Suzy Q goes (gasp!) factory shopping...

Now honestly girls (and guy) I was seriously not born to shop. Give me the wide open spaces and deep blue seas, but please, don't leave me in a shopping mall. To this end, I am, as a mother, a deep disappointment to the young Misses SQ, to whom shopping is a full time occupation, if not a religion. Ditto my dear sisters-in-law. At least Mr SQ should be happy to have acquired such a cheap date. At best, I'm skidding down the aisles of Pick 'n' Pay for my weekly Handy Andy and fresh milk fix and trying to stretch the mincemeat with stale breadcrumbs, at worst, buying a new pair of broeks once a decade at Woolly's. And for the rest, if it's sheets or lampshades or tackies we need, if Woolly's doesn't stock it, we don't need it.

Speaking of Woolly's, I've had a few queries from curious readers as to where I get to wine and dine for under R65, since my comment about the rather pricy Waterford wine tasting we did in my blog entry "Adventures into the Hinterland etc Part 1". Ok, so I gotta tell, since you've been so good about following me. When a serious shopping spree is required of me (ie. my credit card has to be handy) we head for the VnA Waterfront. At least there I can step outside and breathe deep of the fresh air and see my beloved mountain and ocean, when the music blaring from boutiques gets too much for me, and we STILL can't find pants in the perfect shade of blue. Then, my next best trick is to take refuge at the Woolly's Wine and Tapas Bar. Aaah, the view from my stool overlooking the harbour is one of my favourite places on earth. The decor is stylish and sexy, and the staff are really friendly and efficient. And here, Suzy Q dines on either a wholesome chicken and avocado, or trout and caper salad, which just happen to come with a complimentary glass of ice cold Darling Sauvignon Blanc, all for the princely sum of, wait for it, and don't faint, R55!! It's not actually on the menu, all you need to do is ask, but sadly I hear that they are changing the tapas menu soon, so hurry folks. I'd like to put a picture in here for you, but strangely, I can't trawl one up from the Net, nor can Woolly's provide me with one, even though I have dear friends in high places there. (This in an age when you can get a picture of the greater spotted leopard toad atop the Himalayas) so I shall have to trot down there to take one (all in the interests of research) for you asap.  

BUT, I digress, as usual. I promised to share some of my party planning experiences with you. We needed loads of candles and swathes of fabric, the cheaper the better, to create a canopy for our outdoor altar, and to tie lots of bows around trees and pillars and anything that would stand still for long enough. So, living in the vicinity of Spotty Dog and all the factory shops in that area of Retreat, I donned my doek and dark glasses and set off in search of said items. As luck would have it, I got everything I needed in Honeywell Road, with the two requisite shops being right next door to each other, and had fun making my purchases.

The Candle Factory Shop stocks an amazing range of candles, candle holders, and decorative items as well as an interesting selection of paper napkins. (Far preferable to buy them here than at Wrap 'n' Pack over the road, as this is a cleaner, friendlier environment.) Now I know that Mummy always said that only the finest damask would do, but in some circumstances, a tasteful, arty paper napkin will do when there are guests aplenty. I do however, draw the line at paper plates. A gal has to maintain standards, when all around her they appear to be slipping! I had a ball buying lots of little bowls in which to place floating candles, and lanterns for our courtyard. While I seem to have spent a small fortune, my daughters assure me I got good value for money, so pop in when you can at 6 Honeywell Road, Retreat 021-7012101
www.thecandlefactoryshop.co.za

I did visit the Fresh Flower Factory shop there as well, but found it very bleak and uninspiring, with a motley selection of stems on offer. 

Right next door at no 6B Honeywell Road is a new fabric shop, Global Unique Fabrics Tel: 7019971 run by Shahied Cader and Aunty Yasmine. They couldn't have been more helpful or friendly, and I made a few return trips to buy yards upon yards of pink and white satin which did a perfect job for our needs at a mere R10 per metre. The fabrics are fascinating and they also stock good old fashioned stuff like knitting needles and wool. (Where were they when I scoured the city looking for those items when Knitting Club required them, as they were nowhere to be found and seemed to become relics destined for the museum?) They have a delightful display of ribbons and braids, and a wonderful wall of buttons. Such exciting stuff just makes Suzy Q want to curl up with her crochet hook and get creative...

Funny to think that back in my day, girls were taught to sew at school, (boys, including Julius Malema, were automatically assigned to woodwork) and we could all thread needles and do lazy daisy tray cloths, which I doubt very much girls today can do. But hey, they're all using their brains and setting off to conquer the world, lucky things! www.thecandlefactoryshop.co.za