Wishful Slacker

Happiness in Blue Jeans

When I was a teenager and my mom and I went shopping, she would sit outside my fitting room while I tried on clothes.  After trying something on, I lopped it over the fitting room door and she would put it back on its hanger.  Then I became an adult, and suddenly found myself in my fitting room without anyone helping and I had to hang up my own damn clothes.  And I was like, oh my god, trying on clothes has now become ten times more annoying than it used to be.  Eventually I would emerge from the fitting room, sweaty and with my hair in tangles.  And then I had to actually pay for what was in my cart, and shopping became even less fun. 

Add having a baby into the mix, and you'll understand why I now view going to the dentist as a more pleasurable experience than clothes shopping.  At least at the dentist's you can take a nap.

I've never really been that in to fashion, anyways.  I don't know brand names, or what's "in" now, or what was "in" in the past.  I haven't shopped at really nice places.  About 75% of my work wardrobe came from used clothing stores and the Salvation Army when I started my first job.  In fact, fashion has always intimidated me.  I far more enjoy buying clothes for Eleanor than for myself.   

Back in May, I attended an event sponsored by Chicago's Neighborhood Parents Network when a fashion consultant went over her big "fashion do's and don'ts" list with us.  Her name was Noelle Cellini, and her company is called My Best Foot Forward.  And you know what?  I became inspired.  I decided I actually wanted to start improving my wardrobe, piece by piece.  I took some skirts that I bought a few years ago second-hand that fell unflatteringly at mid-calf, and had them hemmed to knee-length (and they are totally awesome now).  I went through my closet and weeded out the awkward pieces.  I tried on all of my work pants and decided which ones I should only wear with flats and which I should stick with heels, and had them hemmed accordingly.  Remarkably, this process was not that expensive, and it felt pretty good to make such positive changes using what I already had in my closet.

I realize, especially now that I have a child, that I really like to dress up.  It makes me feel better, less schleppy.  By dressing up, I don't mean I am walking around in an evening gown while Ellie flings banana at me from her high chair, but rather, if I can dry my hair, put a wee bit of make up on, and CONSIDER what to wear instead of lounge pants, I feel better, even when we are home doing nothing. 

For Christmas, Jim got me a lovely pair of brown riding boots and a gorgeous red Coach handbag (both on my hopeful list of new wardrobe additions).  Left on the list was to get some nice jeans.  What I've been wearing I purchased second-hand over five years ago, and they've become well worn.  I was due for something new.  But then again, I didn't feel like shopping for new jeans.  Blech.  The time, the energy, the repeatedly checking out my derriere in a mirror...I was in no rush to embark on that search.  But then, out of the blue (haha, get it?) a few weeks ago, the woman who ran my new mom's group sent on an email invitation for a jeans party at The Blues Jean Bar.  Last week, a group of ladies met at the Blue Jeans Bar, and oh my goodness I recommend this experience so highly, because I have never so enjoyed buying a new clothing item.  The store is set up like a bar, with all the blue jeans folded and out of your reach.  You tell the ladies behind the counter what you are looking for.  They bring you the jeans to try.  They then check on you.  They look at how the jeans fit.  They make really nice comments.  You say to them, "I am not in to how low rise these are."  They come back with another pair that fit you better.  You say to them, "I can't zip these up!" and before you can even turn around they've brought you the next size. 

Basically you are back to being 15 years old, and they become your mother standing outside the fitting room. 

All the annoyances of buying jeans were taken out of the picture.  It was just you and the blue jeans.  Going in, I knew I could use one pair of nicer boot leg jeans to go with heels for nicer outings.  I also was thinking that finally getting a pair of skinny jeans would be pretty cool.  And what do you know, I found both.  They are fabulous.  How could I get just one?  Now, the jeans at the Blues Jeans Bar are of the pricier variety.  We aren't talking Old Navy, or the $20 I spent on my used GAP jeans five years ago.  And a part of me really wanted to throw up when I handed over my credit card.  The next morning though, I woke with a smile.  And I practically skipped across Oz Park when I picked them up last night after they'd been hemmed.  I wanted to wear them to bed (and I think I could have, because they are commmmfortable!).

