Neiman Marcus vs T. J. Maxx

I still hear her voice echoing in my head as I shop and even when I just "pretend" to shop.  Again and again she implored, "You need to buy yourself something nice now and then." I remember her excitement when Filenes opened a store nearby, even if it was a place you only "visited" and dreamed about clothes.  I remember how she was beside herself with joy when Macy's moved into our "shopping zone" and she would regal me with tales of long-ago journeys into Manhattan to visit the mammoth flagship store.   
I also remember how she loved to share her latest "find" from "her store," Marshalls.  My mother-in-law visited that store every week and watched those sale racks closely scoring some pretty amazing finds over the years.  There were the red patent leather shoes with a price tag of $1 (admittedly that was  few years ago) and a fancy (real velvet she pointed out) suit jacket purchased just days before her final trip into the hospital.  While her heart was at Macy's, she realized she could get more shopping pleasure at Marshalls. 
I was thinking she would have been proud of me as I strolled through Nordstroms and Neiman Marcus thinking maybe I would try on a "new" dress for an upcoming formal party. Truth be told, I had never been in either one of those stores, before even though I have logged many shopping miles over the years.  In the end, I did not buy (nor even try on) any of the fabulous dresses I saw; however, I did note that Nordstoms carried lots of dresses that were made by the same manufacturer as the T.J. Maxx-dress that I will probably wear to the event!  I'm pretty sure she would be proud of me for recognizing the "designer" but I suspect she would be even MORE proud of me if I had purchased something at Nordstroms, too.   After all, "You need to buy  yourself something nice now and then."

PS This is NOT a picture of me  and this is NOT a picture of my dress.  I'll consider a picture only if I lose 10 pounds before said event  :)