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blissful weekend...

This weekend was spent travelling at our own pace down the beautiful Mornington peninsula

Eating one of Melbournes "top five" best custard squares, and finding my new favourite drink.

Stumbling accross a tiny wee op shop and finding a new treasure, a china bust to add to my collection.

Spending the evening catching up with old friends, and eating pancake parlour....mmmmm

Playing pool very badly




Spending a foggy sunday morning at the Camberwell markets, unearthing some bargins!

Including a 1960's boy scout cook book, two dresses, a skirt and a wool hat...

And then making a wholesome dinner and going to bed!

Next weekend we are doing the great ocean road...I don't like sitting around doing nothing!

Shoes, tights and thermal as per previous.

Dress $10 from the sallies.

Hope you all had a good weekend too!

shopping.

Was going to go shopping today, but was thwarted by the agency....so I got changed and went to work instead!

Thermal: one of the wool ones I brought over from NZ, i'm so glad I did , they cost a fortune here!

Dress: Found at the Camberwell markets, and then hemmed etc..it has pockets!

Belt: savers

I need a haircut!

Arapiles adventure!

Sunset little desert park

Arapiles again!

Arapiles...great view

No diving in the non-existent Natimuk lake

Queen of my castle!

We spent the previous weekend travelling around the Grampians/Arapiles area in a little rental car. And it was amazing!

We stayed in a deserted campground in a basic, but ancient caravan. Once upon a time it was apparently a popular holiday spot, but a few years back the lake it is beside dried up.

This gives the campground a kind of sad/creepy air...there is signs around the lake warning people not to dive in the lake, or swim in the water sking lane..and a jetty that leads to nowhere.

The boyfriend managed to get in a bit of rock climbing, and we climbed to the top of the Arapiles...the view was amazing, and well worth the gut busting climb!

The Grampians were also beautiful, even in the rain...there is so much wildlife!

Even though I did'nt think there would be any op shops open the weekend, I was lucky and noticed one open when we drove back through Beaufort.

And I scored a sweet wee tan leather clutch with an oversized button toggle.

love it!

a short post...

Just to say i have not disappeared, the darn computor has been on the blink and then i went on holiday! I plan to post my holiday photos soon...

But because i am terribly tired I will leave you with this outfit photo from last week.

Dress: Savers Dandenong

Tights: from a plus size shop in NZ (they come up almost to my armpits, but they do fit my legs and bum!)

Shoes: introducing my new shoes..you will be seeing alot of them! I had given up on the idea of knee high boots - they either won't fit my calves or sag around my ankles - giving me "cankles".

So i decided mary-janes were the way to go I wanted a leather pair (they last longer), but they are so terribly expensive. It had got to the point where i was willing to pay the money for them though, because i had nothing to wear in cold weather. and i kept getting wet/cold feet. Although i like the open toe/tights look that others seem to pull off, the small practical nurse like person who lives inside me (she has a very loud voice!) told me that i find it hard enough to find tights without ruining them. So, to cut a long story short, just when i was about to give in to temptation, the thrifting faries smiled at me and I found these all leather babies in an op-shop in Brunswick. I love them.

all jewellery is thrifted.

Night!

epic journey to savers

Today the boyfriend and I decided ( as in I decided and the boyfriend followed) to go to Savers in Frankston. So far I have been to three Savers since we moved here, and I have decided that Frankston Savers is the best, as it seems to have more stuff, and lots of nice pieces.
As we have no car we travel by foot, or public transport...which is not always on time, or even running for that matter.
Which was the case today, as part of the Frankston train line was being repaired, because we could not bear the thought of making the last part of our journey via a windy bus route we decided to head to Dandenong Savers instead.
I have read some reviews of Savers that report Dandenong being one of the best, but I found it to be pretty average, esp the mens area. There was'nt much in the womens clothing area either, though I did pick up a bright purple dress, an awesome pair of dark denim jeans, and an unusual cardi (all now in the wash!).
BUT, the book area was great...like a libary, and if you have small feet (ie size 8 and under) there are lots of cute vintage style leather shoes, piles of them...go check it out..if you live in Melbourne!
I attempted to wear in a pair of my vintage all leather heels today..my feet are killing me!
This is the first time I have worn the high-waisted jeans/tucked in top combo, and i'm not so sure it works? What do you guys think?

high waisted jeans!

