Road trip, again

Hi! Firstly I'd like to say thanks to much to everyone who took the time to leave such insightful and awesome comments on my last post, and especially those who sent emails which sparked great conversations. It is really cool to know there are a lot of smart and analytical people reading this blog who think about the same things as I do. All your responses were so valued and valid and awesome.

Second, I just got back from Taranaki and ah it was amazing. I've finished all my papers for this semester, which leaves a 5-week break between handing in my final assignments and the start of my final semester of my degree. So Jack's family kindly flew us to stay with them in rural Taranaki, about 5 hours (by car) north of Wellington. They live in an amazing Art Deco house on a huge orchardy property by the beach, and we were slept upstairs in this funny all-window room that the previous occupants illegally and shoddily built onto the house. His parents think the house is a dump and bought it with the intention of demolishing it asap, but I adore it. It has a green bathtub, leadlight windows, rimu flooring and the most amazing geometric door handles that I regret not photographing. We did nothing at all for 3 days. It was magical. Lots of red wine and chocolate and tamarillos and walks to the beach. And so, so much opshopping. I bought SO MUCH GOOD STUFF, I actually cannot believe it.



Jack's mum is basically my kindred spirit, so no wonder I like him so much. She and I share an immense love of opshopping, preserving fruit, and Kevin McCloud. She somehow knows exactly what I like, and upon arrival I was presented with a Horrockses tropical-print cotton dress, a gorgeous painterly floral blouse, and this perfect sixties banana basket, the likes of which I've lusted over for ages. She sent us back laden with tamarillos and avocados and passionfruit and limes, and also drove us all the way back to Wellington, and we stopped in every thrift store we found on the way. I'd say in the last 4 days I've probably been to around 30 second-hand shops, which is good by me. Here is most of what I got- be warned, there's a ton. Sorry for the mammoth entry.



Modern tea towels suck. I got 7 vintage ones on this trip, as well as 3 aprons, but these two faded Kiwiana ones are my favourites. These were from the New Plymouth Hospice Shop, which was without a doubt the most frantic and chaotic opshop I've ever visited. When I found these I literally clutched them to my chest, as I'd been warned that patrons there have been known to snatch things from other shoppers.



So much yellow! This top is amazing, it's 100% wool and made in New Zealand in the 1950s, and it's 'A May Belle Garment' apparently. It was $2 and is now one of my favourite garments in my whole wardrobe. These 1970s woolen cropped pants were from Savemart, which is undoubtedly the worst chain of opshops in the country. Their prices are ludicrous no matter which city- this one had some old dolls, like the big plastic ones from the 1960s with blinking eyes, for $84.99 each. I can't understand that. But these pants were only $7.



These two were great finds in an opshop in Eltham on the way home- a severed and a whole 1950s dress for $5 each. The dotty one that has been chopped is pretty sad and will have to be hemmed and worn as a blouse, and the pink floral cotton one is just perfect, and fits me well too. So happy with these!



This peach woolen cardigan looks like it's never been worn, and the robot jersey was from the little boys' section of the Sallies in New Plymouth. I often look in the childrens sections at opshops because I am a very little 5'1" or 155 cm, so kids coats and shoes often fit me. The peach lace longline bra was a miraculous find for $1, it's the first I've ever seen in opshops and through some stroke of good luck it fits me absolutely perfectly. It is much comfier than modern ones and gives your bust that excellent conical shape that looks perfect under the fifties mustard tee from up there.



This big smoking fisherman tapestry looks like the guy on the Fisherman's Friend tin, these black t-bar mary janes looked unworn when I got them, and the tooled 1970s leather floral handbag was $1 and I couldn't leave it behind.

Four excellent novelty print fabrics I've acquired recently. The planes and circus are from Trademe, and the waterskiers and whatever the other one is are opshopped on this trip.

Plus lots of things too boring to photograph. Lots more Agee preserving jars for 30c each (including the really old kind with the extra rim around the top! Exciting!) and some 70s Tupperware to keep the mice out of my lentils and belts and misc kitchenware and pillowcases and scarves and a raincoat and things. We also got 3kg of cheese. No regrets. Sorry for the lack of decent outfit posts lately, I will try to remedy this asap.