ADIOS, AUGUST!

AHH... The LAST Day of AUGUST!  A few more days and it'll be BACK to SCHOOL for Many... Soooo, GRATEFUL that I'M **NOT** One of THEM!!

It was another sweltering day out - which I spent ALL of - INside - where it was COOL! Rumour has it, that Tomorrow will be more manageable, then possibly RAIN for THURSDAY... Pretty much a "given" on THAT, as I have an appointment Downtown!!

Anyway, another UNadventurous day, as well! So, I spent TOO much of it, tweaking THIS:

The BLANKET is called "PALM BEACH" - in My "PINWHEEL" Pattern in MILK BLUE and TANG. The CRAB and SUNSET are from Puerta Vallarta, Mexico.

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BTW, along with Yesterday's STYLE AT HOME Mag and TOTE, was a Flyer from STRUCTUBE. Love the Furniture in There!!  One particular Accessory DID Catch My Eye!

It appears to be a METAL Bouquet!

Structube - Catalogue : Accessories : Sculptures : D436-1 (Red)

I'm also taking a strong LIKING to this Purple SOFA!!



Structube - Catalogue : New Items : Stella (Purple)









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"DECOR MAG" Day! - AND, With a GIFT!! Oooo, SPECIAL!!

IT was also:  What I call.. HALF PRICE "PILLAGE" DAY at  VALUE VILLAGE !

Which was why We were up EARLY Today. -- Granted, NOT the Crack of Dawn, but "Early" enough for Me! -- A gorgeous Day, just waiting to turn up the HEAT! [Was up to 32C / 37C Humidex]

However, BEFORE, Our Departure.. had to MOVE the wooden planks and tar-pail AWAY from the end of the Laneway. FATHER had done a 2nd coat of "Blacktop" Yesterday. He was somewhat apprehensive about HOW dry it was and, of Us driving OVER it!

So, I'm relocating said "debris" barrier up the Lane, and waving Hello to the Nice-Old-Lady-Across-The-Street-Who-Barely-Speaks-English, when I observe an UNMARKED COP CAR pull someone over - in front of Her place... That lasted for 2 minutes... Whatever, THAT was about...??

Hey! There's the MAILMAN coming from the other direction. Decide to save Him the trip UP to Our BOX. He comments on the EXTRA "goodie" that's come WITH My STYLE AT HOME October Issue!!  SWEET!  I had forgotten about THAT supposing to be coming My way. - [Subscription Renewal Gift]

It's one of those Nylon TOTE BAGS. About 3x4 inches in Its little pouch. And a much brighter Turquoise colour than what's showing here.

Anyhow, it's always great to have an EXTRA one of These around! Extremely handy! -- Just a tad psycho later, though, when attempting to REFOLD them... But, hey, it's a great way to keep Kids OCCUPIED!  *And*, NO Batteries REQUIRED!

  

Finally, We leave!  Made a quick PICKUP Stop at MRS. CLEAN's. -- We usually bring Her along when We do this particular Excursion. Allows Her to take Her time and, NOT worry about Her SON waiting on Her.

Naturally, the STORE is a Parking NIGHTMARE! But, of course, I have a "MISSION PLAN" - as usual! DROPPED The WHITE-HAIRED ONES off by the Front Door, then snaked My escape through the Automotive Labyrinth and headed for COSTCO!

GOT MILK. For Us and MRS. CLEAN. And, the OTHER regular items We get there... Eventually, I made My way back to the PINBALL PARKING! -- Oooo! THANK YOU, PARKING FAIRY!! -- AFTER, spending about 5 minutes, ATTEMPTING to maneuver AROUND several badly parked vehicles, Someone pulled OUT, and I POURED IN!!

Once inside, spotted MRS. CLEAN right away. She was pretty much done with Her exploring and had been trying to find My MOTHER... I took a SCAN across the vast Bay of Bargains... Ah! Thar, She SHOPS!!  With Her little white curly head, barely cresting over the Sea of Clothing Racks... I proceeded to tack My way through the treacherous Shopping-Cart infested Aisles toward Her...

Informed Her of MRS. CLEAN's current status and, suggested that She quicken Her exploration.

Meanwhile, I took stock of The CARGO... Hmm...

She had discovered a handful of FABRIC REMNANTS - The ONE pictured to the LEFT, I've decided to keep....

Despite the Fact, that I'm not personally partial to THIS particular HUE combination, IT was nevertheless a rather GOOD quality TEXTILE. 100% heavy Cotton, 3 yards, and at the unbelievable Price of $4. plus Tax!! -- I couldn't help, but Give It a HOME!

