And Here I Thought LAST WEEK'S "TRAFFIC" Was **NASTY**!!

TAKE *NOTE*:

• PEDESTRIAN "Shoppers" - There's a REASON for "CROSSWALKS" - **USE** THEM!! -- There's an APP for That!
• DRIVERS - *TAKE* the NEXT Entrance, You're causing GRIDLOCK! Oh, and maybe **STOP** at the RED-LIGHT *before* Turning Right..?!!

I was really HOPING that the TRAINYARDS-TRAFFIC-TRAUMA of Last Saturday - [SEE 31MAR2012 POST] - might have LOST ITS "Novelty"..? -- yeah! right.. DREAM ON!

So, IT was only 30%-OFF-Your-Entire-Purchase of "Regular" and *Certain* Other Items Today at MICHAEL'S. -- I didn't Buy any WOOL on This Trip, as I usually prefer to Use the 40% or Better Coupons. -- BTW, the RIBBONS have gone Back UP in Price, too... [pooh!]

Although, there *was* LOTS of NEW-STUFF in those "$1.50"-Bins! - I picked-up THESE FELTED-FLOWERS... Got NO Clue as to *what* I'll Use THEM *for*, BUT, I had to BUY "SOMETHING"! And, THEY are BRIGHT & CHEERY and "SPRINGY"... Besides, the TULIP FESTIVAL *is* Next Month!

The GLASS PEBBLES were also On-Sale... Got the PURPLE Ones and some BLACK MARBLES... I'm such a Sucker for GLASS! -- Meanwhile, MOTHER Acquired a *Complete* "AS IS"-Clearance-Priced-CAKE-DECORATING-KIT for just $7. after all the Various Discounts. -- She's HAPPY!

We didn't bother with any Return-Visit to the MANIACAL-MERCHANTILING-MASSES-MAYHEM-of-MARSHALL'S... ESCAPING the Parking-Lot was going take HALF of the Weekend as IT was!

Managed a Grocery-Getting Stop along the Way to THE MALL...

ZELLERS will soon be Assimilated by WALMART... So, Liquidation-Prices are in Force. The YARN is currently at 20%-OFF. And, My Fav COTTON YARN is Vanishing off the Shelves!
-- I Grabbed THESE...

THEY also had some DISPLAY FIXTURES On-Sale... For just $45., a CIRCULAR-RACK had caught My Eye - IT *Easily* came Apart in Small-Sections that *would* have FIT into THE CAR... ALAS, though, IT had been SOLD! -- NUTS!! -- ggrrrrrrrr.... *hate*it when that happens...

hmm... I'm going to have to Keep an Eye OUT for Any *more* that might still be in the Store... Then again, it could all be a MOOT Point, as I have NO ROOM to Put IT anyWHERE!! - [*hate* THAT Part even MORE!]

oh, well...

Time *NOW* to get to Bed and DREAM of Biting-the-Heads-off-CHOCOLATE-CREATURES!!

BTW,  **SHALOM** to Those HERE that Celebrate PASSOVER!!

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I *NEVER* Nod "NO" to Nifty-NEIGHBOURLY-Knickknacks!

MADAME-Q was Back at Her "old" HOUSE again to do more Sorting and Packing...

And, Invited Us over to SEE if there was Anything We "WANTED" of the STUFF that She'll be getting Rid of... I *REALLY* WISH that We had the *SPACE*!!

There's a great little WRITING TABLE... I "could" get IT into "THE ROOM" - BUT, I *have* to Haul TONNAGE **OUT** of IT First!! ...crap...

Oh, and there was this '20s[?]-Vintage-Style DRESSER too, that I just KNOW that I
could "DO" *something* With! [*sigh*]

Anyhoo, She *kindly* Gave Me THESE...

The BOWL is only about 2-Inches Deep - She used IT for Sorting BUTTONS... I'm sure that I will Find *some* USE for IT! - I love the Natural-Artsy
"Look" to IT. AND, of course, I DO have Other STUFF to Match!!

