Archives for January 2012 | Knitting & Purling Blog

Top ten twenty milestone events (in the life of Karina!) for 2011

2012

New Years Resolutions comic - healthy eating means wanting half a cupcake

This comic says it all... didn't it seem like 2011 was all about cupcakes?

Once again, Happy New Year!

Before officially ringing in 2012 (and by official, I mean an entire month late considering it’s already end of January… man, time sure goes by fast!), I wanted to summarize the major events that happened in my life during 2011.

Note: This post is part of my “Best of the Best Top Ten Lists” blog series. But as you can see… it somehow turned into a “Top 20″ list instead of 10 (only because there were too many events that had occured during 2011 to reduce the list to 10!).

Anyway, without further ado, here we go…

Top 20 events of 2011 - New Canon and Sony cameras and lenses

#1 New Cameras, Lenses & Filters… Oh My!
(January 2011 & December 2011)
2011 started with receiving my Boxing Day 2010 camera purchases in the mail: A) Canon EOS Rebel T1i DSLR camera kit (w/ 18-55mm zoom lens) from BestBuy.ca; B) Sony Alpha NEX-3 interchangeable camera kit (w/ 18-55mm zoom & 16mm wide-angle lenses) + camera filters from Henrys.ca
In January, I bought a Canon 75-300mm telephoto lens at J&R while traveling to NYC
For Boxing Day 2011, I bought a 33mm macro lens for my Sony Alpha NEX-3 camera, on sale at Vistek.ca

#2 Vogue Knitting LIVE! Convention in New York
(January 21-23, 2011)
I spent much of 2010 waiting for “The Ultimate Knitting EVENT from the Ultimate Knitting Magazine“… and it finally came in January 2011
I’m talking about attending the 1st ever Vogue Knitting LIVE! in NYC
Highlights include: A) Getting my “Vogue Knitting Knitopedia: The Ultimate A to Z for Knitters” book autographed; B) Meeting Knitterati-member Nicky Epstein; C) Buying more yarn than I could stuff in my carry-on (It’s true, I had to FedEx a box home!); D) Getting tips on designing my own knitwear & learning about different yarn fibers

Top 20 events of 2011 - Voge Knitting LIVE! convention in New York City

Top 20 events of 2011 - Watching Billie Joe Armstrong star in American Idiot Broadway musical

#3 Watching Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong Star as St. Jimmy in American Idiot Broadway Musical
(January 21, 2011)
While in New York for the Vogue Knitting LIVE! convention in January, we were lucky enough to be able to catch Green Day‘s front man Billie Joe Armstrong actually star in American Idiot The Musical, during his month-long stint playing St. Jimmy
We were also lucky enough to accidentally stumble upon him signing autographs outside the theater (watch video here)

#4 2011: The Year Google’s Panda Algorithm Update Changed the Landscape of Search
(The world changed after February 24, 2011)
As someone working in the Search Engine Optimization field, the year 2011 was most definitely a roller coaster ride… dominated by a giant black & white endangered animal that feasts exclusively on bamboo
The Google Panda algorithm update made its arrival in the U.S. after February 24th & would later hit other English-speaking countries April 11th
Regular Panda updates continued every 6 weeks or so all through 2011

Top 20 events of 2011 - Google Panda algorithm update

Top 20 events of 2011 - Rainbow color yarn

#5 Buying Rainbow Colored Yarn of All Fibers
(January to March, 2011)
After receiving a chullo hat & fingerless gloves knitting book from my mother-in-law for Christmas 2010, I became obsessed with knitting winter accessories… and teaching myself how to create my own custom-designed knitwear
It was during early 2011 when I came up with the idea of creating my own Hand Knitted SEO/HTML Geek Wear, to sell online through this site
This led to me being obsessed with the idea of buying yarn of all fiber types (merino wool, alpaca, organic cotton… oh my!) in every single color of the rainbow. I’m talking pinks, reds, oranges, yellows, greens, blues & purples

