Hats,... I think i like them.

Todays hat even has interfacing in it to stiffen it up. Not yet lined,as im still trying to work out what the best way to line a hat is with minimum effort.

The material was from the op shop, $3 for about 3 metres.

I would never buy this for any other reason. Its just not my style. But for a boys hat.. Its cool to the MAX. well so says the 5 year old

Perhaps the next one will be for me?

$47 Dollars. What does that get you at the Op Shop?

Here we go.

1 pair of leather Mary Jane style shoes.

1 Ben Sherman blue top. (its a size small, but i actually wanted it for the buttons on it. It was 2 dollars.

1 CHarlie Brown black and whitedress.

1 x Red skirt, which i want to use the material to make into a sun hat for me.

Some brown grey black and white cotton material to make some sun hats.

2 x sun hats to use as templates to make into hats (can you tell im on a hat craze)

1 pack of kids coathangers

2 packs of self covering buttons.

3 school shirts

7 pairs of school shorts, (i bought one pair from the school clothing pool and it was $20. These are exactly the same!!!!!

a book with loads of pics of Avoca Beach. Just the thing for the Inlaws coffee table.

Grand Total $47.

The feeling that i get from all that thrifting... Priceless.

Sewing Surge

Yesterday, when we were leaving Monday Craft, Jo showed me a gorgeous handmade hat that she had bought for her boy. As a lot of handmade things we see, we all thought it was gorgeous, but we all thought, we could probably make that. Most of the time, i dont make them, but today, I thought i would give it a crack.

The material, was a set of curtains, from the op shop, $6. Love the material. Every time i see curtains in an op shop that i love, on further investigation it will be by "Austfield". I have accumulated loads of Austfield material, just waiting for the right project.


my very unwilling model.

My sewing machine is in a bad way at the moment. The pedal is broken, so you have to turn the machine on and off to sew. Tricky,.. also the bit that holds the cotton on, has broken off, so im using an allen key, sticky taped to the back of the machine. Its one of the reasons i havnt sewn much.

I didnt use a pattern, just winged it. Think it worked pretty well. Next time i might even put lining in it.

Monday Craft

YAY, monday craft has re-started.

Today, there was not a huge amount of crafting going on. Three of us, plus 5 boys, 5 and under. It was fun.

Jo made some bean bags for her boy to play with. Here my boy is giving them a good workout, and contrary to how this photo looks, it didnt hit him in the head.

Of course, Monday craft would not be complete with some 100% healthy and nutritiously sound food. mmmmm



MMM,.. well, i had to include this one.. Here's me out in the rain, testing out the new wrap skirt, that started its life as a vintage tablecloth..a huge tablecloth, its oh so comfy and just the thing for doing a rain dance.


I might be overweight, but look at those leg muscles!!!!

and here is the end product. An extremely comfy wrap skirt. Thanks Cathy for the tip on how to tie it. Button hole and ribbon working a treat.

How difficult is it to take a photo of yourself wearing a skirt. I tried a zillion times.

Op Shop Safari!

What a day we had.
It was great fun.
Here are a few pics of the day, and no i didnt buy that bowling ball, but it was a bargain at $3, thats if you need one.


Photos are not in order, sorry,.. This one, with me and the bowling ball is Berowra Lions


A pair of shoes at Lifeline



Love this. Its a curtain, but i have great plans for it.


Jo, Ben and Mr horsey, who came home with us! at Salvos Hornsby

and best of all Salvos was half price of everthing, all day.

We plan to hit the Blacktown op shops next month. all welcome.! details to follow.

Preparing for Op Shopping en masse.

Before i start blabbling on, i just had to share this find. It was $1.50. I had no idea what is was, or where it was from, but it does have the name Vera, with a little lady bug in the corner. Actually, i didnt know it said Vera till i was checking out blogs and came across this blog . I felt a bit dizzy, actually finding out about something that i bought from an op shop, so easily, and i wasnt even looking.. Anyway, i love it. Thinking it might make its way onto a bag perhaps?? or a skirt???

Tomorrow, Cathy,Jo, and myself are going on our own Op Shop Tour. First stop Hornsby Salvos. Good op shopping, crap parking.

I was there last week and the shop was not yet opened because someone had emptied the contents of their garage at their front door. The whole lot went in their skip bins. When one young guy asked, if rather than them throwing away two snowboards, could he have them, and was willing to pay for them. Nope.

I was a bit shocked. Surely, rather than throw something away, which they have to pay for to be taken away, they would rather it be sold?????

Anyhow, next stop will be Asquith and two of the three oppies there, stop for a reviving cup of tea at the very child friendly cafe there, then finishing off with Berowra Lions Club. Will be a lovely day of chatting, shopping, and more shopping.


Had to put this pic in. No child dared sit in the pram. Too much op shopping action going on here to actually put a child in the pram.~


On the way back from Salvos, last week, we stopped at Donut King. Both boys watched the doughnut machine for 42 mins. 42 mins!!!! it made for a lovely little break for me.

Oh, and here is a lovely leather shoe i bought for the older boy. Contrary to how they look, they are unworn, and leather... love em. oh and they were $3! Love em even more.

Thursday at the Op Shop.

This always happens. I get all enthusastic about this blog and go a bit cray for a bit, then don't post for ages...

anyway today, the boys wanted to buy these frogs.. 6 of them. They are actually mens braces clips. Who would want braces with frogs on them??? i have no idea, but we are going to use them to put on the boys bags so they can attach their hats to them when they are not using them. They like the way the googly eyes google about. They are made of metal too. bargain at $1

THis music below is actually material. Cotton material. 10 freakn metres of the stuff. That is a lot of material. Anyone out there need to make music bags or some music folders?? you are more than welcome to some.

