Black Friday Games

BY RITA

As a former retailer myself, Black Friday was once known to me as an insider's phrase, referencing the creation of events and savings that usher in the holiday season. It'd start the Friday after Thanksgiving, and retailers hoped for good profitability by attracting people through special offers. Though not the original theme of the phrase, this became the tradition.

Now Black Friday means madness, mayhem, chaos, and an evolving opportunity for bigger and better promotions. In recognition of this evolution, I can foresee the creation of Pre-Black Friday events. This would not just mean staying open from Wednesday through Sunday of Thanksgiving week without closing. No, it would go far above and beyond sales with mega possibilities, on all levels of marketing.

With the pepper spray incident in southern California, the poor dead man in the southeast who died of natural causes, though everyone stepped over him on their way to sizzling bargains, it's time to bring it to the next level a much higher and creative level.

So why don't we just create a mall version of the Roman gladiator games? Shoppers must apply and train throughout the year to be taken seriously. The shopping/sporting events can be moved to the parking lots of stores and malls (the new mini coliseums). Leagues and teams will be created and the games can begin Wednesday evening and endure through Thanksgiving.

I can just see it now...

Training Tasks (most are real-life occurrences anyway):

• How quickly can you steal an item out of the other team’s shopping cart and keep it (physical scuffle only!)?

• How quickly can you take something off a shelf and/or wrestle it from another shopper?

• How quickly can you cut in front of another person to get in line or cut some one off in their vehicle?

• How loudly can you scream, “It's mine, it's mine, it' mine, it’s mine!” and cause the other contestant to run away?

These are just a few minor stunts—there's room for so much more creativity. Just think, Gladiator Shopping could be so good for the economy! There could be coaches training teams year-round, the leagues would have televised playoffs on Thanksgiving at 12:01 a.m., and there could be branding, apparel, perhaps a reality show. And here's the best part: it could be a twelve month event.

When people wish Christmas could be all year…now it can be…a dream come true!

As I mentioned a few weeks ago, Hunter S. Thompson was right: “When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro.”

Things have gotten so extreme; I guess it's time to take Black Friday to the next level. Since it is just so completely weird now, let’s go pro.

-Rita

Bah Humbug and Happy Whatever

My father, Guido

As we head into the season I want to share a paragraph from a letter written by my dad, Guido. It was his last holiday letter written in 2005. He specialized in the art (and it is an art) of being a curmudgeon. His holiday letters in no way resembled traditional holiday letters as most of America knows them. They contained a recap of the year flavored with dark humor, irony, pathos, and large quantities of his trademark curmudgeonliness.

Here's a sample of Guido's holiday flare:

Admonitions from this old geezer:

Turn off your TV's and read a book....Don't listen to Madison Avenue hucksters....Avoid X-mas mania...Spend less and save...Avoid voting for dim wits...Tear up your credit cards...Get rid of those Washington bandits and liars...And most importantly, LOVE ONE ANOTHER AND ESPECIALLY YOUR FAMILIES... Be grateful you are alive; that your roof doesn't leak, that you have health insurance and bread and butter on the table. And don't try to solve the mystery of life. Stay well and have a good whatever. Hang in the there!

Merry whatever and a Happy whatever,

Guido

Guido was a character larger than life. His letters were collected and shared, and when I later went through his correspondences I found requests from people that he didn’t even know, asking for several copies of his letters with envelope and postage included (this is all pre-blog and pre-John Stewart).

My mother would edit his letters before sending them, always putting in a call to me: "Talk to your father right away!" I'd make the call home with, sometimes, a pseudo shocked voice telling my father the words of the letter were, "Too dark, too political, too cynical, too insensitive to other views, too shocking..." I was lucky if my father heard even a word or two—it all depended on the year and his mood!

When Guido died, the first words out of many friends' mouths were, "Oh no, the newsletter will stop!" Realizing what they’d said in response to my father’s passing, they immediately followed with an apology. He, of course would have loved it—I did.

Six years later, Guido’s words are just as current and predictive. As I prepared the Holiday Collection for Wilfrida’s Closet, I heard Guido's voice providing commentary on the past year, offering up perfect, crazy, holiday material, accompanied with my mother in the background protesting, "No, no, you can't say that."

And so it is only fitting to follow family tradition and wish you all a warm and happy holiday (or whatever), and hey, love one another. I hope everyone survives the deluge of Black Friday advertising, enjoys a lovely Thanksgiving, and manages to remain intact if any shopping malls are visited.

Many thanks to all who have been so supportive.

-Rita

Lessons From Modern Christmas Stories

BY RITA

Last weekend I was working on holiday cards for Wilfrida’s Closet, while settling into a Christmas movie marathon on a cable channel that specializes in feel good movies aimed at women. I started listening more intently—not watching, but listening—and noticing common themes showing up in these sugary, heartwarming plots. I suddenly started to feel anxious watching these flicks--not exactly my plan for the day.
As my last blog explained, I have been weaning myself away from the wealth of bad news floating around the media waves, and have committed to opening my mind to the sugary sweet stuff. At this point, my sugar thermometer was skyrocketing.

