I’m over halfway through my 28 day shopping detox.  I may extend it beyond the original 28 days.  It has been easier than I thought it would be.  It has been a relief to not agonize over decisions, as is my want.  It has also had some unexpected benefits.  I have been sad.  Not sad that I could not go shopping or even feeling that compelled to do so.  I think I had underestimated what a distraction shopping was.  They don’t call it retail therapy for nothing.

I remember when I first got back into J. Crew.  I had a hard week at work about six years ago.  My husband suggested a drive to Malibu and some lunch on a Saturday.  We headed to the Lumber Yard and had a great lunch at Café Habana.  There used to be a beautiful J. Crew next door to the restaurant that was a collection store and organized like a boutique.  He suggested a little shopping might cheer me up.  I bought two chiffon sleeveless blouses and two cashmere cardigans (I am wearing the pink one with my Paris destination t-shirt as I type).  The cashmere coordinated with the blouses but did not match exactly. At the time I was COO of a large school and the educator discount was a plus.  I did feel better and I had fun new clothes to wear to work.

Now that I have turned my love of shopping and fashion into a blog, I can’t imagine my husband suggesting retail therapy.  If retail therapy works, it is a good value compared to actual therapy (unless you are buying expensive handbags… and I admit, I do have a few of those).

Last week I was feeling a bit blue, stuck at home with a sick kid for days on end.  I realized that shopping was not necessarily providing retail therapy, but it was providing a distraction.  I had a week of feeling more emotional than usual and just down.  Removing the distraction allowed me to experience more

I have also been spending time seriously cleaning my closet using my own version of the Kondo method.  I hold each item and decide how it makes me feel. I associate many of the items I hold with  great memories. These items stay. Or, they spark joy – I am happy to see them again now that they’re  not hidden by the sheer volume of stuff.  Others make me feel guilty for buying so much, these like others before them, go to Poshmark to be sold to people they will make happy.  I got so caught up in wanting new looks for the blog all the time that I stopped focusing on buying only things I loved.

I fell in love with this tiger shirt immediately. The day I bought it was strange and memorable.

I had just dropped my son off at a camp on the Monterey Peninsula and my high school friend and I were convoying to meet for coffee.  I was tired, I had not yet had coffee.  I spotted what I thought was a dead leopard on the side of the road.  I thought I was hallucinating.  My pal saw it too.  Later that day I saw the t-shirt. Surely, it was a sign. I  had to have it    I originally styled it here in Carmel Valley (with photos shot by my high school pal). There were so many outtakes because we were laughing so much.  I wear it all the time.  T-shirts with a fun design or destination are so fun to pair with blazers or sweaters.  The tiger tee holds memories.  Memories of the trip to my hometown, last summer, the odd sighting on the side of the road.

I styled it with a velvet blazer (another item from last year that sparks joy), denim (on sale!) , leopard flats and I am holding my favorite pom-pom key chain.  My keys are never hard to find.

Tigers T-Shirt (similar here,  here and here)

Denim (on sale!) this new wash and this new wash are great too.

Blazer (similar here and here)

Shoes (similar here and here)

Pom-pom (similar here)

Sunglasses (similar here and here)

Happy Wednesday!

XO,

JAE