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!

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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 :)

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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!


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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!

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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!

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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).

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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!

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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).

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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

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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)

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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.

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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).

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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.

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saturday seconds

today i went op shopping to find a pair of suitable shoes to dress up as a spice girl for my friend's birthday party. instead i found these...

amazing, cute, comfortable (no lies) clogs. $6. also, no lies.
they look a little big in the bottom photo because i was being a bit goofy when i was taking the pictures. they actually are pretty much the perfect size. i've never really been a fan of black, but these have a dark wood (imitation) heel, and the buckle finishes them off nicely.

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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.

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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.

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treasure chest

i went out for a quick op shop this morning, and i found a goldmine of goodies. this necklace was only $2.

i love the rose detail, and it is long enough to double as a bracelet (albeit a big one).

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saturday seconds

i've been searching for some unique candle holders for a little while now as i have tonnes of candles in my house, but no holders. so because of this i have a lot of wax on the cabinets, tables, desks and bedside tables in my house.
so when i saw these cute little jars while thrifting this morning, i straight away had an awesome idea for them.

candle jars!

i cleaned them out after i bought them and dropped in some of the candles i had lying around the house. i'm also thinking of pouring a few drops of essential oil around the bottom of the candle, so as the candle heats up the air inside the jar, it will hopefully diffuse the essential oil into the air.

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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).

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saturday seconds! (a day early)

this striking 3/4 jacket is my new autumn love! (courtesy of op shopping of course)

i've worn it with everything since i took these photos (including the necklace i put together a few weeks ago).

one outfit that i've yet to try out (that i'm waiting for a lovely evening outing to dress up for) involves a cute but sexy black dress and the jacket. a long necklace to accessorise, and a cute but sexy pair of chocolate heels to match.

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