Bottom line- if you live in Chicago, I highly recommend going to the Blues Jeans Bar.  If you are anywhere else, and know of a place similar to the Blues Jeans Bar, go there.  Let someone help you find your jeans.  You deserve it :-) 

By the way, Noelle Cellini is on Twitter (@NoelleCellini), and posts some good fashion links if you're wanting to learn how to be on the up and up :0)

I've also enjoyed the following books in learning how to dress myself:
The Lucky Shopping Manual: Building and Improving Your Wardrobe Piece by Piece by Andrea Linett

What I Wore: Four Seasons, One Closet, Endless Recipes for Personal Style by Jessica Quirk
(this one did not get great reviews on Amazon, but I like it)

Let's talk about pants

At 14 weeks pregnant, I've developed a lovely belly paunch that becomes more pronounced as the day progresses.  I start off the day in a non-pregnant body and then climb into bed at night clutching the "gas baby" that has emerged.  During one of these gas baby evenings I turned to my husband and asked him if stranger would think I was pregnant.  He considered this for a minute before replying,
"Well, not pregnant.  But...they may just think you look a little pudgy." 

I took no offense to this- I wanted my hubbie to tell it to me straight.  Because I do look pudgy- as someone would who has been at the mercy of disgustingly unhealthy food in order to get through a day.  Blech.  Hello 10 pounds.

ANYWAYS, this leads me into the subject of this email.  Pants.  A few weeks ago, all of my pants suddenly became too tight, and my first maternity-type purchase (which I planned for the day of our first ultrasound) was a Bella Band, which allows you to conceal the fact that your pants are unbuttoned or unzipped.  Smart thinking, whoever came up with that one. 

A couple of weeks ago, I realized that I had reached an point of no return with my blue jeans, even with a Bella Band.  So I went out and bought two pairs of Old Navy maternity jeans, which are the cat's meow.  Let me tell you, after these, I don't think I will ever go back to normal jeans again.  Ever.  They're still pretty cute and fit well, but have a stretchy waistband, so you don't feel like you have to suck in your gut when they're on.  One pair are low-rise, and these would be ideal for wearing regardless of whether or not you're pregnant.  The other pair have the gigantic bib-like fabric that pulls up to your chest, Steve Urkel-style.  Probably not something you'd grab at non-pregnancy times, but heck, for lounging around the house, they'd probably still work.  Awesome pants-moment #1 (pictured below are the cool low-risers).


My second pants-related enjoyment came this week at work, where there was a scrubs sale for nurses.  Now, I am not a nurse, nor do I have the opportunity to wear scrubs at work (this ability would really complete my life, by the way).  But the thought of lounging around this summer with a pair of extra-stretchy scrub pants sounded too good to pass up, so I went and got myself a pair.  This fulfilled my awesome pants-moment #2.

THEN, as though my lounging pants-spree could not get any better, I received a pajamagram package from my mother-in-law for Mother's Day (how sweet is that?) containing a pair of pajamajeans!  Yes, pajamajeans, pajama pants with the style and fit of jeans.  They are so soft and stretchy.  You know those days where you stay in your fat pants and begin feeling like a total lazy bum around 4pm?  Well, now with pajamajeans you feel like you're dressed to go out (psst! but you're really not!).  These will do wonders for my psyche!!!  Awesome pants-moment #3!!!

Now, often in life we follow the "one step forward, two steps back" model.  As you can see, these pants are all for casual and lounge-around-the-house wear.  None of these options work so much for where I spend the majority of my time- the office.  I have had zilch luck in finding good maternity work pants.  I checked out both Gap and Old Navy, and all their work pants looked hideous on me AND the Gap pants were really expensive.  I went to a maternity place here in Roscoe Village which definitely catered to individuals not stuck on a genetic counselor salary.  Their tops ran about $80, and I couldn't even find good business-casual pants anyways.  Sigh.  Meanwhile, I will peruse leads on craigslist, and see if I can drag myself to a Target. 

Sorry, Boss.  If this fails, you'll soon find me prancing to work wearing bib overalls (cue the Green Acres theme).

Ode to my teeth, also, why I went crazy at Express last night

My teeth have turned to mashed potato mush.  Growing up, I had teeth of steel.  Even after 5 years of braces (my glamour years) I had no cavities.  Then two years ago I went to a new dentist for a cleaning.  After much head shaking, they led me to a dimly lit room and, with soothing music playing in the background, informed me that I had SEVEN cavities.  SEVEN.  So many that I would need two visits to get them filled.  One by one they brought up my xrays on their fancy screen.  Which really wasn't necessary- OK, OK, GOT IT- I HAVE CAVITIES.  I SUCK.   No need to rub it in my face by pointing out the dreaded plaque burrowing through my enamel with your laser pointer. 

