The Day My Stars Aligned Thanks to a Crash Test Dummy (and my mother)

I haven't shopped for clothes in a long, long, LONG, time. Those that know me will be shocked. This is not like me at all. Sometimes, however, the budget cramps my style, and I simply can't justify more clothes.

Did I mention how much I love clothes?

I love clothes. A lot. Especially Fall clothes.

I did go shopping last Fall - and I distinctly remember getting lots of cute things, and never feeling like I couldn't find something to wear. So now, considering that all of those exact same clothes are hanging in my closet, how is it that I suddenly have nothing to wear? Does this happen to anyone else? I see those clothes...I remember wearing them...even feeling cute in them... Yet they leave me completely uninspired now.

And they all look alike to me.

And I'm SURE some of them must be missing, because otherwise I'd be able to feel just as cute as I did last year, right?

But I don't.

Today I was sitting there thinking about trying to find something to wear to church tomorrow, and I got depressed. So I started thinking about shopping. And how I'd dropped a pound this morning. And how that was clearly a sign that the stars had finally aligned, and I was supposed to go to Ross.

Besides, my mom still owed me birthday money so I had fifty bucks to spend. Me+Ross+fifty bucks = at-least-enough-clothes-to-get-me-by-till-after-Christmas. The whole winter if the clearance racks are full and I don't count shoes...

And then I received divine confirmation that today I truly was destined to go shopping. Just as I called Hubby to let him know I was taking off when he returned, the mail came in. What do you suppose it had for me? Honestly, you'll never guess, so let me just tell you.

Remember Crash's little contest? The one where I won $50 for my little Sasquatch tale? Well, she'd emailed me to get my info, but I kind of didn't give it to her because I felt weird taking money from a stranger. What I didn't know, was that she is a woman bound by her word - and that she has amazing stalker-skills.

I got my $50 in the mail today. From Crash. With chocolate covered macadamia nuts, a pack of cards, a totally cute retro post card, and lots of little balloon foil thingies that went everywhere. And I have no idea how she got my address. (Well okay, I'm pretty sure I know her source, but still - very impressive).

Did I mention they were fifty one-dollar bills? My kids were totally awed by the wad of cash - and I chuckled all afternoon. Or should I say "All the way to Ross, Baby!"

It's been so long since I went shopping (my birthday in June, to be exact) that I was actually a little nervous I wouldn't know what to do when I got there. See, I have a system at Ross. If you give me an hour, I can walk away with an armful. I have a shopping uniform (cute jeans and a black t-shirt), a shopping pattern, a system for putting the clothes in the cart, and a system for trying them on (which has everything to do with the shopping uniform). I am like a machine in that place!

But I was on a time frame.

What if I couldn't do it anymore? What if I was only halfway through my cart when it was time to go? What if my time deadline made me so stressed out and flustered I missed all the super cute nice stuff, and ended up with the cheapo won't-last-after-one-washing junk I've sworn I'd never fall for again???

Can I just say that my game was ON?!

I rocked that store. The clearance racks were packed, the store was practically empty, I got my favorite dressing room (the one where you can see yourself in the community mirror with out actually leaving your room), and that lost pound made all the difference.

So thank you Mother, THANK YOU CRASH!!!, thanks to you lovely ladies I can finally stop setting my alarm thirty minutes early to allow for time to put together something to wear. I made a major haul today, my closet is packed with way cute stuff, and I didn't even have to touch my budget money. (Except for that really cute pair of {extremely necessary} brown shoes I was forced to put on my credit card. With maybe a couple other items. But don't tell).

Anyone want to place bets on whether or not I'll need to go shopping next Fall?