love op shops

I have always loved vintage and secondhand shopping. Something about the thrill of finding an old treasure or unique piece of jewellery, a cute bowl or some fantastic one-off furniture piece is so exciting!  

Recently, I've been inspired by Peep My Style and my personal passion for op shops has been reignited! I love reading Claudia's blog posts about op shopping and seeing the absolute gems that she posts on Instagram! Talk about shopping envy!

Last weekend, I took the Husbo for a browse through Sydney Antique Centre which has been a very successful shopping destination for us in the past. We have purchased a number of fabulous pieces from there and I just love looking at all the beautiful stalls and walking through to discover hidden treasure. 

The same can be said for a random Vinnies trip during a quick trip to Oxford St. I popped in for a quick look and found some great little things! A Country Road jug (we have the larger version in yellow so it seemed destined to come home with me!), a wooden tray in desperate need of a refurb (I will post about that soon!), a lovely silver cake stand for displaying trinkets and a cute little dish that I will find a use for, somewhere! The prize was an art-deco inspired ring that was sitting on the counter amongst an assortment of other $5 rings. I am a bit of a magpie and can't resist shiny, pretty bling - so it was mine!  

Here are a couple of pieces that I recently came across in my travels. I cannot wait to hit up a few more local Vinnies shops over the weekend and I'm really excited about the DIY project bringing that sad, old tray back to life! 

Don't have room for these gorgeous lamp bases yet, but they are MINE! 

There is a special place for you in this house, little dish!

Cute plate I liked (but didn't LOVE) so it was left behind 

Vinnies haul - and all in a lunch break. Total spend $40! 

Pretty lamp base (not crazy about pink shade!) but now I am more interested in the gold mirror. Thinking I need to go back this weekend... 

- love to shop 
Sydney Antique Centre, 531 South Dowling St, Surry Hills
Find your local Vinnies 

love to explore

Over the weekend I jumped in the car with a couple of friends (and a beautiful Cavoodle) and we hit the road! We visited one of my favourite areas in NSW, the Southern Highlands. There is something about this place, it is close enough to Sydney to make it an easy day trip but once you are there, it feels like you are a million miles away.

We stopped for lunch at a gorgeous cafe called Gardeners' Kitchen in Bundanoon. We scoured the local antique stores for treasures, I picked up a great vintage-style wall clock from Nest and Burrow, stopped at a roadside fruit and veg shop for some fresh punnets of Blueberries and enjoyed a fabulous meal at Biota Dining.

If you are heading down this way, Biota Dining is a must. We had dinner in The Lounge, watching the last of daylight savings recede, the ducks playing on the pond, it was bliss! We shared croquettes, a ploughman's platter, crispy spiced squid, pea mint and persian fetta salad and possibly the best coffee I have ever had outside the Sydney metropolitan area.

What I loved most (besides my gorgeous friends, the fresh air, the Autumn leaves and the devonshire tea) - was the the thrill of discovering these cute little towns filled with interesting characters (in particular the shop keeper at Nest and Burrow who reminded me of a country version of Patsy from AbFab), the sense that you have had a long weekend away but it's only been a day trip and the wonderful things I collected along the way.


There's more to explore and I can't wait to get back!



~ Tips
Most shops close around 4pm on a Saturday so make sure you set off early

~ Love to Eat
Gardeners' Kitchen - 27 Railway Ave, Bundanoon (next to the Bundanoon Bloomery)
Biota Dining - Kangaloon Rd, Bowral 
Highlands Delights - Illawarra Hwy, Sutton Forest

~ Love to Shop
Nest and Burrow - next door to Gardeners' Kitchen
Everything Store - Cnr Exeter Rd & Illawarra Hwy, Sutton Forest
The Village Pump Antiques - Middle Road, Exeter
Lancelot Hill Antiques - 379 Bong Bong St, Bowral
Dirty Janes Emportium & Antique Market - Shop 5, 391 Bong Bong Street, Bowral
Barbara's Storehouse - 350 Bong Bong Street, Bowral

~ Want More?
Southern Highlands Tourism
SMH article Follow the Foodies