I have been away a long time. There is a LOT that has been going on, which is the only reason I have left the blog for nine days. Most of it is for great reasons, but there is at least one sad reason for my absence. I wrote more about it at the bottom of the post since it is likely to be a few days before I am able to post again.
Okay, onto the sale. A few of us last week received a "early access" email to go to the Boden Preview site and check out the big sale (basically the clearance sale, but they don't call it that for a while) early. I did have a peek around, but chose not to buy anything because of the crazy busy I was experiencing. I normally would have mentioned it here, but again...
The sale is decent. I was surprised to see some of the items that I expected to have a greater percentage off have a smaller percentage off, and see items which I was sure would be reduced less reduced more. For instance, the Daisy Jacquard version
Anyhow, there will be second cuts eventually, so if something you love is not reduced enough, there is a chance it will be further reduced soon. But--and this is important--if your color is a popular color and it is selling out or in low stocks now, there is less likely a chance that it will be reduced by a huge amount in the second cuts. For instance, many colors of the Millie Skirt
Before you take a look around, there are quite a few reviews of these items at the most recent Boden Weekly Review Roundups. :-)
If you make the order early enough, and it comes from the PA warehouse, you will definitely receive it in time for Christmas. But, remember, some of these come from England, and while the shipping times have gotten better from across the pond, there are still times when the shipping is slow enough that Christmas delivery is not likely, so if you need something for Christmas, call and ask if your item will ship from PA or the UK.
Do you all have any picks? Would love to see them! Let us know if you have any in the comments section!
Below is the link to the sale, and below that is the "my life" update.
Okay...so my life right now (if you are interested):
1. I am subbing like a mad woman, I started last week and will continue into next week (the day before break starts is my last day). I am subbing in my son's class and while that is great and all, they are in second grade and RIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS. They are wearing me out. There are twenty-three of them and they are bright-eyed, bushy-tailed, and busy. BUSY! LOL. Wish me luck!
2. When I returned from Mississippi, I had to start and finish a major sewing project for the Fabric Mart blog. I had hoped to do it while in Mississippi, but unfortunately my mother-in-law's machine wasn't up to the task of handling such a challenging project, so I waited until I got home. But the project's delay meant all of my energy was devoted to that upon returning home. I will eventually publish the sewing project here, but the blog post is done over at their blog, so check it out if you would like to see it!
3. On Friday night I went onto Facebook and saw that a friend's wall had been written on by one of his friends with an "RIP, brother." This friend and I had reconnected in March (he was my first date ever and I was his, aww!) and we were very close. I spent many nights chatting with him on facebook and texting with him over the phone. It was SO easy to spend time with him virtually and we were making plans to go hiking with each other next weekend (the 20th).
So of course seeing that wall message sent me into a tailspin. I really hoped that it was a sick joke, and while highly inappropriate, at least it would be a JOKE. But then I went to that friend's facebook page and he had written more for his friends about my friend's passing, and it sunk in that it was real. My friend, W., was really gone. Suddenly, without notice, with such finality. I had to take a week off from messaging him (I last chatted with him on the 2nd) and on the 9th I wrote to him a quick apology note with a sticker message with foxes holding balloons hoping that he would see that and get back to me when he had a chance. He never did write back.
I am gutted. I spent all of yesterday attempting to process what happened. I cried a lot, I barely moved, I am unsure of what I should be feeling. I feel like I shouldn't be feeling the intensity of pain I am since I hadn't seen him for years and only reconnected with him recently, but then I vacillate wildly to the other side of thinking of course I am feeling pain...he was one of my best friends out there and he understood me in a way very few people do, and I think maybe I understood him in a way that kept him wanting to spend so much time with me, too. (You all thinking of my hubby, he was fine with my friendship, he knows how important my friends are, male or female.)
Then in addition to devastation, I am SO angry. Like really mad at him. Especially because his dad recently suffered a stroke and he texted and chatted with me multiple times that he had to be strong for his mom. Well his dad is still alive (thankfully recovering). And his mom is the one that found him in their basement (he did kill himself). I cannot even imagine what her pain is. All I know is my own love for my children and what I can imagine my pain would be if I had the same thing happen and it is so awful I have to stop myself after two seconds of that thought. I am SO mad at him for doing this to her.
But then I swirl back to he must have been in so much pain and in such a dark place himself that he couldn't process it and this was his only option. And that makes me so sad and angry at myself that I didn't do more to help him. I didn't know, true, since our conversations were always very fun and light-hearted, but hindsight has allowed me to reflect and he had moments where he let me know that times weren't great for him. But because all was peppered with humor and levity, I just assumed he was fine. I wish greatly I could have seen him and hiked with him before he took his life, and that is a selfish thing on my part. I don't think for a moment that a man in that sad of a place would have made a different decision, but what I would do to go back, be less busy, and see him one last time.
Anyhow, I am not sure of how I am going forward. All I know is that I am VERY SAD right now. I miss him so much. I obviously can't lose it fully since I have kids and a house and work and such, but I feel like I want to tell someone and since I know some of you have spent years on this blog with me, you would notice the lack of posting and you would notice my lack of happy.
If you are able, could you please say a prayer for his soul and for his family? I think both need it immensely right now. Thank you!
Okay, that's it for me. Thank you for continuing to read here. All of you blog friends me so much to me, and I really want you all to know that.
