Snapshots

Due to a gun-ho pair of insulation installers, I have had no internet access..Back on now!

I have loads to post about.. but I'll just chuck these snapshots in.

Recently:

Op-shopped bling for the birthday mummy

Yay a tripod! So I might be able to get a decent photo from time to time!!

A 10 year old in the house.. (the cake is a x-box controller - he is very screen-obsessed and would LOVE to have a REAL x-box 360 bless him.)  Sleepover with 6 other 10 year olds.. excellent fun!

Beautiful boy

Birthday Irises

Yesterday hanging with my girls at Mavis & Co 

Yesterday's op-shopping adventure.

More to come with a recent finds post, eventually!

And I have a lot of your blog action to catch up on!!

Happy Days!

Tutus and Teacups/ Gay Red Shirt Day

It all started with a tutu

And a teacup

And some steps.

Check Sarah Misfit's page for the refs.. I'll add them in later here.. Sozz..

I believe Bag and a Beret was where it began.

And Sarah Misfit declared it a challenge.

And it quickly spread to backyards and front doorsteps all over the world. They were donning their finest tulle and putting their pinkies up all over the place.

Alas, teacups a plenty I have many. But a tutu, not one.

I tried to work out if I could make one.

I have no time for such things.

I scoured the op shops.

I even tried to wrap a pink mosquito net around my person.

No dice.

On my doorstep on Monday there appears not one, but TWO, out of the blue! Squeal!

My fairy Godmother gaveth them unto me. I hadn't mentioned how I'd been NEEDING one. It was pure second hand magic. Gold.

Iris telling me how to pose!

Today! John refers to our esteemed leader who described another guy's red shirt as gay - publicly! Nice one.

Gay Red Shirt Day

Christmas Shopping!

I pop into the op shops a lot at the moment. More than usual. 

Just trying to stash up more than usual for Christmas prezzies.

I really don't see the problem with buying gifts second hand.

We have taught our kids young the Reduce, Re-use and Recycle mantra.. and that's how we roll!!

As the kids get older there are becoming coveted toys which are bought new or off trademe.. (ie a certain lego set etc)

But especially for the littlies op shopping is the way to go!

Some of today's scores (not all for prezzies):

Lovely wooden pin set. $3

Not a christmas prez but I love the kitschness of this melamine plate.

VERY princessy sari in the perfect size for Iris, the dress up queen! Looks unworn.$4

I love this money box! It's an old bank savings one.. Iris actually chose this, so I guess it's not for Christmas! 20c

Brand new looking bath towels - SO COOL!  $2 each 

Funky as heck wallpaper with aliens and planets. $1 per roll..

10c lycra book cover for one of the boys.. handmade  by someone.

Another item for the dress up queen! $1.50


What do you think about buying second hand for gifts?

In my family (ie brothers and sisters nieces nephewsetc)
we do a MAKE BAKE SEW GROW gifting thing, which is great.

I'd love to make bake sew and grow all my kids prezzies too but there just aren't enough hours in the day! Usually I make a few things.
And I try to encourage the kids to make stuff.

Happy Days
Go Obama.

Surviving the Election + enter someone else's amazing giveaway!!

This is about 5 weeks late, but this is a little thing for my friends in the USA.. from my mates at the Velveteen Lounge Kitschen..

The other thing is, if you've got kids, you might want to enter the giveaway at CHe & Fidel.. WOWzers!!! 

VArious Recent Finds and Recently

Recently: 

1. Spooky party 

2. Trying to get a photo of 5 spooks

Recent finds:

A few things from the last few weeks' op shopping adventures!

$3. Love the colour! From 5-x roads Red Cross (my local and my fav!)
Sticker said $3 each, so I enquired as to how many there were..
Sadly the other had been sold. Why would you buy one, at that price?! 

This is my nappy bag. My sister-in-law gave it to me for my birthday a couple of years ago. (op shopped of course)
When I turned up to her place a couple of weeks ago with the bag, her neighbour (who was there) recognised it as one that she made YEARS ago and gave to Silverdale School for their school fair.. classic!

Very cute Arlo shirt.

These have featured before but the pots are a recent find.
You wouldn't believe how
stoked I was to find these. Seriously.
The perfect size for yoghurt, hummus, snacks etc.. There are 5. 20c each.

One missing but for $5 didn't want to leave it behind. Those glasses are so fine and divine.

cute egg cups. Breaking my yellow orange and brown egg cup rule!

That marker pen thing!!! Grr!

Love them in their boxes better than out!

I love love love this. It's quite old - maybe late 70s?
Arlo will get it for Christmas.

Why the heck do they write 'as is'?! 
Isn't everything as is?
I see that a lot.. 

