The (almost) PERFECT DRESS for (me!) sandra mickanen, topps, writeousmom #fashion #macys
so, couple months ago i was shopping at, -you know where, -write:
Magic of Macy's
and i tried on lots of dresses.. and was about to call it a day, but, then..
that's interesting.. wonder what that looks like on
and, all at once, i fell in love with the fabric, the design, the fit, the comfort, the look AND feel of it..
i think my husband would like to see me in this one..
but, i really do prefer a sleeve... not a full sleeve.. but some kind of sleeve..
often this is achieved, by many a' woman, by wearing a shawl, or scarf, or small light weight sheer jacket..
items of this nature:
but i did not want to cover up the dress itself. the fabric is gorgeous! -that is, the fabric beneath the black netting overlay..
but i positively LOVE that added touch.. and the way the netting allows you to see through to the fabric, and how the netting is denser at the bodice
every time i tried the sheer jacket on for the purpose of having sleeves... it took away from the dress.. ruined the overall look.. covered shoulders looked yucky..
then, of course, lesa popped in my head... and my imagination, -because i know lesa, was allowed to experiment, to think... to envision..
love, love, love, this fabric! and i imagined matching sleeves.. but, like, where on earth am i going to find a matching fabric? i did not want a solid color fabric that matched.. i wanted the exact same fabric..
and i knew in advance, i wanted the exact same fabric, but that it would look extra cool, if the sleeves were not covered in the black netting..
and then! -and a matching tie! for my sexy..
and i left macy's on that day, having contemplated... but not purchased the additional dress.
i could not sleep.
i started justifying. like, my God, i can buy two dresses at macy's for less than the price of one dress at a fancy boutique..
and started to realize.. like, if you purchase a larger size dress.. that's more fabric, but for the same price as a smaller size dress..
and then, i found my way back to macy's -went straight to the rack where my favorite dress was.. grabbed the largest size... paid for it.. and practically skipped my way back to our car in the parking lot.
inquired with lesa.. noting this was a time-sensitive request, because we wanted to wear our outfits on new years eve.. would she have the time & availability
and, lesa, when she did my wedding dress.. [LOVE!], my added sleeves were attached to the dress itself..
but i explained for this one, .... i'm gonna be on the dance floor.. i need full range of motion..
i did not want the sleeves attached... restricting my movements in any way /showed her a few of my dance moves..
and when it came to the way i wanted my sleeves to look, i brought this top over.. i love this top, love this fabric, and this is my favorite sleeve! -length and style:
and we talked about velcro as a way to keep the sleeves -up- to keep them in place..
now.. when i got to go back and pick up the sleeves she made.. and the matching tie! i could not have been more pleased..
and on my initial try-on, dress rehearsal at home.. the sleeves stayed put. but they did not want to stay put on new years eve. on new years eve, we secured the velcro, and i added the use of double-sided fabric tape, but they just would not stay up..
to dance freely and not worry about it, i just left my sleeves at our table
but, my mom and i, we've been talking about how maybe some elastic string might help..
and i love the look and feel enough, that i am very willing to experiment, with the goal of wearing this again, but being able to keep my sleeves on..
while i dance another night away with my sexy husband.
"thank you!" here to magic of macys, lesa, the designer of the dress..
now, i do want to share my -if i could customize and make this dress look even better; my dream would be this.. double-sided fabric. see how the sleeve reveals the plain white.. as you move, dance around.. well, if that was the gorgeous fabric, inside & out.. on the scallop of the sleeve A+++
****
and i light-heartedly joke about math now and then..
but, i can do the math: magic of macys + dress + my imagination + 1 more dress + lesa ='s
****
i think it is VERY COMMON that when we shop, we love something.. but, just want to tweak it somehow..
i learn too, from my friend & neighbor, fancy nancy.. she can layer, so creatively and colorfully! i will admire a dress she is wearing, an outfit.. and learn she added an applique.. painted something.. embellished... if anyone should have their own fashion blog.. or magazine.. it's her, i promise you. and since i'm blogging on the topic of fashion this year.. i know in advance i'll be sharing pix of her amazing fashions and style.