In as much as FLORAL CHINTZ, appears to remain being "IN" at the Moment, the Fabric would most likely be somewhat overwhelming as a SLIPCOVER or UPHOLSTERY. I'm leaning toward PILLOWS here... Considerably more versatile and TREND-adaptable!

Or.. perhaps a Big SATCHEL...?  I'm predicting the NEED for DIAPER BAGS, will likely be on the RISE for the next several Months! -- I should probably run this Pic by My Fashionista Niece - MOM+BUMP, for an At-The-Change-Table opinion...

Anyhoo... I managed to herd Everyone BACK Home by 1pm-ish... I had a Shiny NEW Mag waiting patiently for Me to check out!!

Let's just DO that now, shall We?

STYLE AT HOME - OCTOBER 2010

• P.29 - Okay... Maybe, the My CHINTZ, could have a Life as Furniture. The CHAIRS pictured on this Page have just enough of a simple slim profile to get away with the rather BOLD $80. plus per yard Fabric...
• P.38 - TRENDSPOTTING - I appreciate a GOOD "GOTH". However, half the stuff here is leaning toward "GAUDY" GOTH! -- FYI to the TWILIGHTERS out There:   If You want a great BAROQUE piece of WOODEN furniture to look GOTH, You *don't* PAINT it Black, You MAKE it out of EBONY!  Painting Things BLACK, *doesn't* make them GOTH. It makes them GAUDY and BLACK.
• P.86 - I'm liking that Dresser..
• P.89 - Except for the overly WHITE Lamp Shade [it really should have been an IVORY or BEIGE], the TEXTURES of this Page's Palette is doing something for Me... I think My "The GRAPE PUMPKIN" Blanket would do well here...
• P.136-137 - Oooo! Purples... That ROLL of Striped Wallpaper interests Me.. And I've certainly got ENOUGH Glass in that Colour! As in that over-sized Brandy Glass Vase. Not so keen on the beyond-ornate Mirror. And the Chandelier should have been done in Amethyst.
• P.138-139 - Loving the TEXTURES!!

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Meanwhile, a RESEARCH UPDATE.

The OTHER Day - 27AUG2010 - I mentioned a rather unique CHAIR that had caught My fancy... Despite being posted onto a PUBLIC Site, for PRIVACY reasons, I didn't feel that it was My Right to LINK that specific PHOTO Here. HOWEVER, as FATE would have it, one of Those CHAIRS - with different Upholstery - was Featured EARLIER Today on CITYLINE!!  I was unable to locate IT on the featured STORE's Website, where THAT One had come from, BUT, once I knew WHAT to SEARCH for....

It is a FRENCH DOME BACK Chair. Not certain if the One pictured HERE is an Original or a well-done Reproduction. OR, if the FIRST ONE is either! THAT One, was in an UNPAINTED Dark Wood and in a "BURLAP" toned Upholstery. Which I actually prefer over this WHITE One.

THIS CHAIR can be found at:

http://thebellacottage.com/product_details.php?pid=5093&id=10

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..Once Upon a Time...

Like BARELY **THREE** YEARS AGO!!!

When Laptop Computers CAME with EARPHONES!  You know, so that You could Watch and LISTEN to Your DVD on a Plane. Or, more often than not, while WAITING in a Terminal FOR Your plane. And Perhaps, work on that Business stuff on the side too, at the same time...

Ooooo! Now, there's a CONCEPT! ONE Device that DOES all these Things, on a Screen BIG enough not to cause RETINAL damage!

Okay, so..what... I *missed* a "Meeting" here...???

It would seem, "apparently", in some MISGUIDED "Trend de Jour" and, in effort to [I'm assuming] lessen Travel WEIGHT, yadda, yadda.. that IT'S the tiny WEB-book and/or, iPHONE that are THE Devices TO Have!  BTW, neither of which comes with a DVD player, OR, a MAGNIFYING Glass!!  Oh, but hey, They DO have Earphones!! -- I would think...?

And Cyber-Space forbid, that Anyone be able to DO any actual BUSINESS to pay FOR the Download TIME of that Movie-On-A-Postage-Stamp-Screen.

YO! ZOMBIE-SHOPPERS! The USB Port on The iPAD is EXTRA!!!

Oh, and don't forget the 3 or 4 CHARGERS You need to pack and the 4 pounds of AA-Batteries!  Because, as much as I love them, those Travel-size SOLAR Panel Chargers, really don't weigh any less and STILL confound the Airport Security Guys!

Soooo. You're all wondering WHAT started me on THIS particular "Commentary"...? WELL! Let me tell You!

Whilst perusing the STORE FLYERS the other Day, I "noticed" in the one from FUTURE SHOP, that My recently purchased Shiny RED Portable Hard Drive - KYLIE, was NOW, $10. cheaper!!  Hmmm....

