my own carrie bradshaw complex

It took me a while to get into watching Sex and the City back in the day. But one day, a friend suggested the show to me so I rented a few dvds...and I was hooked. For a while, I would just watch a show or two here and there. And then, it became an obsession. I clearly remember one night where Beth and I got into our car and drove to at least three different video stores looking for the next dvd in the series because we couldn't wait to see what happened next. It was the best night ever...seriously. Mostly because we did finally find it and were able to satiate our desire to find out what would happen between Carrie and Mr. Big.

My love for this show has nothing to do with the actual lifestyles that the women live...or rather, the choices that they make. What I do love is that regardless of how they live their lives, the women characters are relatable. I haven't consistently watched the show in a few years, but I have a newfound desire to watch it from the beginning as I am now in the same age bracket as the women portrayed in the series. I love how they find joy in their friendships and in experiencing life in their city. I love how they still encourage each other through the ups and downs of relationships without judgement. And of course, I love how they each have their own sense of style and wear it with confidence. Carrie in particular, is in love with shoes. Throughout the series, she is almost always buying shoes, imagining herself in new shoes, or scrounging up money to find a way to pay for shoes. While I'm not quite that obsessive, I have come to terms with the fact that no matter how un-materialistic of a person I am in general, that I love new clothes and new shoes in much the same manner.

Having been a broke grad student and then a broke unemployed adult with a masters degree, I haven't been able to spend money updating my own wardrobe. Of course, I have had a part-time job at J.Crew for the past 2 1/2 years so I have been able to occasionally purchase something with my discount. Being without money has been a good lesson for me to learn how to budget and spend money on clothes wisely. In fact, I have taken up "fantasy shopping" in which I shop online and even go as far as to put things I want in my "shopping bag" before exiting the site and never truly purchasing anything. It helps, really! You should try it if you find yourself impulsively always wanting to update your closet.

This June, my brother is getting married. His fiancee has asked both my sister and I to be bridesmaids in the wedding. I am very excited and honored to stand up in their wedding and celebrate their marriage. I am also very excited because this means I get to wear a pretty dress AND buy a new pair of shoes. Since I am on a budget, I will probably not buy my first pair of Jimmy Choos. But, I did browse the DSW website to see what I could find in designer-esque fashion. Since many of my friends that I would usually shop with live far away, I'm going to share my thoughts here and then you can comment and give suggestions/opinions. It'll be like we're shopping together. :-)

These I love. I think it's the wide straps and the slight platform that really make the shoe for me. It's classy and would go with the dress, but still a bit trendy as well. The shoes have to be silver, so I could also spice up a black dress for another event with these shoes OR wear them with jeans during the summer months.

Here is another option I love. Again, they have the slight platform on the bottom and with this pair, it's the ankle strap that I really adore. And I know that the heel on this one is much higher and may

make for a more uncomfortable ceremony for me, but I really do love a tall heel. Yes, they can wear on your feet after a few hours, but they look so good before the pain sets in. And I honestly don't care that I'm already tall...I feel confident in heels so I wear them!

Needless to say, searching for shoes for my brother's wedding also led me to view several other styles that would be perfect for just everyday wear. Take these booties...I have been obsessed with booties ever since I saw J.Crew's bronson suede bootie. But since my budget doesn't even cover this $70 pair at DSW, there is no way it will include the $200 I would spend on the J.Crew brand. Plus, I think these are much better and they come in black suede just like the bronson's. Sold...at least in my fantasy shopping world.

For anyone who is label obsessed, I have also discovered a wonderful website. It's called renttherunway.com. Here is a place where you can look up designer dresses, jewelry, and accessories, rent them for a few days, and then return them after your event for only a fraction of the price. It's a pretty good idea. Awesome if you have the money for it and want to wear a designer label. However, the lowest rental price for dresses is $50, which is usually how much I would expect to spend on a new dress anyway, except that you can't keep it. I did some "fantasy shopping" on this website as well and here are three of my faves.

The first two are different versions of the same Nicole Miller dress. I LOVE the straps, the neckline, the cut, and the open back. The last one is Mark & James by Badgley Mischka. I love how unique and sparkly this one is...I've always loved sparkle! I actually have another wedding to attend this spring in Chicago so maybe I will take advantage of this rental service. Could be fun to wear a designer dress and feel like Carrie Bradshaw for a day!

I really do love looking at new things, discovering new trends, and the enjoyment I get from dressing up and feeling good about myself OR dressing someone else up and watching them feel good about themselves. Sometimes it's just fun to feel girly and pretend to have money to throw around, even if it is just in my imagination. I hope you enjoyed my "fantasy shopping" experience just now. It's as if we're living like Carrie Bradshaw...just a bit on the cheaper side. :-)