Adventures In The SBC: Holiday Shopping, Part 2

This was the scene all over Shreveport this week as shoppers scrambled to area stores for last minute gifts, groceries and other important holiday items. I hate to navigate the city to run errands for the parents (particularly mom) and get some last minute items of my own.

Of course I hit up the only indoor mall left in Shreveport -- ST. VINCENT MALL .... Like South Park, it's not what it used to be.

I went to Byrd High in the 90's and St. Vincent was the place because it had a movie theatre and some restaurants .. and all the cute, preppie boys hung out there.

These days it's more of a mall-walkers paradise ... quiet, with the exception of some families taking a stroll through the building. It's nothing like it was ... but there ARE some highlights ...

The COACH store arrived earlier this year, and has already relocated to the other end of the mall (near Dillard's). Honestly, if I had the cash, I'd be in there every other month updating my purse collection. So let's just be glad that I don't have it .. or mahogani would be in trouble!

The BUCKLE has set up shop as well. I never really shopped here, but they always had the cutest sales guys ... and some cute t-shirts.

BODY CENTRAL is a store that first opened up at Pierre Bossier and has made its way to Shreveport as well. I called it Hooker Central because the clothing leaves NOTHING to the imagination. So if you need a Freakum Dress or something to "show what you got," this is the place to get it ... and at some pretty reasonable prices ...

DEMO closed up shop a while ago and has been replaced by a hip-hop store wannabe called UNDGERGROUND. Nothing in there enticed me to want to enter the store, much less spend my money ... and by the looks of the bored sales clerks, I'm not alone ...

By far the BEST find in the mall was that the CORN DOG place is still there. Whereas the Boardwalk in Bossier offers a great funnel cake when the fairs aren't in town, this place offers what has to be the BEST CORN DOG I'VE EVER EATEN ... and for half the price of the state fair. They sell other stuff too ... but go get a combo and I DARE you to tell me you didn't want another one ... LOL.

After my trip through St. Vincent, I continued my Shreveport shopping trip ...

I went everywhere -- several trips to Wal-Mart (Mansfield and Bert Kouns) .. on one trip the parking lot was so full I just left without even going in.

I went to Target ... big mistake ... Youree Drive was so congested by afternoon that with the packed lots you would think Kanye West or somebody was in concert.

I went to Circuit City, Best Buy, several Game Stop stores (thanks to my nephew's love of the PSP), JC Penney, Kohl's (they have some CUTE stuff!), Walgreens, CVS, Fred's, DollarTree, and many, many other places (including two trips to the post office and an unsual trip to Kinko's).

Through it all I avoided several fender benders, stood in long lines, rolled my eyes at comparative shoppers, damn near snatched up some unruly kids and made my way through ALL the traffic!

I made it through Christmas Shopping 2008 ... HOW ABOUT YOU?

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