I didn't realize the premium outlet stores were only 30 minutes away. (In the literary world, we call this "foreshadowing.")
Everything. Coach. And. It's. Incredible.
The wonderful saleswoman hands us each a 50% off regular price merchandise and 65% off clearance merchandise coupon. I may have drooled a little. I don't think anyone else noticed. Bags and wallets and scarves, oh my!
I left with a new pocketbook for me, a snazzy pocketbook as a birthday gift for someone else, a wallet for me. Sister Nurse found a rocking black and blue scarf. All in all, we walked with about $1,100 worth of Coach product for under $300. Absolutely frivolous, but sometimes you just gotta.
We trekked over to the Uggs store, and I spied, on the clearance rack, on the far side of the store, in my size, the only other pair of embroidered Uggs I have ever seen. (I currently rock a pair of burnt orange Uggs with flowers embroidered all over them. They are amazing.) This new pair was only ankle height (mine are calf-high) and a soft grey with blue, green and white snowflake patterns. Ahhhhhhhh. I hemmed and hawed, and tried to get the sales girl to get them to a "reasonable" price... but she claimed to be powerless to help me. I left.
Wednesday I couldn't stop thinking about this amazing hat I'd seen at the Coach store. I rationalized that I could buy a scarf just like the one Sister Nurse got for another friend who has a birthday in the next week. (I think everyone I know has a birthday in the next two weeks.) And it's only a 30 minute drive. I can be there and back before Husband and The Little Man wake up from their nap.
I did not factor in rush hour. It took considerably longer than 30 minutes to come home.
Got a great hat and the scarf, though! And... a small going out bag. Sometimes you just need a little tiny bag for keys and lipstick, right? It was only $12. Deal deal deal!
Thursday Sister Nurse had the day off, and she reminded me about another birthday I'd forgotten about. Well, naturally, another birthday meant another trip! We made a slight detour to a job fair (Sister Nurse thinks it went well) and then we were back to the Outlets again! A different scarf for a different birthday, and a stop at Nine West.
Over the last few months, I've taken great pains to THROW AWAY ugly, uncomfortable shoes. Husband is so proud of me. But this has resulted in living in running sneakers and the orange Uggs. I'll have more choices when summer comes back, but platform sandals do not suit our fair New England Snowstorm Weather. So... (husband, you should stop reading here...)
Today is the last day of Sister Nurse's Whole 30 Challenge. She's done a great job, and there haven't been many instances where I wanted to throw her out of moving car because she was miserable. So, kudos to her.
For the last two weeks she has been planning what her first meal post-challenge will be. She has decided on a super-rich, fudgey cake. We made it this afternoon. And then...