I am shoppe keeper... today.

It hasn’t been the easiest morning so far. Several things have gone awry. Not to say that matters very much at this point. It’s behind me, I am here, happily now, and before me is a day different than every other. I’m heading in to keep shoppe (I try and spell it with that extra p and e whenever I can. It’s more sophisticated.) for a friend who’s gone to market and that will prove to be fun, I’m sure. It has been the few times I’ve done so thus far.

Do you remember that scene in You’ve Got Mail where Meg Ryan/ Kathleen Kelly opens her bookstore door and walks in to her space that seems miles away from the NYC streets just outside? I love that scene. I love that bookstore. Really, I love that character too. So charming, all of the above. Well, I get to live a little bit of that when I go in to Urban Village. That’s the name of my friend’s boutique. It’s almost displaced, feeling miles away from Edenton. Even when not working, I go in to talk to Jennifer because it feels so great (and smells so great!) in the store; she plays my kind of music and shows me her new treasures. And, because she’s so fabulously kind and cheerful. I’ve yet to see her not smile.

Spending my day there is no chore at all. It’s pleasure filled. I look around the room and decide that I should, at first chance when I get home, wrap a scarf around my neck, sit at my writing desk in a slip covered chair (don’t have one, but it is in the vision) and send a personalized note to a friend. It makes me want to decide on a signature fragrance for my home… or to put it quite simply dot the i and cross the t on every aspect of my daily life. Inspiration for finishing touches. You could say accessorizing, but I don’t want to. Too many times accessories get the shaft, but they are the bow on the package. The most noticeable part, the part that shares the biggest excitement and reveals the nature of what is beneath without exposing it completely. They are exciting. Like a sexy girl with clothes… on. Much more intriguing than one stripped bare and holding no secrets. There’s something like that about a room and a home. Ambiance is crucial.

I have less than an hour before I go in, so I have to go now. My mom will keep me company, and I may have time to do some creative jotting here and there. But I will for sure have time to momentarily step into a different life and profession. I feel like a child pretending. I recommend it to all.