Zannee’s Blog at BargainsLA.com

Okay, after a day of last minute Christmas shopping, hubby just walked in the house, ticked off  and owing my daughter $3. What the….?

Apparently he got snaked on several parking spots at the Glendale Galleria, was cut in line when trying to pay, had people bumping into him knocking him over at the mall and eventually lost his cool and cussed… several times. Hence the $3 owed to my daughter.

Okay everyone, RELAX… Good manners don’t go out the door ‘cause you’re in a crazy holiday rush. How is it that in a season of good cheer we turn in to animals fighting for materialistic tidbits.

Stop it. If you waited till the last minute who’s fault is that?

I did have one chick push me out of the way when I was packing up my purse after paying for wrapping at Big Lots. I asked her to back off and wait and then I wished her a Merry Christmas.

Really what cause do you have to be so rude to people? Good manners can save horrible situations, stop wars and made friends out of enemies.

Honestly, the only person who has reason to be ticked off with me is the poor sales chick at restoration Hardware in Santa Monica. My girl friend Liz asked me if I liked a coffee table there as we walked through the store on Saturday. At first I said yes and then on closer inspection I noticed it was laminated and told her to pass, that it was junk and wouldn’t hold up to her dog and 12 year old son. The poor sales clerk didn’t know who I was and chirped in that it was solid wood. I went into my tirade on laminated pressboard or particle board when she went a bit ashen and left.

She has a reason to be ticked at me, I lost her a sale and was talking a little too loudly. But I always tell my friend Lizzie the truth. We’ve been friends since we were 7… really.
But I should have lowered my voice.

Years ago I accidentally snaked a parking spot from an older guy. He got really pissed at me and got out of his car to tell me off. I deserved it too. I was in the wrong, had not been paying attention and had behaved selfishly. I remember being really scared and embarrassed. I apologized, moved my car and gave him the spot. Later on that same day I was standing in line behind him at Nordstrom’s. He apologized for getting so nasty and let me pay ahead of him. We had a nice chat afterward. I’ve never forgotten how giving in turned a bad situation good.

So if you happen to be that poor sales lady at Restoration hardware, I am sorry I didn’t lower my voice.

So relax, be nice and have a merry restful and joy filled Christmas.

I have stated many times that I do not recommend Santee Alley in downtown Los Angeles as a bargain shopping destination.

First, last time I checked the real estate is higher priced per square foot that in Beverly Hills. So how can there be any real bargains when the stores are paying top dollar for the location.

Secondly, cheap stuff cheap, is exactly that…. Cheap, crap-ola, junk, garbage. A real bargain is never cheap. A real bargain has value and is always worth more than what you paid for it.

In last weeks Daily News, they announced one of the biggest busts of knock off, counterfeit product ever.

“More than 100 officers raided alleged counterfeiters, seizing $8 million worth of knockoff movies, purses and perfume, authorities announced today.

Billed as the largest anti-counterfeit bust in city history, Thursday’s “Operation Knockout” sent 26 people to jail and yielded 50,000 faked goods — half of them counterfeit CDs and DVDs. Cops targeted their sweep on Santee Alley, the famed shopping district downtown known for its bargain prices for look-a-like designer brands.”

I think what real bargain hunters want is good quality goods at a better price. Cheap knockoffs will always be around. Anyone can buy cheap stuff cheap…. Walmart, Target, 99 Cent only stores are all easily accessible. I’d rather hold out, pay a little more at a sample sale or outlet and get the real goods for less.

Okay I admit it, I have a daughter who loves fashion but impossible to buy for. Too persnickety. She’ll take items out of my closet but won’t let me buy stuff for her. So my BFF, Auntie Liz took her shopping without me. Full retail bliss shopping a store I abhor…. Limited Too!

Overpriced with amazingly rude and stupid sales people, I stopped going in to Limited Too years ago. My daughter never got over it. I do buy her amazing things from sample and warehouse sales that are higher in quality and at much less than what Limited Too charges. She just wanted to be let loose to shop without me. So I let her loose to shop with my BFF at a store I abhor and left.

Okay I get it. It’s more fun with some one else than mom.

Keeping a stiff upper lip, I wonder off into Bloomingdales to cruise around. There, before me was my new fav handbag line by Kooba. How fun examining their new lovely Fall bags… when yee gads! Not one of them had the colorful interior suede lining that I so adored about this line. It was a cheaper bland canvas lining instead.

Oh the disappointment! The lowering of quality on such a fabulous line of handbags…UGH! However, the prices didn’t seem lower. I had to wonder if I was the only one to be disappointed.

From there I went into Victoria Secret to try find a fabulous sexy bra. No luck. Then I tried the sale at Ann Taylor. Nothing.

When I finally met back up with my glorious shopping BFF and daughter, my shoulders were slumped from the many disappointments I had just experienced. My daughter happily paraded her fabulous buys in front of me… none of them were a bargain. Oh there goes the budget! I don’t think I’ll let her loose again for awhile.

What I needed was some espresso to lift me out of the doldrums. At $3 it wasn’t a bargain either…. But it did make me feel better.