good shopping karma

You know my theory about good op-shopping don't you? The secret is to drop off bags of really good quality items to donate, wander around not looking for anything in particular, and, before you know it, something fabulous will appear.

I'd gone through my bookshelves and had three massive green bags filled with books. My first thought was to sell them at a second-hand book store {where I virtually exchange as I head out with almost as many as I've taken in} but then I realised that the Salvos could do with the money more than me.

So off I trotted, on a soggy monday afternoon, dropped off my books and proceeded to wander through and find gold.

See that pretty green and pink fabric up the top? That's a rather fabulous cotton bedspread that now resides on the daybed in our living room. Eventually the plan is to buy a new foam cushion for the coach and I'll ask my mum to cover it in this pretty floral. It's delicious and only cost $5.

The second is a beautiful white cushion cover, with the most perfect white cotton crochet edging. It set me back $1.

Finally we have a regular pillow case with the prettiest embroidery. I'm going to chop a little off the top to make a typical square cushion. 50 cents. Seriously.

My aim is to have a pile of pretty mis-matched pillows scattered on the daybed - and the only way to happen upon mis-matched is via chance. You can't go out shopping for it.

Now, I've still got a massive box or two of books here - including a couple of old Donna Hay cookbooks I no longer want. Surely they'll generate some lovely karma indeed!