My Anthropologie Love Affair

When I think of refinement I think of Sue. It's that simple. She is easily the most refined, graceful woman I've ever met. She claims she is old enough to be my mother's mother, but their friendship, and her beautiful sense of style makes that thought seem impossible. Sue is not only beautifully refined, but superbly stylish.

On Saturday I was strolling through the gateway, when I decided to really venture into a store that I'd only briefly looked in. I made the mistake of walking all the way to the back, to the sale section. All of a sudden the out of reach was in reach-I could be as stylish as Sue! I was trying on beautiful blouses, dresses, and vests and justifying the price of a $90 top and trying to figure out how long I'd have to eat only top ramen in order to afford that. Then I got thinking that if I was only eating top ramen, I would eventually get lazy and just eat less anyways so I would in fact lose weight making the beautiful black and white blouse look even better. Of course if I got the blouse for $90 I could completely justify the $80 dress. And they just looked so cute with my new hair cut framing my face perfectly(note to all girls: don't go shopping with beautiful hair-everything looks too good to be true) and the chandelier lighting making Brooke and I positively glow in everything we tried on. It was nearly impossible to cut the pile of clothes we tried on to just "maybes" and then, after much calculating, and a voice of reason shouting somewhere in the back of my mind that I just paid my entire summer savings toward tuition, and that I was already indebted to my parents eternally for all their financial help that how could I justify spending two weeks of grocery money on one blouse? But oh it was just so... beautiful.

Eventually I left the heavenly store bagless and heartbroken. Empty handed-no beautiful blouse.

Brooke and I decided we would each pick out something that we absolutely LOVED, work and save for it, and then splurge and get it, maybe even at full price. For now that idea excites me, and this makes me think I'm learning patience-because right now in my life I'm far from being able to have the stylish, refined, wardrobe of Sue. I've got to use all my money on something of greater importance for where I'm at right now in my life. Someday though I will be the woman of refinement, patience and style that I so desire to be. And when that day comes you better believe that I won't ever leave Anthropologie empty handed.

*Picture from here