Shop Till You Drop

When I was growing up, my mom and I would wander through Cincinnati's West Side. Filled with guilted Catholics, working and middle class folks who sent their kids to schools with uniforms and nuns, shopping was a little extravagance in our world.

Don't get me wrong - it's not like we ever wanted for anything - but with three kids at home, and a sense of style that Ruby gave her, my mom had an eye for the nicest, best cut, most fashionable items on any rack - and thankfully, imparted that skill to me.

Fortunately, I never inherited her great legs, or ability to maintain a size 12, or I'd be in the poorhouse. You see, I learned to shop at the feet of the master, and to this day, both my sister and I would admit that, though we frequently don't buy exactly what we want, we always want to buy something.

I thought about that a lot this week, as I examined the overflow of clothing in my second bedroom. More closet than sleeping area, the bedroom has become a bit of a disaster zone. Frankly, Susan Lucci could be hiding out under the clothes on the bed and I wouldn't know it.

So it's with some surprise that I spent Sunday inventorying a friend's shoe and purse collection to sell it off on eBay. You'd think my selling would begin at home - but nope, I'm far more content to sell other people's fine items than my own.

The store is up and running now (you can visit it here). What I'm enjoying most is a tossup - is it writing the fun descriptions of the merchandise? Maybe. But maybe it's also that feeling - that you're giving someone else the chance to do what my mom and I did, all those Saturdays growing up - to run your fingers along the bargain rack, hoping to find that one piece of gorgeous cashmere, or well-cut wool, or beautiful loafers. Hoping to find that one thing that made you feel like you found a bargain, and got something that made you feel like you had won the shopping lotto.

I'll admit - in these times, it's a hard feeling to come by. But in the absence of wandering around the mall with Mom, spreading a little shopping glee is a pretty good substitute...

Shop on...