Entry No. 5

My purse broke. I had this cute little champagne crystal clutch. It was the perfect thing to wear to the opera... If you ever took me to the opera. Except, I actually do go to the opera. I go because it's the one place left where you can dress like it's a red carpet night without anyone looking at you funny. I also like listening to one person singing like they're screaming about how life is torment, and they can't have the one person that they love, and it's an opera singer, so she's not always skinny. There's just something magical about that.

I didn't have another formal clutch, so I said something to my husband about how I needed to replace my formal bag. He'd already glued it back together at least twice, so he was seeing the futility of the exercise. He told me to go shopping and live happily ever after.

Okay, so if you know anything about formal bags and buying them, you already know that there is a problem. It's about your phone and the bag. Finding an awesome formal bag that is pretty and still fits your phone is a BIG ASK.

I hadn't made a plan to go shopping. I had paperwork that had to be driven here and there and here and then there. And I got this little feeling like I should visit a particular thrift store after I had done all my errands as a little reward for being such a good girl.

I walked in and saw this gorgeous metallic bag that folds like it contains a pocket to another dimension. It is smaller, but it is the same shape as Mary Poppins' carpet bag, and it does the same trick. What do you want to put in there? Yeah, that's gonna fit.

Anyway, that thrift store was as empty as a morgue, so I left the bag at the counter, saying I would buy it, but I didn't want to carry it around. Then I went to the shoe department and spotted these girls. They are Tahiri. It's hard to see from the photo, but they have the most beautiful embossing all over them, and particularly down the heel. I also had never seen cutouts in the heel until recently, and I was completely obsessed with finding some. I could not believe my luck.

I strolled up to the register and told the lady that I had hit the jackpot because the shoes matched the purse. Then I started matching accessories and threw two scarves on the pile. One of them was made out of the same gold and black fabric that one of my favorite dresses is made from. Then she got excited and showed me a gauze skirt that hadn't been priced or put on the floor yet. I bought everything, and the lady behind the register told me to keep it a secret as she started wildly discounting everything that I'd chosen. It was crazy!

In the end, I think the shoes were $17, which was a total steal. I don't think they'd been worn much. They also have a bit of a platform on the bottom, so they're taller than they feel, which is always a nice bonus.

Now I bet you're wondering what I wear these girls with. The answer is everything. You match up your silver accessories, and you're golden (metaphorically... literally, you'll still be silver).

Actually, it was just nice to tell a happy shopping story after the last story. I came home and showed my husband my new purse that cost $10. He looked at me funny. He was willing to buy a new bag instead of thrifting one. He wants to spoil me so bad. Sometimes, he gets a little jealous that the universe jumps up to do it so much faster than he does.