Sunny Side Up - Depop Purchases

Whilst most of my income comes from selling second-hand clothes, especially through Depop, I'm also a big fan of supporting other local sellers and buying through Depop too! As I spend a good chunk of my day uploading, refreshing and what I like to call "researching" on this app, I do come across many things that tempt me. I try to remind myself that I really don't need any more clothes, but a few pieces always slip through. I've been collecting vintage and second-hand bits from Depop sellers within NZ for the whole year and I thought it was about time I show you!

My style has slowly evolved into true 60s/70s mod girl as the year has progressed and I leap at the opportunity to grab any new pieces of this style, vintage or not. So, most of these clothes fit that niche look that I'm going for, however, Depop has a range of different styles, price ranges and sellers to explore. Simply search for keywords or categories that you're interested in and something you like is bound to pop up. It also pays to check these tags almost every day if you want any chance of grabbing the good stuff before somebody else does!

Joseph A Green Vest - $10 nzd
This vest was a lucky find as I'd been hardcore manifesting a cropped green vest for many months. I love the length of this piece, it's ideal for styling with my high waisted flares and a collared shirt underneath. The colour is epic and one that I know I can combine with other pieces in my closet easily. This piece was only $10 too, such a flippin bargain!

Orange Plastic Hex Chain Belt - $9 nzd
My absolute favourite belt and one that I'm sure you've seen featured on my Depop before! I love using this statement chain belt to synch in the waist of vintage dresses or mini skirts and it just screams mod style. I picked this belt up at the beginning of the year, after eyeing it up for quite some time. I've since added one of my Mindflower earrings in the exact shade of orange to the end of the chain as decoration, which looks so groovy.

Green Short Sleeved Turtleneck - $8 nzd
You can't really go wrong with a simple green turtleneck, especially for just $8! I love the short sleeves on this piece, adding a point of difference and that super 60s touch. I've styled this with so many different looks and it's great for layering underneath dresses or vests, plus, this colour is truly epic. If you'd like to see how I styled this piece in a full green look, click here.

Vintage 60s Flower Power Blouse - $22 nzd
One of my most recent purchases, this polyester blouse is straight outta the 60s and just so me I couldn't resist. It's the perfect size and length to wear with the Joseph A vest overtop and in perfect vintage condition too, so I was stoked! As a seller myself, I always appreciate when purchases are made easier with good communication and fast shipping, which I definitely received from Winnie Vintage.

70s Polyester Floral Mini Dress - $10 nzd
Another absolute bargain, I adore this mini dress but I have to confess I actually haven't worn it out yet. I'll blame the windy Wellington weather for now and I can't wait to wear this piece as it starts getting warmer. It's clearly been cropped from a longer dress, so once I get the time I'd love to tidy up the hem a little, which I think would make it more wearable. I was mostly drawn to this piece because of the unusual neckline, almost like a mandarin collar. So, I may also crop this into a shirt if I'm feeling adventurous!

True Vintage Orange Floral Button-Up - $15 nzd
Probably the single most worn item in my closet, I'm completely obsessed with this piece. I purchased it on a whim when I stumbled across it in the depths of Depop and to be honest I wasn't completely convinced it would suit me. But I was sorely mistaken, this shirt has the most beautiful boxy shape, with a big 70s dagger collar and the most incredible orange and green floral print. I love throwing this piece on with some flared pants for a super easy look, whilst still appearing semi put together!

Green Button-Up Knit Vest - $12 nzd
This knit vest is an absolute staple in my closet and the perfect piece to wear over a patterned blouse. The colour is incredible and so much more vibrant than it appeared in the pictures, which was a nice surprise! It's the perfect cropped fit to wear with my favourite pair of high waisted flares and the crochet knit detailing is super 70s! If you want to see how I styled this piece, click here.

Vintage Lime Green Mod Mini Dress - $30 nzd
So, obviously this piece was a no brainer and I swiped it up as soon as it was listed! Again, I haven't honestly worn this piece out yet and I'm not quite sure when I will as it's such a statement piece. Everyone knows I love a good statement piece and bright colours, but this dress is next level. So, I think I'll save her for a special occasion.

Mint Green Flower Power Long Sleeve - $12 nzd
I have worn this piece to death after purchasing it at the beginning of this year. It's exactly my size and preferred fit, so dang comfy and perfect for just throwing on with some shorts or jeans! I love the colours and super 70s font on the front, making this easily one of my all-time favourite staple pieces.

Vintage Yellow Knit Sweater - $25 nzd
Originally purchased for the colder Winter months, I'm still living in this knit today. It's such a lovely, unique shade of yellow that I don't see enough in clothing trends at the moment. I'll always get compliments on this piece as it's so vibrant and different and just the easiest thing to style ever. Everyone needs a good chunky knit in their closet and this one is perfect!

Pink Mesh Paisley Shirt w Flared Sleeves - $5 nzd
For just five bucks I was not gonna pass up this epic bell sleeve piece and I intended to resell it on my own store. But once I had this incredible mesh piece in my hands I knew I couldn't part with her! The sleeves are an absolute dream, flaring out with layered lettuce trims and the most amazing bright pink paisley print. I love wearing mesh, especially in the Summer and this piece had the perfect 70s twist to it. To see how I styled this piece, click here.

