Beat the Monday Blues - Colour My Week with Orange

Two weeks ago, I introduced 'Colour My Week'; an initiative to introduce a colour at the start of a working week, to help eliminate the 'Monday Blues'. I invite blog readers to participate, by linking your own colour related fashion items back to this blog post. This week I focus on.. orange.

Image c/o we heart it

According to collegefashion.net "Like red, orange draws attention and energy, but unlike intense red, it’s a little more soothing. While orange is a difficult color for some skin tones to pull off, if you have the coloring to work it, orange will help put you in a positive, energetic mood."

Orange is... citrus, carrots, pumpkins, sunsets, juice, tangerine, and marmalade.

According to godancing.com, bright orange lipsticks are the new fashion accessory...

Quote "Sure, when you think “fashion accessories” you might not always think lipstick or nailpolish, but looking at the Spring 2011 runways it quickly became evident just how much a bright hued lip can change the look of an outfit."

Photo c/o godancing.com

How about this vintage coat from ChurchOfVintage:

1960s SAFFRON Coat from ChurchOfVintage

An orange printed vintage curtain I picked up from my local op shop:

that I have used for various projects so far including the following:

Bird motif for 2yr old t-shirt


Oven glove

Necktie owl bag background

A pair of my favourite heels. Black and bright orange, made by Yo! Japan Clothing, purchased for £2.99 from eBay UK two years ago.


Have you made anything Orange recently? Perhaps you found a tangerine printed vintage shirt in an op shop, or you've been eyeing up a burnt orange coloured bag on etsy? If you have anything orange to share, please link below using Liny Link McLinky, which will close in a week from now.

Bayside Op Shop Tour on Derby Day

Another successful Bayside op shop tour came to an end yesterday; a good day had by all. The heavens opened, and the rain tumbled, but that didn't matter with op-shopping on the agenda, perhaps, in fact, a rainy day is the best day to shop?

Photograph c/o we heart it

We started our shopping day at 10am, where I met my fellow op-shoppers, 9 in total, including myself. Big respect to Pippi, flying in from Sydney just for the tour, starting her day at 4am, flying back home at 7pm, not getting back home till 9.30pm!

Birthday's on op shop tours are a fairly common occurrence, with three birthdays on this tour. Two hardcore op-shoppers from Werribee; sisters with bithdays a few days apart, came prepared with shopping trolleys on wheels...

Trolley's on wheels, but still not enough room for purchases!

The second birthday - an op shop tour gift from daughter to mother from Wantirna South, both of which signed up for the day.

A big treat on our first op-stop; a race day special - fill as much clothes as you can into one pink bag for $20. Op-tastic.

Melbourne op shop tours do not run on buses, but more sustainably on public transport. As we wait for the train to our next destination, we watch couples dressed in pretty frocks and smart suits, heading to the Derby Day races. Dressed so nicely, but in a few short hours, they would be cold, soaked to the core, but probably on the way to tipsy-land.

Derby Day photo c/o SMH

Five op shops later, a lunch stop, and a time to reflect on purchases:

Mustard Cue dress from Salvos

A gift for a god daughter

8 childrens story books for $2

Cute bubble dress

Oh look, a teacup and saucer with room for a biscuit

Our next stop takes us to a retro and vintage shop, followed by the recycle superstore, with two levels, an escalator and shopping trollies. Op-heaven. Tired but happy, a successful op-shopping tour, is one in which every op shopper finds something....mission accomplished.

The most hilarious find of the day:

80's black dazzler from Salvos, look at all that glitter!

Check out Melbourne op shop tours website for the next available dates. I lead Bayside's op-shop route, but there are 4 other journeys to choose from.

Electric Blue-galoo!

Oh how I used to love this movie...

Breakdance 2: Electric Boogaloo

My brother and I would watch it repetitively, and practice breakdance moves again, and again, and again..

