Retail Therapy Is Underrated

I have a confession to make.

I've been on a retail BENDER lately and I feel good. It's just that I'm just not so sure my bank account agrees with me. It all started innocently enough.

A small luxury item like the $ungla$$es pictured above. Just the right amount of cache to make me look and feel good.

Then, someone complimented me on my new small luxury item and asked me where I bought them. I start thinking I am all smart for finding said item and start thinking about my next conquest. Surely that gorgeous handbag or blingy bracelet I've been eyeing couldn't set me back that much. Could it? The desire to own them washes over my entire body.

I decide to cut off that voice in my head and go for it! The adrenaline pumping through my veins produces happy endorphins and my enthusiasm is contagious. Now I'm beginning to believe I am an invincible shopper. Screw it! I'll just take it back later, I reason, and my credit card has the skid marks to prove it.

My family? My girlfriends? They all convince me that I deserve it. Yes, they whisper in my ear,"you work so hard all week long. Put all that hard work to use." That $uede jacket will be perfect for fall, but if I don't buy it now it will be gone. And I must have these $hoes to go with the new jeans and that expen$sive belt I bought, which I reasoned would be the only belt I'll ever need. YES! A new fragrance. YES! A scarf and a great top! Oh, YES, this is the good life. The bags keep mounting, and my heart is racing to keeping pace with my euphoria. Oh YES! YES! This is it! I can't carry even one more, overflowing with purchases, bag.

I'm on top of the world as I dash out to the car. I put the bags in the trunk and start home.

My breathing steadies.

I am contented and peaceful. The ride home is slow and relaxing, playing out the successful events in my head. I pull into the driveway and go into the house.

Yes. Life is good.

I still have to pay for it. But for now, it was all worth it.

Silly Rabbit, Kicks Are For Kids

Yup, I'm over 40 and I'm still wearing them. Nothing says who I am more than the sneakers I put on my feet. You see, I wear my sneakers when I'm being a casual version of myself. When I feel like I don't care what I look like and when I feel like I do care what I look like. My kicks can tell you a lot about me.

It's like the fun version of me comes alive. On my first trip to Europe, one would think I stuffed my suitcase with fabulous European fashions, and I did, but I ended up bringing home 3 pairs of sneakers along with all that fashion. The Europeans do it right when it comes to sneakers. Somehow a handsome, well dressed European guy almost always tops off his outfit with the proper sneaker to make him look effortlessly fashionable.

I have sneakers in all shapes and colors. Bright green, leopard print, neon pink and yellow in high tops and low tops, nothing is too daring or crazy if it tickles my fancy. Let's not forget about the "utilitarian" sneakers that one must have. The sneakers that protect the foot and aid the wearer in a daily workout. These are my least favorite sneakers, but a must, and I painstakingly choose my design. Have you ever designed your own pair of sneakers online? I have yet to try this, but my kids have and it's a brilliant marketing tool. They tell me these are the Holy Grail of kicks to come by.

What kind of sneaker are you and what do they say about your personality?

Because they're not just for kids, but for the kid who lives inside you.

Yup, I Got Sucka'ed

What a moron.

I should have known better.

I even told my kids that 9 out of ten times you get sucka'ed when you buy something on eBay.

Listen to my own advice? Why, that would be too easy.

So it happened to me just like I predicted it would. I bought a dress on eBay for $207.00 and I got completely bamboozled. If the fact that the dress was too small for my waif-y daughter Frack wasn't enough to make me want to hurl, now the seller is not responding to my requests to return the item. AND that particular seller has no items for sale at this time.

How interesting.

So what's a girl to do?? This morning I sent out another message to the seller to request a return, but I fear it may be too late, considering the buyer must return the dress to the seller within 7 days of purchase. The buyer must also contact the seller to request a return, but here's the kicker, it takes 3 to 4 business days for the seller to return a response. Day 6 and still no response. Something tells me I will get no response at all.

Should I write a scathing review on the seller to post for all to see? I'm thinking they will just re-emerge under another name. This particular seller had a 100% positive feedback rating and from what I saw it looked legit. I should have been a little more leery when I realized it was coming from Shanghai. If it seems like it's too good to be true, then it most certainly is too good to be true.

I have bought many things on eBay before, mostly stuff for my kids, but this was the first time I went out on a limb and purchased something with a higher risk factor. I think I'll wait it out for a day or two then contact eBay if I get no response. I'm not sure if that will do any good because I'm sure crap like this happens all day, every day.

Shoulda known better.

PT Barnum may have been on to something.....sucka.

Show And Tell Part 2:The Candy Bar

A brief history: 5 years ago I decided I wanted to open a unique boutique that sold cosmetics for women. Being a make up artist, I figured it was a great way to incorporate my entreprenurial spirit and something I knew and loved quite well. Once I started doing research for my business plan, I realized I had been "off the market" for too long, since I had been a stay at home mom for the previous 11 years and had not been employed during that time. I immediately got a job at a business similar to the one I was planning, and the plan was to work for 6 to 9 months, get all the info I could and then proceed ahead with my business plan.

