Friday, January 18, 2008

Gratitude Day 11

Shopping...as in stores - places to find what I want- competitive prices-no shipping!. Hawaii is a beautiful place to live, but the shopping is dismal. Golden paints? No Way! There is no Michael's, no Joann's, no Hobby Lobby, no glass shop, no nothing. We have Walmart, K-mart and a Franklin Crafts (in the Ace hardware) and that is it. Everything has to be ordered mail order, and the shipping to here is astronomical! What I'd give for a good bead store! We have 2 fabric stores with nice fabrics, but almost no notions! Very frustrating! I spent about 6 months a while back in Arizona, and although this is not a place I would ever pick to live, I have to say the shopping was phenomenal! I have never seen so many huge mini malls - on just about every corner! ...and unbelievable close-out stores - you know, the kind where Saks, Nieman Marcus, etc send their leftovers and the labels are cut out. And multiple art stores, and thrift stores and dollar stores! No point on the day after Thanksgiving getting up for a a great sale here , nor the day after Christmas. Oh they say its a sale, but it's just the same-o same-o. Kauai has made some progress, however. A year and a half ago we got a Starbucks and a Jamba Juice. (Now we have 3 on the island!) and last year we got Costco.....mmmmm good cheap, Pizza!
But I am grateful when I am working somewhere where I can go into a real art store and pick out real supplies that I just MUST have.
Of course, I oppose kitzy commercial development here on the island - I like it wild and primitive. But I do appreciate good shopping and am grateful and can go somewhere else and get a shopping fix when I need it!

1 comment:

Angie in AZ said...

Connie, Just so you know, if you ever send me a shopping list for notions and what have you, I'll stuff a flat rate box and send! It would be way cheaper than mail order from a bunch of different online businesses and I LOVE shopping with other people's money! LOL! I'm a major bargain shopper and always look for and find the best deals so, you just holler when you need stuff! Fran and I would have a blast being your personal shoppers!