The flurry of weddings this twelve months has gotten me thinking back to my own big day. I had a multi-layered dress with a big train. The bodice, sleeves and hem had Belgium lace. This was a classy dress, but not expensive. I think it might have cost me about $200. How come? I made it myself and yes, I have those skills.

A dress now cost upwards of $1,000 and counting. No, I couldn’t do the same thing now as there is so much glitter and lace, etc. Getting the raw product would be impossible, as it was not way back when. This brings me to the sad realization of how many shops have closed down in the years. Seriously, a person used to be able to go shopping in the city and score everything they needed for whatever project. With the advent of WalMart, this is no longer possible. We used to have Craft Canada and many other nifty suppliers of crafts, yarn, art supplies …. you name it. All long gone. All driven out of business by the interlopers, who promptly drop the lines they used to get rid of the competition. Our local Fabricland is gone, courtesy of WalMart. If I want to buy a zipper or buttons I have to go into the city as WalMart  no longer needs to carry these, having destroyed the competitor. Sigh. I can see a time coming when I will be doing all my buying on line because I want the selection.