Confessions of a Shopaholic

I just finished reading "Confessions of a Shopaholic" and it was frightening at how much I empathized with the character Rebecca. There's a part where she finds a Benny and George scarf on sale, and goes through hoops to get it. I knew exactly how she felt.

Recently I discovered the joyful world of sample sales. Even if the restaurants and takeaways are lacking here, a great thing about working near the Garment District is that I can hit these sample and overstock sales on my way home from work. Note, this is actually a bad thing as it's hard on the pocketbook.

Another Rebecca moment: when I found this amazing AMAZING light wool coat at Find Outlet, I had to remind myself to breathe. I was so completely thrilled with it. It's classic, beautiful and designer. It was and remains one of my best buys ever... even if I haven't been able to wear it yet. But I will... oh yes I will!

So you've uncovered my deep dark secret. I am a shopaholic. When I was in high school, I used to spend every other weekend at the mall. Shopping, scoping out guys and hanging with my friends. I'm embarrassed to admit that I was a mall rat. But at least I've grown from that... I can barely stand to be in a mall nowadays. But what has stuck is my love for shopping and finding great bargains. (Who doesn't love that?)

After I came to New York three years ago, the long working hours I put in (60+ a week) caused me to gain just a wee bit of weight and also left little time to shop. Plus, my relative greeness to the city left me without a clue for where to go besides Herald Square and 5th Avenue.

Now that I'm a seasoned New Yorker (though I still discover new places all the time) I have a good idea about where to shop and when. And with my hours cut back and a gym membership, I've slimmed down to my high school weight (size 6, sometimes a 4 or 8 depending on the cut). Yay! Go me!

I admit, I went a little bit crazy with end of season sales this year. And the amount of clothes I bought was a little unnerving. So I cut myself off and was determined not to buy anything else new. I haven't been totally successful at this, but it's an improvement. Then Mo, complementing me on my new stylish clothes complained about how he needed a few new things, but hated to go to the shops. My eyes lit up, and I instantly volunteered to shop for him.

"You'd do that for me?" he asked amazed.

"Of course" I replied and added silently, "I'd do that for me!"

It's a little scary how much I enjoy shopping. If I could, I would blissfully shop every day of my life. I'd probably get tired of looking for me, but it's just as much fun to shop for others. I've started having these little daydreams where I quit my job as a computer developer and become a personal shopper. Just imagine the fun. Then I could walk into stores like Prada, Fendi and Mui Mui with a ton of money at my dispense and no guilt! In fact, I'd be paid to shop there. It'd be almost as good as winning the lottery..!