Or as high as i'm willing to go anyway, technically there are supposed to be "midwaist" jeans, but I am happy with them! I got them from Target...they are much better looking in real life, but I liked this photo because of the reflection!

The dress below is one of my most recent finds from the Camberwell markets, it is soft and hangs well, though I think I should make it a bit shorter...

I also brought the most amazing black lace dress....I will post photos soon!

The Dandenongs

After a somewhat rocky start (got lost wandering the suburbs for an hour) the boyfriend and I rented a car and spent the day in the Dandenong ranges.
And it was lovely! The weather was perfect and the area is just stunning.

We visited the William Ricketts sanctuary, a truly amazing place, full of beautiful sculptures by an amazingly talented man.

I got the jacket above from the sallies, it was missing all its buttons and was too big...but I altered it and put on some buttons and tada! a new favourrite jacket!

These are all fired clay that were then moulded onto boulders and cliff faces, the detail is

mind- boggling!

The boyfriend posing in Olinda.

Tomorrow we are off to the Camberwell markets again...wish me luck!

I'm sick too....

It seems in the blogging world at the moment (and probably in the real world too) everyone has a cold. Well I have also, unwillingly, joined the trend and am feeling somewhat sorry for myself.

I'm sure its not the mexican flu though!

All this mexican flu stuff reminds me of when everyone was all a flutter about SARS (excuse the pun). The hospital I was working at at the time had all the medical staff fitted with special long wearing facemasks. It was made pretty clear to us that if the worst happend and a major outbreak occured we were expected to turn up to work (regardless of whether we were rostered on or not) and work until we died or dropped from exhaustion.

What a great job!

Late morning I crawled out of bed and decided today was the day to wear my new leather jacket. It is so comfy and fits like it was made for me, and is offically new favourite thing!

I got it for $10 from the op shop near the Chapel street bazar, given how overpriced the op shops here tend to be I was terribly excited!


The top I scored from the salvos in St Kilda, along with some russian stacking dolls(love those things!) and a travel book for the great land of Aus!

Introducing my new canvas wedge heels scored from savers....

And a double score...

Not one but TWO pairs of vintage style all leather heels, one pair not even worn!

I find it SO hard to find vintage shoes, they are either made for people with tiny little midgit feet, or are so narrow that i can't even get my big toe into them.

So finding these were a huge score for me.

I found both pairs on a massive op shopping trip i did down the Frankston line...I spent all day getting on and off the train, getting all sorts of bargins, I didn't come home until 8pm!

I'm sure you will get to see all my other treasures as I wear them!

I'm off to eat some piklets with jam and cream....

because I can!

living it up!

So we are now officially living our lives in Melbourne and we love it!

Both of us have jobs, and tho i don't like mine much it is well paid so i can't really complain..

I realise now that when i last lived here i thought i had seen alot of what the city had to offer, but in reality i saw very little. So the boyfriend and i have spent the last few weeks exploring the suburbs and the laneways and the markets as much as we can.

The boyfriend being the sweet soul that he is has been pointing out op shops for me to explore, and coming home and telling me of ones he has seen on his travels...poor misguided boy!

We are also no longer homeless, as we are now in a lovely sharehouse a stones throw from the beach in brighton, perfect!

The outfit photo above has been taken in our new bedroom (it came fully furnished and decked out like a hotel, little soaps and a mini bar!) and the dress i am wearing is one of three that i got from the Camberwell markets (i love them!), this dress has pockets and cost me a whole $2 and is so very comfy. I then had to pay an exorbinant amount to have the hem and the sleeves altered, so when we moved into our new abode our landlords asked if there was anything we would like them to find for us?(they are VERY accomodating!) and i said "do you happen to have a sewing machine that i could borrow while i'm here?"

Well the next day they turned up with not one but THREE sewing machines, one of them an old treadle singer..........I'm sure i will be able to make use of at least one of them!

So far I have been to 2 of the Savers stores, and i plan to put up the treasure i got later..

one of the best things i have thrifted so far, from the op shop in Oakleigh is the book "the far pavillions" by M M Kaye.

I started reading this book years ago, when i was prehaps 9 or 10, but i found it too hard to get into so i gave up, but now i love it!i have been reading it at every possible moment and i don't know what i will do with myself when i finish it....

Hope you are all well!

Melbourne, day three.

We are still basically jobless, but the boyfriend has got a job trial on Tuesday so we are hoping that goes well...