Didn't have the TIME to explore My chances on getting a bit of a Refund Yesterday, but, Today was looking pretty good... AND, I could do with the WALK to get the Kinks out. Only a 12-minute jaunt...

VOGUE-ette Girl at CUSTOMER SERVICE was refreshingly HELPFUL with My "pricing adjustment". I had also brought in My Computer's EARPHONES - [the RIGHT one seems to be busted] - in hopes of getting an "Exchange"... Still have a few Months LEFT on that WARRANTY, that I paid SO much for.

Unfortunately, She didn't have the Volume Adjustable ones that I needed... Suggested that I check with the COMPUTER SERVICE DESK. -- No prob. I had already figured that I would end up THERE anyway, in regards to this particular matter.

I was waiting for, what... 6, 7 minutes BEFORE one of the In-House Teckies "noticed" Me! - I pity the poor Woman ahead of Me who was waiting on Her "Guy" to come back out!

I reiterated My AUDIO dilema to the Not-So-Strapping-GEEK-BOY, as He fondled said "accessory" like He's wondering WHICH part goes into the Ears! -- "..huh.. I've never heard of Earphones coming with Laptops..."

[INSERT:  AUNTIE-Billy-Gates-Contemporary STRUGGLING to refrain with the Rapier come back!] - [And, YES, I actually DO know how to Fence, too!]

HOW old IS this Kid...?  And, where's KYLE?

AFTER another 5 minutes of Him secluded behind The Glass at HIS Terminal attempting to LOCATE a "part" Number [or whatever], He returns with the "Instruction" of NEEDING to get the SERIAL NUMBERS off of My Machine! 

WHY is it, that I have this sneaking SUSPICION that AFTER 3 years, even the People at HP don't KNOW that THEIR Laptops USED to come WITH Earphones?!!  -- Anyone want to give Me ODDS?

I cordially bade Him thanks and proceeded to further enjoy the Air-Conditioning [It's 30C out] by perusing the DVD section. Ended up investing most of My "Refund" with the purchase of SHERLOCK HOLMES!

Ah, perhaps THE OLD BOY, will be able to share some insight on My apparent Technological-Progressively-Challenged plight - AS I Crochet a VOODOO Doll of G-B!

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VASE-ing in VERSAILLES

IT was the absolutely PERFECT morning for hitting the YARD SALE Circuit - until perhaps, around 11am-ish, when it started getting really HOT in the Sun. BUT, the steady Breeze was rather pleasant. Which, is overall surprising, as there was some AIR SHOW going on over the NorthEast part of the City. That type of Event almost always, attracts questionable Weather...

Hey! I saw a LEAR! -- At least, I *think* it was... Whatever. Still a SWEET looking Ride! Jotting down one of THOSE Puppies on My LOTTERY WISHLIST!

Anyhoo... A nice day... Except for the flare up of lower back pain, which ended up tweaking the bad knees, and for some reason, My right wrist feels like I've bruised it or something..? BUT, being the Y.S. JUNKIE that I am, I "managed" to get through The PAIN! -- It's a good thing that no one used one of those Scanner things on Me Today, I probably would have FRIED the Thing!!

So... Our FIRST Stop, was just down the street, around the corner... Where, I picked up this Pair of lovely VASES. Asking Price was $4. - GOT Them for $3.!  The Large One had stones and a couple of rather nice Fake IRISES in it. Gave Those to MOTHER. My passion is the AMETHYST GLASS Collecting!

These are actually, slightly more on the Amethyst side than the "Royal" shade in this picture. Both are of Blown Glass, with a soft textured surface. The Larger One is about a foot tall and had a $29. sticker on the Bottom! -- They also need a bit of a cleaning...

[Ignore, the Ugly Floor and Mat..]

THESE would probably look super as a Dining Room Table Centerpiece.. PURPLES still seem to be "IN". -- Actually, was taking a quick look last Night, through the OCTOBER ONLINE Version of STYLE AT HOME... There was a PAGE on Things Purple. Hopefully, My HARDCOPY will be arriving early this coming Week.

Off We went to Our Regular Haunts... Only a couple of Sales going on There. Met several interesting People, including a rather tall, articulate, and enchanting 7-Year-Old who was learning to sew Her First Dress!

Picked up these BOXES at another Sale for a Grand Total of 20 Cents!  They're about 6 inches across. The LEFT One is Cardboard, and the RIGHT, is Tin. -- And, YES, "another" of My Collections!  They're a great place to STORE all of those smaller and fragile Christmas Ornaments!

It was beginning to get quite warmer, so We headed off toward BIG BOX STORE COUNTRY to do Groceries, etc... With, of course, the odd STOP along the Way...

