Yesterday I was out and about around Logan City and thought to drop in on my local Life Line store to see if there was anything there I could buy for this Summer. I badly needed a pair of shorts or a skirt; as my last skirt ripped as I sat down in it... and it's now being used as a painting rag.
Well! I found a nice pair of shorts which fit me like a glove and a lovely little clutch bag. It's a Glo-Mesh bag and when I opened it, it was a designer one from the Kylie Minogue collection! Now, how's that? Me finding a piece of designer wears in a charity store! Well, I've done it before - twice - and now it's happened again. And isn't it pretty? So, what have you found lately that's worth the money? Until my next post, happy bargain hunting.
I've been very busy since the last time I wrote here; however, I haven't forgotten about you guys. I have been fixing up my house and working on my garden. And so, I haven't had much time to go to Life Line and look for second-hand things.
But today, I parked Mum's car (yes, I'm driving again now), and walked up to Life Line and found a lovely red Glo-Mesh handbag sitting in the window! How lovely! I immediately asked to see it. The man at the counter got it for me and I said I'd have it. I did have a look around the place and found myself 'The Pleasure of My Company' by Steve Martin, but nothing else caught my fancy.
When I arrived home, I found the handbag was an original red Glo-Mesh handbag. This means it was made right here in Australia. This particular handbag wasn't in bad shape either. I think it had been mended though, but it doesn't matter, the bag is in pretty good shape. Well, until my next post, happy bargain hunting!
For those of you who don't know, I've been off my feet lately and in hospital for day surgery at Greenslopes Hospital here in Brisbane. But the recovery has taken a few weeks; and today was my first time out and about on my own shopping here in Logan again.
Today, I caught a bus to do my grocery shopping and found a new Op-Shop had opened around the corner from the Life Line Charity store. This Op-Shop Store was in aide of the blind and so I thought to take a quick look at their gear before walking on to Life Line - as it was on my way to my usual place.
I liked a lot of their stuff; but I couldn't try on anything seeing I wasn't really well enough to be changing clothes all the time. So, I'd have to wait for a few weeks until I'm feeling better.
The same went for Life Line. I wanted to try on clothes, but couldn't because of my stomach muscles were still healing. So, I looked handbags and other things around the place. And I did find a lovely leather retro handbag! The moment I laid eyes on it, I wanted it. It's the kind of handbag I've always wanted to have and now it's mine, I don't ever want to let it go! I scored this lovely beauty for around $15 - down from $25 when I used my discount card. I'm very happy with my purchase and will use it on Saturday and let you all know how it goes.
So, what kind of bargains have you scored recently? Do let us know. Until my next post, happy bargain hunting.
Winter is here in Brisbane and the South East Corner of Queensland and so is the Winter stock in the charity stores around the area! And so, I was out and about shopping today and dropped into my usual haunt of a Life Line and found some great things!
Seeing I'm hoping to have a change in wardrobe over the next year, I spotted a lovely scarf and beanie set which were made from colours which totally matched me. I tried on the beanie and it fitted! I love it! Both of them - as a set - was only $5.00! How wickedly cool is that?
Then, I spotted a lovely crocheted bag - a rainbow bag - with a lovely blue centre; but the zip is broken! Oh well, I don't care... it's just lovely. This was $6.00. What lovely set!
And because I took so many photos of me wearing the beanie and scarf, I didn't know which one to use to show them off... so I made a collage with them all in it!
Today, I had great intent in saving as much money as I could; not only for myself, but to keep within my budget over the next six months. And, so my visit to the local Life Line store kept me looking for bargains throughout... I tell you all, I wasn't disappointed!
As soon as I walked through the doors, I spotted a lovely 90's dress that I picked up immediately and tried on. It's a size 10 (Australian) and found it fitted just nicely! I have always wanted a dress just like this one because it was the 'in' thing to have in the 1990's; but they were so, so expensive and out of my price range - even when I was working full-time, and for $12.00, I'm impressed!
