It's August!

My doodling skills: Just astounding. Haha. Something to work on, I think :p

Hey guys. It's August already - and hasn't the year just flown by! Just keeping it short and sweet today. I'm writing my 20th post since I kicked off Cents of Discovery and time has gone quicker than I can count. Getting started with this blogging gig has been a whirlwind adventure. I'm learning something about the craft every day. Some things are working well, others I'll look to fine tune in coming weeks to bring you a better experience :)

So to you - my readers - I can't thank you enough for the blog support you've given me. Some of you in person, others in comments you've left behind or on my Instagram page. It's baby steps as I move towards the end of my first month. I hope you like what you've been seeing! :) If you do - or even if you don't! - I'd love some feedback. Feel free to leave me a comment or shoot me an email at centsofdiscovery@gmail.com

If you have any ideas for future posts, let me know! 

Lauren xox

What's on: Scroungers Day Garage Sale (Sunday, July 19, 2015)

If you consider yourself a bit of a Womble, then the Scroungers Day Garage Sale could prick up your ears and make your pointy nose twitch. These events take place in Perth only three times a year, meaning there'll be plenty on offer on the day. There are hundreds of bargains to be had for the devoted scrounger, with quality furniture, bric-a-brac, vintage clothing, white goods and household items touted to feature at this year's event. 

The Scroungers Day bric-a-brac paradise is waiting for you

Even Imelda Marcos might face some tough competition with this shoe collection

Both photos have been used with permission of the Spine and Limb Foundation Inc.

Even better, it's all for a good cause. All money on the day will head to the registered charity, the Spine & Limb Foundation, of which ParaQuad Industries is a division. The goods you see displayed on Sunday, July 19 have been received through the network of charity bins throughout the Perth Metropolitan area or through their on-site donation point. 

While you're there, Book Bazaar will be open, with a large number of quality used books. Opportunity Knocks, the retro and pre-loved clothing store will also be open for the discerning scrounger to hunt out hidden gems.

If you'd like to volunteer, you're welcome to help set up or run a stall. Give them a call on (08) 9381 0195 for more information.

How to get there? When you arrive at 10 Selby Street, turn onto Ellis Griffiths Avenue. The ParaQuad building is about 300 metres along.

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Event notices are something I'd like to look at doing more of in the future.

Have an event coming up? Let me know. Email centsofdiscovery@gmail.com and we'll take it from there.

Thrifty finds: Life is too short to wear boring jewellery

Let's kick it off with the one thing girls generally can't resist - a nice necklace! If there's one thing you should never miss in secondhand shops, it's the jewellery rack. I couldn't resist snapping up these gorgeous vintage-style pieces in Perth - especially because the prices were so good. Quirky pieces like these are usually buried in packed racks of other donated jewels. And as we all know, necklace chains have this insatiable urge to tangle themselves into the most crazy mess with other pieces. Sometimes I think the stores hide the best finds at the back - it's certainly how I've found most of my thrifted jewels. 

So be patient, it's worth the wait. Dig deep <3

These pieces represent a few loves of mine. The first pendant was just sparkly enough to grab my attention. It's a statement piece but isn't too over the top. I've had it a few weeks now. The first time I wore it out was on top of a mustard coloured blouse and I received a stack of compliments. Plus, who can go past the heart shape?

I love natural textures, so the wooden beaded necklace was a bit of a steal. It's a shorter necklace that sits high up, so looks great with high-necked blouses or plain dresses. I love that you can roll the beads around - it's a really fun one.

Lastly, another addition to my Tree of Life necklace collection (and more on that later too!) was the final necklace. I loved the colours and the vintage look. Because I wear a lot of plain colours it's nice to have a few statement pieces to change the look.

Have you found a favourite necklace in a secondhand shop? 

The low-down:

Heart necklace - Whitford Salvos - $2.25

Wooden beaded necklace - Vinnies Retro Northbridge Shop, Perth - $4

Tree of Life necklace - Vinnies Innaloo - $3.25

Why I thrift - and a big welcome to Cents of Discovery!

Welcome to Cents of Discovery, a blog dedicated to the joy of thrift shopping in Australia. Why start a blog about thrifting? More than simply a show-and-tell (although there'll be plenty of that!), I want to highlight some of my favourite off-the-beaten-path spots, give you handy how-tos and finally... I want to inspire you to re-think the very idea of thrifting.

How'd we get to this point? Last year, I swore off retail shopping for the foreseeable future. (More about that soon). So here I am - 10 months in. My style is now very much my own. I don't feel the social pressure to keep up with the latest trends. Rather, I'm relishing the chance to develop an individual style. With trends seeming so regulatory and curated nowadays, it's fun to be eclectic. My style will never look like something from the latest David Jones catalogue, but I don't want it to. I don't want to have to beeline for a rack of the same blouse everyone else is wearing. See, I can now gravitate to what I personally like - not what the big names are telling me I should. 

Shopping secondhand allows you to save money and look your best. And don't forget the ultra rewarding, coy smile when people ask you where you bought your latest look.

Now don't get me wrong. Thrift shopping isn't easy. It takes time, dedication and patience. Because a lot of what's on offer will be old, tattered and even dated. The rewarding part is hunting for those gems (and I promise they're there) of items which are quality, still have their new tags, are made of good materials and things you can reinvent as your own. Somehow I always manage to find something stylish on the $1 clearance rack. All of these savings add up, freeing up my disposable income for things I value, like travel and coffee with friends. 

Now 'just having a quick look' has become one of my favourite things to do. I go every weekend or so. Over the past year, my wardrobe has steadily expanded, instead of me struggling to afford one new piece. Thrifting is not only great for your purse, but it's good for the environment (these clothes get a second chance instead of heading for landfill), charities (no matter where you are) take in much-needed money, and I finally have enough clothes to experiment with having an actual style. For me, it's a win-win-win situation :D

And who doesn't love treasure hunting?

All in all, I hope this blog inspires you to give thrift shopping a try if you haven't already. And if you haven't been in awhile, I hope to reignite your passion for thrifting - hit up your local op shop this weekend. Thank you for stopping by. If you have a hot tip on a store I need to check out, want your thrifty style to be featured, or simply want to say hello, I'd love to hear from you. Drop me a comment or email me at centsofdiscovery@gmail.com. Thanks for reading and stay tuned for the updates as they start rolling out this week. Happy hunting everyone!

Lauren xoxo