Live Bold List 35: 12 Life Lessons I learned from OpShopping*

Greetings, Rubber Ducky Beautiful Bold Soul!

I hope this finds you licorice and ripe apricots, calmness and joy as we scramble (as zenly as we can) towards the holidays.

I myself am sweet pea pods drying and mandarin juice ice-blocks. It amuses me to notice that I’m having my best year since my teens in terms of forward planning and list making for the holidays! Haha! :)

^^^ This Stepping Out pic is a bit of a cheat as I spend barely any days dressed in stripey tights! In my head though, outfits look so awesome – like someone from a book – when they have stripey legs. This footwear/tights combo is in fact similar to the witchy footwear I wore to the Halloween themed cat show. (Haven’t looked properly through those photos yet! Eep!)

Live Bold List 35: 12 Life Lessons I learned from OpShopping*

1. Simply Show Up. Expectations about what might be there are not useful. It’s not a chain store with a catalogue you can peruse in advance, let alone all the sizes! Be in the moment. You might want to take a nice deep breath before you walk in.
2. Expect opportunities. Keep your eyes peeled so you notice the gems when they come into your field of vision. And,
3. … expect nothing! You might leave having had a nice look around and saved your money instead! You could make a donation of the money you had budgeted. Or, you could go try another OpShop! Haha!
4. One can approach the search in a serendipity-assuming random fashion or in a methodical one.
   In practice a combination of both often works well.
   
5. You can buy and try. If it doesn’t work for you at home with your own mirror and other clothes, you can take it back and someone else can find it. Many decisions even in life are not as etched-in-stone as we think they are. Also: this generates more money for charity! This also applies if later you find you don’t get around to doing alterations that would make that cool dress wearable, go ahead and freely re-donate!
6. Shopping with friends is fun! Try going op shopping with someone who ‘gets’ your taste. If you’re worried you might fight over the same item go with a friend who is a different size! Haha!
7. It’s fun by yourself, too. Treasures found are secret quests fulfilled, stars gained.
8. You don’t need everything.
9. In a gratitudinous state, what you might think is quite a luxury (ie. more clothes!) is still helping someone else. Life can be flowy and full; it doesn’t have to be constant self-denial or pure minimalism.
10. The people who work and volunteer there are worthy of admiration
11. The pink suede jacket in your size? Grab it when you see it: *Yoink*, looking neither left nor right. Like Marj Simpson and the dishcloth!Then…
12. Have an ikea ad “Start the car! Sta-art the ca-aar!” moment! Feel lucky and guilt free – you really weren’t undercharged.

Fun, isn’t it? A lot of feeling as though you’re in luxury comes from an attitude of gratitude!

When I was 5 we lived in California for a year while my father, Tangerine Dad, went to University. What a trooper Tangerine Mum was, with me and my 2-year-old brother to care for in an unfamiliar country. When we were there we frequented an even more innovative establishment: The Swap Shop. My understanding is that money didn’t even change hands, though I haven’t retained details from my 5 year old brain to now  :)
Do you know of The Swap Shop? I’d love if you’d remind me, in the comments section.

This is me ^^^ in a cool, linen, op shop, beaded top. Lucky ducky – good find, huh? (That’s the green of the garden you can see reflected in my glasses!)

Let me know your *best* OpShop/ Thrift Store find and how it has enriched your life, in the comments. Or, tell us about The Swap Shop if you know of it. Or, use the buttons below to pass this post on! :)

Bold So-ul, I’d like a whole pond of…
Bold So-ul, I’m awfully fond of you-oo-oo-oo!
Love,
Meg x o

PS Oh, by the way… I am almost sold out of the first Bold Art 2014 Calendars and considering getting a second run done. It would be super-helpful if you could message me and let me know if you want one/some to give me an idea how many more to print? Thanks!

* Opportunity Shopping or OpShopping is what we call Thrift Store shopping in Australia