new to me lately (too)

Recent vintage finds compelled me to respond to Helen Lehndorf's latest post about what makes op-shopping so special. I whole-heartedly agree with Helen that a large part of the appeal of op-shopping (for enthusiasts like us) is the completely unplanned nature of the shopping adventure itself, and the sense of the unknown when you set out on an op-shopping mission with no idea about the treasures you might  find. It's always a treat to come home, brew up a pot of tea, and admire your new (old) finds.

Over the Easter break, I had two excellent op-shopping days with my sis, taking her to my favourite cluster of North Shore oppies in Browns Bay and Takapuna. These are some of the things I came home with, along with some of the things Tazey bought me from her favourite cluster of oppies along the Kapiti Coast.

This dear little knitted donkey stole my heart immediately. An elderly lady even tried to steal him from the stash of goodies I had placed on the counter at Time Traveller. I had to politely tell her to put him down and keep on moving! She muttered something as she trundled away on her walker frame! The donkey, now called Maurice D,  found an instant friend in Big Tom the moment he arrived home. They've been thick as thieves ever since.

A length of retro wallpaper - perfect for recovering my tired old coffee table.

A cute tea tray from Browns Bay

A swirly patterned skirt from the Takapuna Hospice shop.

A nearly new pair of ECCO lace-ups. So comfortable!

A lovely winter kimono from that shop in Kilbirnie that everyone knows about.

A gorgeous  red 'Doctor's' bag

A pile of colourful golf tees and little wooden blocks that will be useful for future craft projects, possibly puppets.

And Tazey found me this complete phonics system from the 1940s full of lovely yellow vowel and consonant cards. I'm sure I'll be able to use them for a future Pania Press project.

Now that's what I call a perfect assortment of op-shop goodies!