A look through the glass cabinet near the register proved a good move as I found a lovely little Glo-mesh purse which was made in China from the early 1980's! Just pretty as a picture! And in the same cabinet was the metal piggy money box! I love it! Such wonderful bargains and so great to find them all in a charity store!
So, what have you found lately which you've bought at bargain basement prices and you're happy you've found, bought and brought home to add to your house and life? Do please leave a comment and let us know. Until my next post, happy bargain hunting!
Yep! You read right... I have had a right blast from my past. Yesterday I went to my parent's house and went through two tea chests of belongings that belonged to me... well, okay, most of the stuff in them belonged to me. And you know, a lot of the things looked brand new!
My parents were the type to hang onto things just in case I decided to have children. However, it's not been the case in my life; so I've had the advantage to open these boxes up and look through them and to happily go and say if I'd like to keep the stuff in them or not. Now, I'm happy to say that I gave away 2 milk crates and one cardboard box of toys, Cabbage Patch Doll clothes and Barbie clothes too. It's something I'm happy to do as I know my Cabbage Patch Doll is packed away and fully dressed in her original dress she arrived home in. I didn't want her to look wrong - as it wouldn't have looked right if I had packed her away not dressed well.
Anyway, I found all kinds of things in the boxes. And instead of setting up a collection of links, I though a story through photobucket would be more apt. So, here you go!
A Blast From My Past
I hope you all enjoy looking at the photos from the day. It took me around 3 hours or so to go through it all. I have gone through the box I brought home in more detail and have found some wonderful memories from my teenaged years and childhood that brought a smile to my face. Now, Dad's got space under the house and more empty boxes to get rid of. He's happy I worked so fast and we donated the things I wanted donated yesterday afternoon... which he was happy with too. Some of the toys that I loved playing with weren't mine - they were my brother's - but they were packed away into my boxes. Oh well, I guess it goes to show that parents see who loves things more. Until my next post, happy bargain hunting!
I just love finding something unusual to wear and so when I went shopping yesterday, I dropped into my usual haunt of Life Line and found that I had missed out on a really cool red jacket from last time! Darn! Oh well... I found something that made up for it not too far away: this lovely leopard cuffed jacket. Isn't it lovely? I took it off the rack, tried it on and found it was a large size 10! It's got padded shoulders and is just lovely and comfy to wear, and for $8.50, I just had to have it!
Then, at another rack, I found this gorgeous jacket. Now, it's been an absolute dream of mine to own a jacket like this... and now, I do! It's a size 8 and when I saw that, I thought that it wouldn't fit, but I pulled it on and did! OMG! I love these things! It's because I've seen this kind of jacket worn by Allyson Hannigan in 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' and have always wanted one... it's very cool, has lacy sleeves and is just beautiful to wear. I love it.
A couple of weeks ago, I found a real jem of a candle which was a 'Dusk' candle in Life Line. It was still in its box and the candle and its beads were still in their wrappings. It was obviously a gift that wasn't liked much and so was never used. I bought it for $2.00 and brought it home, took it out and it's been sitting on a shelf looking gorgeous waiting to be used. personally, I'll probably won't use it either, but I'll most likely get in and put a different candle in the glass so the wax doesn't destroy the beads. So, what bargains have you found yourself lately? Until my next post, happy bargain hunting!
Today, I went out on my last outing until I leave to go home from Brighton. So, I walked back to the cool vintage coffee and tea place on the corner of Queens Parade called Eclectea and took in the morning for an hour or so.
I also went back to have a look at a suitcase I had spotted while I was there with Mum and Dad on Saturday. But they were in a hurry and needed to hit the road before the traffic blocked up the highways between here and Logan City. Not wanting to hold them up, I didn't want to make them late and let the suitcase I had my eye on go.
Usually I hate doing this - and this was no exception. I hated letting the suitcase go; in case somebody else snapped it up. So, I went back today and found it there tucked away on top of the change room with other suitcases and old bags waiting for me to buy it. However, there was no price tag on it. So, the guy at there photographed it and sent it off to the owner and we got a great price of $30 for it! What a wonderful price for such a lovely suitcase. I snapped it up straight away and am so happy I did.
