A plea to my UK readers

Hello lovely people

I need toothbrushes. And I rather like the Boots basic two packs I picked up last time I was in your corner of the world (but the Sainsbury's version looks just as good). The problem is nowhere that I can find in Australia stocks plain white basic toothbrushes.

And I'm not due back in the UK til around this time next year.

So is there anyone who fancies buying me a stash and posting them to me in exchange for your choice* of Aussie goodies?

(*Within reason - I'm not posting you Hugh Jackman, for instance. Or the Sydney Harbour Bridge!)

(Listening to: Human League, Octopus)

Are you in Australia and a regular Knit.1 reader?

Are you as appalled as I am that the current issue has gone up in price from $12.95 to $19.95? (That, in case you want cold hard statistics, is a 54% increase. Which makes the fact Jo Sharp has risen from $16.95 to $19.95 seem almost bearable at a paltry 17.7%)

I have a solution. How does $9.18 an issue sound? (Yes folks, that's under half the current price). And delivered to your very own letter box!

I emailed Knit.1 subscriptions over the weekend and have just heard back that the cost of a year's subscription to Australia is $US30. As I suspected (don't you love American magazines? They almost give them away if you subscribe unlike their UK counterparts which charge like wounded bulls for the pleasure...)

$6.50 doesn't buy much these days...

Maybe a glass of house wine at your local wine bar.

Or coffee for you and a friend.

Perhaps three sushi rolls.

The latest issue of Madison or Marie Claire (actually I think they're now more expensive than that...)

Or enough wool to knit yourself a pirate jumper for winterusing most of the Nundle I bought here (not impressed with it, by the way - thank goodness it was only 50 cents a ball and the jumper is for weekend use only) and some white I got here.

I had a lovely productive (but lazy) Eater weekend:

* Ended up with a chocolate Easter bunny to eat but passed on the Hot Cross Buns.

* Finished (finally!) putting the photos from my USA trip last May into my trip diary. (You have no idea how happy I am to have finished this!)

* Completed my pirate jumper (Less than a month from go to whoa. I'm impressed but misjudged the time it would take so the only place I can wear it at the moment is the beer fridge at Macs Liquor unless I want to die of heat stress...)

* Bought the buttons for E's dinosaur hoodie and sewed them on. (Do you know how difficult it is to find 5 buttons of the same design in 4 different colours that match the wool you used?)

* Sewed the domes on TSS's alter ego's hoodie.

* Caught up with V and spent the morning op shopping with her in Tuggeranong.

* Bought a new Tefal non stick frying pan at 40% off.

* Made the first two pots of soup for the season and filled the freezer up with containers of it (and pasta bake)

* Made zucchini and parmesan muffins (real)

* Made cupcakes (not real - knitted ones which I want to add dried lavender to and present as gifts at an afternoon tea I've been invited to next month. Photos to come, probably late next weekend unless someone knows of a place apart from Kingston Markets where you can buy dried lavender)

* Caught up on some reading.

* Did piles of washing and ironing and other general boring but necessary houseworky type stuff.

How was your Easter weekend?

(Listening to: David Bowie, Singles Collection)

Easter

I so need a break. Thinking of doing another Fiscal Fast (well, I'll have a 4 day lead by the end of the weekend, won't I? Plus the only op shops open this Saturday are Salvos Mitchell and Tuggeranong).

Have a pile of big To Do things to deal with (including stuff rolled over from my disastrous Christmas break) to feel like things are back in some semblance of order. I may well ban myself from the computer for the weekend as well (will think about that overnight).

On a good note, though, my end of month accounts show a gratifying downward trend in my level of debt even with the purchase of a new car stereo. I'm one happy chappess!

But I'm wondering if it's terribly wrong to not have eaten a single Easter egg or hot cross bun. My excuse is Woolworths never came through with Cadburys marshmallow eggs this year. *Whimper*.

I'm off to drink some $4.47 a litre wine (scandalous, I know, after the $1.97 a bottle stuff!) and watch a $2 video of Carry on Cruising which I'm sure will be great fun. Have a great long weekend, however you spend it!

