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 :-)

Op Shopping, Ebay, Asos, Valleygirl & Ezibuy = Uh Oh

I decided to venture to Belconnen, to check out the 3 op shops there. I was going to go to the one in Macquarie as well but I was (sh)opped out. It's probably because it wasn't a super successful day, although it was fun and I did pick up 2 things. Both were from the Salvos which had all green tagged items for $1. The first is a long sleeved grey turtle neck top by Sportscraft in perfect condition- for $1 it's a perfect top to wear around the house or even with jeans for a casual look. It amazes me sometimes what you can buy for a buck... when I bought a $5 coffee later in the day, I felt super indulgent and wasteful!

The other item is this super kitsch and funny little girls dress, also $1. I plan to use it as a doll dress up for Bub's dollies:

How hilarious is it!? Does any one know where this sort of thing comes from? I'm not sure if it's vintage and was fashionable at some stage, or whether it's from another country... it doesn't have any tags.

I had more success with brand new, full priced items. Lucky I decided not to do 'Buy Nothing New Month' this month, because I'd certifiably have failed...

I am quite a fan of Valleygirl, with their super cheap clothing. As long as you are choosy, I think you can get some nice items that can be dressed up to look like they're from a much more expensive store. I bought this super colourful skirt with a hot pink skinny belt (which I'll use with other items) - $30:

 And this grey dress which will be perfect for work, and is very slimming. It was reduced to $25:

I have been particularly bad lately with online shopping, so I have some online buys to report too... Firstly, my leather Asos ballet flats arrived (see older post) (style - Asos Lady Leather Bow Ballet Pumps)

I got them for $26 delivered when Asos had a 20% off code (and the Australian dollar was stronger...). They are quite casual looking so are more for weekends than work-wear but they are super comfortable, so I'm happy. They are true to size for anyone looking to buy them (I find Asos shoe sizing to be inconsistent). Like my spotty PJ pants!?

The other shoes I bought are from Ebay, these cute blue loafer styled flats - as per this post:

But wait, there is more! Currently at Ezibuy, if you use the voucher code SUMMERUE, you get $20 off a $60 spend and free shipping (usually around $10 flat rate). I am such a sucker for sales and discounts, I always check them out and always find things I want to buy. I think I did pretty well at Ezibuy- my order came to $60 exactly, so I got it for $40 delivered.

I bought:

  

Oasis QS duvet cover + 2 pillow cases (250 thread count, 100% cotton)

 Basic stretch cami in 'flax spot'

 Basic stretch cami with built in bra in 2 colours - black/white spot and brown/white stripe

 Stretch V-neck tee in "winter white" which the reviews say = cream

That's 4 basic tops and a QS duvet cover set for $40 delivered. See, I just could not resist!!!

Linking up with Sophie's Flea Market Finds :)

Floriade Nightfest 2011

Last Saturday night I went with a group of friends to Nightfest- Floriade's ticketed nighttime event. If you want to know more about Floriade, or see my daytime photos, see this post.

We were so lucky with the weather - of the 5 nights that Nightfest was on, Saturday was the only night that it didn't rain! Very unfortunate for people who had bought tickets for another night, as it is mainly an outdoor event and I imagine the paths would get muddy in the rain, which would be unpleasant.

I had such a lovely night. We started off by going to the Garnier tent, which always has a long queue but is worth the wait because of their famous Floriade giftbags. They're free, and more than cover your entry fee! Mine contained:

That's right-  4 full sized products and a mini deodorant (+ some samples)!!!

We spent the night exploring the flowers and light shows. Some of my favourite photos follow.

The other highlight of the night was walking around and trying lots of delicious samples of various foods. As usual, I found something delicious to buy- this time some jams (by alpine berry farm):

And I really want one of these portable massage cushions now, although they are super expensive and there's no way I can justify paying near the rrp, which is $540:

Casada Maxiwell II

I have tried various massagers before I have never enjoyed them- vibrations annoy me and I don't find them particularly relaxing. This one doesn't have to vibrate, it has 4 balls in it which replicate a human massage... it actually hit my trigger points and loosened up my sore shoulders and upper back, which is amazing for a cushion. I will recommend this to my Dad though - he has chronic back pain, and that definitely justifies the cost. Oh and... I saw that in the US, in November 2010 this model was on sale for $159! It had already been superseded back then, while we're still on version II in Oz. Deary me.

