Pants Not on the Ground

Well, it's that time of year again. I go through this every year (sometimes twice a year): the saga of trying to find clothes that fit me properly. Pants are a particular problem. You see, not only am I hipless, but I have disproportionately long legs. To make things more difficult, "long" or "tall" length pants are just a bit too long, while "regular" length pants are just short enough to be borderline highwaters. And I despise, positively despise, when the action of sitting down decreases my pant length just enough to reveal my sock line at the ankle. Almost as much as I despise my wristbones showing out the ends of my long-sleeved shirts (P.S. I also have disproportionately long arms). But with too-short long sleeves (oxymoron), I can (and always do) keep them pushed up past my elbows. Both of these things make me feel incredibly self-conscious; I might as well be walking around with a booger sticking out of my nose, a hole in the back of my pants, used toilet paper stuck to my shoe, and chunks of spinich stuck in my teeth. That's how attractive I feel when my pants are too short.

So anyway, I've been on the hunt for pants that fit comfortably while both sitting and standing. With regards to jeans, my old, affordable stand-by is Khols SO brand long-length jeans. The price is right and they fit well. Glo is too curvy, Paris Blues are too short, Angels are too low. Target jeans are too short. Old Navy jeans don't fit right. Express is too expensive unless they're on clearance. (And don't even get me started on maternity jeans that don't look ridiculous...) After going through my wardrobe today (UGH which reminds me that there are piles of clothes all over the bedroom that I swore I'd come back to after abruptly leaving to go shopping but had forgotten about until this very moment) I realized that I'm good on jeans. Now I'm looking for pants to vary my style a bit....which basically means khakis. I was really excited when I found pants at NY & Co. yesterday that fit well AND they were have a Buy 1 Get 1 Free deal! I went back today to finish trying things on (since yesterday I made the mistake of leaving for the mall too close to Mishaela's bedtime and every time we entered a dressing room she started screeching) and while the jeans looked fab-u-lous, the khakis didn't fit quite right. And they only had regular length in my size. Sigh. I went back to Kohls last night and Old Navy because, seeing as how I hadn't tried any khakis on at those stores this year, I figured maybe, by some stroke of luck, they will suddenly look good on me. Not so much. In fact, not at all. Still too short, too tight, too baggy, or some odd combination of the 3 all at the same time.

So for you slim-hipped, long-legged folks out there, here are the brands to try:

Kohls SO Jeans (Long)

NY & Co. Jeans (Low-Rise, Bootcut, Tall)

To Be Continued....

Thrift Store Heaven

I love thrift stores. There. I said it. It's the same reason that I love Freecycle. There's something about being able to find some hidden treasure, big or small, that someone has given up--before another someone does. It's about the hunt, the competition and, of course, the wonderful monetary deals! My all time favorite thrift store is Unique in Falls Church. It is the mother of all thrift stores--a model that all should aspire to. It is clean, organized, and HUGE! It's basically a warehouse lined with shelves of goodies one could only imagine. I mean, where else around here could you expect to find an Amish Coloring Book?? To add to Unique's greatness, there are about a dozen cashiers to make for a speedy check-out and today I finally gave in and signed up for their VIP Card which allows me, that's right folks, an extra 25% off already cheap stuff on Monday and Thursdays. What? 25 MORE cents off this fantastic plastic bowl with fake cherries on it?? DON'T TEASE ME. And today, my friends, I made out like a thrifty bandito.

It was 50% off all toys, books, and some other things that I couldn't understand them yelling over the loudspeaker every five minutes in bad accents (yes, a downside to this thrift store mecca) so I must say, Mishaela made out too! I bought her a whole bunch of toys in great condition ranging from $1-$2 (which really ended up being .50-$1) in hopes that they will keep her entertained enough for me to be able to stay home in peace with her without listening to her scream like a wild banshee (a big thanks to her peers for teaching her this new loud and completely obnoxious trick). All day long she alternates between frighteningly deep, rumbling growls and ear piercing shrieks. (And don't even think about getting her excited about something without a pair of ear plugs handy.) Anyway, I visited Unique an hour before work but since I didn't have time to go over every shelf with a fine toothed comb and investigate every nook and cranny, I had to come back for round two after work. I was only halted prematurely (once again) by the announcement that they would be closing at 8. 8?? 8PM??? How could you?? You're not open 24 hours?? Or at least until midnight?? There are so many more things to look at! But anywhoo I was not totally disheartened because I had already found THE find of the day---perhaps even THE find of the YEAR.

Drumroll please...........A DOLLHOUSE! But not just any dollhouse--a huge, wooden, unpainted, dreamhouse, in great condition, with flower boxes under the big bay windows, doors with tiny doorknobs that open out onto the balcony, and with LIGHTING! Someone took the time to install electricity in this joint! When I turned the corner and my eyes laid upon this delicate treasure, my mouth dropped to the floor. I could scarcely believe my luck in making such a find! I searched furiously for the price tag and nearly exploded with exhilaration when I read: $6.96. Do they know that dollhouses like this cost hundreds of dollars??? I went home (P.S. fitting that large, fragile, abode into the backseat of my corolla was quite tricky--since it takes up my entire back seat) and found one on Ebay, just like the one I got, for $500. Crazy! I can't wait to get started restoring it! Painting, tiny furniture, a petite garden, perhaps. I fear that I may be entering a world of some kind of dollhouse cult, which, dare I even suggest, may even surpass the insanity of guinea pig owners.

Always, ever since I was a little, little girl, have wanted a big, beautiful dollhouse of my very own. Due to limited space in our apartment and limited finances for funding a hobby project that could very well cost more than our monthly mortgage, I settled for a Little People's House (which, I am appalled to say, I came across a few years ago in an antique store. An antique store? Really? I'm an antique already??!).

I can't wait to start posting pictures of the dollhouse: pre-, during, and post-renovations. =D