The Feel Good Plot

The basic plot of each movie was a combination of the following:

An attractive smart young woman leaves her:

(a) Family

(b) Boyfriend/lover

(c) Picturesque, idealized, small town and goes off to THE BIG

CITY!

(d) One of the above, some of the above, or all of the above

In THE BIG CITY! the heroine might:

(a) Be successful, have a fabulous apartment but live a lo

nely, loveless life

(b) Lose touch with her true love from back home

(c) Have a boyfriend, soon to become fiancé, that is a

terribly flawed human, but handsome and successful.

(d) Fail at accomplishing her dream and out of pride stay in

THE BIG CITY!

(e) One of the above, some of the above, or all of the above.

The leading lady that starts in THE BIG CITY! ending up in the perfect hamlet or returning home because of :

(a) A family crisis

(b) A work assignment

(c)She makes some crazy-ass wish and an elf allows her to see how perfect

her life could be had she stayed or if she wasn’t living her soulless life

(d) Her car breaks down

(e) One of the above, some of the above, or all of the above.

Eventually, our heroine reconnects with all that is good in la vida. She might save a town, find love, and dump the loser, realizing there is no place like home—while being fashionably dressed the entire time, of course.

The Moral Of The Story

The moral always is: THE BIG CITY! is bad and loveless, and only in a small municipality can one repurpose one’s self for the greater good in work and life. Then, and only, will we all live happily ever after, on a small living wage.

There are positive aspects to these stories, too. These leading ladies, like so many young people have had to return home because they cannot afford living on their own. As a result they are reconnecting with family and friends. There are good things to be found in our economic crises. With the limited job market, repurposing yourself for the greater good is noble and needed. Lowering outrageous expectations and being a part of a supportive, forgiving, and loving community, can readjust a life compass and a society.

But what kind of message are these movies sending to women overall? Why is living in the city always the default for loosing your soul and your roots? It has allowed so many who have left home to become who they dreamed of being, or not…choices…choices…choices! Small or big, with or with out a man, with a great career or not, why is this still an issue?

Someone please tell me where that incredible apartment is with the perfect location and great décor, I will take over the leading lady's lease or buy our heroine’s place so she can find true love, her true purpose in a small, still to be named magical town....

Wait...where was I? I can lose my point and my mind when inhaling too much sugar, forgive me.

Give Thanks

BY RITA

Several weeks ago, I heard two dog stories on the news. Both tales were of dogs that had gotten lost miles away from their homes but were eventually found and returned to their loving and relieved owners. I reflected on the story while petting Emma, my dog, and realized I had just heard a happy-ever-after news report. Upon further reflection I recognized this was the first time in months I was listening to good news coming through the airwaves.

I used to turn the fluff pieces off, or ignore them (too sugary for me). Lately, thought, between banks, home foreclosures, unemployment, cities defaulting, attitudes, confidence, and our general mental health all being disjointed, out of whack, and endlessly hurting--I was happy to hear good news for a change. In contemplating and relishing a fluff piece, my wakeup moment was wishing there was more of the sugary stuff.

Yesterday my check engine light went off for at least two hours straight. Good news: the CD player played my favorite song twice before silencing itself completely. How considerate of the machine to give me a few moments of kindness before sending me into a long, quiet drive. What about my iPod, you ask? Broken too. Notice a trend?

It seems that all we talk or hear about lately is brokenness. In the spirit of thanksgiving I am going to communicate to others and myself treasures and riches that are unbroken in my life, and it's not about my stuff. No faking it, no excess mountains of fluffy whipped meringue, but real, honest treasures will be shared. Hear it comes…wait for it… There will be gratitude.

In a class I attend we set a time. Every hour we take a one-minute break for reflection, silence, or just to breathe. This season, I am setting my timer throughout my every day and taking my single minute to be thankful.

Turning the dial down on a machine that broadcasts only sour and bad bites, or taking a nap or well-earned rest, is going to allow me to look at what is fixed, what does work, and what is a gift. I'm going to allow the time and space to both recognize and enjoy what can be heard when things go silent.

See our updated Autumn Collection HERE!

The holiday season is upon us and plans for Thanksgiving and December celebrations are well in the works.

Breathe.

Even though this time of year is riddled with challenges of time, travel and kitchen affairs, it does prompt us to pay attention to the things we should cherish most.

So breathe!

When in overload, our bodies tend to gasp for air and we somehow forget to exhale. Don't hold your breath this year. When you feel overwhelmed just take a deep breath in, then focus on those things you cherish as you exhale and relax. This trick has kept the homicide ratedown in my personal circle for years.

When I have to wait in line and watch the person ahead of me seem stunned that it's time to pay for their items while rifling through pockets or purses and chatting away all at once, a phrase from Hunter S. Thompson helps keep me centered: "When the going gets tough, the weird turn pro!"

My best advice this season-stay an amateur.

Let the holiday activities commence!

-Rita