Like so many children do, I can blame it on my mother.
Courtesy of clipartheaven
She always bought me an Easter outfit with new shiny patent leather shoes. Of course there was a hat for church and gloves too. Always. This was my “good” summer outfit expected to last until it got too cold in the fall.
In a good year, there would be a corsage for Easter day. I was expected to stay clean and neat all day. No scuffing the shoes! That’s a tall order for a kid.
I still love patent leather shoes and all things shiny.
Today I went to the mall to do my “Easter shopping” and get some retail therapy. Retail therapy is therapeutic and soothing. I am a very tactile person and just love to touch pretty things. No, that is not creepy!
People who shop during the weekday are different from the weekend crowd. It’s an odd collection of young ethnic couples sometimes with strollers, kids who snuck out of school, old grannies and me.
Really, I don’t belong in the old granny group even though I am one. My hair is not purplish gray with a tight perm. I am not wearing a sweat suit with sneakers and all that defines the granny group.
The good news is that none of these groups are interested in the same merchandise and it’s so much more peaceful to shop.
Today’s chore was not to get a new outfit. That would be fun. I did touch some of the pretty dresses on my way through the store. Why are the dresses so much more beautiful when I don’t need one?
Nor was it to buy shoes. That would also be fun. Of course, no trip is complete without a walk through the shoe department. I fondled a few pair but nothing spoke to me. That is good because I bought four new pair in the last two months. That’s a lot even for me. I am retired and do not need to change shoes every day.
What I really needed was a new purse. That’s as bad as buying socks or granny underwear.
I am not much of a purse person. I use one until it falls apart, then buy another and do the same.
Purses are not like shoes. It’s too much trouble to change them to match my outfit so I buy bland neutrals that work with everything. Very boring.
It’s important that my stuff fits into a new purse. It can’t be too big or too small. If it’s not similar in size to my current one, I will go to the counter and inform the salesperson that I am “trying it out.” Then I will empty my current purse and put my stuff into the new one to see if it works.
That’s not as bad as it used to be when tampons, lipstick and used snotty tissues would go rolling down the aisle but any day now, I’ll be trying to stuff Depends and heating pads into it.
There are some weird looks but it saves me a return trip if it doesn’t work.
Today I found two purse I liked. One will be great for winter and the other is a summer purse which is what I needed. Both were on sale and I had coupons! All good!
It was a good functional shopping trip but there are no new patent leather shoes or Easter outfit.
I didn’t even treat myself to a Starbucks. What was I thinking?
Views and Mews by Coffee Kat 
My daughter and I spoke this week about missing the days when we got dressed up for Easter. I have some wonderfully funny old photos of those days! Hats, and even gloves…on a five year old. I see some really wonderful purses when I’m out and can’t help but stop and caress them. I don’t need any more, but I admit that I’m very tempted. Your colorful new ones are a good way to celebrate spring. 🙂
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What I miss most about Easter is my mother. It was all about her. The outfits, the food, the extra church services and the pictures. Tiny little purses that barely fit my prayer book with gloves and hat to match. Good times!
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I had Starbucks for you yesterday. Best part of the whole dang day!
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Thank you! I’m having one right now!
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It would surely be fun to buy a whole Easter outfit and patent leather shoes again Kate. I too remember those days. Even so, a new purse may be just as exciting. I have been searching for the perfect purse all my life. I believe it is a conspiracy by the manufacturers to produce not-quite-right bags that keep me searching for the perfect replacement. Sigh.
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It’s like buying a bathing suit. I have yet to find the perfect one of those too.
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“Why are the dresses so much more beautiful when I don’t need one?” – A constantly recurring question in Kelly’s world. 🙂
By the way, I think emptying your used purse to try out whether everything fits into your “soon to be” new purse is legitimate. And as you said: Only the grannies and teenagers that skipped class were at the mall. The grannies certainly don’t mind such a procedure and I guess the teenagers were occupied hiding from people so that they do not get busted and did not notice. 😉
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As long as I didn’t get arrested for shoplifting, I was ok with it!
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Shoes and purses, count me in. Trouble is, all of my purses are black except for two vintage clutch bags that only hold a credit card and keys…I’m always changing them leaving my glasses or wallet in the wrong one…dreadful habit…patent leather shoes…love them. Just ordered a pair of shiny blue flats from J Crew but sent them back because they were an odd shade. They smelled so good and looked great but matched only a coffee mug I got from a theme park…Easter shopping should be a law. since we all deserve something new.
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I knew you would weigh in. I don’t change purses much because I always leave something in the wrong one! All black? No red?
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Red always makes me look like a fortune teller from Queens, yet I do admire it on others. Have always wanted red shoes…almost got them but in the 11th hour demurred.
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Ah yes, I remember you saying that. I am still surprise that there are no tasteful neutrals. Everything you have is tasteful!
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Yeah but that red streak is just dying to come out…one day.
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I find buying a purse to be difficult. I don’t like the big ones, but find the small ones too tiny. I like quality, but can’t stand lots of ornamentation on the bag. I want some structure to it, but not too much. And then I want it to be in my price range! The whole shopping for a purse process is too much for me, so I use my old purses telling myself that they are retro & I am hip for carrying one of them.
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I use a bag until it starts to fray or something breaks. The size has to be right for me and the number of compartments — not too many but a few. It’s worst than shopping for a swimsuit….maybe.
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Purse fever! Forgetting Starbucks? My “summer” purse is turquiose…all the old summer ones are worried about that Goodwill pile…well, maybe not the one with the palm trees…that’s just nice hanging around in the closet to look at in winter.
The worst thing was those white gloves…I had trouble getting from the house to the church door without getting black on them from something! (and the scornful looks then…)
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Oh yes! I hated the white gloves! I had purples one too. Much better. Hid the dirt!
