Let's go to the mall.

What do you do when you have a new corporate job and for the past five years you've worked from home, only wearing jeans and tshirts from Old Navy? You go to the mall!

When we told people we were moving to St. Joe, they were like, "where will you eat? where will you shop?" And once we got here we heard a lot of, "There's no mall here! There's no where to shop!" To which we both said, "Thank goodness!"

Well, there's only so far Old Navy can take you when it comes to work clothes. Khakis make me look dumpy and I don't think I can swing tshirts. So, off to beautiful (ha!) Indiana we went, to visit the mall in Mishawaka (waka! waka!). And, considering neither of us have been in a real mall in at least two years, we were giggling like schoolgirls when we pulled up and saw all the retail opportunities. Not to mention... Bar Louie! Tots!

These tots sat in my gut ALL day. But it was worth it.

Brad and I were like kids in a candy store, running around Banana Republic and the Gap and (for me) The Limited. Brad, this isn't so surprising - he LOVES clothes (and shoes!). But I'm not historically much of a shopper. And three years of wondering where my next paycheck may come from certainly has messed with my psyche and my wallet, so I'm kind of discovering the art of actually wearing decent clothes for the first time in my life. It really is about time I dressed like a (gulp) mid-30s professional. As long as stuff is comfortable (who knew it CAN be?!), I kinda like looking fancy....

I seem to be big on navy, and stripes...

I also discovered Victoria's Secret. Not in a I-live-in-a-hole-and-never-heard-of-it way, but I've never shopped there. But, I'll tell ya, there's something to be said for stuff that FITS. And, because I live at the beach, darn it, I got a new bathing suit because, again, who knew how much better non-Old Navy bathing suits fit?! Brad is a true shopper, fully tolerating me dragging him through the store (I don't think it's as "alluring" as it's made out to be for men). 

Maybe Kevin Smith was on to something back in 1995... Like Brodie said, "I love the smell of commerce in the morning." Maybe Brad and I ARE mall people! Or... at least, every-two-years mall people.