Hello Melbourne
I may have shopped.
This street art is just made with water – so awesome!
On the way there I had only a suitcase the size of carry on baggage allowed – 3 dresses, 1 extra pair of shoes and undies and togs. About 7kg! I was impressed with myself. (by the time we left I doubled my weight, both the suitcase and my own I suspect!!)
Course the suitcase I chose has a zip-out extension – just in case.
On Friday we started at the Queen Vic markets – I do love a good food market!
Then we wandered the central city in the morning and while The Atlas was filling our water bottle up at the cool filtered water station I may have popped in to look at a shoe shop and popped out 5 minutes later with 2 pairs of shoes. Ahem.
We checked out a wonderful chocolate shop in the Royal Arcade KoKo Black. In the morning I had stopped a girl in a pastry queue to tell her how great her outfit was and how cute she looked and then bumped into her serving us at the KoKo Black stall in the market.
In the afternoon we headed up Brunswick street which is just out of the CBD (we walked there though so it’s not that far). The shops and area reminded me a lot of parts of Cuba St in Wellington. The Atlas picked up some awesome limited print run t-shirts. Meet Me At Mikes has obviously closed there but it was fun to get the photo!
Then in the evening we headed into Chinatown for dinner which was great fun and good food.
On Saturday The Atlas surprised me with an op-shop tour he had booked me in to! I do love that man. Obviously he wasn’t planning on a day rummaging – so he sorted my travel card, gave me cash and a large empty bag/case and walked me to the group meeting point. (He’s such a catch right??)
The tour was lots of fun we went to about 6 op-shops, stopped for lunch and had fun rummaging. I met a lovely Melbourne Fashion/Op-Shop blogger and another new-to-blogging mummy blogger on the tour too – we are everywhere!
Many of the op-shops in Melbourne are really nice. Well styled windows, lovely shop assistants (young with great style) and the marketing - particularly for the Salvation Army op-shops – is done so well. By the time you leave you feel like you have just made a major difference to the homeless by choosing to shop there.
In the evening we had an amazing Vietnamese meal with The Atlas’ cousin and his lovely wife.
We were so pleased to get home to our beautiful boys last night and we’d definitely be happy to visit
Melbourne again anytime. There is so much more to see and do there.
I even managed to do some crafting in the airport and on the plane.
(I think normal programming will resume tomorrow – it depends how much unpacking happens today!!)
Wardrobe Wednesday – A little light Charleston?
So I am so not built for the late 20s/ early 30s but this week I was going for capturing a bit of the era. I know the coat isn’t of the era but I do love it.
I would have loved long strands of pearls (fake are fine) to complete the look but I don’t have any so I used some of my school-fair 50c strands in blue.
The shoes are from Hannahs and I’ve had them for a couple of years now – I love the way they look (they aren’t very comfy though!)
The dress is the latest acquisition – I bought it at another SaveMart in Christchurch on Saturday. It is super comfy – think stretchy and soft and I have a feeling it might actually be a nighty – not that that stopped me wearing it to church.
Outfit breakdown:
Coat – bought in an op-shop about 9 years ago – original 1960s number.
Dress – $9.99 Save Mart Christchurch
Beads – 50c per strand school fair – bracelet is a long string of beads too
Shoes – Hannahs 2-3 years old
Tights – ancient!!
Headband – from one of those accessory shops in the malls about 3 years ago
Lipstick – a Lancome one I inherited from my sister ’172 rouge cristal’
So if you are like me and you like spying in other people’s wardrobes you can see some in these lovely places
or you can have a look through my wardrobe
and if you join in with Sailor Spy you might win prizes!!
Wardrobe Wednesday – Apres Ski
Okay so I can tell you with all certainty I don’t look glamorous or even presentable every day.
In the spirit of sharing I have included a selection of my holiday outfits at the Mt. John Observatory, on the ski field, ice skating. I know I am SO stylish!!! 
This is my actual outfit of the week. I bought this at SaveMart in Timaru on the way home (we took a little detour). One strap needed re-sewing, very quick job – a reason for getting rid of a dress?? Maybe its original owner hated mending as much as I do.
Outfit:
Dress – $11.99 SaveMart Timaru
Top – Zara UK
Necklace – homemade, you like?
Shoes – The Warehouse – $5 on sale
I have been inspired by some layering going on by some of the Wardrobe Wednesday ladies. I love that this dress will also work for summer. Super comfy, stretchy, lightweight….
See what others are wearing over at Nin’s place.
Leave them a comment they’ll be stoked.
Op-Shop Swap
I was partnered with Deb for the winter op-shop.
Deb is such a lovely person and I had fun buying stuff I thought she would like.
I bought some napkins and embroidered her family members names on them so now they have a personalised set. I know Deb tries to only use fabric napkins so I hope these will be well used.
Wardrobe Wednesday #20 – The Re-Mix!
Due to my rebellion on week 1 this is my first remix for ‘remix May’.
Apologies for the photos this week The Atlas was running late out the door and I couldn’t be bothered re-shooting!!(it explains why my face is cut off in most of them, oh and it’s driving me nuts that the belt and cardi are all off centre! – I’m a bit precious like that sometimes!)
So $8 portmans/op-shop dress mixed with
Tights, belt, necklace and cardi all hand-me-downs from my sister (I know what does she have left in her own!??!)
Boots from Debenhams (UK department store) bought about 6 years ago
I think this outfit looked better in real life…. so you’ll have to trust me on that
See what other lovelies are re-mixing here and enter your self the prize is AWESOME!
Cool Christchurch Finds
Living inChristchurch at the moment seems to engage a strong sense of loyalty to the city for, for me anyway.
This week I have had some cool finds that I wanted to share.
North City Op-Shop on Sawyers Arms Rd. This is huge and the day they went there all the books were free. I was impressed with the range and their store itself is about the size of the SaveMart stores but still priced like a proper church op-shop.
On the same trip we popped into the St Vinnies store across from the Northlands Mall and I picked up this cool rag rung. I have been thinking of making one but some wonderful person is making them for the St Vinnies and they are only charging $5!!
And these cute, cute glasses.
I’ve also stopped at a dairy in Sydenham (which is currently a lot of empty lots!) This awesome owner has brought in a shipping container and powered it up and kept going. I love that, good on him for making it work as Tim Gunn would say. He also sells the cheapest bananas in Chch for 99c a kilo.
Photos of the thrifty finds I picked up on an opshopping venture with wonderful sister.
I’m going to use the big Mercer Mayer book for wrapping paper for small things.
Fill A Bag…
Lovely little church op-shop
A Selection of Fabric
Fill a bag for $5
pillowcase
Really could I resist?
Some of the Books
No clearly I couldn’t
Hello Buttons
$10 for a good cause
Doilies
and some new treasures (insert husband rolling eyes at this point).
Scarves
These photos are only from bag one.
Pink Sheet
Good times.
Classic Pictures
I am getting a bit of a collection of floral pink sheets now and I have a plan in mind.
Gorgeous Book
This page from another of the books (there were a couple more) is SO me. From a book called ‘Grandmother Lucy and Her Hats’ 1968.
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