The Bottom Drawer Shopper

I'd like to say that I shop for the special people in my life with enough time to keep the experience pleasant and easy. If I know someone's birthday is coming up, or Christmas is around the corner, I may start thinking about things they might like a couple of months in advance...but then next thing I know, the big day is just a night away and I'm stuck in that oh-great-the-thing-I-wanted-to-get-her-is-no-longer-in-stock situation. I have gotten better as the years have gone by. If my daughter is going to a birthday party, I will make sure to get the gift a week in advance. And here we are on November 25 and I am heading out this afternoon to shop for Christmas presents. I will however, likely wrap them the day I am going to deliver them. I love giving gifts and feel especially happy when the gift I select is truly meaningful to the recipient...I just have shopping issues that go far beyond the scope of this post.

My mom used to buy generic gifts and keep them in the bottom drawer of her dresser. Beautiful unopened bottles of perfumes lined that drawer, along with scarves, shawls and those toiletry gift bags. You know the ones that go crazy on sale right after Christmas? Yup, she'd stock up and then if some unexpected event came along or people turned up out of the blue from out of town or she felt it was a gift-giving occasion (sometimes she just gave gifts for the sake of it!), she'd have plenty of selection right in her very own bedroom. These weren't gifts that people gave her that she was trying to recycle. She would buy them with the intention of giving them away. I used to think it was super weird and chalked it up to one of her crazy quirks but I totally see the usefulness in this...and I admire her even more for her generous heart. Underneath that seemingly odd practice, was a woman who just loved to give. She just liked to be more prepared than the average person for when the time came!

They say in time you become more like your parents - well, let's see about that. I'd have to clear out the bottom drawer of my dresser first!

Spring Cleaning

You might think from the title of this post that I am going to write about something deep and profound, that perhaps "spring cleaning" refers to a cleansing of the soul at this time of the Earth's rebirth. Nope. I am going to vent about the frustrating situation that is my closet. In and of itself it is a nice closet. Not exactly a walk-in, but definitely a stand-in...and it has a light. Also, it came with nice organizer shelving. The problem is it is crammed with clothes - 90% of which do not fit me, have not fit me for a long time and probably will never fit me again. My issue is not that I want to be a particular size. My issue is that I do not have many clothes that fit this size and yet, if you were to look in my closet you would think I should never have to say "I have nothing to wear."
Right now my wardrobe consists of a smattering of maternity clothes, a large portion of my mom's sarees and funky dresses from her early 20's, and a few mismatched items of clothing that possibly fit but that so desperately need mates.
Stacey London and Clinton Kelly from What Not to Wear would have a FIELD DAY with my closet. Actually, I may even be the first person ever nominated on the show to render them speechless. By the way, I am not at all opposed to being nominated for that show. I will whole-heartedly accept the $5000.00 to shop in New York and be given some personalized advice. I'll take their demeaning remarks with my head held high. If you nominate me for the show I will even bring you back a souvie from the Big Apple. I promise. Do they take Canadians? Hmmm...anyway, I digress.
The very top of my closet is lined with purses. I love these purses. Some are dressy, some very casual, some in-between...NONE that seem to complement anything in my wardrobe. Frustrating.
What I need to do is put away my maternity clothes because I default to wearing them all the time (they're so comfortable!) but then spend the majority of my waking hours pulling my pants up. I also need to take my mom's saree blouses to a tailor so that one day, if I actually go somewhere that requires a saree, I will have about 20 at my disposal. And then the sad, lonely, mate-less pieces...I think I have to shop for friends for them.
I think I will love my closet then. I think I will open its door and sigh contentedly and truly appreciate its size and that light that will illuminate oh so many possibilities.
Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go pull on my husband's old sweat pants (the ones with the hole in the butt) that don't even make it IN to my closet and enjoy the rest of my Sunday evening.
Thanks for reading...