Christmas loot part one

With the Christmas decorations packed away the new year is well and truly underway so I thought it was about time I got my butt into gear with my blog. I've been taking lots of photos today and have a few post ideas stored up my sleeve so can't wait to publish those, although I may stick to scheduling one post to be published every couple days so it *appears* that I'm updating somewhat regularly- I hope that's not cheating!

This post features some of the op-shop related gifts I received for Christmas. Some people would probably balk at the idea of receiving op-shopped presents- after all presents should be shiny and new and wrapped in plastic packaging right? Not the way I look at it. I think a lot of thought goes in to buying someone a present from an op shop. Firstly, you have to have an idea of the person's tastes including the kinds of things they like or maybe collect. Secondly, it is likely you will have to invest a chunk of your time searching different op shops to find the right gift. Thirdly, you are essentially rescuing and finding a new use for something that would have been destined for landfill - recycling makes me happy! I've mentioned before that most op shops are charity-based, so your purchase from an op shop also helps in some small way to brighten another person's Christmas. On that subject, this year I bought a couple presents from Oxfam Unwrapped which is a great alternative to buying someone a box of chocolates or something they may not even use. Anywho, enough of the chitchat, on with the loot!

I got these cute Pierrot pieces which match the trinket box in this post. I have all three set up on my shelf displaying my jewelery, although I haven't figured out what to put in the heart shape vase yet besides maybe a pretty fake flower of something. Any ideas?

Here's a closeup of the jewellery. I absolutely love the pearl bracelet; it's an Avon one and the detailing is so pretty. The pearls aren't actually attached but are kind of wrapped in wire so they don't fall out. The ring is also an Avon one and fits my finger perfectly. The stone reminds me of an aquamarine which is my birthstone :) So nice and shiny. I'm getting a bit of a collection of Avon jewellery so it's something I keep my eye out for. I like enamel jewellery too and the earrings are really cute. Lastly is the opal necklace. It's not stamped so not sure if it's real or not but I love the colour and swear it changes every time I look at it.

Hmm this is turning into a gigantor post so I might split it into two parts. To be continued...