Despite the fact there is still a worldwide cronic nursing shortage, I have still not got work, tho I have signed up with an agency. It is the weirdest feeling for me because I have never had to really LOOK for a job before, I have always had hospitals/agencies fighting to get me, or any nurse for that matter! they are still desperate, but more worried about there budgets at the mo!

Today we went and looked at the MOST filthy share house I have ever seen, it was so bad it should have been condemed...stinking piles of rubbish everywhere.

So even tho it was cheap we turned it down...

We are hoping to get a call about another place tomorrow.

T get full use out of our day tickets for the train we went to Prahran and then out to Brighton, I spent all of my wage shopping in Prahran when i last lived here!

Have just come back from a great dumpling dinner in chinatown...mmmmmmm

My outfit above is all new except the shoes, but the soles are stating to fall off so i hope to get them fixed tomorrow!

Melbourne

We have arrived, a bit worse for wear and a bit grumpy and tired, but in one piece! (very dramatic for a 3 and a half four flight!). I now have to find an interview outfit that hides all my tattoos and get a job, no pressure! I saw an op shop round the corner from the hostel we are staying at, so I will check it out tomorrow.....

today i wore....

Blue and white flower print dress, tan leather belt, merino cardy, and brown boots.

All thrifted!

I was tagged by lovely Rachael at http://fruitinabox.blogspot.com/ to reveal '7 things you may not know about me'.

1. I am a constant traveller, I think I might be settled and then I start finding myself planning my next destination.

2. I have seven tattoos, but have been tattooed a total of eleven times!

3. I love friends (the T.V show), I could watch it all day, it never ceases to be funny!

4. I have partied with jackaroos and jillaroos

5. I have a small mole on my lower lip, people are always thinking its a bit of chocolate and trying to get me to wipe it off!

6. Despite my boyfriends love of rock climbing I hate it, really, it bores me to tears.

7. I went and lived in the scottish highlands just because I was reading the "cross stitch" series at the time and I wanted to see what it was like! (I spent months trying to find the standing stone circle that is supposed to be near Inverness, according to the book, but never found it!)

so i'm going to tag:

Ana at http://ondressingup.blogspot.com/

Andrea at http://acatofimpossiblecolour.blogspot.com/

Lavender at http://lavenderandyolk.blogspot.com/

Milla at http://thelittlehousebythesea.blogspot.com/

Rosina Lee at http://rosinalee.blogspot.com/

Trish at http://trishhunterfinds.blogspot.com/

gotta go!off to dinner!

excuse my absence...

I have not disappeared! For the last week or so I have been without the internet, I didn't realise how much it would be missed!

The photo above was taken after my work leaving dinner, my lovely workmates gave me the bunch of flowers ( only the second I have ever recieved in my life, take note boyfriend). My dress is a very cute handmade number, from savemart (again!), it has little feathers all over it.

Despite the great fabric this was the first time I have ever worn it, mostly because the waist is a bit tight ( goading me into losing weight), and the facing on the neckline is extremly stiff.

But because I loved wearing it so much the other night it is now packed away with ONLY THREE other dresses ( yes THREE!) in my suitcase, and will be coming with me to Melbourne, where it will hopefully live happily ever after!

The lovely Racheal at http://fruitinabox.blogspot.com/ has tagged me, which I hope to answer tomorrow, but what I want to know is how do I then tag other bloggers? and how do they then know that I have tagged them? I find this all so terribly difficult!

Blah Blah

Am feeling a bit blah......

We head off to Melborne in a week and have no money and no jobs lined up, but we have to go because there is no work here! ( the boyfriend got made redundant a few weeks ago, and lines up with heaps of other guys every morning at the job agency looking for work!)

Hopefully we find something!

I found this dress ages ago, but shortend it and took it in last weekend, but I still don't like it...i'm so fussy!

I can't believe how many dresses I have...over 40! And I had sold around 20....but it barely made a dent in my collection.

Mum and I have spent the day cutting my wardrobe down to an acceptable level ( ie - will actully fit in my suitcase) and I made my sisters wedding cake...three tiers..it actully looks pretty good!

hope all you guys are having a great day!

had my tattoo redone today.....

OUCH!!!

Did nothing today...

just slopped aroud killing time before i went to work, but i threw this on to go to the tattoo palour to organise my next tattoos.

