Shop 'Til I Drop

Sunday was an absolutely beautiful day in Chicago. The warm sunny day was well-deserved after a cold, dreary Saturday. I enjoyed the great weather with a day of shopping on Michigan Avenue. Nothing gets your spirits higher or lower than shopping, and luckily I had a successful spree.

All women can relate to the highs and lows of shopping, especially if you're looking for those perfect pair of jeans. Good jeans are as rare as the Vancouver Island Marmot (only about 29 left in the world...you learn something new everyday.) Anyway, my point is that shopping can be disastrous and a huge hit on your self-esteem or the highlight of your week as you strut with your new purchases. Men will never understand this. Probably because the men's fitting rooms don't have bright lights that accentuate every dimple on your rhino-sized thighs. I blame my magnified thighs on the carnival-esque mirrors which make my average body look oddly misshapened. With the combination of bright lights and big ass, I sorely regret wearing a purple thong. You would think that more stores would have the ideal fitting room like Banana Republic. BR has rooms with a choice of lighting and mirrors that accentuates curves not dimples. Although I didn't buy anything, my confidence did rise a few notches with the "evening" lighting view.

The stores that made me the happiest girl ever on my shopping Sunday - H&M and Forever 21. I have always dismissed these stores due to the mass of clothes and shoppers. I easily get overwhelmed in stores like these - clothes packed in tightly, arranged by color and multiple levels of items I'd usually second guess. Eventually, I have to eliminate certain areas of the store before I hyperventilate. I assumed these stores were for tweens or for women who should know better, but I was wrong. You call a store Forever 21, and I'm going to avoid it. I don't want to be "forever 21" - it wasn't the greatest year and I'd rather be forever mid to late-20s. Although it's a hunt and find mentality there, H&M and Forever 21 have stylish clothes that are cheap. Maybe it's city living that's calming me to the idea of these uber cheap shops...or maybe it's because I found three pairs of stylish jeans that fit perfect! Three! I was only going to buy one, but this was like finding the pot of gold at the end of a rainbow. By the end of the day, I walked away with filled shopping bags without breaking the bank.

Cheap clothes may not last as long, but when fashions change as much as they do, what's the point in having a top that will last for several seasons. I have a hard enough time conforming to skinny jeans now, let alone two years from now (they better be out of fashion by then.) Thankfully, all the walking I did along the Magnificent Mile will help me squeeze into my new jeans...but my feet are still sore.

My next shopping mission: Shoes