Monday 29 July 2013

Aussie Curves - Homemade

So it's the last week of Aussie Curve 1.0 and I think it is safe to say (for me anyway) that the most difficult challenge has been left till last!
I am not a sewing person at all so that eliminated the option of homemade clothing by me. The last time I sewed I was trying to hem up some pants and kept falling asleep doing it...I eventually gave up - it was a terrible effort!

I would definitely consider myself a crafty person, just not in the sewing department. So I have opted for a couple of items of jewellery I have made over the years to put some finishing touches on an outfit.
 
City Chic Skater Dress & belt - Bought on Facebook $40
City Chic Black long sleeve top - Op shopped $4.50
Black cardi - free from an Op Shop cause it has a hole in it.
Earrings - Homemade by me
Red flower brooch - Homemade by me
LOVE brooch - also Homemade by me
KMart Leggings - $8
NOVO Boots - $20 (my boot dilemma is over! I am loving them!)

The brooches were so easy to make. I just hot glue gunned some old pendants to some big buttons and glued a brooch back to each button.
I did have a brainwave this morning, however it didn't work out. I have a habit of painting my nails every weekend to stop myself bitting off my nails and have been wanting to tryout a design I saw on Lady Melbourne's blog a while back. I have now realised my right hand is not steady enough to draw fine details on my left hand. Which is a bummer cause I thought a homemade manicure would've been tops!
The photo above on the left is what Lady Melbourne's manicure looked like. The lame one on the right is my attempt and the cover up. I decided to include a little collage of some more successful designs I have managed instead.
 
 Enjoy your week ladies! Bring on Aussie Curves 2.0!!
 

 


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Monday 22 July 2013

Aussie Curves - Ruffles

I was so looking forward to opening this weeks blog with the lamest line around...this theme really ruffled my feathers...but it so didn't!




 

Ruffles was a pretty easy theme for me because I only own two things with ruffles on it, I'm not much of a girly girl like that. I'm pretty sure I don't even own anything floral, however I am working on that.
 
 
 
The weather in Bendigo has been so cold lately so I've been wearing a black long sleeve top and leggings under everything to keep me warm. I feel like I'm wearing those old school longjohns from westerns.
 
 
I've added some cobalt blue accessories to draw the blue colour out of this top. That and also because I don't have any light blue tops so sadly these blue accessories don't get much action! Oh and the nail polish!! Can't forget that! I love nail polish. Nail polish is really the only reason why I have nails.
 
 
For years I was a nail biter; when I was anxious, when I was bored, when I was hungry. I tried all those yucky tasting polishes you apply to stop you biting but they never stopped me. The only thing that I wasn't able to stand was the feel of bits of nail polish in my mouth. So I used that to my advantage and now I always wear nail polish. I redo my nails once a week and if I feel like biting then I scratch my nail polish off instead. It may look yuckier but it gets rid of my urge to bite and it leaves me nails.
 

 
City Chic Ruffle top - Bought off Facebook $15
City Chic Pants - Hand me downs/or overs from a friend
Long sleeve black top - Op shopped $2.50
Novo Boots - on sale $50
Vintage square earrings - Op Shopped $2
Necklace - Op Shopped $4.50
Blue bangle - Op shopped 50c
Silver Swirly ring - View Point Handmade Gallery $15
 
 
And my fave pic just to send you off smiling! :)

 
 
 




Wednesday 17 July 2013

Rotations: To stop that mothball smell

The other day a customer commented on how good the op shop I run was set out and that it was great that it didn’t smell like mothballs. I found myself replying “well that is one of our goals!” And it’s true! I think that smell is one of the most disliked things about op shops.
To try and prevent getting that old stale clothing smell I do what I call a ‘rotation’. All clothing that is put on the racks is dated. Once it has been on the rack for two months (seems like a while but trust me it goes quick!) it gets discounted and moved to the half price rack. I do this every fortnight. Once I have moved the newly discounted clothes to the half price rack, the clothes that were already on that rack are then moved out to the 50c rack. If they don’t sell on the 50c rack within the fortnight it is donated to another charity if it's good enough quality or otherwise bagged as rags.
I personally think this is very similar to the Salvos colour coded discounts except we just move all the discounted clothes onto one rack for you.
Doing this rotation ensures that we move older stock, make more room for newer stock and of course keeps the place smelling free of that old stale mothball smell!

