I have a confession (anyone who has met me even once probably has figured it out) - I'm not great at "girl stuff." I don't know a lot about hair and makeup, I don't keep up with fashion, I don't remember important anniversaries, I don't follow celebrity antics, etc. As I've gotten older I've learned how to make myself look presentable, but that's about the extent of it.
BUT - yesterday, I spent the whole day with my best friend (who is male and infinitely more knowledgeable about fashion than I am) shopping, and not just the sales racks, either. Yup, store to store, matching things, putting together an outfit, even trying things on. I let salespeople bringing me recommendations and everything! Kara would be so proud. I have to tell you that it was actually a little fun - exhausting for sure, but fun. It might not be a bad idea to do this every once in a while (I mean like once a year, lets not get crazy or anything).
The people at Express were amazing. There were two girls who helped and both were so nice, made great suggestions, didn't laugh at me for being such a dork. The store was really comfortable to shop in, not all cramped but full of things, most of which didn't look ridiculous (there were a couple things that I just can't imagine someone actually wearing, but I guess they do...) I was happy to give my money to them. Maurice's was also really friendly and fairly inexpensive, New York & Company seemed a lot like I was interfering with their day by asking them do heinous tasks like open a dressing room door and take our money.
I did spend a lot. Like, maybe the total of all my other clothes put together, actually, maybe more...
So, here's the breakdown:
White jacket - very cute and warm and soft - Maurice's $50
Purple shirt - also soft, knit, long enough to hide the squishy tummy - Express $20
Bra - to look smooth and perky under the knit top and I really did need a new one - Express $28
Gray pants - dressy enough for the Capitol, but not stiff and uptight - Express $60 (holy cow, $60!)
White heels - pointy toes, crazy high heels, really sexy - Deb $20
White shirt - looks really cute on, hugs all the right places, hides the squishy ones - New York & Company $20 (the only thing on sale!)
I did let said friend buy the shoes and white shirt since it was his idea to go shopping in the first place (just because I only had two options for what to wear out) but, thank you tax refund and Dad's birthday money, the mall excursion didn't break me. All the things, with the exception of the shoes, are really me, too. I mean, a fancy, dolled-up version of me, but me nonetheless. Simple, comfortable, relatively practical.
Oh yeah, the reason I needed an outfit was that I had a birthday this week (yea, 34) and he was taking me out to dinner at the Forge and Vine in CoMo. I had a great time and the food was fantastic! The staff was great, even complimented my jacket when I got there, which was a super bonus. The server was so accommodating with my non-dairy-ness. He made suggestions, checked labels, talked to the kitchen. A chef-ish person came from the kitchen and even offered to make a cheese-less batch of pesto for me so I could have the Mediterranean chicken I wanted and I'm so glad he did it was unbelievable! And cheap, maybe I'm just used to the prices at my place, but a beautiful, heaping plate of food (12 oz chicken breast, artichoke hearts, kalamata olives, pesto) was only $13. Friend had a giant KC strip and lobster tail with potatoes and a cream sauce for $38! Even with salads and two drinks a piece, the bill was just under $100. Not that I paid, but it's nice to not feel like I was taking advantage of his generosity.
So, that's the story of my big day. :-)
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