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I do like nice purses but for me they are like heels. They are to be admired as art in a gallery. If they come home with me, they will just gather dust. I have a wristlet that I keep in a backpack. If I go into a store the backpack stays in the car and just my cards and cash come with me.
Happy for your success!! 8)
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You are so disciplined! My old winter purse was a back healthy one that looked oddly like a back pack. My new one is a smaller and smarter looking but very light weight. Can’t carry leather anymore. Just too heavy. Thanks for weighing in.
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Not really discipline. I just don’t like carrying a purse. They are all too heavy for my taste. 🙂
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Love the backpack idea with just carrying in the cards and cash.
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Are you ill, Kate? No Starbucks? Did H%#% freeze over? Yesterday, while at Costco, I discovered they had Starbucks Ice Coffee (lightly sugared) in bottles for $3 off…I thought of you as I loaded up a case into my cart.
Okay, I must confess. I hoard purses like I do books. I love purses! I’ve cut back on my purchases, but I do head to the purse section first of any department store. I could teach you how to be a quick change artist, when it comes to switching purses…the secret is having an organizer that you put inside your purse. The organizer has compartments and a handle so you simply lift and switch.
I should write a post on my purse collection, but it could be embarrassing. 🙂
I hope you have a wonderful Easter!
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I would love to hear about your collection and your organizer. I have to google that! Do you cut out the compartments that are in the purse to make room?
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If you have a purse that only has the inside zipper pocket and is basically a black pit inside, the organizer just fits down inside. For purses with compartments, I’ll just use makeup bags within each compartment to keep things organized. When it comes time to change purses, you’re just moving two or three organizers/makeup bags.
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Sounds like a good idea. I have cut back a lot on what I carry. I don’t carry makeup unless it’s a formal event, then I’ll take lipstick which I will forget to refresh. I gave up carrying a checkbook but got a cell phone in exchange. The good thing is I don’t need tampons anymore! Yay!
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I’m actually on the lookout for a new purse myself. The one I have is similarly bland and boring, but is an all-season utilitarian sort of bag. After about three years of daily use, it is definitely beginning to show the signs of age (much like myself). So I’ve been keeping an eye open, but so far, nothing has tickled my fancy. Yet. My purse requirements are pretty strict. Full-length outside pocket is mandatory. Both sides is great, but at least one side must have a full length exterior pocket. And at least two large zippered compartments, preferably separated by a third compartment, zippered or not. Big enough to hold a book. Extra pockets for cell phone or pens is a plus, but not a requirement. No big full-length exterior pocket? I won’t even take a second glance. Next. And price? Practically free fits in with my budgetary ideas. 🙂
Maybe I’ll take a few moments the next time an opportunity arises to visit the purse department. You just never know. If you can find TWO, surely I can find just one. Maybe?
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Sounds like you should be able to find that fairly easily. You know what you want. I have one purse with too many pockets and that’s not good. I also need at least one outside pocket and maybe 2 inside zippered parts. I don’t need credit card slots because I use a separate man’s wallet for that. Of course, free is a little harder to find…..
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Great post, I really enjoyed it. One thing intrigues me. In Australia we call the thing we keep our money in our purse. We then put our purse inside our hand bag along with all the other stuff like phone, make-up etc. In America it seems like the purse is the same as our hand bag. What I want to know is what do you call the thing you keep your credit cards, notes and coins in?
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We call that a wallet. Some places call the hand bag a pocketbook and some people do call it a hand bag. For those little pockets that only hold coins, we call those coin or change purses.
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That clip art looks like a cross dresser with a 5 o’clock shadow.
Just saying.
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Those are freckles!
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I don’t do matchy matchy unless it is for a special dress or occasion.
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Wait….no Starbucks?????
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I know. How can you do that? You always treat yourself to something (foodwise) at the mall!
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So funny. My post today was on purses! – maureen
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Great minds run on the same trolley track!
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Oh dear! Purses are so much my weakness! I have thought about joining P.A., but can’t find a local chapter. Even the thought of getting a new one is exciting. Enjoy your new one…
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Yes, I thought of you as I wrote this. Do you change bags to coordinate? Obviously I never really look!
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I’m the same way with purses, and it has to have a pocket just for pet sitting stuff, like lasers, pillers, small grooming brush, etc. Very important, and changing it out to match an outfit is not ever…ever..going to happen!
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I didn’t even change out purses when I was young! I always thought a good invention would be an inside thing that you can slide into any number of different outside purses but today, purses all have so many compartments it’s confusing.
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I don’t get the purse thing either. I find one I like and stick with it! But, I do love patent leather shoes. I’m afraid I have not been good and my black patent heels are a little scuffed from two summers of wear, but they are nice and comfortable now, so I’ll polish them up a little and stick with them!
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Right now I have black patent loafers and dressy wedges. They can dress up any outfit. I thought you just wipe them off? Polish?
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I have never understood the facination with expensive purses that so many women have. I buy a purse and I use it until it falls apart or I am sick of it. Then I buy another one. Like you, I don’t worry about it matching anything. However, if I can, I like to buy wild and colorful purses. Who cares if it clashes??? But that happens very rarely. I am too picky about what my purse needs to have to make it work for me. My current purse is black. So so boring!
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Today I fell in love with a striped bag. It was gorgeous and in my price range (inexpensive). When I really looked at the colors, there was olive green, coral and blue. I wear pinks (mostly hot), fuchsia, purples — so it wouldn’t really work well. Then I saw the same style in a beautiful warm tan with some off white highlights and bought it. Not as crazy as the stripe but it will work with everything. What’s important is that I can find stuff in it. I have one purse that has so many compartments, I can’t find anything.
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