Isn't it a lovely piece? I'm not going to travel with it as it's would never survive the abuse of travelling around places or going through customs anywhere... so I'm going to use it as a storage container in my house. So, if I have it out, and somebody comes over, I just need to close the lid and it looks cool and funky as it is without looking like it's storing anything; and you can't see through it, so you can't really know what's in there. And while this is true, I'll put a tag on it - sort of like a travel tag - to list what's inside it, so it looks like it's about to go travelling. The more there is, the more tags I'll attach... cool eh? Well, until my next post, happy bargain hunting!
Today, I went for a walk. I have found that around here, places are a little further away than they are at Logan and so, it pays to plan ahead and make sure to get to where you want to go early.
I wanted to go to this place called Eclectea Vintage Tea Shop on the corner of Queens Parade, not 10 minutes walk from my brother's house. Now, I thought that all it served was tea and coffee - and may be the odd home-made baked munchies - but I was wrong. This place is an antiques store full of goodies of the non-food varieties. It surprised me to the point that I thought it was two separate stores at first; well, until I saw the doorway through to the coffee area.
I found all kinds of things in Eclectea I haven't seen anywhere in a long time. There were complete collections of matching canisters for flour, tea, coffee and sugar. I found biscuit jars and cake tins, bread bins, clothes, old books, vinyls from the 1970's and some great Glo-Mesh bags that were not over-priced as they are in great condition, without a tile out of place and some were in their original boxes.
I picked up a double-vinyl set of 'History of British Pop' and a gorgeous two-tone teapot. The vinyl was $5.00 and the teapot was $10. There were other teapots but they were much more expensive; but when I found this teapot, I found it much more appealing as it was just the most lovely colours.
This place is well worth a visit on most any day. But do keep an eye on your budget, as it's easy to let it run away on you; it's not a charity store... it's a proper antiques store where things have been valued and cared for. Until my next post, happy bargain hunting!
Yep! I'm on holidays again, and there's a Life Line Charity store here in Sandgate/Brighton. Today being my shopping day, I thought it would be nasty of me not to have a good look at the place and see what they have in their store. So, I took off early on the 312 WIZ bus and arrived just after the place opened.
From the outside, it looks small, but it's like a Tardis on the inside... much bigger! However, like the area, I found this bargain store is anything but full of bargains. I was looking for a dress to wear, and didn't find anything that was under $20 that was worth it. The dresses were either too big, too small or too trashy; and they weren't worth the price tag. They had plenty of shoes, scarves, hats and other items; and yet were lacking in coin purses and handbags. I saw some but they were hung about the place on all kinds of hooks and not in their own little area where people could look at them on their own. I found no Glo-mesh purses or bags (it's as though they don't exist) and a lot of the jewellery is just cheap, crappy stuff as well.
However, amongst all the things I didn't like, I found two things that were diamonds in the rough. There was a bag that was up high on a shelf where nobody could get to it; and I had to ask to look at it. And then, there was a large Paua Shell from New Zealand which I loved straight away at the bottom bargain price of $4.00. The bag was going for $8.00... and it was worth it too. As with any bag, it was a little worn, but the handles were in great shape; as were the insides. So, I bought it for the condition of those two things as well as it being able to be used when I go to volunteer work next time. Well, until my next post, happy bargain hunting!
I just found this site about the Bean Pole bag! I'm stoked! This bag is a big hit in Asia; and so I thought to share this with you guys. :D
Bean Pole Bag Review
Wednesday was my shopping day, and I haven't been to a Life Line in a while. Well, okay I have, but I didn't buy anything. So, I've been frugal. Anyway, this week, I found myself a nice denim skirt which was almost brand new and a Dr Who mug from 2006 with Cybermen on it! The mug only cost me $2.00 and was an original from the ABC shop. I love it. Then, I came across a lovely little handbag which was a designer bag with a detachable handle. It was designed on the Gold Coast and is just lovely.
Well, they were my scores this week. What have you found around your area and charity stores that are worth sharing with us? Until my next post, happy bargain hunting.
