Monday, December 30, 2013

going big

Before I start, we need to discuss the latest obnoxious issue Blogger is evidently having: the search widgets. Ummmm...they used to work. I'm talking about the little search box (on this particular blog it's on the left-hand sidebar and says "Search My Blog" above it) that used to be the HANDIEST THING EVER because if I were, say, wondering whether I'd already used a particular blog title before...or wanted to find the post where I showed my most embarrassing middle school pictures, but couldn't remember when I shared it or what the title was...well, it was so handy to just type in a few words in the box, hit 'enter,' and VOILA-- Google magic once again gives me exactly what I'm looking for. Or well...it used to. For the last few weeks it hasn't been working. Not mine. Not yours. I mean, probably not yours. I've made a point to test it out whenever I see another blogger using the same (standard-issue, not fancy) widget. None of them are working. Anyone know why or if there's another one I can get in its place? Because I'm fairly dependent on it and rather panicking that I've already used the title 'going big' before and HOW CAN LIFE GO ON IF I HAVE TWO POSTS WITH THE SAME TITLE??! Exactly. I'm glad you understand the seriousness of the situation here.

So I've probably mentioned this before, but I can't exactly tell you when or where *ahem*, but I seriously lack self-control when it comes to my birthday and Christmas money. I'm a great budgeter and responsible spender of income. I'm a reckless teenager when I get an unearned dime in my paws. It's just who I am and I'm mostly okay with it at this point in my life. However, the fact remains that since my birthday and Christmas are so close together, this means I go all year long being Fiscally Responsible Erika and then I have this two week SPEND ALL THE MONIES!!!! orgy in late December. So guess what this past weekend was??

(I should note that Matt still has Christmas money from LAST CHRISTMAS. And it's not like he (or I) started with like...thousands of dollars. It was a very moderate sum, but for some reason his genes don't compel him to spend it as quickly as possible, so he actually still has some. One of these days he's going to wise up and learn to spend it faster because eventually he's going to get tired of me bugging him to buy me stuff with it when I have no Christmas money left (which is by December 28, typically).)

(Actually, I think he holds onto it just to bug me. It's not that he's particularly thrifty or that he doesn't want anything. I think he just likes being able to make statements like 'oh, maybe I'll get ____ with my Christmas money' in July, when I'm stuck living on a boring ol' budget with no hope of free money for six more long, hot months.)

On Thursday I mentioned that I was contemplating getting some new shoes. You guys weighed in and seemed generally supportive of both the idea in general and both pairs of shoes I was considering.

On Friday I convinced Matt that we should wander over to a local shoe store during our lunch break so that I could try on the Toms wedges. You know, to see if they were as comfy as everyone said. For research purposes, you understand?

But there was Christmas money (technically half-Christmas, half-birthday...but I call it all Christmas Money) in my pocket, and Christmas money leads to greatly accelerated decision making. Whereas I would normally contemplate a Major Shoe Purchase (meaning anything that costs more than $30) for months (Exhibit A: running shoes)...when Christmas money is involved...it goes a little bit differently.

Obviously, I bought the shoes on the spot and wore them out the door. And then gleefully ran into every single co-worker's office and squealed "LOOOOOOOKKKK!!!! I GOT NEW SHOES AT LUNCH!!!!!!!!!!!" and forced them all to ooooooh and aaaahhhhh over my purchase (which they did just beautifully). And took pictures and put them on Facebook. And I am really quite obnoxious when it comes to Christmas money-fueled shoe choices, apparently. I don't think I knew this about myself before...apparently with advancing age comes great self-awareness.

I will not be wearing socks like that with these shoes in general-- it's just that they were the socks I was already wearing on Friday and the choice was either to keep them on with the new shoes or go back to wearing my OLD SHOES for the rest of the day, and Option B was obviously unacceptable. Or I could have bought new (shorter) socks, I guess, but my Christmas money is reckless-- not insane.
So the Toms wedge booties (I cringe to call them 'booties' because there are so many hideous booties out there and I hate to put these in the same category, but...it is what it is) were the first Christmas money casualty. I was so excited. I went home and tried on a million outfits, excited by how new shoes suddenly make your whole wardrobe more glamorous. If you'd seen me and my little fashion show in my bedroom, you would have thought it'd be months before I would get bored of my new shoes and start thinking about more new shoes. And normally you would be right. But then you need to take into account the Power of the Christmas Money.

