Rain rain go away . . .

Thursday:  Sunny and 72 degrees
Friday:  Sunny and 80 degrees
Today:  Cloudy, thunderstorms and 80 degrees

Hello, spring in Nashville.

Bassam is on call and currently on his second trip to the hospital today.   I worked for a few hours this afternoon, but now am back home.  The kids have largely vegged out.  I'm told they did homework while I was gone, but I'm skeptical.  The Predators are on tv and there is no where I'd rather be than the couch.   Unfortunately, at some point I have to trek to the mall with Gracie to find shoes for her first middle school dance.

Going out shopping at the mall on a rainy evening, with a picky, yet indecisive tween?  Lucky me!

Ramblings . . .

So thankful to make it to another weekend even though the forecast includes a WINTERY MIX tomorrow.

Hello, it's April 6th.

HELLO, it's Nashville!

This is unacceptable.

Despite this, I have spring clothes on the brain.  Specifically I am in need of some cute short-sleeve shirts.  But as I've started to look around, I've noticed that crop tops have found their way back into vogue. And this mama does not wear crop tops.  Or tight shirts.   Or deep v-necks.

WHERE HAVE ALL THE CUTE TOPS GONE!???  I can't tell you exactly what they look like, but I will know them when I see them. 

Since I can't seem to find them and I don't like shopping for pants, I think I shall instead turn my attention to Zappos and look for sandals.   By the time they arrive, the wintery mix will be gone!

Say Yes to the Dress

The Father-Daughter dance is a couple weeks away and of course, Gracie needs a dress.    The good thing about having this dance in February is that Easter dresses are coming out, so all the holiday-party dresses are on sale.   Here are some other observations from Dress Hunt 2016 . . . .

1.   Dresses on sale also mean sizes are wildly picked over.
2.   My Facebook feed has been filled with Father-Daughter dance pictures the last few weeks, so if the holidays weren't enough to reduce the supply, the fact that all my smart mom friends at other schools were looking for dresses last month did.
3.  Gracie is between sizes.  Usually she can still wear an 8 in dresses.  Sometimes she needs a 10.   If you find something you really like in an 8, you can be sure that she needs a 10.
4.   There are a lot of really tacky dresses out there for girls.
5.  There are a lot of really age inappropriate dresses out there for girls.
6.  There are a lot dresses made out of what must be flammable material (think bad nightgown material).
7.   I might think a dress is "cute" and Gracie will inform me it is "too cute."  That means it is baby-ish.
8.  In the world of Gracie, anything that can be worn with cowboy boots is awesome.
9.  Out of the four dresses I brought home, we have two possible contenders.  Winner, winner chicken dinner!
10.  Neither can be worn with cowboy boots. 

Last year at the Father Daughter Dance (note: skirt on this dress may have been flammable)

Christmas gifts

This morning I saw Facebook post for a blog I sporatically follow and it asked how readers did Christmas gifts for their kids.   There were already over a 100 responses by the time I looked at it.  Some people stated they had a set amount to spend on each child.   Another group said they gave each child three gifts to represent the three gifts that baby Jesus got.   And a number of people admitted they don't really budget at all and tend to go overboard.

And then there was an idea I had never heard, but at least a dozen people chimed in to say that they do the same thing.  They said they give "something you want, something you need, something to wear, something to read."

I gotta tell you, I love it.  

While I have the skill of keeping a tight budget (honed over a number of years of not having much money!), I've gotten pretty lazy about it the last few years.   While I'm careful that my kids they same number of gifts, it doesn't mean I always the spend the same on each kid.  And that has worked out for us okay.  For example, Matthew got an iPad two years ago which obviously cost a boodle.  While his other gifts were far less expensive, it's safe to say we spent less on Gracie that year.  She didn't care, she was super happy with what she found under the tree.  

 

But when I'm honest with myself, it's almost always too much, especially when you consider the kids are blessed to have grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins who also shower them with gifts. 

While I've bought only a few things for the kids thus far, I've been thinking about how they might fit into the catagoies of "want, need, wear and read."   

 

How do you approach Christmas shopping for multiple kids? 

Over the overalls

Spring has finally sprung (which undoubtedly means summer will arrive in Nashville in 2 weeks), so I've been picking up a bit of warm-weather clothing when I've been out and about.   I must say, that I was surprised to see a blast from a past among the myriad of jeans, denim skirts and shorts. 

