Gentle reader, are you ready for a tale of much woe? I hope so, because there's one a-brewin':
Part 1:The First Half of yesterday was shaping up to be just peachy and lovely, I was shopping in Soho with Sarah and Liz and Liz' sister Mary (who is an undiscovered comedic genius sometimes) and we went to Anthropologie, with various goals in mind. Mine was to celebrate my great shop-week by buying
A.) My first pair of "fancy jeans" (ie: jeans that cost more than $40 and make me look like a mod fashionista) and
B.) a cute outfit for my meeting on next Thursday with the Art Director and Editor at Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, about which I am really, really excited! Mostly I'm so happy that the editor, Nancy contacted me about a meeting, after purchasing some things from my shop, and says that the art director also loves my work. So the pressure is off, a little bit, because they already like me, and I like Nancy (via emails, anyway)...and that is good for a gal who is uncomfortable "selling themselves" (like I know that alot of us are).
So I bought these hideously expensive jeans that are just so sassy and adorable, a lovely gray skirt with sweet little front pockets, and a polka dotted blouse. All totalling to...well... alot of money, for me (remember where I am).
Part 2: The quality of the day began to sharply decline when I had an upsetting phone conversation in Ann Taylor Loft (whilst helping Sarah look for grown-up clothes for her new job), which ended in me bursting into tears in the presence of all the Ann Taylor shoppers, and for the next hour or so...crybaby central. But I started to calm down, and feel a bit better when we sat down for an early dinner at a resteraunt in Union Square. After all, things are really fine, and I did have my lovely new clothes to comfort me. When we finished, we paid and then waltzed out the door across the street to some shop ISO shoes for Sarah. After a few minutes in the shoe store, Sarah exclaimed: "Where is your Anthropologie bag? Did you leave it at the resteraunt?!" Oh, no. Oh, no.
Oh, yes I had.
Part 3: I walked (briskly, though) back to the resteraunt (which was less than a block away) and went back to the table we were sitting at. No bag. Nil. I ask the frazzled hostess if she knows anything...she sweetly goes back to the back and asks around. Nothing. I ask the portly guys sitting at my former table if they know anything...nope. The manager comes to talk to me, and at this point I am really really sad, and the reality that someone swiped my beautiful clothes is settling in. I say in a wavering voice "I just can't believe that someone would do this! Isn't it a shock to you", to which the manager very calmly replies "No, it's not. I've had this happen to me twice before".
SO DEPRESSING. So, so depressing, because I am not a rich lady, and I really didn't need to have hundreds of dollars worth of clothing stolen from me. But even more depressing is that this was a nice resteraunt. All around me were little yuppies and middle aged, upper-middle class folks.
I was not in a bodega in Brooklyn, where somebody might've genuinely needed and been desperate enough to swipe that shopping bag. Whoever took my things (with the hope of returning for cash maybe? Thankfully, they can't do that because I paid with my card, and they can only get store credit if they don't have the card to refund the money to) didn't need those clothes.
I called the Soho Anthropologie and asked if I could give them my card number, so that they could flag the transaction, or something like that. They basically told me that there was no way that they could ever accuse someone of stealing...even if they are returning my exact 3 items in my size with MY reciept that has my info on it. Ugh.
So, that, my friends, is my sad tale. I think the moral of this story is "Don't be forgetful" & more importantly "Don't buy fashionista jeans" or you will meet a sad end. I just hope that whoever took my things feels a little bit gross when wearing whatever clothes they buy for themselves with their "store credit". Jerks.
Comments (31)
i'm so sorry! that truly sucks! i once had my purse stolen while i was eating INSIDE a restaurant in soho and i was sooo pissed because there wasn't much money in my bag and i know that whomever took it didn't want the brand new expesive beautiful purple and green glasses i had just bought. arghhh! so annoying! but you still have that amazing meeting coming up! felicidades on that! they will love you even if you show up in a brown paper bag because they already DO love you! that is great.
risa · July 02, 2006 at 03:12 PM
First off, that SUCKS. I am so sorry that happened. Frig. I'll skip my tales of thievery in NY.
But don't don't don't you think it had anything to do with the fact that you bought yourself something expensive and "fashionista." You were distracted, you forgot the bag, and someone out there is a scumbag. Doesn't mean you don't get to get cool new stuff! No cosmic punishment for buying expensive things!
This was just one of those things about living in the Big, and sometimes Black, Apple.