#6 Goodbye, Long Locks… Hello, New Short Bob Haircut From My New Fave Hair Stylist
(May 2011)
Before 2011, I can’t remember when I last had short hair
I started growing it long prior to my May 12th, 2010 wedding… but kept it long a year later (b/c I was cheap & lazy)
In May, I made an impromptu decision to abandon going to my regular salon & instead went back to trying Toni & Guy
Although I went with a random stylist, the guy became the best I’ve ever had (he knew exactly how to cut my hair based on how it naturally sat on my head). And what did I get? A spontaneous short bob haircut!
I tried finding him last month for haircut #2 of 2011, but turns out he had quit to start his own salon. Went to the new place & had him cut my hair in the same style as before. It looks equally great. So yay, he’s a keeper!

Top 20 events of 2011 - New short bob hair style

Top 20 events of 2011 - New Sony VAIO laptop computer

#7 Upgraded to New Sony VAIO Laptop Computer
(May 2011)
Also in May, I finally bit the bullet & threw away my previously beloved (but wonky) Spring Green colored Dell Inspiron notebook computer (it had a faulty monitor connection & wouldn’t load half the time)
When I noticed a sale on Sony VAIO E Series laptops at Best Buy? I made the decision to buy it… in electric blue
I’ve been using my trusty new Sony VAIO as my go-to, regular home computer since then & I gotta say… Most definitely infatuated with it!

#8 Made the Switch from iPhone to Android & Never, Ever Looked Back
(July 21, 2011)
I’ve had my iPhone 3GS for a while before one fine day in June and BAM! This happened: 1) I lost it by leaving it at a restaurant; 2) One of the staffers took it, then lied about doing so when I went back & inquired
Luckily, the (read: super cheap, under-the-table) phone plan I was on allowed me to get a new smartphone by renewing my contract in July
After consulting with friends, family & people at work, I ended up waiting patiently until nearly end of July so I could purchase the Samsung Galaxy S II 4G the day it was released on Bell Mobility
I gotta say, I love my new Android phone & wouldn’t go back to an iPhone even if you gave me the choice for free! Plus, it doesn’t hurt that Samsung phones are hot. And by hot? I mean sexy.

Top 20 events of 2011 - New Sumsung Galaxy S2 Android smartphone

#9 1st Comes Marriage, Then Comes a New House…
(May 2011 & August 2011)
My husband and I are pros at renting apartments (together as a couple we’ve lived in 5 different rentals!)
In the middle of our 1-year lease at the last apartment, there was an uproar involving the landlord. They threatened to evict us “as long as we get 2 months notice” (which was NOT true)
We decided to be proactive & move out by the end of our lease in August before they forced us out on their terms
We also decided the time was right to buy property. Our tiff with the landlord at the last condo really soured us on the idea of renting. Plus, we had just celebrated our 1 year wedding anniversary, and what comes next after marriage except our very own house?
We started house hunting in May & found the perfect townhouse immediately! Without a doubt, 2011 will forever be remembered as the year we bought our house.

#10 …Then Comes Living in Debt Thanks to a Mortgage on That New House!
(August 2011)
Guess what comes along with buying a brand new house? A brand spankin’ new mortgage loan, that’s what!
Lawyer fees, land transfer taxes, property taxes & maintenance fees aside… it’s good to know that at the end of the day, the money spent throughout this whole house-purchasing process (& money that we’ll continue to spend for years to come) is at least all going towards paying off our house debts

Top 20 events of 2011 - New mortgage debt

Top 20 events of 2011 - House painting fun

#11 House Painting Fun, Fun, Fun!
(August 2011)
>The best part about buying a house vs. renting a condo? You’re free to decorate it however you like! As someone who lives and breathes arts & crafts, I was jumping at the chance to get to work decorating it.
That’s right. I hoarded paint swatches from Home Depot. I clipped pictures of rooms I liked from storage organization/home decor magazines. I made “to-scale” floor plans for each room in the house & where to put the furniture. I literally had a sketchbook of ideas on how to decorate the crap out of the new house… before we even got the place.
At the end of the day, I didn’t really have to do much in terms of decorating the house outside of painting the rooms (since the previous owner had bought it just to completely reno it from top-to-bottom & flip it for profit). But man, did I have fun painting! Let’s just say there were 5 rooms that ended up getting painted & I used 5 different colors of paint!

