19 more days

19 more days, 19 more days, 19 more days! Enough said......

Remember when....

The only stores we had to shop from were the ones that we had to drive to because there was no such thing as the internet?
When we wore splatter paint dresses, with big bows to match?
Plastic charm necklaces with charms ranging from French fries to pink telephones were in?

Wore denim skirts and matching vest, with two pairs of socks, two different colors and we wore them checkered like (pink-green & green- pink) with Keds?

Neon green, pink, orange, yellow were the colors that were considered fashionable?

Best Friend rings, necklaces, bracelets were so cool to have, but caused more problems between friends?

Soffe wind shorts and wind pants were rocking?

Acid Wash jeans were in and we rolled the bottom of them?

Friendship bracelets were neat to wear?

Knee length, rolled up denim shorts were a must have item? Oh and don’t forget about the printed denim with flowers and printed stripes.

We thought it was cool to “plan” your outfits the night before with your best friend so that you would be matching the next day at school?

MC Hammer pants were happening?

The jewelry you wore was ALL plastic and you didn’t mind because it was the in thing?

Scrunchies were actually worn out of the house?

Side ponytail…enough said!

Girbaud jeans and Cole Haan penny loafers where the “it” thing?

Shopping at Dillard’s, The Gap and even The Limited was a “big” deal and considered expensive?

Ponchos were cool?

Knee high socks with cute little skirts were actually considered fashion and not a Halloween costume?

Grunge was considered trendy? (never participated in this)

DOONEY & BOURKE was the purse to carry?

Power bead bracelets and mood rings were the rage?
Getting your belly button or tongue pierced was the thing to do?
50 bucks bought drinks, a new outfit and late night dinner at Taco Cabana? (good ole college day)
I have nothing else better to write about so I took a trip down memory lane?
I started this 90 day challenge deal? Well I only have 25 days left after today!

Dear Victoria Secret

We have shared many, many wonderful moments over the years together. You are always there for me when I’m in the market for new sexy undies, casual summer dresses, and beach sexy attire. Every time we meet, you always have new items for me to look at and make my very own. Your craftsmanship on most items is great and I love how you save me money when I spend a certain amount with you! Your exceptional delivery options are my favorite, you are always at my door when you say you are going to arrive….unlike most MEN in my life, but that is an entirely different story! You have never let me down Victoria Secret…until now.


I got a very upsetting email from you this morning informing me that my shoes that I ordered back in February, the ones that were backordered until recently, will no longer be mine. You have cancelled out your last promise of these fabulous shoes shipping out on April 26th with the garbage that now, my order, has been cancelled….COMPLETELY! So tell me Victoria Secret, how can you do this to me and my feet? I was so looking forward to welcoming these shoes into the family and I have already set aside a place for them in my closet! Your email about these shoes shipping came at a very low point in my shopping life….meaning I have no SHOPPING life right now and these shoes were just the extra kick I needed to get through the next 38 days! I am disappointed beyond belief. Not only because these shoes were an 80’s party for my feet but for the simple fact that I was going to be getting something new to wear!! I haven’t shopped in 54 days and even though I forgot that I even ordered them, it was a nice surprise last week when you emailed me letting me know that they would be shipping out soon. Now you slap me in my face with the crap that “YOUR ORDER HAS BEEN CANCELLED"!


This rift between us, I am afraid, can never be undone. This disappointment will be with me forever….well okay…maybe not forever, probably just until I can shop again! But I do hold grudges and will think of this incident often and think of how you betrayed me when you failed to come through for me…like you always do!

Just hope you can live with yourself and live with not sending this fashionista what she deserves so much and for denying these fabulous shoes into my life.


Until we meet again,
Stacie

A SPECIAL “FORGOTTEN” TREAT

So I got an unexpected surprise the other day from Victoria Secret. Got an email confirmation that my shoes that I ordered back in February (they were backordered) will be shipping out on April 26th!! When I first read my email, it was a nice surprise, cause I HAD FORGOTTEN THAT I HAD ORDERED THEM!!!! Yes, it’s true. I read the email twice and had to click on the link to see what the shoes I had ordered looked like! Now you see why I had to do this challenge. It’s pretty bad to have items in my closet that I have never worn, but I think this might be rock bottom…FORGETTING THAT I ORDERED SOMETHING!! YIKES!


