Black Friday Skeptics

Forgive me while I rant for a moment. You see, I confess, I'm a Black Friday shopper. I've gone on and off for quite a few years since the kids were little, if the hubby could be home to watch them that day.

I know, you're probably expecting me to fuss about some crazy person I saw fighting over something, but frankly, I don't see a lot of that while I'm out. Its all orderly lines and yes, lots of complaining, but as long as no one is throwing fists, I'm okay with that. I know the rowdy stuff happens, but maybe since I never go out to try to get that computer I have to have, I don't get to witness it.

Actually, I'm more than a little irritated by some people's attitude toward Black Friday. Now, as I said, I go with a list, but I never go for something I HAVE to have. So maybe I'm not the usual BF shopper. For example, this year I wanted a basketball goal for Little Man. Would have loved to have it for $69 -- the main reason I braved Walmart at the starting gate for the first time. But if I didn't get it, that's fine too. I'll pay the higher price with a wince and move on. Really glad I no longer needed the trampoline I was interested in, because those went really fast. But I finished all my Christmas shopping, and when I figured it up, I saved over $600 on that day alone.

Back to my rant -- I come home from BF shopping at 5am (Sis and I started at 10pm Thanksgiving night). I sleepily log into Facebook while I wind down and what do I see but a ton of posts on how crazy it is to shop on Black Friday, and a slew of people who would rather poke their eyes out than go out that day (wow, not many people value their eyesight, I guess). It reminded me of an article that I read recently on NaNoWriMo. There were comments aplenty about how stupid NaNo was, how people who participated only produced crappy writing, and how these "literary" authors wouldn't be caught dead participating. You know, that's all fine and dandy, but do you really find it necessary to call me "stupid" in a public arena? If the method doesn't work for you (or you have absolutely no desire to deal with hundreds of people in a store at one time and hour and a half checkout lines), not a problem. But don't denigrate me because I want to.

I also heard several "scientific" types touting how much of a myth Black Friday is. "Oh, you can get good deals like that year round." Maybe so -- but I shop for this stuff all year long, and I can't save $600 on a single shopping trip for Christmas presents any other time of the year. I get most of my Christmas finished up on that day, so I save TIME and MONEY. And I rarely see DVDs on sale for $1.97, at least, current DVDs. If you don't shop for this stuff all the time, you have no idea how often it goes on sale or whether you can get to the actual store while its on sale. Huff...

Okay, down off my soapbox for today. :) I'm sure y'all have plenty to say about Black Friday -- and I promise not to judge, now that I've gotten that off my chest.

Angel

A Girl's Breast...er... Best Friend

If you've read the Playground blog for any length of time you'll know that (1) about this time each year we get into a frenzy over the upcoming Romance Writers of America national conference and (2) we take our clothing for said event very seriously. And that includes undergarments.

I'm away from home, tending to my mother who is recuperating from major surgery, just finished teaching an online class and am in the middle of doing copy edits for a friend. I am devoid of creativity at the moment, so I dug through my email and found something my mother sent me a while back.

I will give credit where credit is due. It's from ConsumerSearch.com and was written by Sarah Burns.

The bra celebrated a birthday the end of May. The great whites finally turned 100, a milestone which has prompted us here at CS to pay a little homage. Here, some background on these cleavage caddies, and a few tips to ensure you're getting the proper fit. (Hint: There's a good chance you aren't!)

The first bra was patented in 1914 by New York City socialite Mary Phelps-Jacobs. Often on the town, Mary hated the constricting corsets of the time. Her idea: Two silk handkerchiefs tied together in the middle with ribbons sewn on to make straps--the first official bra was born. However, tried as she might, Mary could never drum up enough sales to sustain her idea, (many women considered her invention to be too taboo ) so she sold her idea to Warners. Yes, that's right, Warners -- as in the big bra company. And the rest, as they say, is history....

Today, these 'support systems' are a feminine staple. Available in every size, shape and color, women around the world now wear their bras with patience and pride. I say patience, because it's a rare woman who hasn't had to 'adjust' herself. Falling straps, too-tight bands, super-roomy cups -- any of this ring a bell? You're not alone. According to "industry studies," over 80 percent of women aren't wearing the right bra size. So, we thought, what better time than the bra's birthday to offer a little, ahem, uplifting advice.

The right way to wear a bra:

According experts, bras should be worn level (front to back). However, most women wear their bras too high on their torso, throwing their measurements off. "Most women go up in the back increasing their band size instead of getting a deeper cup," explains Susan Nethero, the "bra whisperer" and owner of the Intimacy lingerie store chain. "Instead, you want to keep the back lean so you can lift the bust." Plus, in order for your bra to maintain optimal support, she says you should give your bra at least one day of rest. "Don't wear the same bra two days in a row because you'll wear out its support elastic."

