HAPPY SHOPPER...

Yesterday I made it to the much anticipated Orla Kiely sample sale in Brick Lane. There was masses and masses of stuff (the sale is still on today and tomorrow if you're around there.) The prices were still a bit high for me though - bags I expected to be marked down to £50 were more like £150. Sample sales used to be more of a secret affair and because of that or not, the prices were much, much lower in ye olden days. Now I find things more at ordinary sale price, not cost price. In any case the Orla Kiely sale was not really samples but excess stock from past seasons and as always I found a few little bargains: a mohair top (£40), a wallet (£12) and a silly sunhat with my favourite print (£10).

Not bad, actually. I love Orla's prints and I'm not the only one judging by the number of die hard Orla fans decked out in her clothes, already carrying one of her distinctive bags who were literally stockpiling stuff that I thought was way too expensive. And no sighting of my most wanted satin shift dress.
I have a hunch they might lower the prices again before the sale ends because there's so much stock, so if you're feeling lucky get down there tomorrow afternoon.

After a cup of tea at Story, Z and I checked out another sample sale just around the corner. Should have known, should have known. Claiming an impressive roster of designers from Marc Jacobs to Miu Miu to every bold face fashion brand you can think of, the penny should have dropped the moment we were asked for £1 to get in. We saw one pair of Marc Jacobs shoes amongst the dregs. But they did have loads of the lovely Mont St Michel knitwear (still too pricey) and my heart lifted when I saw a whopping great rail of Eley Kishimoto prints smiling at me. I was sure I'd get something but only the difficult to sell wacky and unwearable bits and pieces had found their way there, which obviously is what sample sales are for but sometimes a girl gets lucky. In fact they did also have recent Camilla Staerk samples at proper sample sale prices (like £25).

But the real reason we were hanging around Brick Lane yesterday evening was the Cheshire Street and Friends Late Christmas Shopping Evening. Quel bon idee!
Give me a mince pie and some mulled wine and my purse mysteriously empties itself of all that cumbersome cash. I do love Cheshire Street but usually when I'm over that way most of the shops are shut. (Some of them are only open on Friday and Saturday afternoons.) But last night store of Scandi goodness Mar Mar Co, utility chic Labour and Wait, Comfort Station and all the other wonderful little shops down there opened their doors until 9pm and fed and watered everyone from their big vats of mulled wine or hot cider and trays of home made mince pies.
I bought a lovely pair of earrings by Louise Kragh in Mar Mar Co and Z fell in love with this sugar shaker. At Shelf I bought some Christmas paper cut outs and the letter I for my collection. Yes I now own the letter I, kind of in a 'Happy Birthday' way so if you ever want to use it again please speak to my lawyers...

Also at Shelf there was a blog life and real life collision as we admired in person Camilla Engman's 'Listen' print and her calendar. Such a talented girl.

See, painless shopping and not an in-store Santa, tuneless carol singers or a packaged "The Ultimate Best Ever" anything in sight.
Tra la la.