Colorful Purses and Shoes

Around this same time last year I was explaining how I happened to have two new coffee/tea mugs. This year it is how I *happen* to have two new purses and two (a pair) new shoes.
Blame it on Black Friday. Or, more accurately perhaps, Cyber Monday.
There is no exchange of Christmas gifts around here anymore. We each, if we want something, buy it ourselves and at our age(s), there's not much we really want anymore.
But those darn Cyber Monday sellers really know how to get to you - especially, in my case, Kohls. They are too tempting with their Cyber WEEK offers of 20-30% off, free shipping, PLUS Kohls Cash. Yeah, there's probably something I need.
For most of the year I had been carrying the same purse I bought at a garage sale. Even though I had newer, nicer purses, I liked it because it was a bit smaller AND it had a 'pocket' just the right size to slip a book into - something I never leave home without because you never know when you might end up 1) waiting or 2) stranded and need a book to keep you from going cray cray.

So I had been on the lookout for a new purse for awhile - I'd even looked at Kohls last time we were in Des Moines. Nothing was just right. Oh, there were plenty of purses big enough to fit a book into, but I didn't want a big purse anymore. I carried big purses my whole life - you know, everything in there but the kitchen sink - no wonder my shoulder hurt all the time. I was so over big purses. The right purse to accommodate a book was more about the length of the purse than the overall size. None I saw were better than my garage sale purse - which was starting to look pretty well worn - not that anyone pays attention to an old woman and her old purse.

My first cyber order went off to Kohls - a new pair of my favorite jeans, a special holiday gift set of my favorite perfume (cheaper than buying just a bottle of perfume) and a new purse. I *saved* SO MUCH MONEY and I earned $30.00 in Kohls cash for a future purchase. (See how they keep you coming back?)

My package arrived. The purse was way too big. I used my Kohl's cash on another cyber order - two new Calphalon skillets and a sweater. My package arrived. I didn't like the sweater.
Anything ordered from Kohls online can be returned to a Kohls store so when hubby dearest was going to the big city for his semi-annual visit to Veterans Hospital, I decided to go along.

I knew there was going to be an adjustment to what I was returning for credit because I had used Kohls cash earned from the first order to purchase items in the second order. The customer service clerk said if I could find a purse for exactly the same dollar amount as the one I was returning it would be an even exchange, otherwise I would only get about $15.00 back - half of the amount I would pay for the purse after the sale price and discount.
I doubted I would find a purse 1) that I liked and 2) that was the exact $$ amount as the one being returned. But I went looking - and here is the amazing part - I found not only one purse, but two!!

The burgundy colored one is the exchange purse. See how well that book fits into the back pocket? And there on the shelf next to it was the exact same purse in that burnt-orange color I had been coveting since it became popular a year or two ago. And it was marked down, clearance (my best friend, 'Clarence'), to $13.80! Back to the returns desk for the even exchange on the $69.00 Vera Wang purse and purchase of the clearance one which ended up costing $6.18 after applying the Kohls cash* she gave me in addition to the credit on my account for the return of the sweater and the 30% discount being offered to Kohls customers that day. Total win! win!

The story about those flashy shoes is much shorter. Ever since daughter-in-law #1 gave me a used pair of ASICS gel Nimbus running shoes one of her co-workers was giving away, they have been my walking/gym shoes. But they were wearing out. I have been looking at/pricing a new pair, but they are expensive shoes. Enter daughter-in-law #2 and granddaughter who runs track/cross-country for her college. She gets ASICS for half price through the school. Due to a mis-order, her new shoes came wrong size, wrong color. Okay, they are my size, but definitely NOT my color, but for half price, I have my new walking shoes. Who cares what color they are? Which really is alright - just too flashy for my taste.

For someone *not* expecting any Christmas presents, I made out pretty well. Have I mentioned that I really like Kohls?


(* I never understood why the clerk gave me the $5.00 Kohls cash in addition to the credit for the return on the sweater, but, hey, it was good for use that day (usually when you earn Kohls cash it has to be used the following week) and who am I to look a gift horse purse in the mouth?)