On Tuesday morning I will be boarding a plane all alone, finding my seat in first class and jetting off to the Pacific Northwest to visit my nearest and dearest best friend Amy. Craig surprised me with tickets near the end of June and since then I've been anxiously awaiting this little getaway. In preparation I had to go out and purchase some new clothes of course - especially since, you know....it's about 30 degrees COOLER up there and I just don't have that many CUTE cold weather clothes.
And then there's been that whole "hate my body and size so I'm not going shopping thing" this past year.
But that post that I wrote the other day - the one about the pants? - it was a purge of emotions and I think now that those fancy pants are out of my closet I actually feel better about shopping and dressing the size I am now.......instead of having a constant reminder of what size I used to wear and the life that went along with it. So Craig and I were able to go out a few weeks ago and pick up just a couple of things for me without any kind of emotional distress or frustration.
And so without further ado.........
I found these two tops at Old Navy and they're loose, billowy and totally comfortable. The best part is that I can just slip a cami underneath and they can go with different pants, shorts and jewelry - totally versatile AND good for the "winters" we get here in Texas.
I actually tossed out a jacket almost exactly like this when I did my closet purge and surprisingly, it was one of the items that made my heart hurt the most. I wore this style of jacket tromping all through Europe when I went with a friend of mine from high school in 2007. It's great for layering and looks fantastic with dark denim jeans - it can also dress up a pretty otherwise dull outfit.
Being a middle school teacher I saw kids coming in and out of the locker room in Toms every single day of the year. I liked the concept of a soft and cushy shoe but I hated the fact that it kind of looked like a slipper. But knowing that Amy swears by her numerous pairs of Toms, I had to give them a shot and once I slipped my foot into the plain light blue style I liked best.......I was hooked. I think they'll be a wonderful travelling shoe - easy to slip on and off through security - but also great for the three months a year in Texas when it's too cold for flip-flops.
I seriously stepped out of my comfort zone with this pair of jeans. I finally broke down, got with the times and bought my first pair of skinny jeans. I don't know what my problem has been in refusing to even thry these on. Maybe the fact that I see them primarily on teenagers or maybe I thought I was too "hippy" for them? Not sure. But regardless of why I never bought them before, they look great on me now.
I didn't buy this book recently but I am taking it on the trip. My mother gave it to me a very long time ago but it's been sitting on my bookshelf waiting to be read because I've been coaching and chasing after a small child for the past year. I finally settled down to read it and boy. What. A. Bummer. The story intertwines the tales of two people (a young girl and a mid-forties woman) during the month of July in Paris and both focus around the round-up of several thousand Jews during the Holocaust. It's beautifully written and an incredibly compelling story but it is so depressing and heavy and I can only read it in short spurts or my heart begins to ache too badly.
While we were out shopping I also stopped by the bookstore to pick up a few new things to read on the plane since I will have several peaceful and uninterrupted hours to myself. I figured I might as well get started on another item on my Dirty Thirty list and I picked up The Great Gatsby. Plus the movie is coming out in December with Leonardo DiCaprio and I'm a firm believer in reading the book before seeing the movie. I know my patient high school English teacher assigned my class this book but it's a fair bet that I cliff noted my way through........if I even did that much.
Okay. To clarify - I'm not dumb. I didn't read the Cliff Notes in high school because I was a lazy do-nothing (okay, I was a little lazy). I was in all honors classes, the gifted and talented program, played varsity basketball and was involved in numerous clubs and organizations. Maybe I just didn't have the time? Or maybe my talents and enjoyment didn't reside in English class but instead in my math and social studies courses.
I've also joined a book club starting in the fall, which of course is my busiest time of the year. BUT this book club ONLY meets once a month so I think I can fit that into my schedule. I try to keep one or two things on my calendar that are strictly time for me (Bible Study and volleyball) but in the fall during the season (especially now with Natalie) it's just too difficult. But once a month? I can definitely commit to that. Our first book club "assignment" is any book written by John Irving and since I like to take the road less traveled, I skipped past his most famous work of literature (Cider House Rules) and went with something a little less known.
Amy doesn't actually live IN Seattle but instead on an island about two hours from the city but after she picks me up from the airport we are going to hang around downtown Seattle for just a little while. Our first stop is definitely to my Mecca.........the original Starbucks. Sigh. I'm super excited.
We honestly don't have very much planned - we're going to get pedicures together and have a movie date to see Magic Mike since both our husbands vehemently vetoed seeing it with either of us. Other than those two things I think we're just going to hang out and relax which will be just what both of us need.
1 comment:
GOOD FOR YOU!!! :) Enjoy what sounds like a fabulous and relaxing trip. Ahhh...
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