My latest purchase was this beautiful J Crew woolen khaki coat I bought at my local Goodwill near work for $10!!!!! It was originally $19.99, but was on a half-off sale. Can you believe that?
Seriously,
thrifting (or op shopping as us Aussies know it as) is seriously on
another level here in New York! Which shouldn't really come as surprise.
But I was under the impression that because a majority of financially
savvy New Yorkers would have cleaned out thrift stores around town. But
boy was I wrong. I have consistently found amazing pieces at charity
shops around New York City and Brooklyn. So I have found that these
little tips have been really helping me score some good ones.
Do a lot of research and figure out the closest/most convenient op shop you have - The more convenient it is, the more you will make an effort to go thrifting.
Try and make it there every week. New stock gets on a weekly basis in op shops, so you can always find something!
Sign up to the newsletter - You will find out about special deals, discounts and opening specials.
Get a loyalty card. In America - they even have loyalty/punch cards for op shops. Best idea ever!
Don't stick to size or gender restrictions. Especially if the store is having a sale, people will not be diligent in returning an item back to its appropriate place - some of the best finds are always hiding in the wrong spots.
Hit up the "recently returned" racks that stand outside the changing rooms. Its like a specially curated section of items that other people have deemed worthy of trying on but for some reason didnt work. So when you have little to no time - hit it up first!
Find a good seamstress - They can alter and fix amazing op shop items to be more wearable, and chances are these pieces will last a lot longer in your wardrobe.
And honestly, it doesn't even matter where you in the world, these tips will serve you very well !
Can't get over how much I love this coat.
Have you got any tips/tricks on how you thrift successfully?
Happy Saturday lovers. Its been a crazy week for me - stressful, exciting, flattering, amped and most certainly dangerous. __________________________________________________________________________
1. The amazing window dressing at Louis Vuitton on Cavil Avenue. Oh heyyy Mother (in the background).
2. Finally launched my Big Cartel site in lead up to Suitcase Rummage next week - ooh I'm excited. These are neon-tastic.
3. A preppy nail look. Midnight by Revlon on the base with Sportsgirl's Red on the tips.
4. I finally got myself a backpack after countless lust sessions here and here. This one is from eBay and for $27 it aint too bad.
5. Anzac Day is also my mother's birthday. So we headed down the coast to Surfers Paradise and had a relaxing day. Ramen, Gelati, Sun & Sand. I love Queensland.
6.Black Coffee Lyrics at Surfers Paradise - was very excited to try it out after a recommendation from my coffee fanatic friend, alas it was closed. But I did enjoy this piece of graffiti on the wall of the cafe.
And remember kids, you can always follow me on instagram by searching for kasturi_ : )
Lush is without a doubt one of my favourite stores in Brisbane. And I have definitely been sucked in to the amazing products and ethos of the company, to the point where I can proudly say that I am currently using Lush products from head to toe.
Being green and ethical is of course one reason to shop at Lush, but the main driver for most of its customers is the simple fact that: THE STUFF FLIPPING WORKS! My hair is never felt healthier, my skin never softer and my bathroom has never smelt so good! And lets not forget the amazing customer service you receive when walking in to Lush. I am in love with everyone who works at my local Lush, and truly consider them friends who have a freaky knowledge of bath products :)
Two of the Lush Staff Members (Amazing Ladies!!!) Dominique and Analise
My obsessive Lush behaviour has come to use, as I now considered one of the store's VIP. Woo! And as such I was invited to come to super secret VIP launch of the Queen Street store's grand re-opening after a much needed refurbishment. The store looks better than ever and the new line of products are just blowing bubbles in my head :)
I went with my friend Dominique, and conveniently enough our mutual best friend is the head product trainer at Lush, so we had a grand old time trying out the new products and for Dominique to get a personal skin consultation.
Dom getting her personal consultation from our friend... Dom (lol).
If you have never been in to Lush, ignore the strong strong scent of (amazing goodness) bath products and just treat yo self!. The ladies at the store will know exactly what to give you, and trust me after a stressful week of work, uni, school or socialising - Lush is exactly what the doctor ordered! And if you don't live locally, they have a brand new store opening in Chermside - but you can also order all the goodies online!