Overalls.    For grown ups.  Specifically, for women.  

And I'm not talking about shopping at the Farm and Fleet!  I'm talking about normal stores. . . and even high end stores.  Case in point this $168 pair from Free People.   I love distressed denim (much to the chagrin of my husband), but really . . . this is nuts!

Free People was not alone.  Nordstrom had a couple options for around $100. Macy's had some for $65.   Forever 21 had them in their windows, too.  Although somehow it didn't bother me as much there because they are known for carrying trendy, one-season clothes.   Plus, they were less than $30.   

But $30 is no reason to jump in.  Overalls are probably not flattering on 99% of the women in the world.  

Don't get me wrong, this trend has come and gone several  times since I was a teenager.   I remember a point in early high school longing for a pair of Guess overalls that many of the girls were wearing.   It never occurred to me that they were unflattering or that they looked like farmers (not that there is anything wrong with farmers!).  It may have something to do with the fact that those same girls wore them "tight rolled" at the ankles with flats and big hair.   Very un-farmer like.

While I missed out on the late 80's overalls trend, somewhere around 1997, I came in possession of a pair of cream corduroy overalls.  They were slightly oversized and I WORE THEM TO WORK (albeit I was a residence hall director at the time, there was hardly a dress code) with a fitted black shirt and black shoes.  What on earth was I thinking?!!??     It was a small, liberal arts school that had lots of artsy students, but I'm fairly certain I didn't look artsy. 

I don't know what happened to those, but around 2001 I had a pair of denim ones.  Clearly, some people never learn!  Once again, they were slightly oversized, but I remember wearing them with a black turtleneck to a basketball game at the college I worked at and one of the Public Safety officers asked when I was due.

Oh no he did not.  

Granted I was probably 20 pounds heavier than I am today, but it was not located in my belly.  Being tall, you have a slight advantage of stretching those extra pounds a bit. But pregnant?!?

Regardless, it's safe to say I did not wear those overalls again.   And I went about the business of losing close to 30 pounds. 

But just to show I still hadn't learned my lesson, overalls, specifically "capri-alls" came back in to style in Spring 2004 and found their way in to my closet once again.  The Gap said they were cute and I believed them.   Thankfully, there are no pictures of the capri-alls in question, but it was probably a good thing when the strap accidentally got caught in the dryer door and twisted so badly that it tore.  

In the end, there are a lot of people who look super cute in overalls.  And most of them are about this age . . .

But for those of us over 4 . . . and especially those of us closer to 40 . . . .we should probably just pass. 

Warming up to Christmas shopping?

The kids and I are having a fabulous Thanksgiving break.  I will tell you all about it this weekend, but in the meantime, I am happy to report I bought a Christmas gift today!  It's kind of a big deal for me since otherwise I have successfully dodged (okay, ignored!) the retail industry's attempt to make me think that Christmas shopping season started some 3-4 weeks ago. 

And with that purchase, I decided I'm ready.  Not to hit the mall on Black Friday and definitely not to any store than opens on Thanksgiving.   But online shopping . . . . that I'm game for!

 

And as I've been perusing Amazon, I've found some really cool things.  The problem is, I don't know who would want them.  

For example, did you know you can get the entire series of The Greatest American Hero on DVD for less than $12.    I'm fairly certain my sister is the only one who would appreciate it, but she is well known for creating long and detailed wish lists, and I'm not sure this will be on it.  Then they have these crazy Lightning Deals that pop up for 2 hours.  It could be a total obsessive time waster if you weren't careful. 

As for the Greatest American Hero....it's in the shopping cart.  But staying there for now! 

Black Friday Week?

So apparently it wasn't enough to get up to shop before the sun comes up on the day after Thanksgiving.    Stores had to open up ON Thanksgiving.   And now it seems that Black Friday is no longer a just day, but the entire week of Thanksgiving. 

I found myself at the mall today and was greeted almost everywhere with signs of "Pre-Black Friday sales."     The sales looked good, but as I mentioned last week, I can't seem to get geared up for Christmas shopping.  So instead of presents,  I made a few practical-and-needed-now purchases such as a new winter coat, corduroys and pajamas for Matthew.  

And here's my question . . . .when did boots become the big thing to buy on Black Friday?   In preparation for Friday there were stacks and stacks of boots EVERYWHERE in the department stores.  Brown boots, black boots, shiny boots, furry boots, leather boots, pleather boots and everything in between.  

