Volunteering at a charity store equals amazing bargains!

I volunteered at a charity store today, and totally loved it!

It was a really rewarding experience for me. Volunteering somewhere like a charity store is not only environmentally conscious (encouraging the process of recycling), but giving back to the local and international community through the donations raised by the store.
Not to mention the sheer amount of goodies I got to dig through and find some gems!

See the full story over at Second Hand Jayne!

x

saturday seconds - vintage leather boots

the first thing i did when i got home (once i had had a good cuddle session with my kitty, my puppy and my mum... and then a shower) was go second hand shopping with my mum. seems a little odd, but i'd been hanging out for a good thrift since i came across some vintage stores in a marketplace in japan (and let's be honest, i'm totally addicted to second hand stores... it's like treasure hunting!), so it was extra satisfying to start browsing the shelves of pre-loved goodies in the thrift stores i visited.
today however, i made a vintage thrifting find that i am really extra chuffed with. a lot of the time, i just go to charity stores, so the goodies i get, while being second hand, usually aren't that old. this time, however, i took myself to a vintage store near my house which is totally reasonably priced! (considering that the 'v' word is like saying the 'w' word... once it's 'vintage', or for a 'wedding', the price tags skyrocket).

and i found these babies...

 

vintage leather calf height boots! oh how i love them!!
i love the pocket detail and the buckle at the top of the back seam. and what made it so sweet was that they cost me $25...
what is amazing is that they are in perfect condition, all i had to do was put in a pair of insoles.

 **UPDATE!**

the boots first outing :)

x

my first wedding goodies purchase (from a second hand store, of course!)

i have been keeping my eye out for goodies for the wedding, things like possible table decorations (vases, port glasses to be made into votive candles, etc), practical things (plates, glasses, cutlery) and other bits and pieces (material for decorations, table cloths, etc) in second hand stores since i got engaged. here are the first ones i've found that i had to buy. i haven't actually decided what they are going to be yet (i was thinking of maybe making a cookie stand out of them for the dessert table?) but they match the colour theme i am aiming for and really have that vintage feel :)

wow, it's kind of beginning to seriously hit home that i am getting married (you'd think that the ring on my left hand would have tipped me off, but i actually think it made it all the more fairytale-esque in my head). of course i've been doing a lot of day dreaming about all the details, but now that i have something that i can physically touch that has no other purpose than to be used on the day it's making my heart jump a little!

oh, and you'll probably also notice one of my little creatures in the top left of the picture. whenever i get the camera out they seem to do their best to be everywhere i point it!


x

30 for 30 day thirty!!!

oh my gosh!! last day of my challenge! and by way of fortune (or compulsory dress regulations) i had to wear a special shirt that was embroidered for the trip, as we met the mayor of the japanese city we are staying in, and toured the city.
i stuck to the rules for the rest of my outfit!

shoes (second hand store), jeans (mum's second hand store),

invisible belt (mum's wardrobe).

but check out the traditional japanese gardens we were walking through! such amazing scenery!

x

30 for 30 day twenty nine

training in japan!!! 

(jeans, slightly invisible belt and scarf - mum's 2nd hand store, singlet - old work)

first traditional japanese meal
 

i am having the most amazing time over in japan!! as i'm over here for a martial arts based holiday (i train in karate and kobudo, which is traditional japanese weaponry) i've trained at several different dojos over here, which all focus in different styles of martial arts, it's been amazing!! anyway, back to the main point of this post (day 29) this photo is after an hour and a half of training, so i'm looking the best, and i'm slightly not yet fully dressed after getting out of my karate gear, so add a jacket (second hand store) and thongs (hand-me-down) and that was day 29!

x

30 for 30 day twenty eight

shoe cheat!! i'm so guilty! and the camera was out about 30 seconds

after we got off the plane...

it's dress weather in the daytime in japan!! we had an overnight flight, so as soon as we landed i "freshened up" and got changed for the nicer weather :)

sundress and shoes (2nd hand store), white blouse and shrug (my old work).

