seattle challenge - week 7

This was an impulse buy from MECWA Windsor but it's been a great jacket. It's a good shape (although a little rumpled here), mostly cotton, well constructed. Hooray for a $10 impulse!

I heart books

Must. Stop. Buying. Books!

I bought this one, "Thunderbird Trail" for the gorgeously aged cover and lovely creamy paper inside, intending to use it for drawing on. BUT! I get books home and make friends with them, and then don't want to use them for the intended purpose. Instead, they take up residence on my bulging bookshelves.

This has a wonderful Coles library sticker on the inside cover - 6d a loan! - and the cover art pasted inside, as well as the cowboy graphic on the title page, makes me swoon.










To accompany the cowboys, I also bought the heart shaped card box below, to make into a case for a heartshaped book I'm planning on the theme of - guess what? Yep, hearts, but not the love and kisses Valentine sort. Anatomical hearts, broken hearts, jealous hearts, hearts of darkness...













From the Salvos in Oakleigh. Grand total for book and box: $2.85, because it was pensioner's day and 20% off for bearers of a health care card :)

Treasure Troves in Cheltenham

Do you long for the old Salvation Army 50 cent bins? Do you miss the thrill of the chase in those cluttered old op shops?

After much recent disappointment about the commercial nature of surging op shop chains, I have struggled to find op shops that fill me with the passion I used to feel when I found a bargain. With chains like the Salvo's now staffing their stores with paid staff, and clothing with price tags of $20+ I have been struggling to find my Op Shop Mo Jo. However today I discovered two delightful op shops in Cheltenham. These charity shops are run solely by volunteers and every cent of the money you pay goes to the charity. They are the kind of shops that leave you gasping for breath when you walk in the door. The cheer magnitude of clutter and clothing overwhelms you to the point where you can't help but dive in and find a bargain. With traditional values such as the 50cent racks and volunteers that make you laugh, what more could you ask for. Although I will always venture into The Salvos, Vinnies or similar stores, these two shops are now on my priority list. Although the Volunteers were not quite happy when I mentioned how glad I was to find an 'old school' op shop, I think their values are long forgotten. Take a trip this week and warm away the winter blues with a dive into a bargain bin or two. If your like me, it's a great relief after shopping at op shops which are fast looking like Bourke St Mall.

Australian Animal Protection Society
22 Station Road Cheltenham

Cheltenham Opportunity Shop
Across the Street!

seattle challenge - week 6

A Ben Sherman shirt for my husband. This is actually one of a few that he has which came from the op shop. This one was either Sacred Heart Mission or Salvo's designer sale - can't quite recall.

dates for your shopping diary

Excellent news from the St John of God Accord op shops - a sale!

Burnt Bridge, Croydon and Wandin

½ Price Sale August 11 – 16

$1 Sale August 18 – 23

Greensborough

½ Price Sale August 12 – 14

$1 Sale August 19 – 21

Curtains up!

Jodi posted a little while ago about the Aussie Vets . That's where these curtains came from.

We bought them there for $8 last year.

At first, we merely thought of them as lovely rose-strewn panels of fabric.
Perhaps to cover a chair? Perhaps.....

Then recently Herself quietly took down the venetians that were there.
She snuck off to Bunnings and purchased some curtain hardware.
Got going with her trusty little drill and...
Hey presto, beautiful curtains for the kitchen at The Trad Pad.
She robbed my stash for the flowers and the ribbon.

Aussie Veterans Opportunity Shop

5 Erica Avenue

Boronia Vic 3155

Phone: (03) 9761 0468

seattle challenge - week 5

Currently baby bear's footwear of choice - she can easily get them on and off by herself. Doesn't matter that it's the middle of summer here.


Sacred Heart Mission, Chapel Street, Windsor; a couple of dollars.