Retro Style Mod Girl Sleeveless Button-Up - $15 nzd
Purchased quite a few months back, I haven't found the right bottoms to style with this piece yet, but it's still one of my favourites. The print is just epic, with a psychedelic paisley design in literally all of my favourite colours. I love the sleeveless look on this piece too, giving it major 60s Summer vibes. I plan to eventually style this piece tucked into to some high waisted flares, with a headband and some statement earrings for the ultimate 60s housewife look!!

Bella 🌼

Panoramic Stereo - Bedroom Colour Study

Finally-it's here! The post that so many of you have been requesting, I am finally ready to share my bedroom. As my style and personal tastes are constantly changing, so are the spaces around me. So, my bedroom tends to take on a different look almost every week. I've been putting this post off for a while, as it never feels quite ready to share, I'll always be in the process of perfecting it. But for now, welcome to my bedroom!

For this colour study, I've included several of my favourite corners/zones in my bedroom, as well as a few of my absolute favourite items! I thrift most of my decorations, however larger furniture items I've had for a while (desk is Ikea, wooden shelf is George & Willy and stool is also Ikea!) My white dresser is a hand-me-down from my grandmother, which I upcycled by giving it a fresh lick of white paint and some groovy vintage handles. The hanging light beside my bed is thrfited and so is the floral tapestry above my bed!

I've spent a lot of time curating these pieces and I'm nowhere near done, especially around my desk. I'd love to invest in a proper record player and a new vintage lampshade! For now, the extent of my decorations is a peace lily plant, vintage 70s cane tray for my pens, paintbrushes and lamp etc and a few other odds and ends. I like to keep only the necessary items on display, as my clutter isn't pretty. So, I have a few of my favourite books, including my David Hockney and Nguan art books and a large collection of green folders storing my various pieces of ~important~ paper.

The wooden shelf/pegboard installation above my desk has been there for several years. In fact, if you scroll back far enough on my blog you can see all the different ways it's been styled over the years. It's not my favourite thing in my room, but it's been very well attached to the wall and also provides a few more shelves for my books etc. So, it can stay for now. On these shelves, I have some of my most favourite possessions, including my lil 60s flower mug, water jug and tray (which will all be in my own kitchen someday). I have a small stack of photography, art and poetry books, as well as glassware and pottery from various op shops and a small Chinese teacup that Ben brought back for me!

If you've been following me for a while, or you've seen my room in person then you'll know just how cluttered the walls have been in the past. Like most teenagers, I went through my phases of absolute bedroom wall takeover, with posters, polaroids and random movie tickets covering every inch of wall available. I like to think that as I've matured, my style has become slightly more refined and I can now actually see some white wall again. I love coming up with interesting and different ways to display art on my walls. Behind my bed is a retro-style tablecloth, thrifted with the intention to use it as a backdrop for photos. But, I actually love the way it looks hung up above my bed, as the colours match my linen perfectly. I like to call it my 'tapestry', but secretly I like the idea that some random family in the 70s would eat breakfast off this tablecloth. I also love to use vintage record sleeves as art, framed silk scarves and old clippings from magazines/postcards. These are all super unique and cost-effective ways to keep your walls constantly changing and looking forever groovy.

I recently invested in a new linen duvet cover, in this incredible brown/terracotta colour. But, if you want to see a more comprehensive look at my bed click here. As I've mentioned before, I like to invest in nice quality linen and avoid thrifting or buying cheap sheets etc. However, the exception to this is my two absolute favourite retro floral pillowcases, which are both from op shops (I washed them, don't worry). As I spend a lot of time in my bed, I like the space around it to feel as cosy and welcoming as possible. My bedside table and light fitting are both thrifted, as well as the plant pot, wicker basket and scarves on the wall!

All of my clothes are neatly tucked away in my closet, however, this didn't stop me from fully decorating that space too. Inside my closet, I keep all of my shirts, dresses and jackets in an embarrassingly neat and particular order. I also like to have my favourite earrings and hairclips on display on one of the shelves next to the hangers, decorated with Ben's postcards from Vietnam!

For me, a bedroom is a sanctuary, somewhere to feel safe and cosy and also productive when you need to be. I prioritize my work and sleeping spaces and make sure to only keep the necessities on hand, in order to avoid clutter. I'm still on the hunt for many more pieces to make my bedroom perfect and realistically, I'll never really be done. But, that's the joy in decorating.

If you have any questions about my bedroom or items within these photos, feel free to message me on Instagram or leave a comment down below!

