Scenes from the Mall...window shopping highs and lows. ( Part One)

As you know I have a lot of free time on my hands. Our apartment takes 20 minutes tops , and that is a deep cleaning. Hubby is at work..always. Girls, well they are close , but have own lives and well truthfully with being broke when they do come over I am not sure how to entertain them here at the apartment. The cats , they sleep all day. Tv is rather boring. I some how can not seem to read during the day without loosing my train of thought. So what is one to do when they do not work? I walk and window shop.

I often will do my morning walk and then go again in the afternoon. Interesting thing with the Fibromyalgia. I can walk and walk and walk, it may not always be fast and hills still , even after all these months make me pant for sometime after. BUT ask me to open something, even screw top wine, or hold up a phone , bend my arm at the elbow for very long ( even typing is hard) , life something or anything else you can think of dealing with the upper body and it is a no go. I experience numbness, tingling, shooting pains, throbbing aches. I have no real strength either.....there are ok days, and bad days and really bad days. This is what keeps me from working. If I had a job that I could just walk and shop , WOW! But alas, jobs not requiring your upper body does not really exist. So I am left with all this free time and so as I said I walk. Even with throbbing feet, I keep going, cause it kills the time. But if you have been reading you know this about me.

Yesterday was a day when nothing was on TV. The pool was too busy to sit by, and well until hubbies job gets more established, I do not have much spare money. (I so need to color my hair! Now that I restarted that).My daughter had my car, so could not go for a drive... Ghads, there is days I just wonder around aimlessly and check email far too many times a day. So figured, it was only in the 90's, why not walk to my fav shopping areas and window shop. So shoes popped on , camera and purse packed and I was off.

I was really just enjoying the world around me. I stopped for a McD's ice tea...1.08 fit the budget. I nearly get hit by a car , while I was a quarter of the way into the cross walk; guess the driver was color blind and missed that the light was red. I stopped to help a sign holder , he asked me to hand him his beer in the bag to grab a couple of swigs and put it back for him. I do not agree with this practice of drinking on the job, but it is not for me to judge. Besides who could deny a sweet, polite request from a toothless man holding a sign all day in the heat?? So I comply. Then off I went and I made my way to The Fountains and headed for my favorite shops.

First was Sur La Table. I am wanting, soon, to add a bit of new goodies to the kitchen, liven up all the black, beige and brown in there. Since moving all my blue items into the bedroom, I am back to wanting more red in my space...especially for Fall! I know some of these things are pricey, but I also know if I keep my eyes open I can pick them up a lot cheaper at the big box discount stores...just have to check back as often as I can.

 I rather like these silver plates for when hubby and I have cheese and fruit with a glass of wine. They are as I said pricey, at 6.00 each, but we only need two. So not too bad. I can see them on these red chargers...that I know again here are a bit steep at 6.00 each as well, but they always sell them at all the stores for the holidays, often even The Dollar Store gets them in.

I am loving this whole section.....

I do need some new hand towels, oh and the canister above has bowls in it! I also am thinking a nice wrought iron or maybe bright stainless steel basket with these apples or the artichokes in it would add a wonderful pop of color, and they look so real and never rot!
I have my notes and prices written in my notebook for reference and so I am off to Anthropology. You know I HAVE to go in this store. I could go daily and just hang out. I always call it my dream store; dreams are free. There was a time in my life when I could shop in here and buy most anything I wanted, and maybe one day that will happen again. Till then I am content with taking photos, and then seeking out items elsewhere that mimic the look. It can be quite satisfying when that can happen. 

I just love everything about the store, the smell, the vibe, the music playing, the displays...there is nothing in this store that I do not like, but then I have mentioned that before I am sure. I mean just look at this display!!
It is like a dream spot , an escape in the middle of the store! Makes me wish I had such a place to serve a meal, and of course I am the figure off to the side...yep the one with no head LOL Then I start my trying on of hats....
This one costs as much as what I normally spend on an outfit, a whole outfit! But I just adore the felt flowers and how it is the perfect shape and size on me, even with my short hair. Hats sell quick here, so no chance to wait for a sale on this lovely. I can see in editing this photo, I need to invest in some more sunscreen and age defying , line filling, reversing the signs of age/sun damage creams ....hmmmm maybe a series for the blog...follow the journey of getting my youthful face back...hmmm, not very French Girl, but oh well , I am not that much if at all past a pinkie of being French so it is ok! Anyway, back to the hat...it is wonderful isn't it???  OH and it is right near the French Perfumes....heavenly....
Of course I go my usual three times around, looking at everything, imagining it in my space....I could see these in my wine glass cabinet....

Then of course I have to have at least one of these sweet little owls on my shelf or on one of my trays...I have a soft spot for Owls as my Grandma collected them....
  Is this perhaps one of the next books for sharing after French Girl ???
    Could you imagine a more lovely cover??? I would have to have an equally lovely book mark for this one. I also spot a sale ....Gosh I hope I can squirrel away just enough for a head band and I do so need another pair of reading specs.... pale pink I think would go with my beaded necklace I bought a while back and of course the perfect little LBD.This one is out of budget, but will keep an eye out for one like it.  LOVE the ruffled cap sleeves!

Soon of course a pair of these will have to find their way to my jewelry box.... They are affordable even at full price! So simple, so classic and sooooo cute!
  I am also loving these for my cardigans ....
   And I know I can find similar stockings at half the price, but I may have to indulge in a pair of the ones with roses to go with one of my LBDS that I already own....
 
 They are so fun with a simple dress or skirt and add just that POP to what can be a rather mundane outfit. I bought a pair a couple years back and wore them with a black pencil skirt and a turtle neck sweater and a great pair of black pumps, and then simple jewelry as the stocking were the jewelry....loved it! Of course I could not help but take a few photos of all the wonderful new items in the store ....can you tell where my mind is as of late.....

 There was so much more divine things, but would fill a whole weeks worth of posts! I know some of you are ok with that though ! I know I would be. I reluctantly left and made a pit stop at Zgallerie. I did not take very many pics there, but did find a couple of things that would make my living room spruce up have that Z zing.
A few sprigs of these mixed with the clear ones I already have would look great on my TV dresser in the white vases there....maybe with a sprig of these as well for more sparkle...
  Have always liked these, and it goes with my new "chandelier" that I got from Urban Outfitters ( you have to wait to see that) I am just digging the silhouette items...... They are on sale...not the 24.00 that is for the item above it, I think they were 7.99. 
   I think this is a great gift for my husband.... Sparkle for me , and dealing with nature and hunting for him.
   Then I think I must keep an eye out for a sale to have these lovelies...
  And these are great for the season and fit my decor!
 

I am adoring this print. It is on sale too, really makes me reconsider the one I have picked out for my LR...HOW CUTE is this Pug?

 And those shoes...do not even get me started! 

So there you have it, my window shopping trip to The Fountains and all my fav stores....tomorrow, Part Two....I walk over to the Galleria, and then on the way home stop at ROSS and World Market, on my search to get the look for less...well scope it out at any rate so when I do have money, if the items are still there, well it will be meant to be, and MINE! 

Oh I did come home with a treasure, and it took what morning coffee money I had set aside to last till after pay day...but I had to have it. OH and it was a look for less!