Fashioning My Cyber Microcosm: Sleepless In Calgary.

January has been a month of getting down to the roots of complacency and tearing them out.

My husband and I sat down an hour each day and talked about all the things that made us unhappy, and planned how we could attempt to eradicate and mend through small and big gestures.

This life overhaul has left me with all the motivation to sew, craft and ultimately write about it... but I haven't had a chance to do any of it (for myself, that is). I find myself overwhelmed because I have so much to write about, and no idea where to really start... might explain the lack-luster of the previous posts.

I guess one the biggest updates yet to be written about was first mentioned on the post made during the week I arrived back home.

I mentioned very briefly that I met with lady Insomniac from Insomniac's Attic.

Let me start of by saying that I am thrilled for chance at having met a fellow blogger. Like so many of my internet interactions, one only hopes to meet the many individuals someday, but it rarely ever happens.

Luckily, lady Insomniac lived in my hometown of Calgary.

I still wonder what are the chances of that...

I visited her twice with my youngest brother, once to see the progress of her wonderful Gothic Cottage in the spooky woods, and forgetting to take my camera....

And the second time (with camera!) she drove us about to see some of her favorite places.

Sadly, lady Insomniac is the camera shy type, and I was unable to convince her to take a photo with me for my blog. Nevertheless, I am able to show you the type of places she likes to visit once in a while, heh; this was the Chateau Country Lace.

It would be a while till I will be able to afford the items in this shop for my own home, but it was very nice taking in all inspiration, as lady Insomniac tends to do as well!

One of the places she took us to, my mother was tell me she once visited when she first settled into Calgary-- I guess it's been around for a while, but I never seemed to notice it; it was lavish, beautiful and once again far more than this humble person could afford... and yet, that didn't stop me from falling head over heels for the top floor of Chintz & Company...

I was too gobsmacked by the myriad of luxurious items to bust out my camera; I had always wondered what kind of place sold the unique items those better off could attain, and it was everything I imagined it to be.

The top floor had several rows of the most luxurious fabrics I had ever been privileged to see or touch.

I was on cloud 9.

Then, lady Insomniac showed me just how far my head could obsess over mere fabric and showed me this...

Chenille Damask in a dusty purple

To this day, I cannot stop dreaming of this fabric (the website has better shots of this fabric: here).

It haunts me; I've never been so consumed with desire for a material object... I must save for it. It will be mine one day. At $30.00 a meter, I'm not sure when... but it will be.

Lady Insomniac also took us to several thrift stores, where I managed to buy myself an entirely new wardrobe of clothing; we seemed to hit every sale these stores had. I was wondering if perhaps I should've puchased the meters I wanted (4) in lieu of the clothing purchases... though I would've spent more on the fabric, then the entire total of what we spent on the clothing, shoes and accessories.
I was more than a little torn.

Unfortunately, I had underestimated how much room I have back home; the mountains I had created with my new purchases was one of the catalysts to the "life overhaul"... who'da thunk it.

I was blessed by lady Insomniac's generosity when she first offered a buckle/clasp to a jacket I wanted to revamp some time ago. This time, she gave me a petticoat!

I feel like a glamorous gypsy as I twirl and twirl in it. Because of my "height deficiency", it doesn't quite fit the way it probably should, but I am appreciating what it does to my full length gypsy skirts, heh... so I don't know, should I shorten it? Or keep it full length? Decisions, decisions....

I made myself a promise that I must somehow return all the gestures of kindness which have been shown to me. I've never been good at guessing what someone may like, even in the slightest; I hate to admit it, but it literally has to be spelled out to me, hehe.

Is gift giving hard or easy for you? 

Share your tips and tricks!