Good god, ASOS will be the death of me.
Thanks to their extra 20% markdown**** they were having on all products... I just had to splurge.
I think these will definitely have to be my present to myself this year. Hahahaha...
+ ASOS SPARKLE MID HEEL MONK SHOE (I am beyond excited for these shoes!!!!!)
+ ASOS CURVE "2 IN 1 DRESS"
+ ASOS TRIANGLE CURVED EARRINGS (in Gold)
and.... A SUPER MYSTERY GIFT FOR MY SECRET SANTA.
^^^ So all the items with the "+" next to them, I was thinking of maybe wearing as my Christmas Day outfit..
***IF YOU SIGN UP TO THE ASOS NEWSLETTER, YOU GET SPECIAL DISCOUNTS AND NOTIFICATIONS ON SALE. SERIOUSLY DUDES GET ON THAT....
With the new Spring comes a new wardrobe.
And on a student's budget there is only one thing to do: Op Shop. And off we went, mother and I, to trawl through racks upon racks of garments in church halls and be ripped off by volunteers at charity shops. Oh heyyyyy Vinnies.
The church's 'pre-loved boutique' was a gold mine. The prices were low and the opportunity for amazing clothes was high. The charity (pfffffftttt) shop - St. Vincent De Pauls however was a completely different story. Its kind of redundant when a charity shop sells their stuff at the same prices as retail stores. Again... I maintain - pffftttttt.
In saying this, I am very happy with my purchases. ;)
There is simply nothing like importing whole albums from CD to your iTunes.
I went on a bender this morning and got myself over SIX new albums and ONE new mixtape.
I absolutely love mixtapes. I think they are making a revival. As both a PR tool and a way to get new music out there without having to worry about labels, management and A&R.
In the world of digital downloads and singles, I firmly believe in still acquiring whole albums. Cause you can always find that goldmine of a song that the record companies/artists didint bother publishing. Kinda like the B-Side hits phenomenon.
But I cant not really go in detail about the mixtape. Basically its M.I.A's new mixtape that she has released FOR FREE on THE NET! So go and google VICKI LEEKX for one of the best getting ready/pump up the jam music! Whats unique about the mixtape is that its literally a 36min mp3 clip. Which I love. All the songs co exist with each other in the clip and sync with each other.
I could talk on forever about my newly acquired albums, but I wont and get right on to previewing you the new albums that I got for 2011. Some artists are brand new, some old. Some are debut albums, some are comeback ones. **Instead of the lame rating systems that I do sometimes, I instead decided to list a couple of tracks from the album that you should Youtube/Hypem.com/Vimeo/iTunes/Last.fm etc... and listen to, which will hopefully entice you to get the album (by any means possible).
1. Cee-Lo Green - Ladykillers
SOUNDS LIKE... Janelle Monae, Outkast, Gnarls Barkley, Mowtown, New Orleans
NEED CONVINCING? LISTEN TO:
#5 Bodies
#15 Love Gun ft Lauren Bennet
#14 Please ft Selah Sue
I didn't think I would get this album, but the song Bodies tipped me over the edge, especially cause of the amazing video clip.
2. The Black Keys - Brothers
SOUNDS LIKE...Cold War Kids, Old Rock, 70s, Dirty old concert t-shirts, James Brown, Tame Impala
NEED CONVINCING? LISTEN TO:
#2 Next Girl
#4 Howlin For You
#10 Ten Cent Pistol
I am so excited to have this album. I am like obssessed with their songs Howlin For You and Tighten Up. The album is as exactly as I thought it would be. WAS NOT DISSAPOINTED I decided that it was high time that I actually bought the album ...instead of just listening to them on Triple J all the time.
3. Cold War Kids - Mine is Yours
SOUNDS LIKE...King of Leon, Coldplay here and there.. and Tame Impala, The Black Keys.
