Day 24 - Spring Fever

Today was a wonderful day off.  I spent it pretty much as I expected too – I filled it with things ordinary, but relaxing.  The highlight of my day was a shopping trip with my mom. 

I have to say, I’m completely in love with the colors and styles that are popular this season.  I can’t walk into a store without wanting to buy almost everything on the shelves.  I love the pastels, the jewel colors, the polka dots, and the skinny jeans.  I love the airy scarves, the spring weight sweaters, and the delicate jewelry. 

Going into a mall this time of year is a little like taking a trip to a warm climate only to return home to the reality of early March.  Whether you step into a department store or a specialty boutique, you are confronted with the possibility, indeed the inevitability, of spring.  Sweaters, dark colored jeans and boots are relegated to the clearance racks, and everywhere you turn you are taunted and tantalized by pretty blouses, cropped pants, and wedge sandals you won’t be able to wear comfortably for at least two months.

I fell quite happily into this trap today.  As I walked into store after store, I was inundated with more and more spring styles I couldn’t wait to try on.  I tripped happily to fitting rooms, my arms filled with bouquets of colorful dresses, pastel jeans, and bright tops.  I gleefully tried all of these on.  Inevitably, I strongly disliked some of the pieces, but others I loved.  I loved them so much, I just had to buy them.

All in all, I bought four tops, a pair of jeans, a dress, a necklace, a scarf, and a “bun donut.”  For those of you ladies who don’t know what a bun donut is, you are missing out.  A donut is a fantastic, puffy piece of mesh with a hole in the middle of it that allows you to make perfect buns out of not so perfect hair.  I made my own bun donut out of a cut off tube sock, but the one I bought today from H&M almost perfectly matches my hair in color.  Now I don’t have to worry about the white tube sock peaking through my imperfectly placed strands when I sport my casual topknots.  Yes!

So as I put away my purchases, it will be like wrapping my own presents – to be unwrapped in warmer days to come.  I’m sure that during tomorrow’s onslaught of winter weather, it will be difficult to imagine bare arms and ankles, but in the oasis of the mall today, I could almost conjure the sun warming my arms and comfortable breezes ruffling my hair.  It won’t be long now. 

As I forge my way to work tomorrow (as all you snow-day-ers snuggle warm in your beds – no, I’m not bitter), I will think of my new purchases and look forward to the day I will wear them.  Perhaps it will warm my heart – and my fingers and toes.