#12 Furniture Shopping? Even MORE Fun!
(Summer 2011)
Guess what also comes along with buying a brand new house? Shopping for brand spankin’ new furniture, that’s what!
Yes, my husband and I have lived in our share of apartments so most of our furniture had already been purchased. But we’ve never lived in anything bigger than a 2 bedroom apartment! And going from a max. 1080 sq. ft. condo to a 3+1 bedroom 3 storey house? There were definitely additional furniture items needed to bought!
Let’s just say during 2011, I discovered the inner furniture shopaholic in me. I could NOT avoid the neighborhood Urban Barn Outlet, was constantly at Structube & scoured every Toronto indie furniture store in search of custom upholstered sofas & armchairs.
It took me several months to amass everything, but at the end of the day I’d say I’m quite pleased with the furniture pieces that I ended up with!

Top 20 events of 2011 - New furniture shopping

Top 20 events of 2011 - Custom built dream walk-in closet

#13 Turning the Smallest Bedroom into a Custom Built, Dream Walk-in Closet
(August 2011)
Every girl dreams of their perfect, walk-in closet… one that’s the size of an entire bedroom (Hello? Remember the walk-in closet Mr. Big had custom built for Carrie in the 1st Sex and the City movie?). Well, that dream became a reality for me when we moved into our new house.
Back in August when we were about to move in, my dad (being the super awesome handyman that he is) followed my requests to the letter and transformed our smallest bedroom into my ideal, personalized walk-in closet. I’m talking a full wall-to-wall, floor-to-bottom set of PAX wardrobes from IKEA on one side of the room, facing a wall covered top-to-bottom with rows and rows of shelving to house my numerous pairs of shoes and boots. Can we say, heavenly bliss?

#14 Discovered Newfound Rubber Ducky Obsession
(August 2011)
I have no idea where it came from (seriously, this is completely from left field), but I’ve developed a newfound obsession with rubber duckies
It all started when decorating our main floor bathroom in the new house, and I made a spontaneous decision to have the decor revolve around a rubber ducky theme. I’m talking framed scrapbook prints of rubber ducky patterns on the wall, rubber ducky wall decal stickers, rubber ducky hand towels, rubber ducky lotion & soap pumps, plus a current grand total of TWENTY FIVE rubber duckies just, y’know, sittin’ around.
Yuppers. Just call me the rubber ducky hoarder!

Top 20 events of 2011 - New rubber ducky obsession

Top 20 events of 2011 - Food Network channel TV shows

#15 Became Obsessed with the Food Network TV Channel… and Watching It Nonstop While Cooking!
(Starting August 2011)
When we moved into our new house, we were able to enjoy the perks of free access to channels available through Rogers’ VIP digital TV package
OK, so it’s not technically free… it’s actually included as part of our townhouse maintenance fees. But they gave us 3 free boxes!And you know what that means? That’s right. I gots me a brand new flat screen Samsung TV to mount on my kitchen wall… and in white, to match!
As if the new kitchen and its brand new cabinets and fixtures and appliances didn’t make cooking in the new house completely awesome to begin with. Add in the brand new pivoting TV and free access to the Canadian Food Network TV channel? Pure cooking bliss.