(Listening to: Laurie Anderson, Big Science)

What goes around, comes around and goes around (or something like that!)

When I went out for lunch today I found a package on my doorstep - hand delivered by Seepi (no blog as far as I can tell) from the next suburb over in exchange for the Sophie Kinsella book I sent her a while back.

There was fabric goodness. There was chocolate goodness (of the white variety! Yay!) And, lastly there was Judy Horacek Easter postcard goodness.

Goodness me, I felt majorly spoilt!

In return I thought I'd offer the following to someone who might want it. I picked it up at Vinnies Curtin even though I already own a copy so if you fancy adding it to your collection leave me a comment and I'll send it to you:

(Listening to: Zero 7, When it falls)

One hoppy bunny

My Black and White swap parcel arrived this morning - much to the delight of Trudy Bunny, as there was an early birthday present for her included in it (I don't actually have the heart to tell her I don't think it was really intended as such...)

So now she's all aproned up and ready for some Easter baking. (Oh dear. I feel certain disaster looming.) (Listening to: Suzanne Vega, Suzanne Vega)

When good knitting needles turn bad

I bought Pirate Devil Duckie pencil toppers on the weekend in the Botanicus Perfectus 20% off sale, not really knowing what I was going to do with them. But then I remembered I had some black knitting needles that were the same length, the same size, but with slightly different tops. And voila!

I wish I could say I'm using them to knit my pirate jumper but alas they're too large. So instead they're sitting in the knitting needle container making up evil plots. I just know it!

Ahhhh.... that's better...

I did a little lunchtime frugalling today. The cake stand was a whopping $5.50 at Dickson Vinnies and the table cloth was $2.50 from Belconnen Salvos.

I'm tempted to flick the former onto eBay to see what I can get for it and cut the latter up - but only once I've decided if April is a Use What You Have Month for me...

(Listening to: Tackhead, Friendly as a hand grenade)

Buying locally

We ended up at The Bus Depot Markets today and I figured I'd have a go at buying locally as I slide out of buying nothing at all.I got honey from (they tell me) just up the road...and veges from a little further away. Unfortunately the egg ladies weren't there so I missed out buying local eggs this week.

It was quite fun. I think I'll do it again!

(Listening to: Triple J's Hottest 100 Vol 4)

I made it!

Princess B is in shock that I managed a whole week without spending money (or is it just that she's realised she's paying for breakfast?)

Tim at Shi provided free champagne...and 4:02 pm saw me buying chocolate!

Day Seven: Total spent in the week 4pm last Saturday to 4pm this Saturday: $0.

(Listening to: Joss Stone, Introducing Joss Stone)

Looks like I'm getting married...

(At least I'll get a Green Card!)

Feeling like it's been...

...with less than 21 hours to go.

Today was particularly difficult with the urge to

a) go buy lunch at my favorite Thai place
b) check out what new wool Colleen had brought in
and
c) BUY CHOCOLATE!

But I held steady. I was a little disappointed that a neighbour I helped out with a lift to town a couple of days ago who said "I owe you big time" didn't actually come through when I said chocolate would be more than enough recompense. Maybe I should have made it clear the deliveries of chocolate RIGHT NOW was the only practical option.

Oh - and the odd thing is I'm seriously considering giving myself 24 hours off (to act like a normal human being with friends in town and also buy some much needed grocery supplies) and then heading straight into another week of Fiscal Fasting. How mad am I?

(Eternity picture taken on the Sydney Harbour Bridge walk)

Money spent since last Saturday: $0

(Listening to: Jimmy Somerville, Read my lips)

Money spent: nothing ('cause the drinks were free)

This not spending malarkey isn't too bad at all....

Here's the lovely John at Das Kapital pouring me a wine at an industry function this afternoon. (I'm impressed - I haven't been in since last month and he remembered which wine I liked...)

