I wear 'em into the ground!

Big D says when he met me he knew I was a diamond in the rough. We're talking REAL ROUGH. I had been living in Southern California for 5 years before moving to Dallas and was accustomed to wearing cut-offs and birkenstocks. I was into running, biking, and swimming, but not shaving my legs. And I NEVER wore lipstick. I don't think I even owned any. (I still have make-up from high school. I know they say it gets germs in it and stuff, but mine is like museum quality. I wonder if I could get anything for it on ebay?) Anyway, so with love I began to "paint the barn" so to speak, to borrow an illustration from J. Vernon McGee. I started shaving my legs, wearing lip stick and even started buying some really nice clothes. Fast forward 11 years and I'm back to me.

Big D told me later that when he met my mom for the first time, he knew he wanted to marry me. My mom is a wonderful cook and homemaker, but mainly she always looks great. I learned a few years ago when my mom went to work part-time for Talbots, that she is a Talbots woman. A Talbots woman, I learned, has a look that is pulled together and is always accessorized. You know, they wear scarves and jewelry, stuff like that. Well, I should have told Big D at the time that I didn't inherit that gene from my mom. I did get her loves-to-move furniture gene (which Big D has become painfully familiar with), but not the look pulled-together gene. Big D never knew my Dad's mom. I thought it was funny when she wore her outdated raccoon hat to my soccer games (was raccoon EVER "in"??) and she always wore elastic around one of her shoes to keep it on. My granny had lots of money, she just didn't spend it on her wardrobe. I have only recently become aware that I am my granny, at least in this department.

I put on this shirt the other day and you know what I realized? My mom bought me this shirt in 1992! Yes, my friends, I have had this shirt for 17 years and I'm still wearing it. It's probably also the last piece of Ralph Lauren I've owned. My plaid pajama pants given to me at Christmas last year didn't fare so well. They have a huge rip across one knee. And yes, I know that means I spend WAY too much time in my pajamas. I also wear the heck out of shoes. Now running shoes I have to replace a couple of times a year. But church shoes last me years and years. I still wear shoes on Sunday that I bought 12 years ago in Dallas. In fact, I think I've only been shoe shopping (other than for running shoes) once since I've lived here (10 yrs).

I don't know what to say about this. It is what it is. I just thought I'd share this little bit of who I am. I'm not particularly happy or unhappy about it. I dress up on Sundays, meaning I do wear Sunday shoes and clothes. I usually wear the same thing. It's my Sunday uniform. (This is also related to the fact that I'm not pregnant or nursing, but I'm not my old running size 4. I'm in limbo hovering around size 6 and I refuse to go out and buy new clothes.) I would say I dress up when Big D and I go out and I do, but that's once a year for our anniversary. I'm just not much for dressing up. I like being comfortable and I like being me. I admire women who look pulled together and accessorized, but I don't envy them. I love my life. I live a life perfect for running shoes, jeans, and hoodie jackets. Who knows. In another 30 years I may be using an elastic band to hold my shoes together. When my grandkids laugh at me I'll chuckle to myself about it.


Oh and don't forget to comment to enter my $25 Lowe's gift card giveaway! I'll be drawing the winner on Friday. Just think of it, an extra $25 deal on the biggest shopping day of the year. And you don't even have to leave your house.