#fashion
#macys
this is all a "thank you!" prayer..
hallelujah & amen
#MAGICofMACYS
giggle fits & fashion by (me!) sandra mickanen, topps, writeousmom
"thank you lesa!"
CH = before i had my 2nd pair of the same jean converted into a skirt.. how fun it was.. 1) to laugh so hard in the company of my sister & daughter, that i peed my pants; for real..
and neither my sister or daughter knew.. i had a back up pair of the exact same jean,
so, the same look, the same expression a young person might demonstrate when they watch, for the first time, a magician pull a rabbit from a hat; or cut a woman in half, and then reveal her whole again..
that was the look i saw on their faces.. my sister and daughter;
when i left the room, having visibly wet my pants from laughing so hard..
but then returned to the room, quickly.. and had a brand new, dry, pair of the exact same pants on.
-great thing to have locked in my memory.. and i don't remember our conversation.. what it was specifically that got me to laughing uncontrollably /but now we know, the uncontrollably, refers to my bladder.. write.
****
anyway.. that's how i've been shopping for years: when i do find something i like, that fits well, on my body, and for the occasion.. i like to get it in a few different colors. -in this case, with the jeans, i just like them so well, i bought 2 of the exact same..
when i started to see jean skirts coming back in fashion.. so instantaneously, i knew i wanted to ask lesa if she could convert -one- of my jeans into a skirt..
and i am so utterly, completely, delighted with the result! wear them both very often.. the jeans, and the skirt..
it is my experience almost every time i go shopping.. trying things on.. love the fabric; but not the way the design looks on me.. love the design, find it flattering; don't care for the fabric..
love the fabric, but... if i could just.. tweak this, add that..
it's only pretty recently that i've come to know lesa, and learned all she can do.. and at a reasonable price.
and price is another huge factor for me.
i.e., i had cause to be at santana row yesterday, passed a vest in a window that caught my attention.. i walked past it, then doubled back to the store to, i don't know.. try it on..
but before i tried it on; i inquired about the price
this particular, darling vest, at a boutique on santana row... over ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS!
now, i knew i didn't even want to try it on. period. -art of immediate detachment..
another reason i love the magic of macys! i might not find the identical vest.. but i can find a darling, fashionable vest.. and it's gonna be $60. Sixty dollars..
Macy's is also in my financial lane, so to speak..
and the other thing I LOVE about MACYS.. -in many of these high end boutiques.. they are rather, age-specific,
one boutique might have wonderful items for 40-something year olds.. but a different boutique for baby clothes, and a different boutique, if you are shopping for a teenager.. different for males & females, sometimes too.. and different for product; this boutique for shoes; this boutique for sunglasses..
but MACYS! i can enter the one store, at valley fair, for example, and shop for my grandson, niece, daughter, sister, mom, aunt.. dad, brother, son, uncle, etc. i can shop for socks, shoes, jewelry, dresses, lamps, candles.. sunglasses
no, wait.. they do separate women, and then a different location at same mall, for mens & home.
anyway, point being: they are my genuine and true, one-stop-shop. casual occasion, fancy/formal occasion.. active wear.. the variety and spectrum and price points are impressive!
i do have one... like, one macy thing that doesnt sit write with me, you know what i mean? and it is this: TOYS R US, -the real, authentic, TOYS R US stores from when i, and my children, were still children.. they were MASSIVE, MAGICAL, AWESOME, AMAZING! Imagine a Costco, but all toys! and i was saddened when they shut down.. i didn't cry over it, but i was sad.. sentimental.. grateful they existed when they did, and glad that i, and my children, had that experience..
but then, fast-forward, how much time, not sure, but: Macy's brought TOYS R US back..!
that's what the articles said.. with pictures of geoffrey the giraffe.. and i was so grateful to Macy's really..