This touch of nostalgia occured when I found an awesome pair of sandals from Vinnies on Monday, half price.. why thankyou, please! Electric BLUE-galoo I thought...




Not only that, but I found this 70's tennis outfit pattern, for a massive 50c! I am in the process of making the tunic top. Don't expect however, to see me playing tennis in it.


I found a purple zip for 20c which fits the tunic top perfectly. I've never stitched a zip before, so this is a new challenge. In-between my boogaloo breakdance practice (uh-huh!!), this has been taking a bit of time...

Work In Progress

Did you see the fabric I am using for the tunic top? Yup, electric blue again, $2 from my local op shop, loving it.

"Electric blue (colour) is a very bright color reminiscent of a spark, named after the colour of an argon sign. It is very similar to cyan." wikipedia

Comic Book Clothing

Comic book fabric made into cool indie designed clothing and accessories of late:

'Totally Insaney' Comic Book top, $25 made by morosemelonhead

Word balloon tote bag made by HeroFashions

Comic book fashion looks great on the right person, and cool for kids. I have started to make Christmas presents this year out of things I find in op shops, and had an idea to customise a denim jacket for my friends six year old boy.

This jacket I purchased from eBay, which arrived in excellent condition, it hardly looks worn at all (phew, you never know when you buy second hand clothes online!). I didn't expect to find any comic book fabric second hand, but what I did find, is this comic t-shirt originally from Movieworld on the Gold Coast, for $4 in Salvos Mordialloc - perfect!

Plain denim jacket from eBay

+ Movieworld t-shirt from Salvos

I cut up the t-shirt, used some green bias strip from my sewing kit as a border to the comic book image, and stitched all of it onto the back of the jacket.



I only had yellow, green and turquoise blue bias strips, and thought green matched best, what do you think readers? Is the green border too much?



If you were a six year old boy, would you think this is cool?! I'm hoping the answer is yes...

Introducing Winkie - Reworked Vintage Dresses

On my last visit to Round She Goes market, one particular stall grabbed my attention. The seller, Winkie clothing, sells frumpy old granny dresses that have been transformed into pretty modern weareable styles, retaining their gorgeous fabrics, prints, and as much of the original detailing such as buttons, pleats etc. Take a look at some of these beauties




A little history about Winkie...founded by a husband and wife team, they have been wholesaling dresses to shops since July 2009. They started selling creations occassionally at Camberwell market, which did well, so now Winkie clothing is wholesaled to shops, and stockists are increasing all the time. There are currently stockists in VIC, NSW, QLD and now WA, with a few markets on the side.

"Girls and women alike love the one-of-a-kind nature and gorgeous unique prints & textures of the fabrics (which is what I fell in love with a while back)" Speaks Jennifer Chan of Winkie clothing.

If you'd like to check out some of Winkie designs for yourself, the next market stall will be at Take 2 Markets at Hawthorn Town Hall on 28th Nov, and Winkie's facebook page lists current retail venues around Australia which stock these wonderful reworked vintage designs.

Necktie Owl Winners

Hi bloggers. This week's 'colour my week' will be on hold until next Monday, as I have to announce the winners of my necktie owl giveaway today!!

Here is a hint for next week's colour my week ...

Vintage 1940's Style Laura Ashley Dress c/o MariesVintage

Now onto the necktie owl winners. I am so impressed by the amount of entries! I hadn't realised how many people would enter, and even thought to myself I wonder if I even get three people that might want them! So thank you everyone for entering the giveaway, I appreciate your kind comments.

I popped into Edithvale Vinnies this morning, they are having a half price sale off everything in store this week!! I puchased this delightful vintage tea cup and saucer set:

Pretty yellow flowers

So in the cup went the names of all competition entries..


And the names pulled out at random are:



The Clip Cafe, Chrissy Foreman C, and Ottomania - hoot hoot! I'll contact the three of you to find out the address I can send the owls off on their way to their new homes!

