Now Playing: "Reckless Kelly " - much -loved VHS we bought from a rental place
Current Mood : Delighted
I did sew, just a little. Mostly ran a seam up the back of some ruffle-edged elastic (it was in the box o' fabric from last week's yard sale) to make a skirt for the Kennedy My Scene doll I donated. Elastic was too short to be a dress, so I added a strip of stretchy fabric, hemmed and tied at the back, at the top. So she had a rather stylish dress to wear to the thrift store she went to today. I have a real bugaboo about donating nude dolls. Just can't do it. And I've reached the point, after two previous major culls that got donated, that I want to keep what I have. Sometimes I feel really selfish for all that I have - it's quite a lot ! - but I donate more than I used to, so I assure myself it all works out. Plus, I tend to donate brand-new things, once I've gotten what I wanted out of the package !
Unfortunately, today I went shopping. Started out innocently enough, Hobby Lobby had a 40% off coupon on their website, and I wanted another portfolio envelope to store backdrop posters. The one I had, bought originally to store My Size Barbie patterns, was just about an inch too short, which made the posters ripple a bit. Not good. But since a bigger one was less than $7., and I had a coupon, I didn't feel too bad about getting another. The old one now holds smaller backdrops - calendar pages, mini posters, doll packaging inserts.
They were also having a 99c sale on McCall's patterns. Nothing new for dolls - or at least, dolls I own - but they did have a pattern for my size that I liked. While there's little danger of the HLobby pattern book tables being swamped, it happened so frequently at Hancock Fabrics, I developed a habit for reviewing the online pattern books, and just taking the number to the store.
Got there, and had a fun time looking at all the seasonal décor, checking out the markdown and clearance stuff, enjoying the miniatures and dollhouses, and thinking about what I'd like to do with the next 40% off coupon. Got the portfolio envelope and pattern, and ran smack into it when I was picking through the row of fabric remnants.
It must've been overflow from the furniture section. There were several pieces over there, all with the ‘30% Off !" tags prominently displayed, like a species identifier. I barely gave it a cursory glance...until I saw the miniature wrought iron and wood gazebo. Hmmm...
Dug out the retractable tape measure I carry in my purse at all times - for just such emergencies, although I bought mine at this particular HLobby - and found that the distance from the wood-slat floor to the center was 12 inches. Oh, darn it. I was right. It was within scale. Rather small, it wouldn't hold but two dolls (possibly three) seated, or maybe four if they all stood, but very charming.
Ended up walking around the store for another half hour, trying to take my mind off the little gazebo. It was cute ! It was on sale for 30% off ! But it was $21.95, and I'd just bought two dolls not even twenty-four hours previously. Why in the world was I so entranced with this thing ? I even snagged a hollow-plastic ‘fashion doll' from the crochet section, to check for scale. Oh, was that ever a bad move. Now that I could see a doll in it, I just wanted it more ! I could see Shinobu and Inaba in it, playing with their son and a toy cat or two. (sigh)
Well, long, drag-azz story later, the envelope, the pattern, and a gazebo went home with me. Thanks to the coupon, all my indulgences came to $21.85. I knew Beloved Hubby wouldn't mind - if he'd have been there, I wouldn't have walked around trying to forget it, we'd have been at the register with it - but I still felt bad for indulging myself so.
But it didn't last. Got home and cleared a counter top in the Lab - it had misc. stuff piled on it that needed clearing anyway - and set up a small diorama with the painted-last-week grill set. So I now have a small place to play, and the most lovely gazebo. I used to have a Mattel-made pink plastic one, but I love this one more. By the time I got everything settled (move one thing in the Lab, and you're shuffling other things for hours), Beloved and Dearest Son were home, and I never took photos. There just wasn't time, and Beloved had the camera today. ‘S OK. It's there for as long as I want it to be, and since it still makes me happy to look at it, it'll be there for quite some time.
Oh, and the PILs have moved out, but so far have only taken their microwave oven with them. All their stuff is still here, but they'll be staying at their house, presumably from now on. Whooop ! Their room is trashed - I'm gonna have to go in there and at least get rid of the food and dirty dishes - but I'm still happy !
PostScript - Beloved bought a gorgeous orange digital camera tonight, so he can have one with him all the time, mostly for his work website. You can guess that I don't feel nearly so guilty about my spending spree now ! And you'd be soooo right...
