Jean Genie

If you're like me, then your jeans are a favourite item in your wardrobe, nay - they could even be the item du jour. Every. Single. Day. I love that familiar softness that just eases you in. That denim - it has the capacity to woo me. And is wildly utilitarian. I can go from playing on the floor with the smalls, wipe some random baby food and have it camouflaged in the denim. Then commando roll out the door to go out dinner (ok ok, like that ever happens - the dinner out thing).

Jeans are an old comfort to me. I keep a few old pairs (just in case I ever revert back to my pre-baby body anytime soon - or maybe they're just in the wardrobe to haunt me, taunt me), but I definitely have my favourites. Lately my they're a pair of Wranglers. Old school cool. None-of-that-ridiculous-mortgage-your- children-to-buy-one-pair-of-denims for me.

Considering denim jeans started life as the hard wearing, low cost fabric in the 18th century, why have the prices spiralled out of control - and more importantly - why do designers think it's ok to charge a Bombfunk MC for this favourite of gold miners and cowboys. Yeeehaw!

Giddy up! I don't think so. I'm not going to be duped. The most expensive pair I own doesn't even fit me properly - it gapes at my derriere (I'm sure they're not the only ones gaping at my derri) and borders on being quite rude! The cheaper ones - like a glove, baby.

So in the interests of recession busting, you can always go to the op shops. That's if you are one heck of a cool kid and love high waisted and/or acid wash and have the cool factor to rock 'em like they oughta be rocked. I myself have never been lucky enough to score a good fitting pair of denims at the oppy. I have to go fresh off the rack. But some people have all the luck. So worth a shot.

But what I'm wanting to tell you about is this. Finally - hooray - she's here at the crux of her denim essay. Cheap Monday. You probably already know about them. If you do, I'm reminding you. If you don't, listen up.

Seriously good quality denims for next to nix. We likey! (Plus they're also doing a mean range of cool sneakers too.) They created a range of denim to sit comfortably amidst a range of higher priced fashion. It works people, it really does.

Here's a great vid about the gang behind the label (Swedishly cool). Here's their website.

Looking to hook yourself up with some new denim delights? Stockists include:

Sydney's Tuchuzy stores, Melbourne's Fat stores. Or you can buy online from Tobi.

Thrift Shifter and the Great Set of Knockers

Please note: title is dedicated to Hoppo Bumpo.

This seems crazy, I know, but I can't keep out of op shops lately. It looks like I'm going to have to set up a shop because my husband is going to hit the roof and then some. But I just won't tell him about this score.

I try and go to my local one at least once a week (and now I've found out which day the big load of booty arrives - hoorah!) to keep check on what's happening in the local world of charity shops.

Today, my dear reader, was no exception.

After looking around and around I felt a little dejected. For the first time I thought I was going to leave empty handed. I thought - how could this be? I can't leave empty handed! No no no, there must be something deep in the bowels of this shop for me.

So I did another circuit. The $25 crochet tablecloth that I love so dearly was still there. But I think that's just ridiculously expensive (in fact katiecrackernuts blogged about the prices just yesterday - and as an aside, I saw this via Mikes). Anyway. I left it there. Again.

Nothing yielded in the linen/crafty section.

I went to the toy section. A whole bunch of real ugly softies. But then further down - a great pair of Italian-made (anything Italian is fine by me) red binoculars. My little dude and I made cool binoculars not long ago out of - you guessed it - toilet rolls. We decorated them, and toted them around the yard, bird-watching. He took those 'knockers' around everywhere, to the butcher, to the supermarket. We bird-watched 'til the break of dawn. It was a fun little activity.

Then in my big bin score, I found some very old school 'knockers' that were a little battered, so he had those. "They might be somewhere," says my son. That means, they're down in the abyss that is the back of the couch.. Or under the bed.. Somewhere.

So today, we've been back out bird watching. Spotted so far with the new 'knockers':
- 1 kookaburra fluffing up its feathers

- 1 currawong harassing the kookaburra

- 1 grey bird high up in some branches

Not much in the way of bird life today.. but we're about to go walking, so maybe we'll spot some more in the 'hood.

I also found some Willow tableware. This made me happy because it reminds me of the unit Matt and I lived in before we had babies. The person that owned that unit had a bit of style and had the Willow print put onto the fridge and the water heating unit. It was cool. Trust me. So this find had nostalgia written all over it.
Some Cuisenaire Rods - awesome. I found some of these a while ago too..

And finally these awesome vintage blue plastic beads. They are heavy! Sorry about the dodgy photo a la Mary Boleyn. It was the best I could do in a mad flap.

Plus these funny little karafes that I found while on holidays. Kind of weird because I bought these two - then after that, every single op shop I went into had either one of the designs. Apparently they've gone out of vogue in Tamworth! Shock! Horror! It was like playing Where's Wally with small jugs (that one was for Hoppo Bumpo too).

- Someone asked a few posts back what oppy meant.. Op shops! Just op shops.. Sorry I didn't get back to you sooner, I wasn't playing hard to get. I am just sloooooow.