Buckle Me!

Let's talk anniversaries...shall we? The first of this month marks my 24th year with the spousal unit...23 of them considered legal in the eyes of God and The State of Ohio. The man went over and above with my gift this year. So perfect...so amazing...so wonderful...I'm getting all tingly again!

You may or may not remember me mentioning a store called Buckle. I discovered this Pandora's Box of wonderment during my road trip this summer. I walked past the store twice, although I had gone to this mall specifically to shop at that store...but at that time the old insecurities were telling me I had no business being in there...I was too old...I was trying too hard. Well, I beat those voices into submission and that's where I ended up purchasing my much beloved eighty dollar hoodie.

Recently, a Buckle opened at our local mall. I broke several land speed records getting there...only to find out it was excruciatingly tiny and had very little compared to the first one I had discovered. I was disappointed but not to the point of despair. I mean, it's the perfect excuse for another road trip? Right?

Fast forward to our anniversary. My gift? The perfect, well thought out, squeal inducing gift? A Buckle gift card! Now...that in and of itself was perfect, well thought out, and squeal inducing. But the amount is what makes it extra special. He purchased the card for ten times every year we've been married. Cool? Yeah...I thought so too.

So this gift card has been burning a hole in my pocket for a good three weeks. We had things we had to do...it was my birthday...he had to go out of town and I did the single parent thing for a week. Finally...FINALLY...last weekend...I made a break for the mall and spent several hours going over every single item in our teeny tiny Buckle. Oh, and the night before? I had thoroughly perused Buckle.com to prepare myself.

I was the only other one in the place besides the four girls who worked there. I managed to grab two of the sweaters I had seen online right away. The other shirts I had wanted were nowhere to be seen. One of the girls came up to me holding this...grey...striped...thing...looked like a sweater my mother would wear. I don't even know where she got it because Buckle doesn't sell things like that...maybe somebody's grandmother dropped it in the changing room? Anyway, this sweet young thing says to me, "I notice you're looking at sweaters. Would this be anything you'd be interested in?" I was nice. I said, "Umm, no...not really." She could tell by my face she had made a huge tactical error, returned the sweater to wherever she found it, and started folding a stack of shirts on a table behind me. After I had examined each and every item on both sides of the rack I was looking at I said to her, "So, do you girls manage to take home anything from your paychecks?" She giggled, looked at me, and said, "Nope! Not a penny!"

Next, I found the Holy Grail of thermals hidden away on a rack of odds and ends. I was buying this sucker whether it fit or not. I am so in love with this shirt it's...well...Sinful! I adore the Sinful line...have I mentioned that my hoodie is also made by Sinful? So yes, I latched onto this one and clutched it to my breast for dear life. Please...enjoy both front AND back views. ")

So now that I had bonded with my personal shopper, and she could see how giddy I was over the Sinful thermal, she calls me over to an entire display of Sinful goodies and points me in the direction of several reversible thermals. I assured her those were much more to my liking by telling her I had checked those out online.

Oh? The sweaters I was carrying? Take a look.

Ok, so now I'm in the back of the store and another girl decides to swoop in on me. Just as I'm about to grab the little number below she says, "You've been in here before haven't you?" I said, "Just once to look around...then my husband bought me a gift card so I could come back." She said, "You look really familiar..."

After that she says, "Would you like me to start a room for you?" What did I say? "Sure!" She takes my armload of tops and arranges them all nicely in a changing room for me. She then reappeared at my side holding the following shirt...only in black.

She says, "Is this something you would consider?" I raised an eyebrow, looked from the shirt then back to her, and said, "Uh...no. No. Nope." She said, "What's turning you off? The open parts?" I said, "Sweetheart? I'm going to be 50 years old. I really don't want to be doing the cougar thing...or giving off the puma vibe. I don't want to be going into my kids' schools and scaring people!" The poor thing didn't know how to take me...although I did hear snickers from the other girls.

They all gathered around a table of shirts that needed to be reorganized...they were complaining about how messy it was. I yelled, "I had NOTHING to do with it!" More giggling...they realized I wasn't going to bite anybody and they started pushing jeans. Buckle jeans are gorgeous...they are also way too expensive. The clearance table is marked down to $60 if that gives you any idea. I was given two pair to try on as I ran for the safety of my changing room. God BLESS that child...she gave me two pair that were too small to start with. I haven't fit into a pair of 27 inch waist pants since before I was married. But hey...what a headrush! She replaced them with two pair of 28 inch numbers which were too big. I'll stick with my Old Navy Flirt Fits that are on sale several times a year for $19.99.

I emerged, triumphant, with my four tops/sweaters and headed for the cash register. The young lady who had offered me the cougar top took my purchases while another young lady helped another customer check out. She gave me my total, I handed her the gift card and she said, "This is for a really odd amount isn't it?" I said, "Why?" She said, "Because I remember your husband coming in here and asking for a very specific amount." I told her yes, it was ten dollars for every year we had been married. She said, "YES! And he had your daughters with him!" Okaaaaayyyy...so I look like I'd be married to a guy who would do that and have two Chinese daughters? I don't know...maybe he showed her my picture? Anyway, the other girl behind the desk says, "Ohhhh! I want someone who'll do that for me!"

We all giggled some more...thanked each other for everything and I walked out into the mall with my Buckle bag overflowing with treasures. I had the most fun I've had in ages...but I haven't told you the best part yet. There's still a decent balance left on the gift card. ROAD TRIP!!!!

Happy Thanksgiving y'all...thanks to all of my bloggin' buddies and my followers for fueling this madness!