But just take a look at these wonderful shoes! I can’t wait for them to get delivered so that they can take their place in my wonderful world of shoes!! I already have the picture printed out and put on the shoe box and have it perfectly placed in my closet. The only thing missing…are the SHOES!! ( Swoon) They are an 80’s party for my feet!!!

Is This What A Crack Whore Feels Like?

So it’s been 37 days since I have started my journey and to be perfectly honest with you… I feel like a crack whore looking for their next fix! Well okay, not really, I am not really even sure what a crack whore feels like when they are doing whatever it is they do, but I am pretty sure that if they feel like I do, then it has to be a horrible sight! I know I am addicted to shopping and 37 days clean is an accomplishment for me, so I can only imagine how crack whores, drunks or druggies feel when they are on day 37.I am itching for my next …SHOP!

Up until this past weekend, it’s been pretty easy for me not to shop or even think about shopping. But ALL freaking weekend…SHOPPING was all I could think about. Maybe it was because it was a long holiday weekend, maybe it’s because it finally feels like springtime or maybe I just really want to go buy NEW clothes and change up my wardrobe, dangit! Yes, I will go with the last one...


So what the hell did I do all weekend to pass the time you ask? Well, I pretended to shop online! Yes, I actually went onto my favorite websites and filtered through page after page and loaded my cart up with all the goodies that I so would love to purchase. (Pathetic…I know) Once I did all this, I went to my shopping cart and went through the entire process of purchasing them and at the very last moment I closed out. It’s so depressing when you really think about it. Like why in hell would I ever put myself through that torture? Well to be perfect honest with you, I don’t have the slightest idea why. But I will admit, after I did this a few times, and saw the total (yep saved myself like $900) of each of my “fake” purchases, I felt much better. Sounds crazy, I know, but it was a good feeling to be able to look and not buy. Maybe I just learned what “Window Shopping” is. I never understood the concept growing up, just ask my mother. She would always tell me, “You know Stacie…you don’t always have to buy everything that you see. You know there is such a thing called window shopping.” My thoughts back to her were “Why on earth would anybody go to the mall and just look?" The concept didn’t make much sense to me then and still doesn’t make much sense to me now, but boy oh boy did I window shop this weekend! I am just not sure how long this pretending thing will last. I can only fake myself out so much before I start to catch on….


I haven’t pinpointed why it hit me so hard this weekend, but I can only assume it has to do with withdrawals. I miss the smell of new clothes, I miss the feeling of trying on new clothes and then walking out with bags and bags of goodies. The one thing I don’t miss….my credit card being outrageously high!

22 Days and Counting.....

It has been 22 days since I started this challenge and every day seems to get a little easier. Well sort of... I am just avoiding any place that temptation lurks. So basically, I just stay home! Ha Not really but I have avoided all places that I might not have the discipline to say no, so it’s either home or I just go out for dinner/drinks. I think I might have even gained 5 pounds over the past few weeks going to dinner with friends. Seems to be the thing I indulge in now since I can’t partake in my favorite hobby. (Note to self: need to start doing boot camp 5 times a week ...swimsuit season is right around the corner!)

So, last week wasn’t too bad for me. I was on a much needed vacation from work and it was nice to relax. I am pretty impressed with myself that I didn’t once go anywhere that I could shop! I have even figured out ( after doing some spring cleaning) that I do have tons of clothes to choose from in my closet. IF ( huge IF) I just took the time to filter through them all, I would have enough “new” stuff that I would have something new to wear every day for the next 4 months! I know it’s pathetic when you really start to think about how much money I have spent on clothes that I haven’t even worn yet. But I will be the first to inform everyone that I got my credit card statement last week and I was so excited! Let me explain…

Last month when I decided to do this, I got my statement and I had spent roughly $1500 plus on clothes…yes that’s right! Spending that amount of money in (give or take) a 3 week time frame is ridiculous! So when I got my bill last week, it was down significantly…like all that was on there was living costs! So I am happy to report that I am seeing a much needed improvement on my spending. It’s crazy when you really step back and take a look at what you spend your money on…and in my case, how much. So for someone who pays her credit card off regularly each month, I have extra mula now in the bank rather than having it hanging in my closet!

