Loyal Customer or Chump?

I have received two gifts from J. Crew (my muse, and the subject of many a post on the walter bean) in the last three months. I wonder if they know that I am tying to pay off my credit card with them and then cancel it? They are trying to lure me into their world of exclusivity where I can earn otherwise forbidden gifts that others without the card simply can't have. Gifts worth less than $20 that come twice a year after spending half my salary are the ones I treasure the most. How do they know these little tokens will keep me loyal to their 21% APR interest rate another year? How?

In early January, I received a lovely leather-bound coral planner. For a solid week I decided I would become a paper planner, carry it everywhere and where sling back kitten heels, a pencil skirt and some kind of cashmere cardigan duet to match my new persona. I pictured myself prancing into the office, with my put-together look and organized life and conquer the world. Now it resides in my three tier garbage pile of papers and folders on my desk with the other two books I swore I'd use every day (the daily tear-out to do list, and the mouse pad notebook).

Today, I received a poster canister in the mail with J. Crew's return address. I knew it was another gift, and I couldn't wait to open it. I felt like Charlie with the last golden ticket. It was a canvas shopper with an illustration done by one of the J. Crew designers. Super cute, but I've definitely purchased a shopper or two in the last year that have found their way to various nooks, closets, or wire drawers in storage throughout my house. If only I lived in NYC or London where I could pass by the flower cart or organic fruit stand on my way home and pop a few goodies into my eco-cool satchel. Alas, I live in Baltimore where being cool or fashionable is a borderline sin.

I promised myself that I would throw the bag into my rotation. So, maybe I'll load it with folders that currently get squashed in my laptop bag, and make like I'm a professor carrying important student papers to be graded.

Yes, that's it.