Find of The Year

I have been participating in Sophie @ Her Library Adventures flea market finds for many months now. It is a weekly Sunday activity, whereby other bloggers can link their second hand finds in one spot, whether they be bought in a flea market, op shop, garage sale or similar. It is a great way for the worldly thrifters to unite and showcase their gorgeous pre-loved purchases!



This Sunday, Sophie is arranging a 'flea market find of the year' competition, whereby we blog our favourite/best thrifted find of the year, link back to her blog post, and vote for the flea market find we believe should win the stash of goodies she will be giving away!

I was considering entering my necklace find into the competition running, which I purchased for $5 from the Loved-It market, Mornington in June.

so pretty!

However, my ultimate find so far this year, and my entry into the competition, is actually not fashion related, it is this lovely little Australiana scene painted onto a gum leaf, which I purchased for a dollar in Cheltenham Family Life Op Shop.

Look at the detail on this little painting!

I am still puzzled as to why a collection of these intricate little paintings ended up in an op shop!

For more flea market finds of the year, and to enter or vote in the competition, check out Her Library Adventures.

Psst...Don't forget to enter my necktie owl giveaway , winner announced tomorrow! Hoot hoot!

Frumpy Vintage, to Race Dress Frock

I purchased a vintage butterfly printed silk dress, from Vinnies in Cranbourne. It was a size 16, and I am a size 8.


Before: Loving that fabric with pretty butterflies and ladybirds... but the dress itself was actually really frumpy, boring, and an odd shape, I doubt very much it would have fit a size 16, probably a 10 top, and 14 hip.

Butterflies and ladybirds

Frumpy and boring

Vintage Size 16, but not modern day size 16

During: I used a dress from my wardrobe as a template to cut around...

Suprisingly, I didnt have to cut much off?

...and used the excess fabric to make a ruffle on the shoulder:

Ruffly detail

The belt is from another op shop, and cost 50c, I used more excess material for a tie around the middle.


The frumpy vintage dress, turned into one fit for the races... except I'm not going to the races... but it will do for a birthday party I am going to at the end of the month.

After:

Grey doesnt have to be drab

Whilst this week's 'colour my week' is green, I wanted to write a little post about a grey recycled fashioned outfit I wore yesterday. Grey is often considered drab, miserable or moody, but as a neutral and subtle colour it can be feminine without being drab, and can act as a 'background' to introduce other colours to an outfit.

Now I don't usually blog with photographs of myself posing or showing my face, so bear with me, this is a bit off my usual thing..

This outfit, as with most, is entirely second hand.



The cardigan wrap, by Maxim, I purchased a while ago for $15 (still with tags on), from Parkdale epilepsy op shop, I like versatility of it, I can wear it long, tied around my front, or the back. It is also great for summer.





The top underneath my cardigan is by Country Road. I purchased this for a bargain $5 from the lovely Lady Melbourne at her stall @ Round She Goes, ladies pre-loved market at Moorabbin Town Hall. I like it cause its light and pretty.

Pretty top from Lady Melbourne's wardrobe, now in mine!

I also purchased the shoulder bag from another seller at the same market, also for just $5. The seller hadn't even used it. Cool fabric, eh?

$5 bargain bag

The trousers (pants) are by Ojay, purchased at Salvos a year ago. The blue heels were thrifted many years ago. The necklace .. a birthday gift.

Melbournites put these dates into your 2011 diary for the next Round She Goes markets:

When: Sunday 20 February 2011
When: Sunday 1 May 2011
When: Sunday 16 October 2011

Doors open at 10am and close at 3pm
Where: Kingston City Hall (formerly Moorabbin Town Hall)
979 Nepean Highway, Moorabbin, VIC 3189
Melways Ref: 77 D5
entry: $2 and there is free parking

Round She Goes markets are very popular! Try to get there early, and if you have kids, try to leave them at home, I didn't, and learnt by that mistake...

Psst...Don't forget to enter my necktie owl giveaway hoot hoot!