Sometimes it is the clothing...

Long time no blog. Seriously. But this isn’t like my last blog where I’m filling the page with excuses. No, this is an honest-to-God blog. With a few excuses. My grandmother finally succumbed to her illness and passed away in early March. Then my Dad got sick. We thought it was a sinus infection and tried to treat it at home but a week later he was so bad that he couldn’t breathe. After a tense ride to the E.R. (I ran all stop signs and red lights… it was 4 in the morning and there were no cops in sight… so it was ok) they told him that he had pneumonia. Long story short, he did not have pneumonia and if it wasn’t for the amazing cardiologist that popped in to check on him, he would have died because he was actually going into heart failure. He’s doing fine, thank God, and they expect him to make a full recovery.

So, after all the drama that’s gone on, I decided that it was time to take myself shopping. Well, to take my fiancé and his wallet shopping (ha ha). Good news? I found some major bargains and you all know how much I LOVE LOVE LOVE bargains. Bad news? I found out that stores occasionally CHANGE the size standards. Seriously.

Imagine my shock when I stepped into the dressing room to try on a pair of jeans… and they didn’t fit. I had a moment of panic. I hadn’t gained any weight back, at least, I thought I hadn’t. I’d actually been eating healthier since my dad got out of the hospital (doctors orders… for him, not me). Maybe I had gained weight. And suddenly I felt nauseated and I didn’t want to shop anymore.

Wait a second…

“I think these jeans aren’t sized right.”
Eye roll. “No, they’re right.”
Glare. “No, they’re not. I’m wearing these jeans. Same brand, style, size. These” shake jeans at her “are just a different color. Something isn’t right.”
Shrug. “Sometimes they change the sizes.”

WHAT?!

According to my friend’s mom, a fashion consultant, it’s true. Sometimes they change the sizes. So one year your size X might actually be a size Y and the next year it could actually be a size V. Trust me. I was thrown off and totally humiliated at the thought of having to get the next size up. So I didn’t. I went to Lane Bryant instead and got jeans in MY size.

Back to the first store. After the jean fiasco, I decided to raid the panty section and call it quits. Picked out the first cute one in my size and my jaw dropped. There was no way my ass was that large. Seriously, I could nearly wrap them around me. To find ones that fit I had to go down TWO sizes. I really wanted to tell them that their horribly tagged clothes belonged in a discount outlet instead of my favorite store. But I didn’t. As a side note, I’d like to point out that the salesclerk has NO control over prices/ product/ quality.

Lane Bryant didn’t let me down. They never do. So, now I want to talk about a really HUGE trend. Lace. I love it. LOVE LOVE LOVE it. Always have, always will. Up until now, lace was mainly for your intimates but it’s mainstreaming in a big way. I love the new shirts with the little peaks of lace. I found a tank top with black lace straps and a quarter lace back. Don’t be afraid to show a peak of skin this summer! Especially when it’s with flirty lace.

Just a little common sense side note, letting your bra straps show? So not cute. If you're going to to wear a tank top that doesn't cover your bra straps, PLEASE invest in a strapless bra. Lane Bryant has a lot to choose from that includes removeable and clear straps.

So, have fun shopping!
And, as always, remember: I’m beautiful, I’m beautiful, I’M BEAUTIFUL, DAMN IT!
Xoxo. AndaSuddenly it hit me that there was NO possible way that these jeans were labeled correct. Because I was wearing the same style, brand, and size of these jeans. I had even purchased them at the same store a few weeks prior. So I re-dressed and marched myself out to the sales clerk.