NEED CONVINCING? LISTEN TO:
#3 Royal Blue
#8 Bulldozer
#9 Broken Open
#10 Cold Toes on the Cold Floor
I was slightly worried when I hear reviews claiming that because the same producer of King of Leon worked on this CWK records, that it would sound all KOL like.. but thankfully, CWK havent sold out completely.. they still do their awkward and eclectic sound oh so well still. :)
4. Duffy - Endlessly
SOUNDS LIKE...Adelle, Amy Winehouse, Michael Buble, Estelle, Florence and the Machine
NEED CONVINCING? LISTEN TO:
#1 My Boy
#4 Well, Well, Well
#8 Lovestruck
I listened to the album on the place back to Brisbane, and glad I did. Cause otherwise I would have not known about it. I heart Duffy but wasnt keen on her last album. But this one is amazing. I cant get Well, Well, Well out of my head.
5. Plan B - The Defamation of Strickland Banks
SOUNDS LIKE...Mark Ronson, Cee-Lo Green, Daniel Merryweather, The Temptations, Common
NEED CONVINCING? LISTEN TO:
#3 Stay Too Long
#4 She Said
#6 The Recluse
I just knew I had to have this album. This is my sound. If I had to describe myself in music, Plan B would most definitely be included. I am like ridiculously impressed that not only is he the singer on all his tracks, but he is also the rapper. The man is talented!
6. Katy Perry - Teenage Dreams
SOUNDS LIKE...Katy Perry. Hahaha.. She is pretty unique. And a little Gwen Stefani?
NEED CONVINCING? LISTEN TO:
#5 Peacock
#10 Pearl
#12 Not Like The Movies
Haha.. I know I know. How random. But Katy Perry is my guilty Pop album for the year I think. I had listened to almost a quarter of her songs and liked them. But listening to Peacock - I was like.. yeah I gotta get this album. :)
HOPE YOU LISTEN TO SOME OF THEM AND WHY NOT GO OUT OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE AND LISTEN TO SOME NEW BANDS/ALBUMS TODAY!
[IMAGES] Basically sourced from Google _ where I just googled the artist's name and album name and hit enter.
Went out to the city to run errands and have another meeting for XMediaLab (XML)
Bought some materials for DIY jewellery making and this Urban Outfitters shirt I have in mind, with a slight twist...I cant wait to make these so I can wear it on my holiday. Very summer and on trend!
And I am serious when I say this: I DID NOT PLAN ON BUYING ANYTHING FROM LUSH! But I happen to wander in to say hi to my favourite Lushite, and I walked out with stuff.
I am a consumer of many things, and these things change every month. On the dot. I feel I am just completing my duty as a fellow Gen Y'er. And here are some music/fashion//readings that I am digging, and think that you might like too.
MUSIC
As per usual, I have included a Youtube playlist of all the songs that are constantly on reply in my head these last few days.
1. The Count & Sinden - After Dark ft Mystery Jets
Its catchy, the video clip is awesome! And is sure to be the summer hit.
Both bands are english...Listen when: On the beach, getting ready for a picnic or Dreamworld. Yes, Dreamworld.
2. Foals - Miami
Oh wow, foreeeevvvveerr I thought this band was called FolDs, and I could not find this song anywhere.. my searches kept coming up with BEN FOLDS. Um, try again Google. And! Check out the video clip, it has nothing to do with the songs - so it is great. Hahaha.. Listen when: Gardening, doing the dishes, or just on a lazy afternoon blogging away (as am I).
3. Duck Sauce - Barbra Streisand
Words cannot describe hwo catchy this song is. Duck Sauce has come through with the goods again. This song is definitely a 50/50 dillema. You either love it, or hate it. I LOVE IT. This song definitely runs paralel to Pendulum's new one: the remix of ABC's theme song here.
4. Sex Bob-Omb - Garbage Truck
Lol, now I added this Scott Pilgrim Soundtrack song - oh yeah, so this song is from the movie/comic Scott Pilgrim vs The World - and I am not usually a grungy music girl.. but this song and the sound of the band is pretty unique at the moment. This is my favourite from the movie, but there are some other great ones. Listen when: Cleaning the room? Or taking out the trash?