So if you're in the market for boots, get out there . . . no need to wait until Friday either.  

Shopping stress?

I sat down today to try to make a Christmas shopping list.  Who do I have to shop for, what I might look for, or in very limited cases, what I have already purchased. Then I got on the computer and browsed on some of my favorite stores' websites. 

In short, it stressed me out.  I actually did laundry (5 loads!) and cleaned the house to avoid it further. Family members, consider yourself on warning that  I will be asking you in the next few days what is on your wish list.

I love giving gifts.  I don't even mind "the hunt" when it leads to finding the perfect gift.  And whenever humanly possible, finding the perfect gift on a fabulous sale.   Fair to say, I don't usually have a huge amount done before Thanksgiving, but with it being so late this year, I know that the rush will be on as soon as the holidays are over. 

And I'm happy to report I've worked through the anxiety and ceased doing laundry.

I'm too old for this, right?

Do you want to see the cutest play tent EVER??!

It is totally overpriced, but I have to tell you, if I were 4 or 5 years old I would want THIS sooooooo bad.  

 

Seriously, how cool is this?  It's called the Jetaire Camper Play Tent and it's sold at the Land of Nod for a mere $199.  And if you want to really do it up right you can also order up this plush campfire set for $69.

I personally have no need for fake marshmallows, but the tent . . . the tent is a different story.  If I were a kid I might it want more than the Snoopy Sno Cone Machine that I asked for at least 3 Christmas' in a row and never got.

Feeling guilty, Mom and Dad?

In fairness, they still sell the Snoopy Sno Cone Machine today and I laughed when my kids said it would be fun to have one. 

I guess I should be thankful that my kids are past the age where this tent is something they would want.  On the other hand, at 10 and 7 they are they are still playing with the boxes from my new washer and dryer.  

tax free frenzy

I generally try to avoid the craziness of the mall and Target on tax-free weekend, but this year, I've managed to hit both (and then some).   On Friday, which is definitely the easiest day to be out,  the kids and I scooted over to the mall to snatch up some jeans for Matthew.   Last year's jeans still fit in the waist, but are way too short. It seems that a size 10 slim pants is what's going to fit this year, so we picked up 4 pairs (which on sale and with no tax at the Gap was a great deal!) and another pair of shoes for each kid.  

Today, we went to both Kohl's and Target.   Since it was Saturday, both were CRAY-ZEEEE!  Honestly, I didn't need that much stuff that it was probably not worth the nuttiness that ensued both in the stores and the roads.   It looked like the weekend before Christmas out there.  Tax is almost 10% here, so it's not chump change, but seriously, people were pouncing on racks like everything was free. 

We also got new tires for my car while were out and about.  Sadly, those were not tax free. Cha-ching!

The big excitement was this morning, at least for the kids, when Uncle Wad took his 3 nephews and niece  out for an excursion to Krispy Kreme, Toys R Us and Chick Fil a.    I can't really explain what possessed him to do it, but the kids had a ball!

As for me, the fact that this is the last weekend before school starts and settled in. I don't like it.  There are so many more things I wanted to do.  There is still ice cream to eat (although we take the tour through August!), museums to visit and an unrealized summer road trip to Dollywood.  There were projects around the house we hoped to tackle this summer (plus a few leftover "spring projects") and books I wanted to read.   Good grief, I don't think I've even typed up the minutes from the last PTO meeting of the spring.   Hope I can find my notes!

When you ask a kid if they're excited about school starting, you either get an enthusiastic "yes" or a big "NO WAY!"    My kids tend to be the former (although they'd be quick to add, "but not about homework!").  I was probably the same way as a child.  But now as the mom of a kids who are growing up way to quick, I'm definitely the latter.  

Here's to enjoying these last few days and keeping summer alive in our hearts and minds for a little bit longer!

These boots are made for walking . . .

For the middle of summer, the topic of boots seem to be all around me.  Or maybe because I love boots I'm just hyper-tuned in to the topic of boots, whether that be recommending, admiring, wearing or buying them. 

My neighbor started it when she texted me the middle of last week asking me about my awesome rain boots.   The sole was coming off her boots and she was ready to replace.  As the kind I have run very big, she came over and tried them on, got all the info about where I bought them, how to find them on sale, etc.

Then my friend, Tammy, emailed me on July 4th to say that Frye boots were over 40% off on the Amazon Deal of the Day.

