A Lot Like Love

Setting a goal to watch a new movie a week is kind of awesome. I would highly recommend it. I get to the end of a day working two jobs, when I've forced myself out of bed before even the sun has poked a few rays out to say hello, trekked it to one job, worked for a little while, trekked it to the other job, worked for a little while, come home and felt knackered*. And then I remember that I made it a goal to watch a new movie or two a week and so I plonk down on the couch or hide under my covers with my mac and live vicariously through some happy, some crazy, some downright wondrous, fictitious characters for the night. It's truly glorious.

source via google image search

Recommended by the lovely Hannah from Raspberry Kitsch a little while ago :)
source via google image search

*I swear that's not how it's spelt, but google says otherwise :P

Guest Post: Sew Much To Say

Woo! I'm so excited guys - my first guest post is here!! Who knew that all I had to do was click the html button for it to work! (You wouldn't believe I'm a child of the 90s and a blogger given my minimal internet knowledge) :P

This is the first of the monthly guest posts I've lined up for the 6 months of my Op-Shop Challenge. The idea is to hopefully inspire you all a little more, give you some great thrifty ideas and get you excited about pre-loved wares!

A massive, massive thank you to Amanda Rose from Sew Much to Say who has written about altering thrifted/op-shopped clothes (which she is wonderful at!) for me. It's something I've never done but always admired, and if you're feeling like it, it gives you a massive advantage when it comes to thrifting! Make sure you head over to her blog for more rad ideas :D I'll shut up now, over to Amanda Rose! :D

Hello, there! I'm Amanda Rose and I blog over at Sew Much To Say. I'm into everything from trying to learn to bake something new every week to making quilts for my dorm room. Rhi asked me to share a little with all of you about altering thrifted clothing to make it your own. I am honored to be doing a guest post, especially on a topic that I am so passionate about! 

First of all, a little bit about me: I am all about good style at an even better price. Believe it or not, I only go shopping at a store about once or twice a year. Most of my clothes are either given to me by other people or thrifted. A lot of the time people give me clothes that fit them but, have a little something wrong with them that they don't know how to fix themselves. So I take the misfit clothes, sew them, hem them, and then wear them. 

This dress is made out of an old 1950's dress and brown denim jeans..given to me and the latter was thrifted.

This dress I made entirely out of thrifted ties. 

Today I'll tell you how to make your own lace shorts from thrifted jeans. First of all, you have to find a pair of jeans at your favorite thrift store! They don't have to fit your legs lengthwise, just your waist. For example, I bought a pair of flared jeans for about 5 bucks that were too short on me. So, I made them into these shorts.

Next, measure with a fabric measuring tape exactly how long you want them. Look at your other pairs of shorts and decide based on how long you like your shorts to be. Take into consideration whether or not you want the bottoms of your shorts folded up at the bottom. Then, put a mark on each leg the same length down. I usually measure from the inner seam down and from a mark on the pocket down. This way you have a measurement on the inside and outside of the leg. Remember, measure twice, cut once. This ensures you don't cut them crooked! 

Finally, use a ruler and cut from your outer mark to your inner mark on each leg. The back of the leg will end up a little longer than the front. This is normal.

Last but not least, fold your hem under and stitch it with a basting stitch on your machine. This just means the biggest stitch your machine has. If you don't have a machine just loosely stitch the hem by hand. Next, take your lace strip and line it up with the hem, lace side out. Sew over your first row of stitching with a smaller stitch. Try to get some lace that has folded over edge for your to sew, that way the lace doesn't fray when you wash it.

Enjoy!

Let me know if you try it and how they turn out!

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Today I was meant to have my inaugural guest post! It was all very exciting until for some reason the html codes decided not to work :( I don't understand html codes at all so I'm waiting to hear back from the lovely blogger responsible for the post, which might be a little while given the time difference. So, instead, I've decided to share the first purchase of my op-shop challenge with you all!

Say hello to my brand new specs!

I've been needing new glasses for the past 6 months at least, but have neglected it because my eyes decided to develop a stigmatism as long as short-sightedness, and it made the whole glasses things rather expensive.