Four signs you're wearing the wrong bra size:

•Literally falling out of your bra? Go up a cup size.
•Cups caving in? Take it down one cup size.
•Suffering from unsightly back flab? Your bra is likely too big. Wearing the bra lower on your back with a smaller band size often fixes this problem.
•Straps keep sliding down? Go down a band size.

To calculate your correct bra size, Nethero suggests:

•Standing up straight, expand your rib cage (breathe out like you're going to blow out candles).
•For your correct band size: Then, measure all the way around your body, placing the tape measure directly beneath your breasts. Add five to that number, rounding up if necessary to the next even number.
•For your correct cup size: While wearing a bra, measure completely around the fullest part of your bust (across the nipple). Make sure the tape measure goes around your entire back. Then, subtract this number from your band size. The result will reveal your correct cup size (based on the guide below).

0=AA

1=A

2=B

3=C

4=D

5=DD

6=DDD

Carry on. Discuss as you will.

Or share an interesting undergarment story.

I'll go first. I was going to an office party one Christmas and decided to wear a pair of those pantyhose with the built-in panties. One less layer to worry about. So I get to the party and the pantyhose start to feel... odd. I went to the restroom only to discover the elastic in them was rotten. It had stayed in place just long enough for me to put the pantyhose on and ride to the party. But by the time I did my restroom check, the waistline was large enough to fit around a baby elephant. Oops!

How did I solve the dilemma?

HA! I'm not telling!

PM + SP + I x $ = OMG!

Last Saturday was a gorgeous day. It was a little windy but the sun was shining and I did not want to sit in my apartment and stare at four walls, especially since the walls in the living room have no art work on them and the only furniture is a futon, a storage ottoman, a TV stand, a small end table and two floor lamps.

I emailed the Playfriends and asked if they wanted to have a Saturday field trip to LOOK at furniture and help me decide on a sofa and chair for my living room should I ever get the money to buy it. Angel and PC were unavailable, but Smarty Pants and Instigator agreed to join me. We met first for lunch and solved the world's problems over steak and shrimp (well, most of them) and then headed to the furniture store whose website I've been perusing for over six months now. SP and Instigator rode together in SP's car and I drove my car since the two of them had other plans after the look-fest.

I had printed out pictures of some art work I have to go over this future sofa and had also painted part of the piece of paper with my wall color so we'd have a point of reference. The store had three sleeper sofas I was interested in from the standpoint of style and color options. They also had a few chairs I thought might work both with the sofas and fit in the available space. One that I'd really liked on the website, though, had been removed from the site, so I'd tossed the picture of it before I left home.

My living room faces east and only gets morning sun, so I knew I didn't want anything too dark. But it couldn't be too light or it would fade into the wall. So armed with those caveats, Smarty Pants, Instigator and I began looking at the sofas and fabric swatches. After we'd been looking for a bit, my favorite sales associate, Lisa, returned from lunch and joined the party. Lisa helped me buy my table and chairs and my bedroom furniture last fall.

I thought I wanted some sort of dark beige sofa and a chair with some red. Well! By the time everyone had finished mixing and matching swatches, I'd fallen in love with a moss green sofa in a fabric that's rather like a wide-wale corduroy. It looks like this (only it won't have the psychedelic cushions because with this particular sofa I can get the cushions in any fabric I want).



I'm still not sure how I made the leap from beige to moss green, but I love it! And won't these pictures look great over it (they'll be side by side instead of one atop the other).



Now remember that this was just a window shopping trip. I don't have money allocated for furniture yet, but I wanted to be prepared for when that money comes in. And four heads are better than one when deciding on furniture and fabrics, especially when one of those heads is mine.

So imagine my surprise when Smarty Pants spots the recliner I'd admired on the website months before.

"It's been discontinued and I only have that one floor model left," Lisa said.

"And it's 25% off!" Smarty Pants exclaimed.

So look what's now sitting in my living room waiting to be joined by the sofa. Nice, isn't it? I just love a great bargain.



And the really fun part was getting it home. I asked how much it would cost to have it delivered because that chair ain't gonna fit in the back of a Honda Accord. Lisa asked if I didn't know someone with a truck or SUV and while I was scouring my brain to think of someone, Instigator piped up and said, "Uh, I do, only it's parked back at the restaurant." A few minutes later, they'd retrieved the SUV, had the chair loaded in the back with the help of another sales associate, Cleveland, and we were caravaning to my apartment. By the time I got the door unlocked, my two able assistants had unloaded the chair and were at my front door.