The SHINY Aluminum CANDELABRA was sitting high atop some Hutch... Her
"Designer"-Daughter apparently no longer Wanted IT..??! -- NO Worries! AUNTIE will *Gladly* Give IT a Home!! -- YES. I also have STUFF that will *go* with IT, as well!

-- Seriously, PEOPLE! Did You ever Doubt IT for a Second..?
- [If "YES", then, as "Punishment", You *should* go Back and start Reading this BLOOG from the BEGINNING!!]

I couldn't Find a "Maker's-Mark" on IT... However, I'm *certain* that These Things are still Showing-Up in the *Recent* DECOR MAGS - They ought to have Info...


Bet My SISTER will be Begging to "Borrow" IT for Her Christmas-Dinner Parties!

MEANWHILE... I Spent *most* of the Day, ONLINE.. Been "Tweaking" - [and Learning about] - My PINTEREST Account. I can see How IT can be Time-CONSUMING! - *Just* like BLOOGING!

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A New "Addition" to The **LOTTERY-LIST**!!

AS I HAD "MENTIONED", YESTERDAY... MOTHER and I were all Geared-up to *TURISTA* Ourselves DOWNTOWN to partake of the CRAFTY-CULTURE of The 26th "ORIGINALS" SPRING CRAFT SALE!! at The OTTAWA CONVENTION CENTRE.

AFTER THREE HOURS of Creative-Communing - [as in *many* LONG Conversations with several Crafty-Acquaintance-SHOW-Veterans] - I-AM-EXHAUSTED!!

-- SO MUCH **FABULOUS** STUFF!! -- My Brain is just BURSTING at the Seams with *INSPIRATION*!

Anyhoo... I picked up LOTS of "CARDS" from a Variety of *New* People - still have to SORT Them all out... I'll be Spreading out My "Observations" over the next Couple of Days or so.

HOWEVER, there IS One *NEW* ARTISAN that I *immediately* Added to My "LOTTERY-LIST" of THINGS-TO-BUY-*IF*-I-*EVER*-WON-ENOUGH-$$$...

FLORENCE CHIK-LAU - A very Sweet-Petite-LADY who is a Marvelously-Gifted SCULPTOR! And, Who has Created *several* of the COOLIST RHINO-FIGURES I've seen in Ages! -- BTW, Her OTHER Pieces were pretty Awesome, too! -- EACH ONE has a Distinct "Personality" about Them...

Meanwhile...

I Received a totally UNexpected and rather Nifty little ARTSY "Desk"-CALENDAR from BANCO SANTANDER - [I'm a "Shareholder"] - IT includes a Dozen Pics of various WORKS in the BANK's "COLLECTION".

A pleasantly Welcomed *CHANGE* from the Usual Financial-Junk-Mail!

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*Whacky*-Weather-Wednesday!

I THINK WE HAD "POT-LUCK" WEATHER LEFTOVERS, TODAY..?!

• Partly Sunny.
• Big-Puffy-Waterbag-CLOUDS looking to DO *something*!
• WIND.
• Overcast.
• REALLY Overcast!
• Some Rain.
• Overcast.
• Still Windy.
• GUSTING!
• A Light-Shower...
• Overcast.
• [..I was in the Basement for an Hour, so I missed a bit...] There might have more Rain..?
• SUNNY!!
• A Street-Sweeper went by.
• Sunny AND Rain at the *same* Time!!
• More Wind...
• Stayed Sunny.

Meanwhile, I VEGGED! -- Saving My POWER-BROWSING-SUPER-SHOPPING-POWERS for an Afternoon with MOTHER Tomorrow... We'll be heading DOWNTOWN to The OTTAWA CONVENTION CENTRE to Check Out The 26th "ORIGINALS" SPRING CRAFT SALE!!

IT begins Tomorrow [the 5th] and goes through until SUNDAY [the 8th]...

