ILIKEA

I needed new shelves for my closet that was threatening to spill out all over our room. Luckily, it was the man’s day off so I lured him to Ikea with the promise of cheap Swedish meatballs. I don’t think he realised the trouble he was getting himself into, the man has never been to Ikea before, so he doesn’t know what Ikea DOES to people (ie. ME).

So off we trouped to Victoria Gardens Shopping Centre and that in itself was something of an anomaly. We’re not mall going people. Well it depends on what you consider a mall I guess – what I mean is more the Westfield Monolithic structure kind. When I lived in Canberra, you practically had to pass through a mall to go anywhere. But now when I need clothes, I go to op shops, markets, Bourke, Elizabeth, Swanston or Smith Street or Bridge Road or the Clear It on Brunswick Street. For food I go to Queen Victoria Market or the neighbourhood Coles. I go to Nova to watch movies and now that it is open for the summer I’ll be going to the Rooftop Cinema. I find that I like this more than going to one Westfield where “everything” is. I’ve only been to the mall twice in Melbourne and both times it was to go to Ikea. Malls have this different air about them, don’t you think? Walking through Victoria Gardens Square transported me back to the Westfield Belconnen in Canberra. I suppose they are designed to feel familiar to people no matter where it is or is it the soulless, shiny uniformity of all the shop fronts that make me feel like bolting out of there?

But Ikea was our purpose. So to Ikea we went – to that nasty, amazing, hellish, heavenly maze that makes you smile (at the thought of your own fantasy place that would be as pretty as their showrooms) and make you want to cry (because you know your place will never be anything like their showrooms).

More photos after the cut..

Op Shopping Loot

[ recently went on a shopping spree. It's time, after all, to bust these out again:

It is FINALLY getting hot here in Melbourne and I needed to stock up on spring and summer clothes. But as the temperature rises my bank account balance drops, so I didn’t want to spend a lot of money to spruce up my wardrobe. So.. Op-shopping it is!

Melbourne is a treasure trove of awesome op shops and with blogs such as Trish Hunter Finds and I Op therefore I Am it is obvious that Melbournians love their op-shopping. True to being a neophite Melbournian, I have slowly become a regular at op shops mostly to fill my bookcase with a wide variety of  second hand books.

But let’s get down to the loot I came home with when I scoured the op shops in Preston shall we?

So I came home with a big satisfied smile on my face with:

Salvation Army 331 High Street, Preston

grey top from Country Road                     $4.99

blue top from Country Road                     $6.99

Witchery Singlet                                     $4.99

Scrooges 385 High Street, Preston

blue dress from Glassons                           $8.00

St Mary’s Opportunity Shop 629 Plenty Rd, Preston

black tailored dressed                              $4.00

————————————————————-

$29.00

So you see I bought great spring and summer staples for less than $30.00 and all for a good cause too!

these boots are made for walking …

One night, while walking along Brunswick Street I showed Jack the boots that my heart is aching for through a shop window. I told him how they stopped me on my tracks and made me block the walkway for about  10 minutes while I stared longingly at them. How when I walked away from them with tears in my eyes, I heard them calling out to me. (yeah.. i get a tad melodramatic about footwear and other wardrobe staples)

So he asked (as a boy would) “why didn’t you just buy them”.. I gave him a withering look and commenced a long rehearsed speech that I repeated to myself the whole day to stop myself from running out the door of my flat to the 2 short blocks where the boots were waiting to be rescued with a quarter of my monthly budget in hand. So my whiny retort to his question consisted of these very mature reasons:

They’re expensive ! If I buy them I’m going to have to eat 2 minute noodles for a week!

Winter is almost over. I won’t have much use for them in about a month!

I really don’t need ANOTHER pair of boots (but one can never really have enough pairs of boots. really.)

I’m a big girl. I know now that not everything you want, you get.

He shrugs, continues on and that was the end of that.

Or so I thought…

he came over on his lunch break the next day and told me to open his bag and there my booty babies emerged.

I was so shocked (and secretly ecstatic)!! I couldn’t believe he bought them for me! But I couldn’t accept them 9r could I? I told him to return it, he said he is most definitely NOT going to do that. I said I can’t possibly accept them and won’t wear them, he said fine I’ll throw them in the bin then. I couldn’t let him do that….

THE MAN IS A FRIGGIN LEGEND!!!

They are beautiful… I couldn’t get enough of them! I wear them to Coles, to go to the post office and even to take the rubbish down.