You see, it wasn't gone yet. 

And by Saturday afternoon...less than 24 hours after purchasing the new wedge booties...I had made TWO MORE SHOE PURCHASES.

Apparently the idea of Minnetonkas was still embedded in my brain somewhere. And then I came across awesome sales (at two different stores!). I mean....really awesome. I ended up getting the next two pairs of shoes for less than half of what the Toms cost (partially due to the fact that I had a gift card that helped significantly with one pair, but still!). So you can see that this really wasn't reckless at all...you'd be silly to pass up such legit deals, right?


Someone (my mom? Matt? Don't remember who, actually) commented that they didn't realize I liked moccasins so much. Neither did I. But apparently on Saturday, between the sales and the free money in my pocket...apparently I became a huge fan.

So this is the true story of how I spent almost all of my Christmas money on shoes in a 24 hour period. I tell it to you now so that in March...or July...or September...when I'm whining and complaining about having to save my spending money for six weeks to buy a lousy clearance-rack tank top, you will say remember that time you blew all your money on winter shoes and you were really excited about it? and hopefully it will ease my pain. And hopefully moccasins and Toms wedge booties stay in style for at least another year or two. 

When my parents came this weekend, they came bearing gifts. We had lots of fun having a second Christmas and birthday celebration (on two separate nights, of course, because I'm nothing if not angsty about people lumping my birthday and Christmas together). My sister gave me a really fun blue dress. I love when she picks out clothes for me because they're typically nothing I'd ever pick myself-- but they almost always end up being super fun! This one has an exposed area in the back. I'm sure that's really fun if you're 22 and super skinny, but I am neither of those things. Since I can safely assume no one wants their retinas scarred by seeing my back fat squishing out of a blue dress, I put a black cami on underneath it for church yesterday. With my new moccasin boots and some leggings...I gotta admit...I felt cute.  


Mom was trying to take pictures of the back of it so that she could show Sarah. It was a little hard to capture the gap thing, but it's right beneath the lace you can see across the back.


This is probably going to become my new go-to outfit for the rest of the winter, so get used to seeing it in pictures (or real life, if you happen to see me there).

This will be another weird, broken-up work week with two vacation days in the middle. I have big plans to take down the Christmas decorations (and a very crispy Fred Roger...may he rest in peace in our fire pit for the remainder of his days). Other than that, I'll probably just be spending agonizing hours debating which shoes to wear every day...so thanks for keeping me in your prayers. Have a great week!



24 comments:

  1. I feel you on the budgeting all year and then going crazy with the Christmas money. My mom gave me a gift card to Old Navy on December 25th and it was all gone by December 26th!

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  2. I love the shoes!! I'm due for a little shopping spree/ shoe update!

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  3. You should celebrate a 6 month birthday. It's only fair to those with birthdays close to major holidays.
    The coral/pinkish mocs are super cute!!! I want a pair!!!

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  4. I am the same way with any extra money. Even if it's ten bucks, I blow it in a heartbeat! I love those toms shows, but I can't help but laugh whenever someone calls their shoes booties. I don't know why. I am immature? It just makes me laugh, the same way I laugh when someone gets called a pea brain.

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  5. Cute dress! And love all the shoes!!

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  6. super cute shoes!! I am with you on the "MUST SPEND EXTRA MONEY PRONTO!" My husband is just like your...he will have money saved up for months and months at a time while I am still broke :/ But the problem is, he always lets me "borrow" his money and I always seem to "forget" to pay him back and he forgets too :) hehe! I'm sure I owe him a few hundred dollars by now. hehe!

    Also, not sure if this is in your budget or not, but several years ago we started an "allowance" because his fishing hobby is expensive and I would get mad at his $7 fishing lures and $150 fishing poles and my shoe fetish was annoying him...so each pay period we give each other $60 and we can do with it whatever we please and NO ONE can say anything about the ludicrous purchases we each make. The problem is that I am in control of the bills and giving out the allowance money...which means I'm always giving myself my "allowance" ahead of time...multiple times. lol!! Shhhh :)

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  7. Ok so I am not the only one where the search widget is not working. I was trying to look back at previous posts about Clara's development and the widget is NOT HELPING ME. Ugh.

