I don’t like going to the mall. I despise crowds, and our mall is usually a rather bustling place. Well, I found myself in need of a dreaded mall shopping excursion this week. I needed something new for the Crowder Quill award ceremony taking place on Thursday. I also had a gift card for Ulta Beauty that I’d been carrying around for several months. Combine those things with vacation time that I need to take before I lose it, and my course was clear.
I took last Tuesday off to take care of those errands and do a little pampering. It was a glorious day. I began my day by sleeping until 9:00 a.m. I took a sinfully long hot shower, puttered around the house, and then went to have my hair cut. I had a gift certificate for a new salon, and the week of an awards ceremony seemed an auspicious time to use it.
Since it was early afternoon by that point, I decided to take on the adventure of mall shopping. I planned to use my Ulta Beauty gift card first. The only problem was I couldn’t find the place. The mall sports a huge sign blazoned with the company’s name on the side of the building. It stands to reason that the business should be located near its sign. Technically, it is located near its sign, but the entrance is the last place I would have thought to look.
I wondered around for quite a while before I asked a nice lady running a kiosk in front of JCPenney. She explained the entryway I sought was actually located in the food court. Who would have thought of that? Since I was standing in front of Penney’s when she gave me directions, I decided to shop for an outfit first. After all, I’d already walked up and down the hall from Penney’s to the food court four times.
I tried on shirt after shirt. I experimented with jackets and sweaters. I evaluated slacks and skirts. Thankfully, I was able to find a few things in the department store that fit well and looked nice. The best part was that they were all on clearance.
I took my goodies from Penney’s and made my way down the hall toward Ulta. I kept looking for a sign, but the food court has been renovated since my days of frequenting the place, so I didn’t realize it curved back around to where the movie theater used to be. Back when I worked in a mall store, all the businesses in the food court were in a straight line.
I finally found it hiding from me right next the outside food court entrance. I couldn’t help but be a little awed by the sheer square footage of pampering possibilities. That’s quite a store. I was impressed with their selections and now understand why my daughter-in-law loves that place so much. They sell many high-end cosmetics and hair care products that I could actually pick up and examine without asking an employee to remove them from a locked case. I don’t think I’ve ever been able to grab a $110.00 bottle of perfume off a shelf and take a whiff before.
I found their prices to be quite reasonable, as well. The Clinique foundation I wore for many years was the same price if not a little less than the department store where I used to purchase it. They had a great selection of Mac and Lancome among other nice brands that I usually can’t afford. It certainly wasn’t a bargain basement sort of place, but all of the prices I saw were fair.
It was difficult for me to choose just one item, but I was only there to spend my gift card before I completely forgot I had it. I spent a fortune at the OWL conference and won’t receive my next pay check until Friday. My budget is a little stricter than usual until then. I will be shopping at Ulta Beauty again, though. There are so many cute things that my girls would love.
I wasn’t at the mall too long, so I was able to return home and have a late lunch with my husband before he went to work. After he left, I painted my nails. Yes! I haven’t painted my nails in so long that I don’t even remember the last time. Such ME time is a rare and wondrous thing, indeed. I highly recommend everyone try it every now and then.
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