#16 Expanded My Pet Bunny Clan to Two
(August 27, 2011)
My husband and I may not have kids (yet!), but we’re currently content with our close knit family that consists of pet bunnies.
We’ve had 2 Mini Rex bunnies before, but both have since passed. In September 2010, we adopted a gorgeous charcoal-colored Netherlands Dwarf rabbit. She looked like a koala, so I named her “The Koala Bunny“… much to my husband’s chagrin. To this day he refuses to acknowledge that was ever her name. She’s now referred to fondly as “The Chicken“… because, well, she clucks! It’s funny, because our old Mini Rex bunnies used to honk like geese, I swear.
Anyway, this relates to 2011 because after moving into our new house, we decided to seek a soul mate for “The Chicken” (because bunnies don’t cope well on their own… they’re social creatures!).
I’ve always longed for a floppy-eared Holland Lop rabbit, one that’s brown with a dark nose. I finally found the perfect dream bunny and we welcomed him into our family on August 27, 2011. This one isn’t “pretty” like the other one (he’s more scrappy looking, a bit scrungy). But he is absolutely beyond adorable because he looks (and acts!) exactly like a perpetually enthusiastic and energetic puppy dog. Which is why he’s officially named “The Puppy.” And boy, do we love him!
So now, our little family of 4 is complete.

Top 20 events of 2011 - Intro to sewing classes

#17 Used a Groupon for Intro to Sewing Classes
(September 2011)
At the end of 2010, I purchased a Groupon for 50% off an 8-Week-Long Introductory Sewing course. However, it wasn’t until September 2011 (when the coupon was about to expire) before I put it to good use
I’ve had previous experience with sewing before (in Family Studies class at school & having been taught by my mom when I was young), but I definitely needed a major refresher
I learned quite a lot! It definitely sparked something inside of me to want to continue learning how to sew. So at the end of the day, 2011 will go down in my books as the year I fell in love with sewing again.
Plus, the best part to learning how to sew? Hands down, shopping for fabrics. Especially at Mood Designer Fabrics in New York, the official fabric store for Project Runway… one of my fave TV shows of all time!

#18 Started New KnittingNPurling Etsy Store
(September 28, 2011)
Starting in September, I finally got around to starting up a brand new store on Etsy called KnittingNPurling, where I intend to exclusively sell “handmade geeky gifts for computer nerds“
Currently, you can purchase: 1) gold or silver wire wrapped name necklaces with “geekery” words written in cursive letters, 2) computer keyboard keys & lampwork glass beaded earrings, and 3) computer keyboard keys & chunky layered button rose rings
More items are planned for the near future, including lots of SEO/HTML themed custom knitted geek wear… so stay tuned! And if you’re on Etsy, please feel free to add me to your circles. Cheers.

Top 20 events of 2011 - Handmade computer keyboard jewelry at my KnittingNPurling Etsy store

Top 20 events of 2011 - Toronto Bead Fair and One of a Kind Show

#19 Hi, My Name is Karina and I’m a Bead Hoarder
(Bead Fair in November & OOAK Show in December 2011)
When I restarted Etsy in September, I also rediscovered my love of volunteer group of people who share an abiding love of, and enthusiasm for, beads, beadwork, and related jewelry-making skills.” Sounds like me!
I also attended the twice yearly 2011 Fall Bead & Jewelry Fair in November. It wasn’t a big shindig, but the smorgasbord of beads available (including my coveted handmade lampwork beads by local artisans) made the show to die for. And I got to network with other bead lovers!
Lastly, I made my requisite pit stop at the Christmas Toronto One of a Kind Show, where I got the chance to both buy AND meet up with additional bead connoisseurs. 2011 was definitely a good craft year!

#20 Back From My Longest Hiatus From Blogging (With a Vengeance!)
(December 6, 2011)
I’ve been known to go in on long breaks between blogging (there’s just so much going on in my life all the time that I can never find the time to devote to blogging!) However, the break that elapsed between the last blog post I had written on April 24th, pre-hiatus… vs. the comeback post I had written on December 6th? That was SEVEN months long! Ouch.
Well, just wanted to say I want to end that trend of going on hiatus now that 2011 has come to a close. I’m refreshed. I’ve got the new house, and everything has settled down in my life. So I’m ready to tackle maintaining this Knitting & Purling blog… with a vengeance!
Hopefully you’ll keep returning back to read more of my posts. Cheers and much thanks in advance if you do. XOXO, Karina

Top 20 events of 2011 - Restarting my Knitting and Purling blog (after a 7-month hiatus)

Filed Under: Jewelry Making Tagged With: Crafts, Entertainment, Events, Exclusive Reviews, Food, Home Decorating, Homemaking, Life, Photography, Random, Technology, TV, Work

Deep discounts on art supplies & a hand painted yarn dream (Finale to my 2-part Boxing Day 2011 shopping experience blog series)

2012

Deep Discounts on Art Supplies

Canadian-based art supply store DeSerres had a 20% off everything Boxing Day sale this year!

