No Time for a Time Out (even on Wisteria’s Stool)

Forget the Richmond Marathon, the marathon until Christmas has begun.  While tradition would have you believe that the race to the holidays starts on Black Friday, at my house it begins about the week before Halloween.  Shifting into a higher, steady gear hoping that I have stockpiled enough stamina to get me through Boxing Day, there seems to be very little time to take a break.  When I did find a little chunk of it last week, I curled up with the pile of catalogs that have been accumulating like fallen leaves and stumbled upon this masterpiece from Wisteria.

      Who thought of this and why only now?  Where was it when my kids were younger?  I would have snapped it up in a heartbeat.  What a clever, practical and charming idea.  I could see this being part of a family or playroom decor for years.

Of course it is out of stock now.  That seems to be a catalog trend.  I finally find something that excites me, and it’s backordered for 2-3 months.  Isn’t the beauty of e-commerce supposed to be almost instant gratification?  In the case of this fabulous stool, I imagine that demand at this price point truly did exceed supply, and that’s a nice problem for Wisteria to have.

I have discovered, though, that many catalog/e-retailers promote products that won’t be available for quite some time, and they don’t have the consideration to let their customers know until they are well into the checkout process.  My recent on-line disappointments have been a reminder that there is nothing better than finding something locally.  Though I am sure that I will be on-line with the rest of the country on Black Monday once I have my children’s Christmas’ lists in-hand, I really want to take a time out from those on-line retailers who whet my appetite but can’t deliver and focus on our local Richmond vendors.  As the saying goes, Think Global, Act Local.

Have you started your holiday shopping yet?  Any good local finds?  I’d love to hear about them.  Just leave a comment below.

In the meantime, if you are reading this on Saturday, November 12th, today is the last day for Penelope‘s 20% off all clothing items sale.  I love this Central Virginia ladies’ store that has 7 locations between Lynchburg and Richmond.  While Penelope is known for and promotes its sterling silver jewelry, I am an Avad Fan of their attractive, classic casual wardrobe pieces that will not break the bank.  The helpful sales staff always makes shopping there a real treat, and like last night, I can usually find just what I need.

Whether your holiday marathon leads you on-line or in store, Happy Shopping!