Where, We happened upon Our BEST One of the Day!  Many, MANY, wonderful, "expensive", and informative BOOKS waiting to be HAD for ONLY a DOLLAR a Piece!!  Quite a few appeared to have been originally purchased at Museum Gift Shops...?  Between Us, We got around 6 or so.

Amongst My choices, was the ABOVE.  I love the ART in these types of Tomes!  And FORGET, having a LARGE "Tabletop" for My current "COLLECTION", I *need* a whole WALL!!  -- I do have a Design for THAT in Mind...

And, in keeping with the HISTORICAL "references" of the ABOVE... We had CAKE at WALMART!


Meanwhile, just "managed" to ACHE My way Home by 3pm... Considering the current and predicted Weather conditions, FATHER wanted to APPLY a Coat of Blacktop to the Laneway upon Our return. Hopefully, it'll be properly dried by Monday morning... MOTHER has "Plans"...
-- More on THAT outcome, THEN!

Feeling BETTER Now... Slapped on some of My cooling Gel stuff on several body parts, put the Feet up, had a semi-Nap, ASPIRIN... Will DEFINITELY, be sleeping in, Tomorrow!


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.."PLAN-9" From MY Place...

THE PLAN...

• Get up a BIT earlier than usual.
• Go to WALMART to Return an Item.
• Go to THE BIG MALL and be BACK Home by 2pm.
• While there, go to The BANK, and have a quick Look about.
• Buy Lottery tickets.

WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED...

• GOT up as Scheduled - give or take 15 minutes...
• Since, I was going to THE BIG MALL, MOTHER asked if I could drop by TOYS'R'US to get a GIFT CARD for "LOLLI & BLU-BAM's" MOM, as it's suppose to be Her last day at work. - And, "..oh, could You be back before 1:30 to pick Me up and take Me to THE MALL, so that I can give it to Her. And then, be back in time to go shopping with DAD...?"
• So much for MY "Look About" time.
• A bit of Construction going on near the WALMART - had to use the "other" Entrance.
• SIX minutes into My "wait", the BODY COUNT at the Pharmacy Counter IS beginning to ADD up! -- It was bad enough waiting 5 minutes to get "noticed" the other day, and then, end up BUYING the WRONG item - BUT, to wait even longer THIS time to RETURN it...?
• "..Oh, You can Return it at CUSTOMER SERVICE..." -- Which, BTW, took all of TWO minutes!
• WooHoo! Timing! As predicted, The Construction is on MY side of the Road NOW!
• Strategically found Parking between TOY'R'US and where I usually Park.
• Must get Card FIRST or I'll forget!
• Hmm... that went quickly... And, efficiently.. - Must now, be WARY...
• Swiftly, proceed to Bank.
• Ah, Second IN LINE! -- It's "Pension Day", so This is GOOD.
• Five minutes LATER... STILL, Second-In-Line! -- And, what's with the Parade BEHIND Me...?
• ANOTHER 5... and, I'm finally at The Window!
• In UNDER 2 Minutes, I'M DONE!!!
• Just after 1pm... Not enough Time to really SHOP and browse.. However, think I'll stop at that Chiropractic Display Booth... - I have a regular appointment next week.. And These Guys have one of those cool Thermal Scanner thingies...
• Have My neck done... Oooo, check out all that TENSION on the right side of My neck.. -- Must be from signing all those Charge Card Chits!
• Could have also done with having My lower back scanned, but They weren't doing those... Probably for the best, I suppose, I'd have likely blown the readings off the Charts!
• ALMOST got Home - IN Time...
• "MRS.CLEAN" was outside Her place as I drove by.. -- She's Our "late 80's" friend that lives around the corner and truly is, a "clean freak"! A lovely Lady, who seriously needs "a hobby". You could DO Brain Surgery on her garage FLOOR! And the shine on her kitchen chrome rivals the "Mirror" on HUBBLE!!
• 15 MINUTES LATER...  AFTER, I had previously called Home from THE BIG MALL, to say I would be back in about 6 or 7 minutes - depending on Red Lights - and, WASN'T, MOTHER knew where I was!
• And She still WASN'T ready yet!
• Eventually, we got through with doing what we had to do at THE MALL within 35 or so minutes...
• And, upon Our return, FATHER wasn't ready YET!

So, whilst THEY were out and about... I did the same - ONLINE!  [Hey, FAIRY-T!]

And, as I surfed the TWEETS... came across THIS:

http://www.artatheart.co.uk/artatheart/2010/08/recreate.html

Hmm... different... Although, wouldn't those luggage locks be bothersome on the back of One's knees...? Not to mention, Hosiery!

And, on the subject of FURNITURE... Saw a - "TWITPIC" - photo of a rather intriguing - a sort of Library - Chair and antique Table... Both, beautifully crafted.

