The last time I owned a piece of gold clothing was a princess dress my mum bought for me when I was 5 or 6. My last memory of it is a (male) family friend trying it on at age 12 with oranges stuffed down the front. Why do boys love dressing up in drag?
The gold jumper; another Savers bargain.
I’m no political or historical scientist but perhaps the Warsaw Pact Invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968 would have been more favourably met by those frolicking in the Prague Spring if propaganda used by the Soviets had been disseminated in fetching candy colours. Just a theory.
Original photo of the black & white propaganda taken by me at the Communism Museum in Prague. They love to make light of the irony of being situated next to Macdonalds.
Since turning 23 on the 4th of August, there have been some exciting developments in my life.
Firstly, on the 4th I had my hair cut and coloured, exciting, no?! On the same day, as I was leaving the salon (after 4 hours no less!) I received a call from the editor of the newspaper I did work experience at in July, formally offering me a job as a journalist. Cue excitement!!!!! So I leave the fair city of Melbourne to follow my dreams in Kalgoorlie, Western Australia, on the 26th of August. Cue organising to finish uni by correspondence, packing and finding a new home.
So here I am, with my new hair, holding a textbook with the apt title ‘So you want to be a journalist?’ which ironically, I have not opened once. Maybe i’ll take it with me…
I was spoilt with a mini-trip to Torquay this weekend. Beach, TV, wine, room service, delicious treats, coffee, Sunday papers and a blue Combi Van overlooking the waves just begging to be photographed. In a hilarious twist of fate a blueberry masquerading as a caper found its way into my bagel. Also, suede boots don’t appreciate sand and saltwater.
Those who need to be thanked know who they are x
Did you have a good weekend?
I would say my wardrobe is at least 60% recycled. By this I mean second-hand, ‘thrifted’, from an op-shop. So I feel I have fairly good authority to dish out advice on how to perfect the sometimes daunting task of buying clothes second-hand (smug much?!). Here are my top tips:
1. Time & Patience Op-shopping is not for the time-poor. I like to flick through every garment on the rack because otherwise how will I know if I’m missing a bargain?! The longest I’ve spent inside a Savers (huge second-hand department) store is probably 2 to 2.5 hours. Yeah. Full on. So obviously patience is also hugely important.
2. Find a balance between talking yourself out of every purchase because it’s not 10000% perfect (common amongst novice op-shoppers) and buying everything you pick-up because it’s cheap (i’m majorly guilty of this- black & gold sequin studded belly-dancer costume, i’m looking at you). Remember the equation; Cheap + Cheap + Cheap + Cheap + Cheap = Expensive. But while none of us have endless closet space and cash, it’s worth hanging on to pieces that; fit you perfectly, are in mint condition and are 100% silk, leather, cotton or fur. But if you can’t imagine them in an outfit comprised (mostly) of clothes you already have, chuck it.
3. TRY IT ON When clothes are dirt cheap it’s easy to buy them without trying them on, thinking “Oh well! At $3.99 who cares if it fits or not?!”. However this often results in piles of ill-fitting clothes in frustrating places, like your bedroom floor (also remember The Equation!). Said clothes then need to be bagged, transported to the car, driven to a charity store or bin, transported from the car to the bin, lifted into… well you catch my drift. Clothes end up back where you paid your hard-earned cash for them in the first place. A pointless exercise.
4. Frequency Great op-shoppers visit their local charity shops often (how I love a sweeping generalisation!). But really, going often means you become more discerning at spotting the gems from the crap; much like people who frequently work-out at gyms get more fit (I’m assuming, I don’t actually work-out at gyms), people who go op-shopping often get more op-shop savvy. I also believe that the more you go, the more the universe will provide for you. This makes absolutely no sense. But it’s true.
5. Comfort Don’t be; hungry, tired, pre-menstrual, emotional or thirsty. You need maximum clarity to op-shop well. Don’t be carrying a massive handbag or sunglasses in your hand, as you need both paws for rummaging efficiency. Also I find op-shopping much like playing hide and seek, as soon as you get stuck-in you will need to pee. So always pee beforehand, even if you think you don’t need to.
