It's well documented that I love shopping. In fact I love shopping so much I will happily go out penniless to look for something I'm not particularly interested in for someone else.
I am often called on to go clothes shopping with my friends to offer fashion advice which is somewhat baffling as on the whole I dress in jeans and T-shirts or pyjamas- not exactly on trend, stylish or in any way original. I just have a bit of an eye for what styles and colours suit other people.
Anyway, my friend who has just moved house has been hunting for a very particular type of armchair for her new home. It had to be squishy and comfortable, stylish, small enough to fit in the space available but large enough to curl up in.
She found one online in a sale at £350- but was looking for one similar without the same price tag or an 8 week wait for delivery.
I don't need an armchair but was quite happy to hitchhike along for the shopping experience.
First shop- no joy. This required the compulsory coffee stop of course.
Proper hard-core shoppers know you have to devote a whole day to shopping so you can shop, coffee, shop, snack, shop lunch, shop afternoon tea, shop, home. Or if you are with my DH- coffee while you decide where to have breakfast. Breakfast, shop (purchase choc covered Brazils to "keep him going"), coffee, shop, snack/coffee, stand in shop looking bored and ask about lunch. Lunch, home where madmumof7 shops online or plans proper useful shopping trip with friends.
Driving down the High Street my friend and I spotted Carluccio's amazing "coffee and a danish for £2" offer, screeched to a halt outside and dived in, trying to blend in with the ladies who lunch and yummy mummies.
What coffee? What blend? What Pastry?
My friend had what she described as the best apricot danish she has ever eaten and I slurped down creamy latte whilst trying to politely devour a raisin danish as big as my head whilst we browsed armchairs online on our phones.
Off to the next shop where we struck gold! An almost perfect armchair at the perfect price. Would it fit? Had we thought to measure the space? Of course not but using our amazing woman-powers we looked at a photo of her room and guessed.
We haggled the man down a bit more on price and decided to decline their delivery service. I told him we would pick it up. The man glance doubtfully at the car park out front having obviously seen us getting out of my tiny cabriolet. I assured him I had a bigger vehicle at my disposal.
Some car swapping was in order, and then I peered into the back of our Ford Galaxy wondering if in fact the rather large chair would actually fit.
DS2 gallantly removed a couple of seats which we had originally planned to just tip forward to be extra sure of success and off we went, back to the shop.
The man there looked at the chair, looked at the car and shook his head doubtfully. He called for another man, one wearing a high-viz jacket denoting his chair moving and delivering capabilities. He also looked at the car and the chair and shook his head. I protested that there was loads of room. Man 2 asked how many people were in the car. Did he think I had filled the 7 seats with people and was hoping to load the seat on the roof I wondered? I assured him "just us" and informed him that we had taken seats out. He asked how many seats.
Resisting the urge to punch him I assured him one more time through gritted teeth that I was sure it would fit, silently cursing myself for not actually measuring the darn space!
He summoned his underlings to carry the chair which seemed to be getting bigger in my eyes by the minute.
Well, what can I say - It FIT!
It in fact slid in easily with room to spare. I have never been so glad in my life to be right about something. We waved cheerily to the sulking men and headed back to my friends. Halfway back I had a nasty thought and asked my friend;
"It will fit through your front door won't it?"
I am often called on to go clothes shopping with my friends to offer fashion advice which is somewhat baffling as on the whole I dress in jeans and T-shirts or pyjamas- not exactly on trend, stylish or in any way original. I just have a bit of an eye for what styles and colours suit other people.
Anyway, my friend who has just moved house has been hunting for a very particular type of armchair for her new home. It had to be squishy and comfortable, stylish, small enough to fit in the space available but large enough to curl up in.
She found one online in a sale at £350- but was looking for one similar without the same price tag or an 8 week wait for delivery.
I don't need an armchair but was quite happy to hitchhike along for the shopping experience.
 |
| Carluccios Birmingham (Photo credit: House of Hall) |
Proper hard-core shoppers know you have to devote a whole day to shopping so you can shop, coffee, shop, snack, shop lunch, shop afternoon tea, shop, home. Or if you are with my DH- coffee while you decide where to have breakfast. Breakfast, shop (purchase choc covered Brazils to "keep him going"), coffee, shop, snack/coffee, stand in shop looking bored and ask about lunch. Lunch, home where madmumof7 shops online or plans proper useful shopping trip with friends.
Driving down the High Street my friend and I spotted Carluccio's amazing "coffee and a danish for £2" offer, screeched to a halt outside and dived in, trying to blend in with the ladies who lunch and yummy mummies.
What coffee? What blend? What Pastry?
My friend had what she described as the best apricot danish she has ever eaten and I slurped down creamy latte whilst trying to politely devour a raisin danish as big as my head whilst we browsed armchairs online on our phones.
 |
| would an armchair fit in here? |
We haggled the man down a bit more on price and decided to decline their delivery service. I told him we would pick it up. The man glance doubtfully at the car park out front having obviously seen us getting out of my tiny cabriolet. I assured him I had a bigger vehicle at my disposal.
Some car swapping was in order, and then I peered into the back of our Ford Galaxy wondering if in fact the rather large chair would actually fit.
DS2 gallantly removed a couple of seats which we had originally planned to just tip forward to be extra sure of success and off we went, back to the shop.
The man there looked at the chair, looked at the car and shook his head doubtfully. He called for another man, one wearing a high-viz jacket denoting his chair moving and delivering capabilities. He also looked at the car and the chair and shook his head. I protested that there was loads of room. Man 2 asked how many people were in the car. Did he think I had filled the 7 seats with people and was hoping to load the seat on the roof I wondered? I assured him "just us" and informed him that we had taken seats out. He asked how many seats.
Resisting the urge to punch him I assured him one more time through gritted teeth that I was sure it would fit, silently cursing myself for not actually measuring the darn space!
He summoned his underlings to carry the chair which seemed to be getting bigger in my eyes by the minute.
Well, what can I say - It FIT!
It in fact slid in easily with room to spare. I have never been so glad in my life to be right about something. We waved cheerily to the sulking men and headed back to my friends. Halfway back I had a nasty thought and asked my friend;
"It will fit through your front door won't it?"