Aren't good friends wonderful?

Have you ever had your plans take a completely different turn?

P.S. Look at how my plants have grown in a week!

Day lilies beside my patio



Mixed color coleus



Sweet basil

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

It’s been looking a lot like Christmas actually.

It’s November 18 and two weeks ago I found myself humming along with Silver Bells as I shopped for a curtain rod. Most of the stores have had Christmas merchandise since Labor Day, and some even began putting it out while the temperatures and humidity were in the nineties.

I still have leftover Halloween candy but I’m bombarded with boxes and bags of Christmas treats. Printer paper is hidden behind gift wrap. My face cleanser has disappeared in a sea of red and green gift sets of bubble baths and scented lotions. The garden shop has hidden the potting soil to make room for tinsel and trim.

Don’t get me wrong. I love Christmas. I especially love my granddaughter’s reaction to Christmas and I have an idea she’s really going to be into the whole Santa and gift thing this year. But Christmas doesn’t seem as special now as it did when I was a kid. I don’t know, but could it be that after 57 Christmases, it’s lost its glow? Or could I just be in a bad mood this year? Or maybe it’s because Christmas isn’t just a month-long season like it used to be. It seems to stretch for half a year now.

I know why merchants put out their Christmas wares so early. As a former retailer, I know that you have to compete. And Christmas is your make-it-or-break-it season. Most retailers strive to make enough profit between Black Friday and December 26 to keep them solvent til the following Christmas season.

And if you’ve ever wondered why the day after Thanksgiving is called Black Friday, it’s not because it’s the busiest shopping day in the year that puts stores in the black. Here’s the real story:

The Friday after Thanksgiving has become known in the last few decades as one of the busiest of the year for retailers, the traditional start of the holiday shopping season. One of the names used for this day is Black Friday, which some say comes from the fact that it is the biggest shopping day of the year, putting stores firmly in the black. This is false, as the days closer to Christmas generate more in sales. For the true origins of the term, we have to dig back a few decades.

Laurence H. Black was one of the best floor men in town, working in the men’s department of the old Osberger’s Department Store for over thirty years. He had been with the store since its humble beginnings as a menswear store on Richmond Avenue in the late 1920s. Except for a very brief stint in the service during World War II, he remained with the store as it grew, eventually settling into its later eight-floor retail palace on North Geary Street. Black was a fixture in the store, presiding over the suits, shirts, ties and millinery in his ever-present black suit (”That’s how they remember me. Black suit, Mr. Black, see?”) with a red carnation in the lapel. In a very cutthroat industry, his was one of those rare cases in which he was respected by everyone in the city’s retail trade, regardless of store affiliation. His reputation was even cemented throughout the region, as Osberger’s expanded in the 1950s and Mr. Black would often be called upon to train sellers at the various stores.

But it was the downtown store he loved the most. He was typically one of the first there in the morning (just behind Wharton Osberger) and one of the last to leave, which is exactly as it was on November 27, 1964. Toward the end of his twelve-hour shift, as the massive brass clock overlooking the restaurant in the store’s Grande Center Court read 7:48 pm, Laurence H. Black collapsed, felled by a heart attack. Old man Osberger closed the store the next day and clerks at the city’s other retail palaces wore black in tribute.

The following year, on the Friday after Thanksgiving, all of the employees wore black suits and dresses, highlighted by a single red carnation, with a moment of silence at 7:48 pm, a tradition that carried on year after year and was picked up by many other stores in the city. But, through many consolidations and sales and employee turnover and whatnot, the reason for the tribute and the tradition itself has been lost, save for a few old-timers who still remember. The small Osberger chain was dissolved in the early 1990s and the old parent company is now the owner of a chain of movie theaters in Australia. If you trace back through approximately fifteen mergers and acquisitions you’ll find that the old Osberger stores themselves are all now Macy’s. The central Osberger’s store on North Geary was converted to office space in 2001, after sitting vacant for a number of years. They’ve kept the central court and clock, however.

by RJ White from www.thecitydesk.com

Interesting, huh?

So, are you in the Christmas spirit already? Got your Christmas shopping done? Ready to behead a stuffed Santa before December’s even begun?

Just to keep this on a positive note, here’s a nice Christmas decoration I thought you’d enjoy.

A Fever of Preparations

In case you haven’t noticed, the Playground is in a fever of preparation for RWA National Conference in a couple of weeks. Two exactly. Most of us leave on a Monday.

