One Day Sale Spree

Annie Sez, $12

Annie Sez/La Belle, $30

Annie Sez, $6

Kensie Girl, Macy's, $19

City Triangles, Macy's, $14

XOXO, Macy's, $17.  This one is my favorite, as well as the bf's.

Betseyville, Macy's, $30

I did something bad last Saturday. After putting in a few hours with the Fruit Shower tote, I felt like going shopping. To be fair, I did need to go to Wal-Mart for paper towels, shaving gel, and other boring essentials, but that wasn't the kind of shopping I had in mind. I had an Annie Sez coupon, and Macy's was having one of their famous one day sales (of course, I had Macy's coupons too. Every good cardholder does.) Now, I'm not an Annie Sez regular. I'd popped in for the first time in years a few weeks ago and ended up spending enough to qualify for a coupon. This time I was surprised to find two dresses and a funky tee. When I got to the register, the sales associate complimented me on my necklace (I was wearing my pizza eraser creation), and I told her I made it, as well as my tote. She asked me if I was a fashion designer, and I said, well no, and told her about my day job, adding that I made and sold accessories on the side. Then I gave her my card. It was very unlike me; I'm usually shy about that sort of thing. But I thought, I bothered to get the things printed, so why not? Besides, I need to become more assertive if I want to grow my business.

So, on to Macy's. This was where I struck gold. Racks of gorgeous, colorful clothes greeted me in the junior's department. I greedily snatched up three fabulous dresses and headed to the fitting room. I ended up taking them all, plus two long-sleeved tees (white and black) so I could wear the dresses (and others) over them to work. Bolstered by my bargain-hunting high, I dashed off to shoes. As always, I went straight to the clearance racks. They were pretty bare, and at first I was dismayed. But a closer look confirmed that they were still there: size 7.5 white Betseyville pumps decked out with a red patent heel and little red hearts. And they were 70% off, marked down from $100. Needless to say, I made them my own. I'm not usually big on designer labels, but I LOVE the extreme flashy kitsch of Ms. Johnson.

Okay, so here's my take: the pictures, the stores, the prices. It's this sad little obsession, I sometimes think, that prevents me from living a true artist's life. I did go to Wal-Mart, in case you're wondering. I spent just a little less there than I did at Macy's, which I found slightly depressing. But I did pick up five boxes of movie-size candy for my decoupage project. I chose them based on color, not flavor, as evidenced by the Good n' Plenty, which I loathe (but such awesome packaging!).