And, speaking of "crafty"... Here's that completed MOA-BOA that I was doing last Sunday.

The Yarn Colour is what I'm calling, "BLU-DYE" and the Scarf, "BLUE TIE". It really does have that '60s feel to It!

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DAY of the DULL...

TODAY I think, was a minor PREVIEW of what Weather lies ahead... It's still SUMMER - yet, the First Day of AUTUMN is not that far off in These Parts... -- Hey, I saw My first Leaf-TURNING Tree just last Weekend!

The Day's Weather was mixed - cool Temps, Sunny early on, then clouds, gusting winds, scattered DOWNPOURS, and Sunny once more! Suppose to be a tad chilly tonight... However, rather WARM Tomorrow and for the REST of the Weekend!

Whether this will be Our "Last" bout of SUMMER...? Around Here, I think We all have better odds at guessing the right LOTTERY Numbers!!

This *was* BRONX. SIS and BIG-D's beloved German Short-Hair Retriever. He had to be put down last year as He was suffering from several ailments. Rumour has it, that He's apparently been
"haunting" Their house... If so, then They all seem to be fine with it. In which case, He'll no doubt, be adding a bit more ambiance to Her annual HALLOWE'EN Decor!

The BLANKET is "ARGYLE OAK" - done in SALMON, IVORY, and ACORN.

Well, I have errands to run Tomorrow... Perhaps, "something" of Note will occur...?  OTHER than, the aging queue of Seniors at the Bank!

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Flowery Fiber Fun For FAIRY-T From Afar...

BECAUSE, for *some* Reason, these daily HOOKing epistles of MY rather monotonous and ambitiously-challenged "LIFE" have managed to REALity Her in from across THE POND and, brighten Her Day... -- Of course, considering how OFTEN it Rains where She is... sure... o-kay... Whatever works for You, Girlfriend!

BUT, just remember, FAIRY-T... "THIS" isn't CORONATION STREET!!  [HEY! Watch THE WAND!!]

Now, just ENJOY the Pretty Flowers... Seeing as, tweaking this, was pretty much the most exciting thing I did Today! Oh, and watch some A.D.D. furry DISNEY-Escapee [MOTHER says it's a young Red Squirrel - I'm fairly certain that it's a large Chipmunk!] play TAG with the Birds [trying to feed] in the Backyard...

BLANKET Details - This is "FAIRY", who now lives in New Brunswick taking care of Little VIOLET. Done in EASTER, MAUVE, and LILAC in the Border.

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Sweet!  I WON $7. again!  WOOHOO!  I guess FAIRIES are Lucky!

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Crochet Vérité...

GOT the DVD that I've been waiting to SEE... Rather not say which one... Cause -- It's - well... - a CHICK-FLICK. And, I'm *really*, TRUTHFULLY **NOT** the "Chick-Flick" Type... I couldn't care less about the Actress in it - let alone, "The PLOT" - BUT, the ACTOR, however...  Now, THAT, is a whole OTHER matter!

And, that's ALL I'm going to SAY...

So. While I WATCH the afore-mentioned, I'll be dutifully "Creating".... Another MOA-BOA. This time, in a LAVENDER and a teal-blue/purple mix, that I call "MARINER-MAUVE".  My Camera still doesn't pick up the proper HUE of the LAVENDER - it should have MORE [softer] REDDISH tones to the Colour than the [harsher] BLUES which are making it look more VIOLET!

EITHER way, I'm LOVING the Colours!

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Patrolling With the PreTeen Phashion Police...

!!NEWS *FLASH*!!

"CHECK" Patterns - especially Black & White - are STILL "IN"!!

..At LEAST, according to My 10-Year-Old GREAT-NIECE - PRINCESS PRE-TEEN!

WHEW! What a relief - NOW, I can get a *second* WEARING out of those Check Shirts I got at THE GAP - *Last* Season!!  -- Actually, I was already figuring as much when I recently spotted one of the new JOE FRESH Ads in ALL of the Decor Mags sporting many Models clothed in such!

But, hey, it's always GOOD to get that "Front Lines" SECOND opinion!

So... She and Her MOM-plus-BUMP were dropped into Town Today. It's been a YEAR since We've seen PP-T. She's GROWN! Around 5'2" with Attitude to match the Altitude! -- Then again, She was coming off of 2 weeks without Her TECH-TOYS and Pets... I know how that can be, so I'll forgive a few Inches...

  

THE "Original" PLAN: 
Meet Them at THE BIG MALL around Noon, and be AUNTIE SHERPA-WITH-WHEELS.

WHAT HAPPENED:
The NEED for a Pre-SIDE TRIP, before THE PLAN could be initiated!

