Retail Therapy

One of the benefits of my crappy job is that it pays me enough money for me to go shopping constantly. Now, I don't want you to think that I'm horrible with money and I have a shopping problem. I will say that my only existing debt is my mortgage and (until June when I fully pay it off) my student loan, and I have a large savings account and a healthy 401K that I contribute to monthly. But I have always been shopping-obsessed, and it seems to be worst when I'm the most unhappy. Like when I've been forced to relocate to New Orleans for a month. This is why I've been hitting the malls pretty hard the past couple of weekends.

I would like to divide my purchases into three categories and discuss them in parts. The three categories are: shoes and outerwear, dresses, and makeup.

Shoes and Outerwear: So I went shopping on Saturday and I came home with two new coats and three new pairs of shoes. All in a day's work. Here is my favorite coat:

Don't be deceived though, I purchased it in a royal blue color which I could not find online. I had been coveting this coat since I first saw it in stores a few months ago and it was finally on sale this weekend. I am in love with it. I also got a cream colored nubby coat that could easily be a work-appropriate jacket for those days where I am required to suit up. And I have the perfect skirt with which to wear it.

As I'm sure you know if you know me, you are aware of my shoe problems. The Shoe Wall in my closet it presently full so everytime I get a new paid I have to vote an old pair off of the island and it breaks my heart a little. This weekend, there was a serious reorganization. I had intended to get shoes at the Off Broadway shoe warehouse, but of course only one pair was from there and the others were from new favorite Aldo and were full price. I couldn't find a pic of the Off Broadway purchase, but they're Michael by Michael Kors and they are 4 inch platform peeptoe pumps that are like a basketweave fucia with a black bow on the front. I heart them. Here are my Aldo purchases:

Dresses: I love dresses. They are my favorite thing to wear because they are so damn easy. I wear a dress at least once a week to work, usually more. I bought this one to the left (to the left) at Banana Republic on sale a few weeks ago. I wore it to work last week. While it is super cute, I do not suggest packing this dress to travel. It is silk and it is now wrinkley. But I will hang it in the bathroom while I shower one day and take care of that nonsense. I also recently bought an adorable dress at BR that I couldn't find online anywhere...it is also silk and a similar style to this yellow dress, but it is white with large green leaves all over it...i know it sounds weird, but it's really pretty. And it's going to look great with the white wedges above.

Dresses are not only for work purposes. I also like to have a few around for easy weekend wear for running errands and whatnot. I really like the color on this one that I also got at BR. They always have great dresses made of comfy stretchy cotton for this purpose. They'd be even better if they were on sale occassionally, but my Luxe card sends me lots of coupons, so I rarely pay full price. The colors that are out this season are great. They're bold and fun and I love them.

As you know, green is my favorite color, and I got this little ditty at the Ann Taylor Loft a few weeks ago. Comfy and work appropriate. Count me in.

There are about a hundred other dresses i saw at J. Crew, Ann Taylor, and Banana that I plan to go out and try on (and probably buy) this weekend if I can find them. I will now make a suggestion to all of my fellow shop-aholics: save your receipts and keep them in your purse for two weeks. I cannot tell you how many times I've been at the mall, seen something I recently bought for cheaper than I originally paid, and got a bunch of money back because I had my receipt. Always know the price adjustment policy wherever you are shopping.

Makeup: Sometimes I go through a weird makeup stage and buy a bunch of it. This usually corresponds with the changes of the seasons. I have been 100% obsessed with Bare Escentuals for the past 4 years. I stumbled upon it at Ulta one day before it was all over infomercials and was instantly hooked. I HATE putting liquid anything on my face, and the powder foundation covers extremely well...and seems to last forever. Plus, it is SPF15 which is key for extreme whities like me. In conjunction with the foundation, I have been using the Mineral Veil, which is a powder you put all over your face at the completion of your routine to lock everything on there and make you look like an airbrushed supermodel. So imagine my surprise when I saw this week that they have come out with a lighter, fresher looking model, the Featherweight Mineral Veil. I'm all over it.

I've been bored of my Bare Escentuals blush lately however, and it's a little too dark for the summer so I hit up my alternate makeup haunt, The Body Shop to see what they had to offer. And I found this. Cute, pink, and just a little bit shimmery. I also got some lip gloss. Yay!

If you think this shopping trip sounds bad, you should see everything I almost bought but restrained from when i was at Crate and Barrel. As far as I can tell, the number one reason I should try to get myself married is so that I can have other people buy out that entire store for me. That's it for now. Back to work!