Must Chronicle Events

Events must be chronicled for joyful reading in later years. And of course, to keep you alive, dearie (I'm talking to the blog). And of course to keep you entertained, most sharp and witty reader.

1. I am in Delhi! And it's not frigid. AND it's sale season. I am one moderately warm, happy owner of blog.

2. So, obviously I went shopping. I basically bought tons of formals at several hoity-toity places in South ex. I will now itemize (my favourite activity!)*.

1 shirt from Van Heusen- 900 (was originally 1300) It's a really pretty half sleeved shirt which is absolutely adorable.
2 shirts from Park Avenue- 700 each (bought them on 50% off! Originally priced at 1400.) REALLY great fitting because they have a bit of lycra and that tag which says "Has it.". Thank you very much :) I strongly recommend this brand for womens formals! I'm really really pleased with the fitting, because it FITS nicely. Doesn't hang loose like some over sized ill fitting piece of fine fabric. Or isn't tight at all the wrong places and loose at all the wrong places. This one would fit well because it's got lycra. So it fits one well. And I have been sufficiently repetitive and will now move ON.
1 pair of black trousers from Park Avenue- 2000 (no sale :() Absolutely gorgeous. Fits SO WELL. I'm in love with it. I already had a pair of black Allen Solly trousers but it doesn't fit that well. It's rather loose and really long and looks quite funny. I drown in those. This one, however, is beautiful. Again, this pair has a bit of lycra. You go, Lycra! I love lycra.
2 sweaters from Allen Solly- 1700 (buy one get one free! Obviously had to pay for the one that cost more. The other one was for 1300. So, steal, I say!) I love Allen Solly and i understand the concept of brand loyalty. So I went there and got these! They're lovely. One's a pretty black one, and the other's a grey V-neck. Absolutely pretty and cute and [insert appropriate girl type synonym indicating awesomeness].
1 pair of black strappy sandals from Bata- 1000 (no sale) Very useful. Efficient, serious type sandals. Much needed by BlogOwner. I only own black formal heels. High heels. Closed shoes. Scary for Delhi wear, especially when wearer would be travelling by bus. These sandals are really nice and I quite like them much much.
2 mufflers from Sarojini- 150. OBVIOUSLY I went to Sarojini on the first day along with South ex! Must. It's a ritual.
Other random things that I don't remember.
This is where I stop boring witty reader and move on to other subjects of BO's life.

3. I am now reading Bridget Jones: Edge of Reason. Total non application of mind and fun! I am one of those who loves quality chicklit. Yes, there is quality chicklit! Stop being all nasty and condescending and giving me those oh-my-god-I'm-so-judging-you looks, the odd idiotic reader!

4. Smimp, the delightful little creature, has introduced me to the most joy inducing site ever! http://saleraja.com/category/new-delhi
This website keeps a tab on all sales, location wise! It's brilliant. BO is hooked. ALL thanks to Smimp. Isn't she the most adorable thing who deserves to be lifted up and thrown down?!# Much love is coming. Can't contain. I will stop here.

...I'm out of things worth chronicling. Hmm. Doesn't say very good things about BO's life. And also shows how BO considers shopping as the highlight of her post regarding current life (given, 2/4 points were related to shopping and 9/10th the words in that list are regarding those 2).

This is where I get down to blogwhoring. Please, dear followers, become followers of zis blog by clicking on a link somewhere. I would love to know who, if any, loves this blog and follows it. You know not (or may be you do, for you are the wittiest and the smartest of them all) what joy it brings to these eyes to see an email saying there is a comment on this blog (pointing towards reasdership and love and affection). Obviously, I love those who love me and/or this blog of mine, so for the love and affection (this is where I bribe you smart and witty reader), do it, will you? Thankyah!



*- All figures in rupees. This almost sounds like "Guide to Formals Shopping" off Seventeen or some such (which, by the way, (Seventeen i.e.) I totally miss)!
# That is BO's way of showing love and affection, though credit, total credit, for the original phrase goes to a certain Aries girl who wants to do BO in the most violent way. *giggles*. She is Screechy on this blog. xoxo.

