waist & knee length..

Our bedroom

I tidied up for you...

During the week it gets quite messy, clothes thrown in frustration each morning, my magazines left lying around...

Our side tables are old milking stools. JD's stool is where the ugly tech stuff is kept eg. alarm clock, mobile phones etc.

This room goes through re-incarnations every time I change quilt covers. I bought this quilt cover from ebay for only $40!! It's a light musky pink colour & has a lovely subtle white floral paisley/floral print. I love it!. See it up close & buy here - The seller has more!

My op shop dresser & lamp

I'm thinking of changing the wardrobe door handles

Maybe something like this:

Image via This is Glamorous

I'm watching some brushed stainless steel ones on ebay at the moment but not sure if they'll have the same effect.

We're getting new white wooden venetian blinds this week! After 7 years, we can get rid of the crappy, dirty beige & bent, clunky aluminium blinds!! Yay!

Winter woolies

This week I bought...

These yummy knits from a special sample and seconds sale held by The Bowerbird for family and friends. They are the fashion agents for new Melbourne knitwear label Braide and cheap and cheery label Mink Pink. Love a bargain!

He, he, he my seed-esque styling

The stripe knit & waffle knit by Braide

& the long cardi was Mink Pink sample

I also bought these new vintage brown Robin school shoes from an op-shop, not as nice as the ebay ones but not bad for $5. Hmmm, is it daggy for a grown person to be wearing school shoes?

Big green bottles

Image via Seed Femme

Image via Seed Femme

Image via Toast

I bought one of these big vintage glass bottles for $5 from an op shop. Actually, I spotted it. Left. Drove home. Mulled over it. Went back with JD the following weekend. He agreed it was cool. Then it was ours.

Does anyone know what they were used for?

It stands 50cm tall & 30cm in diameter and yet as most things, we have no purpose for it, but hope to find a pretty spot for it.

Have you been into the new Seed Femme stores? They recently opened stores in High St Armadale, in Melbourne & Oxford St, Sydney. If not, you should check out their website to view the beautiful instore styling. It's very beachy, Cape Cod, Hamptons-ish.

I especially love the the white timber racks, kinda like the bakers racks or shoe trolleys I've been obsessing over. Oh and the coffee table with industrial metal legs (oh my, who would have guess?)

There's lovely little vignettes everywhere, bird cages, ladders, vintage hardbacks, old glass bottles etc.. The clothing is abit meh, but definately will be dropping in again just to admire the space.

What to do? To paint or not to paint?

So here's the dresser I had been eying off at the local op-shop nearby work. On my super successful day of op-shopping I decided for only $50 it surely had to be mine. The several elderly gentlemen at this particular Salvo's were super cute and ridiculously helpful in carrying it into my already jam packed car.

Originally it had a mirror attached but I want to use it as a sideboard so I unscrewed it off quite easily and gave it to my sister, which she was wrapped about.

I'm now debating as to whether I should leave it as is, or paint it a very light gray which is what I had originally intended to do.. I've been a bit of a fence sitter on the debated comments on painting furniture on Design Sponge so it doesn't surprise me that I am umming & ahhing over this.

It does have some minor white heat marks on the top but that doesn't overly phase me. It's more so that it's a very warm orangey colour..

Our home is full of mix mosh furniture and as they say maybe it "just comes together", then again I am trying to make an asserted effort to cull and make our home more "polished" and not so "looked what I dragged in today" which is JD's sentiments occasionally.

Hmm, any suggestions?

Here's the lovely wooden letters I got off ebay (shipped from the US) a few of years ago. The letter "d" is of sentiment as it is our surname initial but the others I just liked and got a wee abit carried away and just had to have them.

Confessions of a op-shoppaholic

Ever squealed silently (or out loud) as you've just uncovered an absolute op-shop gem?

What a dream.. just in time for winter, perfect with ribbed tights!!

This is an oldie - all the way from St Vinnies in Wangaratta

Or bought something (even though it's not your exact style) but you just couldn't bare to leave it behind because:

a) some one you know would definitely dig it?

A beautiful mustard colour with a stunning golden bronze shimmer

b) because of its absolutely stunning embroidery detail... Even though it's only 1 curtain and not quite wide enough to fit your window?

For $7.50 who would complain??

c) because it's vintage Bally for $5!!

BUT ALTERNATIVELY, you may:

a) Have it hanging around for a year only to:
b) Assume someone would pay squillions for it on ebay and delude yourself that you could make a good profit
c) But then no one does, and you're a doofus and ya can't even give it away for free!
d) End up giving it back to charity
e) Ask yourself what on earth was I thinking?? And think oh well, at least the money has gone to a good cause.
f) All of the above

With some luck you may cherish it for years, use it constantly, adore wearing it, or smile proudly as walk you past it it your home.

PS Ummm, I was suppose to be on my way to buy paint from the hardware store for our bedroom. As you can see I got a tad side tracked... Oh well, try again tomorrow (ha, op-shops don't open on Sundays)

Owl did this happen...?

So I was perusing through the current Frankie Magazine and their collectors section featured OWLS!!

My first owl was a wooden fridge magnet which came off a cute Kikki K birthday card given to me from JD a few years ago.
From then, whenever I op-shopped or fossic at markets I'd look out for them. Funny how that happens.. I develop a new obsession and make it my secret mission to find more and more!!


I don't tell family and friends because then I end up with 100 ugly tragic "Copperart" looking owl figurines for every birthday and Christmas present onwards.


I went through this same obsession with: wooden shoe lasts (3), retro cannisters (3 sets), vintage oil paintings (3), retro electrical fans (3) apothecary jars (too many!) industrial/wooden ladders (3) retro or ornate lamps (more than there are power points in our flat!!) wooden desk trays (5) butter dishes (3) wooden signage letters (3) and list goes on and on.. My overcrowded flat is evidence of this!!!


That explains how the name for the blog came about..


Any hoo-t, I thought I would share my collection of owls (5 and counting)..

This guy was at our paar-tay!

This was kindly added to the collection by my sister

This wall art is made of ceramic tiles - very cute!

polaroids & pegs...

Vignette of vases & collectables on the table at the entrance

How cute are these chairs? They belonged to the bowls club

The polaroids & fabric booth was a hit!

Sanderson "Merrick Park" fabric used for our photo booth

To the left of the cool retro chairs was our fabric photobooth suspended from the ceiling. JD's dad is an upholsterer & gave us a roll of this cute Sanderson hydrangea fabric.

I was quite surprised that everyone embraced the fabric photobooth. I expected some guests to look at it and think "what on earth is this for?" and was prepared that some just wouldn't "get it" but most voluntarily jumped in front of it and snapped away..

I used the same fabric to make cushions for the benches inside. They really helped in making the place look cosy.

My ceramic owl, (a previous op-shop buy) held the pegs used to hang our polaroid photos onto the ribbon pinned to the board.

Weeks leading up to the party we kept our eyes peeled for vintage ceramic vases, jars, tea light holders and vintage plates for church candles, which were scattered around on the tables.

I bought a variety of white, green foliage & flowers from a wholesaler who sells to the public, and they were conveniently located nearby the venue. I bought 14 bunches for $130 in the morning of the party, an bargain!!! They were arranged very casually, it looked absolutely perfect!!

More photos to come....