HERE'S a LISTING of the Attending ARTISANS...

http://www.originalsshow.ca/pdf/OriginalsSpr2012Listings2.pdf

And, a PEEK of Some of THEIR WARES...

http://www.signatures.ca/originals/gallery/spring2012/

So, *IF* ANYONE Reading THIS is *IN* OTTAWA This Weekend, BE sure to VISIT!

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SHOP-FARI: In Search of Shiny Stuff...

oh, LOOK!! I'VE MADE A **NEW** "FRIEND"!!

For Months, I've "noticed" an Increase in the Number of RHINO Figures to be found in the Pages of the DECOR MAGAZINES that I Subscribe to. And, when the "Shopping-Source" Details are Noted, THEY are almost always seem to be from HOMESENSE. -- At least, from the TORONTO and VANCOUVER based Stores anyway...

The DAY began with Nice-SUNNY-Weather and a Crappy STOCK MARKET - My Cue to do some SOLO-Shopping!

First Stop - COSTCO - for the Needed-Long-Weekend-Stock-Up-of-MILK. Ended up being There *longer* than I had Planned, as I got into "Conversation" with One Our FOOD-SAMPLE-DEMONSTRATOR Acquaintances... She was making PANCAKES!!

THEN, I was off to the HOMESENSE just ACROSS the WAY... Time to Check-Out Their RHINO-Supply!

I haven't been There for a WHILE! ...LOTS of *COOL* STUFF! -- "SILVER" Lamps appear to be "IN"..? Actually, there were a Few that I quite Liked...

OH! Remember My "FREE" YOGA-MAT from Last FRIDAY..? - Well. I came across a BIN *full* of Various-Types... Spotted a Couple that were - [except for the Colour] - *just* like Mine. THEY ranged from $15. to $17.!! -- huh.

Sooo... Bunches of Bunnies. Many Birds... Way *too* many bor-ing Elephants! ...ah-HA! BINGO! *TWO* Shiny RHINOS!!

The *ABOVE* Larger One, that was $12.99 and a similar, yet Smaller One that was Unpriced.
I would have gotten BOTH, but "Sneaking" *one* into the HOUSE was going to be difficult enough!
-- I went with the BIG-GUY!

Besides, I haven't Personally "Bought" one in Ages!

HE's just so Long [18-Inches] and SHINY in HIS Coat-of-Probably-Toxic-Paint-on-Light-Wood.
And, it was either HIM, or the Really-Pretty-Lavender-PORTUGUESE-Made-CERAMIC-CAKE-STAND for the SAME Price. - [hmm... Maybe *next* Time, IF, IT's *still* Available!]

I soon Escaped whilst I had the Will-Power to DO so! -- Had to head over to a Post-Office to Mail Something...

NEXT on My SOLO-SHOPPING-STOP List - PIER-ONE - I haven't been There either for a Few Months!

Despite, NOT Buying ANYthing - [I have NO room! aarrrgghhh!] - I *did* however, so ENJOY the
"HUNT"! -- The Store is an Endless Source of COLOUR-THERAPY!!

Had a few more bits of Groceries to get, and then HOME... Have to FIND a Spot now for MR.WILL-LIKELY-*GLOW*-IN-THE-DARK...

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"PURPLE-PERFECT"!!

WHATCHA THINK, TINK??

PATONS
"Classic Wool"
- 100% New WOOL
- [made in TURKEY]
- Colour: 00212-Royal Purple



AND

CASCADE YARNS
"220 SUPERWASH"
- 100% Superwash WOOL
- [made in PERU]
- Colour: 1947

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...Just a TEASE of The Grape...

I'LL PROBABLY HAVE *THIS* FINISHED TOMORROW...

And, NO Matter *HOW* hard I TRY, I am **NEVER** going to be ABLE to get the PURPLES to Photograph Properly!! -- I'll likely have to Use NATURAL-LIGHT to pick-up the "Depth of Field" of these Stitching TEXTURES...

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