Anyway, today I thought I’d offer a few tips on preparing for writer’s conferences, whether Nationals or a regional conference. These experiences can be some of the most exciting and nerve-wracking activities in a writer’s journey. I hope these tips might smooth your way just a bit:

1. Plan your wardrobe around one color.

As we mentioned last week when we talked about shopping, planning around either black or brown for your wardrobe can cut down on the number of clothing items you have to take. For instance, I’m taking a black skirt with 2 different shirts for my cocktail events this year. One black pair of shoes that will go with those outfits, my black dress pants, and one of my formal dresses. That’s really helpful because shoes take up lots of space and add up weight quickly.

2. Get travel size bottles whenever possible.

I’ve been grabbing travel size soap, shampoo, and toothpaste at the store over the past few weeks. Taking these instead of full size bottles can really cut down on the weight of your suitcase. Need specific products that don’t come in travel size? Purchase some refillable bottles.

3. Wear new shoes before you go, even if it is just around the house.

There is nothing worse that breaking in new shoes at conference. That is just a blister waiting to happen. If you’ve purchased new shoes (which I have), be sure to break them in before you go. I have some just-purchased flats that I’ve been wearing out and about, but my new black heels aren’t exactly made for running errands. My family laughed when they walked into the kitchen to find me wearing them with a pair of gray shorts and a t-shirt, but at least I won’t have to deal with as much foot pain in DC.

4. Prepare your story pitches before you leave.

In the rush to get everything ready, working on your editor and agent pitches can get shuffled to the background. But trust me, you don’t want to be up until 1 a.m. the night before, stressing over just the right word to describe your hero. (Been there, done that.) Instead, you should be getting a couple of extra hours of sleep. Do yourself a favor and put together your full-length and elevator pitches before you go. It will save you a lot of stress later.

5. Write out your schedule, but leave room for the unexpected.

It is said that a lot happens in the bar at National conference, and that’s certainly true. Even if you don’t meet your dream editor there, lots of hilarity can ensue with the right group of friends. I have a lot of events that I have to attend this year, so this list-maker definitely has her schedule already worked up. I’ve also listed a couple of workshops that I’d REALLY like to attend in person. Other than that, I’ve tried to leave some space free. You never know what you might get swept up into during that down time.

6. Take whatever steps necessary to leave home without worrying what you’ve left behind.

I’m not talking about stuff here. You can always purchase something you forgot to take with you. I’m talking about peace of mind. My husband makes fun of me for the extensive lists I write out for those keeping my kids and the freezer full of convenience foods they’ll probably leave in favor of fast food, but that’s okay. If putting myself to all that trouble means I can fly to Washington with a little less worry over leaving my loved ones, then I think it is worth it. So do whatever you need to, in order to feel more comfortable about what is happening in your absence. You’ll be happy you did.

7. If you haven't already, go read the fine print on your travel requirements... now.

While this may seem self-explanatory to well-seasoned travelers, I rarely fly anywhere except to conference. Imagine my surprise when I looked up the luggage weight limits and found a little tidbit about checking my luggage in before I get to the airport. If I don't, they are going to charge me an additional $5 for doing it when I get there. Go read all your flight information now, so you aren't surprised and scrambling at the last minute. You'll be glad you did.

These are some of the travel tips working through my brain at the moment. With conference 2 weeks away, this stuff is at the forefront of my mind. But thanks to Kathy, I’ve got 2 full pitches and an elevator pitch ready to rehearse. My wardrobe is planned and the suitcase is sitting in the living room for me to drop stuff into it as needed.

For those of you heading out to conference, or used to traveling, what other tips can you offer those of us about to wing our way to our nation’s capital?


Angel

The First Step

*stands*

Hi. My name is Alex and I am addicted to formal wear.

Group replies : "Hi, Alex."

*sits back in the hard plastic chairs of the meeting room.*

They say admitting you have a problem is the first step. It wasn't easy coming to this conclusion, but the evidence was hard to ignore.

I am addicted to formal wear. The dresses, the shoes, the accessories...

First, in my old house, I had allocated DB a mere 2 feet of space. This was just for my regular clothes and shoes, there were no formals in that closet. They had all moved into the guest room closet. He's lucky he got 2 feet. In the new house, he got 6, but only because our new closet was huge and my clothes and shoes got 16 feet.

Second, my closet shelving in the new house collapsed. Sure, the builder's didn't mount a single bracket of the 12 foot shelf into a stud. At the same time, DB's side is holding strong despite the workmanship.

