Guess the Store

Can you identify this store? No tricks. It's a world famous store and I wanted to show some cute pictures so I thought I'd make a little game.

First, for the pet lovers. Isn't this a cute little pillow for your pooch?

 (I think this is a good clue that we aren't at Walmart.)

Maybe you're a foodie? How does this look. (Yes, I am a chocoholic.)

Has anyone guessed yet? Still in the food department. One of these chefs actually does sing Italian opera while working. We did purchase food while listening to him, so maybe it is an effective sales method.

Okay, none of these clues is a dead giveaway. So I'll give you some actual shots of the store itself.

First, one of the sales floors. Beneath it, the Egyptian Stairway.

Some interesting facts about this store: They have a dress code to enter. (Yes, they are willing to be picky about taking your money.) You can't wear spaghetti straps. You can't wear a backpack on your back. And you can't shop in groups of more than four (which ruled out our family shopping together). Also, there are places in the store where you aren't allowed to take photos.

So, who knows what store this is?

Knock, knock! Who's There? R-E-A-L-I-T-Y

I've been thinking about money quite a bit lately, especially because I just got a royalty check. Money for writing. It's still kind of a thrill after all these years, to get money for my words, but I enjoy getting those checks because I can really use the money for things I need, like books, food, books, clothes, gas for my chugga chugga mobile, books, etc.

You get the idea. Coincidentally, I saw an article on Yahoo.com with the compelling headline, "Did Sex and the City Ruin You, Too?" I'm not a big fan of the show, although I did watch some episodes occasionally; however, any headline with the word "ruin" in it usually captures my interest. What got ruined? How did it get ruined? Was Lady GaGa or Justin Bieber or a crazed wolverine involved? Or all three? Is BP at it again?

So I read the article...and laughed. The entire piece is devoted to promoting books (very subtly) about women and debt, mainly due to shopping and living beyond their means, and how this may have been related to the TV show Sex and the City (SATC) and its main characters' predilections for, well, shopping and living beyond their means (although most of this happens off camera, like murders in cozy mysteries, so that we aren't exposed to the actual carnage).

You may think I am making fun of people who watched the show and bought into the idea that a woman has to own $400 designer shoes to enjoy being a girl, and you'd be right. However, I am not making fun of the show's fans who, like me, did enjoy some of what I watched. When the banter was fun and the show capitalized on the absurdities of life we all face as women (and men), I laughed, as did my husband.

No, I'm making fun of people who really felt the show's message was that, as the article states, "women have to look a certain way to be successful" and bought into it by maxing out credit cards, skipping rent, and making other ill-advised financial decisions thinking they would somehow be magically purported to the social status of Carrie and friends. I am also making fun of people who write articles about such people, although I'd do it in a heartbeat if I got the chance...for the money, of course. lol

I guess this caught my attention because I do believe that women have to look a certain way to be successful, and that's well groomed. In my world, which is usually based in reality, being well-groomed doesn't require trendy clothes, insanely expensive shoes, or a handbag that when sold on the black market could feed a family of fifteen in a third world country for a month. It requires self-confidence, clean undies, and a hairbrush whose bristles don't fall out in one's hair right before a big dance.

I also identified with the main character, Carrie, who is a writer in New York City who produces a column about relationships. Our similarities end at the writer part, though. Carrie is the opposite of a nudist like me, indulging in designer duds as if they're required to get into Heaven or something.

Because I dance, I love a nice cocktail dress. Over the years, I've become extremely skilled at finding the most bang for my buck, dress-wise, and I wear them more than once, regardless of what's in style. The worst that can happen is people think I'm shooting for the retro look, which is always in anyway. The message SATC sent was that being out of style is sooooo yesterday, and spending beyond your means to stay in style is a God-given right of the new feministic, empowered female population.

At least one of the women quoted in the article, herself a writer just like Carrie, said that even as she spent her way into debt, she didn't understand how the character on the show could afford such pricey attire on a regular basis, that it wasn't realistic. Well, no! It wasn't realistic. I actually thought Carrie's clothing and shoe addiction was like her smoking, a habit she fought with that kind of made her human. It was a flaw, not a way of life one should aspire to.

But some women did, and that's what the article is about--how SATC ruined their lives. Maybe. The people interviewed who wrote the books don't directly blame the show, but list it as a "factor" in their financial demises. They hint that without the show telling them--in voices that probably sounded an awful lot like their irresponsible best friends--that over-spending is the way to success, they wouldn't have faced their financial crises.

Hooey.

