So, what are you buying yourself for Mother's day?

"So, what are you buying yourself for Mother's day?" That was the question my husband asked me after breakfast this morning. You know what's sad? I didn't hesitate and said, "I think a new purse."

Now, don't think my husband is thoughtless, it's just gift buying/shopping is not a big item on his to do list. When he does by presents they are great ones and generally very meaningful. He just doesn't do it often or just because some holiday says he should. He also knows that I will buy myself something I need or had my eye if he hasn't bought a gift. I have been known to come home with a bag and say "You want to see what you just got me for {insert gift giving holiday here}?" I think it's the easiest way to get what I really want for a gift and relieves him of the burden of shopping - something he generally detests. It works out well for us.

So, I spent the afternoon at the mall shopping for a purse. What you need to realize is I am not a clothes, shoes or purse person. I am a very practical person and it's reflected in the clothes and accessories I own or rather don't own. I have only 3 purses (the one I just replaced, which will be given to the girls to use for dress-up in a few minutes, the new one and a black evening bag).

I have a friend at work who has been trying to get me to add some style to my wardrobe. He has explained and I quote, '...while you are not a fashion disaster, your wardrobe is boring." Harsh, but sort of true. Hence, my mission for a new purse, I am trying to add a bit of style. I bought my last purse 3 years ago at Target for $13.95. I decided I should get something a bit nicer this time - like made of real leather. Not knowing anything about designer labels or their prices my first stop was the Louis Vuitton store (it's a store full of purses, right? I thought this would be easy). I should have suspected something when the prices where not displayed on a tag hanging from the strap of the purse. I found an almost perfect, small purse and was about to say I'll take it till I found out the price. IT was $1200.00 dollars!!!!! For a purse that wasn't even made from leather - are you kidding me????? I nearly choked. I handed it back to sales lady, thanked her for her help and left the store. Do they not realize what my purse goes through? It gets dropped, stepped on, spilled on, thrown and often a laptop set on top of it. I can't do that to a $1200.00 dollar purse.

I ended up at the sales table in Nordstrom and came away with a perfectly good purse for not too much money. I came home, looked at my husband and said "Do you want to see what you bought me for Mother's day?"