until i saw... inside an actual macy's store.. a pathetic few square feet dedicated to childrens toys on eye-level shelves, but with a bench in the area that had geoffrey the giraffe on it, for kids to take pictures with..
and i did see, when i was standing in line at the register.. i looked over and saw, what i'm guessing was a 4 year old, sitting on the bench next to geoffrey, having his picture taken.. smiling..
but inside my heart, mind, i was like.. what a joke. -that's not the real geoffrey.. and this is NOTHING LIKE TOYS R US.. they're lying to you kid...
and i could go on, but you get the point.. i keep looking for an analogy.. and i think,
yes, if you compare a little train ride offered at a park, to Disneyland..
that's a fair capture of the difference between toys-r'nt-us at macys, and TOYS R US, the original, stand alone toy store
Macy's should call their toy section by an entirely different name.
***
where was i? oh, yes.. so, Magic of Macy's.. love their selection.. appreciate their prices..
and now that i also have a friend, lesa, that i can share my alteration and embellishment visions with, who can make them come true..
shopping is even more fun!
which is exactly what i'm about to do today, with my mom and daughter..
***
hallelujah! selah! & amen!
#macys #fashion #MAGICofMACYS
DEAR MY FAVORITE BLOGGER FRIENDS...
as you have ALL decided to take the day off. fine! i will carry the weight today and tell you a story from just the other day. but not yesterday. or the day before.
it all started last month, or last week, when my favorite-of-all-time-use-it-everyday backpack chair collapsed. and please just let me skip right over reliving the humiliation of having my whole body, so suddenly and unexpecedly go crashing - butt first- into the ground..
the long walk from my truck, the slick one-handed unsnap, unfold, and waa-laa!placement of my backpack chair on the grass in the very middle of the very public park beneathe the spotlight of the sun. the two-handed, but still slick, opening and first sip of a bran new full-to-the-top cold pepsi i so excitedly placed in the darling fabric cup holder before attempting to sit down...
well anyway.. i bought this wonderful (stupid!) backpack chair last summer at sports chalet. big sign, big red font, said: ON SALE! ONLY $29.99. and i fell for it.
would later see the exact same chair at walgreens being sold at full retail price for $19.99.
that kind of thing just pisses me off.
but, oh! how i love my backpack chair! take it with me everywhere i go. so light and portable and comfortable and wonderful in every way. if i divided how many times i've used it by the price i paid. which i would never do because i hate math. i'm sure even at $29.99, it's a real bargain.
so my heart broke when the chair broke and i went racing to walgreens right away for a replacement.
no backpack chairs. none. just those plasticky beach chairs that pinch your skin, or the butterfly kind impossible to get in and out of if your over 30 pounds.
so to sports chalet i drove!
"got any backpack chairs?"
"in the camping section" he pointed
i ran towards the tents and coolers and there they were: a whole stack of beautiful, wonderful, light weight, portable, backpack chairs with the darling attached cupholders. fantastic! black or blue
and for a mere $39.99.
$39.99?!? holy shit. what a rip off! why you'd have to love this backpack chair an awful lot and use it everyday to pay a stupid price like that!
and so i went to the register carrying my new backpack chair -on my back.
and this is wear it gets a little tricky.
out of, like - nowhere- or the star trek enterprise, a handsome man is beamed into line behind me. he speaks to me, says, "how much is the chair, it will save me having to walk back and find out."
and i -having just read the price: $39.99. having been pissed off at the $39.99 price. having just gone over, and worse, standing directly in front of the register where i just PAID $39.99!
