Thursday

I'm such a sucker for many things, including mini perfume bottles.  I don't care whether they are full or empty.  I just love them.  Here is a classic blast from the past;

I remember Sea Jade by Yardley, but I never wore it.  The smell is fresh, but I'm not really able to describe that well.  It's not a horrible smell and it doesn't even smell old... but it's something I'd probably never wear unless I was desperate for perfume.  

And here I am in possession of Sea Jade and it only cost me $1.99.  Now, when I found the bottle at the op shop it wasn't actually in the box.  Something made me vigorously rummage through the basket of knick-knacks that it was in, and I miraculously found the box.  I'm so glad I did!  Do you know how rare it is to find something vintage like this WITH a box?

3 more mini's found at a different op shop for $2 each;

Perfume unknown - it has such a cute little top;

The lovely Ysatis by Givenchy.  I remember buying this once in the 80's and I adored it, so I must buy it again some day.

Another unknown perfume, but gosh the bottle is a vintage-y kind of lover-ly;

Saturday

Just when we think the weather is getting cooler, another heatwave hits us this weekend!  I tells ya... I can't take it anymore!   38 degrees today and 40 degrees tomorrow.  How much more can I possibly stand?

Calvin Klein's Obsession Night mini scent (minus the dust) found for 99 cents;

Gorgeous glass perfume bottle with metal stopper, found for $4.99.  I'm not sure if it's vintage, but I'm going to say that it is.  Go ahead and sue me if it's not.  :/

Monday

I know these types of little perfume bottle have a specific name, but in all honesty I can't remember.  So I will dub thee 'cut glass perfume bottles'.  

And at $12 for all three, I do love them!

Avon Kitty Cat

A few months back and for the very first time... I put in a bid on ebay.  I just had to have her, couldn't live without her and I got her!!!  A lean, mean $11 including postage got me this little beauty;

1975 Avon blue eyes cat with 'Somewhere' cologne still inside and in absolutely, positively excellent condition.  I'm stoked!

Shocked and Gobsmacked

Life.  It's a wonderful thing.  But on the flip side, it can be down right heart breaking.

Heart broken AND shocked AND gobsmacked is what I felt today.

You see, yesterday I came into my crafting/computer room and smelled something quite lovely.  It was a familiar smell and I quite enjoyed smelling it, but never had I smelled it this strong, and in my room.  I first though maybe my dear hubby had splashed on some aftershave and went a little overboard with the splashing, but his aftershave is nothing like what I was smelling.  I just couldn't figure it out.  I then though it was me because I had just showered but again, I didn't spray myself with THAT SMELL!

Yes, it was literally driving me crazy.  Until this morning.  I sat down to turn on my laptop and again, THAT SMELL was overwhelmingly strong.  My eyes went straight to my miniature perfume bottle collection on my wooden bookshelf.  Oh wow???  I was positively speechless when I saw what I had seen right before my eyes.

It was one of my miniature Avon perfume bottles.... the bottom of it was stuck to the shelf, surrounded by a sticky residue of perfume... and the upper part was in big chunks surrounding it!!!  WHAT ON EARTH HAPPENED??  

And just to be more dumbfounding with my story.... this particular bottle was behind a bunch of other bottles, yet none of those surrounding bottles were harmed.  How on God's good earth does this happen?  Nobody comes into my room.... and they would have had to pick up the bottle from behind the others, and smash it where it is.  Nope, not even my own husband would touch those bottles and there is nobody else in the house.  It was not a 'pick up and break' situation and that's the spooky thing.

Then when I woke up from my big shock and came to terms with it - I was so very upset to have lost THIS BOTTLE... the little Avon Christmas Bell shaped one.

Now I ask you... do perfume bottles self combust?  Am I right in thinking this? Can somebody shed some light on this dumbfounding subject?

The upside to this story?  My room still smells wonderful.  But now, I refuse to let it get me down.  As much as I loved that little bottle, it was only just that:  A bottle.  (bbbwwaaaahhhh!)

Golly gosh... now's a good time to show you something a little more uplifting.

Free clothing and it's official; I have a desperate need to open my own ebay clothing store! 

Just kidding of course.

White puffy sleeve t-shirt.  Functional, clean and boring.

Penang, anyone? 

This was 'passed on' because a 40+ year old woman doesn't stand a chance.

Nice design though...

OK folks, the only time I'd wear this out is when I feel like being picked on - which would be never in a million years.  Good for around the home though.  ;)  Note to self; must iron this beast!

In case you didn't know...

 

Not a favourite, but still wearable at home;

Nice and baggy is how I love them... but it's another that is begging - 'please iron me'.

This is a perky & sporty little number.... I quite like it - only the bottom needs to be ironed!

Yet another that was passed on... but only because it was too tight and too 'young & sweet' (too many cupcakes for my liking) for me...

Bland... and also passed on...

 

Who wears short shorts???  I don't unless they are for bedtime.  I loved these but looked a tad 'misshapen' on me.  They've gone to a better home.

 

Mini me!  Looks are deceiving though, this skirt nearly reaches my knees.

I do like this, but unfortunately I'd look like a hideous pork sausage if I were to actually fit in it;

Dancing / ballet tights, but and I can barely fit my foot.. let alone a whole leg in there...

Smelly and fresh

I found 2 perfume bottles at the op shop, still with perfume inside.  They don't make / sell them anymore.... so would they be worth something now, I wonder?

 $4.  Avon Soft Musk.  I could tape this bottle to my face, right under my nose and smell it all day long.   It's simply gorgeous if you like a soft smelling musk, of course.  A good size at 30ml.

My mother had this perfume in the late 1980's, but in a different bottle which she kindly passed onto me last year.  The bottle is empty, but I can still smell the scent on the spray nozzle.

$3.   Lauder for men.  I'd love to smell this on the dear husband, but there is no way he's using it.

It smells quite lovely, not too over powering for a man's scent at all but a little hard to describe.   Funny... when I look at the bottle, I see nada scratches on the plastic cover.  The camera flash certainly knows how to grab every ugly scratch!

 Unfortunately the writing is so very tiny under the A45, I can't even read it with a magnifying glass!

 

Looking and smelling good for free

How do you know when somebody has gone a little nuts?  They throw out their skin care, make up and perfume!

This was one of those jaw dropping incidences... I grabbed a bag full of 'stuff' somebody was tossing and when I had a look at the contents in the privacy of my own home - it simply amazed me.  Oh and when I say bag, I mean a not so bad looking hand bag.  It had a broken zip, but that was easily fixed.  

Maybe this poor lady was having a bad boyfriend or husband day and tossed it out in a fit of rage, or she simply gave up looking good and smelling nice.  hehe.

The bag after washing.  Not a rip, nor a scratch on it;

The skin care, some still sealed, some opened;

Although it's a little powdery inside, this eyeshadow is unused - love the colours!

These are all sealed, and there is a Nutrimetics soap in there which I can't find the heart to open;

And the mini perfume.  I used White Linen in the 1980's, and it does bring back nostalgic memories for me.   I had forgotten how fresh, crisp and clean it smells.

Never in a hundred years did I think I'd find a an Avon product. (still with talc still inside!) This one's from the early 1980's;

 

Amongst all that, I found a couple of old shoes (YES I did throw them in the bin), an ink pad and a turtle rubber stamp, a metal butterfly ring and a couple of empty perfume bottles which I forgot to photograph.