Then, of course, after redoing the closets, washing all the drywall dust off my clothes and rehanging them, I counted - 16 formals. Me! A girl who wears dress casual on most days. I get dressed up about 3 times a year (aside from the occasional wedding) and I have 16 formals. This does not include dressy outfits, sundresses, church type ensembles or suits. Just glittery, satin, velvet, crenoline, beaded formals. Just check out the Playground Yearbook page to see me in my various finery over the years. 16...

Er, make that 19. As Angel mentioned earlier this week, I hit a sale at Ross this weekend. I have this inability to turn down a formal priced below $30. I have to buy it. How can you turn down a $250 dress that will cost you $30? When it looks good on you? You can't. Can't, I say! So I fell in love with this dress at Ross. Imagine it in deep royal purple. It was $27, marked down from $169. Great. It was also marked as a size 10. Since I got it on, I must, in fact, be a size ten. (HA!) So, of course, I bought it. And one very much like this one. And another. And the one for Angel. (See, I spread the love, too.) But the problem comes later in the accessories. The shoes I found to go with it...

$247 on Zappos. Ouch. They're Stuart Weitzman and absolutely adorable. At least they're on sale. Yeah. Not in this economy. Unfortunately, even if I could afford them, PC has informed me that suede is inappropriate for a summer shoe, so the shoe hunt continues.

So, what is your clothing addiction? I know I'm in good company with shoe addicts around here, but some people have a purse or jewelry thing, too. Is there anything at the store you just have to buy regardless of whether you have one just like it at home, or you have no real use for it?

SP

Shopping Surprise

The Playfriends know first-hand that I’ve been obsessing over RWA National conference because of my Golden Heart® final. First, it was the pictures that would be flashed up on the big screen during the ceremony. Then editor/agent appointments, which I still haven’t decided upon yet. Then there was the ever-looming issue: what will I wear?!?!

Now, one of our wonderful Mavens gave me a dress to wear to the RITA ceremony. Its beautiful peach color and flowing skirt make me feel like a true princess. But I’ve also been invited by a fellow Playfriend to be her date for her publisher’s party and I was just going to pull one of my formals out of the closet to wear. Until Smarty Pants showed up at my door the other day…

It all started with a phone call. “What size do you wear?” she asked. If it had been anyone else, I might would have been offended, but we’re too close for there to be many boundaries left. So I told her. “Hmmm… that might work. I’ll come by later.” Now I was hopelessly curious. What was going on?

Imagine my surprise when she unveiled a sassy black and purple party dress that she deemed perfect for me. Hope was instantly squashed when I eyed the bodice. There was no way my abundant girls would fit in those cups. “Trust me,” she said. So I tried the dress on. The fit was perfect. I almost cried in happiness.

“I have even better news,” she said. I gasped as she turned over the price tag. $16!!! That’s right. ONLY SIXTEEN DOLLARS! OMG! I never get deals like that, because I’m hard to fit and am one of the only Playfriends who usually ends up paying full price. SP is now my shopping hero!

And since both dresses are sleeveless, I have even more motivation to stick to my weight training between now and July. :)

What great bargains have you picked up lately? Do you obsess over what you are going to wear to big events?

Angel

Turkey Day on Hold

Ahh... the day after Thanksgiving post. Since I've always been the "Friday Playfriend" I get to post on this day every year. I get to question the crazy people like Angel up at 4 AM standing in the cold to buy toys. I get to lament the plight of parents everywhere as they struggle to find this year's "it" toy. This post goes up just after midnight, so I'm hoping there aren't a lot of you reading this at 3AM with your mug of coffee before you head out on the great hunt. I hope you read it after rolling out of bed at 9, still sleepy from a turkey and pie hangover.

I wish I was. It actually feels a little odd to me this time, though, because I haven't had Thanksgiving yet. Yeah, I know it was technically yesterday, but DB had to work, so we rescheduled it to tomorrow. We're going to drive to his parent's place tonight or early tomorrow, probably, and spend the rest of the weekend with them.

Once the weekend is over, the holiday frenzy begins. I can't even begin to tell you how full my schedule is for this month. Multiple parties to attend, potlucks to cook for, and traditions to uphold. All good stuff, so I can't complain too much aside from not getting enough sleep and getting too much food. To make matters more complicated, DB's cousin has the audacity to get married on the 13th and I just don't know if we're going to make it.

Fortunately, I got a jump on the season this year by buying and wrapping all my presents in October. I feel quite virtuous. If I can just keep myself from buying more for no reason, I'll be in even better shape. I'm sure most people aren't as far ahead as me. Just to be cruel, there are exactly 27 shopping days until Christmas. Good luck with that.

So, how are you spending the remainder of your holiday weekend?

SP