I hemmed. I hawed.  I looked at them several times.  I decided no.  Well, maybe.   I don't know.  Tammy and I exchanged 35 texts about it.  It was ridiculous.    In my defense, it was pouring rain so it's not like I could have otherwise been out doing something fabulous.   Matthew and Gracie were  busy sulking about the cancelled bike parade and drowning their sorrows in Phineas and Ferb. 

A little while later, Bassam came home from work, shook his head like I was a crazy person and gave me his blessing.

As long as I rid my closet of all the crappy boots.

Deal!  Is he an awesome husband or what?

Then as I was getting dressed for our July 4th dinner with the neighbors, I decided it was the perfect time to break out my cowboy boots. 

Ironically, I received an email only a few days earlier from a friend who said she was still waiting to see a picture of them.  While they were a gift for my 40th birthday from my sweet husband, I didn't actually get them until a few weeks later because our local boot store didn't stock them.  Then I had to go back to the boot store for help shaping them to my foot, followed by the breaking in period around the house.   Whew!!   In the end, they were so worth it.  They a beautiful distressed brown leather and the embroidery is amazing!!

 Of course, I don't have a picture of me wearing them, but trust me when I tell you, they looked super cute with a brown skirt and chambray shirt that night and equally cute with a green sundress and a denim jacket on Sunday for church.

It's Nashville, folks.  Cowboy boots work everywhere.

Shopryland

I made my first trip over to Opry Mills (which my pal HO calls "Shopryland" since Opry Mills sits where Opryland USA once was) since it reopened back in April.    It's been 2 years since the flood wiped out the entire shopping center.  Bass Pro Shops reopened within 6 months few months (They own their own building).   Last year, the movie theater and a couple other anchors opened.  But it was just this past April that the mall truly reopened.  The grand opening event was actually this past weekend and if you saw the coverage on the news, you would have looked at the traffic on I-40 and packed parking lots and thought it was the day after Thanksgiving.

I am happy that it reopened.    Hundreds of people lost jobs when Opry Mills closed.  But I must say, walking around the mall today I was largely unimpressed.   Maybe it's because I was shopping alone.  Had I had friends at my side, I'm sure I could have garnered some more enthusiasm.  Or at least had a bit more patience to truly look at what was on all the racks at Saks Fifth Avenue Off 5th.   But I was by myself.   So I simply made a loop of the entire mall and walked out with a package of unders and a pair of sandals, both for Gracie. 

That's it. 

Don't get me wrong, Opry Mills looks beautiful and I would guess that 75-80  percent of the stores are occupied.    Some of the others are still in the processing of opening some are for lease.   But I guess what I didn't like is that there are few true outlets at Opry Mills anymore.   Most are "factory stores" which just don't excite me anymore. There is a big  difference between a Gap t-shirt and a Gap Factory Store t-shirt.    And if a shirt doesn't hold up after multiple washes, it's not really a bargain. 

When I did get in to an actual outlet, there were no real bargains to be found.  There was one women's clearance rack at Nike outlet.   Looking around at the signs above the other racks I didn't see much over  20% off.   

20% ?   Boo!   I can't get excited about 20%.

But they do still have an Orange Julius!!   It may be the only Orange Julius stand in the state of Tennessee.   And I can get excited about that.   

I'm not writing off Opry Mills completely.   And not just because of the Orange Julius.   But I'm not going to rush out there again any time soon. 

K-State girls in The D!

My Southern friends find a lot of humor the fact that in the middle of January I willingly travel to the cold state of Michigan for FUN!

And while it was very cold, it was very, very, very fun!

Amy, Dana and I have been doing these annual shopping weekends since about a year or so after we finished graduate school.  Yeah, that's a long time!    Every year, we rotate the location to one of our houses---which if you think about it, just with my various moves put us in 3 different states.  Then add Kansas and Michigan to the mix -- plus a couple different houses in each of those states for Amy and Dana, and it's never the same adventure twice.

Amy and I flew in to Detroit on Thursday night and spent the next two and a half days talking, eating, drinking and of course, shopping.  We started on Friday  in Milford, MI, where Dana's sister has an awesome shop called HOOT and wrapped up on Sunday afternoon at Home Goods.  In between?   Two huge outlet malls, a trip to Kohls, TJ Maxx  and a handful of small boutique stores.   

