Treat Yourself

Today, I wanted to use a recent shopping trip as the subject of a little fashion rant.....when to treat yourself to something nice.

As a lover of all things comfortable, I am a huge fan of the kimono shawls. I probably own 6 of them at this point, maybe 9, ok I have 12, geez. Ever since I really got into them though, I've worn one way above the rest, and it's the first once I ever bought. I got it at H&M after it went on clearance, you can see it here. I tend to gravitate towards it a little more because of the oriental pattern, and I've been keeping my eyes open for another lighter one for spring and summer, that still has an oriental type pattern. I wasn't going out of my way to find it necessarily, I just wanted to add one to my wardrobe if ever I stumbled upon one....which brings me to my point, finally, I found one.

I have never been one to spend a ton of money on one particular item, you all know that. I tend to limit my "blouse budget" to less than $25 a top, so when I can find a name brand top within my spending limit, I snatch them up! I love designer-for-less shops, and lately I've been peeping into Nordstrom Rack at least once a month. I stopped into one of their stores for the first time during my brief stint in Arizona, at the time they hadn't opened up any in Ohio. By the time I moved back, our local mall had one in construction and a second location followed quickly after that, that is now minutes away from my apartment. Dangerous, I know. Although, I can find hundreds of pieces I want, I can't always find pieces I can afford, simply because my budget is rather limiting, with all my current financial responsibilities.

While shopping the other day, however, I finally found a gorgeous oriental printed kimono jacket that was a little outside my usual budget, but I picked it up anyways....and boy am I glad I did. I seriously have not been able to wear it out without getting complimented on it, and the color is absolutely perfect for spring and summer. It's the only thing I bought that day, which is rare for me, but I felt much more satisfied leaving the store with one thing I really loved, rather than 5 things I kinda liked.

Sometimes, you just need to treat yourself. Sometimes, taking a day to go shopping completely solo and pick out one thing you really love is way more worthwhile than a day out with the girls. Sometimes, you have to stretch your budget just a hair, to get yourself something you've been wanting for a long time. Ladies, take time for you. Whether it's a new blouse, a pair of shoes, a trip to the bookstore, a cup of coffee or a walk in the park with your furry friend, you need to treat yourself to something nice every once and a while. Especially as a woman in my 20s, we get so wrapped up in life that we forget to be selfish....so go and be selfish!