Shopping Haul

My plan for today did not go quite as planned. First, because my Baby Sis wanted to go see Fast Five (which was AWESOME! VROOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMM!) we had to go to a later showing. Meaning I just ate lunch at home a little early and then went to the gym. I had a yogurt with me for after the workout. My plan, following the gym, was to run to Target to get a new pair of sunglasses, then get to the mall, get a hair cut and spend some time shopping. I got the sunglasses and some jewellry and headed to the mall. Unfortunately there was a 45 minute wait at the salon which didn't give me enough time to get the haircut and meet my friends for the movie. I went shopping instead and picked up two pairs of shoes, both of which are a size 9 - a whole size smaller than what I usually wear. Lo, my feet really have shrunk. It's still, as are all things clothing related, dependent of manufacturer, but there you have it. Neener.

I went to Macy's but didn't find anything I liked. I shop on the sale racks. I cannot, CANNOT, comprehend spending $50 dollars on a top. It's insane. Only in emergencies will I buy things full price. I found a top I liked, but it didn't look good on me. Too big. There was a dress, a size 16 that I liked and that FIT (hot damn) but when I put it on it wasn't flattering. So I didn't get that, but there was the thrill of fitting into a size 16 dress. YAY!

So here's the pic of what I bought. There're three pairs of earrings and a necklace.

Movie: The Conspirator + Shopping

We went and saw The Conspirator today. The movie is historical fiction, based on the tale of Mary Surratt. Who is Mary Surratt, you say? Well, she was the woman who was executed for being a conspirator in the assassination of President Lincoln and the attempted assassinations of Vice President Johnson and the Secretary of State.

It's one of those historical issues where we'll never know the truth of the matter. Mary Surratt was a Southern widow who ran a boarding house. It was in her house that the conspiracy was hatched. Her son was a very close friend of John Wilkes Booth and was also accused. He, however, managed to escape. The government arrested and tried Mary Surratt as a conspirator, arguing that she not only could not have not known what was being plotted, but that she was an active participant.

The conspirator's were tried under a military tribunal and all nine of the members captured (Booth was killed while they were trying to capture him and John Surratt had escaped) were hung for it.

The irony is that, by the time John Surratt turned himself in over a year after the death of his mother, the Supreme Court had passed a law that declared that civilians deserved a civilian trial even in times of war. So he received a jury trial and the jurors were unable to come to a verdict, setting him free.

After the movie we went shopping, and I got a new purse. You can see the new one on the left, and the one it is replacing on the right. Hah. My friend Eve has been trying to get me to buy a new purse for years. But I didn't want to give up my ratty old messenger bag. But she finally convinced me, because she told me how much she wanted to turn me over to the What Not to Wear people. :D

Also, I bought a new top and a new skirt. The best part of the skirt?

It's a size 16. Do the happy dance!

Also, my cat followed me around so she could be in all the pictures. :)

Hmph. I'm reading Voices Behind the Veil right now, and it is the worst book about Islam I've ever read. I can't decide if I should go through it and explain how wrong it is, or just wait until the end and do a general, 'this book sucks' post.

Baby It's Cold Outside

Or, any excuse to wear hijab will do!

I know I gave up covering because I can't be certain why I was doing it. Because I have poor body image or because God wants me to? Until I can answer that for sure I can't go back to covering full time. But I still love hijab, I really, really do. I love the way it looks. On other people, honestly. But then again I rarely like the way I look in anything. Though I did love the way I looked in niqab. You couldn't see me! *sigh* Issues, I know.

But I do miss my scarves. And now that it's in the 30s here at night and in the morning? Hijabi me!

Fashion Advice Needed!

So, I have a wedding to attend on October 10. Yes, the wedding date is 10/10/10. The bride jokingly said it was the only way the groom was going to remember their anniversary, and it sort of just happened. Anyway. Because I am still losing weight and have no real desire to spend any money on an outfit that I will likely not be able to wear in another couple of months, I am trying to put together something out of my non-work wardrobe.

