Saturday, September 13, 2008

oy vey i hate shopping

today we went out and got the boy a guitar and he will soon start taking lessons. it's an electric guitar. yes, we have lost our fucking minds. a guitar and a viola in the same house. i really might have to start taking medication.

after that we went to the mall. we do not go to the mall. seriously, in the last 11 years (since the girl was born) we might have been in a mall maybe 5 times. i hate malls. i never got into the whole mall thing (perhaps because i didn't live in the states when this retail phenom started and because shopping really isn't my thing). we went because the girl is the exact opposite of me---loves shopping and, though she's only been in one a handful of times, she thinks malls are cool. i think this is because her friends are mall rats and she thinks she should be one too.

this mall trip was a perfect example of how the girl is on the life fence. what shops did she want to visit? build a bear and abercrombie. i think she assumed we (the parental units aka pocketbook) were going to buy her a build a bear. uh, fuck no. then we ventured into abercrombie. hooookayyy. i have to admit, i've never been in one of those stores. hello, perfume much? i'm all for ambiance and love some good smelling stores but seriously? i think they pipe in the abercrombie scent in (and yes, there is such a thing). it's dark, like a swanky, romantic, candle lit restaurant. you're greeted by a huge, i'm talking mural size, black and white shot of a hot young torso. yeah, just what my 11 year old girl needs to see. we walk through the store and i start checking price tags. i knew they were pricey but really? $20 for a freaking short sleeve polo shirt? for what? the moose on the front? really? dear lord. i just can't bring myself to pay that for a polo. the girl so wants something from that store.

after that store she found a kiosk that had flip flops. not just any flip flops but rainbow flip flops (that's the brand). flip flops---$48! they're flip fucking flops! who the fuck is buying this stuff for their kids??? i'm sorry, even if we were rolling in the dough i just don't know that i could spend the money on things like that. am i wrong?

i know i wanted jordache jeans and vans and izods when i was in high school (never paid attention to that stuff in middle school) but i also didn't get those things and i survived. but man---kids (at least mine) totally know how to make you feel so guilty when they don't get the things they want. i'm toying w/ the idea of getting her something from abercrombie (on sale) for christmas. oh, and what else? she wants a vera bradley purse. holy shit.

i've told her on some of these things that if she wants to save half i'll pay the other half. uh, yeah, right. once she gets enough money in her pocket she's searching for the newest web kinz.

9 comments:

Astarte said...

A Vera Bradley purse?!?! Holy shit! *I* would never even buy one of those for *ME*, never mind my twerpy daughter (we're having kind of a bad day, does it show?)

I agree 1000% with everything you said here. I used to go to the mall a lot when I was a kid, and now I just don't like them at all. Well, I take that back - when we lived near Annapolis, the mall there is gorgeous and airy and clean, with two play areas for the kids, so it was a pleasure to go. Now, here in hickville, the mall is a nasty, nasty place that I never go to.

Kids' clothes are totally overpriced, and I refuse to buy them. Thank GOD Josie has inherited my disgust for most overpriced things, or at least is still young enough that she wants to ingratiate herself to me by acting astonished at prices, too. If it's not on sale, or under $15, I generally don't buy it, particularly for Patrick since he's still little. The only exception to this is shoes, since really really cheap kids' shoes give them blisters, and they're both able to wear their shoes now for two seasons before we need to get new ones.

I also hate the whole sexy atmosphere of teen stores. I mean, there aren't photos of hot guys in adult stores! Especially when the photos aren't even OF teens, they're of young men. That burns me up. Maybe when my kids are older it won't? But for now, walking with young kids past the porn display in the Victoria's Secret window and then AF's stinky-smellng sex-display grosses me out.

Yes, I'm an old fart.

Kristin.... said...

Nope, Astarte isn't an old fart. I think we all feel that way about the kids' clothing stores. We rarely go to the mall; I shop online for the kids, or go to Target or the outlet stores in Freeport. There are just some things my kids will NOT wear. ugh.
I don't even know what a Vera Bradley purse is.....I have a Kate Spade knockoff though. :)

Anonymous said...

I may have a Vera Bradley connection for you, if you want. I'll check into it. Also, Wal-mart (I know, I know, I hate it too) has VB knockoffs.

I know you've avoided it, and you've got sticker shock, but $20 doesn't sound that bad for an A&F shirt, even for a kid. I figured it would be more. But then, I'm not the one buying it. :)

Take a deep breath, you've got 7 more years of this.

Sweet T

broad minded said...

i hate to break this to you, and while i didn't support these purchases, we have in the past bought the step spawn jeans from the big A&E store for more than a $100 that were ripped to all shit and seconds from showing her ass crack. so i get the ick factor but there are ways around it. learn to love old navy would be my first suggestion.

i think the idea of making her pay for half of things isn't bad either.

so far as the vera goes, some of the smaller purses aren't as pricey and you should check out the web site to look at the retiring patterns, those get reduced.

or you could just pay me to take her shopping;)

creative kerfuffle said...

astarte--i'm w/ you on the prices--the boy is easier cos he doesn't really care (other than he is twitchy and prefers stuff w/out tags) and as for the purse, not only would i not buy VB cos of the price (hello, it's not even damn leather!) but also (sorry if i'm offending anyone) i don't like that style of stuff. i did google it today--the vb hipster purse is what she wants--and i can probably get a deal on ebay. that might be a christmas present. i think i might have to stand firm on the A&E thing. seriously, the store creeps me the hell out as a kids' store. i'm thinking we might be heading to old navy.
sweet t--if you have a vb connection, let me know. i would totally get her a knock off, but the girl is soooo into the labels this year it's killing me.
and broad--don't tempt me about the personal shopper thing. it really just makes my skin crawl to go to the damn mall.

broad minded said...

hey if you pony up some cash there is no tempting to it. you know me i am a shopping junky and if i can't buy it for me, getting it for someone else is just as good.

plus i know of online stuff where you can get deals. i am wily like that.

creative kerfuffle said...

ok broad--share your online shopping secrets : )
and--i just thought about it and do you REALLY think the hubs would let you take the girl shopping? he'd worry that you'd brainwash her to the "left" side LOL he's already brainwashed them and it makes me cringe.

broad minded said...

well naturally she would need to be exposed to the other side of the coin ;) but true brainwashing would cost you extra.

creative kerfuffle said...

broad--do you know how quickly i'd be divorced (or dead) if i let you brainwash the kids? : ) lord--talk about hell hath no fury like a woman scorned? hell hath NO fury like a cocky republican twarted!