Canberra Weekend for the 1920s Ball

I snuck out of work a little early on Friday afternoon and headed straight to the airport. After a bit of a scare that I wouldn't be able to find a 'long stay' parking bay, I nabbed one and headed to the terminal, just in time to board the flight. We had our own personal TVs (I love it when you get one of Qantas' newer planes!) so I watched 'The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel' and a few episodes of Outnumbered. I enjoyed the movie, it is an uplifting, feel-good flick, and although the portrayal of India is quite unrealistic, it brought back some nice memories of my travels there.

As the plane started to descend, we hit turbulence and I got to the point where I thought I would have to throw up into my airsick bag. It probably didn't help that the lady sitting next to me was gripping the armrests for dear life and screeching, which was making me stressed. Thankfully it didn't get to that and we landed in one piece. I don't know how I manage to get seated next to bad fliers or annoying people more often than not, this is the second time I have had a near hysterical stranger next to me.

Our first stop on Saturday morning was Two for Joy Café in Kingston, which used to be called Pizzazz. It has the same menu and staff, so I think they just refurbished the inside. The sweet options there are still amazing – we had the lime and pistachio hotcakes with honey ricotta, fresh strawberries, raspberries, kiwifruit and raspberry coulee:  

After that, we fit in an afternoon nap before starting the pre-ball preening process. Here are some photos from the night:

 

I am standing on the right. I ended up borrowing my sister's school ball dress which was a little dissapointing given how long I spent searching for the perfect 1920's dress (but could not find anything I wanted to spend $$$ on!). Still, I think I ended up looking nice and my long gloves and beaded alice band ensured I fit the theme.

 More gorgeous girls... everyone put so much effort into their costumes!

 

I love my friend's headpiece, which she sourced from etsy...

 



I never said I wasn't immature... ;-) I am not talented enough to make a dog out of a champagne bottle foil, but I fed it some butter.

Sunday saw us tired and hung-over but I was not about to waste the short time I had, so we made it to brunch with 'the girls'. It was lovely to sit in the sunshine and catch up at Bicicletta, which has a very unique outside courtyard. It is set in the 'New Acton' art district which has a smattering of interesting sculptures in addition to award winning modern apartment buildings which are marketed as 'architectural art'. I think I could live in this funky area…

One of the many statues - this one is called 'Time Thief' (source and explanation) 

 

Speaking of funky, my friend's housemate's collection of Mr Potato Heads is brilliant, don't you think?

 

 

The afternoon contained more catch-ups with friends and then I boarded my flight home to Perth. It was a thoroughly enjoyable weekend!

Brunch Review: Bittersweet, Kingston

I was excited to try out the newest addition to the Green Square cafe scene in Kingston, and I am happy to report that they make excellent coffee! I like it a lot more than the popular Kingston Grind coffee next door.

 Our meals included:

Ham, cheese and tomato croissant

Scrambled egg, mushroom and feta breakfast foccacia

Quiche

Menu variety / creativity: 5.5/10. They have quite a basic regular menu (including a lot of premade breakfast foccacias and croissants that you can view in the cabinet) and a changing specials menu. They offer a more limited choice than other cafes in the area (eg Pizzazz) and are very limited on sweet options.

Taste:  6/10. My breakfast foccacia was dry and didn't really tantalise the tastebuds.

Coffee: 8/10. Great. On par with Cafe Velo for my favourite coffee in Kingston.

Setting / location: 7/10. Lovely to sit outside on a warm day. The inside is okay, with lots of sunshine and minimalist decor.

Service: 6/10. It was friendly (a rare find in Canberra) but oh-so disorganised. They messed up our order, and the orders of others who were paying before us. I have since returned for takeaway coffee, and while waiting for my order I witnessed the ongoing chaos - random items added to peoples orders, people not getting things they ordered etc. On a busy Saturday morning, it's a long wait for takeaway coffee too (I waited 10-15 min) as they don't put takeaway orders ahead of dine in. This means that I'd rather go to Cafe Velo where I am guaranteed a speedy takeaway coffee.

Price: 7.5/10. Average for Canberra for the specials menu and cooked to order menu items. The premade cabinet selection is cheaper, at around $9.50 for a breakfast foccacia. This gets extra points as cheap brekkie options aren't the norm.

Verdict: Yummy coffee, service with a smile. End the service chaos and add some more menu options and this would be an ideal cafe.

Old Bus Depot Markets, Kingston

The Old Bus Depot Markets are located in Kingston (ACT) and are open every Sunday from 10am-4pm. They are fully indoors, so you can visit on a rainy day, and they run various special market days where many of the stallholders sell according to the theme: antiques, kids items, woolen items, jewellery etc.

