Thursday, March 13, 2008

Not a good sign of things to come...


I am not much of a shopper. I like to look presentable, but I’m more about comfort than I am about style. If I can find something comfortable that’s also semi-stylish, I’m thrilled. I’m forever in debited to JLo for making the sweat suit socially acceptable, if even for awhile.

Meredith is my polar opposite when it comes to clothes and shopping. I love having a girl to dress and would much rather buy stuff for her. (Largely, because smocking and toile is insanely cute on a small person.) So, while I love to shop for her, I’m not the type to spend a day at the mall trying on dresses. OR shoes…Most women love shoes, but when you wear a size 10 (on a bad day, it’s a 10.5…Those are dark days.), your foot never looks like you hoped it might in those dainty heels. I’m a get in, get out, type of shopper.

I found out today, Meredith has the potential to become a professional shopper. What started as a quick trip to the mall for curl taming product for Meredith, turned into an afternoon of shopping.

It’s partially my fault. Meredith loves jewelry, and has from infancy. She was really annoyed with Nana when she was about 18 months old, because Nana wouldn’t let her wear her diamond rings around the house. She has been known to make comments like, “Oh, Mommy, I love your pearls. I wish I could have that necklace!”

Knowing her love of all things sparkly, I let her flip through the Tiffany & Co. catalogue. Meredith was enthralled. Now, when it appears in our mailbox, she recognizes the colors, and immediately rips it open and starts her wish list. There is a Tiffany store right next to Aveda. I told Meredith if she could behave while we bought her hair stuff, we would go next door and she could look at the jewelry. Of course, she found several things she loved, but we had a big talk about how we were just looking. Meredith chattered endlessly about how pretty everything was, and how when she was a big girl, she was going to buy this ring or that bracelet, etc. The sales staff ate it up, and didn’t feel like she should leave empty handed. They cut her several yards of ribbon, put it into that familiar suede bag, and enclosed it all in a box. Then they gave her an itty bitty bag, tied with the same ribbon. Cloud nine probably doesn’t describe it. Meredith showed it to anyone willing to look. She shrewdly figured out grandma-types are easy targets for storytelling.

We moved on to Baby Gap, where Meredith was so distraught over the lack of her size in a pink jelly sandal that she told the sales lady her, “heart was crying.” I swear. To make a long story short we finally ended our afternoon at a children’s clothing store. I was on my way to grown folks Talbots (yes, I enjoy dressing like the bridge set.), when Meredith, I kid you not, noticed a SALE sign in the Talbots Kids window. “Mom! Let’s go in. There’s a sale and I want to try on that polka dot dress!” What three year old wants to try on clothes?! So we did, and after a voice mail left for Dad asking about the dress, we walked out of the store with the dress.

I’m not at all comfortable with the rampant consumption, but at least she recognizes a sale!

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

wow, this post was hilarious! I can just imagine your little diva on this trip. I bet it was too cute!