My Evening at the Mall: Avoiding the Landlord by Buying Jeans, Foundation, Shoes and More

I have to admit. I don't think I bought any nice clothes in a year or so. Not that I don't have the money to, it's just that I am kind of anti-shopping, as in clothes shopping and spending the day at the mall doesn't appeal to me one bit. I don't mind spending time at a Target looking at housewares or at a Hallmark reading cards for hours and don't even get me started on the book stores- I could get lost. I like going to gift shops (especially when they are spelled "shoppe") and spending days in towns like New Hope scouring the shoppes. But I've never been a mall person except:

1) When I was a teenager in the Poconos and there was nothing else to do but hang out at the Stroud Mall.
2) When I was a pre-teen in Tulsa, OK and my mom worked at the Woodland Hills Mall and I had nothing else to do but hang out.

So, needless to say, since I like going to Target for my household items, cleaning supplies, make-up and other healthcare and beauty products, I've just bought my clothes there too. I've popped into Kohl's a few times, but my clothes really consist of Target and only because of the sheer convenience of it. Coffee? Check. Cat litter? Check. Bras and panties? Check, check.

Today after work I had to drop off my rent check. Yep. It's the 4th-- so what. I went away for the holiday weekend, which the 1st fell on, and have been working late and simply was too lazy to drop it off. So today when I went to my landlord's place of business and saw that she was still there, I didn't feel like giving a my non-existent excuse on why the rent was three days late and why I have been driving around with a check on my visor, absent-mindedly for four days. So I did want any avoidant person would do-- I drove away.

I drove away and somehow ended up at the Wyoming Valley Mall in Wilkes-Barre. I've been in dire need of a good pair of jeans. I am one of those odd-shaped women, some call it curvy and I call it "I eat to much fried food and drink too many carbs", where my hips jut out more than my waist, so I always need a belt and always forget a belt, so I have to struggle not to bend over to tie my shoe at work-- for obvious reasons. So, I have been thinking of going to Gap for a while and just am too lazy to go-- because I hate the mall. I prefer in and out places like Target. If I want to walk a lot, I want it to be in nature. Or around a beer festival.

So, I went to the Gap and tried on about seven pairs of jeans. I settled for two (a Limited Edition type- button-tab/wide leg and an Essential cut) and a nice knit short sleeve top. I was going to leave them mall then. I really was. I was denimly-satisfied. (I made that word up.)

But then I went into Macy's because I have been thinking about getting higher quality make-up- this drug store crap is not doing my aging face and pale skin and under-eye circles any justice. Ugh. But I passed the make-up counter and accidently picked up a pair of DKNY jeans that looked really nice hanging in the wall. DKNY stands for Donna Karan as you know, so considering we share a name, I decided to pick up a pair. I mosied around and found about 11 shirts I liked- many were 40% off. I headed to the dressing room and took off my jeans, a pair I got at Kohl's, not Target and pulled on the DKNY jeans and oh my lord!! The fit. Sooo much better than the two pairs at the Gap. I felt like the waist of the jeans was so secure it wouldn't go down if I bent over, but they weren't tight. They were so, so cozy- the most comfortable jeans I have ever worn!! I tried on the shirts and settled on four. I stood there in the jeans, not wanting to get out of them. Again- comfortable!

After I plopped down over a hundred dollars at each store, I went to the Estee Lauder counter because I saw they had a gift with purchase this week (If I spent $27.50, I'd get three make-up bags, three lip sticks, an eyeshadow quad, a 10-day mascara, make-up remover and a toner). A really nice woman, Jean, helped me find the right shade of foundation and concealer, which is all I was looking for. I admit. I suck terribly at being a girl. I really do. I hate having to try so hard, so I don't-- which is why my hair is never done and I am always in comforable clothes and crappy make-up. So, when she asked what I was currently using, I shrugged. Sometimes Neutrogena. Sometimes Mabyelline. Sometimes Physician's Formula. And probably always the wrong shade. I told her I wanted something with thick coverage, something that would last all day. So, she tried four different shades on me, cleaning my face each time. I settled for the Estee Lauder Double Wear foundation in Linen, a concealer... and a $30 foundation brush. Oh my goodness?! A $30 brush? Oh well. It felt neat and covered well. I splurged. I rationalized by reminding myself I didn't go out this week.

On my way back to the door where I was parked something pulled me into Payless. A mystical shoe force. I don't know. Never happened before. I accidentally bought two pair of shoes because of the BOGO signs. I grabbed two brown pairs because I usually wear jeans and something that goes with brown.

It's been a long time since I went back-to-school shopping. Really, about 12 years. But I work in an old school building. So I splurged, but not even that bad. It felt good to finally spend a little money on the actual physical me, instead of things for the house or on books. Or beer.

On my way home, I remembered to drop off my rent and then went through the drive-thru at Burger King for a Double Cheeseburger and a chocolate milkshake. And I sure hope the DKNY's still fit in the AM.