I was thinking about clothes...

How cliched is it to write a post about clothes...especially if the writer in question is a woman...

But I was thinking about clothes...nice clothes...comfy clothes...clothes that say something, literally and clothes that say something figuratively.

Thers is a funny thing about how we present ourselves. I once was told that people don't dress for themselves, but for others. At the time I was in High School and vehemently protested that gross generalization...but as I get to know myself I wonder whether the kernal of truth in that statement applies to me more or less these days.

As some of you who know me might know is that I have a particular penchant for bright colours, patterns and things with textures. Given that having a proclivity to either of these would make dressing oneself interesting...the combination can produce 'interesting' results.

While in High School and University, I wore a 'devil-may-care' attitude in regards to my clothing because I could. I knew that I was smart enough to be able to command respect even if my clothing reflected a less than intelligent persona...the interesting thing was the cheekiest comments were usually muttered by other women in my classes. I think that there could have been a number of reasons for this but by far the most gracious thing for me to think is that she was bothered by women looking too 'unprofessional' and therefore not being given the respect they deserved. I must add that I was studying in a male dominated program.

Looking back I can see that I was really resisting being put into that box labeled 'PROFESSIONAL WORKING WOMAN'. Not that there is anything wrong with the box, but it wasn't a good fit for me then or likely even now. A few months back I quoted Erin from Dress-a-Day talking about Dressing for FUN (//www.dressaday.com/2007/07/moths-in-pocketbook-caution-long-entry.html)...I am still working that out.

I would like to be able to dress for fun...Since our shipment of 'stuff' has yet to arrive...only one month late at this point; I have had to buy clothes. Now, I must confess a overly frugal streak in buying for myself. WIth all the necessities of life, my mind still tells me money should not be spent on clothes for me. Throw this in contrast with wanting to have beautiful things and you can imagine the turmoil I am in when I go shopping for myself.

But I bit the bullet this week and shopped for me...There was a Half-Price sale at Value Village and then Happy Hour at the Sally-Ann with half-price clothes...and I thought I was done. Of course, I am also not a great planner...not a great matcher and so I ended up with pretty things that didn't cost much but didn't match much either.

Here again I become thankful for my hubby...he is good at plannning, matching and spending. He went grocery shopping this week and I made a negative remark which I had to apologize for. He likes to buy the girls nice things and have treats in the house; and so when he went shopping he bought nice things and treats...and spent more than I would have liked.

But here I am trying to correct my thoughts about money, to change my view of money as a limited resource to money as a renewable resource and I got caught. I want to be able to know and believe that money is renewable and so I don't have to be stingy...so I was tested and found my attitude back at money as a limited resource.

All of that brings me to today...we had a full morning. Dance class for P and A...nothing as cute as that; although P came out of class saying in a very mournful kind of way with a hint of disdain, "We didn't do Ballet, we did songs!" Then we all went to Home Depot for the FREE Children's Seminar...birdhouse building. Then it was time for a snack. The big girls and B had bought Persians( a particularly Thunder Bay treat...a doughnut style cinnamon bun with Strawberry Icing) and I wanted something to do while they snacked...sale at Cotton Ginny...should I?...shouldn't I?

And B kicked me out of the car with some cash to go and see what I could find. Well, it was summer clothes and I didn't want to spend on summer clothes; or so I thought. In the end I bought a whole outfit...skirt, t-shirt and jacket for $20...and it's lovely. And I realize that even compared to buying used clothes, that's a good deal. And because B sent me in I thought about matching and co-ordinating...and it does. And it's colour and texture and it will be happy to wear...and it co-ordinates with the clothes I bought earlier this week. So I sorted and tried on things and purged and my closet is not full, but it has things I like, things that feel nice, things that have colour and things that fit...happy am I.

Now what about shoes...???