Sunday, November 28, 2010

Sunday Sundry - Vol. 16

There Went Another Hour of My Life
Last evening, I started to wade through a huge Rubbermaid storage tote full of sewing paraphernalia that had belonged to my mother.  It's like a cross between a treasure chest and a time capsule.  Among other things, there was enough serger thread to chainstitch to the moon and back, and enough hot glue to totally stick it to the man.

And then I started to putter...because I thought I had an idea.


I was mistaken.

But I may have invented a new game:  Thread-Jenga!

Go, Greta!
When I sit down to do a Sunday Sundry post, I often comb through the photos I've taken during the week and build around them.  For a holiday week and what would seem like more photo opportunities than usual, I have surprisingly little to show for it.  I had my camera in my purse on Thursday but never took a single picture.  And I've already talked about my sewing projects this week in Friday's post.

So last night, I was perusing the photos on my computer and came upon Greta Von Riding Crop, all decked out for the season.

"I em mekking a list and checking it tvice, 
end if you are naughty, I vil not be nice!" 

Greta is also available for hire to crack the whip on your last-minute holiday projects.  Just don't ask to borrow her boots.

Slack Friday
I'm not one of those people who get up at 2 a.m. in order to be at a store in the dark, cold, middle of the night for Black Friday deals.  No, for me to get up in the wee hours, it has to be for something more enticing than a holiday marketing strategy.  Like maybe if the cashiers were going to be Johnny Depp and George Clooney.  And we had the store all to ourselves.  And Alan Rickman was reading me Shakespeare or the phone book over the intercom, and Mike Rowe was in the hardware section ready to do any dirty job I had in mind, and Tony Bourdain was wisecracking his way through dinner with me, while Matthew McFadyen and Jake Gyllenhaal were making up the bed in the mattress department.

Yeah, I'd be up for that.

Believe it or not, however, my husband likes to shop and suggested we venture out in the afternoon on Friday to see what we could see.  So I found a coupon online for 30% off at a specific store where we could potentially tick a few things off the Christmas list, and off we went.  About an hour and a half later (there was a commute involved), I presented to the cash register with a fistful of overpriced items in one hand and the coupon in the other, only to discover the coupon had expired at 1:00 p.m. and it was now 3.  Whereupon I had a dilemma...put the merchandise back and drive another 80 miles round trip tomorrow when a different coupon would be in effect...or suck it up, pay, and give the overworked cashier a break already?  Well, the latter, of course.

Nursing a fresh wound to my checkbook, we headed to Savers.  I spied some Pyrex, two Butterfly Gold Cinderella bowls, but they were woefully overpriced for a thrift store.  Sheesh.  So I sauntered over to the sewing section and found some uncut costume patterns for a song.  

Not sure if I'll be making or reselling these.  I suppose it depends on whether or not daughter M. would like a new Ren Faire outfit.

I do love this Simplicity 8640 Retro pattern and wouldn't mind making it for myself, if I had a costume party to attend...


...or, you know, an elegant event on board the Titanic.

Here's hoping the rest of your day goes down smoothly.  I'm off to get the sale price on an ugly-but-functional pair of winter boots that would make Greta's cheeks red!

7 comments:

Miri said...

Love that Titanic pattern :o but those boots are the best! A girlfriend had a pair and she said the best part of wearing them was that she didn't have to shave her legs!

Shay said...

Ummmmm you'll have to pick another venue to wear your elegant gown because I heard the Titanic sunk. It may be just a wild rumour...

I did after Christmas shopping last year. I got bargains but it's not something I'd be rushing to do again. It was a jungle out there.

Is it me or is Greta really really scary....

Keetha Broyles said...

Oh honey, those spools of thread just randomly tossed into that lovely "leaf" shaped white/gold dish would make a LOVELY piece of interest to display on a coffee or end table! I think it is stunning!

I had a small collection of "antique" sewing patterns that I gave to my antique dealer friend when we moved. I love them - - - but really, how does one decide what to keep and what to pass along. We have sooooooo much "stuff," some of it just HAD to go.

Anonymous said...

Forget the boots, I want Greta's cape!

Aly and I went to Goodwill on Friday. That's the only store I would venture into.

Sarah Craig said...

I vote that next year you get to set up Black Friday, and then I get to go shopping with you! Sounds like fun!! (I never would have thought of Alan Rickman reading the phone book, but I can totally envision it..... lol!)

Michelle said...

All of those little spools of thread are so cheerful. Are you sure you don't want to leave them displayed? It wasn't that bad!

Hmmm. You've give a lot of thought to this perfect Black Friday fantasy, haven't you?

Oh gosh, Greta cracked me up. She's veen naughty. ;-)

Cool patterns.

Elizabeth said...

I was laughing out loud at your own private shopping party. Can I come too? Hugh Jackman said he'd drive me and then carry around all my stuff in the store. He even said he'd pay and take me out for breakfast afterwards.

And yay! Greta is back! I laughed.

Also, those patterns are fun. You'll have to keep us updated on if you do a new Ren Faire costume for your daughter.

xo -El