Here's the free glass of water I had at Wagamama where Aunty A, her Dad and J were dining - I arrived late and full of Das Kapital pizza so didn't feel like anything...Especially since, as I suspected, when we went upstairs to the Borders industry function (with more free wine!) they had a lavish spread of fruits and cheeses and crackers. And Minties (which I thought a rather odd addition. And, you'll be pleased to hear, I refrained from filling my pockets with...)

Day Five (and I'm still alive)

Total spent: $0

(Listening to: Jane Siberry, When I was a boy)

You're pudding me on, right?

You mean I had chocolate hidden in the back of the cupboard all along? Oh happy days....

(For all you homesick Kiwis in Australia this is actually Hansells chocolate instant pudding masquerading in different packaging. If only they had the coconut flavour as well....)

The Shopping Sherpa's Fiscal Fast day four results:
Amount spent: $0

(Listening to: Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, Universal)

Day three and free tea!

I attended my second ever Stitch 'n' Bitch tonight - after a scary moment where the idiotic doorman at the Southern Cross Club told me they didn't do visitor passes and I'd therefore have to pay $10 to join. After wailing "But I'm not allowed to spend any money!" I called Taph and she came and signed me in. No visitor passes indeed. Pah!

I took my pirate jumper to work on...and achieved rather a lot!And since the club provides free tea and coffee I didn't have to be tempted to fall off the wagon to buy a drink. Which was excellent! (Unlike the tea but what do you expect for free?)Dollars spent so far: 0
Fudge remaining: 0 (Drat!)
1980s pop stars spotted: 0 (Double drat!)

It was 20 year ago today*

Dear Jim

I'm gutted that I won't be able to see you play tomorrow night.

Last year I had a good excuse. This year you're a) closer to home and b) as far as I'm aware not sold out.

But I'm still not coming to see you play.

Even though your latest album is custom-made for me. (And no, I don't actually have a copy yet)

I could have changed my mind at the last minute, I know. But you see I'm on a 7 day fiscal fast. And no matter how I try I really can't see a justification for spending $99 to see you play. Much as I'd like to.

You were great in 1986 (or was it 1987?). I saw you live at the Wellington Town Hall. I was wearing my black lace-up ankle boots, my satin suit pants, matching black brocade vest and a white shirt (hanging out - just like yours was that night)

I remember buying my very first tour T shirt. And when Mel Gaynor threw his drumsticks into the crowd I managed to get my foot firmly on them and argued with the chap who wrenched them out from under until we broke them in half and I took home the end that had been held. They lived on my bedroom windowsill for many years next to the Perrier bottle that Cy Curnin had used during The Fixx's Wellington Concert.

So you can see that missing your concert almost 20 years on is a pretty big deal (if you'd like to arrange a free ticket, feel free. It is almost my birthday, after all...).

Tomorrow night I plan to go to the gym then on to Stitch 'n' Bitch. I have a new CD player in my car so I will load up with this this and this to play on the way. I plan to play Love Song at least a kazillion times in a row. Very loudly. And sing along.

And maybe on the way home I'll swing past the AIS and see if I can hear anything from outside. Although I doubt I'll be lucky enough to find a spot like the old garage roof outside Athletic Park in Wellington that I saw the entire Eurythmics Concert from for free.

Yours in dejected fandom

The Shopping Sherpa

PS: Great article in Panorama last week, BTW, although I'm not sure about denim on both halves, no matter what Queer Eye have to say.

PPS: I still have a crush on you, dammit!

(* Or thereabouts)

The Shopping Sherpa's Fiscal Fast Day 1 (or maybe Day 2)

Is it cheating by reconsidering and saying since I last spent money on Saturday at 4pm my week of Fiscal Fasting actually started then so therefore finishes this Saturday at 4pm (not Sunday noon) leaving me able to go have dinner with Princess B and The Queen of Maryville with a clear conscious?

No, I didn't think so either. Therefore I magically leap from the end of Day 1 to the end of Day 2!

I didn't plan this very well at all. I should have gone and done a last minute frenzied grocery shop to keep me going for the week. But I didn't and so by yesterday I was out of:

* Potatoes

* Eggs

* Tofu

* Tomatoes

* Zucchini

* Smoked Salmon
* and, most importantly,CHOCOLATE!