I got this top from cotton on a few months ago...it is a size XL (very depressing) but i find their sizes super small, i'm pretty flat chsted and tend to wear a size 10 - 12 up top !

so i loved the top and brought it in a "must buy something!" mood last time i was in chch. Then i wore it the whole day and decided it was too small and i felt fat so i banished it to the bottom of my draws..

And there it stayed, until last week when i ran out of clean tops(the perils of shift work!) and i had to put it on...and it DOES fit, and its so comfy and i love it!

the birthday boy...

Today it was the boyfriends 'unoffical' birthday...technicaly it is his real birthday tomorrow...but i'm working tomorrow so we had it today!

I spent the morning at the car boot markets, and i got this fab skirt...its really more red than my stupid camera shows, and its a weird length, but i kinda like it!

I wore this to go hunt for my treasures...i found the t-shirt for $4 at the car boot markets a few weeks ago...i'm hoping the scary tiger face will scare off people trying to buy things i like at the markets! I also got a kimono style dress, a silky bodysuit, a cute wee jersy and the sweetest book, full of old valentines day cards and the stories behind them...its so, well, sweet!?

the birthday boy!

I found him a whole pile of secondhand t-shirts (it took me ages to find them in good nick and in colours he would wear and in the right size!) and i got him a brain tease thing, plus the bike i got him a few weeks back!lucky boy!!

then i made him a lovely dinner (if i do say so myself)

hes already planning my bday!?

ANTIQUE AND RETRO FAIR!

My outfit..the best I could come up with after I had slept in!

I want all of this....especially the nesting tables..

They wanted over $400 for this formica table and chair set...I laughed quietly to myself, I I have a bigger table, in better condition, that I paid only $50 for, after smiling nicely at the guy at the local climbing centre! (the boyfriend is an avid rock climber, and i was bored..)

I want all of this too...except for the lamp! I already have the crown lynn swan..

The clothing racks...some lovely stuff, but I am soooooo very poor

Today the boyfriend and I went to the antique and retro fair in sunny Nelson, it was great!Most things were too expensive for me, but i managed to pick up some old school journals and a beautifully illustrated russian fairytale book from the 70's!The story was a bit bloodthirsty, but just when i thought the ending was going to be sad, the book took a magical turn and everything had a happy ending!As fairytales do......

Shopping day!

so today i went shopping again, and i also have failed to figure out how to get my posts looking organised, the pictures are all over the place!i think i will end up having to ask the lovely Ana B at http://ondressingup.blogspot.com/ how to do this stuff!

The top picture is the alpaca jumper i found at the local car boot sales, i fell in love with this because of the neckline, it is black ,red, and white embroided in a kind of floral aztec pattern, its label says it was made in mexico, 1971!?The next photo is of my new oversize super soft light grey wool jumper, i love the pattern on it(see next photo down), and the price, it cost me 33 cents!( i got three things for $1) i can see that this jumper will be a staple over winter......

The next two photos down show my new dress and jacket, and bracelet, which i got from savemart...i love savemart...i have been to every one in the south island (i believe that the invercargill one is best for retro/vintage)! I haven't been to the north island yet (i know!) but me and the boyfriend now plan to move to wellington in 5 months, so i will have a whole new island to explore!

Anyway, back to the new dress.....i saw it on the rack and new i HAD to have it and that it HAD to fit me...even though its a size 10...and by some kind of miricle it does!admitedly it is a bit firm under the bust, but who cares, it gives me great cleavage, and believe me that is a hard thing for me to get!i love the details at the top of the dress and the soft cotton fabric...

The jacket is a handmade number...it has a wee label in it that says " fiona margetts, seamstress", i love it!its such a cute wee jacket, so comfy!

The next two pictures are of another 33cent number, its such a beautiful dress, its sheer and changes colour in the light, but somebody has mistreated it terribly and it has big holes torn in the skirt, so i plan to shorten it and make it into a top...i love the frills!

and then we have me in my brand new dress from stax...i plan to wear it at my sisters hens party, with my new shoes from the wharehouse(of all places!) and the velvet blazer i found at the car boot markets........

And finally, this photo shows what i actully wore today, while i was finding all my new treasures!

I am finally starting to feel better, after being struck down by a tummy bug last week, and we have started packing our stuff away....as we are heading to melbourne for 4 months in a few weeks!i am so excited!