One bright windy wet Friday I took it out for a spin in the city. Jack was paparazzi taking photos of my bootyfull boots. So here they are..

trodding that arcade between bourke & little collins

suburbia

Mitch and I went to St. Albans so I can satiate my craving for Filipino food. We found an Asian grocery store that stocked mostly Filipino products and then was directed to a Filipino fastfood place where I had lechon and sisig (two really delicious traditional Filipino pork dishes).

I realised I haven’t really been exposed to the suburban part of Melbourne. I live in Fitzroy which I stay close to. I study in and explore the city. I’ve been to St. Kilda, Albert Park, Kensington, Clifton Hill and opshopped as far out as Preston. But going on the freeway and taking an exit and seemingly being transported to Suburbia was a bit eerie for me.

To see houses in big blocks I suddenly missed the congestion of my tiny suburb, the constant (and often colourful) foot traffic and the ramble of the trams. I could certainly understand the appeal of the suburbs for families: the quiet, seemingly safe neighbourhoods are ideal places to raise kids. But at this point in my life, I’ll only come here for when my homesick tummy wants Filipino food.

*I am learning the art of op shopping! This dress was bought at a church op shop in Preston for $8!!!

busy in the city

Friday is my free day and on this particular one, it was Jack’s too. So we went out to the city to do some things we’ve been meaning to do for some time..

Like …

Go to the music store on Bourke Street to buy Jack’s drum sticks

And then have coffee and some yum lunch at a laneway in Flinder’s Lane

gone to gertrude

I met up with Jack over our lunch breaks at Gertrude Street, Fitzroy. The boy got himself a Crumpler backpack as a belated birthday gift and I went to give him advice on what to get. Reckon he made the right choice going by the smile on his face.

I was late to meet up with him, so I was huffing and puffing my way through Gertrude Street, but the vibe and charm of the place did not escape me. Pretty and unique shops, beguiling cafes and intriguing restaurants line the street.

I’ve lived in Fitzroy for four months now but I have never really explored that part of our small suburb just yet. Jack and I are determined to check it out soon. Such a shame that I live in such close proximity to it but have not even been down there til today.

Not being familiar with the fine establishments on Gertrude St., we went to one of the first cafes that we came across which happened to be here

238 Gertrude St., Fitzroy

What a lucky find! We shared these

Pork Barbeque Ribs and Green Leaf Salad

all the while muttering, “this is sooo good” and “ooh yum”.

An exploration of Gertrude Street is imminent and a definite second visit to this fantastic cafe!

Port Vila Market

When I lived here last year, I would go to the Port Vila Market every week to stock up on fresh produce.

The vendors are mostly Mamas from all over Efate who come to Port Vila to sell their harvest. The Mamas (often with their small children) stay and sleep in the market for as long as it takes for them to sell all their produce and only then will they take the long trek back to their own villages.

Bargaining (and tipping) are not part of the Ni-Vanuatu culture so don’t even bother.  My very Asian mum finds this hard to fathom and still try to no avail to bring the prices down.

The market doesn’t offer a wide variety of fresh produce. Often, it’s a hit or miss kind of experience. One week the market is full of mud crabs, carrots, and lettuce; the next week there is none to be found at all. But that is the beauty of going to the markets every week, you’ll never know what you will find.

bananas and young coconutsMama arranging her stacks of pechay

warming up in black & white

Even thought I am off to beautiful, warm, sunny Vanuatu in less than a week, I Jack still insisted on getting me another scarf and a pair of gloves that actually fit my teeny tiny hands.

When I get back from my 3 week holiday with a deep tan and spoilt by the tropical heat, I’ll have new winter warmers for rugging up!

Thanks Jack!

i REALLY didn’t mean to..

I went for a 20 minute errand run to withdraw money, rent out our car space, post a parcel and pay our water bill. Simple.. I don’t even have to cross the road to do any of that. That’s what I love about living off of Brunswick St in Fitzroy.

And that’s what i hate about living off of Brunswick Street because in this wonderful, eclectic street, many many things entice from the evil shopfronts. And I don’t have the will power to resist.

And today I was back at our flat half an hour after I left but I came back with these:

One could never have enough hosiery in these winter months. Specially me who wear mostly dresses and skirts. Cute detail, huh?

and two awesome scarves:

love the skull print! Very Avril of me, no?

love the silver threaded one too (and would probably do a better job at keeping warm than the skull print one)

Jack reckons I am addicted to scarves.. but in my defense….. ok I don’t have one. But at least scarves are a handy, useful, affordable addiction. It’s not like I buy hermes or vuitton ones, right?

Living off of Brunsick Street isn’t helping me overcome this scarf hoarding either. My proximity to the many wonderful scarves out there for my taking is like an alcoholic living on top of a pub. Oh well.