Cinderella Moments

There are few times in life that we get to experience what I call "Cinderella Moments".  Being able to be pampered with something special that provides an almost magical, dream-like quality.  I don't know that I can pin down all the ingredients and conditions that need to come together to create these unique, fairly rare experiences.  Like water-spouts or the Northern Lights or a lunar eclipse...part of the wonder of it is that it doesn't happen every day.

I had one of those Cinderella Moments yesterday.  I've got a wonderful friend who I consider to be very stylish and well-versed on putting clothes and outfits together.  We had talked about spending a shopping afternoon together and that afternoon turned out to be yesterday.  Her daughter, in her early twenties, came with us to provide additional perspective.

We went to one store.  It's in Charleston Place.  Charleston Place is a number of things....it's a luxury hotel.  It has wonderful restaurants and bars.  And it has high end shopping.  Gucci is there.  Godiva Chocolates.  That kind of thing.  Very nice stuff, very high end, and very expensive.

Years and years ago, in Scottsdale, I fell in love with St. John clothes.  Their looks are timeless and elegant - two things that are important to me.  They're made with tremendous quality, using impeccable material, and an eye for flattering the female form in all it's many sizes and shapes.  The problem is that I can rarely afford it.

Well...our shopping excursion yesterday started and ended at St. John.  There's a 60% sale going on which brings some of these things within my budget.  Three hours of bringing things into a dressing room larger than my kitchen and trying them on.  Dresses.  Skirts.  Slacks.  Tops.  Blazers.  Stepping out of the dressing room to the carefully critical eyes of my friend, her daughter, and the two sales women.  It was wonderful.

The good news is that we found a boatload of things we all oooh'd and ahhh'd about.  From the moment you slip into these things....you just know.  You can feel it.  Magical.

The bad news is that we found a boatload of things that, together, when added up without any discounts, came to over $10,000.  Even at 60% off that's painful.  So, difficult decisions needed to be made.  And they were.

These are not things I "need".  I work at a company that is very, very casual and relaxed.  I could wear what I've got and be totally fine there for the rest of my career.  But as I look at myself 15 years into my "new" life I realize that there are several levels of "need".  What I need to do is find opportunities to go our and enjoy these clothes.  What I need to do is expand horizons that will allow me to do new things. That's the message I'm choosing to sense from the universe.

Yesterday's Cinderella Moment was about more than just beautiful clothes.  It was a shopping experience with friends.  It was about potential, and opportunity, and moments to reflect that these kinds of things are even possible.  I wish my dad were here to see - I think he'd be almost as amazed as I continue to be.

So - yesterday, I had my Cinderella moment.  Afterwards we went to the bar to celebrate with a glass of wine.  And today I have a subset of the clothes we all agreed were wonderful and amazing.  But it's not just a one-day thing.  I will create opportunities in my world to wear them, and enjoy them.  They make me feel good...feminine....special....like, um, Cinderella.

We all have our pumpkin moments, too, when the magic ends and everything turns back into ordinary.

Some people will get what I'm saying without further explanation.  Others, I fear, never will.  That's ok.  It doesn't change what I'm doing or how I'm feeling about it.

It is also motivation to stay in shape.  Some of these clothes fit perfectly, so allowing myself to outgrown them would be unwise.  I will be at the gym later today to do my part.  :)

I've got another Cinderella Moment later today.  As I mentioned, when I buy new "stuff" from the MAC Store it usually involves a half hour lesson on how to use it, and what can be done with it.  That appointment is for 5 today.  I must be going through some kind of phase.  Regardless, I'm likin' it.

In the meantime - today is a day for takin care of "stuff".  Oil change.  Some running around.  Fitness Center.  There's a movie I'm still trying to see that I suspect will be out of theaters soon.  My appt. at the MAC counter.  Then....someplace I can go and have some fun with it.  I slept until almost 7:30 so I got a late start on it all.  Regardless.  I'll get done what I can.  :)  There will be more time tomorrow to do the rest.

Lovin' life!