I hadn't been in a while so and after a yummy lazy brunch in Kingston, I decided to check them out.  I don't think they're as good or cheap as the Hall Markets which I blogged about, but they serve a different purpose - they're more central and they're indoors.

 The markets

 Lots of gorgeous kids clothes

 I loved this ladies dresses - this one was on sale for $25!

 Dresses for sale - $50 each

Handmade leather bags - very exxy, costing around $300! The lady also sells on Etsy.

Chicken hats!? $38

 Flower clips / brooches made from kimono silks. Super versatile and look great as shoe clips!

 I loved this lady's artwork - she uses copper metal and modelling clay which she paints with metallic paints.

 I especially loved this kookaburra - $95 including frame.

Would you pay $38 for a short tarot reading? I wouldn't! I have always wanted to have one done, but at a much cheaper price...

I didn't take any photos, but there is a whole section devoted to food stuffs and plants - you can buy ready made cakes and tarts, freshly baked bagels, chutnies and jams, bunches of flowers, exotic teas, fudges, and even free range eggs and locally produced meats.

It also has a "food court" area where you can buy lunch - with Ethiopian, Laotian, Spanish, Turkish and Mexican food on offer amongst other cuisines. 

I'd definitely recommend the markets for an outing - especially on a rainy day when there is little else to do in 'Berra!

More Op Shop Finds to Share

In this post, I showed off the super stunning vintage dress I wore to a vintage ball. I needed to fix one of the diamante straps that had snapped, and reinforce the other before wearing it. I really didn't feel like going all the way to Queanbeyan to visit Spotlight, or Civic to visit Lincraft... so I went to the local newsagent. And they wanted $7.50 for 2m of good quality thin fabric ribbon. No thanks!!! If you're thinking what I was thinking, an op shopping trip was in order. I ended up finding some stretchy thin elastic that was perfect for the job from a fabric offcuts bin, and it cost 50c. Nice :-)

Of course while I was there, I managed to pick up a few other things. First of all, this gorgeous handmade hanging quilt and wire hanger that says 'Tea for Two', which is very fitting given that I collect teapots. It was reduced to $5, made with love and care and I couldn't resist:

To add to my ever growing mug collection (at least it's functional!), this giraffe mug for $1:

As you may have guessed, if it's quirky or unusual, I love it.

 Random toy for our cat, 50c from Kingston Oppy. Tommee Tippee feeder for $2 from Fyschwick Salvos (these are great if you don't have one - you can feed bubs whole food, eg apple - they suck or chew on it through the netting and it reduces the risk of choking. Also great for teething, you can put ice in it and let them suck on it!)

The rest of my buys are for a girlfriend who has just had a little baby boy. Such bargains from the $1 bin at Fyshwick Salvos- yes these things were $1 each and all in perfect condition!

 Sprout shirt, Babyworld leggings

Target cardigan, Sprout 2 piece bathing suit, Pumpkin Patch long sleeved onesie, Cowboy from Toy Story dress up apron thing.

And a pressie for me too- this was at the bottom of the kids clothes bin of all places, a brand new Puma exercise top for $5. Love the colours!

Linking up with Sophie's Flea Market Finds.

Review: Bitter Sweet, Kingston

Bitter Sweet is a relatively new cafe located in Green Square, Kingston. It has minimalist, casual decor and friendly staff. I love the idea of using printed coffee bean sacks as decor - it would be cheap, easy to make and looks delightful:

The coffee was delicious and well made [Yay, will definitely return!]. We didn't sample anything from the menu, and the cake cabinet looked somewhat uninspiring... but we tried the raspberry and chocolate mousse anyway:

 

It was okay- tasted a bit plasticy. I'd definitely return for coffee though, and to sample some of their proper menu items.

More Thrifting Adventures

Canberra op shopping is growing on me. In Perth, I am used to paying $2-$3 for a top, whereas in Canberra, you're more likely to pay $5-$8. I think I am getting used to these higher starting prices, and sometimes (for example, when Salvos has a half off sale on one of their label colours) I am able to get some cheaper items anyway. This weekend I had brunch at Urban Pantry in Manuka (review to come soon), and then decided to pop into the Kingston and Fyshwick op shops.

This hand painted scarf was $2. I don't plan to use it as a scarf, it will become part of a craft project or will perhaps be used as a table cloth over a small side table, as it looks lovely over wood (as pictured).