    Love the shoes. I am the same way with money. It takes a lot for me to spend money via credit or debit card, but if I have cash or a gift card in my hand I swear it will be gone within 24 hours. Brandon does not understand this little issue of mine. He sometimes gives me $20 to have for the week and then later that night asks to use some of it and I'm all like "Babe, I spent that cash about 2 hours after you gave it to me." :)

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  8. Haha I'm the same with gift money. It's a free-for-all so it burns a hole in my pocket, purse, bank account, etc. However our income is a whole different story, and very strictly dedicated to certain things...so I think that's why we go crazy with gift money.

    ^ I agree with Elise on the booties thing (heheh)

    I LOVE you blog! Whenever I feel a bit blue I just pop on over here and find an old post I haven't read and they usually make me smile and laugh. You have a similiar kind of sense of humour my hubby and I have, so I doubly/triply/quadruply enjoy it (I ALWAYS greet Chops, then our "Dazed and Confused Cabinets" and our "Drunken Cuban" when I come home).

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    1. Thank you so much, Rach!! I love knowing other people are busy greeting inanimate objects, too!! :) I can't seem to find your email address-- would you mind sharing? I'd love to be able to reply to your comments more easily!!

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  9. I'm the same way with free money! It's like all those slightly unpractical things you've been telling yourself you really don't need, you need and must get it ASAP! And then it's almost like a Christmas gift to yourself if you spend it so close to Christmas! I don't know how Matt does it!

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  10. Love the shoes. Glad you went with the fringe!

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  11. I love, love the TOMS! I must go and buy a pair...now!!

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  12. I too hate it when my birthday and Christmas gifts are combined. I mean I am thankful and all, but I am always so appreciative of birthday cards (that don't say merry Christmas!)

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  13. I also got some booties this weekend!!! I never thought I'd break down and succumb to the trend, but I found a great black leather pair that I couldn't pass up! If only I had a place to wear them...

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  14. Super cute dress! And it goes great with your new moccasin boots! I too suffer from "Birthday-too-close-to-Christmas" but thanks to your muy importante research, I now know exactly what I want for my b-day... wedge booties and mocs! Thanks Erika!

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  15. Your paragraph about Matt still having Christmas money from last year, and the part about you begging him to use some of it when you have already spent yours - well, the entire paragraph describes me & Brad EXACTLY. Hilarious. I do the same thing. He still has gift cards from last year!! And i will be lucky if i don't spend all of mine in January!

    Cute shoes!! And outfit!

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  16. LOVE the shoes and that Dress = amazing! Happy early New Year to you, Matt and the Pup!

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  17. You are too cute! And I'm seriously jealous of both those moccasins. I had a pair of purple ones from Target YEARS ago that I literally wore until they fell apart. I would do anything to have them back again (and the ones they have there now just don't compare). Care to share where you found such great bargains? I love the red ones especially. Oh, and I have a bit of Christmas money to burn frivolously :)

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  18. LOVE that blue dress AND the way you styled it. A-dor-a-ble!

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  19. I have the opposite problem with Christmas money where I can't decide how I want to spend it so I become paralyzed with indecision and just save it. Lame.

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  20. This kind of cracks me up... you're like Sam. The money just burns a hole, huh? I really love the last pair... the pinky/red/salmon colored ones... so cute! I may be extra partial to flats though as I wear heels/wedges like twice a year! Glad you enjoyed your shopping spree!

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  21. How fun! CUTE shoes! Love them all! Glad you had such a fun Bday AND Christmas! No Christmas money left over here! We treated our selves to a fancy dinner and movies! Hello boring! Love how I can get my shopping fix through you, though! Whoohooo! Merry Christmas chica! Xox

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  22. Well done! Pretty!!

    I used to be like Matt and be able to hold onto Christmas money, but I think it may be a bit of your influence that I cannot seem to spend it quickly enough now, haha.

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  23. I really love the red ones. And I still haven't decided how to spend my Christmas money this year. Maybe you can give me some tips! Otherwise I'll be like Matt and still have Christmas money left over in July. Well, actually I know for sure it will be gone by then :)

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