cartoon286This past weekend, I went shopping with my best friend. It’s the first time I’ve stepped foot in a mall in ages, but more importantly, it’s one of the rare times I’ve shopped for clothing that did not have the ultimate requirement of “Toddler-Approved.”  It was thrilling. It was fun.

And it was done in the first half hour.

Granted, telling this later to my husband, he thought this was impressive. Shopping is something to be managed as quickly as possible, for the least amount of pain involved.

However, this does NOT leave any room for meandering down the aisles, looking at the pretty, pretty clothing.  Or snickering at the ones that you just cannot imagine anyone letting leave the showroom floor. Shopping? In a HALF HOUR? I had so been looking forward to the hours I imagined it would probably take to find just the right shirt and accessories to wear at my book launch party on the 16th.  But for the first time ever, I actually found what I wanted when I wanted it.

Of course, that simply meant that BFF and I went to dinner early. We had cocktails and swapped gossip and old stories.  A pretty fantastic way to pass the extra hours, but that’s another post altogether…

I will admit it, much of my clothes shopping is done by looking at labels.  Will this wash well often? If I get PB&J finger prints on my back, will they come out with relative ease? If anything remotely states “delicate fabric”, that translates to “keep your babies away.”  However, on this auspicious day, I was able to shop withOUT looking at cleaning directions.  Because I was buying Non-Mommy clothes.

Admit it.  If you are like me, you can take a two-second glance in your closet and dissect it right down the middle.  The much smaller section of hangers on one side contains your pretty, Non-Mommy clothes.  These are most likely fitted to your actual body and size, perhaps even tailored.  Most likely very lonely.

Then there are the Mommy clothes.  I have each shirt in five different colors.  Mostly t-shirts of some sort. They may have suggested attempts at style when I bought it, but it’s long since faded or stretched from the tiny little fingers constantly grabbing. (Who knew they had the hidden talent of stretching fabric?)  I call these the Target T-shirts. Bargains, cheap, quick to toss in the washing machine and void of any sex-appeal whatsoever.

My writer clothes might even be considered a step down in the clothing hierarchy.  Because while I do venture outside and into public in the Mommy Attire, I would generally not be caught dead outside my front door in my writer clothes.  It often consists of sweats (or something with an elastic waistband), big fuzzy socks, and depending on the weather, a t-shirt that says “My hero can kick your hero’s butt” or the Mickey Mouse sweatshirt that is so large, it looks like Mickey’s hand is copping a feel.  Yup, not exactly glamorous, that.

So back to my shopping excursion. The fabrics! The shiny silver jewelry.  Trying things on and worrying only about how well it fit, not how well it would last in the world-war-three explosion of my son’s lunch the following day.  It was lovely. Wonderful.  So relaxing.

Of course, I wear that shirt in two weeks.  The rest of the days? Well, right now, my hero is definitely kicking your hero’s butt. Or at least my chest.

So ‘fess up… what’s your writer and Mommy attire?

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And just because I stumbled upon these cartoons and loved them, I wanted to share the site with you.  The cartoon above comes from Cathy Thorne and http://www.everydaypeoplecartoons.com/ .   AND they come on t-shirts to boot!!  Who would have guessed?  I wonder if I can order these in five different colors….

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sah_cover150Jeannie Ruesch
SOMETHING ABOUT HER
“…a rich, well-presented story.”~RT Book Reviews
~ “A wonderful debut!” ~NYTimes bestselling author Gaelen Foley