Big Day Out

Summer seems to have made an unexpectedly early appearance here in Canberra with temperatures above 30 degrees c (80 degrees f) yesterday. I know it's a trick, though, and will ignore it for as long as possible (or until I give myself heat stroke!)

Anyway, there are two reasons for my post title today.

Yesterday was, indeed a Big Day Out workwise with my day staring at 8:30am and finishing around 9:30pm. But it was all good as the afternoon and evening was mainly taken up with eating, drinking and chatting to lots of wonderful people (and a little frantic getting ready beforehand). So it really didn't feel much like "work" at all.

Secondly, I awoke this morning to an email from Princess B saying she'd bought us tickets to next year's Big Day Out, which went on sale at midnight last night (I'm hoping she wasn't up with her fingers poised over her keyboard at 11:59pm!)

I'm so excited as this'll be my first BDO and another passage in becoming a rooly trooly Aussie sheila (I think my last one was eating an Iced VoVo). And I'll finally get to see The Violent Femmes in concert: I had free tickets in the mid 80s for a gig at The Student Uni in Wellington and got as far as the door before deciding for some reason that I really couldn't be bothered. So I went home. A decision I've always regretted...

(Listening to: Ace of Base, Da Capo)

The story of Doreen & Dennis MacGregor

Welcome to my visitors from whipup.net. In your honour I'd like to tell you a story...Once upon a time (as all good stories start) The Shopping Sherpa was idly wasting time wandering round the depths of eBay (this, dear readers, was before she had a blog to waste time on which is much more fulfilling not to mention cheaper).

Then suddenly she saw a doll waving at her and begging to be adopted. This was most odd because The Shopping Sherpa didn't believe she "did" dolls in her houses (if you are a non miniaturist you need to know at this point that there is an ongoing raging debate in the miniature world as to whether your house should be peopled or not). And before she knew it, TSS had adopted Doreen MacGregor.

For that's what the doll's name was, according to the doll. TSS checked with Doreen's previous owner, Charlene, who said she didn't know what her name was and so it was decided.

Doreen set off on her long journey from The USA to her new home in Australia. And as Charlene pointed out in her original email to TSS:
"Boy is this doll in for an adventure and what a great collection for her to live in and it sure is funny that she is German made and dressed Scottish and will live in an English home in Australia" But it was not to be as the (vintage Triang) house became an eBay casualty, lost in the mail.

Doreen, however, arrived safely along with an assortment of necessities for the trip packed away in a small yellow suitcase by Charlene (who thought over everything except toilet paper, much to Doreen's distress) .

Being a stoic Scot she seemed untroubled by the lack of promised living arrangements and wasted no time in sending a postcard to Charlene to let her know of her arrival and of the saga of the missing house. She received a speedy reply:
"I hope when your house arrives you will enjoy living in your new home and I am sure you will love everything that is done for your home sorry you never had a real little house here and I know you will love yours I heard it was something very special coming all the way from the UK WOW! your a lucky little girl. Say hi to everyone and wish them well from your other family. Best Regards Charlene"

Doreen settled into the temporary accommodation happily and TSS thought the adventures and suprises were over.

Then Dennis, the mail-order husband, arrived. As Doreen wrote to Charlene:
"Well the shift Down Under has certainly been good for me - I now have a husband! Shhh! Don't tell anyone but he was a mail-order husband (bet you thought you could only get brides, huh?) and so far we are getting on very well.

The house situation is still not good. No sign of our (I love saying "our") place arriving. But that may work out for the best since we have our eye on a much bigger place (6 rooms instead of just two and a porch) which will give us room for a family eventually. In the meantime I've got rather attached to my cardboard boxes and will be quite sad to leave."

As often happens, the family came earlier than expected with the arrival of Daisy Rose MacGregor on November 11 2004, along with a very generous range of baby necessities, courtesy (once again) of Granny Charlene.And soon after (luckily) they were safely settled into their larger and newer Triang House.And so it came to pass that the MacGregor family all lived happily...ever...after!

The End.

