Here's the plan for the year.....

When deciding to do the "no shop for 2011" I knew that I'd have to include some exceptions to the plan,  (I do work for an attorney, after all.....).  Here's my plan and since I'm entering into this deal by myself, I can change the rules as I go along!  No, I'll (try ) and stick to my parameters.

First, I'm giving myself a $100 allowance each month. I can either spend it or bank it for a future date.  If I receive a giftcard - during a giftcard kind of occasion time - like Valentines Day, Easter, Canada Day, President's Day - (come on, don't you give gifts for President's Day????) - then I can spend those.  If I'm out of the country, on a trip - say to Greece, Paris or London (as planned for May 2011!!) then that's an exemption.  If someone else foot the bill - let's say some boss plans an office trip to the mall for a shopping spree (Luis - this is you) - then that's exempt (hey, I work for an attorney, he's used to writing exceptions.....).  I think that's good.  But then again, I'm making this plan up as I go along and fully expect to change the rules!  (kidding, sort of.....)

I will be hosting my own "swapping parties" - just clothes swapping, that is!!!  My friends can come with things they are tired of and swap with other people.  More info on this to follow as well!

For some items that I think will do well in the world of consignment - I'll be taking things to the consignment store and use the money in my account there to get things as well!  I'm looking foward to working with Angela and the gals at Once Again even more!!! :)

I came to this 'no shop' decision after spending some very difficult years.  The move from house to condo did facilitate the need to downsize everything - which I found very liberating.  Having a small space does limit the amount of things you have - so that you know what you have and where it is!  I have been able to realize that whatever I need I have with me - my family - friends -and health.  I spent some difficult years with the loss of mom and dad - Sarah heading out of the house and of to college - and trying to figure out what I want to do with my life.  The economy tanking in Southwest Florida did facilitate a lot of that sole searching.  But thanks to my "ah-ha" moment - I think I've found some wonderful compromises.  This whole trek is also part of it.  I need to be satisfied with what I have and not continue to search for something better.  I have so much to be thankful for - a roof over my head (thanks!), wonderful family, the chance to take care of my parents and have those wonderful conversations with them before they passed away, my health, an exciting job with an understanding and caring boss (finally!), a fabulous daughter who is independent and strong, and a spouse who has made some adjustments in his life with his changing wife.   I'm very grateful.

Now I want to be strong physically, mentally and spiritually.  Call it my "mid-life crisis", "ah-ha trigger moment" or growing up - who knows.  I'm just glad that I made the epiphany now instead of later. 

So, that's it.  Let's go on with it!!

Those fond memories of shopping

As far back as I can remember, my family participated in the sport of shopping.  As my sister Nina reminded me of tonight, we used to go on family outings to the mall - spend hours shopping and then hit a restaurant with mom and dad (usually a Chinese restaurant if dad had his way!).  I remember when we'd go to the Altamonte Mall - north of Orlando - and (at that time) the coolest mall in the area - two stories, four anchor stores - OMG!  And, from Kissimmee, at least a 45+ minute drive.  (but considering we used to drive to Tampa - 1 1/2 hours away - a much shorter distance).  Nina remembered a trip that we went to Casual Corner and whipped through outfit after outfit.  Dad carried the packages to the car and continued our conquest!

Fond memories, indeed.  And even at an early age, I was a fashionista.  Helping my sisters put together outfits and coordinating what they wore - telling them what to buy and what not to buy.  I wrote on the back of one of my school pictures to my sister, "from your fashion advisor Stacey."  Yes, I loved doing that!

And I still do. And I can - just with what I have in my closet right now!  I can continue to find new outfits with what I have - no need for new, that's for sure!

I can remember that first purse......

I remember when my mom gave me an old purse of hers......I stood in front of the Mayflower boat in Plymouth, NH with the family, proudly displaying my purse....at the age of 6.  That started the love of purses, I'm sure.  As for the clothes......when growing up, mom made all of our clothes.  We had the token matching outfits - my middle sister Joanna and I usually had the same outfit, but my five year older Nina had something a bit different - "more mature".  None the less, I loved it when people would buy me a dress from the store - or in those rare occasions when we went to the store and bought clothes......that was the best.  I look back on those days and think I was crazy - my mom was so talented making clothes - we would spend hours looking at pattern books, fabric and then she'd create an outfit that was unique and personal - and I didn't like it!  Oh, I wish I could take that all back now.  (Especially since mom is now gone and I miss her so much - I hope she knows how fondly I look back on those times and appreciate what she did for us!!)
As for shoes.....well, come on, who doesn't love shoes?  We can gain weight and our shoes will always fit us!!  You can get flats - or heels - casual or dressy!  There are too many choices!!  And colors....well, I'm going a bit overboard now.  So, there is the love of shoes.
So that was the start of the "love affair".  Now, my reasoning as to why I started purchasing so much.  As far back as I can remember - my family shopped for fun.  When we moved to Florida from Washington DC, the area lacked the traditional malls like we were used to in the Nation's capital.  So, each year before school started, we flew back to visit relatives and went back to school shopping.  And when my parent's opened their restaurant in Kissimmee, Florida, they worked long hours during the week.  So, over the weekend, my dad would take us to Tampa - we drove the 1 1/2 away to "hit the malls"!  I remember searching and searching for something to buy, but never finding anything.  My mom would say, "decide or you get nothing!"  I would pick just anything, just to have a purchase.  So began my "shopping isn't shopping if you don't have bags" theory.
Over the years, I shopped and shopped.  My freshman year in college - my first year away from home on on my own spending time, I shopped all the time.  I spent all my free time at the mall.  It was reflective in the amount of money I went through. 
I also perfected the "finding the most perfect gift" for people - trying to find what I thought would be the best gift for everyone on my list -birthday list, Christmas list - whatever list it was - I would find the perfect gift for them!  It brought me a tremendous amount of joy to notice if someone needed something and finding it for them and giving it to them as a gift!
It made me feel good to that, but I always got in trouble when I had to face the bills.  That, not such a good feeling.  That feeling would come back a lot.

A self proclaimed "shopaholic" decides enough is enough!

I saw a real interesting piece on the NBC Nightly news a few weeks back.  A woman (somewhere, I can't remember where) decides that she has enough clothes.  Well, I've been thinking about that same thing.  I'm always searching for something better.  The perfect jeans.  Or the perfect black pants.  Or the perfect white shirt.  Then, you look in your closet and there are 10 pairs of "not so perfect" jeans, 8 black pants that just don't do it, or so many white shirts you can't see straight.  I realize that I do have a problem - one that started many years ago (we'll tackle that subject in a bit) and has continued through the years.  Now, just winding around to my 50th birthday in the year 2011, I'm facing the fact that I am a shopaholic.  I get some kind of satisfaction out of shopping, but never can find whatever I'm looking for to make me satisfied not to shop anymore.  So, I've decided to put that energy somewhere else - running - or starting to that is....and not shopping.  So, I'll blog about instead.
When I posted my decision to "no shop in 2011" it came with some interesting responses.  "Did you fall down and hit your head"?  "is this the real Stacey talking", "it can't be done", or "let's see how long that last!".  I'm attempting and (although) I've built some "exclusions" in my plan, I am looking forward to the challenge. 
So, I hope you enjoy this journey.  The countdown begins to 2011 and the "no shop 2011!"