Bubble Gum Baubles

"I think that playing dress-up begins at age five and never truly ends." Kate Spade

I'm not the most competitive person. In fact I often get myself in trouble when playing games with my family because I cheat for the other team (so my own team gets me in trouble...).

It's interesting that I now find myself in a relationship with a man who is quite possibly the most competitive person I've ever known. He often has to restrain himself when playing games with my family to keep from getting in trouble. He really hates losing.

For me, the feeling of winning just never feels as good when I know someone else had to lose.

While I'm afraid it might be an inherent part of my personality, I think it increased from playing games with my friend Sara when I was younger. I wasn't allowed to win in Monopoly. Winning at Capture the Flag wasn't worth the trouble it got me in. She also made me walk behind her when we'd go anywhere because she was superior (note: Sara no longer behaves like this and is a very kind person).

The newest Crew Cuts email was a throw back those old days together. I'm not sure which girl is in charge, but they've definitely got the old Sara attitude going on.

But if you can look this cute and still have an attitude, I say go for it.

(PS: I would gladly wear either of those outfits. Dress up? Psh.)

is orange the new pink?

I am a purger.

I don't save my notebooks at the end of the school year. I don't hang notes from my friends on my walls. I don't keep old ticket stubs. I once removed almost all of the furniture out of my room (my mom made me put it back).

While I (and my friends) sometimes wish I could muster up a little love for the packrat, it's just not in me.

If I come across something special and begin to reminisce for a moment, such feeling is immediately overridden by the feeling of an empty drawer. Ah, simplicty. Bliss. Less is just so much more.

The feeling of an organized closet...

The feeling of a rearranged room...

The feeling of freshly painted walls...

Fresh.

I liken it to the feeling Kate Spade probably gets from her new Web site design. It's completely different. A clean start.

Fresh.

While I was a little shocked to see the orange background, I like the change. I can't help but wonder if the orange will change as fall fades (light blue for winter?). Maybe after years of sticking to the simple green and white Kate is ready to change it up every few months.

Coca-Cola Classic. Yes Please!

BANDAGE : BLOOD ::
(A) Cable : Bridge
(B) Cast : Injury
(C) Fort : Army
(D) Dam : River
(E) Pacemaker : Heart

An English major I may have been, but an analogy-guru I am not. This was the portion of the SAT that made my heart race and my pencil begin to tap on the desk. My downfall is that I rationalize everything. A fort can cover an army just like a bandage covers blood, right? Or does the bandage regulate the blood like the pacemaker regulates the heart? I can override any form of rationale with a little reasoning.

NEW COKE : THE FEELING OF A SPLURGE :: OLD COKE : THE FEELING OF FRUGALITY

Bear with me (now that you're aware of my analogy skills).

This weekend I decided to do a little shopping, as I was in search of a new outfit. After buying a skirt from BCBG that fulfilled 80% of my skirt and shirt budget, I started feeling some remorse.

The problem was that the skirt was on sale and sale items cannot be placed on hold at BCBG (only one left, too!). However, sale items are also final sale.

When I discovered this, while simultaneously realizing I didn't have a shirt that was stellar enough to go with such a stunning skirt, I decided I needed to put it down and walk away. If, in fact, I could find a shirt to go with it, while still remaining within my budget, I could return.

As I walked out of the store feeling both frugal and proud of myself, in walked another girl, who appeared to be my size. Fear overcame my frugality and I pivoted and waltzed back to the skirt. Without thinking, I bought it, ignored the sales girl's warnings that items on sale cannot be returned and walked out smiling.

Three steps outside of BCBG I began to wonder what, exactly, I was thinking.

And that's the feeling I'm talking about. The feeling of splurging when you shouldn't have. Shoppers remorse. It's the exact opposite of the feeling you get when you're frugal (aka you're proud of yourself).

And that remorse, when you're uncomfortable and upset, is exactly how I feel about Coke's new fizzy milk. The thought of it makes me uncomfortable and upset, which is the exact opposite of how Coke traditionally makes me feel. I'm normally proud of Coke. I consider myself lucky to be a Diet Coke lover (boo Pepsi!). But now, I just feel like I wish I could return the fizzy milk for a full refund. What was Coke thinking?

I'll admit I haven't tried it, but since I don't like milk to begin with, I don't think it would be worth the effort.

While my analogy wasn't particularly successful, I think my point is still clear. Fizzy coke is not worth the splurge. However, I did end up finding a shirt to go with the skirt, thus my remorse has subsided. But let's be honest, it normally does...

PS: It's (D) Dam : River.