GinaFish.com

I am not a big shopper. I only enjoy shopping for other people, I don’t mind grocery shopping, and I never shop for clothes at stores that sell new clothes with the exception of underwear and socks. Right now, I am wearing a robe and pants bought by my mother, a shirt I paid $1.50 for at a consignment store and eyeglasses I bought online without trying on first since they were only $12.

This year I bought my daughter an Easter dress at a consignment store and the trouble started. I have prepaid for a photo package (which we haven’t taken care of yet) and decided that she looked so nice in the dress that we should all color coordinate with her for our upcoming family pictures.

So of course, I went shopping. I found shirts for my hubby and son with relative ease at a JcPenny’s, so yes, they are new clothes. I must have walked around the store for 5 miles and didn’t find anything for myself. I thought maybe I needed to go out of my comfort zone and tried on one shirt that isn’t my “style” and left the dressing room without it because after trying it on, it was oogly.

Easter was getting closer and the thoughts began that once again, I was putting myself last, resigned to wear the same old same old clothes while everyone else went to church in new clothes. (Well, Suzanne’s dress wasn’t “NEW” but it was new to her, so same difference)

Saturday evening, I decide that it is important that I wear something new dog gone it! I’m going shopping and leaving the family at home! Ha!

I went to three shops that only sell new clothes and since I was going to pay “real” money for the clothes, the only responsible thing to do would be to try them on to make sure they are flattering before leaving the store. Naturally, I think dressing rooms should install fun house mirrors, because reality is too harsh!

I’m by nature, self-critical, so I opted to take photos of some of the clothes I didn’t buy and show them to you, my internet friends, because I’m a masochist too apparently.

I’m not opposed to going to church with pants. I do draw the line at pajamas unless it’s a teenage sleepover-stay-awake till dawn shindig.

However, pants where my feet disappear unless I’m walking? No thanks!

Okay, now, obviously, I’m a woman. And yes, after childbirth and an extra 20 pounds, the size of my breastisiss have increased. The average age of males at my church is 65, which includes my father-in-law of a youngish 64. So I’m thinking after I put this dress on, that anything that exposes that much cleavage is an instant no-no for church. No need to give men heart attacks by having the pastors wife flaunting her *cough* gifts under their noses.

Finally, after a couple of hours of shopping I did find a blouse that was in the same color family as my peeps new clothes, that fit, that was modern AND modest, and was comfortable. And it was on sale for $20 to top it off. I matched it with some pants I already had but hey, my Easter outfit was half new!

Now, say a prayer for us that when we make it to the studio, our color coordinated outfits don’t outshine us, and that we get a decent family photo with all of us smiling.