It's a second marriage for both of them, and an afternoon wedding, so not formal in an insane way at all. Plus, I'm neither *in* the wedding, nor related to either party, so I don't feel the need to go crazy with the fancy.

One outfit I thought might work is the black and white one ya'll've seen before, but I took a new picture:



White top with the black and white skirt. In case you can't tell, the pattern on the skirt is flowers and leaves done in white. I also tried it with a black jacket, but I think the jackets a little much.



This is the only outfit I really thought all the way through. The shoes I was considering are this nice dark metallic blue pair I have, illustrated below:



And for jewelry I was thinking my opal necklace/earring set.

While I was rummaging, I found this red top which I thought might be better with the color, but I really don't think so. Yet I include because of my own fashion impairedness.



And for my last option so far, the same skirt with a black top that I love very much, but haven't ever worn anywhere because, well, I don't go out much and it's not a 'work' top. Now, don't think that I'm stuck on the skirt - I do have other skirts, but I didn't feel like changing into all the different skirts tonight. And I think this one actually looks good with the top.



My Dad says I need a clunky necklace with it, but the only one I own is my amber necklace, and I'm not sure about that both from the fashion side of it, and the fact that it's one of my few real pieces of jewelry, and I'd probably kill someone if something happened to it.

Oh! Bonus points to anyone who spots the change that I've made to myself since the last picture. :)

Even My Subconscious Is Fashion Impaired

The actual content of the dream doesn't matter - it was just mundane, every day stuff. I either dream of boring real life things, or monsters and severed heads. My brain is odd.

However, for once I remembered what I was wearing in the dream, and it's actual clothes that I own!

I woke up and thought, 'hell, I was the niqabi Joker!' and had to pull everything out and put it together as proof that I cannot be trusted to shop alone:



In case you have a hard time telling, this is my brown jilbab paired with a purple scarf (in the dream I had it draping down sort of like in the picture), my black full-face niqab, and the green scarf as hijab.

The purple and green is, essentially, the Joker's color scheme.



Seriously. Why can't my subconscious have better taste?

Oh Noes!

My favorite only linen slacks are too big! *wails* It's to the point of too-bigness that even in 3 inch heels they touch the floor. *whinemoan*

My life is full of *such* *drama*!

Fare thee well, linen slacks, you will be joining the other clothes I bid adieu to.

Now, of course, the question is, why did I not realize it was this bad when I put them on this morning? Because I *love* them and they are swishy and *light*! And so I stuck my head in the clothing sand, and put on heels, just for these pants!

Clothing Is An Exhausting Business

Because you know you're all just *riveted* by this stuff. I spent all day trying on clothes from my haul at the gym, and what I already had, and organizing, etc. Here are the fruits of my labors. The first three pics are my closet prior to the great event.


The following pic is of the new clothes, all out of their bags and waiting for me. Like a dragon.


Right then. After *all day* three hours or so, since I did go to church, and the gym, and a movie first, because perseverance is my middle name! Anyway. After Much Work, I had three piles of tops. The pile closest is labeled 'now', which means that the clothes in that pile fit right now. The back left pile is '-1', meaning they're one size down, I estimate. They fit, but are too tight. The back right pile is '-2', meaning they don't fit, and I guess at least two sizes down before they fit. Now, for any random men reading this, you know why it takes so long for women to shop? Even women who *hate* shopping, such as me? Because CLOTHING SIZES MAKE NO SENSE! THEY LIEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!! For instance, the pile that fits now? The size labels range from 3X down to Medium, with stops at every size in between. How does that even work? And the other two piles both contain mixes of XL, L, Medium, and Small. *growls* So, instead of being able to just go in and pick out your size, you have to TRY EVERYTHING ON! Even clothes by the same brand have to be tried on, because different styles are cut differently, etc. and FIT DIFFERENTLY! And then everything takes HOURS and you are tired and achy and your feet hurt and then you want to beat things into walls!


And the next three pics are of my closet after everything has been hung up and all the new clothes are in place. *iz ded*



I've also got two bags of clothes that are too big for me, to be donated.