I haven't been to Life Line in almost a month; and that's been a good break for me. Anyway, today was my first day back into the swing of things. I had spent the last week cleaning up my living room and kitchen table; and now they look great.
Today, I had to do my shopping. So, I didn't see much harm in looking in on my usual hang-out just to see what had come in over the New Year. And some great stuff had been donated.
The first thing I saw was a purple handbag; and it was beautiful and soft! I've been looking for something like this for a while now, but just can't find one which is lovely and soft. And the inside is all sectioned out with velcroe and is a lilac colour. Then, on the sides there's buttons so I can open up the bag a little or close it up; depending on how much I have inside it. Very cool for $10.
The next bag I saw was a green cotton bag with long shoulder handles with little bells and beads hanging off it. As soon as I saw it, I loved it. It's got a double bit of cardboard in the bottom and a button on the top to close it up, but it's also got plenty of room for everything I need. I thought I could use it for volunteer work to store a book, my knitting and a sketch book and some pencils. A very nice piece for $8.00.
So, have you found anything lately in a charity store, marketplace or a thrift store which has caught your eye and budget? If so, share it with us as a comment below. Until my next post, happy bargain hunting.
Hey there! It's been a little over a month and I'm back from my break; and yes, I've been scoring very well at the charity stores and other sources too. Christmas has been great to me as well!
For Christmas I received a wonderful little bag from my Aunty Helen who saw it and thought I'd love it. Inside it, she also put a cute little make-up mirror. How lovely is that?
A few weeks before that, I found the most gorgeously interesting bag. It's one shaped like a radio. The knobs turn and everything; and it looks like a 1950's radio. Very cute! I've tested it out already and have found that the only thing that bothers me about it is that the knobs can get in the way and make a loud clacking noise when they bump against things which scare the life out of me; making me thing they might break. So, I have to be careful of them when I'm using the bag. Otherwise, it's cute as a button!
Then, on my holiday down at Brunswick heads, I just couldn't resist buying something. I purchased for myself a lovely little black bag with a long strap for evening. It doesn't look it, but it worked really well with my NYE dress; both of which I bought at Target Country. I also scored for myself a cool Christmas shirt as well for next year.
I also wandered around Brunswick Heads taking in the vibe of the place and enjoying myself totally. It was fun and I took plenty of photos. I also bought a few souvenirs too. One of those was a money box in the shape of an old Kombi Van. It's blue and has been kept by my bed for any small change I find in my pockets at the end of the day. I love it. It cost me $14.95 at the newsagents and came with its own box; which I kept it in until I got home by bus.
There's this great little place at Brunswick Heads called 'Whatever' where they stock all these imported goodies. From clothes, books, handbags, notebooks handbags, wallets and coin purses and shoes, saris and anything else you'd like to furnish your house, it's there. Well, I bought a couple of tops and a notebook or two and four coin purses as well. It's a cool little shop I always buy stuff from when I'm in town.
And I have been scoring great deals while here at home too; and I've only been home 2 days. Yesterday, I had been given a Smart Phone by my brother - as he upgraded to a better one and didn't want to throw out his old one - and so I was figuring out the bits and pieces on this one; and having fun with it. While I was, the battery almost died on me. So, I plugged it into the computer and the internet up and died on me.... bummer! So, I was off to Target to buy an adapter to plug this puppy into the wall. It only cost me $15.75; and the best thing is that I can work my iPod off it too!
While I was a Centro Mall, I saw the Rockaway still hadn't closed down its old store; so I took a wander in there too. And I scored 3 disco vinyls - all from radio stations - and a Mozart Idomeneo 3 vinyl set all for $18! Very cool! So, I spent an hour or so cleaning the dirt and old nicotine stains off the vinyls and then wishing I could play them; but unable to because the turntable wasn't working. Now I'm home, I'm going to have an afternoon of new vinyls being played that I have never heard the music of... not a bad idea.
So, what great scores have you come across during the Christmas/NYE period? Great ones? Or have you missed out altogether? Do share. Until my next post, happy bargain hunting!
