CAN YOU SMELL SOMETHING

I HAVE been having a lot of fun with this little piece of Aussie '80s kitsch, bought on last week's op shop tour for a measly $2. It smells faintly of the previous owner's perfume - I know it but can't name it. The whiff of someone else's signature scent has me once again searching for one to call my own. I think I may have found it. Santa?

HAVE YOU GOT IT IN WATERMELON

I KEEP being drawn back to this watermelon colour. I've decided it's my summer '09 colour. It's everywhere around me at the moment, in this dress, this top, on my table and throughout my garden. These will finish flowering over the weekend but I've noticed a watermelon flush on the Christmas Bush. When it comes into full flower, Christmas will be around the corner.

THRIFTED TUESDAY

IT’S been ages since I visited here, but Thrifted Tuesday is a top notch Flickr group moderated by Adelaide blogger Hyena In Petticoats. If you’re ever going to have op shop envy, you’re going to have it looking through these finds. I’ve added my silver wing earrings – found on Thursday’s op shop tour.

FOLLOW THE LEADER

SATURDAY’S walking op shop tour was a treat. We visited five op shops in the space of about four hours, with a stop for coffee. Once again, even though I was leading the tour, I found time to pick out a gorgeous Cue dress - for a mere $35 - and these earrings to match, $8. There was also a shell necklace for $1 and a $3 length of fabric that I plan to make into a summer shift.

ALL ABOARD ...

SO, the op shop tour went off without a hitch. Actually, that’s not entirely true. There were 20 booked for the bus, with a waiting list of as many again. Then a fella – yes, a fella – turned up and wanted in, and fortunately there was one spare seat. Then another woman, who’d trekked the whole main street, with bub on hip, arrived and also wanted in, but the bus was full. We had to turn her away. My heart sunk when her lip quivered and her baby, serenely oblivious, made goo-goo eyes at me. Awwww ... I near gave up my seat, but, you know, I was the tour guide.

She was gracious and went on with her day. I do hope it got better and that the op shop gods were as kind to her as they were to me.

And yes, even as the tour guide I managed to pick up some choice second-hand goodness. Another basket – yes, it made me happy – a kaftan to waft about the beach in, a gumnut inspired necklace and a couple of vintage patterns. I also scored a pair of earrings and a beaded top. And there’s another tour Saturday. Goodness.

OP AND RUNNING

I’M off on the first of this week’s two op shop tours. I’ll let you know how it goes. In the meantime, check out the button-up printed cotton loose singlet I found at a Salvos last week. So cool and comfy and only $5.

WAS IT ASKING TOO MUCH

THE op shop gods didn’t just deliver a watermelon-coloured summer frock this week (see yesterday's post). I also scored a 1940s paper pattern that comes close to resembling the vintage dress from this Design Sponge guest blog post. I’d kept the link stored in Google Reader until just last week and had let go of the notion I’d be able to hunt down a pattern for it. Can you believe it? In a box of patterns for 1980s drop waist frocks and jackets designed to take Dynasty-esque shoulder pads was this little beauty. It was 20c and comes with a pencilled in recommendation from the original seamstress. Can you see that? The blouse on the right has been circled and “Good Blouse” written in blue fabric chalk. Now, if I could just find a source for that fabric. Oh, op shop gods, I am unworthy.

ASK AND YOU SHALL RECEIVE

IT’S November, and on Saturday I finally made it to the monthly church car boot sale held around the corner. All year I’ve either been away on the first Saturday of the month, or the sale has been rained out. This month’s sale netted a reasonable booty: a red leather handbag, watermelon-coloured Veronica Maine summer frock and a stack of craft magazines. I have been calling on the op shop gods to throw a watermelon-coloured summer frock my way, and at $10 I’m more than happy with their selection.

COOKIN' THE BOOKS

YOU’VE seen Julie and Julia, right? If you haven’t, go and see it. As luck would have it, I found Powell’s book on CD at the library and am up to the final chapters. The book does not track Child’s life as the movie does, just the year Powell wrote her blog chronicling an attempt to cook all the recipes in Julia Child’s 1961 tome Mastering the Art of French Cooking. Bloggers will appreciate Powell’s love/hate relationship with her blog and her readers, and recognise, if not cringe a little at Powell’s rather familiar neglect of her husband. It’s been a fun read and well could be among my Christmas gifts to other foodies and bloggers. I liked the movie, but the book has been way, way better. I’ll be sorry when it ends and I drop Julie, who happens to narrate her work, back to the library and fork over the $2 overdue fine.

Powell’s Julie/Julia Project did have me wondering which cook book I’d choose to cook my way through. Stephanie Alexander’s Kicthen Garden Companion, which I blogged about here, would top the list at the moment. I made a fair start on Saturday with a roast chook, broccoli and chick pea salad and grape, ginger and yoghurt brulee (pictured).

'TIS THE SEASON (NO, NOT THAT SEASON)

I LOVE being in the garden at the moment. The carrots are plentiful, the winter lettuce has gone to seed and will soon be shaken back into prepared soil, along with the flat parsley pictured here. The perennial herbs are lush and there are annuals like basil, tomatoes, potatoes, coriander and rocket springing up everywhere. It’s a wild, wild place and it’s where you’ll find me this weekend.