All Dressed Up with Nowhere to Go

This one is for the ladies. And, only the ladies, I fear.

(sorry guys)

Gals, not to be crass, but do you ever splurge so much on one item that you have to plot out how to wear it as many times possible to maximize the longevity of it and to minimize the cost-per-wearing?

Yep. That'll be me. I bought the most beautiful dress at Nordstrom last week, shown below. I don't want my mother to know exactly how much I spent, so I pulled the image from the designer's website.

I will get to don it a few times: first to my friends' wedding in Mackinac Island, Michigan in a few weeks. Second, I'll just HAVE to wear it to the formal wedding I'm attending with Brett in September at the Hotel Intercontinental here in Chicago.

Okay. So that is twice. The cost-per-wearing is still a tad on the high side for this bargain shopper. What now?

Do I start wearing it to work? To the office holiday party? Bowling? To the movies? Show up at the local dive bar in my black taffeta cocktail dress?

I just might.

I will say this, however, about Nordstrom's dress department. I had the absolute best shopping experience there I've ever had. Yes, she managed to get me to more than double my "budget" for the dress (yeah, I'm a real tough sell), but she somehow made the whole process fun.

Which says a lot, considering at one point I was squeezing myself into a borrowed pair of Spanx nude-colored, knee-length strangulation tights in order to smooth the bumps under one satin number she'd brought me.

Tangent alert: How do women wear those things? I turned blue from the waist up, I feel certain, from those things squeezing my thighs. And, the crotch hole? Just unladylike if you ask me. The nude hue does nothing for my complexion, and the NASA-developed space-leotard fabric just pushed all the excess fat above and below the Spanx, which was entirely unpleasant to both the eyes and the legs. Yes, I'll concede that they are a Godsend for some outfits, but I wouldn't have been able to consume a cocktail, much less dinner, if I was strapped into them. And, what's a wedding without enjoying some free drinks and food?

Back to the dress in question. So, I love it. And, it does NOT require any Medieval skin-gripping torture devices underneath in order to fit well and feel good. I swore I'd never buy another black dress, but this one has just that right amount of pizzaz and uniqueness to stand out just a little without calling too much attention away from the inevitably stunning bride. Best of all, I already have the shoes and the bag.

And, I emailed the salesgirl the following morning, when, to my dismay, I noticed on the designer's website (while showing the excellent purchase to my friend Katie) that they were running a 15% promotion off all dresses for the weekend, and she immediately (no questions asked) credited my account for the total 15%. What a gal!!

Working in marketing, I know that consumerism and shopping in general is almost entirely driven by the "brand experience" and I thanked her for continuing to make mine a great one. She knows she cemented my loyalty as a Nordstrom shopper, and I sent her boss an email bragging about her. And he actually responded. I know how important this stuff is, and wanted to do my part as the shopper on the good end of a customer service experience.

Because, after getting rudely treated at any number of stores while spending your hard-earned cash there, isn't it nice to experience someone who loves their job, is good at it, and makes you feel glad you stopped in? I think so, too.

Maybe I'll wear the dress over to thank her? That would bring me to three total showings, reducing my cost-per-wearing to something I can almost bear.

Jumbled Thoughts

I present you with a stream of consciousness list, rather than a story. This may be more telling than anything else anyway as to where my mind is today.

Why is it that you can be underwhelmed and overwhelmed, but never just whelmed?

I just saw a t-shirt at Nordstrom that says, "Internet killed the mix tape star." and found that to be a rather clever and modernized play on "Video killed the radio star." Though mix tapes were really dead when the recordable CD came along, now weren't they?

My sister hung out with Patrick Dempsey at the NASCAR races in Miami this weekend, and she says he's not only a nice man, he seems like a regular guy. With great hair and sparkly eyes. It is sad that it always comes as a shock to find out that a celebrity can actually be a kind human being. Why do we let the others get away with their sub-standard behavior?

I miss my friends from home. With all of the social networking sites around, I get to see updated photos and hear their news on a regular basis, but there is nothing quite like sitting around drinking some cheap wine and laughing about old times. The unique bond that comes from having known each other since we were in elementary school doesn't go away, and as the years tick on, and the milestones of life continue to pass by, the one constant is that we always have each other. That makes me feel all warm inside, kindof like a tequila shot, but without the hangover.

Marking projects/tasks off a to-do list probably shouldn't bring me such joy, but I can't help it. If I complete a weekend task that wasn't on the list, I add it, just so I can mark it off. It is a disease, I'm fairly certain.

Can't help but wish I'd named this blog something a little more general, and something that rolls off the tongue a bit better than this alliteration disaster I have. Wonder if it would be too much trouble to change it, and if not, what would be the right name?

How can the meterologists continue to flub on the forecast? Last night, at approximately 10 pm, on the local news they proudly and boldly proclaimed that it would be 66 and partly cloudy today. It is currently 45 and raining. Didn't they see that moving mass of rainy stuff on their fancy schmancy Doppler radars?

The Cubs have their first home opener at Wrigley today, and I must admit I'm not jealous of the dedicated fans who are sitting in their royal blue and white ponchos waiting out the rain delay. Although a kosher hot dog with grilled onions wouldn't hurt anyone.

Should this marketing thing not work out, I think I have a future in a barber shop. I was taught how to cut hair with the men's clippers this weekend, and surprisingly, was trusted to do so. I'm a beauty school star in the making.

I was disappointed in "The Darjeeling Limited" and despite Wes Anderson's direction, the movie fell flat for me. And, there was a snake in 3 scenes, which didn't help.

Gummy bears don't sit well on an empty stomach. Leftover movie candy is filling our work kitchen after the office's "snack and learn" showing of the documentary "Helvetica" on Friday. It is torture to walk by, and the gummy bears just seem to keep following me back to my office. If I shut my door they may just stay outside. Until I open it, save them from their lonely existence and send them to their doom. In my aching stomach.

And, there are 62 days left until I go to Costa Rica. It sounds like less time when you count it in days, I assure you. I've tried both ways. The "turn the page on the calendar day" always feels like an accomplishment.

Go on. Turn the month page a day early. You rebel you.

Not So Magnificent

So I was just escaping the work grind for a short break at the food court at Nordstrom, just down the Magnificent Mile from my office. After a quick lunch, I walked toward the front doors only to realize that there were cops there, blocking all traffic from exiting. Not one to miss a moment of the action, I stuck around long enough to realize they were shuttling all holiday shoppers out other exits, but you absolutely were not able to use the Michigan Avenue-facing revolving doors.

Normally, a girl with an affinity for shopping would love the opportunity (or excuse!) to be stuck inside a sale-laden, holiday-decorated retail venue, but this time was just plain baffling. You mean I can't leave? Mustn't return to work?

They had roped off the outside entrance and there were huge shards of ice laying broken in pieces on the sidewalk, surrounded by crowds looking up.

Apparently the sun had warmed the ice on the roof just enough to send it crashing to the pavement down below. This happens a lot here, and there was even a death a few years ago when a woman was hit by a huge slice of ice from above.

Who knew shopping could be such an adventure sport?