x

30 for 30 day twenty six

silk blouse, clogs, and necklace-gone-bracelet (second hand store),

belt (mum's wardrobe), jeans (mum's second hand store),

singlet (old work)

so i am flying out tomorrow! i will continue my 30 for 30 (for the last 3 days), but i won't have internet to share it with you until i get back after 2 weeks! however, i will be bringing loads of beautiful photos and stories to share :)

have a lovely 2 weeks everyone!

x

30 for 30 day twenty five

five days to go!

denim long shirt and belt (old work), sundress (second hand store),

thongs (hand-me-down).

x

30 for 30 day twenty four

denim shirt jacket and waist belt (old work), playsuit (mum's 2nd hand store),

thongs (hand-me-down), assorted bangles (collected over the years),

sunnies (cotton on).

check out the atti-tood... little bit of a dorky poser :P

x

30 for 30 day twenty

although i would have loved to have spent sunday (all day) on the beach, i had a few places to be so it was time to play weekend dress up. appologies for the blurry photo. for some reason my camera seems to have been in a grumpy mood sunday!

shirt and dress (old work), pocket watch necklace (tree of life),

clogs and bangle (second hand store)

x

30 for 30 day six

sun(shine and gelato)day!
the sun was beautiful today but the breeze was icy, so i just sat in the sun all day eating gelato :)
 

sunnies (cotton on), white blouse (old work), cossie top (thrifted), shorts and thongs (hand-me-down).

i've been playing around with the special effects on my camera, can you tell? haha. i think it makes the photos more interesting! and it's fun to play with all the goofy effects.

x

30 for 30 day four

oh my gosh. day four already.
i was actually pretty happy with myself for juggling todays outfit the way i did (can you see how modest i am?). but seriously, i went to a wedding, and then went straight to work, and managed to style an outfit in a way that i only had to change one item to make it kid friendly.

blouse, thick stockings and shoes (mum's 2nd hand store), beige singlet and denim shorts (old work, blah), pocket watch necklace (tree of life), bangle (thrift store), amazing jade ring that you can't really see but there will be a post about soon (mum's 2nd hand store).

and for work, i just swapped the silk blouse for a plain comfy tee (and took off my jewelery).

x

30 for 30 day three

jacket and singlet (my old work- blergh), short shorts (best friend hand-me-down), scarf and moccasins (mums 2nd hand store)

today it has finally hit a temperature which allowed for my beloved short shorts to live in the sun again! pity that my poor little pins haven't seen any of the golden rays all winter! this situation will be rectified soon, i assure you.
it was all about working with the weather today. i wanted to remain comfortable during the middle of the day when it was nice and warm, but be able to layer to keep warm as the sun went down and i was still in a classroom at uni. so i compromised. short shorts as a salute to the first day of spring, but a 3/4 jacket, scarf and loafers/moccasins to keep my toes toasty. worked a treat too, i was comfortable all day, inside and out, by taking on and off bits and pieces depending on the temperature.

x

my wonderful mum

works at a 2nd hand store in the city. and she has a brilliant eye for amazing recycled finds.
observe.

perfect fit. i was like cinderella, except in my track pants instead of a ball gown and running around my house instead of a castle. minor details really.
hey, i had the most important bit. the shoes.
check back later for an outfit with these babies. you shouldn't have to wait long.

x

saturday seconds - two amazing reasons to love the cold season!

here is the absolute king of my thrifting finds this week.

oh how i love them! from the lace-up detail to the elegant, vintage heel. they are really comfortable as well, and warm for winter.