 This top was 50% off, so cost $2.50. Lovely and summery!

A 70's vintage dress by Dollina, for $9. 

This hand painted fairy box was $3. It is going to form part of Bub's Christmas presents- I plan to fill it with glitter, gems and little trinkets and wrap it beautifully... she'll love it.

These ceramic figurines were $1 each, to go into the box... I loved these sorts of things as a little girl, I hope I'm not out of touch and that Bub will too!

Today I went on a roadtrip to Goulburn and the op shopping was amazing... those finds are to come in another post :-)

Amazing Op Shop Haul: A Nicer End to a Not Nice Week

It has been a particularly challenging week. I have completely lacked motivation to do anything, I have had constant headaches (hormone related, happens when I go off the pill), my Grandma has fallen ill and we have been on a roller coaster ride - preparing for the funeral, and then she suddenly her condition stabilises, and so on.  I have totally fallen off the diet bandwagon, having binged all week on chocolate, lollies and greasy foods. I have another naughty night planned on Saturday, but apart from that the plan is to start eating healthily again, and get motivated to at least go for some long walks (since the jogging thing has not happened).

It's a long weekend and no matter how much I try to be positive, I wish I was leaving Canberra and 'going home' like almost everyone else here that I know. A holiday to somewhere tropical where I could lie in the sun, have massages and sip on cocktails would also be welcome!

I woke up this morning with a headache and I didn't want to move, but I forced myself out of bed and geared up for a day of op shopping. I'm so glad I did, because I got some fabulous buys, and I am feeling a lot happier now :-)

Firstly, a photo of the amazing haul:

The first stop was the 'Little Salvos' in Queanbeyan. I noticed a lot of stuff that was there when I visited last month, especially crockery. There wasn't much new stock unfortunately, but I did manage to find this lovely Witchery blouse. It looks like a knit but is actually a 55% silk, 45% cotton mix and it feels divine. It cost $5:

Next stop was 'Big Salvos'. They had some super cute vintage sheets, so if anyone lives nearby and collects these, at $1.50 a pop they're a bargain. I don't collect vintage sheets so left them for the taking! Again I found nothing much, the crockery was overpriced... I only found this non vintage high waisted skirt by Brown Sugar, perfect condition and with a lovely shimmer, for $7:

 Oh, and a retro mug for 50c (the one on the right):

Just when I was beginning to despair about the day's luck, I hit the jackpot at Anglicare. It was a little annoying because as I left, I realised that there was 30% off all retro stock, although they didn't apply this discount for me! I would have saved about $5, but oh well. Anyway, this retro blouse which cost $8 is new with tags, 'Made in Australia' and missing a button on one of the sleeves but otherwise fabulous:

These leather wedges are in almost new condition. They are "MG" brand, and cost $10:

Then these vintage gems, which were $6... They are in better condition than the photo suggests (as the flash makes the stains look worse than they are), 100% leather and do not need re-heeling or re-soling which is always a bonus:

My final Queanbeyan stop was Lifeline, where they had 50% off skirts. I found this retro midi number which came down to $3. I am not sure whether I'll shorten it, as this length of skirt is 'in' this season:

Feeling energised, I headed into Kingston for some final thrifting. The first stop was Y's Buys. It was fast turning into a lucky shoe day, these ones are brand new and cost $7:

And blouse by Basque city, $3. It has bright gold buttons which I love. This looked fantastic over the 3/4 sleeve maroon/red shirt I was wearing, with jeans and white brogues:

And finally for $3, I could not resist this bag. I generally don't like any bags that have faux leather, but this is only really the trims and it's cute for summer. The clasps are labelled 'White House Black Market' which I had not heard of before, and a google search revealed is a US brand with over 600 boutiques:

My final stop for the day was the Salvos in Fyshwick. This funky jacket/tunic/top by George was $5. I love the print:

 I was waiting and waiting in line for the change rooms but a whole family was in front of me with armfulls of clothing each. I eventually got frustrated after 10 minutes had passed and only one family member had finished, so I went to the shoe section which has a mirror and decided to just try things on over my clothes. This ended up being a good move, because I found these Lipstick heels which were tucked away behind other shoes... they cost $6 and are SO comfortable:

And then onto crockery, this cute chubby girl mug says 'Japan' on it, and was 50c:

These large soup mugs were 50c each. They say 'Stonecrest Autumn Glory 307 Korea' on the underside:

And that sums up a super duper successful and enjoyable day. The grand total spend was higher than usual at $69 (Woah, small amounts really add up!) but I love my haul :-)