This year, I discovered the awesomeness that is DeSerres.

They’re a Canadian arts & crafts store offering everything from sketchbooks, oil & acrylic paints, easels and canvases for the pro artist, to scrapbooking paper, decorative stickers, photo albums and rubber stamps for the hobby crafter.

Similar to Curry’s (another awesome Canadian-based art store!), but with a bigger selection of craft products (i.e. not focused on supplies meant exclusively for art students).

Anyway, over Boxing Day (and the 27th), DeSerres had an amazing sale of 20% off the lowest ticketed price for everything in-store!

That’s right. Everything. Let’s just say I went bananas and practically bought out the entire store. My creative juices were flowing all over the place, it was so much fun going on a free-for-all shopping spree for arts and craft supplies… without having to analyze every sticker price and restricting myself to only buying whatever was currently on sale that week (much like I would during a regular visit to Michaels). Yay for arts & crafts!

A Hand Painted Yarn Dream

Rowan Winter Drift knitting brochure book cover image

The Rowan "Winter Drift" knitting pattern brochure book that I picked up at the Boxing Day sale

Every year on December 27th (i.e. the day after Boxing Day), my favorite Toronto yarn store Romni Wools holds their biggest annual sale of 25% off all yarn purchases. That’s right. That’s TWENTY-FIVE PERCENT off everything!

For the last 3 years, I’ve made it my mission to attend the sale… and this year was no different. Last year I went crazy buying Cascade 220 Heathers yarn in anticipation of spending 2011 working on my Vogue Knitting Stitch-a-Day 2011 Calendar quilt knitting project. Needless to say, that project never really got running beyond the initial kick-start in January… whoops?

This year, I went into the sale without a clue on what I wanted to get… just something pretty.

My first plan of attack? Heading straight for the store’s vast selection of knitting pattern magazines and books. After flipping through a few Rowan knitting pattern pattern brochure books (Which I adore! Mmmm…), I fell head over heels in love with a knitting pattern for the PERFECT soft and cozy, but stylishly chunky, cardigan sweater.

I’m talking about the “Cradle” collared cardigan with cable detail by Marie Wallin, taken from the 2010 “Winter Drift” (featuring “15 designs for women and men using Rowan Drift & Big Wool by the Rowan Design Team“).

Cradle cardigan knitting pattern by Marie Wallin from Winter Drift Rowan brochure book

I fell in love with this "Cradle" cardigan knitting pattern by Marie Wallin, taken from the "Winter Drift" Rowan knitting brochure

Now that I had my knitting pattern picked out, I started circling the inside of the store and going down each and every aisle… multiple times! But in the end, I found myself drawn back to the classics that I knew and loved so much before.

A Girl's Love Affair with Misti Alpaca hand painted yarns

This girl? Why, she's in love with Misti Alpaca's line of hand painted yarns!

Up to this point, I have yet to find a yarn brand that I loved more than Misti Alpaca. And I’m speaking from 15 years of yarn buying experience!

Misti Alpaca Qolla Chunky hand painted yarn (knitted swatches collage image)

Sample swatches knitted in different colors of Misti Alpaca's Qolla Chunky hand painted yarn

With its roots originating from the base of the Misti Volcano in Arequipa, Peru (Peru being home to the world’s best alpaca yarns, of course!), Misti Alpaca‘s high quality alpaca and alpaca-blend yarns are simply GORGEOUS.

Why are they better than the rest, you ask? Because of the way the yarn fibers are lovingly hand-painted, with each hank dyed to be uniquely different… even from other hanks of the same lot # and color series!

