Me and my shopping ways.

It takes a person very little time to get that I love shopping after meeting me. Its who I am, its what I talk most about, what I enjoy most. I love shopping for clothes, shoes, underwear, bags, accessories. I at times get to a shop, see something and just see it would look amazing on a friend and buy it for the friend! Ok, I do want my money back thou. I'm always sure I'll get it cos I KNOW the friend will love it. I've mastered the art that much. So far, I've had no complaints from my victims. Rather, some go to ridiculous lengths to get hold of the item as soon as I tell them I bought them something.

Malls are designed to make the experience of shopping trance like...well, not the mall at home in Venda...that's a horror to shop in. So wrong. How DARE they mess up such a beautiful experience? Well, I guess it helps those like me that live at home save money...mxm
Shopping corporations throw in a lot of money into ensuring malls like the V&A Waterfront, Cavendish(my favorite) and Canal Walk ooze that feeling of being awesome.

I prefer to shop alone. Its an incredible high that I just don't wanna share or be disturbed while I'm doing. I feel the most awesome when I'm shopping. That's me in my element. The experience is exhilarating, liberating and absolutely what my preferred heaven should be like if I had a choice in the design of my final resting place...of course with more money...

Had I known that this shopping thing I've always had is not just an occasional bug when I finished matric, perhaps I would've tried to get into a field that allows me to do my first love as a career. Friends and shop owners are always commenting on how much I love this past time and suggesting I should perhaps open a shop of my own(...I feel like I've just degraded the art so...but what other word to use?).

I've recently come to realise there are lots of courses in varsities that allow one to just shop for  LIVING. Stylists and shop buyers are living the life in my opinion. I actually do the styling part for lots of friends for free nogal. Others just copy me. Its all very flattering and actually good for them shem. I mean...if you have to copy someone, at least let it be someone that's passionate about what you're copying.

Recently there's been a splurge of shoppers who go to exotic places (read China) to scour the massive malls for knock-offs and beautiful clothes and come and sell them via Facebook and emails to friends.
1. I don't like knock-offs. There is NO WAY that shoe is a Louboutin hun. If that shoe costs R13000 at the shop at the mall...did your seller have a chat with Mr CL himself and negotiate a deal that allows her to sell it to you for R3000? How you gonna buy a knock-off for R3000 though? So you can wear the same shoes Kim K and Unathi are wearing? calm down working class lady.I go to Aldo, Nine West and Europa Art Shoes to get a proper leather shoe for half that amount. A shoe I wear with pride and can take off juring the people cos the name is spelt right inside. Besides, ever seen the sales at those places???Anyway...each to his own.

2. I like tailored clothes. I'm grown and cannot stand tackily done clothes. Uneven seams, crap material that faces all sorts of directions (North West...hahahaha) after one wash. I like how properly made clothes skim the curves of a women, accentuate the right parts and hide bits that women like to hide. That is what I get when I shop where I shop. See, I'd rather go into a charity shop than a Mr Price for a jacket. I'd rather scour thru the rows of second hand coats and dresses that were shipped in from Britain in black bags. I set aside time to go to these shops and you will not believe the pieces I come out with! I once even got some Byblos items. I'll teach you Byblos when you stop wearing Gussi.

My mom never bought from catalogues when I was growing up.Actually, my mom just never was into deals and paying things in six months etc. We go into a shop, buy things cash and that's it. Be it curtains, clothes or duvets. Maybe its cos she isn't a teacher and wasn't bit with the Keeping up with the Jones' bug that seems to have gotten teachers more. Think  mountains of blue Tupperware and Homechoice blankets. These are just a few of the catalogued 'treasures' most women still pride themselves in in South Africa.

I know someone who had to get a new cupboard built to store her Tupperware. Its just bluuue inside. She hates them! She started ordering when she got a job and couldn't stop til she realised she had a silly obsession. When she has parties, she uses glass bowls, like a modern woman should. What friggin blue plastic? Isn't that for picnics?. It makes me so upset to see them! Don't get me wrong, Tupperware is an awesome brand, that is why they've been around so long and seem to even be growing with young women choosing to join the masses in selling the containers. I have six of them. Four yellow ones, a big green one and a medium orange one. They're pretty and very useful. I also got a few items for the kids. Maybe they should actually be more for kiddie things...I lie don't kill me-ooo!

3. I do not like emails from people trying to sell me what they stocked in whatever warehouse they went to. Firstly, cos I am perfectly capable of going into a mall and getting what I like. Its the experience that I am after! God knows I have enough clothes. Secondly, I find it so insulting that one expects me to buy a knock off or a plastic handbag for R400.

I like things, but I like quality more. A fake label drips crass and just minuses from what one hoped to achieve. There's one Venda girl who seems to have gotten it right thou. It seems she doesn't focus on getting brand names, rather, she goes for beautiful items. I like the things she shows on her Facebook page. I'd still be reluctant to buy a jacket from her for R3500 thou. Maybe I'm just too poor...or maybe I just prefer to not be pressurised into proving my friendship by paying six times more for an item that may not sit too proper or that in a month or two I'll bump into another friend who bought it from her friend for R2000. They're so free to just price these items hey. Life is awesome for these ladies.

With my shopping DNA, I got bargain hunting as a bonus. I can literally stalk an item. Go into the shop every three days and watch for my preferred item to go on sale. If I see it flying off the shelf, I may reluctantly buy it at the original price or just accept that I won't get it. Good shops have the most ridiculous sales. The only difference is they don't rudely put red sale stickers on their windows. Imagine walking into Hilton Weiner, Jenni Button, Jo Borkett getting your champagne and personal service, then getting a R1200 shirt for R300. That's me.

I love shopping, but I like shopping in malls, not people's cars. I like the comfort of taking back a dress to Country Road cos it tore when I put it on and having the ladies smile and apologise like they made my thighs fat then offer me the same size dress knowing I may just tear it again. I detest the buying-from-people phenomenon so much I don't even use it when its a definite good deal. A friend buys flight tickets from one of the airlines via a rogue worker. Apparently a lot of these people that work at airlines do it. They buy the ticket at discounted rates and then pocket a profit from people with criminal tendencies that like things and don't wanna pay for them. I could do with discounted flights...but...I buy my flights when they're on sale. What's

the use of saving R500 and running the risk of being stopped at the boarding gates for fraud? I'm not that brave shem.

With that said...may the forces be with my mailbox and keep it clear of emails of MAC being sold in Joburg with red containers and genuine unlabelled perfume that is oiled what-what. Hey, my friend, I like my Hypnose bottle to have the words Lancome and Hypnose on it. Its fine, I'll pay at Stuttafords. SOmetimes the prices are even higher than in reputable shops. Like, you order lipstick you haven't tried on for R210 when I walk into MAC, try on 10 different shades and walk out with a tube for R165.

Go on. Move on to the TTZs(Thanda zintos) that are hovheleling. To 'hovhelela' is to like things you can't reach. Think R2000 Louis Vuittons...

Shem you won't find me, I'm hiding faaaaar! :p
Hi friend! OMG is that a Luigi Vuitton you're wearing, I swear it looks just like the one Beyonce wore the other day!