I have crossed over the line from "poor person" to "rich person."
Adios, ramen noodles! So long, random meetings that I attended only because there was free food! Bye bye Goodwill! Actually, there are some great finds at Goodwill. Okay, Goodwill can stay. Ramen noodles are DEFINITELY gone though.
"How did she become so rich?" you might be asking yourself. Well. I'm not actually more rich than I was yesterday, but I am now an official "rich person" when I wasn't before. How? Simple.
I now shop at New York and Company.
Have you ever been to New York and Company? Probably not, unless you too are in the club of richie riches. Let me tell you about it. It is the penultimate of professional wear. That is probably why they make everything in there so expensive; you can't shop there unless you are a professional with a real career and steady paychecks. (Not "I'm a professional actor because I had a gig ten years ago" or "I'm a professional artist because my friend gave me a penny to paint a picture of his dog." You have to be a REAL professional). Their clothes are made with the finest fabrics, and the top designers design their clothes. Everything about their products oozes cosmopolitan chic.
Sometimes when I picture going to New York City (where I will go someday, I promise you), I picture all of the people there walking around in clothes from New York and Company. Like, even the hobos are wearing blazers. And then, while I'm trotting along to go hang out with Monica and Chandler and the rest of the cast of Friends (who obviously live in the apartment from the TV show), everyone will look at me and say, "Wow, she must be a real New Yorker, since she's wearing clothes from New York and Company!"
Yep, my whole life has changed today, and I owe it all to my dad. When I was growing up, my dad used to buy me a "First Day of School" outfit every year. It was a really fun father/daughter date, and it always gave me an extra boost of confidence on the first day of school. He hasn't done it since high school, but suddenly this year he decided to send me FIFTY DOLLARS because he's proud of how I'm doing and wants to buy me a back to school outfit. Hooray for Dad! As I was contemplating all the things I could do with this money, my dad called and said, "Listen. I know you. Do NOT put this money into savings. Don't use it to pay the electric bill. I want you to go out and buy something nice for yourself for the first day of school. I want to see picture proof of how you used the money." Ha ha my dad knows me too well...I was fully thinking about spending $10 at Goodwill and saving the other $40 for groceries.
With $50 burning a hole in my pocket, I told Rex that we were going to the mall. I started off with my usual shopping (Clearance rack at Khols), but I didn't find anything. I found a shirt that I liked at Forever 21, but I didn't love it so I decided to think about it and come back later. I was dejected at my lack of success, but you can't just spend $50 on the first outfit that jumps out at you. I told Rex that I guess we should just leave and come back shopping another time.
As we were walking out, we passed New York and Company. I started to say what I say every time we pass that store: "One day, when I'm rich, I'm going to shop there." This time, though, I stopped. Hundreds of times window shopping at that store came down to this moment. I had fifty dollars to spend on a single outfit...maybe, juuuuuust maybe, I could afford New York and Company?
I told Rex that I wanted to stop and check it out. I cautiously stepped over the threshold into the store, worried that some sort of "poor girl" alert was going to sound and they would know I was a fraud. Before I had much time to worry, though, there it was in front of me: the most beautiful blouse in the history of blouses. It was a vintage pink rose color with a black stripe design on it. It would look absolutely fantastic with my black pencil skirt. I picked it up, and my hands softened on the glorious silky fabric. There was only one left, and guess what size it was? MINE! I searched around the store, but nothing came close to the awesomeness of my blouse. I told Rex that I was going to try it on, and I headed to the fitting room.
I pulled the blouse on over my head, and it hugged my body perfectly as if to say, "Hello, Christine, I am a high-fashion blouse. I think I was made for you." I didn't want to take it off. It was so comfortable and so professional and so...beautiful! I felt like a million bucks. I bet the Duchess of Cambridge has a blouse just like that one. Maybe she even has the same one. I could totally see her wearing it. I can be just like the Duchess of Cambridge! Maybe I will teach with a British accent all year. I can only picture the calls my boss would get: "Ummm...hello? I'd like to transfer my student to another fifth grade class. Yeah, she's in the one with the wackadoodle teacher who thinks she's a duchess."
Anyway, I was in love with the blouse. I turned over the price tag, and - GASP! - $36! $36 for one shirt? It wasn't even on clearance! It wasn't on sale at all! I took the shirt off, forlorn at my loss, and went to return it to its lonely place on the shelf. I wanted to cry, but $36 for a shirt is ridiculous. Plus, I never pay full price for anything. I think Rex sensed my despair, because he said, "Christine, your dad wanted you to get something special, right? Well, if you love this shirt so much, maybe you should get it."
By George, he's right! (See? I am so British). I marched up to the counter to pay for the new love of my life, the pink shirt. As I was waiting in line, a pair of earrings caught my eye. They were a perfect match for my shirt. It was as if they were made to go with it. They practically jumped off of the rack into my hands, and who was I to stop them? As I paid for my purchase, I told the cashier how excited I was that I was getting a new first day of school outfit. She raised her eyebrows and said, "A teacher, huh? Well then, you get 15% off!" WHOOO HOOOOO! So my earrings and shirt together cost only around $40, so I still have $10 left to spend on something else! I am so rich.
Now my goal is that when I wear the shirt, someone will say to me, "Hey Christine, great top. Where did you get it?" I'll toss my hair casually aside and look to the ceiling as if trying to remember where I got it (since I have to pretend that I'm a true fashionista and have lots of high fashion things). Then I'll casually say, "Oh yeah, I got it at New York and Company." I will say it in such a way as to make the person think that I pretty much shop at New York and Company all the time. They will think I'm super awesome (which, now that I have that shirt, I am).
The outfit is beautiful. One of my faves :)
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