I'd been thinking for a little while that I really just needed to bite the bullet, but then I walked into one of pigeonhole's vintage/second hand shops with the lovely Lauren not too long ago and found these little beauties for $10. I couldn't resist! I got lenses put in straight away and all up, they came to $80. Much better than the $500 I was initially quoted, and that made me so scared of optometrists :P

I'll hopefully do a little more hardcore op-shopping when I'm not working more-than full-time hours after next Saturday. That will be an exciting day!

In the meantime, I shall leave you with some photos from the biggest event from my jam-packed weekend, my friend Richard's Casino Royale themed 21st (of which I took absolutely none) :P

Dancing Old Style :D

I absolutely adore this photo. Oh my the fabric of Chloe's dress!! :D

Here's to a great week everyone!

Over and out.
Rhi :)

An Ode to Summer, An Ode to Kinfolk

It hasn't been a very good day. I haven't felt very well and I lost something important (and expensive) and am feeling a little sad about it all. But last night I discovered a collective that has me completely stunned. I spent hours scrolling through the blogs of all those involved - photographers, film makers, musicians, stylists, writers, artists, foodies - and I can't get enough! I have been preoccupied by all of the beauty they have managed to capture all day, and for some reason it just made me feel better. It gave me something to think about that doesn't involve that thing that I left on a bus, or my very sore, bruised-feeling shoulder. I honestly cannot thank them enough!

So, what is this magical wonderland of rad, arty people that it feels like a crime not to share with you?

An Ode to Summer from Kinfolk on Vimeo.

Andrew & Carissa Gallo

Jessica Comingore

Parker Fitzgerald

Parker Fitzgerald

Matthew Reamer

Michael Muller

Nico Alary

Chris & Sarah Rhoads

Alice Gao

Tec Petaja

It's called Kinfolk, and these photos are just the smallest glimpse of what just a few of the people involved have to offer as individual artists. Imagine this put into a collective, a blog, a magazine, a website, a gathering...

     "Kinfolk is a growing community of artists with a shared interest in small gatherings. We recognise that there is something about a table shared by friends, not just a wedding or a once-a-year holiday extravaganza, that anchors our relationship and energises us..."

That there are people out there who want to live like this, and who value community excites me to no end, and I can't wait to see where they go (and I can't stop exploring all of their personal blogs!!) Get on it people!

Until tomorrow,

Rhi :)

A Six Month Challenge

It has been a hectic week (more on that later)!! I have hardly been home over the past 36 hours except for to change my clothes and brush my teeth, and right now, all I want to do is sleep. But I have an exciting announcement that has to be made today, so I hope this is comprehendible!!

Just doing the little things that I've wanted to do over the past two weeks - cooking, exploring the cafes of Perth, watching new movies and crafting - have made life a little bit more fun and exciting. These are such basic little things though, and I really want to do something bigger! Something adventurous and useful and fun. So, after mulling over the idea for a little while, I have decided that starting today, July 1, and ending in 6 months, on December 31, I am going to undertake an op shopping/thrifting/second hand/vintage (whatever you want to call it) challenge!!

The idea is that for the next 6 months I have to avoid buying anything new as much as possible. Clothes, books, gifts, trinkets all have to be pre-owned, and hopefully, pre-loved! I have a few reasons for doing this, with the first being for fun - to make life a little more interesting and exciting by trying something new. But also, by doing an Op Shop Challenge (which it shall henceforth be known as), I'm being somewhat practical - not buying brand spankin' new clothes and the likes is good for the environment and good for my bank balance (I hope :P). And I have to say, it's also somewhat liberating! As I walked through Fremantle today, past all of the shops that I love, I felt a teensy little bit sad, but the overpowering feeling was this absolute freedom! Some might say it's because I am free from the chains of commercialism :P but for now I'll just say it's almost like because I can't have them, I don't particularly care about them. It's strange, in a good way.

I even started a little early by buying second-hand frames (for only $10!!) instead of completely new glasses, and promise to post a photo as soon as their back from being fitted with new lenses :D

I can't wait to share the adventure with you all!!
Rhi :) xx

Oh and here are a few little photos from my crazy hectic week! One for laughing at, the others just because I can :P

Video Game themed party.
Luigi, Princess Peach & Mario :D
Like the moustaches??

Testing out a new coffee establishment!
The Daily :)

Tim from Black Cherries Espresso in the Fremantle Markets.

Have a grand week everyone!! :)