As since, a rather ANNOYING little "Incident" occurred last night! One of the HOT Water Tank FUSES had - unbeknownst to Me - BLOWN. **BEFORE** I went to wash My rather long hair!!  -- LONG STORY SHORT - I HATE **COLD** SHOWERS!!!  Especially, when the Temps outside are BELOW 20C! Been There, DONE That last February when the "Tank" WENT!

Whatever, managed to find a GOOD Fuse of the proper requirement. However, needed to purchase more - JUST in case!  Hence, "Road Trip" to CANADIAN TIRE [THE Canuck Hardware/ Everything store - even have their own Currency!], which was just down the road from THE BIG MALL.

Snagged a CLERK in Passing, popped the "WHERE?" question to him - AISLE 54.  [a.k.a. The OUTER Edge of the Galaxy! To the Left...] - But, FIRST... picked up some of those DEBBIE TRAVIS / C.I.L. Paint Chip cards from the Display I was passing... [These kind of Cards often give Me new Colour Combo ideas - very "inspirational"!]

Ah! Found it! Found THEM... Hmm, not "many" of Them. Perhaps Other People have met with the SAME Fate...?  Also, checked to see if there were any of those Bracket things for these fuses - We could probably do with a NEW one of Those too... ONE left?  $54.95!!?  -- Well. NOT giving IT a Home Today!

Time to get BACK, "On Mission"!

Sweet! PARKING LOT FAIRY scored Me a Bonus SPOT! Now, must LOCATE the SIBLING's PROGENY - Who's NOT answering Her Cell! -- Left destination co-ordinates on the Voicemail. Two minutes Later, SPOT Them coming toward Me!  Yay!

The next HOUR, plus... Follow THE BUMP! - Into...

• OVER-Priced-"Trendy"-Clothing-Store to exchange some item for over-priced-SALE items.
• OVER-Priced-"Trendy"-SOAP-Products-Store for over-priced-CUTE items.
• Smaller-BOOK-Store with PP-T - "..cause I like to READ.."  but, apparently NOT anything of great literary value! - whilst MOM+BUMP tended to more pressing issues...
• Rather-NICE-Art-Supply-Store to NOT find whatever They were looking for...
• TOYS'R'US - Needed to BUY the "CAR SEAT"!

..And, you know, My AMEX Card just NEEDED *another* "Notch"!

Herded BOTTOMLESS-BUDGET-BABES into the Vehicle, so that We could begin Our descent into the MALL's "Loading/Pick-up" abyss to get The "SEAT"... Almost had a BATCAVE moment! Then, We were off to a certain nearby Brand-Names-Bargain store.

Where, the afore-mentioned "NEWS Item" was obtained. -- BTW, *when* DID flimsy, badly-constructed, and just, out right - gaudy - "Designer"-Brand Bookbags become a BARGAIN at OVER $30.??!!  Seriously, I'm in the WRONG Business here!

And, off We were, again... This time, The BIG BOOK STORE - but, with a short stop to some other place, where I was left in the Car with PP-T, who decided to PLAY with a bunch of Little Things She had just purchased...

DUMPED Them at BUSY Book Store, whilst I exercised some "Time Management" skills with a quick [pre-planned] trip across the way to THE MALL. Returned to Literary Establishment in time to Notch OTHER piece of "Plastic" for over-priced Beverages...

HOME-Base is soon within REACH!!!  And, to forward the "De-Brief" to the care of the Elderly PARENTAL-UNITS for the next 2 hours!

I'm DONE!!

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Meanwhile, in keeping with the "Crafty" aspect of This BLOOG... Here's one of a series of Pics that SIS took last month when She had PP-T for several weeks. And TAUGHT Her how to SEW!  The CHILD definitely got THAT Family Gene!  -- I believe These were Table Runners for MOM+BUMP's "TWILIGHT"-Themed Baby Shower!

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The Shiny **RED** One!

MEET "KYLIE"!

SEAGATE - 500GB Free Agent GOFLEX

THIS is Her, AFTER having been FED Her FIRST Upload! -- I had to tweak the Colour a bit. She was showing up being too PINK with the Flash... This is about as close as I could get to the specific tone of TOMATO RED. And give or take a half inch, about Actual Size...

Going to be just this VERY short Post Today. Have "Stuff" to DO. The Pregnant NIECE and the GREAT-NIECE are coming into Town Tomorrow. We haven't seen the 10 year-old for OVER a Year and several INCHES! We have MUCH catching up and Shopping to share!

And, hopefully, sufficient "material" for Future Postings! -- I'm still recovering from Yesterday's EPIC! - Whilst trying to FINISH THIS!

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"Timing" Is EVERYTHING!!

Remember THAT Phrase. As it is the Punchline to Today's activities!!

