Friday, December 5, 2008

Random Friday night thoughts

I went shopping tonight. We have a fancy Christmas party coming up soon, and my fancy dress up stuff is either too big or still too little. So I decided I would go to the big new mall , with the fancy stores. I feel I need to look good at this party!


This morning I had straggled thru all my clothes - tried everything on and either looked like a stripper in a hot pink, skin tight dress (WAY too skin tight) or the mother-of-the-bride look. Horrible. Nothing is working for me.

But going to the store and having the sales lady barge in with a "different size" (read larger) or a body long elastic thing called "spanx" which makes me look like a pink bowling pin...or tilting her head to one side and saying "maybe you should try the "womens" department (read - bigger clothes for old ladies) - OY - it was just too much. Actually fairly funny; and I did manage to keep my sense of humor. And in the end I just grabbed a few dresses that were in my size and looked decent and I'll try them on at home.
Of course, I always fret about what other people are going to wear. Fancy or not fancy? Pants or a dress? But with the number of people coming to the party I'm sure there will be all levels of dress.
What's also good is that I am not discouraged by this little adventure. I've lost alot of weight over the past 6 months and I have a ways to go but I know it's all in a days' work and will just keep plugging along.

Last weekend I took my gorgeous niece shopping for fancy shoes for her fancy high school formal. Is there anything that makes you feel so old as standing next to a tall lanky 15 year old with long slim legs, wonderful long red hair, and a cute adorable face? She looks alot like me when I was 15; and there are those moments when I forget, that it seems like I must still be looking fresh as a daisy and perky as all heck. Then I catch a glimpse of myself in one of those damned full length mirrors and the past 40 years comes crashing back. It's always a shock. When did this all happen? What happened to my neck and my arms? Where are my long slim legs?

This is my niece with at mom's house - on Thanksgiving day.



I even tried on high heels tonight - really high ones like they wear in "Sex and the City". 1.5 seconds in them was too much and off they came. How do people do it? How can they walk for more than 1 minute. I'm sure my legs looked longer and slimmer in these shoes but you could see the broken ankle waiting at the end of the hallway!

It was a funny night. I haven't been to a mall like this in ages, at first it was fairly empty but filled up quickly - mostly with teenagers. I watched people; I ate a sandwich, I window shopped.

As for the party dress - we'll see... I have a whole week to obsess about it.

Do you have to go to company parties, where they make you dress up and act silly? or - like a sensible person - do you stay home in your jammies, eating yeast cake, knitting and watching silly Christmas Hallmark specials on TV? Do you wonder which I'd rather be doing???

9 comments:

Teri said...

I so related to this whole post. I hate shopping and if I have to wear anything other than jeans I am not happy. And since I need to find a dress for New Year's eve, I will take Ms Em with me-she is so much fun.

kj said...

i just love your attitude, mim. i'm losing weight finally and it feels so good to not avoid clothes (though i haven't hit the mall yet).

and i love these drawings. you have such a whimsy about you and how you see the world. it makes me feel good.

:)

Lynn Cohen said...

Okay, Lynn to the rescue!
LOL
First of all get a pair on nice black pants (no pockets or pleats, just straight long pants). They slim US.
Then (do you have a Chico's where you are?) get a top, jacket perhaps, that is stunning..in design and color!
But make sure the lines are those that fit your shape whatever it may be. For me long down to the hips is best as I am short short waisted. So something straight from armpits to hips looks best on me. Make me look longer/taller. Classic shirt style is good too. Keep it simple but play with color or design if that flatters you. Or add chunky jewelry. Chicos has lots of that. And keep the shoes flat. No one is looking at your feet I promise you and you will be comfortable and happy.
(If I wear even a one inch heel I have a back ache in five minutes).

So go comfortable but sharp looking and have fun.

Now, thanks so much for your comments on my daughter's gift collage. There are a ton of stories in those 40 years of photos. Oy...so many stories. Glad it peaked your interest. It was fun putting it together, I kept tearing up...Can't wait to give it to her tomorrow night.
BTW I am wearing long black straight cord pants, flat black shoes, a dark purple rayon shirt over a black rayon shell, and my silver and purple wedding jewels!
I'm also going to sling the patched quilted purse I made across my chest and show it off!!!
;-)

We get older Mim, but we can do it gracefully. Keep to the healthy life plan and you'll continue to be happier and happier with the changes you'll make over time. I sure am. I am beginning to make friends with my new found/realized gathering skin in places I hadn't noticed before. It's gonna happen, I might as well get used to it.
In the meantime it's exercise and eating smart! ;-)

Mim said...

Thanks all and Lynn, you're so right. Firstly I just love Chicos and I did buy a skirt there last week. DH asked if I could wear a dress or skirt to the party - and if he asks nicely I usually give in. So a skirt it is. The problem that I have with Chico's clothes is that they are usually boxy and I don't look great in boxy when dressing up. I'm extreamly curvy - typical hourglass figure - and I try to emphasize the good parts of that and minimize the bad.

Either way...I'll figure it all out! This morning I am letting out seams on a dress that hasn't fit me in awhile, and while it does fit now, it's just a bit tight so some small adjustments are necessary. I'll take a picture...and if decent - will even post it!

studio lolo said...

Everyone is losing weight but me. Why? Because you're all working on it! My goal is to lose 75 lbs. I lose 10 and then fall off the wagon. I used to instruct nutrition and exercise, so I certainly know what to do. I just have to find the right combo of what works for me now at this age and weight and GO DO IT.

My two cents for the clothes. Keep it classic. You can't go wrong. Classic never goes out of style. Show off that cleavage of yours and wear a drop-dead necklace and earrings! I'm not saying to let the girls fall out for goodness sakes, but be proud of your assets :) And I agree, comfy but cute shoes. And have fun!
I can't wait until I can buy "off the rack" again. I don't even look in mirrors :(

ElizT said...

Well. Buckets of fellow feeling. Great advice from Lynn and Lolo. I have been working on the weight, very gradually over about four years and it is such fun going down the dress sizes. All these dressy functions are much less daunting,though I still make expensive mistakes.

Mim said...

I made up my mind to lose weight about a year ago and got thru it slowly but it didn't really start to come off until I got onto thyroid meds for a slight underactive thyroid. It's not that the meds will actually make you lose weight, it's just that I have more stamina for exercise and that helps ALOT. Eating less is a side effect of more exercise - isn't it strange? Maybe it's because I drink more water when exercising, and then feel more full etc etc etc.
I have made away from the 'womens" sizes into regular sizes and it feels great. Next down to the early teen and puberty year sizes (the 10's and 12's)

I probably will go classic - and oh boy I wish I had the guts to really flaunt the girls! But it's a work party....have to remember that monday morning comes after saturday night.

Karen Salva said...

I am so glad we do not have to attend any of these parties, I would love a fancy new dress but would have to wear it with UGGS to hide the roadmap of spider veins on my legs and the huge flat feet I have from standing for close to 20 years.

Anyway congratulations on the weight you did lose!

Lynn Cohen said...

I did not know my new dress size is in the puberty/teen catagory. I am laughing my head off. Weight is so darn relative. I am still wanting to take off more and now I know I am in puberty again??? OY. Too funny!!!!
BTW I have no "assets" either so maybe that is where the weight is! LOL
Am looking forward to that photo.
At my party I had to laugh as I did notice my SIL's mothers' shoes (after telling you no one looks at shoes)...Her's had pretty gold shiny buckles on them...mine were very plain jane black. LOL
I had the most fun!!! LOL