-forgot the price.
and let me here please just skip over the part where i said to him... or to be more accurate where i kind of asked, "$29? no.. it was more than last year, but less than walgreens... $40? no that doesn't sound right.. i paid more than last year, i know that for sure! well, duh.. let me look at my receipt." meanwhile the price is practically blinking on the cash register in front of me. but, no, i unzipped my little mesh purse, pulled out the receipt i had JUST put in, and hope i eventually said, $39.99. i can't be sure.
then i went to my truck. my car? i'm still not sure what to call it..
but instead of driving off. i find myself stalking. i mean, stalling. -stal-ling- i just sit there a minute, looking around, recovering from my three-hundredith-million embarrassing episode. la, la, la, la, la.. hum diddy doe.. and then watch as he walks out. and i just happen to notice.. he did not go to a car in the parking lot, he headed to the bookstore.
and so, it was then, hit me like lightning and i realized -this is my one and only chance before my trip next year to get a new cd!
and so coincidentally, i found myself right behind him in the bookstore.
and i went back to the music section.. started looking for kelly clarkson's "respect" -she did an awesome job on this remake.. but it's nowhere on the back of her cd's, this song..
so i went to the computer to do some (oh! there he is! eye contact! big smile) research and found out kelly doesn't sing respect on her cd's, but it is on the american idol greatest hits, which is not in store and needs to be ordered.
and so i went straight then (where did he go?) to jason mraz. and since my daughter permanently borrowed the two jason mraz cd's i used to have.. i decided to get two more.
$18.99 each.
-$18.99?!? holy shit. i had no idea! it was not in my budget; no way.
and so i walked to the counter, paid $41.30 for mr. a-z and waiting for my rocket to come.
went to my car. opened up, popped in my new cd, opened the sunroof and drove home singin' all about them words.
over numbers, unencumbered numbered words
hundreds of pages.. pages, pages forwards
more words
then i had ever heard
and i
feel
so alive!...
The Magic of Macy's: I found THE PERFECT PURSE! #fashion by (me!) mrs. sandra mickanen! (topps!) writeousmom
in 2025 i will have been posting here on this blog for 20 years! -but you know, you would not, prior, ever regard SHEsaysWITHaSMILE.blogspot.com as a FASHION blog..
or a WEIGHT LOSS, NUTRITION, blog.. BEAUTY & MAKE-UP.. WEDDINGS...
or an exercise blog.. or, how-to-parent blog.. but i am going to be writing on those unaddressed, purposely neglected/avoided, culturally popular topics in 2025
and i am very excited to get started! so excited, i can't even wait til 2025
and i'm going to start by writing about the magic of macy's. -not that i havent written about macy's before.. but i've written about it, without writing about fashions, beauty or make-up, in a direct way, really..
and for my fellow human-memory-storage nerds, i will [without the aide of research/confirmation] bullet point a few macy's stories i know i've written, from memory, and without giving the story away, so to speak
* my dad being santa at macy's
* lancome, us as 3 generations models
* my traumatic macys bathroom experience
* my laughed til we peed in the dressing room at macys experience with my sister; thanks to our mom
* the spiritual intervention that prevented my purse contents from being stolen while shopping at macys
* purchasing swimsuits during 2020 [purposely not using the c word] when no dressing rooms were available at macys
****
and there's probably more, but those rise to the surface.. and i've already probably shared that 80% of everything in my wardrobe is from macy's. and if i've gifted you clothes or jewelry, chances are very high i bought it from macys.. i think it was my very first credit card, but didn't keep, so can't verify..
but i remember the struggle for that 1st card... need to have a credit history in order to get credit..
-so, how on earth do you start then?
****
anyway, let me not get away from my excitement: i found the perfect purse! (for me).
k, now.. let me speak of my purse shopping criteria. [skipping here about how i used to always carry a purse... (or, bowling bag, as my kids like to tease); and then stopped using a purse entirely for a stretch 'quickest way to lose 10lbs']
and one of the great things, for me personally, about being in my 50's, is that i have learned to seek, (and find!) when it comes to fashion, what works for me; what i like, vs. being influenced by peer pressures, online influencers; media; brand names; false commercials..
further i would add, that as i've blogged 20 years without including ads on my blog, i am not tied to liking something i really don't like; i have no reason to 'pretend' or make anything up..
