I've Officially Started Shopping in Ultra Annoying Stores

I found myself in a Hollister store the other day.
I KNOW! What was I thinking, right?
I will just tell you this: I did it out of love.
For my 11 going on 18 year old daughter.

Last week she asked me again why she coudln't shop at Hollister. After all, she's the ONLY ONE OF HER FRIENDS (haha) who doesn't wear Hollister or Abercrombie everyday to school.
(Do you hear me playing the world's tiniest violin?)

She didn't bother asking about Abercrombie. She's been good about it, and she understands perfectly well why she isn't allowed to wear their clothing. She knows about their advertising, and agrees that she'd never want to promote those images.

But the Hollister thing? Well, I admit  - I've just assumed it was just like Abercrombie. I looked around on their website, expecting images of pretty much nude teenagers - but I (thankfully) didn't see that. I decided I'd just have to go to the store and check it out myself.

There are so many battles to pick these days. I didn't want to choose this one, if I didn't have any valid points. So I packed it up on MY FREE MORNING, and went to Hollister.

I no worries about finding it in the mall. I just followed my nose. Have you SMELLED these places? P.U.

After 30 seconds, I'd had enough. I'm not kidding you! They are all about atmospehere over there, those classy folks. The music was SO FLIPPIN loud that I couldn't even think. My sense of smell was in overdrive, from the equivalent of 19 bottles of cologne sprayed everywhere. The bass was so strong that my poor little heart kept trying to leap out of my chest.

And my eyes, oh my poor eyes! What exactly is it about a store that's so dark you can't see that is supposed to be appealing??
I'm not joking. I had to keep stepping away from the shelves and holding up the price tags to see the prices in a little smidgen of light. I. COULD. NOT. SEE.
It's not like I'm 98 yrs old people! These 35 year old eyes couldn't see squat.
I lasted more than 30 seconds in there, though. Know why? I didn't see anything that I objected to. No naked guys on posters. No trashy clothes.
I spent about 40 minutes in there, gasp! And I got Emma a few new things for Christmas.
Know what's funny?
The kid at the register had to keep stepping back and holding the price tags up to scan. Because it was SO DARK EVEN HE COUDN'T SEE!
I politely suggested to him that maybe a spotlight would work wonders back there.
He didn't think it was funny.
He just thought I was old.