Got these 📚 from the Royal Exchange Theatre‘s 📕 swap last night on my way home from a trivia night to raise funds for my ballet school. It was at the pub where my dead husband & I had our first date & looks very different nowadays as it‘s become the new gay bar so from dark and gloomy to rainbow bright. I didn‘t win anything unfortunately but spent lots of money trying. The margarita was delicious as was the potato, cauliflower & bacon soup.

Last night‘s goodies from the book swap on the way home from pole training.

These ones were from the Chin Chen Street Little free Library from a while back for my nieces and nephews.

Monday night after my extra ballet exam private lesson (despite being off work sick as the show must go on and I only work to fund my expensive ballet habit so I know what I‘d rather save my energy for), I stopped by the book swap on my walk home. I can‘t help myself. Yes I have a serious problem. I fear I will never get through all my books in this lifetime. What a lovely problem to have.

Free stuff from a while back.

Friday on my way home from showgirl rehearsal, I stopped at the book swap.

Salvos Forbes came up with the goods. My sister found me the vintage jumpers. The top jacket and shirt are for my giant, baby nephew. You can guess what his two favourite things in the world are. Grand total $48.50.

Go my excellent photography skills! On Monday mum and I stopped in Parkes for a spot of op shopping on the way home from my sister‘s farm. I hadn‘t been to this Salvation Army before so I was very excited. We did the whole shop over before closing time. I may already have the Thermo cook book and the Jessie Stephen‘s but for $1, I couldn‘t resist. I saw Colm at the Sydney Writers Festival this year and he was a great storyteller. Grand total $19.

Yesterday‘s book swap scores while out and about. My sister and her crazy little family are visiting at the moment. We went across to Stockton on the ferry to a monster jumping castle, then to the park, lunch was at Betty‘s Burgers before heading out to do some shopping for my nephew‘s birthday. Home for a wine and a stretch before packing to leave at this ungodly hour, 4am to watch the full dress rehearsal of Frozen That my niece is performing in

First op shop visit yesterday. I was heading to Cardiff to visit Dance Boutique for the required theatrical pink tights so I‘m allowed to dance in the Sydney Eisteddfod this weekend! It‘s near 3 op shops so of course I took advantage of that.

Scores from the book swap last Friday night on my walk home after pole rehearsal.

More book swap raids on the way home from ballet on Sunday afternoon.

Did very well yesterday on the 📕 front. The tagged 📕 I got at the op shop on my way home from rehearsals. I couldn‘t believe my luck that it was still opened & was a bargain at $5. The 📕 in the middle is from my building‘s 📕 swap from an author I‘ve enjoyed in the past & the top 1 was from a st library I discovered while heading to the pub last Sun so visited again yesterday. Was a massive day & I‘m still buggered today. Tempers flared at 🩰.

Scores from my building‘s book swap last Friday night after a disastrous ballet performance where my classical group created chaos on stage.

Also from last w/e on my multiple 📕 swap raid on the way home from 🩰. I want to see the tagged book‘s play these hols but it‘s sold out already! I will try to get to Prima Facie before it sells out. The 🐧 is to add to my collection & the recipe 📖 is for my sista 🦊 & I to test out when I visit her these hols to watch my niece‘s full dress rehearsal for Frozen Disney Junior as because of my rehearsals during term I can‘t get to the show itself.

After the op shop I visited the book swap.

Yesterday‘s op shop purchases after my 3 hours of ballet for the grand total of $39. So relaxing. Nowhere to be and the only thing to do was go home for a wine and a stretch and seafood salad for lunch. Love my weekends.

Scored at the book swap after the op shop visit on Saturday too.

Saturday after 3 hours of ballet, I couldn‘t resist an op shop on the way home. Grand total $21. My sister‘s name is Rheanna so I thought her 3 kids would enjoy the book on the right. Who doesn‘t love Body Shop products? 3 soaps for $5 is a real bargain. I‘m a fan of the tagged book‘s author. She is a mother of two but seems to still achieve so much and she knows how to party and be a good friend. I discovered her on the writer‘s festival circuit.

Books from my closest Little Free Library on the same night.

Friday night‘s walk home from pole dance showcase rehearsal requires a detour into the book swap. Then a wine while stretching then straight to bed.

Scored these at my building‘s book exchange last night after coming home from watching The Great Lillian Hall at the cinema. Beautiful movie. It was a long weekend in New South Wales so I made the most of it eg. Pots of tea in bed on Sunday and Monday morning as I had ballet on Saturday morning for 3.45 hours. I got in two hours of Pilates on Sunday with the torturer, Flavia. Trying to get to Singapore again soon. So much to do so little time.

Stolen from Chin Chen Street Little Free Library after manifesting the tagged author after listening to him live at the Sydney Writers Festival. It‘s funny how that sort of stuff happens to me on a regular basis.

A very profitable visit to the book swap on the way home from 2 hours of ballet last night. A few of my favourite authors here and relatively new releases too. Tuesdays consist of a warm up class followed by rehearsal for Raymonda en pointe. It‘s taxing but such a beautiful dance.

Sunday‘s book swap scores on the hour or so walk home from 5 hours of rehearsals so I wasn‘t in too much pain come Monday. Let me tell you the muscles you use as a showgirl girl are completely different to ballet! I‘m not sure which shoes are worse, pointe or chorus. Even a simple bevel is hard! But it‘s my dream come true so I‘ll get through it.

