Trading One Charlie For Another

Nicole and I are going to give a joint blog a try - forgive us in advance if it gets a little silly - that's just who we are!

Amber:  So last week we desperately needed to get out.  We did TGI Fridays, and then I wanted to go to Ulta to grab some makeup.  Can you believe Nicole had never been to Ulta before?  It's cosmetics heaven!  As we drove in the parking lot, I saw it:

It looked like one of those cute boutique stores that I could never afford to shop in, much less take my children inside!  Through the windows I could see the sparkling baubles and copious accessories.  I had no idea what the reality was, though.  

Nicole: Awwww.  Doesn't Amber look so adorable standing in front of the store with her goodie bag?  Yes, it is true.  Not only had I never been to Ulta, I had never even heard of such a place before.  It was so overwhelming.  I had so much to take in.  I was pretty quiet and reserved while in that store.  I guess I was saving my energy for what was awaiting me next store!  

I think I would like to refer to it as the Land of Oz.  I had never in my life seen such a beautiful place.  Accessories galore; purses, necklaces, hats, scarves, sunglasses, earrings, and so much more!  To make this experience even more exciting was the fact that the store is organized.....wait for it...........................

BY COLORS!!!!!!!!!  Look closely in the picture of Amber.  The front of the store is purple and then behind her you can see pinks and oranges.  LOVE IT!  Then in the picture below of Amber and me, you can see the blueish green colors over my shoulder.  Talk about an OCD person's dream store!!!!  I literally ran around like a crazy person!  

Amber:  And yes, she is using the word literally in its appropriate form.  The sales clerk saw me looking for Nicole at one point.  I was distracted by the browns and amber tones and we had gotten separated.  The clerk looked at me and she said, "Your friend is over there, and I think she just had an anxiety attack."  Seriously - how fun was this place?!  My handsome hubby had night watch that evening so we were very restricted on time.  I went t the back of the store and the clearance section was buy one, get one free.  Are you kidding me?!  I hit those racks like my life depended on it.  Honestly, in some ways it may have, but we won't go into my emotional stability or lack thereof right now.

I checked out and was added to the mailing list.  I found new treasures as I was leaving.  Nicole had purchased her super cute hat in the store, and told me that I really needed to start considering my rewards system (which I still haven't completely nailed down).  I was thinking it over as we walked to the front of the store.  I pushed the entwined CC door handle and had a moment.

an a-ha!! moment.

"Coley!  We are trading one Charlie for another!"