It's been just over two months since I resolved to save money by "shopping" in my closet (A.K.A. wearing my clothes over and over again... which I do anyways, but I tend to buy a new thing here and there every so often). This weekend I broke down... In a big way. I guess that's what shopping withdrawal does.
Actually... Scratch that.
That is what happens when my husband goes out of town on a golfing trip with his friends and I spend time with one of my closest and oldest friends at our old high school stomping grounds. The mall. Not the Mall located in downtown D.C. where all the museums are located, although that is gorgeous too. I'm talking about Montgomery Mall in Bethesda, Maryland, one of the Westfield Shopping Malls located throughout the area. And boy! That was a dangerous/fantastic time!
I had a list, which I stuck to for the most part, of only buying things I needed. Also, we both planned on going to the nail salon for mani/pedis. In other words, a perfect day was planned. This was my list of items I needed:
- A pair of flats (shoes) to replace the worn out ones I wore to work
- A pair of nude, patent leather pumps
- A pair of open-toed flats to replace the ones I wore all last summer, which will eventually wear out soon.
- A baking sheet from Crate and Barrel
- A small glass canister for Q-tips from Crate and Barrel.
Well, I actually did really well in sticking to that list. I realize the shoes would be expensive but I planned on scouring the stores for sales. I was able to bypass both of Nordstrom's ladies' shoes departments. Yep. I browsed through one department and resisted the urge to try anything on. Then I met my friend in the second floor shoe department and we also were able to bypass the allure of these cute Tory Burch flats and a pair of Michael Kors nude, patent leather, open-toed heels, which I could not take my eyes off of. I was on a self assured high from resisting the urge to try on and then buy right on the spot!
And then, I went into Nine West. Wouldn't you know it? They were having a sale. I mean like 30% to 60% off the lowest ticketed price sale! Who couldn't resist trying on a couple of pairs. So I found these two pairs of shoes, both on sale, which fit all my criteria. Of course I had to try them on!
I was amazed! I hit two of my list items and was on shopping cloud nine! But both of these shoes were in the neutral tones family. I guess my inner shopper, while satisfied with finding our list items, was hunkering for a bit more pizzazz.
Then I saw these. Purple, 2 inch heel (perfect for work!), and on sale. I didn't stand a chance!
Yes, I had to have them! But this was my only indiscretion and it was on SALE!!
So after my giddiness and shopper's high (I believe that is an actual phenomena, usually brought about by getting things for less than their original price. The more of a discount you get, the bigger the high) and found this great pair of open-toed, almost flat, short wedges, that fit my third shoe criteria on my list. Unfortunately, these were not on sale but they fit my list criteria and were oh-so-cute! I think oh-so-cute actually counts for a lot when you're shopping!
Oh yeah! I had to have these too. They were on the list after all!
Just to show I had some restraint, this is a pair below that I tried on but did not buy.
These shoes had so much promise and could have been my third pair! But sadly, they just are not as cute on as they are in the box. That open toe box is so small and oddly placed that it only showcases less than half your big toenail and a small part of your second toenail. So sad! My wallet was happy though.
With the shoe shopping indulgences over, we made our way over to Crate and Barrel. However, my friend discovered the Zara in the mall, which was a new addition since her last trip there. So of course we tried on a bunch of clothes, hated how most of them made our bodies looked (too short and too tight were the most prevalent reasons) but we both walked away with a nice blazer and I even got a cute tee shirt out of it!
On to Crate and Barrel. Before we could walk in, we saw this hubbub going on in the center of the mall. A whole line of people were crowding over something. Here's the sign that was in front of the line.
So apparently Stacey Freaking London was in my mall! How awesome is that? She and her stylists were there giving beauty and style tips as well as make-up makeovers! I cannot believe that: (1) I did not know this beforehand, or I would have suggested meeting up at the mall earlier for an opportunity to meet her (I went up to a security guard and had to ask him what the dillio was), and (2) that I basically missed out on this opportunity, as she was supposed to leave early and that line was going no where fast.
I satisfied myself by getting my two list items from Crate and Barrel. Just the essentials! But I died over their displays. How is it that furniture stores put things together that look amazing when they're not even in a real home? It's just an open space with a few furniture pieces and accessories. And somehow, I want to throw everything out of my condo and make it look like this store!
OK, maybe not the assorted pillow display, which looks really cool in the store but not so much in a home... But how amazing is that driftwood centerpiece? I guess that's the point of home stores. They draw you in by making you want your house to look like their displays.
So the lessons I learned throughout the day were to stick to my list items and make sure I know the next time Stacey London or some other fabulous fashion guru shows up at my local mall! Oh, and of course, a bit of cheating from my original "not shopping for a while" plan didn't hurt anyone. I didn't overspend or dip into any savings so I think I played it well.
Seriously though, if Stacey London comes to your neck of the woods, take advantage of it. It's an amazing opportunity to get style tips (even though you probably don't need them) and a makeover!