Going up, I brought my small suitcase packed with my clothes and toiletries and packed that inside my large suitcase.   Needless to say, I returned home with both bags full!   Although I bought less than in previous years, I definitely snagged some amazing deals, especially on clothes for the kiddos for next year.  But have no fear, there were also plenty of goodies for me, too (and a few for Bassam).  

Now I'm back home, enjoying a day to catch up with the kiddos who are off for MLK Day (incidentally, they were home for a Faux Snow Day on Friday, much to Bassam's chagrin).   I'm missing my friends already, but looking forward to heading to Kansas in 2013!

In the market for furry boots?

Was at Carson Pirie Scott today and it was clear to see what one of their big Black Friday deals was going to be . . . . BOOTS.  There were clusters of 4 long tables put together and boxes of boots were piled high on top of them.   And there wasn't just one of these boot mountains, there were at least 6 of them.    Maybe 8.  And they were piled at least 6 high, plus there were boxes under the tables, too. 

Despite my fascination with the massive quantity of Ugg-like boots, I found myself more irritated by the fact that I couldn't find anyone to help me.    I get that building Mount Furry Boot in preparation for Friday (or Thursday at midnight--whatever) is important, but I'm here NOW wanting to buy a pair of shoes TODAY.  

Sheesh. 

Charming Charlie

Y'all, I am OBSESSED with Charming Charlie.   Although the Nashville store has been opened since last Spring, I think I've only made it in there a handful of times.   Of course, that's largely because it's  over at the Green Hills mall, which I don't frequent as often.   Actually, it's kind of funny that that this store is in that mall since it very upscale and  directly upstairs from it is the Tiffany store.  But yet, Charming Charlie seems to do a brisk business.  Today I noticed many of woman carrying a Nordstrom shopping bag perusing the bargain accessories at CC.  

Really, it's like a grown-up Claire's Boutique, and who didn't love Claire's?   I swear 50% of the babysitting money I earned probably ended up in to the Claire's coffers.   Of course, that was back in the days when I was heavily into matchy-match earrings for every outfit.   Don't mock . . . you know you were, too!  

I love that Charming Charlie's is organized by color.    If you are randomly browsing for any old thing, this could be quite overwhelming because there is so much too look at.    Since I naturally gravitate toward things that are green, I focused on the many shelves and racks of green watches, bracelets, earrings, necklaces, handbags and sunglasses,.   I made a pass through the reds, browns and the section dedicated for younger girls (because sweet Gracie definitely inherited my love for accessories) before popping into the Charming Charlie RSVP department.  Oh y'all, I wish I had a prom dress to accessorize.  So.  Much.  Fun.  

The best thing about Charming Charlie is the price.   The items in my basket ranged from $6.95 to $14.95 (and that was for a watch---costume variety, mind you!).  How can you possibly beat that?       Nevermind feeling like you are 13 or 14 again at the mall buying new earrings!

From Tar-jay to Nordies. . ..

Funny that my last entry was about people going nuts over clothes at Target (albeit expensive by Target standards!) and today I get to tell you about my adventure at the other end of the spectrum . . . . at Nordstrom. 

Yes, Nordstorm.  Right here in Nashville.  The potential arrival of Nordstrom was in talks for 2 years and  construction took equally long, as they slowed work down to a snail's pace when the economy tanked.

But now Nordstrom is a reality.   I'm not going to lie.  I was excited.  Maybe more excited than I was  about the arrival of the J Crew outlet at Opry Mills.  Unfortunately 3 weeks after the J Crew Outlet opened, it closed when  Opry Mills was flooded in May of 2009. 

I trust the same will not happen at Nordstrom.

So last night, Nordstrom had it's opening gala.  That sounds fancy, doesn't it?  It was fancy.   It was also a fundraiser for the YMCA, which helped me justify buying a ticket.   Plus, when my friends started talking about it a month or so ago, I was in a bit of motherhood/feeling overwhelmed funk and my husband insisted that I make plans for a night out with my friends.

Y'all, is he priceless or what?

So two days in advance of the official opening, Nordstrom opened it's doors for an awesome night of live music, delicious eats, drinks and of course, shopping.    No detail was overlooked. . . . right down to the clear DKNY umbrella I was given as I left because it was pouring down rain.    People were dressed to impress and having a great time.   Even the husbands in attendance were pretty happy because there was an open bar and plenty of places to sit. 