We were up Early, to what was looking to be a rather cool [12C] dreary day with the threat of rain... Alas, being the hardy, addictive Yard Sale-rs that We are, these conditions were mere par for the Course!

Took a quick, short swing through Our Neighbourhood - just in case - then, off to an advertised Sale... Which, turned out rather so-so... Had the odd, slightly interesting item, but overall, Prices were a bit steep for Our liking. And Bargain-Spoiledness.

However... I did manage to "bargain" down THIS Blue & White PLATE. In My pursuit of BLUE/WHITE crockery, I've been sub-collecting "Souvenir" Plates....  And what with MOTHER's People being from the Southern CAPE COD area and, let's not forget my collecting fetish for BOATS, I really couldn't pass on this One. We "compromised" the Price down to $1.50.

There was also some tiny skillet that MOTHER had passed on, but NOW, regrets that decision as it had been a good price.... Expect THAT misjudgment, to be one of the more popular "Topics of Discussion" for the Next Week! -- Which, will be My burden to bear, as I was the one who had brought the Item to Her attention in the first place!!

But, let's progress onward to MUCH better Hunting Grounds!

Apparently, there was this one Advertised Sale going on in Our usual Haunt. Went straight there, saw all these Signs on the lawn, but NO People... NO line-up of badly parked vehicles...Nothing. -- Signs said that "IT" was INSIDE... -- I don't know.. It just FELT, off...

OR, it could have been the over-powering ZEN-SHOPPING allure of our NEXT stop! -- Sounds crazy, I know. But it happens!

So, off We were on Our Follow-the-Yard-Sale-Signs tour... At first blush, typical in appearance, but soon to reveal Itself as a Gem in the Rough!!  MANY trips to the Car, were soon to be had...

And, let`s start with THIS little Item... Note, the BOATS and the BLUE/ WHITE attraction. Actually, I already have another one just like it - more the merrier!

So, I pick This up, as well as the BELOW  NEEDLEWORK Item and ASKED the Nice Lady running the Operation, "How much?"... "A Dollar for the Two."

DEAL!

I proceed to LOOK around some more... Check on MOTHER's "Findings"... She's going through some box with interesting "Linens". Sensing that My Sherpa skills will soon be in NEED,  I dump My "first" load of Possessions into the Car...

A little Backtrack to the BELOW... It's a 16" CUSHION COVER. With what appears to be Machine-done CREWEL work on a heavy LINEN [natural coloured].  Needs a bit of a wash, otherwise, is in great condition for its few decades age. And, I believe, one of those ON TREND type of things that seem to be popping up of Late...? -- Besides, for 50 cents...?!  A NO-BRAINER!

Returning to MOM-IN-A-BOX... The *Really* NICE LADY - "JACKIE" - has informed Us, that said "Linens & Things" are 5 CENTS *EACH*!!!  -- We're Talkin' a few OLD, yet great condition, FLANNEL Blankets here! -- And, GUESS *WHO* is holding the GROWING "Pile" of Stuff?!!

Ended up with UNDER a Dollar's worth, but MOTHER felt guilty over getting SUCH a SUPER deal, that She gave JACKIE $2.!

Whence I returned from the Car - again - I chanced upon the BELOW Mineralized "FRUIT"... It's that sort of Rock Crystal stuff..?  They were in a Metal Basket, that I didn't need. Enquired about the Price..?  $3. -- SOLD.

BTW, The BANANA "SPLIT", happened upon Our return into the House later. Just needs a little CRAZY GLUE.. It'll be fine...

Was about to head back to The Vehicle - once more - when I happened to give the other Table another once over... Ah..a JUICER. [Yep! I have a small Collection of THOSE too!] A Coloured one... 25 cents... A definite NO-BRAINER there. Ask about it's "history" - seeing as everything else here seems to have one.  Sweet! THIS is an OLD one. But missing a bottom catcher bowl part..  No prob, I'll live.

NOW, what is MOTHER buying...?!

Two large inverted bell-shaped HEAVY glass Vases and a 30" Cylinder one... 50 cents each. -- Looks like 2 more jaunts back to The CART.

EVENTUALLY, We LEFT!!

A brief stop to that neighbourhood Mall. Had a letter to Post. And the obligatory SALLY ANN run through. Then, off We were to a certain grocery store a few miles down the nearby main road. -- Check it out! The Seniors' Home on the OTHER side of the Highway "divide" has a Yard Sale going on... Well, of course, They do... But, must DO the Forage of Food  first!

Luckily, Traffic was light at the time, as the approach into this Seniors' place is a little dodgy... Nice new building, built into a short CLIFF! And Parking wasn't so great either... Dropped the  WHITE-HAIRED ONE off near the Sale and went in search of a SLOT...

