Impulse Buying on a rainy day

Yesterday dawned damp and misty, then gradually deteriorated.  Plans to do a pleasant 6 mile walk around English Bicknor and the Wye Valley were reluctantly shelved and we sat in our lounge, sipping tea and wondering what to do.

"Let's take the train to Cardiff," I suggested, "and buy new salt and pepper mills."  No, they were not to be the 'impulse buy', though I readily admit that a 90 minute round trip by train just to buy some modest tableware is pretty daft. But mum sends us £30 every year and it's nice to have something to show for it before Christmas Day. So Cardiff it was.

First stop, the Brewery Quarter ('How unlike us,' I hear you say) where there are several nice restaurants. We settled on Bella Italia, as I love Italian food and they had several 'Slimming World-friendly' dishes, including this beef ravioli. A bottle of Trebbiano, shared between us, wasn't so great for the diet, but would just about be OK if I behaved for the rest of the day (possible, but unlikely). Anyway, like the wine, I was feeling fresh and fruity.😃

Despite some well-deserved leg-pulling over Cardiff's Chinese Christmas Tree – the council thought they'd ordered a 40 metre one, but it was only 40 feet! – the city centre looked commendably festive.

I love a tempting bargain! (on the right;click to enlarge) 

I especially like these rows of little wooden sheds – so much nicer than the usual market stalls and perfect for rainy winter days. I spent ages exploring them...

... and at this one I succumbed – my impulse buy! Are not those Nepalese handbags just amazing? I bought two @ £16 each; one for me and one as a present for someone special. I love then because, with that patchwork of colours, they will match almost anything that I choose to wear. They're quite roomy too, but not so big that I'll lose things in their murky depths.

Only one thing left to get.  Now what was it?... Ah yes, the salt and pepper mills. I drew a blank at House of Fraser (reassuringly expensive, but rather ordinary-looking) and searched in vain for a kitchenware shop, but finally discovered this little beauty in John Lewis for £27 – a Cole & Mason combined salt and pepper mill. It's electric, rather stylish and looks better made than the clanky old Salter ones its replacing.

So, thanks to the mist and rain, Monday turned out to be quite an expensive day; well, expensive by my usually modest standards.  Two return rail fares £24, lunch at Bella Italia £40, two handbags £32, salt & pepper mill £27, coffees in Starbucks £5; total £128.

That will do until after Christmas, when – rain or shine – newly super-slim Angie plans to make the most of the New Year sales.  If you could see the way in which many of my old skirts and tops are literally falling off me, you'd agree that something must be done.