I don't know how Nordies trains their staff, but they really are top notch.    Fabulously polite, amazingly helpful ---and wow -- do they know their stuff!   The gal who helped me in the fitting room was great, but I never got the feeling she was just trying to make a sale.   At one point she told me, "That's a cute blouse, but I think there is something better out there for you."  She returned to the fitting room with a couple other  options, which incidentally, were all less expensive than the original one I had picked up (and she was right---much cuter!). 

While I had an amazing time last night and  bought a few lovely things for myself, I know my future Nordstom excursions  will be far less glamorous and I will return to my roots of scouring the sale racks for the best finds. 

And speaking of sale racks . . . is it too early to start petitioning for a Nordstrom Rack in Nashville, too?

Who is this Missoni person?

After the kids got on the bus, I ran over to Target to look for a pair of athletic shorts for Matthew. Apparently, the shorts he wore on Saturday were against the rules because they had pockets. Pockets are a no-no for flag football.

Whatever.

Anyhoo, as I walked in a little before 8:15 I saw a cute tunic/dress thing that was brown and turquoise right by the front door.    I happen to love that color combination, so I picked up one in a small and medium and tossed in my cart.  Then I went hunting for the shorts (didn't find) and the other stuff on my list. As I rounded to the front of the store I saw that there was a dress almost like the one I picked up in Gracie's size.

Hmmmm. . . . matching dresses.   That's kind of fun.

Maybe?

I grabbed one and then decided I better go try on the one I had to make sure it was even worthy of buying a matching dress for Gracie. As I checked into the fitting room the attendant said, "Oh . . .you got a Missoni."

A what?

Apparently Missoni is the latest designer to launch a line at Target. And it launched today.  It seems I am oblivous to the large scale marketing campaign they have been doing for the last few weeks, because it seems many, many people knew about it.    And people were going NUTS over it.   When I decided I would be buying the small, I offered to put the medium back myself since I was walking towards the front of the store. I kid you not when I tell you someone was grabbing it before I had finished hanging it back on the rack.  Women were circling around the 4 or 5 racks of the Missoni stuff, which by now was very picked over.  

Seriously, y'all. . . . it's cute, but not that cute.  

Before leaving, I ran to the back of the store to grab some skirt hangers and came across three women with 4 carts FULL of various clothes, linens, blankets, storage boxes all with the Missoni zig-zag design. I realized I knew one of them women from Kenrose so I stopped and talked to her. She told me that she was from Brazil and Missoni is huge there, but completely unaffordable, so they were grabbing everything they could. Some they would keep. Some they would ship back to friends and family in Brazil. To say she was giddy would be an understatement.  I tried hard not to laugh.

I was semi-successful.

As I stood in line to check out, the woman in front of me was lamenting to the cashier that the Target website crashed very early that morning, as she (and presumably many others) tried to buy all this stuff online.

And I have to say it again. It's cute, but I'm not sure it's worthy of shopping like a maniac and crashing a website.   And really, it's still TARGET.   Believe me, I'm no snob.   There is plenty of Target in my house and my closet.  

When my turn came up, I tossed my tunic/dress (I think it's a tunic, 'cause I don't wear dresses that short!), Gracie's matching dress, zip lock bags, deodorant and new Phineas and Ferb unders for Matthew up on the conveyor belt. The gal behind me made the comment said, "Oooh, I wanted that. You're so lucky."

I'm guessing she wasn't talking about the Phineas and Ferb unders.

Black shoes?

Realized yesterday that I tossed my black summer heels (sandals) last year because they had seen better days (okay -- MUCH better days!).   As we are going to a wedding on Saturday where I planned to wear said shoes, this presented a bit of a problem.   In the past 24 hours I have been to 4 department stores and every shoe store in Cool Springs.   I have found 4+ inch heels.    I have found 4 inch heels plus platforms.   I have found "old lady shoes" (no offense intended here--but y'all know what I"m talking about!)  and every other clunky, chunky and just plain ugly shoe out there.     And every now and again I'd find something worth trying on only to be thwarted by my wide foot. 

Seriously?!?   A black dress sandal cannot be this complex!

Time for Plan B.  

But first I have to think of Plan B.

When did shopping get so hard?

Every year, Anthropologie sends me a 15% off coupon to be used during my birthday month.   As they NEVER have coupons and there stuff can be on the high side,  I look forward to getting it and trekking out to Green Hills to use it. 

I had a bit of a panic attack over the weekend when I couldn't find said coupon.    It finally showed up on Monday in a stack of Bassam's papers (I secretly think he was hiding it from me!).   I was relieved.

