Today is a good day. It was also my day off. They're probably related. The yarn to finish my little Colinette camisole arrived today. I'd sort of forgotten that I ordered it (less than a week ago, from Staffordshire), so when I saw the parcel on my doorstep, I thought with girlish glee, "Who could have sent me a present?". The yarn shop even included a card detailing needles sizes across three different seasons. Adorable! That store, despite being in a different hemisphere, is becoming a real favorite of mine. I'd like to maintain that this purchase does not violate my resolution not to buy any yarn before going to Montreal because it was required to complete a project.

I even have buttons for the camisole now. I ran some errands on Tuesday (thanks to the CTA), including a trip to Soutache, a fabulous trim shop in Bucktown. There were a lot of beautiful things in the store and I had a delightful conversation with the owner. She and I are both travel shoppers. That is, shop for the local goods while you're traveling. That's why I inevitably come home with a suitcase full of yarn. So, I bought some amazing dichroic glass buttons for the sweater. Picture them (in this rather abstract pic) with the Lasso yarn above. Wow! There were a lot of other things that I'd love to have if I had a project for them. I bought a couple yards of French velvet ribbon for my bulky cabled berets. The ones that I was going to knit in England. Yeah, I haven't knit them yet, but plan to do so soon. When it's not so hot that my sweaty hands will felt the wool as I go.

I got my hair cut today, at the local fabulous Aveda salon. It was wonderful! I got a scalp massage and drank some herbal tea. It was very relaxing. Also, my hairdresser is very personable and my age, so we had pleasant banter. As tempting as it is to chop it all off in this oppressive heat, I went for a stacked bob. It angles up in the back, with a couple of layers for body. It's exactly what I wanted. I'm not going to be a cheapskate and go to the Institute anymore to get $15 haircuts. Look, I'm even smiling in this photo I took to illustrate the new look. When is a better time to do new pics than right after having your hair done? I'm always amazed at how much lighter the color appears when my hair is blown out compared to when it air dries. It almost makes me want to blow out my hair all the time. Alas, I want to keep my hearing.