The sad part is…I am already making a list of things I want to purchase when I can shop on June 1st, 2010!!

First item on my list….my Christian Louboutins! They are so pretty and need to be sitting in my closet...

It's No Louis Vuitton but I'll Buy It!

I have had so much fun the past few days shopping! Yes, I said SHOPPING people and NO I didn’t break my rules…let me explain. Yes, I have done some shopping the past few days but unfortunately it wasn’t for me directly (even though I will get one of each item) it was for work. (Sigh)

So basically here is the skinny. We are doing a sponsor summit at work and of course we can’t go empty handed and not give our sponsors anything, so I took over the task of in-room gifts for the trip! Coming up with the gift ideas I think was the best part since I got to browse Tiffany & Co, Nordstrom’s, James Avery and some other no name stores online. It was really hard looking at Tiffany & Co, if I could, I would buy one of every item they have! I absolutely heart that store (swoon)! Unfortunately after looking and coming up with a few ideas, Megan and I (mostly Megan…you know my friend/coworker who is always right about everything) decided to go in a totally different direction! Forget shiny, beautiful items and think more leather goods! But I don’t care what I have to shop for at this point, as long as I am shopping! I really never knew how much fun it would be to look at a catalogue that features custom made leather goods like padfolios, business card holders, wallets, passport holders and money clips.... you know the boring stuff that will be more appropriate for a work related event! Not really sure why I found this task so entertaining. It’s probably because I am going through major shopping withdrawals here but I really enjoyed looking and buying the items for the summit. It’s great spending money that isn’t yours and it’s always fun to shop…even if it’s not for a Louis Vuitton.


On another note, what the hell am I going to pack for this trip?

Don't Judge Me and I Will Try Not To Judge You

This past weekend I met a good friend of mine Renetta for dinner and drinks on Saturday night. Now normally, I would be obsessing on what I was going to wear and would have probably gone to the mall a few times to buy a couple of new things...you know just so I could go out to dinner. It can be very exhausting to always think that you have to be the best dressed and have to have new clothes to wear anytime you do something. Even if it’s as simple as having dinner with friends, I want to be dressed perfectly and God forbid I have to wear something from my own closet! So mid day on Saturday, Renetta texted me asking what I was going to wear and to my amazement I hadn’t given it much thought. Probably because I can’t buy anything anyways, so what’s the point, right? I texted her back saying I didn’t know and then the panic set in. I starting thinking what on earth am I going to wear? I mean it’s not a lot of fun to have to wear the same outfits over and over. Which, just so you know, I normally only wear something a few times and then it’s considered old to me. I am very spoiled and shallow but that’s just me, so get over it! The only thing that I usually wear over and over again are shoes and that’s just because I spend a lot of money on those suckers! So after looking through my closet I decided to go casual cute. Which means I wore my Alice and Olivia denim leggings (one of my favorite things in my closet) a BCBG top and one of my favorite, non designer heels! All and all I was pretty happy with what I was wearing and was excited to have a night out with a good friend. This is where the story get’s interesting...

When Renetta and I hang out we always, ALWAYS, have such a good time. There is never any drama and we always manage to entertain ourselves. So after we had dinner at Kotta (sushi place in Frisco) we decided to stay around the Frisco area, instead of venturing to uptown, so we headed to Loft 610. We were having a good time (Hey Renetta, do you need a shot of water with that?!?) when I noticed these two girls across the bar taking pictures of people. Now, I will admit that I was entertaining myself by making a few comments about some folks there that were making their way into the bar. Which you probably would have as well if you were there and were seeing what I was seeing. To put it midly, just think thirty thousand dollar millionaire types ie: Dallas Douchebags! So back to the two girls that were taking pictures. I mean they were literally taking pictures of everyone at the bar, looking at them and laughing. I was appalled by their behavior. I actually couldn’t believe that someone would actually do that and that nobody even noticed what they were doing besides Renetta, me and the bartenders! This was probably because everyone was in their own state of intoxication at this point… but come on, have a little tact! I even took a picture of them taking a picture of others (see below).

