Silver bells

I wore this bag with the dress I found on the first op shop tour to my cousin's wedding at the end of October last year. It was brand new, only $5 from the op shop and a perfect match for the dress. I love all the silver beading. I also wore the bow necklace I found awhile ago. My shoes and underwear were new though haha.

Unfortunately I don't have any decent pictures of my outfit from that day so here's a closeup of the bag instead which is much more interesting...

Continuing with the silver theme, I found this genuine Glomesh coin purse for $6. It was sitting in the counter cabinet; couldn't believe someone hadn't snapped it up already!

Christmas loot part two

Continuing on with the op shop-related Christmas pressies, I also received this gorgeous cream coloured clutch. Just the right size to fit all my crap essentials in when I go out. The inside is all cushy and satiny:

This next one wasn't op-shopped but was given to me by my Aunty. It's a glomesh coin purse that belonged to my Dad's mum so it was a really thoughtful and sentimental present. I love glomesh and don't have anything like this in my collection.

My Aunty also bought me a ticket to another op shop tour which is in a few weeks time, can't wait! I'm going with my cousin :) Hello Linda if you're reading! This time we will definitely be nabbing a seat near the front of the bus and not be moving to the back for some lady with 'car sickness' - yeah right! You can read about the tour me and mum went on here.

This last present wasn't op-shopped as such but was still recycled in a sense. It's a Mickey Mouse watch I used to wear when I was little. Thought we had given it away but Mum found it and got a new battery put in yipee :) Was my favourite present.

So that concludes my loot of nifty thrifty Christmas pressies. Of course like anyone I enjoy new things from time to time but I love op shopping and appreciated the thought that went into these pressies :) I can safely say none will be returning to the op shop anytime soon haha.

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...