Feeling all white now...

There's a bit of a theme happening with this week's frugalling purchases. Lots of white. (Total cost: $12.90)

Well two themes, actually, if you count the fact the plates and bowls and the cup and saucer are Maxwell Williams (the cup and saucer matches the four I picked up last week).

My old Crown Lynn dinner set was bought around 20 years ago (if you're a Wellingtonian you can date the purchase by the fact I bought it when the Kirkaldies kitchen department was across the road in the Harbour Centre while the towers were being added - so around 1985-6 ish?) and has had pretty much daily use since then. And it looks like it could do with a rest.

The purchase of the original 4 Maxwell Williams cups and saucers for $4 and the discovery of a fifth (for $3) got me thinking. Could I possibly collect an entire "new" dinner set from the op shops? So I had a rummage round in the piles of plates and it came to pass that I bought 5 white bowls and 7 white side plates for 20 cents each.

And so the Great Frugalled Maxwell Williams Dinner Set Challenge of 2006 begins.

A lunchtime cooking class at The Staff Cafeteria

My Staff Cafeteria is a truly amazing place (if I can say so myself). Yesterday there was a cooking demonstration of another 10 minute meal (Tuna and pea pasta). It's a great meal choice if you spent your grocery money on more important things than groceries as all the ingredients are store cupboard staples.

. I took photos so you can cook along if you want to!Ingredients for one serve:

60g fettucine
1x 95g tin of tuna chunks in springwater
1 slice frozen (or fresh) wholegrain bread
1/2 cup frozen peas
Grated parmesan
Garlic olive oil spray

Put the peas in a small bowl and add hot water to cover. Set aside to thaw.
Cook the pasta according to package directions.Meanwhile, break the bread into smaller chunks and blend (or process if you happen to have a food processor) until crumbed.Spray a non-stick frypan with olive oil spray and add the breadcrumbs. Fry until brown and toasty looking.

Drain the tuna and add to the pan with the toasted breadcrumbs. Fry until cooked looking.

Drain the (now not) frozen peas and add to the pan. Stir until warmed through.Drain the cooked pasta and return it to the pot. Add the mixture from the frypan and enough parmesan cheese (usually about 1-2 Tbps). Stir to combine and serve immediately with lashings of freshly ground black pepper.

Princess B's Birthday

It's been pointed out to me that I forgot to mention the reason for my being in Sydney this past weekend. It was Princess B's birthday. And here's a picture of the (gluten free) birthday cake to prove it:(Can you believe the size of those strawberries? And to add insult to injury they actually tasted like strawberries!) Her presents from TSS spanned three countries (hey, what's a little authentic dust amongst friends?) Here's the latest B for her collection - from an old movie theatre in the USA (with the fold out cake stand I found for her last time I was in the Big Smoke) And the Tord Boontje felt placemats I bought for her here in Canberra (dammit, they almost stayed at my place I love them so much). Not pictured is the initial B candle I bought in New Zealand - it disappeared up the stairs to her bedroom before I could photograph it. Which I think is a good sign, don't you?

(Listening to: SJD, Southern Lights)

Playing tourist

In all the trips to Sydney I've done since I started blogging I haven't made it down to the bottom end of town to take the sort of pictures that will probably make my overseas readers very very jealous.

Until yesterday, that is, when I arranged to meet Duchess N of Mosmania for an afternoon at The Rocks Market. Which means I can bring you a picture of the Sydney Opera Houseand one of the Sydney Harbour Bridge (note bored expression from a hardened "local")

Here's a picture of The Rocks Market with a bit of the bridge in the backgroundAnd some puppets in the amazing Puppet Shop tucked away in a nearby basement.By this time we were sick of playing tourist and retired to The historic Orient Hotel for a refreshing cider.

Second Hand Saturday in Sydney

$25 doesn't buy you much in the big city these days. Unless you're The Shopping Sherpa, that is!Vinnies Rozelle did me good again on the book front (dammit, just when I was starting to clear my backlog) This little pile (shot on "my" bed in Sydney, hence the riot of colour in the background) cost me $19.

