Not-so-sweet shopping aka candy-calling...

Have you ever woken in the middle-of-the-night with a food craving you just had to satisfy?  You're not alone... I read a story in The Times (London), yesterday, that almost defies belief.

Three-year-old, Max McGrath, woke from his slumbers, at his home near Preston, in Lancashire. It was 3am and he just had to have some sweets (candy). So, he decided it was time to shop.  Dressed in his pyjamas, he put on his older brother's (too large) shoes, took some money and the front door keys.  Off he went, walking for a mile and a half, until he arrived at the family's local supermarket. Sadly, it was shut so his craving had to go unfulfilled... Happily, a kind and alert newspaper delivery driver spotted him peering through the windows (he must have been rubbing his eyes in disbelief!) and was able to find out, from Max, where he lived.

James Brown, the delivery man, took him straight back home.  Unable to wake his parents, the police were called and little Max was returned safely to his bed.  What an extraordinary insight into the mind and abilities of a determined three-year-old! How many parents will have been set wondering and worrying about exactly what goes on in the minds of their little offspring? 

how do you shop?

Are you an impulse buyer?  Or, do you decide - in advance - exactly what you want before you set-out on a shopping trip?  I used to be a terrible fashion junkie but I think I'm improving... I still love bargain-hunting and find it much more satisfying when I know I have got a good deal that will become a wardrobe staple; an item that will give me pleasure every time I wear it, rather than make me feel twinges of guilt whenever I look at it hanging there - unloved and unworn.

It's curious though now, isn't it, that the seasons have less of an impact, for most of us, on the way we shop and how we plan/organise our wardrobes... Take today for example: here, on the edge of London, it's been snowing and feels freeezing...yet, it's nearly April. If there's less of a dividing-line between seasons, then, I guess, all the more  reason for 'investment' dressing. Fewer, better quality items that will endure and make us smile with every wear... 

Yet... that seems to be going against current trends for throw-away fashion.  Perhaps the best thing is to find a balance between the two, with a few inexpensive high fashion items to update your look, combined with quality staples.  The questions I try to ask myself when bargain shopping is: Am I buying it just because it's  cheap or would I want it at the higher price?  Does it add anything to my wardrobe? Will it just end up in my charity bag?

For a while, I've had a real yearning to buy a beautifully-cut, simple, single-breasted black waistcoat to wear with jeans and a tee shirt or nice shirt, even with a pretty summer dress... Can I find one?  Easier said than done...  Everything I've found so far, on my fashion forays, is too fussy, not so versatile, so I haven't succumbed.  I'll keep looking though and report back if I find it!