So imagine my disappointment when I went to Anthropologie today and couldn't find a stinkin' thing to use it on.   NOTHING.  I tried on at least twenty things.    And even with the coupon, some of the stuff was high, so I had to LOVE it!   But everything I tried either didn't look right, didn't fit right, or as Gracie pointed out, "made me look silly."    

She is so good for my ego, let me tell you.

I felt slightly better when I texted Tammy and she told me she also hadn't found anything to use her coupon on either, especially since she is far less likely to balk at the price tag (coupon or not)  and be drawn to the sale room.    She felt like everything she tried was better suited for a twenty-something woman.

Admittedly, we're not twenty-something, but we're not ready to shop at Muriel Mundy* for goodness sake!   All this girl wants is a few cute new tops for spring.  Is that too much to ask?

* Note to anyone reading not from Downers Grove --Muriel Mundy is a small women's store specializing in clothes for older women.  Lots of polyester!

Musings on consignment sales . . .

One of the nifty things about life in the South is there are just oodles and oodles of consignment sales for kids.   I remember going into my first one when Matthew was about 3 months old and being completely overwhelmed by the racks and racks of clothing.  And since I was shopping for an infant (Matthew), the selection was enormous and much of it was practically new.  Then I had Gracie and the selection exploded even more.  I guess girls have too much clothes---even as babies.  I was floored by how much stuff at the sales still had tags on them.  

And you know how much I love a bargain.

Over the last couple years, I've noticed pickings were getting slim for Matthew.  I think it's just because boys are really hard on their clothes.   There's less good stuff to consign.   Thankfully, we're fortunate enough to be able to buy new clothes, so not finding much at the consignment sales isn't the end of the world.  Plus skinny old Matthew has become so hard to fit on the bottoms.  Too many times I'm buying and returning/exchanging.  Can't do that with consignment sales.  I guess you could hold on to stuff and consign it yourself on the next go-round, but I have enough storage problems. 

As the years have passed, I've still had pretty good luck with Gracie.   The best stuff is always at the presale.  I rarely consign our stuff (Matthew's good stuff goes to cousin Oliver and Gracie's to Renn), so if I shop early its because I got a guest pass from a friend.   Admittedly, the crowds and frenzy still kind of freak me out (especially at the presales) because in the end it's still just clothes.  Used clothes.   I can't fathom why women act like crazed brides-to-be at Filene's Basement Running of the Brides sale.   Grabbing armfuls of little girls clothes so you can slink off in to the corner and go through them is not only strange---it's pretty rude.

But I digress.

I went to the Otter Creek sale today at Heather's church. I think it's one of the better sales.  Smaller than Encores 'n More, but lots of stuff and nice people.   This was the first day of the regular sale so a lot of stuff was already gone from the presale, although there was plenty on the racks.  I was bummed that at least 8 dresses I picked up for Gracie had stains on them. Worse yet, 3 of them had the tags strategically placed over the stain.   The sale organizers can't be expected to look over every item as it comes in.  But if I can spot it in a poorly lit gym, you know darn well the seller knew full well the item was damaged.  Boo!

In the end, I walked out with a 2 skirts and a dress for Gracie, a shirt for Matthew and some cute ribbon barrettes that someone was making to raise money for their upcoming adoption.  I've certainly left with bigger hauls, but it was not a wasted trip.  

My pal Jill is able to fund a large portion of her girls clothing budget from consigning.  I'll admit --I don't know how she does it.   Storing stuff for the next sale (which is probably 9 months away from when you pull it out of your kids drawer since the sales are seasonal), pricing it, tagging it---it's a lot of work.  The last time I started to put stuff together to consign in earnest, Bassam took the whole load of it up to Clarksville because a tornado had ripped through there and people lost everything.    Then early last summer, we donated our crib and some other large kids equipment to a family from Bassam's parents church who had little kids and lost everything in the flood. 

So while consigning appeals to me in many ways, I must admit, having a natural hand-me-down path is pretty convenient (although interestingly, all of our hand-me-downs leave the state of Tennessee, less the items that go to Goodwill).  Nevermind that Gracie gets a huge kick of seeing pictures of Renn on their blog or Beth's Facebook when she's wearing something that used to belong to her. 

The point of this entry?    Don't feel bad if you've nodded off here -- I'm lacking focus today!   Consignments sales are nifty.  The shopping is hit or miss, but when you can find a good deal on something you really like it's a very good thing!