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.

Last night‘s scores from my building‘s library.

On the way home from ballet rehearsal on Sunday I visited 2 different Little Free Libraries. These were my spoils. 5.5 hours of ballet done this weekend ✅. I‘m a bit sore as I had a bit of a rest in the school holidays just gone.

Little Free Library finds on the way to ballet from the school holidays that just disappeared 😭

An after ballet op shop from the school holidays just gone. Those are Roundhouse plates. 4 for $20!

Recent finds from the local Little Free library. My nephew is obsessed with toots as he calls them. Cards are expensive nowadays so finding some freebies is always good.

1. Let‘s see… 2 houses full and a storage cage. I think there may even be some boxes at my parent‘s storage container. More than I‘ll read before I kark it. 2. The tagged book kept me up at night especially as I have been stalked myself. I listened to it in the recent school holidays while cleaning the house or out for a walk. It made washing up way more entertaining. I plan on reading her next book as soon as I can get my hands on it.

Pretty sure I got these at the local book swap. Can‘t remember when though. Love a good dvd when I‘m out of sorts.

Got these ones from the book swap earlier in the year. Lovely quality.

I think the sun is going down on my last summery day 😭 so I am sitting on my balcony reading about books and drinking a birthday bottle. I think the tagged book will be the one I take to the Sydney Writer‘s Festival this year to read. Turns out my parents will be in old Sydney town for dad‘s drs appointments to do with his accident not this January but the last so we will catch up for dinner both nights and they have booked the same hotel as me.

Today‘s Book Nook scores to entertain myself over my quiet Easter weekend. Yin yoga this morning really helped with my dicky hip. I need to get myself sorted as I got myself a showgirl gig. It may just be the greatest achievement of my life! The Angelica Banks and Judy Blume are for my book crazy niece. I could have filled another bag but it may not have been a good look. Libraries are the best invention ever. Medicine is great but books are fab.

This morning‘s📕 swap scores on the way to a spot of grocery 🛒 before the shops shut tomorrow for 🐣. I‘m home from visiting the relos & will have the w/e off 🩰 so intend on cooking up a ⛈️ & cleaning like it‘s spring to prepare for a term of performances that culminates in a comp at the Opera House in July. I‘ll be performing 3 dances. I also have to tack 2 tutus & rest. That will happen while I catch up on Handmaid‘s Tale. It‘s great so far.

Today‘s finds from the Little Free Library on the way to ballet.

Late term op shop after work. My collection of these yellow books is growing next to my orange penguins on my bookshelf. I will use the Easter paper to wrap my special kidlets Easter presents this year and because the school holidays are upon us I may have time for the craft project to put next to my other dolls.

After work op shop purchases from earlier this term. Speaking of term, there are only 3 more get ups & I‘m on hols! Hopefully I can try out some of the tagged recipes then. Same for the embroidery. Unfortunately the 👙 top is too small so I will pass it on to my niece. I‘ll keep the bottom for me as I like to mix & match. I ❤️ enamel vintage kitchen stuff. I thought this bowl was cute & a great price. Clay earrings are another ❤️ of mine.

Day 2 was equally awesome. Nikki writes like she speaks! I have resisted buying every book spoken about at each lecture though I really want to. I‘m really proud of our Aussie authors at the moment. It‘s so sad their work isn‘t being valued. If you ever get a chance to see Kink in the Tale please do so. It made me cry and laugh and also feel uncomfortable which is exactly what it is supposed to do. I also caught up with some old friends.

What an opening night for the Newcastle Writer‘s Festival. If you don‘t know this woman you should get to know her. She is the first winner of Alone Australia and the granddaughter of one of my favourite authors Charmian Clift. She made me cry and then at the end made me sing. She hasn‘t worn shoes for 15 years and she said her greatest gift was the birth of her daughter then she died at the age of 3 and that was her second greatest gift.

Last night on my way home from a ballet class with my favourite teacher, Georgia, I scored these at the Little Free Library closest to my place. The bottom and top ones are for my nephew. Hope the middle ones for me are good. Anyone read them?

1. In primary yes. I shone in Year 4 under the fabulous Mrs. Barrett even became class captain. Early high school no as I was boy mad but managed to pull it together and do well in my senior years. I partied hard though. 2. Reading the tagged book in preparation for the author‘s talk at the local writer‘s festival this weekend. It‘s rather repetitive unfortunately.

A work acquaintance gave me these plus some others to donate to my building‘s library. Picture taken on the glorious seats of the Newcastle to Sydney trains. Already graffitied so you won‘t. Ha!

Monday before pole dancing class I scored these from the Little Free Library on the way.

Betty‘s book shop visit a couple of Sundays back. My first visit since they expanded. The Thermo book is second hand.

On Saturday after ballet my dance partner, Denise and I went to a book fair to raise money for the Greens party who I happen to vote for. Books were $2 each. I could only stay for a half hour as I had a hair appointment but I was very happy with my finds. I‘ve been after the tagged book since my city‘s writer‘s festival around this time last year. Next year I plan on going for longer and enjoying a treat in the cafe after. I‘m not a fan of rushing

Got these from the 📕 swap back in early March on my way to 📕 club at my friend Shanthi‘s beautiful 🏡 that I also looked at buying many moons ago. I had to perform the next day & promised myself I wouldn‘t make it a big 1 but I‘m a yes woman. A bottle of plonk later I was in a taxi before Cinderella hour. This completes my collection of Helen Garner‘s diaries. All of which I‘ve managed to get from book swaps! She is one of my favourite authors.

After my pole dancing class on Monday, I walked home via the Book Swap. Here are my scores. I love a random free cd to hear some different music to what I normally listen to. It‘s getting darker earlier which I hate.

1. First comes the heady scent of jasmine then the stunning wisteria. The jacaranda flowers get stolen by a storm then boom it‘s summer. Heavenly.
2. The tagged book reminded me of the movie Stealing Beauty in places. I love both. Maggie is my second favourite author after Margaret Atwood.
I wish it was coming into spring again in Australia but unfortunately I have a cardigan on this morning on the tram on my way to work. Winter is coming 😭.