Thursday, December 29, 2011

The Nowra hour...

I stopped in Nowra yesterday to scour the local op shops and augment the trip back to Sydney. The first thing I noticed about Nowra is that the architecture shares similarities with Wellington (NZ), sort of art deco with lots of colour.



This is the tree out the front of the Nowra Arts Centre.


















Op Shops in Nowra...

1. Vinnies Nowra Berry St, Nowra - a bit messy but I got a pair of navy blue 1980s Selby shoes and a royal blue retro skirt (perfect for colour blocking) for $10. You had to be willing to sort through.
2. Wesley Opportunity Shop off Berry St, Nowra - this was run by really nice people and it was very neat and orderly, I bought a rose print knit further cultivating my penchant for rose prints.





Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Up town in Ulladulla...

This morning I went into Ulladulla for coffee, a little shopping and to enjoy the harbour views.



I like The Coffee House in the Pavillion arcade because it's not too crowded and the coffee is really, really good. I started reading Elizabeth Gaskell's North & South, now that I've read my way through Jane Austen.


I found the vintage/retro clothing shop I remembered seeing in the adjacent arcade. It was open on a public holiday which surprised me. I bought a 1950s vintage dress in pale yellow with strawberry patterns and a blue/orange/green shirt with a village print to wear underneath my myriad black work dresses. I spent more than I should but both pieces are very unique.



Ulladulla has a very small city centre yet it is not without it's charms. I had a look in the Oldest House (in Ulladulla) which doubles as a tea house and gallery. In summer they hold a music night for local musicians. The Oldest House sell a great range of tea, knitted tea cosies and lots of cute tea pots!


Three places to shop in Ulladulla...

1. The Recycle Choice, at the very back of the Amcal arcade - I found this tiny shop about a year ago. Many 1980s dresses, including stunning evening wear, also a small selection of  original 1950s and 1960s dresses and cardigans. Hurry, she said she is closing down soon.
2. The Oldest House Green St - I loved the tea cosies!
3. Sachi on Green The Pavilion, Green St - nice if you're into Elk jewellery or need to buy a gift. I used to like them because they stocked Betty Jo jewellery but they don't seem to stock it anymore.


Thursday, December 15, 2011

Mittagong intermezzo...

Yesterday I went on a day trip to Mittagong in the Southern Highlands. I travelled by train because it's less expensive and my CNS couldn't handle another car journey. I arrived in historic Mittagong  just in time for morning tea.



I intended to start my shopping at Mittagong Antique Centre which is an 'old-school' harvest  of antiques and collectables, including vintage clothing and fabric.  I got side-tracked by Vinnies where I discovered many embroidered doilies and two rose-pattered covers that are perfect for my balcony cushions.



I popped into a little shop called 'vintage daze' on Main St. The owners seemed to be in the process of moving or rearranging the store as the contents of the shop were mostly on the pavement outside.




















To Mittagong Antique Centre and the sole purpose of my trip... Six months ago I saw a water jug with hand-painted blue swallows at the front of the store. It suits the aviary theme in my apartment. I was still thinking about it and it was still there (although slightly further back)... but now it's safe in a cupboard at home waiting for me to host an afternoon tea.



I also purchased a 1960s sleeveless top - it was just so 'groovy' I had to have it...Unfortunately it's meant for tall, thin people in platform shoes. FAIL!!!

Three places to shop in Mittagong...


1. Mittagong Antiques Centre 85-87 Main St, Mittagong - half my tea cup collection is from here
2. Vinnies Mittagong 22 Bowral Rd, Mittagong- I rate this Vinnies for the doilies and pillow/cushion covers
3. Hunters & Collectors Antiques 8 Bowral Rd, Mittagong - not a great antique store but their range of retro wear is extensive & affordable. I once bought a 1980s skirt in bright blue, orange & purple for $10.

Saturday, December 10, 2011

The train from Miranda...


Today I met up with three of my friends at Westfield Miranda. With trackwork on the Inner West line I caught buses and trains to get there. Public transport is difficult but I’d rather take a train than fight for a parking spot two weeks before Christmas.



Below is the slice of lemon meringue pie I ordered for morning tea. I’d uncharacteristically skipped breakfast and I think this was big enough to cover breakfast, lunch and dinner. My friend is holding a 20 cent coin beside it…


















Because I was with my friends I didn’t do much shopping and that’s a good thing! After a pleasant day I caught the train back to Central. I started reading The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith. My favourite lines are:

“You could think and think and get nowhere, but you still had to eat your pumpkin. That brought you down to earth. That gave you a reason for going on...” (Alexander McCall Smith, 1998, p. 84)




It's like when the bigger things in life overwhelm you, when you’re anxious or depressed or you’ve just had enough of human misery, it’s the little habits and their necessity that keep you living. Shopping is one of them for me… 

Friday, December 9, 2011

Christmas time in the City of Sydney...

I spent yesterday and today Christmas shopping in the City. I had hoped to contrast the bedlam of Myer on Pitt St with a quieter Kinokunyia bookshop but it seemed wherever I went the crowds and confusion followed.

\

Exhausted, I tried on a skirt in Cue and before I knew it I'd left the World Square store $100 worse off and feeling like a Salvador Dali painting...surreal.

















