I have had the most wonderful week, thank you! On Thursday, Ryan let me go for the day and I was a total girl! I browsed a strip mall for shoes and home décor ideas, snapping pictures of fave ideas to share with Ryan on his iPhone. That little iPhone saved us a lot of money and is the way I intend to shop from now on. I hate to impulse buy and like to think it over and see if something still speaks to me days later because then it means I really found something fabulous for me. I was kinda looking for an occasion table for the entry way where Ryan could put his keys, phone and wallet down but that would have enough drawers to keep all sorts of random stuff like the boys’ socks, tape dispenser, batteries . . . and I found the perfect one! But I snapped a picture of it and it's accompanying knickknacks to make the niche so I could show Ryan when I got home. I love his opinion on this stuff because he always has specific ideas too and we're in this fun phase of enjoying the creative process to create a peaceful homey feeling in our home.
So after getting all those snapshots and drawing looks from fellow sale scavengers, I headed to the mall to get Ryan’s slippers at Brookstone. They were out of his size and have discontinued the line so I knew I’d have to track them down elsewhere. I had told Ryan I intended to go to a dept store makeup counter and have them do their whole routine/spiel. I wandered over to the Estee Lauder area because it seemed they were doing makeovers and they were! It was so fun! I have never had a skin care regiment or known my colors, how to apply makeup or what tools to use. I got the full education and the makeup artist was just this nice chic motherly woman who just enjoyed teaching me without being pushy.
After she just did the cleanse, toner, moisturizer, and eye cream I felt like a new woman at 5pm! It was just FABULOUS!!! I had them write it all up and then I had the counter lady tell me all the prices for everything. In the end, I got the moisturizer and an eye shadow color and am quite happy with that little start that I can now build on if I choose. Why has it taken me so long to embrace being a girl – it’s fun!
I owe my inspiration to my high school/college best bud Rach and her devoted trendy, girly friends who do her up - Jocelyn and another Rach. When my Rach moved to Michigan after BYU graduation to work for Ford, she came home with a fabulous short haircut that just looked amazing on her thanks to Jocelyn and her peeps! Rach now had a hair stylist, Luis, who really just decides on her look for her – I still need to find someone like this! Then the gals started doing her makeup for occasions and she just looked great! For Rach's MBA graduation, she sat on a stool and the girls made her up and all were happy with their roles - it was so fun! Since Rach and I met that wonderful spring of our junior year in high school, Rach and I are/have been the quintessential is-it-really-worth-the-time, money, effort, I-don't-know-what-I-want, love-me-like-I-am type. But I feel like we’re evolving and embracing this whole being a girl thing now. Rach, am I right or am I right?
After gettin' my goods (and feeling like I needed the makeup artists address so I could send her Christmas cards from now on for the service she rendered), I browsed more stores and even tried on swim suits! Aaaack!!! The last time I bought a swimsuit was actually in high school! Yup, my body has changed a bit in those 10+years what with childbirth/nursing and all so I was long overdue - but who ever has the time, money or inclination for such things?! Well I did, especially looking foward to a family trip to Vegas in March to spend time with Ryan's side of the family poolside.
The sales lady in the swim shop made me try on a bunch of different suits and I found a style I LOVED, just not a print pattern I liked. It was a liberating experience, even though I'll never have the body I would love to have - I can make due with what I've got and not completely embarrass my children at the pool with my lack of being with the times. (Thank goodness I've got plenty of time before they'll ever be aware of this, not that it really even matters - but still!)
So my day out was a day of surrendering to the inner girl in me that didn't know she'd been neglected for so long. I let myself just spill my gut and tell the reasons I was looking and it was so wonderful to be heard by people behind the counter doing their job to sell their wares. They were all so willing and eager to share their expertise and make me go beyond my comfort zone, try something new, and be okay with looking at things a little differently. What a glorious day!
That was Thursday. Friday, Ryan and I tracked down his slippers and we went and got that cute little table for the entryway. He knows how to make me happy! And he took me to the Tortilla Factory in Herndon to see if their chips and salsa measured up to our old Alexandria fave Mexican food haunt, El Paso. They did!!! HURRAY!!! I've decided I need to start keeping a list of my fave local joints here on the blog so that people will tell me their faves too.
My birthday was perfect because I got to have a heart to heart with a neighbor, some of my girlfriends took me out for dinner, and then I got to nap on my friends' couch while they went to a movie and we stayed up way too late chatting about old times/new times. Nothing better than shopping, good food, and fabulous friends and family on my birthday!
