Retail Therapy on a Budget

  
Last year I didn't often get out and into the secondhand shops because I never seemed to be out of school before they closed and weekends tended towards quiet time at home (and I'm seeing the trend continue this year, at least regarding weekends).  This year, with the lack of money but much more time, I'm occasionally calling in to a couple on the way home from hospital appointments when I'm in need of retail therapy.  Not working for Term 4 last year and not going to be working Term 1 this year has seen my tighten the purse strings a bit when it comes to retail therapy but some days I am in desperate need to purchase something, sometimes anything, in the attempt for a bit of a mood boost.  So I'm more inclined to head to a secondhand shop than say the local shopping centre where I might be tempted into buying clothes (I very rarely find anything clotheswise I like at secondhand shops and admittedly I hardly ever look for them, being more inclined towards homewares and craft supplies)

Luckily I haven't resorted to buying any old junk yet (although we won't ask MR to comment here), at a pinch a chocolate eclair or a vanilla cannoli will go a long way - a purchase and comfort food all in one, my goodness, hello 10 minutes of happiness.

 This cute decorative glass is a bit like one I eye off in David Jones everytime I go there however it was $2 instead of $89 so it got to come home with me too.

Even though I haven't taught since September, I still can't help myself and $4 for over a metre of fabric in a cute number print was just too good to turn down.  Super Number Star capes for students to wear for the day if they work really hard at recognising their numbers or counting objects perhaps?  I've certainly got plenty of time to sew them!  And the buttons?  Well, I do have a bit of a weakness for pretty buttons.  Especially cheap, pretty buttons.

And this tin was just too cute to stay  behind.  It's not really my style but I'm thinking it might just feature in a destash of crafty supplies giveaway in the not too distant future.  And the doileys speak for themselves really don't they?

 

 

And that was me happy for another week.  Although, I have to admit I did also win an expensive leather bag from a shoe shop and on the way back to the car after picking it up I may have gotten confused gone in the completely wrong direction and stumbled accidentally into Kikki K to buy a diary and oops, Witchery was in my path just across the road on the real way back to the car and they had a sale so I also may have bought a cobalt blue tunic singlet for $20.  Small discrepancies. 



 
Joining in with Flea Market Finds

 

Decisions, decisions...

Now that I am Oh-So-Close to finishing the pink granny blanket (I have woven in alllllll the ends (which took a lot less time than I thought it would) and done an edging but decided that I want the edging to be a bit wider so am going to do another couple of rounds before taking final photos) I am starting to think 'what next?' 

I haven't quite worked it out yet but I have narrowed it down to something from one of these books, two of which I received Christmas 2010 and the other Christmas 2011, and all of which I have not made a Single Thing From.  Dreadful!  The other components I have narrowed it down to are a) something which is quick and not too difficult and b) something which does not require much/anything to be purchased.

I know one thing... I am going to have fun deciding!
 
 
 

In other Very Good Thing news - we have bought a matching tall boy (second hand from gumtree, so excited to find a matching one listed!) for its brother in the bedroom so the unmatching old one is going to be shifted to the craft room for fabric and bits and pieces storage.  Craft room Order and Organisation, here I come!  Secondary Good Thing - new display space!  Yay! (The other tall boy in the bedroom has a TV and a playstation on it... very attractive display that)

13/366 ::For the craft room and MR's sanity::
A new set of drawers for the bedroom means an old set of drawers for the craft room.  Time to finally finish setting up the craft room and making it beautiful! (hence easing MR's mind at my insane levels of clutter)

12/366 ::For myself::
I've started to see a kinaeseologist in an attempt to work through my issues (along with the help of counsellors at the hospital) and get my body back in working order.  Fingers crossed
 

I just can't help myself...

Tonight I was going to try and go to bed before midnight but I watched Jersey Girl on TV and it left me feeling a bit sad in regards to the whole wife dying business.  Not that I have a wife who died, or a husband for that matter.  But people dying in hospital hits a nerve with me at the moment (apparently, because I'm still teary and the movie ended an hour ago).  It's odd how that happens.  You think, yeah I'm cool with everything, I'm going good, I'm getting better, life is great-ish and then you see/hear/smell something that brings back not so cool memories and all of a sudden life is not so great-ish anymore and you are a sookybum.  Well, that's how it works in my world anyhow.  And I was the sick one.  I can only imagine what it would be like to be on the other end of the stick and how all those worries would come flooding back after watching that movie.  Especially seeing as I had no idea what it was about.  I saw Liv Tyler was in it and I thought, oh yeh, I could watch that while I work on this blasted pink granny rug which I am truly beginning to be considerably annoyed at for taking so long to finish.  I think Liv Tyler is very beautiful, and Ben Affleck has his moments of appeal as well. 

So instead of going to bed and feeling sad, rehashing my hospital stay and not being able to sleep, I'm going to do my Flea Market Finds post for tomorrow, which is now today but I haven't slept yet so it is still yesterday.  If you catch my drift.  I haven't joined in a Fleak Market Finds for a very long time, so it's nice to be back with some second hand goodness.

Not working at the moment means I shouldn't really be spending money.  Things are going to be a little bit tight this year and I have been trying to keep that in mind but well, the title says it all.  Especially when they are such gorgeously covered old sewing books.  And only $3.60 each!  How could I resist?  Really!

Hopefully I will be able to use them to make clothes that actually fit and that I'll actually wear.  That would be nice.  But I'd have to get my sewing machine out first.  Still waiting for that motivation to strike!

I also picked up a couple of old pillowcases and a patchwork magazine with a quilt I sort of like the idea of.  MR's Mum has offered to make us a quilt if I find a pattern I like and choose the fabrics.  I am not letting go of an offer like that!  She offered a couple of years ago but I am yet to see a pattern I like in its entirity. 

Where do you get your quilting patterns from?  I think it is time to start looking in earnest rather than just keeping an eye out!


Head over to Sophie's for more second handery!
 

Coincidences

For my birthday, my birthday buddy at school brought in a delicious homemade pavlova with strawberries and passionfruit and cream and it was just delightful.  She brought in the pavlova on a very very cool old pavlova plate that had the recipe in the middle and you bake the pav on the plate in the oven and serve it up on it too, great idea if you ask me because moving a big pavlova can sometimes be a bit tough.  I oohed and ahhed over the plate (and the pavlova) and my workmate told me that she had been gifted the plate when she was 16 and had been using it ever since.  She'd be in her 50's now.

A couple of weeks later I was heading off to do my food shopping and peered in the window of my local oppie as I went past, only to see a plate exactly the same sitting on a shelf!  Well, I raced straight in and picked it up for just $5, as well as a couple of pairs of old knitting needles for a dollar each.  What a lucky coincidence that was!  I haven't used the plate yet, will have to find an occasion to make a pavlova soonish though!

For more op shop treasures head over to Her Library Adventures and if you haven't yet, head over here to enter my giveaway!