I never aim to be a last minute shopper. I'm not a fan of those last frantic days, with crowds and no-free-parking-spots and an air of desperation. I hate discovering that the shops have sold out of items on my list.

On the other hand, if I shop too early I stow things away and forget I have bought them (or where I've hidden them) and end up overshopping. Despite my best intentions, I usually find myself venturing out into the madness and mayhem of last day shopping and living with the bruises.

But not this year. This year I have excelled, even if I do say so myself. I deserve a Queen of teh Shopping tiara. I am all done, gifts bought and wrapped, with three days to spare. And I am so tickled by this unusual turn of events that I have to share a few moments of extra shopping delight.

1. #1 son lives in the city, and I sent him forth to scout out several gifts I couldn't find locally. He loves to spend my money so it was a win-win situation.

2. I love on-line shopping. It's like an early extra Christmas when the packages arrive and I get to open them first, before doing the wrapping and putting them under the tree. However I can't buy everything this way. I also like actual store fronts and the selection process. Sometimes a real store is the only way.

3. If I hadn't sallied out to the actual stores then I wouldn't have walked past a jewellery store and glanced sideways and spied Thomas Sabo CHARMS!!!

To understand my excitement you must understand that I live in the country where the living is easy, but the shopping not always so much. I am collecting charms for a bracelet, each charm representing one of my books. I'm still short a few but I want very specific emblems and so when I saw these in the window I think I squealed out loud. I definitely jumped up and down in excitement. #3 son found me with my nose pressed to the window and had to forcibly drag me away. But I will be back. Of that, you can be sure.

Labels: Christmas, shopping

I am so fickle. Back in November I was NEVER eBaying again. I'd been burned. Fleeced. Taken. Never again, I cried.

Fast forward three months and, yes, the wounds had healed and I saw these charms I really, really, really wanted for the book bracelet I was putting together. I took a deep breath, held my nose and plunged back in.

So glad I did because the charms I "won" (that term with auctions always makes me smile) are bee-yutiful and today I picked up the bracelet with them added and it is bee-yutiful. I bought the base bracelet and a few charms in London last year. My aim is to add a charm representing each of my books but I'm still playing catch up on the older books. I know the symbols I want, just haven't been able to find them yet. I am gradually getting there.

Cute, isn't it? And it looks even better in real life. And every time I look at it, the symbolic charms remind me of each of those stories and that makes me smile. Which is always a good thing. Anyone want to hazard a guess at which charm represents which book?

PS: also had my nails done today. The polish colour: Nice Colour, Eh? No, seriously, that IS the name of the colour. :-)

Labels: shopping