the curious case of so many buttons

i leave for italy in just a few days and i'm moving into a new place just a few days after i come back...busy month! in preparation, i am trying to pack up as much as i can this weekend. going through my stuff further proves my extreme shopping habit.

indication #1 that i have a shopping problem: i found 58 "extra" buttons in my drawer, and those are just the ones i happened to keep from the past year!!

i think it's time to head to a consignment shop and possibly hold a yard sale...and maybe a re-visit to my 12 steps in heels program soon...

12 steps in heels: step 3

think jessica mcclintock, bright orange fading into watermelon pink, rhinestones, black and white color blocks, red hair dye, big silk flowers, and pink polka dots mixed with tons of tule. ya...those would be the memories of the ghost of wellington prom's past...mine to be exact. needless to say, i liked flashy fashion, even back then.

so even though it made me feel old, i couldn't have been more excited or proud when my lovely younger cousin told me she was going prom dress shopping a few weeks ago. we searched all around the mall at wellington green and she probably tried on 50 dresses, but in the end, she went with one of the first dresses she tried on. and i had so much fun shopping with her the whole time.

all this brings me to my next step to kicking my shopping addiction...

step 3 ~ if you need to get your shopping fix, head with a friend to help her or him shop for what they need...and only what they need.

in case you're wondering, here are the two she was deciding between...which one do you think she went with?

i'll post pics of the lovely prom princess and the dress she chose soon. and if you're lucky, you might even get to see some pics of my past prom days...

12 steps in heels: step 2

i've made it to day 14 of lent and still haven't shopped. this is a freaking miracle and it might be the longest i've ever gone without buying some sort of clothing, beauty product, houseware, etc. i almost caved when i found a sexy studded zipper cuff yesterday at francesca's collections, but i found a way to hold it together.

my next dilemma is because of the wedding i'm attending this weekend. i'm very excited about matt and layne getting hitched and already have the cutest little pink and navy striped dress from anthropologie to watch it all go down, but i am missing a few accessories. i took care of the jewelry by putting my old college shell skills to work, but i'm at a loss for a clutch to use for the day. i desperately want to use it as an excuse to pick up a little tory burch bag, but am resisting...which brings me to my next step:

step 2 ~ force yourself to borrow anything you absolutely "need." you can repay your friends with the same favor later.

speaking of...any of my lovely friends (insert appropriate suck-up line/compliment here) have a silver, gray or navy clutch i can borrow? :)

12 steps in heels: step 1

i wasn't ready to publicly admit it last week in case i couldn't go through with it, but today i am officially confirming what i gave up for lent because i need your support in sticking to it. after going a little nuts (ok, maybe freaking crazy is a better description) on my amex last month, and potentially buying a house and/or visiting milan this summer, i decided to give up shopping for lent.

there, i said it. by giving up something i love for religious purposes, i feel that i am taking the first step to shopaholics anonymous recovery.

for myself and my fellow s.a.-ers (not sure? if your closet looks something like the above photo and you're not mariah carey, you belong in this group), i have come up with a "12 steps in heels" program that i will divulge to you over the course of my 40 days and 40 nights until easter.

step 1 ~ make a vow to not shop for a set amount of time that is difficult, yet realistic for you.

if you must buy a gift for someone (birthday, wedding, etc.), that's ok, but determine a price limit before you even step foot in a store. better yet, purchase the gift online so you're not tempted to buy for yourself.

together, we will get through this.