Then life happened. One month later, my husband (at the time) and I broke up and my whole world went into a tailspin. I have to tell you that I was just happy to have a job at that difficult time in my life, but the whole idea of my own business went out the door and six months turned into four years. Everything happens for a reason I say. Thank God it did.

FLASH FORWARD: June 2009. A woman, (my friend) named Wendy Wheeler, who owns a clothing boutique in Osterville, Cape Cod, where my family has a summer home, opened another Wendy Wheeler clothing boutique right in my home town on my main street. Wendy and I became friends years ago because over the 15 years of her being in business, my family and I became some of her best clients, as we are hardcore shoppers. We talked often about my idea of opening a cosmetics boutique those 5 years ago and Isought her business advice alot. When my life sort of got ripped out from under me, I had chosen to keep to myself and talked to Wendy only occasionaly during the past 5 years.

This June, I drove by down town on my way to the supermarket and I saw the awnings bearing her name on the building and nearly got into an accident pulling into to the parking lot to the store. I couldn't believe it. It was her first day in my home town and when I walked in and saw her, it was like we had had not skipped a beat. She offered me a job, working in her store and since I had been unemployed for the past year, I accepted. My first day on the job, she approached me and told me that I should seriously consider opening "a boutique within a boutique" in her store. Since I was already thinking about it in my head, I knew immediately that my time had finally come.

Two crazee months later, 2 buying trips to New York, and much creative planning, construction and hard work, it is with great honor that I present to you my new venture.

The Candy Bar

at Wendy Wheeler

My funky, fresh, fun little cosmetics boutique which opened yesterday.

This is my window in the front of the store that flanks the right side of the store entrance. (the left side has Wendy's clothing on mannequins)



This is the entrance to my tiny, 110 sq ft of retail store, which is in the back of the Wendy Wheeler store, but in view of the front door.

Welcome to my little world of beauty. The concept is that it's a candy store for women, with cosmetics, skincare, fragrances, candles and cosmetic accessories at your fingertips. Since Candy happens to be my name, the play on words works well to promote my mission.





This is an areial view of my cash wrap-I removed my keyboard and my point of sale purchase items so you could get a feel for what's underneath the glass. It's dangerous for me to be around that much candy.

This is the front of the cash wrap. Those little boxes on the second shelf are bath bombs that look exactly like candy. $6 bucks a pop, they smell divine and look adorable.

These are my bags. The tissue matches the colors on the logo.

This is the "salon" area where a woman will sit down and I will not only do her make up, but I will educate her on skin care, make up application and she will see the dazzling results right there in that chair. (The long talker- remember him?-sent me the roses for my opening, which was very sweet)

This is the main asile to shop. I have Kevyn Aucoin cosmetics, DuWop cosmetics, BKamins skin care and many other wonderful bath and body lines to choose from. I told you it was tiny, but I think it's just perfect for my retail needs. Most of the product lines I chose are unique to this area.

For now I am the only employee of The Candy Bar and I am thinking it's going to be that way until after Christmas. I will be literally living there for the next three months, so it's a good thing I love it. The best part, it's about 2.2 miles from my house and it's MINE....

Thanks so much letting me share this with you bloggers. I guess dreams really do come true when you put your mind to it.

Now who wants a makeover???

Show And Tell

PART ONE:

Sharing is such a great thing. Remember when you were little and you shared your favorite lunch with your best friend because he/she forgot theirs at the bus stop, or because the class bully stole their lunch. Remember sharing your private hopes and dreams or your feelings about a new guy/girl you liked and how you felt so happy to have someone you trusted to share the information with? Remember standing in front of your second grade class during show and tell with your new doll or Tonka truck and how proud you felt to be able to share this thing you loved or worked really hard on with your classmates. Trust between people is a great way to show love and caring. You share something with someone because you want them to be in tune with your world or the world around you both and it makes you feel good, and hopefully the share is a good thing and it makes the person you shared it with feel just as good.

It is with love and trust that I ask you to come back to The Daily Dandy tomorrow so that I can share with you bloggers something I have been DYING to tell/show you all and it's finally ready. And it's a good thing (hopefully) and I can't wait to share it all with you! I planned on telling you today, but I need pictures in order to make the share complete, and at the moment I cannot locate my digital camera battery charger, so I will have to settle for my iphone camera. I hope it does my share justice.

This share will explain why I have not been around the sphere as much as I used to, commenting and reading all of your great blogs on a daily basis. But I want you to know that I have not forgotten any of you, and at times I felt so guilty that I have not been around to read your awesome blogs and share my laughter and comments with you and your brilliance. For that I wholeheartedly apologize, bloggers, and now that my "project" is complete, things will soon slow down and I will have more time to show you I care over at your places. Cuz I really do care.

(Frack asked me yesterday, "Mom, what about your blog?" So cute, he's worried I'll abandon you people. I told him,"never")

So y'all come back here tomorrow and I'll get up in front of the class and we'll have show and tell. I'm kinda excited.....

OK? Thanks.

And if you don't care, that's ok too.