Second Hand Rose

There is something incredibly thrilling and addictive about finding treasure in second hand shops...one of my very favourite past times is hitting the opportunity shops (or op shops as they are affectionately known)...I think overseas you guys call them thrift stores.  I am forever chasing a bargain, and feel like I have won the lottery when I bring home someone else's discarded treasure.

 I may have mentioned a favourite shop of mine here in Melbourne called 'Harem' Well, imagine my delight when our local op shop had a shop-load of their clothing at ridiculous prices! I was like a kid in a candy store...no matter that some things were very small, and would not even go close to fitting me, I still had to have them. Gotta think outside the box sometimes - if it's something you love, it can always be used for lots of other things, like displaying on mannequins, or the fabric could be used for sewing projects - much cheaper than going to a fabric store.

I am so glad I brought these lovelies home...

 Another score this week were these lovely cloches - they are so pretty for displaying different things under...check out my baby shoes - awwwww. And of course the lovely nest my beautiful friend Jo made for me last year.

 I procrastinated over buying this latest edition of Flea Market Style - worth a fortune here in Australia...but I'm so glad I succumbed. Look how beautiful these pages are...then I came across this gorgeous plate, cup and saucer in the op shop...it says blah blah, Queen Mother on it, so it was a bit dearer than I would normally spend, but I couldn't resist, especially with Mother's Day just around the corner - I'm picturing a romantic afternoon tea inspired by this photo....

And isn't synchronisity a funny thing? Just look at the collections - remember I recently purchased a piano accordian? Then on the next page, I loved the idea of these stacked velvet boxes, and lo and behold, I found one for $1 on a dusty shelf, yep, you guessed it, in an op shop! Oh Happy Day!

Finally, i just have to share this pic from the magazine also...that turquoise table makes me weak at the knees...so I have decided that my very dated kitchen sideboard needs a makeover - I went to the paint shop with magazine in hand, and they have matched this colour for me - you know that I will share photos as soon as this project is completed - stay tuned.

So, the moral of this little story is...surround yourself with things that make you smile. Think outside the box, and finally, you really don't need to spend a fortune to have a beautiful home. Just be creative and look for inspiration all around you.