Online Shopping or Dating?

I love to shop. And I love to get bargains. And I can usually find the best bargains when I go out to the actual store, feel the merchandise, and make my purchase. But with a job and homeschooling, the shopping doesn’t happen as often as it used to. I make an effort sometimes but I really would prefer to be at home with my family when at all possible. The day is rapidly approaching when I know they (at least the PBA…hopefully my husband won’t leave me, but stranger things have happened…and nobody panic! I’m not foreshadowing anything…just saying…stranger things have happened!), the PBA will be off to bigger and better things than being with the parental units.

All that to say, when I can, I do enjoy doing some online shopping. I rarely, if ever, pay for shipping (if I do, the item I'm buying had better be a near steal!), only shop the clearance, and can often get an additional percentage off with a coupon code. So even if it's a little more online than in the store, it is worth it to me.  Time is money, my friends.

So yesterday, I was doing a little online shopping for a couple Christmas gifts I needed to buy which cannot fit into the “everything is going to be handmade, thrift-store purchased, or up-cycled” proposal I had previously made. I knew my goals were lofty and that I wouldn’t be able to 100% comply. That being said, I was curled up in my pajamas, doing some online shopping.

I was utilizing one of my favorite clusters of online stores – the Gap / Old Navy / Athleta / Banana Republic / Piperlime grouping…one cart for all five stores. Plus you get free shipping with a $50 purchase, or with at least one item from Piperlime, no minimum amount is needed. And no, I don’t get a kick-back from that promotion. But I should…I may write to them about it.

And no, I have never made a purchase from Banana Republic…clearance or otherwise. I’ve never been so flush with cash that shopping there has been an option. But I digress…

I was just wrapping up my shopping at Old Navy when I popped into the Athleta website just to see what was on clearance. I can count on one hand…on one finger actually…the number of purchases which I have made from Athleta. Yes, you guessed it, my sharp as tacks readers: one.

But I always take a spin through the clearance because you never know what you may need but were unaware it existed.

So during yesterday’s shopping, I came across a dress I thought was really cute. And we all know that I love cute! It’s not actually the dress I show here, because when I went back today to capture the photo from the website, it was no longer there; yesterday I copied the review but not the picture. Not really sure what I was thinking. But all that to say, apparently I wasn’t the only one who thought it was cute.

But I did not order the dress. I virtually always read online reviews of items before I pull the trigger on them, especially when it comes to clothing. I want to at least vaguely know how a particular item may look on my body type. And this one didn’t sound as though it was going to work out for me, especially based on the first sentence of the following review…which I am convinced is actually a single’s ad disguised as a clothing review:

This is the dress for the perfect body. It is a super sexy dress and the back is ever so cute, great support in bust. I am a 34C 115lbs and 5'1" and it was too tight in the waist for me in the X-small. It was super comfortable in the bust, great support and no need for a bra but I have to return because it requires absolutely no tummy to wear this hot dress and I have a slight one. I may order the small if it ever comes available but not sure how that would work everywhere else. I would have had to hem it.

Wow…you’ve given us a pretty decent description but the gentlemen out there would really like to know: do we get to see a photo of you too? And what is your relationship status? And can they message you somehow? 

I understand it is under the guise of helping others, but let’s call this what it is ladies…shameless bragging. You’re teeny tiny and we feel oh so terrible for you that an X-small didn’t fit because you have a “slight tummy”, but would more than likely be swimming in a small (yes, I took artistic license with my insinuation, but that’s what you’re really saying, isn’t it?).  How could you possibly live with yourself?

And just because I am writing about this, I’m certain, in no way insinuates my jealousy.