Category Archives: retail therapy

hidden sevilla

01 Thursday Sep 2022

Posted by in art, retail therapy, sevilla

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hidden sevilla

I’ve passed by this little alley maybe a gazillion times over the years, but today was the first time I’ve been down it (at least that I can recall). I was on the hunt for a picture frame (more on that later) and saw online that an art shop in one of the pedestrian shopping streets had their framing workshop just around the corner. It’s a family-run place called Cuadros Venecias that has been in business for over a hundred years and what a cool experience it was. I even got a tour of the back rooms, though didn’t go upstairs (the workspace covers three floors!). All shopping should be this fun and interesting. Stay tuned for the finished product (should have it by Monday).

like a kid with new shoes

24 Wednesday Nov 2021

Posted by in retail therapy, seasons, sevilla, shoes

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new shoes

I bought these shoes two years ago (!!!) during the Black Friday sales, but somehow didn’t get around to breaking them in that winter. And then, yep, Covid happened. So last night was their Sevilla debut when I wore them out on a tapas tour. I was concerned I might get blisters so put a protective plaster on each heel. But it turned out they were snug but quite comfy. So between these and a barely used puffy jacket (also purchased two years ago) that I re-discovered in my closet I’m pretty much set up for winter wear.

new sheets!

31 Tuesday Aug 2021

Posted by in casa azahar, home, retail therapy

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sheets

Since I already splashed out on new towels this summer I was going to try and hold out until the January sales for new sheets, until I realised that’s what I said last summer, and also this past January. Anyhow, I reckon every five years is a reasonable amount of time between purchases, especially as my present sheets have no more elastic left and are a bit tattered thanks to cats. I don’t know why I always feel I have to justify these things but, especially now, having been out of work for the past eighteen months, it seems almost frivolous. Though sleeping in sad worn out sheets (or drying off after a shower with thin hard towels) also takes a toll of sorts, so what the heck. Got new sheets today!

false advertising

17 Tuesday Aug 2021

Posted by in casa azahar, retail therapy

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false advertising

So the plastic cutlery holder that hooks onto my dish draining rack fell to the floor and smashed to bits and I thought it would be easy to find a replacement. But nope. Finally I found this one on Amazon and thought, cool, it’s also stainless steel like the rack, and so I bought it. When it arrived I put it on the rack and it looked good. Then I put some cutlery in it and IT ALL FELL THROUGH THE BOTTOM ONTO THE FLOOR. Seriously WFT. I mean, why even make a cutlery holder with that can’t hold any cutlery? And then go out of your way to disguise this fact (clearly this photo was taken on a table) and try selling it? Seems like a lot of trouble for an 8 euro flawed metal basket. Anyhow, got in touch with Amazon to return it and they didn’t even want it back, just said they’d credit my account. Yeah I know, slow news day.  😉

buch + deichmann

29 Tuesday Jun 2021

Posted by in hair, retail therapy, shopping

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B and D (1)

Behold the Buch + Deichmann Infinite hair slide. Back in Toronto I had quite a selection of B + D hair accessories. They were cute and colourful and they lasted forever. Well, almost. About a month ago I noticed I was down to my last one. Or so I thought, until a rummage through some old boxes turned up a used-to-be-black one (my favourite, the red one, broke a few years ago). I used to have a white one too.

Anyhow, this got me thinking about where I might find them again since B + D is no longer making them (they’re now into sunglasses). So after googling without any luck I asked on Twitter, and later Instagram, and finally found a supplier of vintage B + D stuff on Etsy. In Canada!

B and D (2)

However, there were no Infinite hair slides to be found. Anywhere. At all. Instead I opted for a dark red slide the same size as the infinity ones, and three smaller ones. In fact the smaller ones will be more practical now that I HARDLY HAVE ANY HAIR ANYMORE. Anyhow, they arrived today, as you can see, and I’m way out-of-all-proportion happy with them. Will not say how much I paid for this happiness, but I’ve had so few treats this past year or so that I decided FUCK IT.  And since my Infinite hair slides have lasted more than 35 years, I reckon these new ones are going to outlive me. So… worth it.  🙂