Yesterday, around 11.30am or thereabouts I felt a need, a longing.
A Longing Need for some Retail Therapy.
I consider options. Little local shops requiring on foot jaunting? Nope.
Ok, how about Little Shops further afield that would require a car journey? Nope, that was not it either.
Suddenly it comes to me :: what I want is a dose of Big Shop. Department store? Nah, need to go too far for that and there's not enough time left before the school run.
Ok, think, think...ahhhhhhh YES! That's it! Some Large Supermarket Retail Therapy. And better still, one that can be beautifully arrived at by train.
I check train times :: 12:02 is the next train, perfect. Ten minutes walk along the canal tow path and I am at my local train station. Ahh, feels good to be on the move and I have a perfect little twelve minute journey along the branch line to look forward to. Too short to crochet anything, so I content myself with the view :: twelve minutes of green, green fields whiz in front of my eyes, and suddenly I arrive at my stop.
I have journeyed to a nearby town, an unremarkable little town, a tad shabby it has to be said. But no matter, I am not there for a picturesque stroll, I am there for one thing only :: The Supermarket :: and it happens to be just a few easy minutes walk from the train station. For those of you in the UK who wish to know, it was a Sainsbury's, which I happen to be quite partial to. In fact, I like all of our large English supermarkets, the ones that sell stuff other than food. I like that these days supermarkets always have a "Seasonal" aisle, and I like that you can plot the year by the contents of these shelves :: Christmas-Valentines-Mothers Day-Easter-Summer Activities-Fathers Day-Back to School-Halloween-Christmas. It's the Retail Calender.
So right now, Easter is finished with and we are in the Summer Activities season :: Barbecues, Gardening, Picnics, Outdoor games, all of which I adore.
I spend oooooh a very happy hour or so in the Supermarket, ignoring the food completely, just visiting the aisles that interest me, putting various items into my basket, making a little heap of frivolous, unnecessary things that delight me. And I confess that I find it an enormous amount of fun.
1:30pm and I am back at the station, sitting on the red painted bench waiting for my train home again. My shopping bag is bulging with my frivolous, unnecessary purchases.
2pm and I am back home again-home again, jiggety jig.
Cor, what a short but sweet little jaunt that was!
I put the kettle on to make a cup of tea and proceed to unpack my bag......
Want to see?
Can you guess?
Colourful stuff?
Why yes, of course!
Ok.
Go on.
Take a peek.........
There.....thats my haul, in all it's colourful, frivolous, unnecessary glory!
I fell head over heels in love with these fresias. Could not resist. It's a flower I don't often care a great deal for, but WOW the colour of these petals totally knocked my socks off.
There were only ten spindly stems in the bunch, but as has become my habit, I spread them around...a single stem on the bathroom windowsill....
....and the rest in a small jug beside my bed, plumped out with some greenery from the garden (most of which are actually weeds I think, but hey, who cares?)
I had a quick browse down the length of the magazine aisle and selected Period Living magazine :: not one I am used to but it looks lovely, with some gorgeous homes featured and plenty of inspirational pages to linger over (more of that another time).
Some new paper napkins from the Seasonal Summer aisle, these dotty lovelies were delightfully called "Caravan Spot Napkin". Makes me love them all the more knowing that!
Some new Sarah Smith cloths too, I have a real cute little stash of these growing in the kitchen. I do of course use them as they are intended, but am also cultivating a plan which involves cutting them into triangles and stitching them into outdoor summer bunting, inspired by Emma of Lavenderhouse. Incidentally, Sarah Smith has blog which is well worth checking out for inspiring ideas, and I was delighted to see Attic24 on their blogroll!
Ahhhhh just look at that windmill, doesn't the sight of that make your heart flutter just a little? I found it in amongst the Childrens Gardening paraphernalia, and thought it would look lovely in my bathroom....the Little People are most confused by this idea, they keep trying to take it outside, but in the bathroom it is staying.
A packet of seeds popped into my basket too, Morning Glory Grandpa Otts. I grew this variety some years ago and the flowers are absolutely stunning, a very intense bluey purple. It says on the packet that the seeds should be planted March/April, but I'm hoping that early May will be OK.
As well as a magazine, a windmill, flowers and cloths, seeds and napkins, I also bought some hair bands for Little Lady, a pair of sparkly earings, a birthday card and a glass lemon squeezer. And after all that spending, I did sit and have a little think about my Retail Therapy experience. I wondered whether to feel guilty or not for indulging myself in this frivolous, unnecessary way? And I decided that No, there is no need for guilt. That as much as you can find free happiness in a view, a sunset, a comfy chair, some snuggly socks, every so often it's OK to go out and buy oneself some happiness. That's my theory anyways. And after all, I spent less than twenty pounds, so hardly a fortune.
By the way, did you notice the crochet hiding behind the windmill and the seeds?
Well when I got back from my outing yesterday I walked into the living room and saw all my squares laid out on the floor like a big rug. I'd forgotten that I'd been playing with them that morning and had left them there after I'd been taking photos.
What do you think????
I'm 2/3 done with this big blanket now, only another 12 more to make (well actually 8, cos four more have been made already and are awaiting the final white round).
I think I am liking it.
I think.
But I am not sure.
I intend to make quite a wide "granny" border around the whole thing once all 36 squares are joined, and I think that'll be the thing that makes an OK blanket look great.
What do you think?
Let me know?
Thanks ((xx))