5. Miami Horror - I Look To You ft Kimbra
Sweet vocals and catchy tunes. A harmless summer sound. Listen when: cooking, or wanting to have a friday dance off with the roommates or work mates.
6. RJD2 - 1976
I have always maintained that producers always, always! make the best artists. And RJD2 hasn't let me down on this one. The best way I have found to describe RJD2 is that you know, when you listen to a hip hop and you love it for the instrumental part but start to hate it cause of the harsh rapping of a rapper (:S)... well RJ makes those amazing instrumentals without the stupid rapping. (Dont get me wrong, I love my Snoop, Phrase, Bliss n Esso.. I am merely calling out the bad apples). Listen when: Whenever! Cause it is that perfect.
7. Uffie - Add SUV ft Pharrell.
ANOTHER BRILLIANT COLLABORATION! I must say that Pharell's little bridge section does steal the song for me. Just another great advocate for the bridge between Indie and Hip Hop artists. As in, Kid Cudi and Temper Trap, Bliss n Esso and Angus and Julia Stone... AND!!! DID YA HEAR THAT KANYE IS MIXING IT UP WITH BON IVER!!!! I cant wait for that. Listen when: Getting ready to go out!
8. DZ - Geddie Street.
Now, some of you might not have heard of DZ before. But they are a Brisbane band and bloody talented with a iron clad stomach. As in downing a whole bottle of Jäger in under three minutes. Eeeek. This song is definitely worthy of another other mainstream band and check out their bandcamp site here. PS> they are trying to raise some funds for their trip to New York.. so help a fellow Brisbane-nite out will ya? They are having a partay to do so. Listen when: you download it for free on their site!
FASHION/MAKEUP
Yellow nail polish.. as Spring is almost here :D
Dark / filled eyebrows - ala Bambi :) ...and Macca from Bliss n Eso.
My tip? Either go all out and get your hands on a brow kit. Orrrr.. grab yourself an angled brush and fill it in yourself! With either a dark brown, or a black if you're daring! Running low on time? Grab your mascara and give your brows its own coat. This works a bloody treat! A polished eyebrow seriously frames your whole face! You can literally walk out of the house with just that on.
READINGS
Just finished: Tabloid Love by Bridget Harrison
It was reaaallllllyyyy good. 3/5
Now reading: LOUSIE BAGSHAWE! :))))) Career Girls and Glitz
Yen Magazine + Shop Till You Drop
Issue #45 The Photography Issue from Yen, was a great read. I have never bought Yen EVER! And I think i might be converted lol. Whereas Shop's Spring Issue, I am yet to buy. But, know I will love. I have been a Shop reader for a very long time.. and will continue to be one as long as they keep up the fabulous and amazing work.
This girl see's DIY in everything. Granted she doesnt put out a DIY tutorial as much as the next DIY Blogger, but she seriously gives you the most amazing inspirations. And I love that she gets a post or two out every day!
MISC.
Random stuff I am loving.
1. BBM'ing. Or in lay terms - Blackberry Messaging :)
Its cheap as in > free, if you're chatting to a fellow BB user. Which proves to come in handy in assessment time.
2. Youtubing Fresh Prince of Bel'Air.
I was reminded of this show again from reading Larry's blog post on the style of the show from I'm The Only One in My Street. This shizz is funny! I remember watching it when I was younger, and enjoyed it but never really understood the jokes or comprehend that it was the starting point for our lingo that I/we use these days.. Lol I do definitely remember the theme song. IT WAS D'BOMB.
3. Chris D'Elia - Comedian
HILARIOUS COMIC! Like Hilarious.....He has a great eye and notices the smallest detail of pop culture and subcultures. I LOVE THIS MAN.. And he aint to bad on the eye either ;)
4. Passion Iced Shaken Lemon Tea
I love my Starbucks.. and have only ever had the Cafe Mocha's iced and non-iced. And, I thought I need to branch out.. and I did. I love this tea.
thanks for reading all the way through. that wasnt so bad was it?
lots of lava.
kazz; xo amped+dangerous.
img sources: bats magazine // google images // yenmag.net // tumblr // funny-tweets.com //
