We were treated to a gloriously warm day this weekend – compared to the temperatures of late, that is – so we headed for a walk downtown to do a little shopping for Small Business Saturday. We were at my parents for the holiday weekend, who live in a small town, so were in perfect walking distance to some favorite neighborhood shops. A special gift store in town was always my favorite for stuffed animals when I was little, so it was just the place to go for a special treat for the kids. My outfit was basic (as that is all I really pack for trips back home) – a classic navy cable knit sweater, pants and boots in the same color, and a peek of color and pattern with the polka dot yellow long sleeve tee. The outfit was updated a bit, thanks to the faux leather trimmed side zipper on the sweater and the floppy hat. I’ve been in search of such a hat for a while, and love this one from J Crew. It comes in more than one size (I have a bit of a big noggin) and it has the floppy brim without being over the top.

Banana Republic sweater, shirt (old) and pants | J Crew hat | Tory Burch handbag (old) (love this) | Boden boots (heeled version here) | Ray Ban sunglasses | J Crew earrings | Michael Kors watch | Melly bracelet

Reality Check. So, for the first few hours of this Saturday morning I was under the impression that there were a bunch of Christmas events happening downtown, including a visit from Santa. I was happy to (1) think that I may be able to check that off my list MUCH sooner that usual and (2) use it as a carrot (bribe, whatever) to get several things done efficiently that morning (“you need to eat all of your breakfast if you want to see Santa!” “Oh, Santa would really want you to wear a shirt that matches your pants, don’t you think?”). Right before we left for our adventure I checked the local paper for the details, and noted for the first time the date…December 13th. Thank goodness for the gift store I mention above, with an abundance of stuffed animals from which to choose!