Friday, March 31, 2006

Dilemma

The check from Everyday Hogwash actually came! I'm $200 richer, and Gabe says I can spend it on anything I want. So...$20 goes off to St. Jude's Children's Hospital (my charity of choice for extra windfalls). But now I have $180 to spend on anything.

This is difficult. There are lots and lots and lots of things that I'd like to have. It is a very long list. But $180 compared to that list suddenly seems like not very much money at all. I like to think of it as lots of money, so I don't like to compare it to the list.

Out of the many wishful thinking desires, the one I think I complain about most is a lack of really nice clothing. (Gabe can attest to just how often I complain about this!) I've been buying clothes from Target and Mervyns for years, but the tug of Ann Taylor and Liz Claiborne have never quite been overcome. After all, when it comes down to three servicable shirts vs. half a truly beautiful shirt, usually the former wins.

But, oh, the tug of beauty! A few days ago I gave into some internet window shopping, and filled my "shopping cart" with $163. 99 of Liz Claiborne clothing. Nothing ridiculous, mind you, just a lovely skirt, two 3/4 length sleeve shirts (cotton, so they'll wash!) and two sleeveless tops. Ok, so the price is ridiculous. But all prices are ridiculous today, so I'm going to pretend I didn't notice. Gabe came home that night and was greeted by sighs of longing, and the question "what would you do if I just bought these?" Evidently that isn't an option. More sighs of longing.

But, then came the check! The lovely, glorious check. The check that is more than what I wanted to spend on Liz Claiborne! No more sighs of longing...I can buy with impunity!

But wait, there is another dilemma. What size do I buy?

For those of you who are not mothers, this question may seem silly. But consider:

1) I am currently in between sizes. Size A needs a belt to stay up and size B only fits in the morning before breakfast.

2) I would like another baby. Babies grow inside mommies, creating a truly amazing expansion. If I were to actually have another baby in the near future, it would be wise to be wearing nice clothing in size A, so that they have a chance of fitting for more than a week.

3) If I do not have a baby, I have high hopes of continuing back to my pre-Jonathan size. Which is more like size B. Thus, if I buy my lovely nice clothes in size A, in a month or two they will no longer fit.

Dear readers, this is truly a difficulty. Suggestions are implored. If they are not forthcoming, perhaps I will take another look at my list.

8 comments:

Ma Torg said...

you're not going to like my suggestion...to wait. Undergoing the same dilemna myself...wanting pretty clothes but not being my normal pre-preg size (and really, really! wanting to be). If you don't buy the clothes, you will have more motivation to lose the weight. That or once you buy the clohtes, they will invevitebly fit for just one week. I'm determined that that's how weight loss works. On that note, maybe you should buy them! (o:

Adam said...

Whatever you do, buy darker colors (not white), so your nice clothes stay nice longer.

Maybe invest in a nursing wardrobe?

sarah marie said...

Enter more competitions, win more money, and then buy clothes in sizes A and B... and throw in an in-between size C, too!

That's the best answer *I* can think of.

Amber said...

The whole clothing dilemma drives me nuts too! I hate having a ton of clothes around, but I also don't want to live the next 15 years wearing elastic all the time. Right now I have nice clothes in two sizes - one because they were my work clothes from my pre-child life, and the other largely courtesy of my mom. Of course, I am in between both of these sizes right now!! *sigh*

My tactic personally is to get nice and more expensive tops that are reasonably stretchy so that I can wear comfortably over a weight range (probably a good 20 lbs) and then buy less expensive pants that at least fit reasonably well in a few sizes. I figure that so long as the pants fit decently, they aren't really all that noticeable. I would love to have a nice skirt or two (or even, *gasp*, a dress!), but I just can't justify it at this point because of the sizing thing. I haven't had any luck at duplicating my pants strategy with skirts, because it always seems like inexpensive skirts are either sleazy or just look cheap.

So I am not sure if this helps or not. Another thought, any chance you could find a nice skirt or two that did have a bit of elastic so that you'd have a bit more sizing flexibility? I know it isn't a great solution, but it just may be the only way this is going to work in this childbearing season of your life.

Good luck! And I'm glad to hear that the check showed up!

Becks said...

Ok, so I havn't had a baby anytime lately. That doesn't mean that I don't have sice A, B, and C clothes, however. My weight regularly swings through a 20lb spectrum during a calendar year, with 98% of the fat being located in the hips/thigh region, which means I wear three different sizes of jeans.

My advice? Buy something you really like NOW that fits you exactly the way you are right now. You're body is good enough to wear beautiful clothes no matter what size it is. Put the rest of the money away, and buy something else in six weeks that fits you then. If you lose weight, great! You have two beautiful things to wear. If you gain weight (ie: have another baby), you will have a new pretty thing to wear.

Or you could just invest in a fabulous pair of shoes. That's what I would do :)

Dy said...

Get something that fits now. Enjoy it. If you aren't done having children, your size is going to be somewhat, erm, fluid, for the next few years.

If you're still between sizes, perhaps get a little something now and save the rest for when you hit the mark?

Dy, who has her clothing sorted into several boxes: pre-pregnancy; post-partum; nursing. Makes it so much easier! (And if I do buy something new, I know which box it goes into.)

Rachel said...

There's a wonderful Ann Taylor outlet at the Block. I've gotten several VERY nice things there for Wal-Mart prices or better.

Of course now they don't fit me... ;)

Mrs. Speckperson said...

I say you should get a size that fits now, because honestly, children ruin all clothes one has anyways...and quickly too! (I'm learning this!)

Or get size B because you want children soon and then you'll have something nice post-partum as well.

Definitely get good nursing clothes! I found a website: www.motherwear.com. It is at least good for ideas!