This past week has been quite a roller coaster - mostly up but a bit down too.
Last Sunday I had an urgent agenda after church. When my music pastor asked me to sing a solo part in the Christmas Eve services, I was pleased and excited. Then reality hit me.
I don't have a dress.
Our Christmas Eve services are huge affairs, with all the bling a girl can ask for. Rarely do I sing Christmas Eve and the few times I have it has been in the loft, where it is mainly important to have bling on the upper half. Black pants or a black skirt usually work fine otherwise.
However, as a soloist, it is imperitive that I have a dress that meets certain criteria.
1. The dress must be long
2. The dress must have plenty of sparkle
3. The dress must be modest (it is in church after all)
4. The dress must have a jacket or sleeves - no bare shoulders or arms
It was a bit daunting to realize that I was going to have to go shopping for a long dress in the midst of the season - meaning it would be highly unlikely that there'd be anything on sale and anything less than $200.
Ouch!
Checked out several stores over the weekend and then shuffled my way to Dillard's Sunday and figured I'd have to bite the bullet eventually.
Came out with a great dress.
#1 - check
#2 - check
#3 - check
#4 - check
Budget - priceless
No seriously, I came out of there spending less than $50 on a beautiful turquoise blue dress on sale in my size. How about them apples?
Then onto the remainder of the week. Previously I mentioned the Salon Fair and taking first place in the hair show. What an incredible surprise! I still can't get over that one.
Wednesday night I came home to an email from the music pastor asking me to do another reading in services this morning. Great scripture reading from Romans 8 - loved it!
Then Thursday I felt it coming on. All day I was just absolutely exhausted. Tried to chalk it up to the let down after all of the stress from the hair show and such, but deep down I knew it was about to catch up to me. Thursday night was critique and it was great seeing everyone there for the first time in awhile (and just before the season gets crazy).
Friday morning brought the worst sore throat I can remember in some time. Made it at school until about 1:30 then I had to pack it in. Spent the majority of the weekend in bed and snoozing away the time. Never do I like getting sick. Typically I always get on my own nerves after laying around the house for a day or two, watching the laundry grow and the dishes pile up on the counter.
Hey, it's hard keeping a good woman down!
Needless to say, I've tried to somewhat enjoy this down time. Read a few books and watched a movie that I haven't seen in years. Made it through services and the reading this morning but hurried home and back to bed.
Feeling a bit better this evening. Fever is down again and I'm hoping to be back in the saddle for school tomorrow. My son has an early morning for tomorrow so he's busy getting ready for it all. I can also be thankful that I'm getting the junk out of the way before Thanksgiving and Christmas this year instead of being down during one of the holidays. That's never fun.
So I'm just about to get off the roller coaster I think. Funny - I always did like the downhill rush better than the uphill clickety-clack ride.
Guess I'll appreciate whatever comes for the remainder of 2010.
Showing posts with label Dillard's. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dillard's. Show all posts
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
In Shoe Heaven
Talked about shoes earlier this week in my post. Guess I've got shoes on the brain - tee hee!
Not surprising. The past week I've been hunting down bargains and finding absolute steals. My wardrobe needs boosts in major ways before I can start the new job, particularly in the shoe category.
For years now I've been desirous of taking myself out on a shopping spree. It's been countless years since I've allowed myself that guilty pleasure. First we were saving for the new house and the furniture, not to mention trying to keep my son in clothes and shoes of his own. Then the Europe trip popped up on the radar.
Then before I could recover from the multiple shocks to the savings account, our office was closed and the gang and I were laid off.
So much for a shopping spree.
From the moment my son received notification of his Europe travels, I planned to take money out of savings and treat myself while he was gone. Then the layoff. Never imagined I'd be out of work so long. Figured I'd have a job again before June rolled around and my son skipped out on a plane.
Nope - didn't happen. My hoped for shopping spree was called off indefinitely.
So now that I'm going to be employed again and in the public eye, I needed to update my professional appearance. Found some great bargains on beautiful jackets and slacks and even a few dresses. But the thing I've had the most fun with have been the shoes.
Typically I've had one or two pair of black heels (one for dresses and one for slacks), a pair of navy heels, a pair of tennis shoes, a pair of sandals, and a pair of boots. Last year I bought a little pair of red flats, but there's not a whole lot of things I can appropriately wear them with.
Not the case any longer. I've hit the bargain mother-lode in the shoe department!
Got a pair of taupe heels for $5 at Famous Footwear and a pair of tan sandals at Kohl's for $10 (not to mention the adorable purple patent Vera Wang sling-backs for $16). Picked up gorgeous black and floral for $20, a pair of black and brown Bini's at Dillard's for $24, and cream eel-skin Ralph Lauren heels for $28. Found a lovely pair of red heels at Penney's, but didn't get quite the bargain on them as the others, but they were still on sale and I had a $10-off coupon to go with it so they were still a great price for in-season. Ladies and gentlemen, I'm set for some time to come.
I almost feel guilty for having so many pairs now, but believe me - I will use each and every one of these in my new job. I've not allowed myself such shoe expenditures since I worked in a retail clothing and shoe establishment before I was even married. That, my friends, was a looooong time ago.
So even though my closet is becoming a shoe haven, I didn't spend a whole lot in the overall scheme of things.
That's where the rubber meets my checkbook - in regard to shoes at least.
Not surprising. The past week I've been hunting down bargains and finding absolute steals. My wardrobe needs boosts in major ways before I can start the new job, particularly in the shoe category.
For years now I've been desirous of taking myself out on a shopping spree. It's been countless years since I've allowed myself that guilty pleasure. First we were saving for the new house and the furniture, not to mention trying to keep my son in clothes and shoes of his own. Then the Europe trip popped up on the radar.
Then before I could recover from the multiple shocks to the savings account, our office was closed and the gang and I were laid off.
So much for a shopping spree.
From the moment my son received notification of his Europe travels, I planned to take money out of savings and treat myself while he was gone. Then the layoff. Never imagined I'd be out of work so long. Figured I'd have a job again before June rolled around and my son skipped out on a plane.
Nope - didn't happen. My hoped for shopping spree was called off indefinitely.
So now that I'm going to be employed again and in the public eye, I needed to update my professional appearance. Found some great bargains on beautiful jackets and slacks and even a few dresses. But the thing I've had the most fun with have been the shoes.
Typically I've had one or two pair of black heels (one for dresses and one for slacks), a pair of navy heels, a pair of tennis shoes, a pair of sandals, and a pair of boots. Last year I bought a little pair of red flats, but there's not a whole lot of things I can appropriately wear them with.
Not the case any longer. I've hit the bargain mother-lode in the shoe department!
Got a pair of taupe heels for $5 at Famous Footwear and a pair of tan sandals at Kohl's for $10 (not to mention the adorable purple patent Vera Wang sling-backs for $16). Picked up gorgeous black and floral for $20, a pair of black and brown Bini's at Dillard's for $24, and cream eel-skin Ralph Lauren heels for $28. Found a lovely pair of red heels at Penney's, but didn't get quite the bargain on them as the others, but they were still on sale and I had a $10-off coupon to go with it so they were still a great price for in-season. Ladies and gentlemen, I'm set for some time to come.
I almost feel guilty for having so many pairs now, but believe me - I will use each and every one of these in my new job. I've not allowed myself such shoe expenditures since I worked in a retail clothing and shoe establishment before I was even married. That, my friends, was a looooong time ago.
So even though my closet is becoming a shoe haven, I didn't spend a whole lot in the overall scheme of things.
That's where the rubber meets my checkbook - in regard to shoes at least.
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