Words are everything

Hello, June!

demulcent | dih-MULL-sunt | adjective : soothing

This probably sounds bad, but what's soothing to me is shopping. Especially gift shopping. I love trying to find things that will make the recipient happy and also show that I personally care about their wants, interests, and personality. June is a perfect month for that, with birthdays (Karina, Nick, and Annika) and holidays (Father's Day).

Today, after work, I did a little shopping in the downtown area. Now, downtown consists of independent bookstores, scores of restaurants, specialty shops and cute boutiques. I don't shop there when I'm looking for clothing basics or cheap alternatives. But this time, I was looking for unique gifts...

I stopped in Mother and Baby source for a birthday present for Annika. I ended up getting her these really cute sandals. I was trying to resist getting her crocs...they are so ugly, but everything's cute when it comes in a small baby size! The cool thing about this store is that they gift wrap for free, and they always do a good job of making it look beautiful.

I also stopped at a fair trade worker coop store called De Colores, and a home furnishings (and so much more!) store called nestware that I absolutely love. I always want to buy everything in there! I can't say what I bought there, but they will be part of my gifts this month.

Lastly, I went to two bookstores, Bogey's books (used books) and the Avid Reader (new books). Bogey's is my favorite because it has much lower prices on books and being in there is a reader's heaven. It smells like books, the bookshelves go from floor to ceiling, and there are worn, comfortable chairs that you can sit in and read for hours. And the owner doesn't mind! I was looking for a particular book that's a fan continuation of my favorite book of all time, Pride and Prejudice. Unfortunately, I couldn't find it in either bookstore.

I think that libraries should be set up like bookstores. At the bookstore, there are so many things that catch my eye that I want to read. At the library, I feel like I have to know what I'm looking for, and most of the time I have no clue. I know it wouldn't be good for research, but how about just the fiction section?

It was a nice way to spend a Friday evening. It was demulcent.

posted by Sharona @ 8:24 PM