back to school shopping

August 31, 2009

mall madness
i’ve always loved shopping for clothes, especially around this time of year. when i was growing up, my mom was not into shopping (and still isn’t). so, instead of a mother-daughter trip, i used to get a little allowance that i could throw around in the kids’ department* at macy’s during back to school season. i LOVED THIS, and looked forward to it for days.

don’t be jealous, it was no great sum. but it was so exciting for me nonetheless. i planned ahead, big time — i would read the newspaper circulars and teen magazine and dream about how THIS YEAR, i was going to look totally awesome and rad and IN STYLE. (and then i would go to the dance with some dreamboat and wouldn’t that just be the coolest?!!? too bad that only happened on saved by the bell.)

anyway. so yeah, i have always adored shopping. in college, this became a bit of a problem, as i had like negative ten dollars to my name, yet still managed to think of reasons why it was wise to charge things onto my (new! grown-up!) credit card. um, oops? i got bailed out once (THANK YOU PARENTS) and warned that i would never get that sort of help again. thanks to an actual paycheck now and a decently low cost of living, i am now a pay-it-all-off-each-month kind of consumer, and we are even managing to save some.

so now i can shop without quite as much panic or guilt as i had in the past. i still migrate towards the sale section, but have been much better about stopping myself from buying things just ‘cuz they are cheap, and i don’t mind paying full price for something if it really works and seems like good quality.

i’m also older now and need more style help, because i find it more challenging to temper trends with age-appropriate (and work-appropriate, sometimes) dressing. here were the results of this weekend’s little spree:


i have a soft spot in my heart for benetton. beautiful colors, fun fashions without being too over-the-top trendy, and less ubiquitous than banana republic or j. crew (so i’m less likely to see my outfit on someone else!). this is where everything shown below came from (except the belt).


skinny jeans! okay fine, they aren’t. they’re just straight-cut, pretty much. but they fit really well, are very classic in cut, and are one step away from the rather played-out flares/boot cuts that seem to comprise the rest of my jeans wardrobe.


i like this rather loose, drapey sweater (even though josh is not a fan). it is comfortable and cozy, and personally i think rather sexy in a casual sort of way. looser shirt/sweater silhouettes seem more ‘now’, although on me they are not always the most flattering. this one seemed like a decent compromise. my fashionable sister’s feedback was to add a colorful bangle (bright green or orange). love the idea.


this dress works for summer (although it’s too short/bare for work, unfortunately) . . .


and winter too! and actually, i think with the tights/shirt it is hospital or clinic-appropriate. my sister says that i will need boots to really rock this one. i certainly don’t disagree.

so there you have it! i’m not going to promise that i’m done with fall/winter shopping, but it’s a nice start. i actually have a lot of pretty sweaters in decent condition; what i’m lacking is other tops, and also bottoms — i want to get some better pants and some more skirts to wear with tights. after all, i did resolve to dress better, and i meant it. life is short: might as well look good, and have some fun doing it.

really, NC?
this is not usually how our august ends:


i’m sure our 90-100 degree heat will be back to wish us a summer goodbye.

peds endocrine
at long last, i get to do a whole month of pediatric endocrinology! it will be a little taste of what the next few years of my life will be like, and i’m pumped to start doing some in-depth learning over the next few weeks.

* as you might imagine, i was stuck in this department for quite some time.

————————————————————————-

8.30.09

workout: 10 miles with the carolina godiva group, through the hills and trails of duke forest. i think the hills and rough terrain account for the slower splits, because it definitely felt faster than this to me. alternatively, it could be the footpod (i did just change the battery, which sometimes messes it up), or maybe it was the 3 glasses of wine from the night before . . . oops.

mile 1: 9:44
mile 2: 9:50
mile 3: 9:53
mile 4: 9:50
mile 5: 9:08
mile 6: 8:37
mile 7: 8:59
mile 8: 9:03
mile 9: 9:33
mile 10: 9:18

i felt pretty beat afterwards but proud that i kept up with the others. it went by very quickly with lots of conversation! i plan on going back next weekend.

doin’ time: okay, i didn’t make the lamb i had been thinking of — there was still leftover pizza to be had in the fridge that simply HAD to be eaten.


demonstrating two adages: [nearly] everything is better with cheese, and [practically] everything is better on pizza.

reading: a peds in review article about ingestions + aspirations. don’t let your kids eat magnets (or batteries, or safety pins).

3 Comments

  • Reply Susan March 10, 2019 at 7:28 pm

    I love the grey sweater and the dress! No matter how hard I try to be stylish, I just never quite get there.

  • Reply Anonymous March 10, 2019 at 7:29 pm

    wow i love all those outfits! i love back to school shopping too but the problem with being an adult (and i shudder when i say that word) is that i&#39m not growing anymore so it&#39s hard to justify why i need new clothes when all my old ones are still nice 🙁 haha

  • Reply Anonymous March 10, 2019 at 7:28 pm

    Not a fan of the sweater. Looks like a belted nightshirt. Kinda blah. Blah may be good for work, though. I am a fan of comfort and if you&#39re comfortable and you like it then that&#39s all that matters.

    I don&#39t buy into the designers need to enhance their bank accounts by tweaking the jean style every year. "oh,no, my jeans are not the latest approved style, I must be an old fuddy-duddy." Unless they&#39re the high-waisted, tight ankle big pocketed ones of like 15 years ago I think you&#39re okay. The super skinny jeans of the latest trend are only good on one specific body type – which you may have – but most do not. I&#39m hoping we can rush the designers through their latest dictum of jean style.

    Who up there is making these rules, anyway? I envision a secret Star Chamber of designers laughing maniacally as they institute the latest in fashion law whilst counting their piles of gold.

  • Leave a Reply

    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.