Knex. The boys found this one on the shelf. They love it at Kindy. I love it at $3. Its the second lot of Knex ive found from there. Its going in the cuboard for christmas. THis one is actually two sets put together, as i went through the pieces, and there are twice as many as there should be. Oooh,happy days.

Silver Birkenstocks.. size 32. These are in excellent condition, and are destined to go to a girlfriend with a girl. If not, they are going on Ebay, unless someone else wants them?? they were $3.

and to top it all off, the bag that i got my goodies in was a shopping bag, that someone had sewn a tie on the front to cover the logo.

Ithink its quite nifty. Might have to steal that idea.

Melbourne Madness

Last weekend i went op shopping. Nothing unusual about that except that i went op shopping in Melbourne ... for one day...

Yes peoples, i drove to the airport at an ungodly hour, caught a plane, bus, train to meet up with 9 or so like minded people (well not like minded enough to fly from sydney!) to do a bit of op shop touring.

Beks won a ticket in an op shop tour and being unable to get there herself, and knowing what an op shopping addict i was, asked if i wanted the ticket. Of course i do. Doesnt matter that flying to melbourne totally wipes out any potential savings you make in an op shop..but thats not the point.

Any way i had a FANTASTIC day (exhausting yes, but great).

Our intrepid tour leader erica was wonderful. The op shops were wonderful, and no i didnt come back laden down with bags and bags,.. what i did get, amongst other things was these shoes. I LOVE THEM. Must remember to take my camera next time. took this when i got back.

Also Jo and Cathy, i did a reccie of the Op shops round my way, and although benny and i did them by public transport, which of course he thought was wonderful, we wont be doing it like that. Ill send you an email to let you know where we are going.

any one else. Wednesday starting at Hornsby we are going Op Shop Touring. I have warned my op shop that we are coming.!!!!

I heart this ring...

Once again, its been AGES since i posted. Lots has happened in meantime as does with life.

I was at the local op shop, and saw this ring in the window. It was $5 which is an indication that its not a cheaply made ring. I loved it at first sight, but loved it even more when i saw the inscription inside saying. Made in Norway, sterling silver. I love love love it and keep looking down at my hand.


After a very successful time in Melbourne doing at Op Shop tour, ive decided that im going to do my own, with some friends. Let me know if you want to come along.

Bedspread to Backpack

A friend of mine is taking her two small kids to Germany, and wanted to know if i could make some little backpack for their crafty bits and bobs for the plane.

A trip to the Op Shop resulted in a nice doona cover for $3. Then a morning spent at a girlfriends place doing a bit of sewing, a bit of chatting, even a glass of bubbles, resulted in this.. I was quite happy. Hope she is too.

Hello... anyone still remember me?

Ive been so slack! Life just seems to rumble on at such a pace/. Op shopping continues. I did go through a bit of a "i must be more frugal " but how can you be at an op shop? anyway, here are some things i have bought recently.

Isnt this the best material. about 3 metres for a whopping $2

i love this material... $1.50

and this $1.50

also got some black boots ., lovely leather ones, that i think i will give to someone who is lovely to me!

I have been really inspired lately by a blog, http://newdressaday.wordpress.com/ sorry, dont know how to make it look nice... but anyway, its excellent. She buys an outfit for $1 and rejigs it for her. and is d0ing this every day for a year... oh, would love to do this if i was her size, and had her ability!

A long time coming.

My goodness its been a long time between posts. Not that that is any indication of how often i go to the op shop. More probably because my husband was in china for 9 weeks, so to say that it was busy here, would have been an understatement.

Lots has been going on. Lots of buying has been going on.

First up, i needed some new jeans as, thank goodness, i have lost some weight, so off i go to the op shop, hoping they have some in my size, and would you know it, i had 4 to choose from. They are target brand but nearly brand new. v.v. happy


I bought this Perri Cutten winter jacket 100% wool jacket for $5. I know what is not a good colour for me, but what the heck, at that price i can look stylish for at least one day.

This material. There is about 3 metres or so, its very light weight, great for a beach coverup, for next summer $4

These snowboard boots, perfect for the man aboutthe house $5

and here are my boys, very patiently waiting for their biscuits to cool. T is helping them along there, B just looks over it all!

A new year,..

2010, a new year.

I have been very slack posting this year. It has been very busy and only 0ne month has passed. So much has happened. Our beautiful dog Reg, had to be put down on New Years Day. It was quite traumatic. He was 14, nearly 15. He was around long before the kids. He put up with the kids, he loved us all unconditionally. I miss that dog.

Andrew is away in China at the moment, and has now been for 5 weeks. Its been fairly full on with the two kidsand looking after the house. Things like trying to get the lawnmower going, which andrew woudl fix in 2 seconds, becomes a drama....

anyway its now february, and this is what ive bought today.

Benny checking out the tub of Mobilo, $2. quite a few of the connector pieces have been chewed, but most are fine, and ben is enjoying himself there.


a wooden marble run game, which i know is an Aldi brand... but it was still in the original plastic bag inside $2

pack of nappies... yes i know they are girl nappies, but for day time, who cares particularly when they are $5

a tablecloth in this funky print with dresses and tops all over it . have visions of turning iit into a skirt or a tunic.

and this little shoulder bag which i made at craft morning at Jo's