Tuesday, October 6, 2015

Neiman Marcus Makes It Official: Christmas Is On The Way!

Well, well, it's only the first week of October. Halloween is still three weeks away, but we got an email today from Neiman Marcus that the Christmas Catalog is in the mail and now available online.

Taking only a quick peek, it has it's usual understated cover (some might think it tacky or even worse, artsy-fartsy) which belies the insanely expensive gifts inside.

In any case, for those in the high-end retail world this seemingly marks the official beginning of the Christmas shopping season, and all hell's about to break loose. For the rich, of course, this three-month lead time is helpful in appropriating the funds to accommodate the voracious expectations of their friends and families.

For those of us in private service here at the mansion, this also marks the beginning of when our stomachs start going into knots with so much work to do!

Upon consultations with our employer, we need to get the greeting cards designed, printed and sent to the calligrapher for addressing. Make out a gift list and do the shopping in order of priority. Prepare for the exterior house decorations and meet with our dreadful florist for the interior designs. Deal with events planners and caterers for all the parties that are about to slam us in the face. And all the while trying to put on a happy face about this annual work overload.

I can't really say that rich people look any more forward to all this than we do. It's just part of their social obligations and trying to fulfill what's expected of them by way of generosity and charity events that overwhelm them every year at this time. But we do our best to back them up and make everything go smoothly.

We'll also be looking much forward to their winter vacation directly after New Year's, when all this nutty crap joyous occasion is behind us.

Before going, here's a link to the Neiman Marcus Christmas Catalog. Just hit the Flip Book button to go through it and see what rich people are up to this year.

Thanks for dropping in tonight,

Andrew

10 comments:

  1. Keep calm and buy expensive things. All the things.

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  2. Even better, in the words of Paul Bettany on a recent podcast "You have to just spray money at the problem."
    That's the kind of advice I feel your employers would take seriously.

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    1. Expensive gifts from the rich are expected, or else you get thrown out of the club! And already charity requests are coming in the mail every day, piling up on my employer's desk. You and Paul Bettany are both right - just throw enough money at the problem/situation and everyone will eventually shut up and go away. Or so it seems.

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  3. I flipped through the catalog and fell in love with a couple of skirts, and then thought, if I had the money, I'd buy those in a heart beat. But then, I started thinking seriously of all the upper middle class to upper class people who will browse through this same catalog. What's the point of being uber rich if you might show up to a charity event wearing the same outfit. LOL. I guess that's what they call "rich people problems."

    I don't know why, Andy, but I'd thought this year would be less intense for you since the Missus wasn't there. I figured Mister would jet off somewhere with known for sophisticated rusticity and snow covered chalets.

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    1. That's where haute couture comes into play for the super rich; one-of-a-kind designer outfits that eliminates the dreaded situation you described.

      It's still busy as heck around here, Missus or not. And I do indeed wish the Mister would go away to that snow-covered chalet for a couple of months - or years.

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    2. LOL. Why do I get the feeling that you'd probably be bored to tears after the first month without him. Like those people who dream about retiring and then don't know what to do with themselves when they actually retire. umm, on second thought, maybe not the first month in your case, but I think at the 3 month mark you'd start wishing for a party to organize or something.

      Well I'm glad you wrote this post because I was browsing through the Burberry website (NEW HANDBAGS ARE IN), and I had a thought/question that coincides perfectly with this discussion.

      I was mentally purchasing all the totes, buckets and shoulder bags (as well as some evening clutches) thinking "wouldn't it be great if I had the money to buy all the ones I loved without me raiding the 401K or robbing a bank?" This is the part where I had another "rich people's problem" epiphany. How does one stop oneself from buying everything one likes when money is no object?

      Let's say I woke up tomorrow and was suddenly worth $100 million. What would stop me from buying a dozen gorgeous yet overpriced handbags in one sitting? Is it the thought of eventually running out of closet space what would keep me within non-Emelda Marcos limits? Or do I buy however many I want then donate them to charity next season to get the tax write off and make way for newer and better. What curtails how much you buy when you have that kind of money to spend?

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  4. You're probably right; I'd get bored without all the stress and activity, but a nice long break wouldn't hurt. As for how the rich restrain themselves from over buying, I don't think it's a problem. There comes a point where satiation and boredom intervene, plus a lady's wardrobe consultant and personal shoppers handle most of this anyway. (Which doesn't mean the Missus wouldn't go on shopping sprees herself from time to time.)

    If you come into sudden wealth Stacy, there's nothing wrong with buying bags to your hearts content. When you're tired of them you can dump them at a consignment shop or charity auction, then start all over and buy more.

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    1. That just took the #1 spot on my list of "Problems I'd Like to Have Some Day"
      1. Be wealthy enough so that shopping sprees and splurges became passe and boring,

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    2. If not boring, at least less pressing.

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