Thank the gods for Sunday shopping...Even though I work in the city, I'm just that little bit too far away from the main shopping strip, and don't quite have a long enough lunch break to get down there, shop, eat and get back in time. And Saturdays are spent with Ma...
So I've found myself doing some Sunday shopping...
Although, like today, it's not always successful.
This morning I went down to Arndale to pick up a copy of the Michael Parkinson autobiography from Big W, since the store at Marion had it out for about half price. Unfortunately the one at Arndale didn't even have any copies. So, Strike One.
Then this afternoon I went into the city, I figured I'd just have a look around, maybe check out the Crumpler bags, have a look at some Japanese/Chinese fabric, see if I could find a lacquer box, that kind of thing.
The cool Japanese store on Pultney Street... closed. Strike Two. But I did peer in through the window and they had a fairly sizeable lacquer box for about $30, so it looks promising... I'm going to have to go down there on Monday at lunch (I'll take a longer lunchbreak, screw it).
I also want to look there and see if they have some sort of scarf or squares of fabric... because while I found some nice Chinese brocade fabric in hot pink, I don't know if it will be right for what I want to do with it. What I really want is (I think) red silk fabric with pagodas on it... which I know sounds pretty damn specific and slightly odd, but there is a whole story behind it...
When Ma was a little girl she and her sister were going to have these dresses (or blouses or something, I forget now) made for them by some random lady... and Ma chose this fabric with Chinese pagodas on it, while her sister picked something with horses. The outfits were duly made, but aforementioned lady screwed up and had made the one for Ma in, you guessed it, the horse fabric. If I ever find fabric with little pagodas on it, I'm buying the whole fucking roll and giving it to her so she can do whatever she wants with it.
Anyway...
I did go and look at the Crumpler bags... chatted with the vague yet slightly groovy girlies that work in there (well, at least one of them works there, I think the other one was just visiting)... and, still not sure. I mean I LOVE the bags, but I'm halfway caught between "what if I get bored" and "what if it looks crappy on me because of the way it sits" (I should really have tried one on today, but didn't for some reason) and still not being sure which one I like. It's definitely between Barney Rustle and Western Lawn... I like the Barney because it's like the original, but it has buckles as well as velcro on the flap, but it has little zipper pockets and stuff... while the Lawn is equally groovy, but doesn't have either the buckles (which is good) or the zippers... so I'm around 50/50 on which one I like best. Indecision, just one of my many talents...
The only thing I really accomplished was buying the Grand Designs DVD... for Ma. Although even that was a production, because I wanted to check if anywhere else had it cheaper than the ABC Shop, which nobody did, so I had to trek back up there after I'd checked a couple of other places.
Then I wasted some time in the Charm Shop looking at some Thomas Sabo seahorse charms and earrings... lovely, but hideously overpriced and sadly the earrings only come with turquoise stones. And you know that situation where you know something is very overpriced and you have no intention of buying it, but the salesperson just won't shut up and let you escape with dignity so you just let them talk themselves out before you high-tail it out of there... that was me.
I did have a slightly selfish realisation while I was out and about though... well, it's kind of selfish, but I can't think of what the right word should be... I realised that the only person I really care about getting things for Christmas for is Ma. I'm not sure that it's a new thought, but I'm pretty sure it's the first time I've really articulated it as a fully formed thought in my head. Last year I was all caught up with getting all those bits and pieces for J's hamper... and the stuff for Sheba's kids... and the paintings for my cousin and her girls (which I know didn't cost money, but required a thought process)... this year I have the money to do more, but I honestly don't care.
I also wandered into a hat shop in Adelaide Arcade... I wasn't really seriously looking, I just kind of wanted to see what they had, given that I have a funny shaped head and I can't find hats that fit anywhere else... and normally I'm quite happy to have sales staff leave me alone until I actually want something, but then if they ignore me I get huffy... I'm a complex little moppet really. I was a little miffed that one of the stupid wenches in the store asked the couple right near me if they needed any help, but ignored me... so I left. Plus their hats were overpriced... *grin*
So other than a quick wander down the Rundle Street Market that was about my day...
Current Mood:
4 comments:
Amazon.co.uk has the 4th series of Grand Designs for about $25. Postage on top of course, but if you buy a few things it'll still be cheaper than here. That one is region 2 and 4 which is great (I know, I have a copy, it's fantastic!!), but otherwise you'll need a multi-region DVD player, but most are these days.
And a tip from an occasional office skiver - to take a long lunch break plan ahead and leave early, coming back on time. If you do that people might notice you leave but will assume you're off to another floor or something. Whereas if you come back at 3pm with a couple of shopping bags and a red face they'll all know what you've been up to. :P
PS: No, don't like this comment thing any more - it's a pig if you're not logged in! :P
See, now you tell me with the Amazon... grrrr... ;) Plus, the one I bought is Season 4... but they're supposed to be bringing out Seasons 1-3 soonish, so maybe I'll do that for them.
And sadly my usual lunchbreak is right on noon, so leaving early would look more suspicious... I normally only have half an hour, so it's not going to really bother anybody if I take a full hour.
PS: I'm not real sure about the comment thing either... having to load the whole page before you can post anything... if only it worked like the (and I can't believe I'm saying this) Wordpress one... *sigh*...
Hang on, I'm going to go change it back...
So, now I know what a srumpler bag is. Something new every day as the old adage goes.
Now as for hats, I tend to find any headwear I try to wear instantly makes me look like a giant penis so if you don't have that problem you're doing alright!
A couple of years back I purchased what I thought was a small crumpler bag that I could use for my wallet and glasses case.
The salesman, who'd been watching me trying the bag out with my wallet and glasses case, asked me at the time whether I was sure this was what I wanted.
I thought his comment was odd at the time but it was only when I was out of the shop and had put my glasses on that I realised I had purchased a camera bag not a general carry bag.
I felt too embarrassed to go back to the store. Luckily, it was a friend's birthday and he had bought himself a camera so I simply handed my purchase to him as a birthday present as though that was my intention all along.
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