Shopping!

                This week my job took me to Albuquerque for a couple days which meant I got to have an evening for shopping.  I love the chance to explore and try new stores and I received a recommendation for a good one this week!  The store is called Buffalo Exchange (www.buffaloexchange.com) and it specializes in “New and Recycled Fashion” and was a blast.  Basically, it’s a consignment store with a vintage and eclectic feel.  It is filled with great finds from clothing to shoes to jewelry and lots in between.  The selection was great and I had to practice extreme self-control in order to not spend every penny in my wallet.  I ended up purchasing a beautiful turquoise ring for a very affordable price.  The stone is oval and a lovely green with some dark striations through the middle.  I am wearing it today and loving it!

It was fun to shop in a store that doesn’t specialize in cattle and horse feed.  Living in a small town it is easy to get in a shopping rut of the same things over and over again.  Adjusting to limited shopping options was one of the more difficult things I faced when I first moved to this desolate area.  I remember a specific shopping experience awhile back when I went shopping in the “big city” about three hours away.  I called my mom ecstatically (who is also my favorite shopping partner) when I found a pair of jeans at Ann Taylor Loft.  I was so excited because it was the first time in almost two years that I bought clothes at a store without “tractor” or “feed supply” in the name.  It is the little things in life!  I honestly don’t mind shopping at the “country” or small town stores as their clothes fit me well, they usually last a long time and they fit my life style.  Surprisingly, my very large collections of high heels and fancy shoes from my college sorority days don’t get used very often anymore!  Living without all of the typical shopping options saves some pennies and also makes going to bigger towns that much more exciting.  I was an avid shopper before and I still am but my purchases have just happened to change!