Lacking Shopping Adventure.

This post will get me into trouble. I acknowledge this. I accept this.

Now here we go...

"Shopping in Toronto is boring."

I said this to The Husband recently. And his response was, "But this is the biggest city in Canada! How can it be boring?"

"Well," I said, "where should I begin?"

Now, I know I am likely to be highly jaded. Spending nine years in NYC and Boston has spoiled me. I had proper designer boutiques, a wealth of department stores, kitshy independent shops with distinct visions and a proper denim store. (May the last one rest in peace.)

Every few weekends I would go to an early yoga class, go to brunch and then go "shopping." I could find whatever I was craving. I had plenty to see. I would visit shops every other week, buy nothing until months later when I had made up my mind what I really wanted. It was relaxing. It made shopping fun.

Shopping in Toronto is not fun for me. I actually dread going to the shops. Nothing is new. Merchandise doesn't change over much here. And for the chain stores that are from the States, I can't bring myself to shop in them. I just think, "With the Canadian dollar being so strong, I would be stupid to buy this here. I should just visit this store when I am in the States next week and pick it up there. It will be cheaper."

I will admit that I have only ventured to a few handful of areas downtown to visit boutiques there. But the one thing I will say that at the department stores (all two of them) the buyers are a little frigid. Especially in the handbag section. It's all conservative colors and trendy pieces. Does anyone really want to carry the same. exact piece as the next person? Where is the variety? Where is the color?

I mean, I am a woman who lives in shades of melancholy black and grey... But I prefer to have wacky and colorful accessories. If something is going to stand out with my personal style, it's the accessories. The rest of me is blank (or black) canvas.

But in order to properly accessorize, I need shops. A variety of them. All with different things. Not the same things.

I told The Husband tonight that I was going to save up my money, and twice a year go to New York or Boston and go shopping for a few days. I get a lot of vacation time. Would be a good use of time, yes?

I will give mad props though to the restaurant scene here, though. With the exception of lacking a proper Mexican food place, it's pretty damn good.