Current knitting project - Nicky Epstein Cardigan with Cabled Points

My current knitting project du jour? Nicky Epstein's Cardigan with Cabled Points, knitted using Misti Alpaca's Hand Paint Chunky yarn in Winter Queen!

I’ve purchased my fair share of Misti Alpaca yarn in the past (I’m currently knitting Nicky Epstein‘s “Cardigan with Cabled Points” from her “Knitting Beyond The Edge” book using Misti Alpaca’s Hand Paint Chunky yarn and it is simply divine. Mmm…), so I know based on experience that you can’t go wrong with their yarn. However, since each hank is so unique and individually hand-painted… they don’t come cheap! And that’s why Boxing Day is the perfect time to shop for Misti Alpaca yarn.

Misti Alpaca Qolla Chunky yarn - QC02 Gabriela color knitted swatch

Square swatch knitted in QC02 Gabriela color of Misti Alpaca Qolla Chunky hand painted yarn

Anyway, seeing how 2011 was the year I fell in love with the color purple, I was immediately drawn to Misti Alpaca’s Qolla Chunky yarn (20% baby alpaca/80% Merino wool) in QC02 Gabriela color.

This variegated color yarn cycles through beautiful shades of purples and greens (trust me, the colors are more subtle and WAY more pretty when viewing the yarn in person than based on this picture).

I knew immediately this yarn was what I wanted to use for my upcoming “Cradle” cardigan knitting project!

Other yarn purchases that I made during the Boxing Day sale? Well, I basically cleaned out the store’s entire stock of Debbie Bliss Rialto 4ply yarn in 020 Purple color.

Debbie Bliss Rialto 4ply Merino wool super fine superwash yarn (020 Purple color)

Debbie Bliss' Rialto 4ply yarn in 020 Purple color

Again, with the purple this year! And Debbie Bliss yarn? Excuse me while I swoon!

You can always trust Debbie Bliss to put out a fabulous and practical yarn… and this Italian-made, 100% Merino wool extra fine superwash yarn is no different. It’s delicate, pretty and soft… but machine-washable. Can’t go wrong with that!

Lastly, I also pretty much cleared out the store’s entire stock of Rowan Purelife Organic Cotton Naturally Dyed yarn in shade #985 Lipstick Tree color (i.e. sort of like a light peachy/coral pink color).

Rowan Purelife Organic Cotton Naturally Dyed yarn (985 Lipstick Tree color)

Rowan's Purelife Organic Cotton Naturally Dyed yarn in 985 Lipstick Tree color

Once again, the color is gorgeous (I know, I’ve used that word already in this blog post in describing yarn… but there really is no other word that would do it justice!)… it kind of matches the color theme of this Knitting & Purling blog!

And while I normally would shy away from cotton yarns when knitting (I’m definitely more comfortable knitting with animal fibers like Merino wool or alpaca than cotton)… something about the softness of this yarn and the elegantly subtle color shade drew me in.

I have yet to decide on what to knit with both the Debbie Bliss Rialto 4ply and the Rowan Purelife yarns (more than likely I’ll just end up knitting a couple cardigans with those yarns… because I sure do love knitting cardigans!), but I’ll definitely keep you posted!

Image sources: Boxing Day comic courtesy of ClearlyACliffhanger.Blogspot.com. DeSerres Boxing Day sale ad image courtesy of DeSerres.ca. “Winter Drift” Rowan knitting pattern brochure booklet cover image & “Cradle” cardigan images courtesy of KnitRowan.com. Both images depicting sample swatches of Misti Alpaca’s Qolla Chunky yarn courtesy of MistiAlpaca.com. Image of Debbie Bliss’ Rialto 4ply yarn in 020 Purple color courtesy of BlackSheepWools.com. Image of Rowan’s Purelife Organic Cotton Naturally Dyed yarn in Lipstick Tree color courtesy of YarnCountry.com.