But seeing these girls do this got me thinking about how much emphasis we, as a society, put on image and what we wear. These girls were literally making fun of the way people look and what they were wearing. But let’s face it...if you are wearing anything Affliction/Ed Hardy inspired… you deserve to be made fun of. But don’t deserve someone taking pictures of you and then laughing at them...plain as day! I honestly get so fired up when I think about these two idiots. I wonder what is so bad in their life that they have to make fun of others that way and what makes them so damn perfect?

So the point to this rant is that I hope to come out of my challenge, not being as shallow and materialistic as I know that I am. I know there are more important things to life than what designer I am wearing. Just need to learn that clothes don’t make the person. (sigh)

PS: Before anybody judges me on anything that I write about (like the girls did) just remember that this is a blog about shopping. I am not trying to solve the world’s problem, this is meant to be light hearted and entertaining.

This Is Much Harder Than I Thought It Was Going To Be

I have made it through the first week of my own personal torture and it hasn’t been easy! Doing normal things is much more difficult when you can’t really buy anything other than life necessities. Such as, I was at Target today (you know my normal every other day activity) shopping for groceries when I drifted off to look at other non essential things (like always) when I came upon the cutest spring outfits for dogs. Without given it any thought I picked up not one but four shirts for my little one, Gizmo, an adorable shitzu.

Gizmo is just like his momma, being that he absolutely loves clothes. Now when I say this, people will tell me all the time that I am crazy and that if he could talk he would tell me he hates being dressed. But then I have to tell them he loves all his clothes and loves getting new oufits! He will personally pick out what he wants to wear, especially when I pull his clothes out from the dryer. He will dig through them and then pick up the shirt he wants to wear in his mouth and drop it in my lap. He also has rain/snow booties that he likes to wear out so that his paws don’t get wet when it’s raining or snowing. If he doesn't have them on, he won't step foot on the grass if it's wet. I mean it’s absolutely nuts when you really think about it, but I guess you have to look at who taught him his habits, ME!

So back to the story, I picked out four shirts and put them in the cart and was walking away, when it hit me. I can’t really buy any of these; I mean is this considered shopping? After a few minutes, I realized that I was breaking the rules and decided to put them back. I guess if I can’t have new clothes, Gizmo can’t either! So walking off I got the rest of what I came for and made a run for the checkout line before I could get caught up in looking at something else I can’t buy. I made it out of there only spending $35, which is cheap considering I normally spend $100 plus each time I go to Target. Not to stay I didn’t find things I wanted standing in line…like the US magazine. I really need to know how exactly Vienna tricked Jake from the bachelor but just as I was about to reach for the magazine my phone started to ring and it was my best friend Tawny She asked me what I was doing and when I told her where I was she asked “ Stacie, what did you buy?” I told her only food but rattled off that I wanted like 5 magazines but didn’t spend a dime on anything other than what I came for. So after a few minutes of talking with her about important topics like reality TV, I completely forgot about the shirts and magazines I wanted during my Target adventure.

Even though I made it out of Target safely, I know that this is only going to get harder as I get deeper in this challenge. I mean, I have already started thinking of loopholes to get myself through the next 11 weeks. Like I wish I had a birthday coming up and I could put together a wish list and have everyone just give me a gift of things that I really want. (Side note: This is a very good idea in general, registering for my birthday. I will know exactly what I am getting and never have to fake excitement again!) I also started thinking if there is anyone out there that owes me money, but came up with a big ZERO on this one. I must surround myself with very responsible people because not one friend or family member owes me any money. I thought if they did, than they could just go to all my favorite stores and get a gift card for what they owe me. That way I can shop, because my rules never stated anything about NOT using gift cards. Which is a great thing because I still have 6 gift cards from Christmas that I haven’t had a chance to use yet, so I am going to prolong the use of them until halfway through my own personal hell.

