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.

OP SHOP TOURS ARE GO

YES, I have only been back a few days but I am already nosing around op shops. There were op shops in Samoa, a couple of expat run places that I am told have great bargains and finds. I didn’t venture in, only managing to locate one on my last morning in Apia.

I found these “boil proof” buttons at a Salvos store for $1 a sheet. They’re the type of buttons where you told the store keeper how many you wanted and that amount would be cut from the sheet. No wasted packaging back then. You just took what you needed. The sewing kit belonged to my mother and was given to me on my first overseas aid work sojourn; to Bangladesh, of all places, for a bit of classic well digging.

As for the op shops, I had to do a quick snoop around the stores because my two council-backed op shops tours are next week and all the good stuff will go – sneaky, I know. There’s one on Thursday and one on Saturday. Sorry, I’d book you in but after just one weekend of promotion, in just one newspaper (I swear I had nothing to do with the prominent Page 5 story placement – honestly), both tours are booked out. The council’s environment officer is already talking about a second round of tours and if they get up, I will let you know about them well in advance. If you’re keen for a wee trip to a coastal op shopping Mecca, book in – they’re free.

COOL AS A SEA CUCUMBER (OR CORAL)

THIS will be my last photo of Samoa, or things Samoa-related. I am keeping photos for publication, so can’t really splash too many of my photos around here.

However, given yesterday was so hot I thought Sydneysiders, at least, would like something a little refreshing to remind them summer holidays are approaching.

BARK-ING MADE

WHENEVER I am overseas I try to learn a little about the indigenous arts and crafts. In Samoa I was hunting down tapa, or bark cloth. I was keen to see the cloth being made and printed, but had to suffice with a description of the process from the Museum of Samoa and notes from this publication, which I bought in country for much more than the Amazon price. I’m now Googling like crazy for another book by the same author on Pacific adornment. I dare say it will say little about the cute earrings I bought made from coconut shell. They’re hardly authentic tribal costuming, but they’re cute, aren’t they?

COCONUT TO GO

MALO, or G’day, in Samoan. Yes, my little blog absence has been because I’ve been soaking up the sun in the Pacific. I flew in from my week-long break just a couple of days ago and have enjoyed a weekend of glorious Aussie sunshine before heading back to work today.

It was a great trip. A chance to catch up with friends living and working there, to take a small stack of baby clothing and supplies to victims of the tsunami that hit the country in late September and to enjoy a little R&R.

However, it is always nice to come home. It’s true, absence does make the heart grow fonder. I can’t wait to catch up on all your news.