Is it Macaron or Macaroon? (It gets complicated...)

Firstly, I had to share that I came across this enlightening (and hilarious) blog post. This lovely graphic is the perfect guide:

Source: I Do Believe I Came with a Hat

At first, I was ashamed to admit that I was, before reading this, incorrectly pronouncing macaron. But I am not one to accept things at face value - oh no. If you look at Ladurée, the French patisserie that *invented* the macaron/oon, they use the spelling 'macaroon' on their English website. The English translation of the French word macaron is indeed macaroon.

Trusty Wikipedia explains: "Since the English word macaroon can also refer to the coconut macaroon, many have adopted the French spelling of macaron to distinguish the two items in the English language. However, this has caused confusion over the correct spelling of the cookie/biscuit. Some recipes exclude the use of macaroon to refer to this French confection while others think that they are synonyms."

To avoid confusion, and be technically correct, you should be saying 'French Macaroon' or 'Macaron à la française'.

But wait, there's more! Let's not forget the Italians... There are French macaroons, and there are Italian macaroons. According to GastroNOMmy, the difference is in the meringue: they are made differently by the French and Italians, and this results in different MIXING and RESTING. Goodness me, who knew things could get this complicated. Ironically, the chef who explains the difference is of Asian descent, and studied at a French culinary school in Chicago.

Here is a pictorial depiction of the difference, from French Blogger Bec:

Source: Bec sucre Bec sale

It would be more helpful if both were made in the same flavour...

I used google images and searched for macaron and macaroon. Macaron came up with the French/Italian version, whereas macaroon came up with a mix of the French/Italian version and the coconut version your nanna makes. 

In conclusion: the 'macaron' snobs are technically incorrect, but to be understood, it's probably easiest to use said term.

Leaking Lunches - In Search of the Leak Proof Soup Container

I often have little ‘accidents’ when I try to take homemade soups to work. Those “airtight” containers that you buy at Coles or Woolies are pretty much useless. Recently, while aimlessly browsing online, I came across this “lunch pot” by Black + Blum:

The RRP in Australia is $40, and in America it is $22. You can’t say the distance is a factor, because it’s a UK brand… hmmm. A very cute take on the tiffin box none the less, and I would have the funkiest lunch carrier in the office. I wonder whether it actually is leak proof though…

I’d be more inclined to trust Thermos, the US brand. There’s this retro, fully insulated and leakproof food jar:

But I’d be just as happy with the boring old classic:

 Another brand with good reviews is Zojirushi, which has a nice Ms.Bento Stainless Lunch Jar:

The problem is finding Zojirushi in Australia- or somewhere that will ship to Australia at a reasonable price. For the Thermos options, I’ve located a few around the $30-$35 delivered mark. For the Black + Blum product, it’s about $30 shipped from the UK (Cheaper than buying in Aus, as usual).

It seems safer to go with the trusty Thermos classic, although $35 seems an awful lot for a little soup jar… :-/ The Black + Blum number is super cute too... if only I could find some reviews!

Floriade Canberra 2011

Floriade is Canberra's premium tourist event - it's a spring carnival with lots of flowers (mainly tulips) planted in various patterns in Commonwealth Park. It is very pretty and a lovely celebration of spring, if the sun decides to come out.

The flowers are planted in patterns, in line with the annual theme. For 2011, the theme is Food. For example:

This is supposed to be a 'spice market'. No matter how hard I try, it just looks like a whole lot of beautiful, colourful tulips. I'm sure that you'd have a much better effect with a birds eye view, but there isn't any way to see the flowers from above.... to some extent, I think this defeats the purpose.... but it's still a nice idea.

As another example, this one is supposed to evoke a 'celebration cake':

But anyway, I really enjoyed my afternoon spent at Floriade. The highlights were:
(1) The gorgeous flowers
(2) Free food and drink samples in the marketplace, where vendors were giving free tastes of their wares
(3) Garnier world, where I got a free 5 minute neck and shoulder massage and a free sample bag, complete with 4 full sized products!

Some more photos of the event:

Also to come- my adventures at Floriade Nightfest 2011 - the ticketed night time event. You can't say I'm not making the most of Canberra :-)

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 :-)