The Rules and Reasons

Let me breakdown the rules so that everyone (especially me) knows just what the hell I can and can’t buy over the next 90 days. I know I touched on this briefly before but just want to clarify to everyone, you know just in case you have the itch to join me on my crazy journey!

Things I can’t buy:
· Clothes (there’s a no brainer)
· Shoes (sigh)
· Jewelry
· Purses
· Books
· Magazines
· ITunes ( yes I put this on there because I am a dumbass who buys my music instead of stealing it like, I guess, the rest of the world does!)
· Movies (going to and renting…lifetime here I come)

So basically, I can buy anything that is a necessity to live (like food)!

The other questions regarding the going out/drinks/dinner part, how can I say this politely….YES I can still go out to eat/have drinks etc. I am not taking a 90 day challenge from life, I am ONLY not doing any shopping for the next 3 months. There is a BIG difference people! I am not trying to put myself in a comatose state; I am only trying to make myself not such a compulsive shopper and to show myself that I can do this. I can…I know I can! Don’t I sound convincing?

So there you have it, the rules. Now another question I have been getting is, “what exactly it is I want to see come out of this 90 days of torture?” Just had a conversation about this with some co-workers and to tell you the truth I am not 100% sure what the end result/goal, whatever you want to call it, shall be. I guess you could say I need to learn discipline when it comes to my shopping habits. I don’t think buying 5 of the same tops just because I can’t decides what color I want is a good thing. You could say going shopping just because I am bored and walking out of the store $500 poorer is a good thing and then turning around the next day and purchasing another $250 online at Victoria Secret. I look around at all my clothing and I am in disbelief that I have so many clothes that I have never worn, still have the tag attached, and have been in my closet for over a year. So, let’s say I want to:

· See how much money I can save over the next 3 months
· Learn to have discipline
· Control my spending (not fun at all)
· Learn that I really don’t “need” everything that I “think” that I do.
· Realize that I can wear the same outfit twice ( this will be a hard one)
· Last but not least: prove to myself that I can keep this commitment.

So there is a start to some of the questions I have gotten thus far. I am only on day 3…so far so good!

Bear in Hibernation

After a grueling boot camp workout last night and watching the finale to the bachelor ( there is 3 hours I will never get back) I thought to myself that if I am really going to do this challenge the right way then I need to come clean and put all my “ dirty” laundry out there for everyone to know. So here goes!

Deciding to do this challenge after my Saturday night return debacle left me going to bed that night on a very positive note. But that positive feeling didn’t last long when I woke up Sunday morning to one thought and one thought only, that I need to go buy this cardigan that I saw at The Limited a few weeks back but didn’t buy at the time cause I thought I still had plenty of time to start shopping for my spring wardrobe. I thought it could wait, but now it was all I could think of. For those of you who don’t know me very well, when I get obsessed about stuff I will only think about whatever it is I want until I have it in hand. It gets very difficult to function at times. I decided if I was not going to shop for a full 3 months then what is the harm and going to the store and getting this one thing, right? A few minutes later I was at the store and in the dressing room again finding myself surrounded by 20 different items to try on... the entire trip is still a blur.

After trying everything on and carefully putting things in either a “YES” pile or a “NO” pile, which the “NO” pile consisted of only 2 things, I noticed someone talking…well more like debating and after a moment of thinking who the heck is this weirdo, I realized it was ME! I was debating to myself out loud about what to buy and what not to buy. I mean who does this, not only once but twice in the past 24 hours and in a dressing room of all places? Nevertheless I guess I won the debate with myself cause I clearly left there with not only the item I came for but a few more “must haves” that I just couldn’t live without. So 290 dollars later I was headed home and feeling great but feelings are overrated and sooner than later I found myself making excuses for what just took place.

Clearly I know that I shouldn’t have bought anything on Sunday and clearly I should return everything I purchased but that is not going to happen. I had a chat with my good friend Megan the other day and she made a good point of saying I should return everything that I have bought and start this challenge off with a bang. But I don’t always do the right thing or make the best decisions. That’s probably why I have a car loan and a student loan hanging in my closet. Always having a friend who is right all the time can become nauseating, but the only reason that is, cause I know deep down she is right but this is my challenge and I make the rules people. So before you agree and say that’s exactly what I should be doing, don’t because I am the one who came up with the challenge and with that it means I come up with the rules. So whatever shopping I have done up to Feb 28th at 11:59pm I get to keep and that’s that! I know some may not agree and that’s ok. But I have to have something new to get through this time and that was my last “soiree” until June 1st, 2010.

