Wednesday, July 09, 2008

the shopping spirit

many times he has led me, many times I have had success...very seldom do I actually achieve shopping nirvana like I did this early afternoon at the Sandy DI.
If you couldn't care less about this you probably shouldn't read on cause that's all I'm going to talk about.
Perhaps I was worthy of my prizes because I had just taken my sullen, bored children to the park like a good mother where they walked around like they had no idea what to do with themselves and all the play equipment and beauty bark. Finally after 40 minutes Dellah said, "mami, why's the park gotta be so hot?". My reply was that there is no roof on the park and the sun can just touch you everywhere. she decided that heat was not conducive to whining at full wattage so we left so she could whine in air conditioned peace about how she smelled like 'sunthing' (screen).

Then we went across 94th south to DI. At first it was like every other time...the attic-y, fluorescent light, children screaming vibe. Then I walked down the toy isle and saw a Fisher Price Little People Tudor style house..hm, ok..I already know the one I played with as a kid is at my parent's house so I just thought i would get it to have one more thing to add to our Ferris wheel, our parking garage and our sesame street clubhouse (all vintage fisher price) We don't however have any of the little round bodied folks that go in the toys or any of the cars for the garage but the girls like putting other stuff around to play with them...

then what to my wondering eyes should appear but a piece of clear packing tape from the front to the rear (of the little Tudor house). and what was that tape holding the house together for? you ask...
oh, I don't know, MAYBE A GALLON SIZED ZIPLOC BAG OF LITTLE PEOPLE AND CARS AND HOME FURNISHINGS!!!!

YEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSS.

i don't know if you've ever looked on e-bay or in stores for little people toys but they are weirdly expensive and you can hardly find the people....and here they were...in all their plastic no arms, no legs glory inside the Tudor house for $3.

I will let that sink in.

three dollars.

the price of a large snoasis with extra cream.

12 quarters.

I have looked for 4 years and here they are.
feelings like this seldom come but they are so so energizing.

Then I proceeded over to the clothes where I found (among other, less illustrious finds) a $2 Catimini Dress that is brand new and a $3 juicy couture hoodie for Dellah that is also not even used..
Look it up if you wonder what the big deal is about that...just look it up.

So, then, people, I went to get a large coconut snoasis with extra cream and my girls got their xs snoasises and we came home at 1pm.

It is now 2:28 in the afternoon (two minutes before quiet time) and my girls have been playing downstairs with their little people and all their accouterments and locations FOR AN HOUR AND A HALF!

THANK YOU SHOPPING SPIRIT!** no, seriously, thank you so much. seriously.

**( i mean no disrespect to actual Deity as i know a real shopping spirit cannot exist in the realm of Mormon theology, nor does the actual Spirit of Mormon theology participate in shopping excursions. but, I think in ancient Egypt they could have wrangled up a creature to represent uncanny consumer experiences, therefore my tongue is in my cheek and I am not unbelieving, inactive, blasphemous or lightminded, ok? ok.)

!viva el espiritu de compras!!! ai, yai,yai,yai!

13 comments:

Gordita said...

Your posts make me laugh, but this one especially. Congratulations on the wonderful find at DI. It's like a treasure trove full of junk and the occasional treasure. It looks like you found the treasure. YAY little people!

erin T to the S said...

Hey! so good to see you, Kristina!
thanks!

Michelle said...

Wonderful for you! Really. not so wonderful for me because just before checking your blog i thought i had kicked my di addiction. no. i haven't. because right now i am trying to figure out how i can squeeze the di into my day tomorrow (you are that convincing.) i know that rush all too well. in highschool it was coupled with the sensation of shoplifting from thrift stores and piling on dozens of layers underneath my army green parka with the fur trim, you know the one i'm sure. now it's the thrill of the race against the pushy antique collectors or waiting for a collectible item to go 1/2 off or just finding something original that you can't get at target. it's all over for me. save yourself.

Shawna Wilson said...

Erin that is awesome! It's times like that when I LOVE the D.I.! My mom still has my little people set with the school, airport, garage, and house - but she only has a few of the actual people and their sweet rides. So sad...you totally scored!

brooklyn said...

i'm so glad to read this post because a. i relate to and love that feeling b. yeah! c. so many times when i have dropped off something really awesome and amazing that I knew I should probably sell on ebay for a lot of money it makes kinda sick and little mad to think that someone who has no idea what it's worth will just buy it for no reason and then ruin it or throw it away or make it look bad. like once when i was dating dave and he bought me these really great diesel shoes and then we broke up and i got engaged to someone else, but i was still in love with dave and every time i wore the shoes he gave me i would get all depressed and miss him and feel guilty that i was missing him, so one day i drove by DI and dropped them off and they were practically brand new and i still hate whoever bought them to this day because i'm sure they probably didn't even know how awesome they were, but now you give me hope that they were appreciated.

amanda said...

i miss the di. we don't have anything nearly as awesome in the twin cities.

and i have looked for those lil' people before. pete's parents had kept the buildings, but we have yet to find people. they 'spensive on the web.

erin T to the S said...

Michelle, I'm sorry to have opened old wounds. when are we ever going to be at the same location to see each other!?

shawna and Amanda, I know, it's the people...that's the money..all those little round folks...house, schmouse.

Brooke I wish i would have been the one to buy your shoes since we probably wear the same size. then I would just give them back to you right now..

andi said...

You wrote this one for me, didn't you!

marshall p said...

remember when we were talking about that D.I. high last night? I totally didn't even know about this. I wish I had that snoasis right now.

heart,
mp

erin T to the S said...

andi - of course

marsha - there's never a bad time for a snoasis!

Cindy Bean said...

OMG! The Police! So much fun!

bug girl said...

I looked up that Juicy Couture Hoodie, not because I doubted but because I wanted to know, and what a deal. As for the vintage fisher price...one day when I have kids I hope I can find some real vintage fisher price for my kids to play with. They are the best.

kelly said...

i've yet to find good, cheap, vintage fisher price for my kids... i'm a bit jealous. though i have found some great thrift shopping up this way. you should give me a call next time your visiting your parents and i'll take you on the tour-de-thrift! ...are your parents still in puyallup?