The root of my love

I was having a conversation with two friends at a cocktail party last night.  One friend, whom I will call W., was robbed last week.  Not just a little robbed, but A LOT!  She travels to Asia frequently and does a lot of shopping and had just returned from a trip with a bunch of goodies.  She also loves jewelry as much as I do and, I'll call a spade a spade, she's a compulsive shopper.  Needless to say, the thief hit the mother load when he broke into her house in the middle of the day last week.  Understandably, it has completely ruined the holidays for her and not only does she feel violated, she's just plain bummed.

Yesterday W decided to go to the mall to shop and hopefully get into the holiday spirit while lifting her own.  She started trying on clothes and her mood just got worse.  She said she felt fat and bloated (she is the furthest thing from either of those) and trying on clothes accentuated those feelings when they didn't fit quite right.  My jaw dropped upon hearing this tale...

If you only learn one thing from this blog (well, my portion anyway) let that lesson be that under NO circumstances should you ever shop for clothing when you are depressed. Accessories are the answer for that!  My love for accessories doesn't just stem from the fact that you can transform an outfit from "blah" to "fabulous" with the right shoes but from the simple fact that accessories ALWAYS FIT!  When was the last time you tried on a pair of earrings that made you look fat?  Of course, there are earrings that don't look good with your face shape or hair style, but made you look fat and ugly-No Way!  The quickest way to feel petite is to go buy a handbag of giant proportions.  All of a sudden you are Tinkerbell's size.  Want your legs to look long and lean?  Buy (or as J would say, just put on one of the 300 pairs you already own) a pair of 4 inch stilletos. 

W. was shocked when I started shrieking, "WHY ON EARTH WOULD YOU TRY ON CLOTHES WHEN YOU ARE TRYING TO MAKE YOURSELF FEEL BETTER?"  I took it for granted that all women knew this but just didn't talk about it.  When I explained my logic, W looked as if I had given her the answer to a life-long question.  If by writing this blog I save even one woman from the heartbreak that W. felt on Saturday, then I consider my civic duty done.

I always say shopping is cheaper than a psychiatrist ~ Tammy Faye Baker

I couldn't agree more!

Marlene

And yes, those are my drool-worthy, pink satin, ankle-tie Chanel pumps, circa Fall 2001, that I was supposed to be wearing when I got engaged.  Instead I was wearing J's ratty KA Old South t-shirt and flannel pajama pants.  I guess he didn't get the memo.