Besides bears have to stock up on food before they go into hibernation, so that’s all I was doing….storing up!

Hi My Name Is Stacie and I Am A SHOP-A-HOLIC!

Well it was bound to happen sooner than later, the realization that I, Stacie Jones, am a shopaholic! It hit me this past weekend when I went to my favorite store (BCBG) to return a shirt that I just " had to have" but this much needed shirt had been hanging in my closet for 29 days, so decide for yourself if I really had to have it! Yesterday, being the 30th day, I went to return it with the intent on just returning and walking out of the store. ( ha like that was going to happen)! So after diligently returning the shirt and hurrying to make my quick exit, something caught my eye. Standing there in the middle of the store pleading with myself ( probably looking like a nut case) to just walk out the store, I looked over and there it was. The best thing any fashionista could see, a RED BOLD sign that said additional 40% off clearance. To leave or not to leave is what I went through for the next 5 minutes. I told myself "looking" never hurt anyone, well that is the biggest misconception known to man. "Looking" is never just looking when it comes to me. I look, I want, I buy! So after sorting through the clearance rack and finding a cocktail dress that I just had to have, I made my way over to the the other lonely, not on sale, racks and decided why not try on some clothes, I mean I am only trying them on, right? So 30 minutes later and some bizarre conversations with myself ( note to self: maybe should see someone about this) I walked out of the store two dresses richer or really two dresses poorer according to my bank account. Just cancelled out my return, but at least I now have two items for the same amount as the one shirt cost, right?

So driving home, I thought to myself " Why did I just buy these dresses"? It's not like I have an event coming up that I need to have a cocktail dress for and the other dress is for summer and I can't wear it now and the damn thing wasn't even on sale! So this went on for the next 5- 1o minutes until I walked through my front door and finally decided that I deserved these dresses and at least I got a good deal on them. Well ok at least I got a good deal on one of them!

So after putting them away in my lovely, not so big closet, I started admiring all my clothes when I looked around and thought to myself " What the hell am I doing"? I started to notice a certain characteristic that all my clothes have,which is THE PRICE TAG STILL ATTACHED. I looked around my closet and I tell no lies, I have over 60 plus individual items that still have price tags on them and have never been worn. So you might be thinking, "60 items that's not so bad", well yes it wouldn't be that bad if those were the only items in my closet, but they aren't. Those are on top of the countless jeans, over 100 and something dresses, skirts tops and all the 250 (I have stopped counting) shoes that are neatly labeled, box, pollard and put away up top in my closet. I am shitting clothes here people! So to get straight to the point, I decided I needed to do something about this addiction. I contemplated returning some items, but that isn't fun for anyone and we saw how returns go for me. Then I thought I could donate but crap these are good clothes that I have yet to wear, I should at least be able to wear them once or twice before I donate them, right? So the light bulb came on and the NO SHOPPING FOR 90 DAYS idea came about! I thought this is perfect, I can start fresh and still keep the clothes I recently bought ( and yes there's a lot of them) and at least have some "new" items to wear for spring. I know this sounds harsh, shallow, materialistic and above all, for those who know me, not doable, but I am bound and determined to do this and with the support of friends, family and some heavy drinking, I know that I can. :)

No shopping for 90 days means I can't buy clothes, books, magazines, Itunes, pretty much anything that could be considered a luxury or not a necessity. I can buy food ( of course) household items like cleaning supplies, toilet paper ( you get the point) just things that are must haves. Now this might seem a little extreme to some, but I think this will be my own personal AA class not to mention giving my bank account a little vacation!

I will be blogging about this over the next three months. Feel free to join in the journey with me and take the 90 day challenge or just tune in to see what happens next!

Until next time,
Shopaholic Stacie