Anyway, I guess this all comes down to, when I read an article like this, that I am fascinated by the players in this little skit--all the world's a stage, you know--and I immediately think character. Given some of my new insights, will a character people love to love or love to hate evolve? Will I build a heroine who's a clothes horse like Carrie? A vamp like Samantha? A romantic like Charlotte? A lawyer like Miranda? Or will it just be a girl like me who seeks the most dependable hairbrush ever created (for under $5)?

And with that, I'm off to shop for books.

Happy Reading!

Guilty Pleasures: S is for...

S is for…

Shopping.

I define a Guilty Pleasure as an activity you enjoy doing when you know you shouldn’t be doing it.

Mine is probably fairly innocuous, but I do wish I could curb it. I love to shop, BUT, not for myself. I have three daughters, and I love to buy them things. Not necessities, not food or schoolbooks, but clothes and accessories that they do not need.

I say No all the time. No, you cannot stay out past curfew. No, you cannot go on a date with a boy and then spend the night at a friend’s. No, you cannot watch an R movie. I have no problem saying No. I even think it’s an important word when raising children. But, for some reason, I cannot say No when we’re out shopping.

I went on a binge in March at Bloomingdale’s in NYC. In my defense, I didn’t spend very much money (well, considering that we were on vacation). They were practically giving the stuff away. (NYC was in sad shape in March.) But, one of the store managers actually called me at home to check the order before they shipped it. She was sure something was wrong. I was a little miffed. I highly doubt I am the first person in the history of the store to have purchased, ummm, 8 pairs of shoes and 7 handbags in one go. Plus several dresses, etc. In fact, I’m sure I’m not the only one that day, or even in that hour, to have done so. I mean, can you picture J Lo in the store? But I was miffed because I felt guilty. I knew that no one needs all that stuff.

Why do I enjoy this pastime? That’s easy. It's fun. Finding just the right outfit for that special event. Snapping up a bargain. Then, everything looks so cute on a teenaged girl, and they are so happy. Finally, I don’t buy too much for myself, so maybe it’s some kind of transference thing.

So why do I feel guilty? First, because I do wonder what kind of example I’m setting. I never want them to feel that buying things expresses love, can make them feel better about themselves, or can solve problems. It doesn’t do any of those things.

Second, I feel a bit of guilt over the money I spend unnecessarily. My husband is very good about the junk I buy for them, but he will occasionally let a pained expression cross his face as he says, “Does she need another handbag?” Yup, that gives me a twinge. Because he’s right and I’m wrong. (Did I actually say that?) The one good thing I do is I shop sales and discount stores. I do not like to pay full price. Also, I buy lots of books. That's a good example, right?

Still, I can’t hide from the truth. This is one of their closets. Not a good picture, but you get the idea. Excess. (Unless you too have a teenaged girl, in which case it may look perfectly normal.)

So I know you all don’t want me to feel too badly. Tell me what you’ve binged on. Someone should be able to top this tale pretty easily.

In the Hot Seat Over the Holidays

While out and about recently, a shopper approached me carrying two blouses. One was a stunning leopard-print, the other a plainer, tailored style in petal pink. My first impression was that she was going to ask me which suited her better. Instead, she started chatting with me about various topics--including the shopping frenzy over the holidays. Eventually she mentioned the next place on her must-visit list—her favorite brick-and-mortar bookstore. She enjoys reading romance fiction and named several of her favorite authors. At this point I mentioned I write romance fiction—including erotic romances and erotica. We were standing in an area of the store where no one else browsed at the time, and she hung the blouses at the front of a nearby rack. After giving me an abbreviated history of her liberal days during the 1960s and 1970s, she posed a question: “Do you authors actually practice what you put in those books?” She glanced past me, then around the immediate vicinity. “Do you all personally research what the characters do?”

After a brief pause, I responded – “As with the stories I write, I’ll leave the answer to your imagination.” She laughed, smiled and said something to the effect her imagination worked overtime when reading sexually-explicit fiction. We chatted for a bit longer about reading romance novels, wished each other happy holidays, I gave her my business card and we parted company.

What about you? Have you ever been put on the spot? Care to share the “hot” topic and how you responded?

Season’s greetings and steamy readings,

Shawna Moore http://www.grant-moore.com
ROUGHRIDER – Ellora’s Cave
HELLE IN HEELS – Ellora’s Cave
Myspace – http://www.myspace.com/shawnamooreauthor
Helle’s Myspace – http://www.myspace.com/hellehawthorn