6. Partners Choose your op-shopping partner wisely. I strongly discourage op-shopping with someone who has exactly the same taste and is exactly the same size as you, otherwise: cue arguments and clothes tug of war. Also, I can’t stand op-shopping with someone who has zero vision i.e. they can’t use their imagination to see how amazing something is going to look and thus poo-poo everything you try on. Talk about kill-joy. It also helps to have some who can be completely honest about whether that floral onesie really suits you or not. Finally, avoid taking that person who interrupts your op-shop chi every 5 minutes to show you something ‘hilarious’. Yes shoulder pads were big in the 80’s, time to move on.
My latest Savers purchases from left to right:
Yellow Jeans $7.99, Belt $2.99, Green & Cream Striped Basic $1.99, Navy & Cream $2.99, Cream & Navy $9.99 (bit if a rip-off because it’s ‘L.L.Bean’), Green & Yellow $2.99, Brown Cable-Knit Sweater $8.99, Neutral Linen Blazer $7.99.
Total $46
Any tips to add?
Do we ever get used to change? I’ve had 23 years of it and yet as I stare down the barrel of one of my biggest changes to date I can’t seem to shake that niggly, anxious feeling. Like i’d rather a year under my bed covers with Mum bringing me toast than said change.
Under ‘normal circumstances’ I would never say I disliked change. Disliking change was reserved for those loser Gen X-ers still living at home.
But now that I think about it, I haven’t reacted particularly positively to changes recently. Example: I ignored my Dad for 2 months last year when he emailed me in New York to say he was moving out of our house (I was in New York, why did I care?!).
So I’m trying to figure out ways to better embrace change, particularly positive ones like the current. Perhaps I should forget the idea of ‘normal circumstances’ accept life as consistently transient (which it is!). Easier said than done.
Any tips?
Reflection time! On this day last year I was in London for my birthday and was completely spoilt by my Aunt and Grandmother. Breakfast at The Wolseley (where Jude Law was spotted mere hours later), the Grace Kelly – Style Icon exhibition at the V & A, a decadent high tea at The Goring Hotel (see photos, also where the Middleton family stayed prior to the Royal Wedding this year) followed by an evening of ballet. Perfection.
Possibly the most bloggable day of my life, only I didn’t have a blog then. So i’m paying homage now.
So today I am 23. Bizarre! I have a fun day in store, hope you have a great one too x
I often take for granted the extensive street art to be discovered in Melbourne’s lane ways. But this year I’ve had many out-of-towners visit and marvel at its beauty and legality. So here are some of my favourite spots; Hosier Lane and Union Lane.
This week I’ve been to the Melbourne International Film Festival (saw Terri), State of Design Festival and the football (GO BLUES). I love this city! Always so much on. This weekend is Melbourne Open House which means 75 amazing buildings old and new are open to the public for a sneaky peak. I went to London Open House last year and it was fantastic. I really wanted to go this weekend, but alas, I am away. If you partake let me know how it went.
July is nearly over which means the end of Dry July! If you haven’t donated yet to help those living with cancer do so here. All donations are hugely appreciated.
Bec x
1. Inappropriate child/parent television.
This happens to me a lot. I set myself up on the couch to watch one or so of the 15 episodes of S*x and the City I have saved on IQ, and without fail, just as one of Samantha’s particularly gruesome s*x-scene commences, one of my parents walks in. Let the awkward times roll. Where to look?! The only solution is to switch immediately to the news, as pausing the episode only aggravates an already tense situation. Other futile actions; laughing awkwardly, attempting to make conversation (not even the most riveting discussion can dull the Samantha’s operatic screaming) or pretending nothing is awry.
(EDIT: I’ve taken the ‘e’ out of s*x due to the number of hits this post has received from people searching for explicit content which I clearly do not provide!)
2. ‘Shug’.
