My after Christmas ritual

I love shopping.  I do, I love it.  It's one of the reasons I miss my friend Stephanie so much, she loves to shop too.

We're both super-girly women who love to wander around cosmetics departments and try on shoes.  We're very honest with each other about how something looks or if it's an over-priced mistake.

Even if I'm looking for a six dollar lipstick, Steph is happy to come along to help me select the shade that will suit me best.  She's a whiz at picking out foundation and has a passion for shoes that makes mine look like a casual interest.

This shared enjoyment and an appreciation for valet parking are just two of the many things we have in common.

When the 27th of December comes and I'm getting ready to go out with my check from my grandfather and my gift cards from my parents and in-laws I miss her terribly.

I also love gift cards.  If it's for somewhere like Bath and Body Works, I have no choice but to get myself something horrifically impractical, body lotion, shower gel, bubble bath, a wonderful rose scented lip conditioner Stephanie swears by all go into my mesh bag.

This year, I went out with plastic permission fritter away some funds at JCPenny and Bath and Body Works.  I haven't been to JCPenny for myself in years although I like them for Zoe's school clothes.

Committing to a purchase via gift card is serious business, I like to really scour the clearance and sale sections so I can get more bang for my buck.  In this case, I spent a long time in the costume jewelry section looking at imitation pearls, black bracelets, pink bracelets and ugly rhinestone pins before I stumbled across a gorgeous ring featuring purple and green stones which looked vintage and fit me!  Sold!  I then lucked into a bath set with a rose scent.  Finding anything that smells like roses isn't easy, at least not for me.

I'll spare you the hour I spent in Bath and Body Works sniffing lotions, asking for clarification about the sales, picking things up, putting them back and finally skipping out with a bag full of smelly stuff.

I like how many products they carry featuring citrus, goes with my whole I'm from Orange, California and proud of it!, I even like to smell like oranges.   

I've been shopping the last week of December since I was fifteen and I start to look forward to it every year around Thanksgiving.

This year I enjoyed it just as much as I always have.  And I'll get to do it again in 7 months for my birthday!

Call me shallow, I'll accept it gladly with my smooth, orange scented hands.

Amanda's beauty tip of the day:  If perfume is a luxury, apply a very thin layer of petroleum jelly to your wrist before applying a small spritz, it will make your scent last longer.