Accidental Ambivalence

The Shopping Spirit

I love Christmas. Snow, lights, trees, holiday Starbucks, music, parties, food—and gifts. I’m genuinely one of those people who likes giving the perfect gift as much as receiving it. Maybe it’s odd, but some of my gift-giving experiences have been for non-family—but that’s another post. Remind me to write it sometime.

I’ve been in the Christmas spirit for a while now—since Halloween, really—but the last couple of days intensified it. I put in my Christmas CD, started looking for fun photos, and have a desperate need to watch Love Actually. Yesterday, however, clinched it.

I now have the shopping spirit.

Thursday afternoon I really wanted to go to the mall, but instead Bradshaw insisted on taking me to her apartment to watch Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl and The Emperor’s New Groove.*

Friday, however, I indulged the shopping desire. I’ve wanted a new purse for quite some time, and I knew JC Penney’s was having a sale, along with most of the rest of the mall. I purchased purse number one: black, leather, roomy enough, and exceptionally cheap (remember: poor college student). I walked away from an extremely tempting mauve handbag…reluctantly.

Next I went on a quest for a new, winter-appropriate shower gel, finally settling on Bath and Body Works Very Festive Pomegranate. While I browsed the crowded, heavily fragranced store, I chatted with my mom on the phone, lamenting the purse I left behind. She told me to go get it. I feebly asked what I would do with two purses (pretending that I don’t have eight more at home in my closet). She scoffed and told me that if I didn’t go buy it, I would regret it and whine to her. She hates whining. I denied that I would whine, then tried to say that I didn’t want to waste money, but she interrupted, saying, “Go buy the fucking purse!”

I learned a long time ago that it is not worth it to disobey my mom.

I wanted to buy more things, for myself and for others, but my phone rang with friend beckoning me to join them for a late dinner. So I left. But I definitely have the shopping spirit.

*She was appalled that I hadn’t seen Pirates at all and had only seen bits and pieces of Groove. Clearly, she is insane. Which is probably why we’re friends.

Labels: girl stuff, holidays

posted by nicalyse @ 10:07 PM