A comprehensive explanation of the ‘shug’ can be found here. Basically, ‘upon being introduced or greeting someone, one party will go for a handshake, and the other a hug; the result is a painfully awkward shug, sometimes with up to three stuttered attempts to create a full hug’ (Thank you Nilo, for your extensive work on social awkwardry). There are plenty of variations on the shug, the worst of which in my opinion is when one party goes for a hug, the other for a kiss on the cheek (that’s often me), resulting in a horrifically intimate ear/neck kiss.
3. Storytelling
Storytelling is riddled with potential for awkward land mines. Commonly, you’ll start telling an amusing anecdote and whilst mid-sentence, the ‘listener’ retorts ‘You already told me that’. Boom. Shut down. There’s no recovering. My sister often does it to my dad. Worse than this is when you start telling a story only to be told mis-sentence that you’re repeating a story the ‘listener’ in fact, told you in the first place. Anecdotal plagiarism, pretty bad. But the worst is telling a story you were sure was hilarious, only to have it fall flat and be met with blank stares, then comes one of the most awkward statements known to man: “I guess you had to be there….”. Ick.
4. Falling
Or more accurately- post-fall behaviour. So you’ve hit the floor, damn. What makes the difference now between slightly embarrassing mishap and all-out public humiliation is how you conduct yourself post-fall. It’s a common misconception that laughter is the best response, wrong. Laughing is just about the most awkward possible reaction. Just get up, brush yourself off, try not to cry from the shock and carry-on.
5. Awkward Silence.
So a conversation topic has reached its natural end-point, but a lull in conversation need not be awkward at all. It’s only until some socially-inept loser announces “Awwwkward!” that the situation becomes dire. It wasn’t awkward at first, but gee, it sure is now! The solution: avoid people who do this at all costs.
There are thousands more cringe-worthy moments, feel free to add yours!
My Bloggable Day 
The Melbourne Bucket-List
In less than a week I depart Melbourne- my hometown and partial love of my life, for dustier pastures in Western Australia. As excited as I am to begin the next chapter I think a lengthy and drawn-out fair well of this fair city is in order. So I have comprised a bucket-list to complete before I leave on an airplane on Friday.
1. Attend an AFL Game (Australian Football League for my international readers) Melbourne’s love for this sport knows no bounds. My Dad often says those living in Melbourne not following the football are at a significant social disadvantage. He’s absolutely right. A friend from interstate once asked me why I chose to barrack for Carlton FC seeing as I do not, nor have I ever lived in the suburb of Carlton. Her question baffled me mostly because she assumed I had a choice in the team I follow. I live and breathe Carlton because my Dad bestowed me the privilege to do so at birth. To choose a team is like to choose your own name; bizarre and plain weird. I go to games most weekends, so I obviously need to fit one in before I leave.
2. Attend a Fashion Event Melburnians think they live in the fashion capital of Australia. We’re probably right. I don’t wish to get into an argument with Sydneysiders on this issue. I just need to get invited somewhere amazing before heading off to live in a mining town.
3. Consume Delicious Coffee Apparently Melbourne has the best coffee in Australia, which is mandatory given our aspirations to be ‘cosmopolitan’ and ‘European’. So although I’m more of a tea girl, I’d better drink some before I leave. Preferably somewhere pretentious, in a lane way where they only serve organic milk. This one will be easy.
4. See a live band/contemporary movement piece/art exhibition We’re also superior when it comes to arts. Go figure.
5. Get out of Melbourne if there’s one thing Melburnians love as much as Melbourne it’s getting out of the city for the weekend. Whether it’s to the beach (don’t get me started on the Peninsula vs Great Ocean Road cliques), wine country or to the snow, getting away allows Melburnians the chance to complain about how inferior the coffee is, how they couldn’t catch the game at the MCG or how lacking in artistic flair their weekend destination was.
There are also a few other things like go shopping, eating authentic food from three different continents in one day, and riding on a tram.
Any others I’ve missed?