-the scripture, 'who God sets free, is free indeed' is coming to mind & heart here..
so,
back to my perfect purse:
i am not seeking a particular brand for status; period.
i am seeking something very pragmatic; utilitarian. like it needs to pass my 'how i actually USE IT on a day-to-day basis test [not, can everyone see the brand name test]. it needs to pass my, 'what i actually keep inside it, for what' test..
and! it needs to pass, my 'where/how i use it' test, and! it needs to pass my 'where i place it in my jeep test'
those are the primary concerns i brought with me on my purse shopping adventure..
pragmatic:
i will be wearing my purse -not carrying- my purse; i will need a long, strong, adjustable strap so that i can wear my purse, strap over my shoulder, around my body. i like to be hands-free...
purse shopping is like wordle; lots of process-of-elimination to immediately focus in on what i do want; vs. what i know i'm not looking for.. and since we are blessed in these parts to have 1000's of choices; process of elimination becomes a very important skill set for a lot of things..
so i can immediately eliminate clutches.. or anything i would have to 'carry'.
next, i can immediately eliminate any back-pack styles
when i want to get something out of my purse; i want this experience as fast and efficient and quick n easy as possible.. i want visible and physical access to my purse and contents of my purse at all times
this not only eliminates backpack styles, but immediately eliminates any purses where the flap is folded over, any purses with lots of snaps and buttons or magnets, velcro, etc. it also eliminates any purses that are too big or deep, where you have to sit n search for things..
and helps me zoom in on only smaller purses that zip (for protection of contents); and zip specifically, write at the top
when i hold the purse, seen in the pictures i provided here, the adjustable strap allows me to place it -ergonomically- write where i want to reach; comfortable on my body, height wise, AND allows me to just glance down at purse, unzip, and immediately see/get what i want..
LOVE!
so; -a smaller size purse with zippers on top; and i like a vertical orientation.. vs. horizontal. -reason being; cell phone. i love this purse, because i can place my cell phone in the front area; vertical, and zip it closed. -i love that i can 'feel' through the fabric, and be reassured, without unzipping and physically looking, but i can just 'feel' and reassure myself that i remembered my phone, my phone is with me..
LOVE!
i need kleenex close at hand.. this purse offers an area, without a zipper, where i can easily store and grab kleenex at will.. i also, playfully, use this area to place advertisements for where i am.. and delight in seeing this in pictures later..
LOVE!
i will also be carrying, touch-up make-up, floss picks, chapstick.. odds n ends..
this purse has a separate area, where i can zip in, life's little helpful blessings
and an additional area, i can zip in the more important and valuable things like id's and money.
LOVE! i place cell phone front compartment; helpful blessings center; valuables closest to my body zipped closed.
and, lastly, it does have a smaller, area, in the front, with another zipper for protection; and i use this area for something i know i will for sure be needing/using that same day, so i don't have to search through anything, i can get write to it..
i.e., ticket to an event
****
summary: adjustable strap i can wear it over me vs. carry it; zippers at top, vertical orientation; 5 distinct/primary zipper compartments, with one open for emergency kleenex..
NOW
gets even better
in the open compartment, you will see in my picture, i also have... (drum roll here...)
SUNGLASSES CASE!
these were in fact, purchased separately, and not at Macy's. the one with the glasses in the design itself, bright pink & bright green, that was a gift from my sister. LOVE!
i learned that one of the ways you ruin the fit of your sunglasses the quickest, is by sliding them up on your head, like a headband, -which i have loved because it gets my hair out of my face, but.. it does damage the fit, the shape
so i have successfully broken that habit, which i had for many, many years
now what i do; i do not 'push' my sunglasses up on my head. i remove them, and quickly, easily, conveniently, PLACE THEM, inside their designated cute little holder case.
so, in order to be quick, easy, convenient.. this container also has to be easily accessible AND have a zipper at the top. the way i have this set up, i don't even need to remove or move the sunglasses case at all, it sits open/waiting, i literally, just slide sunglasses in, and pull sunglasses out, at will. i keep the zipper partially open at all times, and the orientation in my purse, is again, vertical.. perfect!