 

 

i would put them under a mid-length dress or a midi skirt and with a feminine but clashy top. i'll take photos of the first time i wear them post them up here.
i'm not the biggest fan of boots over jeans, but i'm sure the colder weather will change my mind.

x

treasure chest

today's pre-loved treasure is brought to you from the sunshine coast (where it is still summer, bring on the 28 degree days!)

i used to have a bangle nearly exactly like this (that i of course bought from a second hand store), but i wore it so much that pieces of it fell off! some may think that this makes it sound dodgy, but it was just the fact that i wore it pretty much everywhere... sometimes to bed.

i love the wooden effect, couple that with gold detail and i'm a happily accessorised vintage fashionista.

chuck it with a few other matching bangles, or even just by itself, and it dresses up a plain outfit really nicely (with or without the necklace, i'm just still chuffed with it, so it's in there).

x

hands up for hand-me-downs

when my best friends have throw outs, my life gets brighter. especially when said best friend has a wicked fashion sense! (see here for her awesome blog all about her fashion, life and travel adventures)
plus it's a perfect way to reuse old clothes and reduce your environmental impact, with the bonus of knowing where the clothes are coming from.

today's addition to my wardrobe is this cute little denim dress. to make it a little more interesting i added a bit of pattern with the boob tube, and accessorised with a belt from my mum's wardrobe plus the necklace i made last week.
i was also planning a winter outfit in my head, involving thick socks, ankle boots and a snuggly scarf.

if there's one thing that makes winter fun, it's all the accessory options that open up because you can be as creative as your heart desires with layering. have fun!

x

crafty love (handmade gifts from the heart)

a cute little way to show your love with a thrifting gift!

 

i had the idea for this bottle of "my love" (the letters read: X MY LOVE) when i found the bottle in an op shop.
(my man thought it was the cutest thing ever when i gave him a bottle of my love to keep - yeah, i'm a sooky romantic when i want to be)

how did i make it?

1st: the letters were easy: cut out some letters from a piece of cardboard (from a used cereal box or something similar) and paint them, or you could cut them out of a magazine and stick them to cardboard for a bit of strength, then stick them to pegs.

2nd: the pegs are easily raidable from your parents laundry (my mum had heeaaaps), or if not, you can still buy wooden pegs out there at supermarkets, or get craft sized ones at arts and crafts stores (if the rest of the idea is eco, i'm sure we're forgiven for buying one thing new, as long as they're not plastic!).

3rd: the twine the letters are pegged onto and from around the top of the bottle came from under my kitchen sink.

4th: i measured out the string/twine, so that there was just enough to hang each end in the jar without touching the bottom, and wind around the neck a few times. then i pegged the letters to each end of the string and hung one end in the jar. i wound the middle of the string around the neck of the jar to provide a bit of an anchor to help hold the string the letters are hanging on in place, and then dropped the other end of the string in the jar so both ends were in. then i held the string in place with one hand as i screwed the lid on with the other.

now, a note to make this a little bit easier when screwing the jar lid on: try to have the string coming out of the bottle a little left of centre before you screw the jar lid on, because when you do, it drags the string with it as it turns. if you have the string a little left of centre and hold it tight, the lid should drag it straight as it turns right and tightens.

5th: tie a bit of extra twine in a bow around the lid to make it pretty.

and to finish; give it to someone you love!

x

saturday seconds

as i mentioned yesterday, i am a lover of second hand goodies. couple this with the fact that my best friend and i have a weekend tradition of browsing second hand shops for treasures (in reality we're more like kids waiting at a lolly store door with their allowance, waiting for it to open so we can rush in and clear the shelves as quickly as possible, so really if i wanted to be honest, i should say 'raid' here instead of 'browse'), and we have the second addition to my envisioned list of regular blog updates.

and i have dubbed it 'saturday seconds'! (as you can see)
so if you are interested in second hand shopping (which is also referred to as op shopping for future kim-slang reference), then this is the post for you.

Today's reason for excitement is:

pretty vintage, floral print blouse!!
(excuse the excessive punctuation use but i really am that excited)

i'm starting to collect goodies for my winter wardrobe, and i am also a lover of earthy colours, floral prints and flowy, feminine cuts. and vintage style. so this top is a winner all round.
it can go both ways season-wise. with shorts for an cute autumn throw on.

or with tights, boots and a plain or matched jacket for a full winter out fit.

plus a little bit of dress up fun :)

love x