Yesterday afternoon saw me decide that desperate times called for desperate measures and so out came the 1972 Edmonds Cookbook and I whipped up a batch of chocolate fudge which should hopefully tide me over... (Please take note of the "scratch and sniff" tendencies of the recipe page)

I spent the evening sprawled on the sofa with Nibbs, watching a video of Anne of Green Gables (however did I miss reading it as a kid?!), eating fudge and drinking wine from the $1.97 a bottle red wine stash Aunty A gave me a couple of weeks ago. (Daylight saving has ended which means I stop drinking white wine and switch back to red for the colder months.)

Today I popped in to deliver the 50 cent ball of 12 ply Clinker yarn I bought for Taphophile to knit a hat for the homeless out of and she had a huge box of goodies for me in return which included the following:Which sorts out how I'm going to entertain myself for, oh, the next year or so. And also helped the withdrawal symptoms caused by driving oh so close to two of my favorite op shops on the way back home without being able to pop in and just see what they had.

Total spent so far: $0.00

(Listening to: OneTwo, Item)

The Shopping Sherpa decides not to (shop, that is)

In the last week I've spent a lot. And I'm feeling like you do after a particularly full-on food-laden Christmas Day, sitting in the corner clutching your stomach and moaning that you'll never eat again (metaphotically and fiscally speaking, of course).

So I decided to do the equivalent of a fiscal detox. For the next week, starting from right now, I'm going on a Fiscal Fast. I'm going to try to spend no money whatsoever. Not a cent*.(*You knew there'd be an asterisk, didn't you?! OK, I've decided I can spend money on claimable stuff for work and pay any bills that might fall due during the week. I'm also trying to decide if I get a "Get out of jail free" card, especially as Princess B and The Queen of Maryville will be down this Saturday for Cirque Du Soleil)

(Listening to: Nordic Lounge Vol 1)

(Un)picky (un)picky

I bought another pair of PJs. Lovely flanny winter ones this time, $19.87 from Big W.

They were perfect except for one little thing...Someone (like the designer?) had thought it was a brilliant idea to edge them with the brightest pink ribbon you've ever seen (and use it for the drawstring at the waist).

I soon made short work of that and now we're back to black and white perfection. Phew! It was a bit scary there for a while...

(Listening to: The Sex, the City, the Music: New York)

Has it been a year already? (plus Second Hand Saturday)

It's time once again for the ACT Miniature Enthusiasts' show. It doesn't seem like a whole year...

Above is one of my favorite displays, which I've seen before and always always forget to take a note of the title and the maker. Loving the garden gnomes all lines up on their toadstools ready to watch the footy and the look on the human's face!

New this year is Shop til you drop by Charlenewho takes the theme quite literally!Charlene and her husband Robert are Brindabella Miniatures. Once again I ended up spending the lion's share of my mini budget with them, for good reason (thumb tack added for scale. Yes, the pieces really are that small!)
All three pieces were originally bought as a final touch to a very very belated mini swap with Elisabeth in Sweden but already the candle has decided it's staying right here thank you very much.
I also did a special order with Brindabella for a full set of five of these canisters. The smallest is littler than my little fingernail yet they all are hollow with removable lids...The only other purchase I made was this wire dress form to add to my shabby chic mini bedroom (wouldn't that candle look just perfect on the dressing table next to it?)And in case you think the only shopping happening round here is of the 1/12th variety, may I present this week's frugalled haul:* 2 tins: $1 each. I love love LOVE storage. Especially cheap plain metal storage.
* 3 books: total $13. What would a frugalling week be without a book (Or two. Or three)?
* 2 balls of wool: $1.50. As if last week wasn't enough. But all those bright colours need some plain backing and I've almost used up my last ball of white.
* Lovely silky Asian fabric and thick wintery moss green cord fabric. $16 total.
* Guru's Jazzmatazz street soul: $3.50. Excellent, have been wanting this for a while.
(Listening to: oddly enough, Guru's Jazzmatazz street soul!)