i LOVE the case my sister gifted me, also, because, it has a small zipper compartment on the side. this is the perfect place to keep your little sunglasses cleaner fabric..
i was so enthralled with my whole set up -the perfect utilitarian purse + sunglasses case, that i wanted to duplicate my experience in different colors, for different seasons..
i am a fan of the changing seasons that inspire the different fashion palettes..
i had no success finding an exact match, with only a color change, when it came to the sunglasses case
i did find! magic of macys.. an exact match in the purse itself; so i have one for fall/winter; and one for spring/summer..
the sunglasses case my sister gifted me, is spring/summer.. so i did find one, with colors/design that complement my fall/winter purse.. but, it is not designed the same
it is missing the zipper on side for cleaning fabric..; and it unzips all the way around; not just the top (i like just the top; its all that is necessary)
but! IT HAS A FASTENER, which allows me to ATTACH IT SECURELY to my purse. LOVE THIS!
i am enormously pleased. of course, the ideal sunglasses case for me personally, would have the zipper compartment on the side for cleaning fabric; PLUS a FASTENER to secure to purse; and only unzip at top for the sunglasses.. and, it would just be pretty to look at.
and if i really put my wildest purse dreams out there.. it would be this purse, in 4, not 2 different colors, one for each season, plus one extra fancy one for special occasions; and each one would have a very pretty complementary sunglasses case..
as it stands, i LOVE it, and BONUS! BONUS! BONUS! the jeep i drive, has a smaller sized compartment -as a matter of fact, my 2 door jeep willys just doesnt have a lot of -free space- so to speak, in general, for -stuff..
i can't think of a purse i carried in the past that would fit inside what i use now;
but! this purse i wear now.. it also FITS PERFECTLY inside the compartment, that securely closes, in my jeep
that got me to thinkin'... dear Jeep, i have an idea about what you can add to your merchandising line...
because, while i'm not a name brand person when it comes to purses..
i just LOVE all things JEEP.. i placed their sticker on the gum container i keep inside my jeep and just re-fill...
how cool would that look on a purse? sunglasses case.. THAT FITS INSIDE YOUR JEEP COMPARMENT...\ !?!
caveats/improvements that can be made to my perfect purse: the zippers can sometimes open so far to the end, that they get stuck, and i have to really wiggle/work to re-zip them.. i have learned to just make sure i don't unzip them all the way; only enough to get at what i need.
*****
-first of many fashion related posts to come... AND many (but not all of them) Magic of Macy's related... and i just LOVE how, the acronym ='s MOM. don't you? I am a 2nd generation Macy's shopper..
and my first post since getting "MARRIED!" this past NOV 19TH, 2024.
oh! i can't wait to write about that too... lots of pix; lots to share... i'll be working on a collage all day today...
and you know what else! there's gonna be fresh and new in 2025.. some COOKING BLOG POSTS.. trust, me, in the past 19 years you'd never refer SHEsaysWITHaSMILE.blogspot.com to anyone looking for recipes... but, mr robert mickanen... (my sexy!) he can cook people!
well, that's colloquial.. he doesnt cook people.. [giggling here] he can cook, ~anything! amazing mick meals, i call them.. and we'll share this blog in 2025; take turns, each writing about the things we love...
our criteria for posts in 2025: do we LOVE it... write about it; in detail...
****
Glory be to God, Hallelujah! Selah! & Amen
#fashion #purses #macys #jeep #MAGICofMACYS
Funny, Wild and Wonderful Christmas Gift from (taryn! & jack!)
ok, to be sure, i am not wearing glasses to protect my eyes from the sun shining through our walls. the reason i'm wearing sunglasses indoors is because i was very excited to try this dress on, so i did! -first thing in the morning,
and i realized that the yesterday's mascara smeared around and under both eyes might not pair well with my pretty new dress. and i did try it on with brown boots, and then with my maroon boots, but..
these ($5!) strappy sandals ended up the winners in my imaginary footwear competition photo op.
and speaking of winners, look who else all nonchalantly worked their way into my photo.. -how cute is that!?
anyway,
i'd like to share a little more 'bout this dress. because it has more than one, funny/wonderful; embarrassing/permanent memory that has attached itself to the wild and free, serengeti-ish fabric.
i know exactly the store i saw it in for the first time; exactly what town the store was is; exactly why i never bought it myself, and a little bit about maybe why my kids surprised me with it for Christmas.
