Third Post in a Triple Whammy :) Thursday Shopping!!!!

Thursday..was a fun fun fun day. I went shopping and out to lunch with two friends.

This was my first real clothes shopping trip as a regular sized person. I have tried on the odd thing, did the big jeans torture search a few months ago but this was the first...I am shopping with friends and I do not have to wander over the the plus sized department while they go to the regular sized areas event.

We went to a nearby outlet mall and went to several stores (clothes, shoes, kitchen and Nike stuff). I purchased-2 tank tops and henley style t-shirt from the Gap (size large) and two sweaters from Eddie Bauer in sized extra large (No vanity sizing at Eddie Bauer). I tried on a pair of jeans and a school girl skirt (for a laugh at Gap). The skirt fit me in a size 12!!!! and the jeans a 14 both were not cut right for my waist but it was really cool to button them!

At Liz Claiborne I tried on a very cool wrap dress. It fit very nicely and was $60 but I really do not wear dresses that often and I didn't want to get yet another piece of clothing that I would grow out of before I actually got to wear it anywhere. I will either wait until I have an event or until I get to goal for the wrap dress experience.

We went into a great store I had never heard of before-Cabi. They have been around for a while I guess and started as a home party thing like tupperware. The store was great and I loved the clothes. Very classic looks but with a 40's vibe that was very attractive. I bought a nice black jacket that is longer than normal and with a swing cut. The buttons are lovely on it. When I am at goal I will definitely go back here and set up my wardrobe!


The whole shopping trip and the Cabi store especially made me feel like for the first time that I could dress like I feel. a few years ago I had a student in one of my classes who had a sense style that I admired. At the time it made me sad because when you are wearing plus sized clothes the amount of style..well it is limited isn't it? Things have gotten much better over the years but the fabric is really all you can control because of the effort one must expend on working to camouflage the fat. A wrap dress? no too many stomach rolls. a suit jacket? no made me look like a man. I was really limited to tank tops, open blouses and slacks. At the very least that is how my head dealt with my obesity.

We stopped for lunch near the end of our mall time. The mall had a very nice wine bar the served food. I had a lovely Mueller wine and a cheese plate that I shared with the two women I was with. Again another flag to my existence. I was very selective before about what food I would and would not eat. Thursday I ordered the cheese plate and tried each cheese..I did not eat blue cheese. I do now. I ate a bit of each of the cheeses and enjoyed them.

New bandsters--i urge you. If you were a picky eater. make a vow to try new things and live with the band as an adventurer. our old closed ways did not help us in our happiness. All the foods I 'hated' were just my head closing them out. I think this adventuresome spirit can be applied to everything..exercise, life experience and food. Maybe my word in January should have been ADVENTURE