Gone Shopping.

My friend once gave me a little ceramic sign, which said 'Gone Shopping'. I have seen similar ones here saying 'Gone Surfing/Fishing', but shopping was definitely more appropriate for someone like me.

You can call it the final step or the last resort of getting over someone, but in the end it will always be this for any woman: retail therapy. Though the crowds at any mall on Saturdays scare me, I know it was just what my soul needed and buying flowers at the Hope Street market wouldn't suffice. I also debated briefly with myself over the state of my account, it being the end of the month and all, but guess what – I won the debate and so did my credit card, which was allowed to come out and play.
The end goal for this therapeutical approach is simple in theory: ignore price tags and come home with one or two, in fact as many fabulous items you desire and your world will be right again. Preferred are items that make you look and feel pretty as usual your ego can need it after rejection, but ultimately anything that will make your heart light for the day and give you a tiny smile will do.

The one problem with retail therapy – you need to actually buy something in order for it to work. I did not today.

I started at Country Road, tried on dresses, draped scarves around my neck, realized I needed a pedicure first before I should buy sandals, and finally decided that my mood wasn't low enough yet to spend R 300 on a white t-shirt, the only thing I really liked.
La Senza was skipped immediately, no one needs a reminder of beautiful lingerie just lying in the closet, when there is no one to see it on.
Bookstores were next as they are usually a safe bet for me. Buying books makes me feel a million times better than buying Prada shoes. Then I decided to be a tiny bit sensible and take a rain check as I have a huge pile of unread material next to my bed and on my shelf, so I didn't even enter to tempt myself and browse.
When I found myself at @home, starring at 6k espresso makers, actually contemplating how much I had on my savings account, I knew there was trouble. Luckily my eyes were pulled away by some nice outdoor tea lights, which I had to forgo, because who am I kidding I don't do candles and I live in Gardens so my balcony doesn't do candles either. Then I saw a very cute mini lime green braai. I don't know how to braai, I am not particularly keen on braaing and I don't even like green. So that was that. Finally I was starring at a box of miniature rubber ducks. Cute. And yes, I was seriously tempted.
I was down to the bottom of ideas and decided to buy sun tan lotion. If I wasn't going to the beach today, I would surely quite soon and it would be the ultimate daily cheer me up of a summer to come to have SPF 20 in my bathroom already. Again, no luck – I wanted the one that smells like Tropicana coconut and not the spray on that always slides out of my hand.

After this, I gave up and decided that the universe wasn't finished telling me something. I realized that sometimes in order to move forward, one just has to sit still and feel what there is to feel inside till the storm blows over.