Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Hollister, right outside Branson

Let's see..where did I leave off?  I had an amazing time in Branson, spent a day at the outlets, then a day down on the Landing. : )  Excellent girl-bonding time!  We adopted some friends a few years ago, and they live in Branson.  So..whenever we are there, we call them up and spend some time together!  We took Dina to lunch and did some shopping at a little purse/wallet/watch/jewelry boutique next door.  (It was overwhelming...even to me!)  It was full of stuff wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling!  And the colors..turquoise, orange, red, black and white, purple, leopard, and tons of silver.  A real girly-girl place...and they were getting ready for Christmas!  Ornaments and MORE color.

Down at the Landing we went to a bunch of stores that aren't at the Outlets (some of them are though, strangely enough).  And I checked out another "cool" store, at Dina's request.  Her son shops there, so she's in-the-know!  It was Hollister (please ignore the kissing couple on the website).  I know a million people already shop there, but I'd never been in.  I thought it was just a man's store, or for teens.  After all, the shopping bags look like Abercrombie, all chesty guys with low pants!  How on Earth could that be for ME?

But, aloha!! It was for me. ; )  It was first of all, Dark.  Second, it was 9 or 12 little rooms..trying to remember.  The employees (guys leaning on tables with no name tags looking "cool") couldn't leave their Rooms.  (hahaha!)  So, when I wanted to try a shirt that was on a mannequin, first he told me to check the back room (Sale).  Then, when nothing resembling the shirt I wanted was back there, I went back to His Room.  He yelled to the next room (over the super-loud music!) to ask someone else (Manager, maybe?) if he knew where a shirt was.  Let me tell you, it was a creamy white shirt with some ruffles and buttons.  They had a table full of about 8 designs of creamy white shirts.

Mangager Man came, and they looked all over.  (kinda funny that they work there, and don't know where stuff is!  Maybe it's because they aren't actually looking at the stuff in Other Rooms?  Or they are too busy looking cool to actually work?)  (And I have to tell you..there are two young guys parked in the big leather chairs in the entryway.  They.  Never.  Moved.  There when we went in, there when we came out.  Are they paid employees too?)

So..back to my shirt.  I finally found it..Myself!  (Yes, they are only paid to look like they are hanging out there.)  It was cute, and I found some shorts to go with it.  BUT you can't take accessories into the dressing area.  I had to come out, try on the belt (Braided is Back, BTW!!  Do you remember it from the late 80's, early 90's?  I had a homecoming date wear the matching braided Polo belt and braided suspenders in the Fall of 1988!)  Crazy!  Anyway, I took it off, went and tried another pair of shorts, and retried on the belt.  Weird rules.

Then.  The checkout.  We had gotten in a hurry since Angie's husband called to say that her dog had fallen down the stairs, and he might have broken his hip!  She had to get home fast (it was already 7pm!)  We found a Manager Man, and he came to ring us up.  I loved the smell in there so much...I bought the perfume at the counter.  It's very light, smells store-y, and very fresh.  Not musky, not too floral, but perfect.  I also got the little old-fashioned squeezy ball that mixes the perfume with air as it comes out.  It even wheezes a little. ; )  Very Audrey Hepburn.

I have to thank my friend, Leigh, for keeping me in the game.  I've had some really Off days lately.  Mary Claire is now in the school choir, and has to be at school at 7:30am on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and Ethan has to be in Rogers by 7:55am (25 minutes north of here), and my van is getting the hail damage repaired, so we are sharing a van till Friday.  It means everyone leaves at the same time, so we are getting up really early!  We've also had boy and girl scouts, and the boys' baseball/t-ball teams are just starting up.  Overwhelmed yet?  Add to that the JDRF Walk (and tshirts!), planning a baby shower, I'm teaching PRE this year (helping my friend Tiffany with the First Communion class!), getting ready for our school's Husky Hoedown, and finish our Bible study's book group book (Come Be My Light, by Mother Teresa..she's SO humble, and begging to help the poor, and they won't let her yet-it's slow, but good reading)..none of it is too big, but all together = A Lot!  Trying to Keep Calm and Carry On.

And Mary Claire gets her braces off Thursday! and we see our endocrinologist on Friday! : )  Pray for a great a1c! : )

I have some other stuff brewing...but it's not time to talk about it yet. : )  We'll get there, slowly but surely.  God is good, and He hears my heart.  He knows I'm trying to take it day-by-day, and I'll make it.  I just have to keep my expectations lower (like Homer Simpson) so I can reach them easier ; ) haha!  ..I'm a virgo, it'll never happen.  Oh!  And my birthday is coming up, and it's a dilemma!  I have about 4 choices of what to do over Labor Day weekend, and do I:
a.) grow up and do what they want me to do on my day/weekend?
or
b.) enjoy my day and do what I want to do?

Growing up sux.
And to answer your question: Hollister is a real city just south of Branson, in Missouri!  So, I always thought it was stuff from Missouri, didn't know it was a Store. ; )
And to answer your other question: 38.


Sending you hugs!  (and S.W.A.K. mail!)  Hoping to get caught up on thank you notes today!! : )


5 comments:

Leigh said...

Yayyyy!! I was missing you!! :) I really missed you at camp. There were so many recently diagnosed families and I kipt finding myself thinking 'oh, I wish they could talk to you Holly!' So it was great to "hear" from you!! :)
And b, enjoy your day and do what YOU want to do!!
LOL, my b'day is always on Thanksgiving or the surrounding days so I often have the same dilemma. Can't wait to see your shirt too!! Have a good day!!

LOL, my word verification is "binge" - I think that means you need to go get a cupcake or something. ;)

Leigh said...

Lack of sleep...
** ...KEPT finding myself thinking 'oh, I wish they could talk to Holly!'

GEEZ!!

Misty said...

Glad you found the shirt..lol- I think it smells good in that store also.. Hope you have a great Labor Day weekend...doing what YOU want to do! :)

The Mom said...

Happy Birthday sweet daughter!! Obligations obligations...what to do..what to do?? Whatever you choose, be sure I KNOW. Saturday I am in MO, Sunday I will hang loose:0)

Sometime, take a full day and evening and I will mind the posse. Just let me know so I can get it on my calendar. xo

P.s. My word verification is 'hottie'. lol

Holly said...

Ha! Leigh, I skipped right over it twice!! I didn't know what you were talking about. ; ) I think I'm sleepy too, and I TOTALLY need a cupcake! (I think my ice cream at Braum's then chocolate shake at Sonic was enough though! haha!)
Thanks, Misty!! I am going to have some down-time...I'm exhausted!! : ) And I DO still love that perfume!
Mom, I will totally take you up on that amazing opportunity!! : ) Love me some time together! And? I'm SO the hottie! HAHahaha! In my "special" clothes, haha! Love you!