Hi peeps!
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photo, vancouversun.com
There was no sewing done chez moi on Sunday, as the Hubs and I decided to go see the Chinese New Year Parade in Vancouver's Chinatown. We braved the bus...all 90 minutes and two transfers of it, though the Hubs was a little nauseous by the time we arrived. I have to sit down on the bus as I walk with a cane and can lose my balance, but he had to stand and was jostled around like a milkshake. I got some Gatorade into him and he started feeling better.
This is a photo of me just as the parade started. You can see the ornately decorated gate to Chinatown to the above right. The parade started with an ear-splitting barrage of firecrackers…almost 5 minutes long! That was a treat as fireworks have been banned where we live for years. The air was blue with smoke and some people closer started choking from the gunpowder(?).
These dragon dance guys were waiting for the parade to start. They usually walk further apart and make the dragon "dance" by moving the poles up and down, this way and that. There is another guy following who is banging on a metal drum on wheels. If there are a few dragons in a row, it can get deafening.
I wanted to show you how busy it was, there were throngs of people from every walk of life there. You can see that the parade stretches for blocks…and this photo was taken at about the half way point.
These teen girls did an intricate dance…fancy footwork with fans!!!!
Sorry this one is blurry…by the time I had turned my camera on(it has auto-shutoff), I only had a few short seconds to get the shot.
These ladies also did a lovely, artistic fan dance.
The lions here, in red and gold have 2 guys underneath them. When the front guy gets tired, he switches off with another guy walking behind.
The parade was so long that after about an hour we decided to go find somewhere to eat. After the parade winds up, there is no room anywhere to sit and have a meal.
We had Dim Sum-which is like a tasting menu and got 5 things to try…wish I had taken a picture, as it sure was tasty! Our favourites were the steamed BBQ pork buns…I could have had more. To be honest, I have had them before…but it that was about 20 years ago!!! YUMM!
I went to check out my favourite cookwear store and they were having a 25% off sale, but I managed to exit without a shopping bag full of neat things!
Just as I was leaving, the lions came up to do a blessing for prosperity in the New Year. They do it in front all of the stores in Chinatown and there is usually such a big crowd around that you can't see. I had ring-side seats, so to speak and managed to get a good shot.
Here I am at the gate again, as we were leaving. As you can see, the crowds of people had noticeably thinned out.
I did make one purchase though. The White Rabbit candy on the left was something my parents used to buy me when I was little. It is made out of sweetened condensed milk, has a chewy texture and each piece is individually wrapped in a layer of (edible)rice paper. I also bought about a cup's worth of Goji berries. They are very healthy and have a tart-fruit taste.
We had a really nice time but were so ready to go home. The buses were a lot less crowded, but the Hubs still had to offer his seat to an elderly person.
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Here's some deals I found on the web(links included):
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Woo-hoo! You can enter to win Craftsy's #Secret Stash contest here.
Contest runs till March 15, 2015
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| Any stash or sewing room welcome! |
Prizes include a box of secret stash goodies and a Craftsy class of your choice!
Accuquilt is offering 30% off 30 items till Feb. 28, 2015. No code needed.
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| Bow Tie Die Reg. $49.99, now only $34.99! |
Fons & Porter are having a 20% off Customer Appreciation Sale!
Code is: FPSAVE20
Ends Feb. 26, 2015
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| Sister's Together Kit, reg $109.99, now 20% off! |
Zulilly always has amazing sales going on, especially for Women's Plus-size clothing. I found this slimming tunic for $37.99(CA$)…reg. price $89.00(CA$). That is more than 40% off and I've seen dresses @ 70% off!
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| on sale for $37.99 CA$ |
And now for my Giveaway winner(s)…
I asked the Hubs to pick the winner(s) and so, the winner of the 8-piece fat quarter bundle from Sew Sister's Quilt Shop is:
GranChris!
I have sent her an email and hope to hear from her soon.
I decided to have a second prize winner as my blog has recently surpassed 100 followers via Bloglovin' and I thought that was something to celebrate!!!
The second prize winner is:
MMK!
I have sent a message and hope to be sending a little package of treats soon.
I would like to thank each and every one of you for commenting…there were so many great ideas mentioned and some I hadn't thought of too! Win, win!!!
Thanks for reading and have a great day!
Quilty Huggs,
Jacqueline