Monday 15 July 2013

Repurposing old CD’s and DVD’s

At the Op Shop I run we don’t get donated sellable CD’s and DVD’s too often, however we do get donated plenty of CD’s and DVD’s that can’t be resold. These discs are usually burnt or pirated, freebies from a magazine or newspaper, instructional and promo CD’s and DVD’s marked not for resale etc.

I’ve used some of the old discs we’ve been donated to create a more decorative register and I always get compliments about it especially when the sun shines on them and they reflect beautiful patterns everywhere!
I’ve heard that they are also good to hang from trees to keep birds away. There are so many things that can be done with them to prevent them from filling our rubbish bins... Here are some other examples I found through Pinterest!

CD Earring stand
 
Inspired??

Aussie Curves - Oversized

The theme for Aussie Curves this week is Oversized. I decided to go with my oversized green ASOS jacket only so I could show off my matching green City Chic Peplum top I op shopped the previous week for $4! The back is even cut so in summer it will frame my Princess tattoo. So proud of that buy!
I had a week holidays and one of my goals was to visit every op shop in Bendigo; another goal was to find a green top. The second last op shop to visit had half price women's clothing and I found 3 tops I liked, including this peplum. Talk about score!
Anyways back to the jacket...there is lots of talk on the Aussies Curve page about the brand ASOS. I saw this green jacket on eBay for only $20 and had to have it, however it was a size 26 and I'm only a 18/20. I decided to go with it anyway and I'm glad I did. Its big enough to wrap me up when its really cold (which it is!) and it has a pretty floral pattern on the inside. Sure a 20 or 22 would be better but for $20 I cant complain!
 
Add my only green earrings and Oversize outfit done.

Green ASOS Curve Macintosh Jacket - eBay $20
Green City Chic Peplum - Op Shopped $4
Black City chic long sleeve top - Op shopped $4.50
Black skirt - Op shopped $4
Black Plus size tights from Kmart - $8
Green Earrings - Lovissa sale $3
Black ring - Op Shopped $5
Black Boots - Novo sale $50



I am really interested to see how all the other Curvettes interpret this theme!

 

Saturday 13 July 2013

Aussie Curves - Colour Clash

So I've always thought of the word 'clash' as meaning things that don't agree with one another which it does...but as with most words in our terribly confusing language it has multiple meanings. Another interpretation of the word clash is to come together or collide. I'm choosing to focus on the 'come together' interpretation.
I've put together some BLACK and BROWN because up until now I have always considered these colours as a major no no together...because of that stupid rule... you know the one? like the "blue and green should never be seen without a colour in between" rule. 
I think it looks good. It is definitely a colour combination that I will use again. Those 'rules' are definitely out-dated. My opinion is that fashion is similar to art. There are no rules, you just have to be able to give valid reasoning or interpretation for what your doing.
Brown City Chic Singlet - $5
Skirt - Op Shopped for $4.50
Steve Madden boots - Op Shopped for $10!
Nena Perrill Necklace
Gold Bangles - Op Shopped for a couple of dollars.



A HUGE thanks to all the girls at Aussie Curves for giving me the inspiration to venture into this new area to hopefully increase my self confidence, my self image and to empower others who are in pursuit of the same things.

 



Friday 12 July 2013

Changin' It Up

So I was originally going to have this blog for and about my work at the Op Shop I run...but things have changed.
I need a creative outlet and have recently been very inspired by some beautiful women in Aussie Curves, a facebook fashion group for plus size women.
So I am now claiming this blog as my very own to blabber on about my life and the things I get up to. Mostly op shopping and bargains, but also plus size fashion (hopefully including some outfit posts when I get the courage up!), art and creative stuff I do and most likely some bits and pieces about what its like living with a sleeping disorder, Narcolepsy.

So here is a selfie just to get me used to the idea of having my pic online..