Yesterday‘s multiple book swap finds after 5 hours of ballet!

Very happy with my scores from the book swap on my walk home from pole dance rehearsal for the showcase last night. We also finished the dance so now we have 5 weeks to perfect it and get ready to shake my arse in a small amount of fabric in front of an audience. Nothing I haven‘t done before or won‘t do again. Seriously though it‘s a lot of fun and you should try it too. Ha!

On the day I left my SWF holiday I managed to visit Noff‘s op shop in Regent St Redfern. I ❤️ that it is open on Sun. The cardi seems to be vintage, it has sparkles & was only $4 down from $10! The 👗 also has sparkles. I can‘t resist a small men‘s 👕 with a beautiful pattern. Last yr I scored lots of good adult 📚. This yr it was beautiful picture 📚 plus a travel 📕 for me. I‘ll keep the kids 📚 at my place for my little people to enjoy here.

From my building‘s 📕 exchange a while back. I started an Italian degree at uni that I never finished. It would have been my 3rd degree. I think the language learning will have to wait until I retire or my body gives out & I can no longer 💃. I‘m ready to retire now but want to continue 💃 until the day I die. I‘m aiming to travel more though now I‘m a single lady again. I have a cruise next yr then I‘m aiming for Hydra, Greece &🇲🇽 gardens tour.

Pretty sure I found these on a midsummer night. It‘s started to get 🥶 like it does every yr after the Writer‘s Festival & every yr I hate it! I ❤️ the mags at the bottom of the pile. They‘re from the Art Gallery of NSW & my State Library. I collect the tagged 📕 series. The covers are so pretty. I‘m a big fan of Inga Simpson & got to meet her at the SWF. She isn‘t as serious as she seems on stage. We spoke about her new book set where I grew up.

Sat of the SWF combines with the Carriage Works Farmers Markets. I splashed some cash there and caught up with my cousin, Ryan & his girlfriend, Demi who have recently moved to Sydney. My 1st lecture was a panel on baking. All of the women were delightful & a real treat to listen to. See tagged book. I‘m keen to read 1 of Robbie Arnott‘s books, Torrey Peter‘s Stag Dance & Yale van der Wouden‘s Safekeep. There were lots of free lectures today.

On the 3rd day of the #SWF I had breakfast with mum & dad then headed to the Redfern to 👂 to the Moriarty sisters. They are so different from each other. Liane said she has finished the 1st draft of Big Little Lies 2! Can‘t wait for that to turn up in the 📕 swaps as it‘s guaranteed to do. Nothing like the 2nd tv series she assured us. The chemistry between Robert Dessaaix & Caroline Baum was amazing to watch. So funny.

The 2nd day of the Writer‘s Festival was fab. So many stories to tell when I got back to my fav Syd hotel, the Kimpton Margot for happy hr with my fam. I scored these 2 books from the LFL on the way home. The Book Thief author surprised me with his ability to tell a story. Not really sure why. He has sold 16 mil copies of that 📕. A woman cried uncontrollably next to me in the death lecture & I didn‘t know what to do! So many new to me authors.

I‘ve been at the Sydney Writer‘s Festival since Wednesday when this photo was taken. It‘s been hectic catching up with friends and family. I didn‘t get to my first lecture due to the current East Coast Low causing havoc so I took the time to have a nice lunch at Fratelli Fresh at Darling Harbour before heading to the Maritime Museum to listen to Why We Swim. I didn‘t realise how many book releases they do outside the fest dates. I‘ll be back.

Mondays op shop scores. I went down the Main Street to check out a colleague‘s new venture… an ice cream shop and got in a spot of op shopping. The toiletry bag has some marks on it though brand new. I‘m hoping they will come out in the wash. Worth a try. Grand total $61.30 as I had some rewards points to use. I‘ve got some more op shopping planned this afternoon after work which I am looking forward to.

I adored this 📖. I mostly listened to it on audio while pottering. I usually find audio 📚 a chore but not this 1. I wanted all the strong female characters to not just survive but thrive. It seems to be a struggle for women no matter when they are born! The modern day character gave me 💓. I preordered her next 1 and got into it straight away too. It‘s great so far. I hope she writes more and continues to look at the complexity of being a woman.

Thursday I was exhausted and knew I had to perform a dance for the first time on Saturday that required me to be with it so I took Friday off to get on top of things. It worked and the new dance received first place and the old dance a highly commended in the eisteddfod in a town an hour away. Whilst picking up a click and collect I couldn‘t resist checking out the book swap. I scored! Niece and nephew will get the activity books next visit.

While it round off nicely in the end, I can‘t say I‘d recommend the tagged book. Lucky it was free from my building‘s book exchange just like the other one in this picture that I‘m yet to read. I can‘t think of anyone I would pass it on to so I‘ll donate it back. I did enjoy the feminism in it and the women of various ages supporting each other for the most part.

Yesterday after work I went grocery shopping and got my false eyelashes put on for ballet Eisteddfod season. The Beautician was running late so I got some time on the massage chair. I needed it. Afterwards I walked home via the local Little Free Library. These were my scores. I went home to a pie and mash for dinner made by my elderly neighbour, Kenny who had a stroke so his wife gets him to cook for me and boy doesn‘t it make my life easier.