We were in Walnut Creek for a mother/daughter; mother/daughter shopping day. That is, it was me and my daughter, Taryn, and my neighbor friend, Fancy Nancy, and her daughter, Mei Rose. Let me say for the record, Taryn, Fancy Nancy and Mei Rose -they all LOVE! fashion, LOVE! shopping. And, when i learned Fancy Nancy & Mei Rose had not yet experienced Walnut Creek for shopping, I realized that is exactly where I'd like to go.. how exciting to introduce someone to a city and experience that will be entirely new to them; yes...
Have i mentioned, about how i self-elected to stop driving on the freeways in most (but not all) circumstances? And will skip details here to just say, -how grateful I am, Fancy Nancy offered to do the driving.. /in her fancy Tesla!
and we did land in Walnut Creek on a particularly beautiful day! and i did enjoy being able to share a memory here, a memory there, as we approached and landed in the city. [and my sister worked at the Nordstroms.. my daughter was born... and, my aunt and uncle vaughn with their pottery in the wine and art festivals.. etc.]
and i understand about passions.. fashion passions.. even though i'd rather tithe at a paper or craft store; i can easily! totally! understand the exact same enthusiasm being expressed toward fashions.. designers.. shoes.. purses.. etc. [or, as seen on my recent post; toward automobiles...]
it is just wonderful to find that, or those, somethings that light the fire within each of us; yes..
and it was with this understanding, that i let the other 3 women lead the way.. and, in some cases, me n' my daughter went to a different store, or different floor, to explore.. while Fancy Nancy and Mei Rose went in their own direction. But then we'd meet up, to swap information, and met up to enjoy lunch together.. and met up for dessert.
The only store i knew i HAD to see! and hoped everyone else wanted to SEE.. was ANTHROPOLIGIE.
it seems to me they are more tame now; but! in their earlier days, there is NO STORE anywhere that could be more exciting and creative when it came to merchandizing. That is what attracted me. i had no desire to shop for clothes or products; i only wanted so badly to see how they had decorated their store.. and i took several pictures. they can be counted on to be different; creative; intriguing; imaginative..
and their walnut creek store, which is two floors, is just a magnet.. you are welcomed with an indoor plant nursery practically, and plus wonderful fashions, and plus creative displays, but they also have home decor, accessories of every kind, a wedding dress/bridal dress section, furniture.. on and on.
and on this mother/daughter shopping day, i enjoyed the displays, but i did find myself attracted in a strong way to this animal print dress. -what a cute style.. nice neck line.. wearable length... and for all skirts or dresses i am more likely to try it on if it ALREADY HAS LINING, a slip. i am past the age or desire of not wearing a slip; and, i know in advance, i'm not going to make an additional or separate purchase for a slip.. so, once i found that this animal print dress was already lined.. that's when i started looking closer at all the tags for my size..
and now, it's true, i've lost a little weight.. and yes, on purpose, via the very well tried and true eat write and exercise program, so whereas i would usually look for a 10, or 8, i was just certain i should grab a 6.
Grab a 6 i did, and headed for the dressing rooms. Aren't dressing rooms the very best! during the pandemic, i had cause to buy a swimsuit. you cannot.. that is, I definitely cannot purchase a swimsuit without first trying it on. every woman knows this. but for a brief time, no stores allowed anyone to use their dressing rooms; period. that meant, (as advised by the Macy's cashier) we had to purchase all 12 swimsuits i kinda liked; go home.. try them all on, and bring back all the ones I didn't want and return them. -what a pain in the
anyway.. i am in a wonderfully open and accessible dressing room at anthropologie with a size 6 pre-lined, animal print dress, and very excited to see if it fits and what it looks like on me. i started to wiggle it on..