Then a hop skip and a jump down the road to The Rozelle Markets where I picked up this sundress:for $5. At that price I really didn't care if it fitted or not as I could always use the fabric to make a bag!

But, happily, it will fit very soon (once I've been to the gym a few more times and lost my winter puffery.)

Walking to work

Today is Walk to Work Day. To mark the occasion I thought I'd share with you my journey to work this morning...

Note the serious business-like demeanour in picture one as I leave the bedroom. The eagerness to get to work in picture two as I swing through the hall. And the fact that, even with a 3 second commute, I arrived in the office late!

Complete and utter lust...

I made the fatal mistake of picking up the latest Living Etc before bed last night and stumbled across this:It's the Paint your Own Festival Tent (see below for a suggested after shot)and of course I fell instantly in love. It's just what I need for my Christmas road trip with Sis (the perfect Christmas present for myself, in fact) and, even better, it's on special!

But on their website they say they won't ship out of the UK. WAAAAH!

I've just sent them a very grovelly email begging them to bend their rules for me (I even mentioned cherries on top) so we'll see how it goes. Fingers, toes, arms, legs and eyes crossed...

(Listening to: Saks Fifth Avenue compilation)

I've been feeling like a frugalling failure...

Over the past couple of weeks I had started to feel that my Frugalling Fairy has deserted me. After repeated visits to my usual haunts the only thing I found worth buying were two very plain very boring very standard light fittings for $1.50 each. Not even worth photographing.

Maybe it's the time of year. I don't know - having only been a hardened frugaller since the beginning of this year I don't know the seasonal vagrarities (is there such a word) of the thrifting universe. (Any enlightenment would be gratefully received!)

Today, though, things returned to normal. I picked up a brand new looking copy of Are you my mother? for 20c and a set of four Maxwell Williams white cups and saucers for $4 the lot. Both are destined for future gift giving.

Which brings me to another issue to ponder. At this time of year do we continue to show off our thrifty scores with prices and risk the recipients of our Christmas goodies snorting "I know she only paid $4 for that - what a cheapskate?" (even though we can happily counter that It's the thought that counts not the cost) or do we get coy and vague with prices and start to censor our thrifty postings?

So much for "no pressing plans"

(Sorry couldn't resist that one)

If you were wondering what the plot I was hatching was, wonder no more I spent this morning putting the following together for Taphophile as a sort of (very) belated thanks for taping Eurovision for me in May and for the lovely fabric she added to my stash:It's a knitting bag made out of frugalled black denim (all the way from New Zealand) and a thick white vintage cotton cot sheet I bought for E but decided would be much happier being added to my stash.

On the front is a photo of an Australian soldier knitting a sock which I snaffled from Picture Australia (very very naughty I know but since I'm not selling it I'm sure they won't mind and might in fact be flattered. Actually, maybe The Australian War Memorial will love it so much they'll get in touch and order a kazillion for their gift shop and I will be rich. Rich, I tell you! Oh, sorry, I digress...)Inside is a large pocket for all those knitting essentials which you don't want to lose in the bottom of the bag and a knitting needle holder which matches the outside trim.All the goodies I've collected (including those red knitting needles that in the end I just couldn't cope with) fit nicely inside and I made sure the handles were long enough to sling over your shoulder if necessary.

Now do excuse me, I need to crawl out of my PJs and go deliver it!

(Listening to: Midnight snack Vol 1 compilation)

Mooch ado about nothing

Three day weekends are great. Three day weekends with not much planned are even better. And best of all are three day weekends that coincide with the beginning of a new month.

I woke up yesterday morning, rolled over and went straight back to sleep because I could.

When my bladder I finally woke up I had breakfast in bed then spent the rest of the morning there with good company: Just after noon I finally surfaced, did a couple of loads of washing and sorted out a cupboard in my craft room (inspired by this book and this blog post) before standing still long enough to realise just how dusty some of my corners were looking.