BlogOwner’s Guide to Soul Satisfaction- Part I: Shop (and Window Shop) Till You Drop

So when you generally go out shopping with the girls, who aren’t particularly that interested in shopping and window shopping (important: window shopping is as important for the soul as shopping itself is!, with some girls and non-girls (who are almost automatically disqualified as shopping company), you, as a person who thrives on retail therapy cannot satisfy yourself to the optimal extent with the resources (time and cash, which, by the way, are always limited) you have. So you must get rid of these barriers. SOO, spend some alone time and hit the shops!

Imagine yourself in a street full of shops, the glimmer, the bustle, people eating ice-cream, randoms wearing funny things, some very well dressed people, all on their own way. Soak in all the products all around you. The sight of wonderful clothes, that LBD (Little Black Dress which you MUST buy when you grow up and earn pots of gold), those Swarovski studded shoes, that pretty beige sweater, those gorgeous plum bags. As you walk past these shops, it’s all a blur when you also try to absorb the fragrance of delicious perfume , clothes , bags and shoes. So what is one to do when she’s overcome with all the wonderful things on earth that money can buy? She must follow a three pronged strategy to maximise utility of an afternoon or evening in the midst of shopper-land.

Step I: Breeze past the street

Soak it all in, woman. Soak-it-in. FEEL it. Walk up the street and mentally short list a couple of places that you MUST spend a lot of time at and some that you would like to explore. For instance, every time I do this, I MUST visit an Archies and absorb all the stationery around and perhaps even buy letter papers (my favourite stationery article). It’s amazingly soothing. SO well, now that you have mentally shortlisted your targets, stop at the end of the street and turn around :)

And then it begins…

Step II: Close (read: Open) your eyes (read: eyes and ears and olfactory nerves) and take it all in

Enter your shop and look around first. If you intend to buy something specific then go ahead and try out whatever it is that you want. Meanwhile, be extremely perceptive to everything else around you. The soft, elegant lighting of exquisite stores, the special dim lighting of craft and soap stores and the jing-bang lights of the big malls. The fresh fruity smell in Pepe stores, the serious and strong i-need-that-in-a-perfume-bottle fragrance in a KBN type shop. So you know, retail therapy is not only about shopping random things. It’s about the experience. Everything counts.

Don’t spend too much time in one shop though, unless it’s absolute heaven of course. Malls are therefore a good place to spend an afternoon. Because of risk diversification, they generally have a number of different types of stores. So you can get a taste of everything! However, covering a street with assorted shops gives you the illusory satisfaction of having ‘covered more’. Well, both are okay as long as it’s therapeutic!

Street shopping is wonderful but it’s wholly different. The satisfaction that you derive from that is not really about the ‘experience’ but about the end result (your bounty). However, shop-shopping and WSing is pure therapy because it’s a delight for all your senses. It’s like a spa treatment, if not better! Well, I’ll write about street shopping in another post. Worry not!

Don’t be afraid to pick up that face wash here and the lip gloss there to read the exciting little story that they usually print on the back about how it smells delicious and makes your skin soft and supple and you will have not a single misery in your life if you use this product. Certainly go ahead and try out those delicate black shoes! Yes, even if you can’t afford it! The point is to be in the moment and feel like a princess. So be there, do that. But don’t ‘lose yourself’ in the moment and forget about it. HOLD on to it. Picture yourself in those shoes whenever you’re feet aren’t feeling pretty :) Smile at yourself in the mirror and feel happy about your existence! Just stand there and look around. Again, soak it in.

Step III: Imagine, wonder and BUY!

Depending on how much cash you have, buy a little souvenir or so from almost every shop you go to. Shopping is almost like travelling, yes! And BlogOwner loves both :) If you can’t buy something, it’s alright. Few years from now, when you’ll be earning pots of gold, come back and buy that, alright?! Experience it now, then own it :)

THAT, girls and boys, is retail therapy. Not just entering a departmental store and buying toothpaste and soap (though that can also be turned into a very, very satisfying experience by feeling the right things. BO often does that! In fact, BO’s usual quick pick-me-up therapy involves going to a pharmacy and buying face wash or shampoo or lotion or some such wonder good.).

Watch this space for Part II, III and IV *giggles* Happy Shopping to you too! Now, run along!