Shopping rules . . .

I dislike clothes shopping, so I follow three basic rules to keep me away from the stores as much as possible:

Rule #1:  When I find an article of clothing that fits me well, I buy it in as many colors as are available (that are flattering to my coloring, of course, you won't find me buying anything orange . . . ). 

Rule #2:  I stick to the classics and avoid fads so very little goes out of style.

Rule #3:  I try to buy good quality stuff, and take excellent care of it to stretch its life.

Today's 60% off sale was a delightful little bonus . . . Oh, wait!  There was a second bonus:  I've gone down a size!  Not bad . . . not bad at all . . .

So, what's your shopping secret . . . ?

Happiness is . . . soft cosmetic wedges . . .

The local stores stopped carrying my favorite cosmetic wedges . . . Why, oh, why does this seem to happen all the time?  We get used to a product and before you know it, it's either discontinued, or the stores stop carrying it, or it just simply vanishes without an explanation . . .

I use a foundation base every day; it evens out my skin tone, and helps moisturize my skin.  And these are the best little sponges I've ever used.  They are so soft, and just the right size.  I spent a year looking for them, while trying out alternative wedges.  I know this sounds silly, I mean, we're talking about cosmetic wedges here, but it's such a small indulgence, and it really made the makeup application so much easier in the mornings . . . 

I'm here to tell you that not all wedges are alike, some are scratchy, some have an unpleasant odor, some are too small, too big, or the shape doesn't fit my hand well . . . some come in a big bulky package, not a flat little bag like this . . .  Yes, I know, I've given this matter wayyy too much thought . . .

After a year of using other brands, I found a wayward package buried in the back of a drawer!  Happy day to me!   I've really missed these little guys . . .

That's it!  If I couldn't find these locally, I'd just have to go online . . . Amazon to the rescue!!!  Why didn't I think of this sooner???  In a few days, I had a bunch of them.  In fact, I may have gone a little overboard . . . It'll take me over a year to go through these . . .  Ahh . . . that's all right . . . I'm happy to have a stash . . .

Happiness is the little things in life . . . like soft cosmetic wedges . . .

Flatware, tornadoes and serendipity

An e-mail from Pottery Barn alerted me to some exciting news: The outdoor flatware that I had been eyeing for months had gone on sale! Pottery Barn sale items don't stick around very long, so I decided to take a detour on my way home and stop at the store.

When I got there, the weather suddenly changed. In the time it took me to get from my car to the Pottery Barn entrance, the sun disappeared, the temperature dropped at least 20 degrees, the sky turned ominously grey, and it started to rain really, really hard. The wind was so strong I needed both hands and a good yank to get the door opened. I got in, but had to hold on to the door so it wouldn't slam closed behind me.

Two ladies who watched my tussle with the door, were now staring at my hair. I can only imagine what I looked like. With all the dignity I could muster I said: “You may not want to leave just yet. It's rather windy out there.” That must have been the understatement of the year.

The rain would not abate, so I had a lot of fun poking around in the store. I sat on all the furniture, felt the fabrics, crushed the towels, smelled the candles, and still the rain kept coming.

Then the tornado sirens went off, and we were politely escorted to the store's basement for safety. To be sure, the tornado was scary, but, holy cow! I was standing in Pottery Barn's basement! I felt like freaking Ali Baba standing in the cave with the treasure of the 40 Thieves!!!!! I mean, there are worse things in life than getting stuck in Pottery Barn's basement during a tornado!

My flatware sat waiting at the register, and when we were cleared to return, the cashier rung up the sale as though nothing unusual had happened . . . and then she asked me for my e-mail address so I could be apprised of exciting happenings at their store.