Limsanity

Like all parents, we have introduced the concept of fiscal responsibility to our children.  One of Gracie's earliest epiphanies happened when she was about four and making one of her first purchases.  She selected her toy and gave the cashier her money.  While walking out of the store with the bag in her hand, she asked, "Why does she get to keep my money?" 

While explaining the exchange of money for merchandise, she warily looked at the bag and back into my eyes.  She totally got the concept of opportunity cost, and realized right then and there that she would rather have the money. 

Over the summer, she was going shopping with some money that PawPaw had sent in the mail.  As she opened the door to Claire's, she said, "I need to find a charm bracelet that's in my budget." 

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Last week I wrote about the 3.1 Phillip Lim collaboration at Target, available in select stores 8/15 and on the website.   Upon waking, the one piece from the line I wanted (the sparkle sweater in navy) was quickly obtained from the Target website:

After church, we made the quick trip to our local Target.  As I walked through the women's department and the entire width of the store, no Limsanity could be found.  When I reached the dressing room and questioned the attendant, she (after asking me to repeat "Phillip Lim" several times) checked with a superior and confirmed that this particular collaboration is only available at SuperTarget locations.  She proceeded to name them off, but I assured her I knew about every Target location within a 200 mile radius.

Needless to say, I was a little ticked about this and may or may not have tweeted something about being in a fashion desert -- disenfranchised even.  Our schedule did not permit a Target tour that particular Sunday afternoon, and the collection was basically sold out online by noon. 

Lots of words have been written here about shopping, and I hope you won't think I've been disingenuous if I confess that I am a lot like Gracie with her first realization about money -- that spending it isn't really fun.  I love technology, invention, creativity and anything related to fashion.  These things excite me and are far less polarizing to write about than, say politics, and also have the added benefit of not alienating 95% of the people I know.  I write about shopping far more than I actually shop.  Or, as I said to Skip when we returned home from our failed Limsanity run and I was contemplating complaining to Target: I mean, I wasn't going to buy any of it; I just wanted to see it.

Well, ok, I might have gotten this scarf: 

But that's it. 

For whatever reason, clarifying my feelings about the new iPhone and the Phillip Lim for Target line felt important this week.  I love the new iPhone and will make it a point to go to the Apple store once it arrives to check it out and marvel at the latest upgrades.  However, like Gracie, sometimes (ok, most times) I like having my spending money in my pocket more than I like giving it to a cashier.