and i pulled gently at first.. and then a little harder.. and then started wondering 'how in the heck do you get in this thing? -should i try stepping into it vs. pulling it over my head? and as i continued to pull the dress over my head to cover my body.. with still a little more force, that is when i realized
it must have a zipper! i forgot to unzip..
and with my arms restricted slightly by the tightening of my unsuccessful attempt to 'slip' into this dress.. i reached here and there, like a blind person might do.. feeling around to find any kind of zipper, or button, or anything that could help..
at last! it turns out this dress has one of those shorter zippers that is camouflaged on the side of the dress (not the back), wonderful!
but what happen, is that even though i found the zipper and i unzipped the zipper.. that extra 6 or so inches of increased space
it didn't do a thing. not a thing! and so, in great frustration i realized, just take the darn thing off.. this is getting stupid..
but when i tried to lift it back up and off -wouldn't budge. honest to God.. i was stuck. i repeated to myself, that if i found a way to get it half way on, i could, scientifically, mathematically, and most definitely figure out a way to get it completely back OFF!
now, if my sister were there.. we would both be laughing so hard we'd be crying.. but my sister was not there
and where was my daughter? and where were Fancy Nancy and Mei Rose? no one was even within yelling distance. and truth be told, i wasn't quite sure whether my daughter would find it funny.. or she'd be embarrassed; could go either way when you are the parent and not the sister or friend..
i just knew if i tugged too much harder the whole dress would rip. and i did just stop eventually, all my pulling, wiggling, -wondered if it was time to call for help..
thought better of it and prayed..
if i got in it.. i can get out of it.. help me Jesus, amen
and, there are a large number of people, who could have spun this very awkward situation into an entertaining story that got everyone laughing that very same afternoon; but i am not one of those large number of people
i was exclusively relieved to finally get out of that dress without calling 911. embarrassed and relieved.
did my daughter point it out? did i discover on my own? i don't remember this very important detail, but at some point,
yes, maybe my daughter pointed it out.. because at some point, i got to see that "oh!
OH! the tag reads UK 6.. not US 6!
a UK size 6 is a US size 2! and as i've mentioned a couple times now, the only 2 anything i should be wearing are 2.0 readers so i can read the tiny font on these clothing tags.
well, of course.. then it made perfect sense why i couldn't get all the way in it.
i can laugh now.. many months later. but that day, even after i learned about the UK/US thing.. i never looked for a US 6 instead, i just wanted the whole experience far behind me.
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and i did see the dress again.. and again, with my daughter, and with my mom too.. this time at Valley Fair Anthropologie.. and i looked again.. but,
even though i knew how to read and interpret the tag sizes by now, i didn't bother.
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i liked just remembering about the rest of the walnut creek day.. all the other stores, our lunch together at the Nordstroms cafe.. how everyone found something they liked.. how fun, for all of us to be walking around downtown, each one of us with a shopping bag in our hand..
and i like remembering, how on our way home.. well, Fancy Nancy, in her Tesla.. and how the car has a computer and GPS to help her navigate, but even with all the pre-programmed safety bells and safety whistles; mistakes still happen. sometimes it is other drivers, and this time..
well it was her; -small mistake by the driver. and she had to change lanes in a suddenly kind of way, and another driver had to honk at her
and in my imagination write away i saw my dad and brother, in my imagination write away, i also heard my dad and brother..
all the light-hearted jokes they told back in the day.. how many times they would see a bad driver (or a driver make a bad move) and immediately check and see and confirm "chinese!" or, even worse it seemed, "woman!"
in this very case, we have both. Fancy Nancy is a Chinese Woman.
but what she did..
she employed the same tone as my dad and brother, only she pointed to the other driver and said, "korean!" and that had me internally laughing all the way back home.
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-so can you see how moved i was, to open my Christmas present from my son and daughter, and find this dress..
it's a US 8. and it fits perfectly.
Joy to the wardrobe! amen.
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