Clothes, Clothes, Clothes

Shopping! I love it, and I don't feel the need to add any qualifiers to that statement. There was a time when my mother literally had to drag me to go buy back-to-school clothes, but times have changed and I'm always up for browsing the shops.When we were in the Azores, we lived in a shopping wasteland. It was pretty much only online shopping, which was tedious and time consuming; having to figure out what size fit you, return the ones that didn't, and oh ya, pay the postage both ways. Then we moved to Germany. At first glance I wasn't thrilled; there weren't any stores that I was familiar with. Then I realized that those stores didn't matter because my new discoveries were SO. much. better! Ultimate favorites are H&M, Zara, and Mango. Of course I have my high fashion designers that I love, but these three stores could get me through the rest of my life. They have cheap trendy pieces, good quality classics, and everything in between. Did  I mention fabulous accessories and shoes too?

:)

When I moved back to the United States, and I really didn't think twice about shopping options. I was going to a capital city, and I figured it couldn't be that bad! (What can I say, I'm an optimist) Sure I would have to probably go to a major city to find an H&M, or a Zara, or a Mango if I was really lucky, but I didn't think that I'd have to travel a minimum of FOUR hours to get to one of my favorite staple stores! (I have mentioned that I don't have a car and can't drive...) My main backup shop that I thought could sustain me through sporadic H&M trips was Forever 21. Well guess what? The first Forever 21 store in the state of South Carolina doesn't exist yet. And I have moved to a place dominated by men in short pastels shorts and women in neon Lily Pulitzer dresses, (which I'm growing accustomed to) but are definitely not a part of the European style I've grown to love!

LillyPulitzer.com

So until I can finally visit H&M, Zara, or Mango once again, I'll have to be content with flipping through magazines and seeing their clothes in ads and spreads.  My ability to spot an H&M item on someone (or folded up on a washing machine as recently happened) is remarkable to some, but it offers me a constant reminder that I need to go shop at one of my favorite three stores soon. This way I can have my own clothes to get excited about, instead of seeing other people's H&M apparel...and running up to talk with them about the joys of one of my favorite stores hahaha.

:)

One good thing that my fabulous roommate recently told me - that Mango is doing a line with JCPenny! Good news? NO, great news!! There are JCPenny's in South Carolina and in Florida, and they aren't four hours away. :)

:)