8.8.12

It begins.

Today I got lunch with my brother, then ran into everybody I know in this city at various points on Cuba St, then decided I had two options: walk home in the light rain and treat myself by ducking into the opshop on the way home, or treat myself by taking the bus and no opshopping. So... yeah.


The little blue gingham shift is a school uniform, made in the 70s judging by the label. The white one though... SO happy about this dress. I saw it in the window of the Vinnies a week ago when it was closed. I planned to go back and try it on but when I next walked past it was gone from the window, so I assumed it was sold and was so disappointed. When I wandered in today it was there in the kids' section waiting for me (along with the blue dress). At first I thought it might be modern, but it has these amazing diamante buttons, a metal zipper and lots of lovely hand-stitching so it's definitely fifties. It didn't have a price tag on and I was worried it would be lots of money, but the shop assistant was SO nice and gave it to me for $5 when she saw how excited I was about it. She also gave me a volunteer application form and a trial in the shop next Wednesday- I've applied for maybe 50 jobs in the last fortnight and been unsuccessful thus far, so I may as well spend my time doing something worthwhile rather than sleeping in until 1pm and marathoning The Simpsons every day.


Here is a bad photobooth photo of me trying it on and feeling like a whimsy magic fairy princess etc. I am probably going to wear this with bows and flowers in my hair and the most saccharine things I can conjure from my wardrobe. Also I am kinda jealous of bloggers who have nice plain backgrounds to take photos against indoors, but I would be jealous of myself if I saw a photo of the space curtains on another blog.


I love kitchenware. I got an old aluminium colander (we use them as fruit bowls) and some Agee preserving jars for the 7kg of tamarillos Jack's mum sent us. The 90s sunflower-print tray was a present from my little brother, who got it from a free box at his architecture faculty. I also got red Roman sandals and a polka-dot cap, not pictured.

I wrote this post last week but without a card reader I couldn't upload photos. Today I had my first ever shift at the opshop! Here's what I brought home with me, for $2 total cost...


This gorgeous print, titled 'Vermont State Flower' (which Google tells me is Red Clover) from 1970. The artist's name looks like Harry Evans to me, maybe. It's a bit rumpled so I got it for free, and I'm gonna put it up on my wall with drawing pins- poor man's framing.


Lovely editions of some of my favourite childhood books, and a biography of Alexander Pope.


These are my favourites, they're 1948 editions and were given to someone named Rachel from her aunt Dorothy for her birthday. I wish there was the whole series. I'm working again tomorrow though, so who knows what I'll come home with. When I told Jack I'd got the job (well, not-really-job) he said 'so, the hoarding begins'.

Bonus non-thrifting photos...



We went up to the big mountain in the middle of Wellington, Mt. Victoria, and met a fat cat. The end.

15 comments:

  1. Gotta admit, I'm pretty jealous of your space curtains. And your whimsical op shop dress. Lovely!

    If you think that cat's fat, you should see mine! Well, actually, he's probably about the same size,

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  2. That dress is amazing. I have one really similar in sheer mint green fabric. Voluntering at an op shop is so bad for your wallet but you will get to buy tons of awesome stuff so it kind of evens out. I loved the "What Katy Did" books when I was a kid.

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  3. Volunteering at an op shop is seriously the best gig ever.
    Those are stunning Anne books. Hope you find many more treasures!

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  4. That dress is sublime! Glad you stopped for op-shopping!!

    Also - so sorry I never replied to your comment, I went on a bit of a blogging hiatus for a few months there. It has been lovely to discover your blog! I am furious I didn't get to catch you while you were in town! If ever you make it this way again, I will be more organised!

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  5. Oh could that dress be any more cute!!!!! So so pretty, what a fabulous find.
    Love v

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  6. WOW ive always wanted to have time to do a bit of op-shop volunteer work!! how amazing.
    i hear a certain jumper is on its way to you too, how exciting!!! i didnt even see it in person before it got shipped off, i cant wait to see it on you here!

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  7. I'm agreeing with above comment, jealous of your curtains. I've got a periodic table shower curtain but space curtains are much better. Also, the dress is adorable, I get why you obsessed over it, I've had a few obsessions with things I've seen in windows, it's my only experience with love at first sight, ha!

    When I first started volunteering I was bringing home massive loads of books but after a while I just became more picky and I don't buy that much more than I would normally, I just spend more time in the shop. If I'd volunteered last year I would have bought much, much more, I'm just more picky now. You're lucky that you get things for free, our charity shop doesn't give away anything because that's stealing from charity.

    Finally, CAT. Can't help but love all cats, especially fat ones that allow strangers to pick them up, too cute.

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  8. That white frock gives me the horn!Great score!
    I adored those Katy books,read them over and over......XXX

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  9. Oooh I love your Opshop finds! I love that feeling when you discover something amazing, the sleeves on that dress are just perfect x

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  10. that white dress is so absolutely perfect, wow! and i'm jealous of people who have plain backgrounds or even just pretty ones to take photos against, i don't have anything that's really good enough, especially not your super cool space curtains!

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  11. That's a beautiful dress indeed! I love whimsical dresses that just make you feel good :)

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  12. ah! that dress is what thrifting dreams are made of! also, your hair is sooooo long! i am trying to grow mine (almost waist height currently) but it is always full of knots underneath. so exciting about your job application too! i'd love to work in an opshop. it looks like my cat on that mountain!

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  13. That white dress is just stunning! You definite made the right choice to shelter from the rain!

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  14. Yeah those curtains are out of this world!! Such great finds, I can never comprehend how whenever i charity shop if I find something from the 80s, thats as good as it gets - the grannies must be real hoarders over here, maybe their families just bin their clothes, it doesn't bear thinking about! Perfect finds, and THOSE BOOKS. Love that they have a wee history!

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  15. Oh I loved Anne of Green Gables as a child/teenager! And the white dress is a great find

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