Filed Under: Knitting & Purling Blog Tagged With: Crafts, Exclusive Reviews, Frugal, Holidays, Knitting, Random

A nightmare at Best Buy (Part 1 in 2-part blog series on my Boxing Day 2011 shopping experience)

2012

1 Comment

Cyanide and Happiness comic - Happy New Year

Happy New Year, everyone! Here's to hoping the Mayans were wrong and the world doesn't end...

Let me start off by saying Happy New Year, everyone!

Not sure about you, but I had an amazing holiday. Ironically, I didn’t travel to anywhere or did anything beyond vegging out with my husband in our new house.

So why was it so amazing? Because for the first time in years, I actually had vacation days available to take during the Christmas break!

Usually I would use up my vacay days long before December rolls around by going on some trip or another each year. But this year? Thanks to buying the new house, we were freshly in debt and not exactly interested in traveling. Which translated to getting 10 days off from work in a row! Oh happy day (or, well, 10) for Karina.

Anyway, I’ve got a bunch of blog posts in the works for the new year… but just wanted to start off with a 2-part blog series documenting my Boxing Day 2011 shopping experience. First up? Shopping for a camera lens!

A Nightmare at Best Buy

Boxing Week 2011 - A Nightmare at Best Buy So ever since I bought my Canon EOS Rebel T1i DSLR camera the previous year during Boxing Week at BestBuy.ca, I’ve been keeping my eyes on purchasing Canon lenses to use with the camera. In particular, I really had my eye on the Canon EF 50mm f1.8 II lens.

I did a lot of research last year during Boxing Week 2010, and the lowest price I could find for the lens (with availability in Canada) was $99.99. However, since I didn’t buy the Canon camera until Christmas Day (online via BestBuy.ca)… I didn’t really start searching for the lens until late into Boxing Week sales. Basically I lost out on being able to buy the lens at that lowest price, and if I had really wanted to purchase it at the time I would’ve had to fork over at least $119.99 Canadian (which, of course, I didn’t because I was cheap!).

Anyway, fast forward a year to present day, and I started noticing the same Canon EF 50mm lens (nicknamed the Nifty Fifty and the Plastic Fantastic due to its “low price but sharp optical quality“) popping up all over the place for Boxing Week sales. Canon was also heavily promoting their camera lenses all throughout December on TV.

I discovered the lens was available at BestBuy.ca during Boxing Week only $89.99… that’s $10 less than the lowest price from the previous year!

Website screenshot image - Canon EF 50mm f1.8 II lens on sale for Boxing Week at Best Buy Canada

The Canon EF 50mm f1.8 II lens was on sale at BestBuy.ca for only $89.99 during Boxing Week (that's a $40 price drop from a regular price of $129.99!)

But, surprise surprise… I was once again late to the show and alas, it was sold out again online at BesBuy.ca when I went to buy it. Consider it some sort of curse.

I did more digging and found the same lens on sale during Boxing Week at FutureShop.ca for $10 more (i.e. at $99.99).

Website screenshot image - Canon EF 50mm f1.8 II lens on sale for Boxing Week at Future Shop

The same Canon lens on sale at FutureShop.ca for $99.99 during Boxing Week... that's $10 more expensive. Boo.

At the time when I checked, I believe they had only 4 units left. I figured even though it was $10 more at Future Shop than Best Buy, at least paying $99.99 for the lens would mean I’d be paying the same price as if I were to purchase it a year ago. Plus, I had been so good and resisted temptation for an entire year… I figured I might as well bite the bullet!

Well anyway, for some reason the fact that I took 10 glorious days away from work for my mini-vacay (filled with vegging at home with my hubby in the cozy comfort of our new house!) somehow translated to “me feeling suicidal” (don’t worry, I mean it strictly in the shopping-sense… not literally!). By which I mean, “Hey! Let’s go Boxing Day shopping ON THE ACTUAL DAY OF BOXING DAY! And not only that, LET’S HIT UP BEST BUY!”

