Thursday, January 10, 2013

THE SIREN CALL OF THE SALES

I clapped my hands over my ears, I resisted for two weeks, but eventually the call of the sirens penetrated my ears-drums ....


January Sales, they called in sweetest sounds,
Bargains, went their song ...

I capitulated, dear Reader, and sallied forth, tote in hand ...


My Christmas gift, orange striped tote,
looking good with the Zebra scarf from K Mart - $8!
(recently mentioned by Faux Fuchsia)


I read that Emerald Green is in the ascendancy -
never one to ignore an appealing trend,
I grabbed this silky top from Jackie Eve, $20 off that day.
  Who doesn't like a bow-tie?


Then there is the silky navy chevron stripe top from Target - $14.00!!

And a blue Basque bag from Myer - 30% off, for a one-day offer.

It would be indiscreet to mention the small matter of sundry ear-rings, another scarf, cute and cheap straw clutch ....






Just in time for the current heatwave, I finished my cool floral summer shift,
made with vintage crepe fabric sourced at a Sydney Antique Centre last November.
Helpfully, a matching necklace appeared in my Christmas stocking...
Amazing!!

This is what I am currently re-reading:


The title is a bit of a worry, but it was published nearly 20 years ago.
My fascination with sewing clearly has a long ancestry.
Women were spinning, weaving and sewing way back into pre-history.
And why the women and not the men?  Well, guys like hunting ..
No, really, it is about being close to home and watching the baby, I think.
The world's oldest preserved body garment is a linen shirt from an Egyptian tomb, 3000 BC.  The shoulders and sleeves are finely pleated to make it fit the form, while allowing room to move, and it is trimmed with a fringed edging.  Good basic techniques are timeless, it seems.



Blogger has been a bit of a Bother to me lately.
I discovered that many of my lovely fellow bloggers and commentators had disappeared from my blog list.
It was not of my doing!
I am trying to catch and replace all the lost links, and apologise if yours was one of the ones that got away.
Really, Blogger, you can be unfathomable at times ..


I hope you have a fantastic weekend ...

xxx

21 comments:

  1. Your post today is full of wonderful things. What finds at the sales! All quite lovely. And what a clever association with the painting of the sirens! Great plant photos as well. Glad you found wonderful things while shopping. I did not venture out to participate.

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    1. My trip to the sales was cleverly disguised as a chance to go walking for exercise out of the dreadful heat! A few plants are surviving the crazy weather but vigilence is needed with watering.

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  2. Great pick-ups at the sales - the other bonus is that the shopping centres are air-conditioned!!! Nowhere else to be at the moment.
    Blogger has been playing games for a few people lately, hopefully you will sort it all out soon...J

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    1. Yes, shopping centres, the last great refuge from the burning heat. There's a lot of smoke around which makes me cough.
      Glad Blogger is not singling me out for its dastardly tricks!
      x P

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  3. It's pretty cold here in Oklahoma this week, but I do remember how wonderful it was to be in the air-conditioned stores this Summer. And how my poor plants suffered in the heat. Great batch of goodies from the sales. And what a pretty new necklace with the terrific dress you sewed. That Egyptian shirt is amazingly preserved - where did you find that picture? Is it from the book?

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    1. Thank goodness for seasons - we always have something to look forward to and something to remember, too :)
      Thanks re the dress, I wore it out in the heat today and it was perfectly cool. The Egyptian shirt pic is in the book, along with many other fascinating ones. I might do another post about it.

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  4. Good on you to brave the crowds and go forth to hunt and gather.
    Lovely purchases and a lovely post Patricia
    xx

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    1. Hunt and Gather is my game, Annie. Glad you enjoyed the post. And I hope you are not expiring in the heat. xx

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  5. Some lovely purchases and also Christmas gifts which compliment each other. I love the vibrant colours in your Poinsettias?
    Having seen the fires on TV in Australia I realise that the heat is rather overwhelming at the moment.

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    1. Thank you Rosemary. The Poinsettias were also a Christmas gift, from a neighbour. It will be planted in the garden when the heatwave moves on. The fires are a worry, all across the land. We have smoke around us most of the time and it makes me cough.

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  6. Thanks Valerie, you must go forth in the heat and get a zebra scarf. They are the best bargain! The dress is a simple shift, my TNT pattern. I was pleased with the hemline so might show that bit next.

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  7. I obviously need you to be my personal shopper, Patricia. You have a great eye for a worthwhile bargain. I could search all day and not find such lovely things. No wonder I hate shopping at any time of year.

    I love the fabric of your shift dress and it looks perfect for the very hot weather.

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    1. Glad you like the shift dress fabric - maybe we both remember its earlier era?
      I think shopping is like Sport - you either like it or you don't. Mr C hates shopping, so I pop off happily alone. I inherited the shopping bug from my Dad.

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  8. You made some really good purchases.
    Liking the floral dress much. Oddly that ancient piece of clothing does not look ancient styled at all!
    Resisting sales is not difficult for me, it´s the unplanned buying I am guilty of.
    So, all I can do, is to avoid stores and not visit online stores at all. Very difficult, the latter one, as I like to surf in the internet.
    But thinking straight, even with the few clothes left after my many declutterings, I still have more than I use.
    A wonderful Sunday to you!

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    1. Thank you Mette. Yes, the ancient shirt in Egyptian linen would pass the test in today's world - odd indeed!
      Generally I hate sales, though I enjoy shopping; maybe it was escaping from the heat that caused my little fun excursion. Happy Sunday to you also :)

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  9. Normally, I'd be with you Patricia, thoroughly enjoying a rummage and the bustle of shopping in the sales. This year I'm letting the crowds get the bargains....but next year I'll be there !
    I love the zebra fabric...just gorgeous. Jx

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    1. Ah, Janice, that was me last year. January was when I was diagnosed. Your turn definitely next years sales!
      Zebra thanks you.. x

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  10. Hi Patricia loving your blog and I am the same enjoying the January sales. I love that you can just pick up little gems for next to nothing!! I am so cuffed to be included on your blog roll. Thank you so much. Shell

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    1. Welcome to my blog, Shell, and you are welcome.
      We all love a stylish bargain!

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  11. Great bargains! And I'll take your heat wave too! Regarding the oldest garment, I saw Chanel's 1rst little black dress at the Metropolitan Museum of Art a few years back. {And on another note: The Max Factor Pan Stik arrived! It should last me a few years as under eye cover. I can't believe such a great product is no longer sold in the USA. It compares to Bobbi Brown, which costs 4 times more.]

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  12. You picked some good items from the sales. I'm such a non shopper and only go when I feel I really need something and therefore usually miss the bargains.

    Darla

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