So cute - the birdies open their eyes when they  come out.
Music plays, but not annoying music for a  change.

New dresses.

My mum-in-law was giving this to the op shop so I nabbed it!

Recently:

I saw Shepherd's Delight tonight. That's a good sign for tomorrow!

Happy Days!

x

Linked up to 
A Living Space Nifty Thrifty link up
and Sir Thrift a Lot Thriftasaurus linky..

Hallowed Halloween Awards (according to me)

I've had a halloween overload!

It's way more of a big deal in other countries than it is down here.

Partly because it's not all pumpkins and autumn leaves here right now.

And it doesn't get dark till about 9pm.

Our version of trick or treating is often some kids with no dress ups on at all, carrying a plastic bag, bashing on your door and saying "Got any lollies?". Bah Humbug.

 But it's fun to see the excitement in other parts of the world. And we do do dress ups here sometimes. (We're having a 'Hallo-fawkes' party in the weekend at some friends' place who live out in the countryside. Bonfire etc and scary games..)

Here are my Halloween Awards for the Year 2012, from my blog friends..

Best Halloween themed photo: Vintage Coconut

Most friggin amazing costume: Heather's Thrifty Closet (Half raven, Half Edgar Allan Poe, of course)

Most effective and simple kids' costume: Mum of All Trades ( incl tutorial, no less)





And now for something completely different:

A couple of questions answered:

1. The mouse is gone. We got 2 in a trap and poisoned another. And that's all I know about. Shudder. I'm sorry if that killing them offends mice lovers all over the world but it is me or the mice in this house - and my kids need feeding! I now can't open drawers in as carefree a way as I used to - for fear of one jumping out... incl the dishwasher drawer in which I MAY have seen one crawling over the CLEAN dishes. Bleugh. Faint. 

2. Carrying the haul at a Jumble Sale can indeed be challenging! A good question! Fortunately the women and men running the one the other day were so lovely and offered to stash my stash behind the counters. This of course is done at one's own risk. There is a chance that things may be lost or resold, so frequent checking was required!! 

Then  I stood guard over the loot while my wonderful Sister-in-law went and got the car from down the road and we got a park right outside. The second hand gods smiled down upon us that day.

So that's that mystery solved for those who enquired!

A little tip while we're on this topic: Always go to jumble sales with lots of carry bags that can go over shoulder or even on the back!

You're welcome.

Fair Loot

WARNING *** WARNING *** PHOTO BOMB TO FOLLOW!!!

I am going to do a post soon on this topic of op shops becoming too expensive. I have read lots of other people's posts about that very thing just lately too... 

ANYWAY

I can't imagine church fairs/jumble sales being anything but bargainous, no matter what happens in SOME op shops!

I spent $60 ($49.32 US/ $47.52 AUS/ 30.64 GBP/ $49.17 CAN) 

This annual sale is always amazing. This year it was almost overwhelming. HUGE piles of everything. Everywhere you looked. They don't do clothes or shoes anymore as it was too much!

Blue stool. Bit weathered but I love it and the weave is in perfect order.

My fav - Paradise Springs Rotorua.

Christchurch Town Hall

Tea Tray to add to my collection

Large tin. Mum had a round red and pink version of this.

Kids' stuff. Some will be appearing under the christmas tree/in stockings! 

Two vintage cuisenaire rod sets. A veil that Iris is going to die for!!

A quite ugly, but strangely appealing 80s leather hand bag, rainbow bag, and the melbourne wallet morphs into a shopping bag.

dolls clothes

6 really good quality sheets

* Silver cake servers, spoons etc
* Brooch and earrings set
* The necklace I have been searching for all my life
* A brooch  (there was a whole table of brooches $2 or $3 each + loads more jewellry)
* old pink nail care set

* Huge bag of bling for Iris
* Pink teaset. I have a blue one to match!

2 random bags of stuff. I'll keep the good stuff and pass on the rest to the oppie..

3 old board game boards.
They will look neat on the wall in the kids' room.

* Cute little cotton hand embroidered shirt -says a dormir
* metal fruit bowl
* pink plastic bowl. I LOVE this!
* random books. I hardly looked at the books they had. There were so many.  My kids are currently obsessed with Mr Bean!
* Beautiful big sewing tin
* Very large tin rubbish bin


I also bought morning tea for me and my sister-in-law.
So pretty good bang for my buck I  recon!
Well less than $1 per item if I were to work it out. 
And such fun.

Get into it NZ!
Spring Fairs/ fetes/gala season is upon us!!
Rumble at the jumble!

Happy Days!


I'm going to link this one up to Sir Thrift-a-lot's Thrift report

and also at A Living Space