Red and blue

I had four days off work last week so I was actually able to fit in some op shopping. It was a pretty successful trip but I'll show you what I found another day. Instead, I'm showing you what I wore when I went op shopping.

I bought this vintage makeup bag on Trademe recently for $3.50. I know. $3.50. I was bidding on it while on my break at work (thank the flying spaghetti monster for smartphones), and I was sure that I would be outbid but she was all mine. There's a little mirror and pocket inside. 

Vintage dress: Trademe
Vintage shoes: Hunters and collectors
Vintage makeup bag: Trademe
Cardigan: Op shopped
Belt: Op shopped
Bakelite bangles: Etsy and Ebay
Tights: Probably the supermarket

Leather, Plastic and Flowers

My new camera finally arrived. I have been taking pictures of stuff around the house all day.

My ever expanding collection of bakelite bangles.



A new pair of vintage gloves I bought at Ferry Antiques. It's a co-operative shop with different sellers so there's loads of amazing things. I love antique shops that are chock-a-block with stuff.


Fabric I'm using to sew a 60s style dress.

Polyoxybenzylmethylenglycolanhydride

Or as it's more commonly known, bakelite. To me, bakelite, sounds like some sort of weird diet cake mix or something but it's actually one of the earliest plastics, developed in 1907 by Leo Baekeland. It used to be used for all sorts of things, from radios to fittings, but most importantly jewellery. I'm a little bit obsessed with bakelite bangles. The carved ones are especially swoonsome. No diamonds or gold for me, I'll have plastic, thanks.

Because they can be ridiculously expensive, I only have three bakelite bangles (the top ones). The carved orange one is my favourite. The colours have food related names like creamed spinach and pumpkin. They do look good enough to eat, after all.

Fun fact: if you rub bakelite it smells like a science lab because it's made with formaldehyde.

I had my last exam yesterday so now I have some serious sewing/reading/relaxing plans. My sewing plans may or may not involve a leopard print jacket.