Good luck with your meeting!
Carolyn · July 02, 2006 at 03:43 PM
Oh Emily, I am SO sorry. That sucks so so badly! Karma will bite those jerks in the ass...hopefully soon!
Jessica Hood · July 02, 2006 at 04:47 PM
Oh no! I was hoping when I started reading that it wouldn't end tragically. (although I had a funny feeling it would...)
I am so sorry! I am crying with you... all of those beautiful clothes!!! (if that are from anthropologie they have to be!)
Shelly · July 02, 2006 at 05:02 PM
I'm so sorry for you! Once my purse was stolen at a Caffe terrasse, and they returned evrerything but my very special holiday sketchbook.
I'm still crying for it!
People are mean sometimes.
Did you check wih you credit card id you have any insurance for that kind of thing?
del4yo · July 02, 2006 at 05:22 PM
So so sorry to hear your woeful tale, but I agree that whoever stole your lovely purchases will get what he/she deserves in the end!
And I wish you all the best for your meeting next Thursday! I kept thinking your style would be wonderful for children's books and I hope everything goes well for you in that realm!
Cathy · July 02, 2006 at 06:22 PM
firstly. congrats on the meeting emily. i'm sure they will be as impressed as i am with your talents.
secondly. bad ju-ju to those anthro-stealing-wanna-be-as-cool-as-you-dorkus-malorkus thieving dumb dumb's.
thirdly. they'll get theirs, or maybe they already have when they were crossing the street last night and mysteriously got hit by a garbage truck.
ps : i've been wanting to let you know for a while now that i love *heart* love my paper bag trio. xo.
k8tykat · July 02, 2006 at 06:30 PM
And now I shall hand you over the grumpy genius tiara... although no one stole anything for me to get the title!!
Good luck with your meeting, it seems we are leading parallel lives, maybe we can rendesvous at some schmancychildrens book convention for grumpy genius'...
Shannon · July 02, 2006 at 06:34 PM
Well that both sucks and blows. I'm sorry. May the person who swiped your swell, swell outfit be plagued with instant karma of the bad variety.
Finally, call your credit card company!!!!! Many cc companies offer insurance on merchandise that's been purchased with their card and subsequently lost or stolen. And while Anthropologie can't flag your purchase/transaction, your cc company might be able to.
I'll hope for a happy ending to your tale of woe. It may never come to pass but hope springs eternal.
Sarah · July 02, 2006 at 07:08 PM
I'm coming out of lurkdom to express how upset, sad, and angry this story made me. I'm still thinking what you were thinking..."How could somebody do this?!" (Naive little Austinite that I am.) I'm so sorry that all the fun of your purchases (not to mention your hard-earned money) was just swiped away. Hugs to you!
crystal · July 02, 2006 at 07:34 PM
TRY TO THINK ABOUT IT THIS WAY...something wonderful will come to you from this experience ( maybe that meeting will go eXtra WELL ) and something horrible will happen to that rotten apple that stole your beautiful things!
thebutterflycollector · July 02, 2006 at 07:49 PM
What a tragic tale. If nothing else, remember that karma will come back and BITE that evil individual in the arse when they least expect it.
Chin up...your next pair of fashionista-sweet-jeans will be even better =)
candyflick · July 02, 2006 at 09:26 PM
Ughhh...what a horrible day! Surely the scum that took your bag will be struck down with a gargantuan case of some very itchy disease and will get hives and an angry, red and purple rash in very bad places.
Why do people have to be so icky and mean? Probably because then it reminds us to love and appreciate all the nice, decent people out there who let you know that you've dropped your scarf or that your fly is down or that you have your skirt tucked in your tights.
Kudos and good luck on your Thursday meeting...your style is perfect for kid's books!
Cricket · July 02, 2006 at 09:56 PM
I second, third, fourth and fifth calling your credit card company! Though, I find it a little ridiculous that the store can't do anything about it... I work in a small independent retail establishment and you can be that /we/ sure as heck would try to help you out!
*waggles fingers in an elaborate hex* There! That's some bad ju-ju for 'um!
Sarah · July 02, 2006 at 11:02 PM
Ugh...thats just plain awful. I'm so sorry. Don't worry though, I, like most others on here feel that everyone will get what they deserve in the end. Karma is a beautiful thing.