Bella 🌼

Crimson & Clover - Mixtape

Not only is this blog a time capsule and (hopefully) entertaining source of information for some, but it's also a reflection of my interests and identity. Music is such a huge part of my life and is constantly playing in the background in some way, shape or form. Since discovering the wonders of 60s/70s music, I've been completely obsessed with creating playlists and hunting down my favourite tracks. Every week I curate an insane amount of music and I guess the thought occurred to me that you might like it too? So, here is the first instalment of my Mixtape series, where I'll share, discuss and drool over my favourite songs of the week/month. As a bit of background, I love The Rolling Stones, Simon & Garfunkel, The Mamas & The Papas and anything by Fleetwood Mac/Stevie Nicks. If you want to check out my comprehensive playlists on Spotify, click here.
This is the Crimson & Clover mixtape,

Reach Out Of The Darkness - Friend & Lover (1968)
One of my most recent finds, this song makes me want to get up and dance, which is always a good thing. Friend & Lover was an American folk duo and are best known for this track, released in the Summer of 1968. To me, this song is everything I love about swingin 60s music, it's loud, funky just a little bit strange.

California Dreamin' - The Mamas & The Papas (1966)
Of course, an absolute classic. After playing the José Feliciano version from Once Upon a Time in Hollywood on repeat for weeks, I slowly transitioned back to the original. This song is one of my all-time favourites and The Mamas & The Papas are one of my go-to bands from the 60s. While there are many great renditions of this track, nothing can beat the original.

You Make Loving Fun - Fleetwood Mac (1977)
An obvious one, as I'm completely in love with Fleetwood Mac. After seeing them in concert last month I've been binging all their albums and even discovering new songs I hadn't heard before. This one came on in an op-shop the other day and completely took me by surprise. I'd completely forgotten about how truly incredible this track was live and I've been playing it non-stop ever since.

Crimson and Clover - Tommy James & The Shondells (1968)
This is a special song for me, naming one of my prints from my latest photography collection 'Crimson and Clover' was just the beginning of the obsession. I love the chorus, the change in speed and Tommy James is an absolute 60s legend. Plus, best song title ever?!

With A Girl Like You - The Troggs (1966)
Another recent discovery, this song reminds me of Summer, long car journeys and hot sun. Tracks that make you wanna sing and do a little seat dance are so important and this is definitely one of them. Plus, I love the album art, with that crazy 60s font!

Woman - John Lennon (1980)
Although I'm not personally a fan of John, this song is without a doubt a classic. If you're able to separate the artist from the music, I'm sure you'll love it too. John's voice is so distinctive and the romantic nature of this song comes across through the oh-so-very-John lyrics.

Sunshine Superman - Donovan (1966)
This song just screams Mod 60s Britain, maybe because it featured in one of my favourite docos about the 60s in London, but I just love it. Again, very much a boogie song and some crazy cool album art that I wish I created myself.

At The Zoo - Simon & Garfunkel (1968)
This is my favourite song and has been for about a week now. Simon & Garfunkel have been my go-to for a while now and I'll always love 'Mrs Robinson', but this one comes in a close second. It's such a cute song, with cute lyrics and makes me feel like I'm back in primary school, but in a good way?

Bella 🌼

Mid Month Colour Study

We're midway through October and officially entering birthday/anniversary/Christmas territory, which is both terrifying and exciting. It's come to my attention recently that I actually have a few avid readers of this lil blog. After receiving some lovely messages from several girls about the blog I want to say ~hello~ and welcome, if you're a new reader or you've been here for a while, thank you!!

In the month of October, I've had lots of time to think about my business and the future of the store. I'm having so much fun doing what I'm doing and I'd love to expand or at least open my horizons to new opportunities. I was lucky enough to spend a day shooting and playing dress-up with the lovely Virginia from Ferdinand Vintage, blog post about that coming soon! It was so nice to spend time with someone who's almost completely on the same wavelength as me. There was so much to talk about and relate to, especially because Virginia is possibly the sweetest person I've ever met. Spending the day with her and talking about creative things, projects and collaborations made me realize that I want more! I'm keen to expand my circle in the next few months and take every opportunity that comes my way. I've already signed onto a super exciting project with another fellow Kiwi gal and I can't wait to talk more about that soon. But, if you'd like to collaborate in some way in the future please reach out. I'm open to new ideas and eager to get out there and meet some like-minded people!

As always I've been thrifting as if my life depends on it. I really feel like I've picked every Wellington op-shop dry and I'm now expanding into Kapiti and beyond to collect new stock. I've had a fantastic response from my latest collection, The Retro Collection and a new curation of pieces is already in the works. I'd love to start sharing more behind the scenes content here too, as some of you have asked for some personal tips and info about my business. Let me know if you'd be interested in that!

It's so crazy how quickly this year is coming to a close and pretty soon the majority of my friends will have left high school forever. This year has felt almost like a headstart for me, whilst a lot of my peers are still at school. So, it'll be strange when we're on a level playing field again and especially because several of my closest friends will be moving out of Wellington. As of now my plans for next year are pretty undetermined. We'll be in Wellington, as Ben continues his degree and I'd love to continue down the path I've been exploring this year. But my eyes are open to new opportunities and I'm constantly looking for the next project or sign that can lead me in the right direction. Of course, I'll continue to update this blog as often as possible and now that I have a few new readers I'd love to create some content you've been asking for. Stay tuned...

Bella 🌼