a bit of silliness that won't break the bank

So for our anniversary, we've decided to try out a small Italian restaurant downtown, and spend some of the evening strolling the historic district. Then we'll go home for a few hours and enjoy the evening alone. We thought about dressing up in our finest duds and jewels but my wife somehow lost her beautiful new wristwatch when we last went out for a classy stroll, so we're a bit more cautious now. We try not to carry too much jewelry with us - at least not the expensive or keepsake stuff. But that doesn't mean that she has to look plain. There's always costume jewelry and semi-precious stones that can be picked up rather cheap at online wholesale fashion jewelry stores.

And I can wear my old wingtips with a fresh shine and feel like I'm "Puttin' on the Ritz" with little reservation. Heck, I could even sport a top hat, tails and a cane if I was so inclined. I'm sure that with all of the post-Halloween clearance sales, there are some fun and silly "dress-up" costumes to be had for cheap.

It may not be luxurious and it may not be as classy as one would like. But it makes me feel much better about riding around in the back of a horse drawn carriage or walking dimly lit downtown streets where one could easily misplace one's finer jewelry or trip on a sidewalk crack and rip my suit. That's where second hand stores shine - you can get someone else's finest duds for cheap. It may have a few battle scars from weddings past, but nobody is going to notice and it leaves you with more money to spend on the meal, or on something intimate like lingerie for her.