It wasn’t all bad, though. Christmas shopping completed, I…

1. took the opportunity to see New Years Eve at George St cinema. It made me want to walk through Central Park again or wander Greenwich village as the sun sinks in the sky. It should be my New Year’s resolution to revisit New York...




                                                              via YouTube

2. saw the Picasso exhibition at the Art Gallery of NSW. I have been to the Picasso museum in Barcelona but not in Paris. Seeing these paintings for the first time was inspiring. The Bathers is so small!




My mood was low and irritable after all that Christmas chaos. I was starting to feel a bit like this by the end of my shopping expedition…






















    via National Gallery of Victoria website


I think I’ll add Christmas shopping to the list of shopping I hate.

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Ashfield, the only shopping I hate...

The only shopping I hate is grocery shopping. I do it once a fortnight and I feel like I’ve climbed Mount Kosciusko at the end. I shop at Coles in Ashfield because the music is better, the isles are wider and they actually stock things like tofu and Lipton herbal teas none of which I can find in the C-Grade excuse for a Franklins in Summer Hill.  



Ashfield is not the prettiest suburb to shop in but it is convenient and the K-Mart has saved my life for stocking mobile phone chargers.



I took the chance to visit Ashfield Library which is bright and new and has a good collection of novels. It’s number one on my list of places to visit which don’t require money. Here’s what I borrowed…



Three places to visit which don't require money...

1. Ashfield Library - I never walk away empty handed & it always lifts my mood
2. The Art Gallery of NSW - I still get lost in Albert Marquet's The Pont Neuf in the Snow
3. Parramatta Rd (On foot) - it mostly takes me to Annandale St but sometimes as far as Broadway, not exactly scenic but always interesting, Parramatta Road takes me away from home




Books, paintings and my two feet always save me from boredom and unhappiness...

My road trip to Canberra (with $23.00 to spend)...



Plus $58.80 for fuel and tolls.


I started my Canberra day with coffee at the National Library cafĂ©, sitting on the patio looking over Lake Burley Griffin, reading Alain de Botton’s The Romantic Movement.



Leaving the majesty of the National Library behind, my three hour shopping blitz began at itrip iskip on Lonsdale Street. Lonsdale Street is the Cuba Street of Canberra – colourful, funky...







....and home to my favourite little shop in Canberra



itrip iskip has astroturf carpeting and vintage china cabinets filled with handmade jewellery. Even cuter, there’s a red piano at the back of the shop!









It’s the best place for unusual jewellery and quirky clothes. I spent my last $19 on a cupcake brooch to match Saturday’s Camden dress. So sweet…



Money spent, it was safe to proceed along Lonsdale Street to the City Centre. I visited the Hive gallery (gift shop) and Pink Ink boutique along the way.



I love a CBD with a merry-go-round!

On to Canberra’s Shop Handmade, an extensive collection of handmade jewellery that almost made me wish I hadn’t spent my money at itrip, iskip. Almost…
















Five places to shop in Canberra...


1. itrip iskip – eclectic boutique, aimed at a youth market but works for any age
2. Shop Handmade – dozens of handcrafters sell their jewellery here
3. National Library shop – it’s just nice to be in a bookshop
4. Hive gallery – perfect selection of gifts & cards for Xmas
5. Pink Ink boutique – only if you’ve got a lot of money to spend, the price tag on one dress was $529 (the dress wasn’t vintage)




I drove for 7.5 hours and got home at 7pm. My road trip would not have been possible without my trusty Toyota Corolla and the following soundtrack...




1. “Poker Face” Lady Gaga from The Fame Monster – driving along the Federal Highway loudly singing it
2. “Gone” Indigo Girls from Beauty Queen Sister – a ‘leave it all behind’ tune
3. “Hungry Eyes” Eric Carmen from Dirty Dancing (soundtrack) – my absolute favourite movie
4. “Hate on Me” Glee cast from Glee: The soundtrack – it’s about self-empowerment
5. “The Cradle Song” composed by J.S. Skinner, perf. Chris Duncan, Julian Thompson, Catherine Strutt from Life is Beautiful with ABC Classic Fm Vol. 3 – a good relax, ‘I got home safely’ song





Saturday, December 3, 2011

Welcome to Camden...


Today I spent the day in Camden. Camden is a quaint little village in Sydney's south west which used to be my hometown. It has kept a rural outlook while responding to modern trends. The No. 1 place to shop for clothes in Camden is "Self Indulgence Boutique" on Argyle St.

















I bought a vintage-style dress with garlands of purple flowers from here. The label, "Miss Anne" is quite befitting...



Spoken by an ex-local, the best cafe in town is the Elm Tree Cafe where I met a friend for lunch. Her hot chocolate (below)


The Elm Tree Cafe is a courtyard cafe, pleasant on a summer's day and hidden beside the Council building in John Street, Camden (opposite Camden Library)


Three places to shop in Camden...

1. Self Indulgence Boutique - some nice jewellery & dresses but not designer fashion
2. Lifeline Macarthur - I once found a 90s floral dress for $3.00
3. Sinclairs Newsagency - for the books!
Shops are located on Argyle Street, the Main Street of Camden.

If you can, finish with coffee and a slice of cake (this is peach, nut & custard cake)...