A Special Calling.....

My mobile rang while I was out the other day. It was a blocked number, so I thought I'd better answer it...you know, just in case it was some sort of important, official-type call.

But no. It was the thrifting gods.

Reminding me that not only had I a spare half hour, but that a giant thrift had just opened a few streets away from home.

I don't believe any further explanation is required here.

 

1940s crepe slip, exactly what I'd been looking for to go under this dress, I nearly fell over in shock at finding this. I've already got a couple of outfits planned for it to be worn as a dress too, just need to fix it up a bit first.

 Retro French print, I love anything French as I studied the language for many years.

Checked tights....yep, I'm getting the tights bug too!

Best find of all, this fab retro print....straight to the pool room!

As the sun set on another perfect spring day....

I cooked up a lovely king prawn jalfrezi....

A yummy flourless chocolate cake for Sue...


And wondered who the thrifting gods would be calling on next.

I'm just glad they haven't got me on speed dial...yet.

Melbourne is Completely Fabulous.

Day one of the long-awaited Melbourne trip, and I packed a lot into it.

Being a civilised place, shops are open until 6pm on a Sunday. I managed to visit 5 antique centres, a huge market, several op shops, lots of shoes and clothes shops and more.

So, yes, there are lots of reasons why Melbourne is great, here are just a few.

Lots of beautiful tree-lined streets.

Trams. I love them.  Sydney and Brisbane don't have them, so they have enormous novelty value for me. Wasn't sure how I'd fare dealing with them in traffic, but I was fine.

Lots of antique centres. Obviously. They all seem to be full of enormous cabinets, not much that can be touched/handled.

Lots of single-storey colonial terraces with cottage gardens...

And many very beautiful, grander old homes to admire while crawling driving by.

 

This is one of the huge emporium-style op shops I went to.

I love the heels on these shoes (not the snake print though). 

And the name of this vintage shop, Fat Helens. Sorry not a great pic, I was too excited to take good photos.

And lastly, brooch overload. Can you believe I didn't buy one single thing all day?! How good am I. Nah, don't worry, I'll be spending tomorrow!

Op Shop Bingo & TVM

Going to op shops (thrifts) is rather like playing bingo. You can go every week, regularly, but really you never know when your number is going to come up.

Opshopping, as it's known here, is something I rarely do. The shops in my area are terrible, and on the odd occasion they do have a vintage dress,  it'll be priced from $40-$60, which is more than I sell them for (my average price is from $32-$39). So it ends up a big waste of time, and I end up quite annoyed at having wasted  effort and time that could have been directed elsewhere.

Having said that, I will look around an op shop if I'm dropping off a donation or have time to kill, both of which has happened recently.

I found these beauteous egg cups the other day, in a Lifeline shop, of all places. This may be the first thing of note I've ever found in a Lifeline.

I think these are 60s, I've had a couple of pairs before, which I've sold, but I've never yet seen a harlequin set of 4. These are going straight to the pool room!....as the saying goes.

I also found this fabulous 50s ashtray last week. Love it!

Pink probably wouldn't be my choice of colour, if I could choose, but it does match the 'wheelbarrow' one below, which I showed you not long ago.

I'm having quite a good run with 50s collectables lately, cross fingers it continues.

Tomorrow I'm off to TVM again, yay! It's the only outdoor market I'll do, even though I have to get up at stupid o'clock and drive over an hour to get there...so that tells you it must be pretty darned good.

Founded on 'frustration and a need for fashion' on the cultural wasteland that is the Gold Coast, the 2 young organisers have built TVM up to a massive 60 stalls, selling a variety of vintage, jumble & emerging designer fashion and retro/vintage homewares.

I'll be offering a FANTASTIC special on vintage costume rings, which is for TVMers only, a great vintage fashion sale table plus heaps of new stock, including some fabulous vintage hats just in from the USA, tons of sterling marcasite rings and a selection of 1970s tooled leather handbags.

Open 8am-1pm at Burleigh Heads State School Oval on the Pacific Highway, drop in and have a look if you're close by....because everyone finds something they love at TVM.