Wednesday 22 September 2010

Executive Decision

Instead of complaining about how much money I don't have, I have made
an executive decision to spend the money I do have - by going shopping
after work.

Now I've said that, of course, there will be no spending to be had. I
know this because I have a List Of Required Items (shoes: flat and
high, dresses: short and not, tops: evening and casual, bag: not
Topshop). and when this happens, I generally come home with nothing
more than a paper bag full of greasy treats from The Nut Hut.

But alas, I shall try my best. And before you think this is just a
gratuitous shopping trip borne from boredom, let me remind you. This
expedition to Westfield will be my first on British soil in a very
long time. Last year, you see, there was no point. By the time I
decided to leave for sunnier climes, the weather had blown all
heat-appropriate attire out of the shops, and Selfridge's cruise-wear
department just didn't seem appropriate. Versace bikinis have no place
in a Karrimor backpack, unless, of course, you're headed for a gap yah
spent backcombing your hair in Goa-rrr.

So currently, my wardrobe consists of a handful of items I've been
wearing on rotation to plane, bus, beach and horse ride myself around
the world for the last 10 months, and a load of other stuff I wore for
the 10 months before that...or can't remember why I bought in the
first place. Needless to say, this girl's tired clothing range is in
need of an overhaul.

Happily, the Boy is getting dragged along for the ride. Well, I say
"dragged". Part of the Boy's innate charm is his patience during
matters of importance, such as shopping. A pack of gummy sweets in my
bag will be fed to him at regular intervals to keep him perky. Some
call it bribery, I call it sugar-drugging.

Anyway. Off I go into the fray. I will not return empty handed.

Actually, with this much determination, I probably will.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Westfield? Good luck! I can't think of anything worse than shopping, but I have never found any pleasure in it, where most women apparently do. And taking your boy too? Shopping with me and my boy is usually me whinging that I am bored in Burtons looking at zip up grey hoodies (he already owns three). Then we go and get a coffee and there's no more shopping. Hurrah.

Please Don't Eat With Your Mouth Open said...

Soup- Yeah the choice of Westfield is down to proximity to me at the moment more than anything. I usually end up getting lost there, but I couldn't face Oxford Street after work. I used to quite like shopping, but lately I seem to get more and more resentful of the process. It irritates me, because I can never find what I want. The high street is deteriorating and the independent shops I used to love are nowhere to be found.

And yeah, I know the story with shopping with the Boy. It sounds very familiar. Except with my boy, it's finding the perfect t-shirt that seems to be the problem and he refuses to buy from the usual suspects. So we end up trolling around the London / world to all these niche t-shirt shops.

Anonymous said...

Boys. Bloody pains in the bum.

I say to him: "How many grey zip up hoodies do you need?!"

This is ignored.

Hope your trip goes well and you make it out alive.

Gloria said...

Westfield scares me as does Oxford Street.. sooo many people...all of the time.

Hope you get lots of nice stuff though!

Ellie said...

I never made it to Westfield. Yes, good luck!

The Unbearable Banishment said...

Relief through consumerism. It's the American way! Some of it seems to have rubbed off. My wife keeps my 4-year old placated on dull expeditions with gummy bars, as well. It works across the generations.

Anonymous said...

I got paid on Monday (I'm not rubbing it in, it's part of the story) which means this weekend is FINALLY shopping time (we're ignoring the 3 grand I owe my father)!

I looked down at the jumped I was wearing yesterday, and thought, awe, I remember making that hole when I caught it on a ski lift in France... Oh dear. I have had a hole in that jumper for nearly 2yrs??

I've never been to Westfields...

London Lass Blog said...

I too hate shopping. And I'm another woman (I come with breasts 'n everything). However, when me and the Chuppies fitted in a brief visit to Westfield last year (after visiting some Chrimbo exhibition nearby) I did manage to pick myself up a rather lovely Guess purse. So I guess I can do *spontaneous* quick shops, but planned day long shopping 'n lunch affairs are just not for me. PS : Did you get anything good?

Please Don't Eat With Your Mouth Open said...

Soup - I made it out alive. But with an unimpressive haul of clothing.

Gloria - Well, today I went to Portobello road and then back to Westfield, and the latter was an empty shell in comparison to the former.

Ellie - I'd love to say you missed out, but, well, nah. Can't, sorry.

Unbearable - Gummy sweets are the way forward. They placate in a number of situations from shopping, to car journeys, to weddings.

Roseski - Most of my favourite jumpers and hoodies have holes in them and have been in my wardrobe for years. But whenever I buy new ones, they're just not the saaame.

Londonlass - Let's see, I got a pair of shoes which I need to take back because somewhere between leaving the shop and getting home, my feet shrunk, and a skirt which I don't have anything to wear with, and today I went back and got some deoderant, mascara, and more shoes.

Mission accomplished? I wish.

 

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