So I spent a happy hour or so dusting and rejigging my photos:and tackling some spring cleaning before doing my end of month accounts, mowing the lawn (didn't I just do that a couple of weeks ago?!) interspersed by mindless blobbing. And reading. And chocolate eating.

The great thing is when I look back I'll only remember the lazing and the fact I managed to get my pile of stuff to read down a little and not the housework.

And, even better, having successfully "wasted" one day I still have two more to go. With absolutely no pressing plans. Bliss...

(Listening to: Massive Attack: Mezzanine)

You Google, I answer

From my bloglog stats today:

Q: Google search: how do sherpa people dress and eat

Shopping Sherpa's A: Very well, thank you!

(Listening to: Fabric 3)

I've decided to become a Nigel Sutton groupie

Nigel Sutton as Krispin K

I know I've mentioned Nigel Sutton before but I don't think I raved quite enough about how great I think his work is. The Krispin K Tours at The Powerhouse Museum (part of Sydney Design) in August each year are a highlight of my calendar and are always great fun. Plus you get to learn a lot more about the exhibits than what you usually would.

The reason I mention this now? The Dora Fay Davenport Show is on again at The National Museum and today S and went along. For our $5 we got some cross dressingsome emotion and drama what looked like an apron hold up (but wasn't) "Don't you dare take my photo!"

Plus lovely aprons and vintage kitchenware to admire.

And I even got my photo taken with the man himself!

(Listening to: Nathan Haines, Squire for hire)

The curious incident of the bottle of milk on the front porch

When I ventured out this morning to check the mail I found this sitting on the front porch. Very odd. I left it there in the hope the rightful owner would remember they'd somehow left it behind and come back and collect it. But it's still there, curdling gently in the sun. Perhaps it'll be gone again by morning?

Speaking of gone by morning... at the post office I discovered my something chocolate swap package had arrived (even before it's due to be sent out - I feel very bad that mine is still sitting on the kitchen dresser waiting to be posted.)

Look at all these yummy goodies! None of your chainstore chocolate here, No Siree, quality boutique products all the way. I'm one severely spoilt blogger. But will they still be here in the morning???

(Reading the labels on these brings me to something I've been wanting to clarify for a while. They say "a fourth generation candy family" but this is chocolate (well, chocolate covered pretzels, if you want to be a pedant. Which I want to, often).

Here in Australia (and in New Zealand) I believe "candy" is lollies or sweets which include things like jelly beans, licorice allsorts, wine gums, jubes and such. But a snickers bar (for instance) is chocolate.

I'm suspecting that in the USA "candy" is used to cover anything sweet that rots your teeth - so a Hershey's Kiss, for instance, is candy even though it's chocolate. Please help this poor confused Antipodean (and feel free to send a multitude of examples to reinforce your lesson!))

(Listening to: Roddy Frame: The North Star)

Diversion therapy

What I should have been doing last night:

* Business accounts for the taxman.
* Making and writing a Thank You card to my Grandmother who kindly sent me a copy of one of her poetry books when I mentioned I didn't have it.
* Starting my proposal for the CMAG Cabinets of Curiosities exhibition .
* Writing to Cuzzy C (many many months overdue).

What I actually did last night:

* Sewed a set of shoe bags for S, who is heading off to India on Thursday. Another excuse for a Use What You Have Month project, these are made of frugalled denim and some calico scraps I found in a thrift shop in Philadelphia. S said she likes bright colours and blue so I hope this fits the bill. And the new improved version comes with a pouch to keep the bags in.* Framed the three enlargements I bought from Kodak Gallery yonks ago, using $7.99 frames and mats from Go Lo. Not sure where exactly I'm going to be able to shoehorn them onto the walls (would it be terribly naff to put the clothespin photo up in the laundry?) * Ripped apart the seams on a pair of $1 baby jeans I frugalled from Vinnies in Chatswood. I think they're about to morph into cushions. But not for me.*Speaking of not for me, I hatched a plot for a gifty for a blogging buddy. Not sure if it's going to work but here's a sneak peek anyway...