Shoppin'!

I dislike shopping, especially when the boys are with me. They either tell me what they think I want to hear, or just agree with everything to hurry the process along because they really want to go to the electronic store. Sometimes they just laugh uproariously and inappropriately (a sure sign the darn thing does not flatter my figure), and other times they try to talk me into styles that I should not be considering. But when you need something, there is little other choice but to go into some store, hunt around, bag something and hopefully return victoriously.

It has been so cold in the Library that I have given up on wearing suit coats and donned sweaters every day. Some of my sweaters I have had a long time, and the extra wear and tear is showing. Some have become stained beyond remedy, and I tossed them, some have shrunk with over washing and they went in the Sal's donation bin. Alas, I found myself with only three viable sweaters, not enough for this extraordinarily cold winter.

My work at the High School Library was up to date enough that I decided to take a morning and see if there are any end of season bargains. After all, the spring line should be coming out soon. It is already end of January. I managed to ditch the boys and headed for my favorite clothing store, almost afraid of what I would find. Some years the colors are all wrong for me. Other years the styles are too young or too old and foppish.

This year though, there was a wide variety, and best of all a 60% and 75% off rack! I poked and prodded through the stacks of styles, fussing because this sweater was pretty but not in my size, this one the right size but the wrong color, that one had a plunging neckline totally inappropriate. At last I found an armful of acceptable candidates and headed for a dressing room.

How amazing it is that things on the hangar take on a whole different personality when you try them on! Stuff I loved on the rack looked awful on the body. Stuff I wasn't sure about but brought along just to see worked so well I selected it. I learned a long time ago that colors under a dressing room light are not always the same as colors in the bright revealing sunlight of day. I found a mirror near the storefront window and held the items next to my face. It was either yuck or wow.

When all was said and done, I had managed to find three warm and cozy sweaters at bargain prices that all looked fairly decent. Not bad for an hour's work. I can now stay warm in fire red, eggplant purple and royal blue.