Give something away everyday

  So many of you know that last year I attempted to use up a lot of residual toiletries and ribbons and odds and ends and not buy anything new, for one year. It was pretty amazing to see just how long I could survive on the surplus of "stuff" I had laying around the house. But unfortunately... I didn't get rid of as much "stuff" as I had hoped. The year ended June 1st. I headed straight to Target to get some much needed conditioner and a few other items but it was quite anti-climatic... The choices were overwhelming, my credit card was soon marred from all the added swiping at the cash registers and I didn't have you all to talk to about the "challenges" and insights I was having.

 It seems growing up in Iowa where "stuff" isn't as easy to acquire, I became very wary of just buying something I would use or wear once.  Therefore... I became just as wary of giving it away. Unless my clothes were worn out (even then there were always patches that could be added) they were "perfectly useful" according to my mother. It probably didn't help that my love affair with overalls, umbros and anything in shocking neon colors was, usually, a bit of a stretch to reproduce, and so I hold onto....
 a lot...

  "Ann, are those the same overalls you insisted on wearing when we were in college?"
  "Ann, I can't believe you still have those earrings I gave you in 8th grade..."

 I learned that if you wait long enough, things come back. And in the meantime, when they aren't "in" you never have to worry about someone showing up to an event in the same outfit... right?

 Well, I also have a small obsession with thrift stores. I'm always on the lookout for a gift that has "meaning" - usually comedic in nature, but one that someone will always look at, shake their head and smile, remembering it came from me (or so I hope).

  If you saw my house you'd see that my "office" - if you can call it that, is continually the unfinished project... Making decisions about my own "stuff" is unbearably hard, and therefore always a procrastination point for me, but finding the perfect gifts for others... is something, I even spend my nights dreaming about.

  So... I've decided that this year I'd like to give something away everyday. I'm not a millionaire by any means, which is why most "gifts" are finds from thrift stores or creations I've dreamt up and then attempted to create, but that's where they find "meaning"... I think. Either way, the "somethings" will likely vary considerably. I've even decided that when I'm on the road, and may have a little difficulty giving something away per se, I could fill the day with a handful of compliments, maybe some hugs or a candy bar? ha! I'd like to think it will just bring to the forefront of my mind the idea of putting someone else first, if only for a moment, each and every day.

  But do I need to create a new name for the blog? and more importantly... would you read it?

too many choices...

I spent an hour at Target the other day...

This is what I came home with. 

I can't believe how many choices there are... and new brands even!

I thought for sure I'd sidle up to the Pantene section and find some intensive restorative type conditioner... which my hair needs, and they're selection was almost non-existent. When I stopped buying things last year I could have sworn they were the ones with all the selection in that category, but I couldn't find anything...

Then I went to the lotion section and of course my main requirement is smell. Well the one I love the most Aveeno with the purple accents is $8 for a medium sized bottle!
So I settled for the next best smell at a reasonable price.

I got that whole St. Ives one for $4. 

I didn't run out of lotion during my year and after the sticker shock of my trip I'm ready to suck it up even more. Maybe I should have taken a few more trips to the stores just to make myself feel better! ha

I gotta tell you, buying new things isn't exactly what I thought it was going to be...

:) 

The grass is always greener.

On the other hand...  I did get my Victoria's Secret Swimsuit! and it's pretty awesome

n...eon

I take it back... 

I've avoided Target like the black plague since I decided to try and not buy anything new for a year.

For obvious, unnecessary, but hard to quell... $60 purchases. 

I even managed to have my doctor elongate my prescriptions so that I wouldn't have to walk in there every month to get my Thyroid medicine. Yes I have hypothyroidism. One of the worst the medical team had ever seen... but I won't bore you with that... back to Target.

I hadn't been in Target in 3 months...

I went in to pick up my prescription the other day and since June 1st is knocking at my door, I thought I'd just take a gander through the store - mainly the women's clothing section. For the first time in quite some time, I didn't just beeline my way to the pharmacy and then high tail it out of there for fear of breaking down... and I'm not quite sure if what I'm feeling is elation or fear or a mix of both. 

You see....
At a very young age I found a pair of Neon yellow/green pants at a thrift store with my mom. They were a size 12 - adult women's size 12. Now, although I have a hypothyroid problem, severe weight gain was not one of my symptoms. Size 12 was about 12 sizes too big when I was 10 and about 10 inches too long. That being said, they were the most splendid pair of pants I had ever laid eyes on. My mother didn't even say no. The expression on her face uttered disgust. 

She wanted frilly pink dresses and lacey fold over socks. My father wanted pleated plaid skirts, peter pan collars and after that a nice black and white outfit provided by the "nunnery"...

Appealing to her "skills" and her "talents" I utilized what I'd seen my father do countless times, almost always to positive outcomes...

 After a heartfelt, probably over dramatic and paired with my best puppy dog eyes I made my plea... and convincing her she could make these pants fit me... like only SHE could. (blink blink)

With one giant grin on my face and one giant roll from her eyes...we went home and got to work. After cutting almost half of the fabric away, and a few under her breath utterings, she had worked her magic. I think more than anything, her biggest concern with these pants was that if she did indeed make them fit me, I would indeed wear them... in public.

Mothers know best :)

Much to her chagrin...it sprouted an obsession with neon colors I just haven't been able to (or ever wanted to) break. Thrift stores around the country have been scoured in search of anything neon - especially umbros - and until recently it was only thrift stores where I could find these little jewels. American Apparel started carrying more neon a few years ago, but having found most of my neon wear at less than $5 - I had a hard time paying full price. 

Well... as luck would have it - the world has embraced Neon once again. 

As I slowly approached the women's section at Target my heart started fluttering as the brightness of what appeared to be neon was getting brighter and brighter. Sure enough, Target, has jumped in head first to the world of neon. 

even leggings! 

I had said there wasn't much I missed, not much I was ready to run out and buy. 

Well I was wrong. 

If only because it might be another 20 years before neon is back!

I will be making a trip to Target to purchase some very "necessary" neon clothing. 

Talk about money well spent :)

By the way. 

Neon is Eon with an N for nifty. 

And Eon... well I can only hope "neon" lives up to it's namesake - see definition below. 

e·on also ae·on  (n, n) n. 1. An indefinitely long period of time; an age.

Target, until next year...

Oh the times I've walked through your doors to pick up toothpaste and a card, and walked out $60 later with a cute new clutch, a dress from the clearance aisle, 2 boxes of Velveeta Shells and Cheese for $5 (even though they're normally $2 each... ) and that revolutionary new mascara that swears it will lengthen AND volumize, and not smear or run... If that is what the test market proved... then I'm the .5% they stipulate just can't be helped.

Well, farewell Target. It's been a good run. I have to imagine you've gotten enough out of me for the last 15 years, you probably won't even notice I'm gone. It took a lot to keep driving past that new facade and the cherry red signs beckoning me to try out your new produce department, after I've successfully perused through your always tempting clothing section, housewares, and .99 section...

In this case, it really is me, not you.  Maybe in a few months I'll test my willpower and walk through without buying anything, but for now, it's just too hard. 

Sincerely,

Annie's $60