THANK YOU, PARKING LOT FAIRY!!  *Someone* is LEAVING!!

Meanwhile, back at this "It's-A-Good-Thing-It-Was-Along-Our-Way" Sale... Place was looking pretty picked over, until... -- We're both standing on oppositie sides of this table, bearing - to put it kindly - JUNK. In front of MOTHER, is this stack of Plates, which she's not really looking at.. When, SUDDENLY... I, DO!

Is that a RHINO Plate?!

Why, yes. It IS! -- Hmm... Seems familiar.. Oooooo!!  A DAVID SHEPHERD one!  ...50 cents...?  [HAPPY DANCE!!!]  QUICK! Get that EVIL Metal Bracket OFF of it!!  WHEW!!  It's UNHARMED!  THANK the CLAYMATION ELVES!

*HELLO*??!!  $20.plus WEDGWOOD Plate here!!  NOT designed to be TORTURED by The RACK!

Seriously. WHO was the BRAIN-TRUST that came up with the IDEA of using SPRING TENSIONED WIRE to display Decorative Plates from?!  FYI - The RIMS and WALLS of those type of Plates were NEVER "materially" designed to withstand that kind of Tension. If You want to crack or chip them, THROW them to the ground! It would be a quicker and less painful DEATH.

OKAY. Personal little tirade over.

So, as to the remainder of our Adventures...

Food Sampling a la Carte at COSTCO. -- Wow! They've redecorated since last week... OPTICAL is over there now, and its former location, filled in by the CAFE expansion. Looks nice. Although, it still doesn't improve the stagnating migration of the Stupid-Shopping-Cart-Etiquette-Challenged-People out of the EXIT.

PIT SHOP at THE MALL for grocery specials and the cashing in of Lottery Tickets. OH! Saw GEESE returning from "Somewhere"...?

Then, off to FUTURE SHOP just across the way.  Got an EXTERNAL BACKUP DRIVE to acquire...

Left MOTHER in the Car - it was starting to sprinkle out... And I wasn't going to be that long... Hey! BANANA-BOY!  Enough with The LOOK!  How was I to know that She'd start REPACKING things!?

Sorry... I "wandered"... My Computer Black-Holed on Me earlier and I ended up LOSING over an hour of work on this Post as a result!! Which is WHY it'll be Late again...

So. Hard Drives... Had the strapping young "KYLE" assist Me in My decision making. It was difficult in eventually choosing the much lighter in weight, portable, shiny, RED 500G, instead of the SAME priced, MUCH heavier, socket-dependent, BLACK 1T...  I'm calling Her - KYLIE! Photo Tomorrow.

Well, that's it for now. I still have to polish this up before Bed! Should be enough here Today to put the rest of You to sleep!

OH! Almost FORGOT! The Reason for Today's HEADER... Two minutes AFTER I got EVERYTHING into the House, TORRENTIAL DOWNPOUR!!


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**HAPPY ANNIVERSARY, SIS and BIG-D**!!

WELL OVER 30 Years Those TWO have been Hitched - since High School!!  Their SECRET...?  Probably, the Fact that She CAN cook. DOESN'T put up with ANY of His sh*t. AND, He wears a Hearing Aide!!  -- Gotta be LOVE, huh?

Meanwhile... SANTA'S LITTLE HELPER *didn't* get picked as a Finalist in the DOG CONTEST! 
POO!!

AND... I *NEED* to get one of those BACKUP HARD DRIVES.... Spent OVER 2 hours Today doing my "Backups", only to DISCOVER - near the END of such time - that I DIDN'T have ENOUGH SPACE on the Backup Drive I usually use!! 

Hmm... It's a GOOD thing that all of those BACK-TO-SCHOOL Sales are on right now. Then again, means I've got to fork out a bunch of $$ for something that I WASN'T planning on getting just yet! -- NOW, I'm faced with the DECISION of having to choose WHICH One do I get??! 
The shiny RED 500G...  OR, go for the more expensive and better Bang-For-My-Buck boring BLACK "2T"...?

Choice. Choice. Choice...  -- SHINY or, Enough-SPACE-That-ALIENS-Come-WITH-It!!

Sooo..?  *Anyone* wanna BUY a Blanket off Me?  [INSERT:  Subliminal AUNTIE Mind Tricks..]


Oh, hey!  Apparently, One can GET the *new* IKEA CATALOG Online:

http://onlinecataloguecanada.ikea.com/2011/ikea_catalogue/CAE/

I didn't have a chance to check it out yet.. STILL waiting to see IF one comes in My Mail... Otherwise, I'll have to WAIT until SEPT. 6 to ORDER one!  Someone have a Looksee, will You? LET Me know HOW it Ends..?

Ah, Tomorrow... "SATURDAY"!   Much to DO!

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