Shoebox Blog comic - Boxing Day shopping pros and cons

Seriously, I've learned my lessons. NEVER EVER enter an electronics big box store on the actual day of Boxing Day (or Black Friday). EVER.

So while I had previously ranted against people who stood in line for Black Friday sales? Apparently I was hit by selective amnesia on December 26th.

True, we didn’t get up at the crack of dawn just to stand outside for hours (thank God, I didn’t lose ALL of my common sense!). But going to Best Buy? On the actual day of Boxing Day? Simply put, one word: Suicidal.

If there’s ever a day you want to shoplift at Best Buy in Canada? Do it on Boxing Day.
(Note: I’m completely kidding. Please don’t do this. I am in no way endorsing shoplifting.)

Let’s just say the alarms that would ring if you were to unplug the cameras or the computers in the store? They were all blasting at full-volume continuously without fail. And there weren’t anywhere CLOSE to enough staff available to attend to turning off those alarms. They also had crap thrown left, right, and center… with everything completely in disarray and not in their right place.

And if you wanted to buy something from the camera department? Doesn’t matter if it’s something as expensive as a DSLR camera or something as minor as my coveted Canon portrait lens… you had to stand in a separate line that’s in the middle of the store (i.e. separate from the cash lines by the front door).

The line would wind and curve around the aisles of the photo department… slowly progressing towards ONE SINGLE CASH REGISTER that’s standing next to a locked cabinet of camera products. And the line? It progresses slower than watching grass grow.

So of course, I stood in line because at that particular Best Buy location they actually had my Cannon EF 50mm lens in stock (I had inquired before standing in line, of course)… and available for the lowest sale price of $89.99!

At several points in time I considered abandoning the line… especially when it seemed to be unmoving most of the time. But each time that happened, the line inched forward a bit and I decided it would be a pity to leave after having stuck by it for so long. So, alas, I would continue being a sucker and stayed in line.

Canon EF 50mm f1.8 ii portrait lens (collage image)

Different views of my coveted Canon EF 50mm f1.8 II portrait lens

After what felt like two hours of lining up, I finally arrived at the cash register. And guess what? I got the very last unit of my coveted Canon lens at that particular store location. I kid you not. Someone 2 people ahead of me in line had bought the same lens… so I was literally THISCLOSE to have wasted all of that time in line for nothing. Thank God that wasn’t the case!

Well at least now I’ve officially learned my lesson. Never, ever, EVER go to an electronics big box store on the actual day (i.e. December 26th) of Boxing Week sales. That $10 that I saved? I mean it’s great and all that I was able to successfully purchase the lens at the lowest sale price… but it was completely and utterly not worth wasting 2 hours of my time. I could’ve earned way more in wages for that equivalent time period.

But for now? I’m going to pretend my Best Buy Boxing Day 2011 experience was a “special case” and an exception to the rule… just so I can justify it in my head in order to calm my sanity. (But truthfully, it really isn’t!)

On a final note, I still have to return the dang Canon lens that came in the mail from FutureShop.ca. Trust me, I won’t be doing that anytime soon! I don’t want to return back to an electronics big box store until well after the return lines die down… ’cause I just know they’ll be insane immediately after Christmas holidays.

Next up? The second part to my Boxing Day 2011 shopping experience. Read about the fun times that I had shopping for art supplies and hand-painted yarn (both at deep discounts!).

Image sources: Cyanide and Happiness New Year 2011 comic courtesy of Explosm.net. “A Nightmare at Best Buy” logo based on A Nightmare on Elm Street movie logo & Best Buy store logo, pieced together by Karina of KnittingandPurling.com. Best Buy website screenshot image courtesy of BestBuy.ca. Future Shop website screenshot image courtesy of FutureShop.ca. Chuck and Beans ~~Black Friday~~ (Correction: Boxing Day!) cartoon image courtesy of Shoebox blog. Canon EF 50mm f1.8 II lens collage image courtesy of DPReview.com.

Filed Under: Unboxings & Product Reviews Tagged With: Exclusive Reviews, Frugal, Holidays, Life, Photography, Random, Work

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