The devil wears Prada

I can use new workout sneakers. I figure it's time to look around and find a good pair at a reasonable price. With extra time to spend in the city before an evening engagement, I hit Designer Shoe Warehouse, better known as DSW.

I walked up and down the aisles, saw a few pairs, checked out prices. Then, of course, I had to peruse the clearance section. I mean, what the heck. They color code the stickers there, so the percentage of the discount depends on the color.

That's when I saw the Prada mules. Let me repeat that slowly, with reverence. P-r-a-d-a. Camel suede, pointy in front, kitten heels. They would transform a pair of jeans. They, in fact, did transform the jeans I was wearing. The color code was a beautiful shade of purple, beautiful because it meant 80 percent off. Yikes. The shoes were a cool $70.

I looked in the mirror a trillion times. I rolled up my jeans to see how my ankles looked in them. I put them in the box and carried them around the store like a newborn. I called my sister from the store to share and to direct her to talk me out of the mules that were far from a practical purchase right now. She obliged. I carried them around for 10 more minutes. And then I put them back on the shelf and walked out.

There are times when you know your inner shopaholic has left the building. Sometimes it's even literal.