TGIF! So, once again, I'm all dressed up on a Friday where everyone else is in jeans. I have another interview this afternoon with one of our clients. I guess the one okay thing about a Friday afternoon meeting is that people are generally a bit more relaxed because they know the weekend starts pretty much as soon as we leave the boardroom. Anyway, I would have prefered to wear jeans, but what can you do... Actually, I really need to, yet again, update my wardrobe. This is a never-ending cycle for me which I thoroughly resent. I may have mentioned it before, but when I was in PEI, things were so SIMPLE - there was no pressure to wear the latest designer anything, everyone was very casual, very friendly, very laid-back. None of this constant evaluating what I'm wearing that day, how my makeup looks that day, how tall/short I am, whether my footwear truly does match my shirt colour, etc that I put up with on a daily basis here in downtown Ottawa (which, laughably, is known for it's total LACK of 'chick style' that Montreal seems to flaunt effortlessly). Anyway, I hate trying to find the balance between office-preppy (suits, dress pants and frumpy blousses), modern fashion diva (you should see all the nice jeans, cute boots, fabulous woolen coats with pretty designs and cashmere scarves all these girlies are wearing - I keep telling myself they're the ones who make $60,000/year and still live at home with Mom - and I do know a few like that), and then there's my natural 'bum' side where I love to curl up in a pair of faded jeans, a few layered t-shirts and a comfy sweater with a pony-tail. Unfortunately, unless you make $150,000/year I am not sure how you're expected to afford all that. Not to mention we have a closet that is half the size of a normal closet and which is shared by both of us. We also don't own a dresser of any kind so EVERYTHING is piled in the closet. I buy new clothes and the closet 'eats' them - they get swallowed up in the never-ending mess that is my wardrobe. It's frustrating too, that no matter how much I buy, I never have things that 'go' together and it's impossible to see what you own.

~Sigh~... So once again I'm making mental notes about the 'essentials' that I need. Unfortunately, there are about 3 new 'essentials' I come up with each day. My sister says I'm just in a 'I want' phase, and shouldn't buy anything until I snap out of it. Maybe so - last night we went shopping for a b-day present for my Dad. Every store was filled with things that called to me from the shelves - pretty blue dishes (I've been wanting some), all the new gardening stuff and seed-starting kits, paper pots you can plant directly into the ground, flower pots in every different colour (I caved and bought three on sale for $1 each), etc. etc. Then there's the fabric stores, the Home Sense store, Benjamen Moore (I took a walk in -25 the other night just so I could go stare in their window and dream of redecorating our terrible bedroom), and so much more... I can't help it! I think I have held off buying things for too long and now I want/need EVERYTHING!

Anyway, so this weekend I'm staying out of the stores. Good thing for me, I'm going to Napanee, (though my shop-aholic mother is there) to celebrate my Dad's b-day and visit with the family. Should be fun, we haven't had Steve and Luc and the family together for over a year. We're going to yuk yuks too, which is fun. :) Anyway, it's good timing, I think I could use a little fresh country air and 'simple' living for a couple of days. Horsies, here we come! (It is especially welcoming after listening to my boss pitch to yet another person his idea of outsourcing my f***ing job to INDIA. I'm going to buy a potato farm, in PEI, where no one can find me (hard to hide there maybe but who cares) and then at least I won't have to deal with idiots anymore).

:)