wonderfinds: feeling springy

okay first of all
i just need to say
great camera
+
photographer husband
+
love of pushing the shutter
doesn't always =
awesome pictures
often it =
sometimes it works
& sometimes it doesn't...
it might = awesome pictures
if my mind didn't go blank when brian starts
talking about aperture
& depth of field
so
that's my disclaimer

next
i am not a small girl
i am not even a medium girl
not even a large girl
at least extra large...
& always hoping & trying to shrink
& so buying clothes is sometimes not so fun
why would i want to spend thirty forty fifty
(or if you believe instyle one hundred thirty, forty, fifty)
dollars
on jeans that i am hoping won't fit in two months?
why?
& so
confession
last summer i had a pair of old navy jeans that i loved
i loved them so much that wore them almost every day
i didn't have any others
& i tried to find the same pair online
but nope
disappeared...
so finally the beloved jeans gave in (out?)
in some very uncomfortable places
& i was forced to find some more...
goodwill had always been in the back of my mind
but in that picture the racks of plus size stuff
were filled with elastic waist jeans & mumus...
however i was desperate
i wanted to save my money to buy great jeans when
i was smaller
& so
i went to goodwill
hoping against hope
that i could find one pair
one measly non tapered, non high mom waist
(it's back! i know! i still hate it!)
non acid washed pair of jeans...
(& if i'm asking for the impossible
a touch of lycra for stretch)
& what did i find?
hangers & hangers full of great current jeans
good color
no stretchy waist
boot cut, flared & straight legs
&
(thank you, Jesus)
lycra...
what on earth?!
& not only that they had other things
like clothes even:
shirts
& dresses
& cardigans
(oh, the cardigans!)
& skirts
& hoodies...
i mentioned back in the shoe edition of this feature
that i have a $20 clothing budget
& do you know how far $20 can go
when shirts are $3.50
& jeans are $4.50?
far far far...
& so i do decree
to all of the plus sized girlies out there
go check your local goodwill
or st. vincents
or even just a good consignment store
(i always call first to see if they carry
plus sizes
cause there's nothing worse then wandering the racks of
cute little clothes hoping
to catch a glimpse of your size
acting like
'oh i'm just looking for something for my teen age sister')
& all of you non-plussies out there
(does that word work?
i thought it might be cute?
maybe not...)
go check it out!
there are 5 times more racks of your size
& every once in a while as a make my way to the plus section
i spot something so cute
& so little
& i have been tempted more than once
to just buy the tiny thing
because it is SO CUTE
& it's only $3.50!
nevermind that even at my lowest weight
(in 1998, my wedding year, of course)
i would not have been able to fit into it...

anyway
that's my public service announcement
& now
if you're still with me
on to the clothes...

oh &
ps
yes
i do own an iron...
i just don't use it

a dress a dress!
i was so excited
because through my travels
i have found that the plus size dress department
has not quite caught up to the jeans department
most of the dresses are straight jumper sackish things
& let me say that if you like that style
go for it
but i went to private school for one year
& i had to wear sackie jumpers every day
& i won't do it again
you can't make me
(angie & emmi i don't know how you did it for
so many years, i applaud you)
so this little number
now, i know what you're thinking
the way it's hanging

it looks like a romper...

something along these lines perhaps?

(me, 1993, lordy i loved that thing)

but believe me when i type
it is a real live dress
with shape & gathers in the right places
& no legs

& i am a sucker for little details
so i appreciate that the makers weren't just like
'eh, those big girls can't even see their own shoulders
why put something cute along the edges?'
....great floral dress $4.50
hoodie, hoodie, hoodie
oh how i love thee
& light weight cable knit?
perf!
...black hoodie $3.50

weird shape on the hanger
does not always = weird shape on the body
that is my tip to you
also when it looks weird on the hanger
& others don't abide by my tip
sometimes it is 50% off
...bluish tealish t-shirt $1.75

get ready for summer little girl...
love the colors
love the pattern
love the style
...floral tank top $3.50& i can't forget the shoes!
search & search i did
for brown shoes
mary jane style
& there they were
hi girls! thanks for coming to live with me!
...brown mary janes $5.99
(first picture waaaaaaay up there at the very top)

i got all of this at goodwill
(delta oaks for you locals)
all in the same trip!

hooray for other peoples clothes!

:)