Wednesday, November 22, 2006

Seidler, shopping, and stinking heat

Last night after work I trundled off to a talk at Canberra Museum and Gallery on "an insight into the masterpieces in the ACT designed by the late, great Harry Seidler" There were drinks in the courtyard first and The Voice of Frugal Reason popped up in time to endorse $2 drinks as being very very reasonable indeed. The talk was fantastically interesting and included some architecture from Vienna which got me all excited about my planned trip in 2008. Harry Seidler's secretary was sitting directly in front of me which made it all much more immediate. I only wished the talk was for 2 hours not one as I found it so engrossing.

Afterwards I cornered the organiser from CMAG and shared my tale of woe about not being able to complete my exhibition proposal for the Cabinets of Curiosities series and asked if they had a consultant who could help. She's taken my details and perhaps 2007 will see me actually finishing the *&#! thing and getting it submitted!

Next stop in the evening was the Myer pre Christmas evening where I thought I'd try again to spend the
gift card Princess B had given me. I love the Myer and David Jones pre Christmas shopping nights as they have great specials and (usually) nothing like the crowds at the post Christmas sales. And the discounts are usually about the same (something I've never really understood - why have sales before Christmas when people are going to be buying anyway?)

So I wandered and pondered. Looked at the towels at 30% off but knew that DJs were offering 40% off plus the Christmas option which means if I buy them there they'd be cheaper plus I wouldn't have to pay for them til February. Finally, in the bedding department, after a quick false start with a poly cotton (urgh! what was I thinking?!) doona (duvet) cover set I discovered what I was looking for (but didn't know it): A Country Road white cotton summer blanket to replace the ex-hospital one I obtained 10 years ago which looks rattier and rattier with each passing summer that I have a cat sleeping on it who catches the threads in his claws. Full price: $129. Less 30% shopping night discount: $90.30. Less Princess B's contribution: $65.30. I'm happy. The Voice of Frugal Reason is happy. Life's good.

And it would seem I made the purchase in the nick of time as last night was a stinker. Tried sleeping upstairs under the usual summer doona. After an hour I realised it wasn't going to happen. Tried sleeping downstairs on the mattress I pull out of the cupboard under the stairs for just such occasions. Another hour later it became clear that wasn't going to happen either. Back upstairs I'm rummaging in the linen cupboard for summer sheets and bedspread and remaking the bed at midnight. (The cat is not impressed). Still wide awake.

Finally, at 1am, after spending time on eBay tracking down replacement summer pillowcases for a set that were ripped on the line during a hailstorm thus leaving the sheet sadly orphaned (The Shopping Sherpa reigns supreme!):
I finally made it to sleep. Of a sort.

And because this post seems to have turned into a parade of gratuitous shots of my wonderful summer bedlinen collection here's a picture of the summer bedspread I bought in Venice which (unfortunately) is now covering up my beautiful new cotton blanket. This is definitely on the list of things I'd save in a fire I love it that much...

3 comments :

Carson said...

I can't get enough of textured white bedlinen collections! Seriously.
It was a stinker here in Syd last night too ugh.
Ah ebay..home of triumph and tragedy.
I've purchased some supposedly high thread count egyptian cotton sheet sets on ebay that are just hideous now! Like limp rags, and all pilly! Never again! (Avoid 'sateen' like the plague is my advice) Then again, I did scoop a white (natch) Actil First Line set for less than half retail last year on ebay that has stood the test of time. Think it's my fav. brand
I shocked myself this year by buying AT FULL RETAIL (!!!) a white textured Freedom doona set. Gotta say..the quality is very good; its stood up well and was worth it.

Carson said...

Oh and ps..good luck with the submission

AMCSviatko said...

I definately steer clear of high thread count cotton and pretty much only buy Actil First Line these days. Which is a problem as it lasts so damned long!

Scarily it would appear Myer no longer stock it and I'mrying not to go into a panic and rush round buying up stocks of it "for the top cupboard".

I have two Freedom doona covers - the oldest is a white sateen cotton stripe that I bought 12 years ago and it is still keeping on keeping on.