Birdypups · July 02, 2006 at 11:43 PM
oh man that sucks. :(
nikki · July 02, 2006 at 11:53 PM
I am SO sorry, Emily! That just really sucks. I hope the saying "what goes around comes around" in this case. Hugs!
caitlyn · July 03, 2006 at 03:10 AM
It's just unnatural for a sweet southern girl from Georgia to be in New York. I feel sooo... bad for you. That brings out the "mother hen" in me and I want to come up there and get somebody. You be safe and take care. You're my favorite artist and be careful.
Michelle Anderson · July 03, 2006 at 10:15 AM
That is the most horrible story EVER. Makes me wish I had some fashionista jeans to send you, and I don't even know you! But don't worry, karma is sometimes slow, but people always get what they deserve in the end, and the lowlifes who stole your clothes will get theirs. You, too will get yours, because after all, good things come to those who wait.
Robin Green Eye · July 03, 2006 at 11:11 AM
It is total BS telling that they won't flag the purchase. Stores do it all the time. When I worked at Nordstroms, there was this guy trying to return an expensive woman's dress and all the stores got called and told to get his ID and hold onto it and call Loss Prevention. What they do is while they send a manager as a decoy to talk to them they copy the ID and fax it to all the stores and there is this bulletin board of all these people's IDs of people who you need to watch out for. Basically as soon as they step in the store next time Loss Prevention(undercover security posing as shoppers ready to tackle shoplifters as they leave the store) follows them around and a manager gets called for all returns and things just get really difficult for them.
Diana · July 03, 2006 at 11:25 AM
aargh! that STINKS. it's the worst story ever. and i can totally relate about finally finally biting the bullet and buying fancy jeans. i just did it a few months ago myself and was both proud of myself and a little giddy at what felt at the moment like my financial recklessness at the same time.
i know it might be hard - or even maybe economically not feasible at all? - but i so want you to march back to anthro and just buy it all all over again... certainly so if the credit card company thing works out!
susan · July 03, 2006 at 01:23 PM
Oh Emily, I'm not even going to acknowledge the icky part of that story. Karma will take care of them! But congratulations on your meeting with Little Brown!!!! That is amazing, and if they're smart, they'll scoop you up :)
crafty champloo · July 03, 2006 at 03:49 PM
Oh my gosh! That is horrible! I am so sorry that someone took something you worked so hard to get. Something that meant a little bit of cheer for you. I know that this may not sound like very much coming from someone you don't know, but if there is anything I can do to help bring a little bit of cheer, please let me know!
vegasandvenice · July 03, 2006 at 07:50 PM
P.S. I am willing to make a fool of myself. I will happily sqwack like a chicken while hoola hooping and eating chicken noodles and tap dancing in the ummm ... grocery store! Then again stickers in the mail are always fun *wink*
vegasandvenice · July 03, 2006 at 07:52 PM
oh man that sucks :(
i feel SO bad for you. Hopefully Karma will find the so and so that took everything from you and something equally as terrible will happen to them. *insery angry face smiley here*
clair · July 03, 2006 at 10:43 PM
oh, i'm so sorry that happened to you. It's so depressing that people can do something like that. Just remember that there are good people out there. Whenever something like that happens to me, I always just assure myself that it will come back to whoever took your things.
mary · July 04, 2006 at 03:29 AM
You have upset the Gods of Fashion!! Be aware! They do things like that when one buys the wrong clothes. Happened to me ones too. Just bring them an anual sacrifice, and you'll be allright.
digibudi · July 04, 2006 at 07:15 AM
oh my gosh...i am soo sorry this happened to you. just remember "karma is a boomerang" and whomever(whoever?) will get their due. and you will do wonderfully with the book people! i love your art and i collect children's books...so it will be exciting to one day see your work in a wonderful story!
kathi · July 04, 2006 at 01:29 PM
There are some very mean people about!
I for one would love to buy a book illustrated by yourself!
Kristy · July 04, 2006 at 05:13 PM
that is a sad sad sad tale. i once left $200 sunglasses on a restaurant table and went back 15 minutes later and they were gone. it was devastating.
lisa · July 05, 2006 at 12:24 PM
I am so sorry that this happened to you! I completely agree with everyone who said to call your credit card company. Most do have you insured in the case of theft. And I am SHOCKED at Anthropologie! It really makes me think twice about shopping there. Sending you lots of good thoughts....
Cate · July 05, 2006 at 03:36 PM