I will not lie.  This kind of demoralized me.  Driving home after that appointment I called several people for moral support.  Did this mean I was a bad person?  Was I leading my body to an early grave?  Screw it, maybe I should just start smoking and injecting illicit drugs to speed things up?  Honestly, I don't understand how this has happened.  Me with my fancy Sonicare toothbrush.  Me with my regular flossing.  Me with my love of milk.  When I talked to a different dentist about it at my last visit, he gave me some truly half-assed response about how people today are getting more cavities because of our reliance on bottled water.  Cool dude, except that I never DRINK bottled water (you think I'd waste my money on bottled water? pshaw!).

My pride healed somewhat with time.  But then last night I returned for another routine cleaning (what moron schedules a teeth cleaning on a Friday night?  Oh wait- me) and was informed I need another THREE fillings.  They even offered to fill them right then and there.  While it was tempting to get this next stage of misery over with, the thought of spending my entire Friday evening with this dentist did not appeal to me one ounce. 

So I ran out of there (I get to go back next Thursday-yay!) and instead met my husband at Whole Foods.  Friday night was getting even better- first the dentist, then a grocery store!  But holy cow has anyone been to the new Whole Foods at North Avenue and Sheffield?  The original location for this Whole Foods was closed down a couple of times by the Health Department for a little nuisance they like to call a rat infestation.  This new fancy store is something else.  First of all, at the entrance is a BAR.  Like with a mahogany finish and beer taps and flat screen tv's.  And it looked like people actually met up there just for the bar- at a Whole Foods!  People browse the aisles while carrying their pint glasses.  Deeper into the store is a WINE bar.  Again, people all dressed to the nines on a Friday night, sitting in the middle of a Whole Foods sipping wine.  I would have taken pictures, but I know that Whole Foods does not enjoy that.  We took a photography class last December, and two members of our class were asked to leave the local Whole Foods during one of our photography assignments.  And you wouldn't want to get kicked out of this Whole Foods.  No sir. 

Jim had his bike with him, and after our shop we parted ways so I could head back to the dingy disgusting why-does-that-puddle-never-go-away North and Clybourn red line stop (good God if Chicago gets the Olympics, will they at least re-do the red line?).  Well, on this walk I passed the Express store on North.  All I saw were red "Sale" signs.  Even with that, I kept walking.  Then I stopped.  It may have been the failure I felt because of my teeth.  It may have been the fancy feeling I felt just from walking through that beautiful Whole Foods.  But my body was hit with this incredible urge to shop NOW.  Buy nice clothes NOW.  ON SALE. 

So I did a pivot turn right into that store.  And of course I got one of those good sales ladies who was all, "do you need another size? have you seen our skirts are also on sale?  Oh, you're looking for work clothes? Let me HELP" and doesn't make you feel like a loser for not being able to even remember the last time you bought work clothes.  Jim, who stopped to get us some hamburgers from Five Guys, gets a text from me that reads "GONE SHOPPING" which is all I could manage to get out while carrying our Whole Foods eggs and oranges and my accumulating pile of clothes.  And when I stumbled through our door an hour later, arms shaking from carrying my purchases, I found my hamburger warming in the oven and my wonderfully supportive husband didn't flinch a muscle when I told him how much I spent but rather told me that I needed clothes, and it was absolutely fine. 

And with that, I went to bed.  Without flossing.       

Post call, new charm!

For Christmas this year my mother-in-law gave me a Chamilia charm bracelet, already outfitted with 4 charms.  Being out of the fashion loop recently, I had actually not heard that charm bracelets had made a comeback.  Come to find out that there are two big names for these charm bracelets, Chamilia and Pandora, and the charms made by each brand are able to fit both bracelet chains.  

Anyways, I really love wearing mine and enjoy having a piece of jewelry that I can add to over time.  Soon after receiving my bracelet, I experienced my first time being the genetic counselor "on call" at work.  For the two weeks that we're on call, we handle all the extra stuff that comes in to our office- physician and patient inquiries, inpatient genetic consults, metabolic newborn screen referrals, etc.  It can get pretty crazy at times and we sadly witness our usual work "to do" list slide into the lowest priority category.

To reward myself each time I finish being on call, I came up with the idea of ordering a new charm for my bracelet.  So far I've been able to add 3 charms to commemorate on call completions.  I understand that this system is comprable to rewarding toddlers with a sticker each time they don't throw a temper tantrum at the grocery store.  But for me, it was something pleasant to think about while handling the 5 abnormal newborn screen referrals that came in on Tuesday afternoon.  If it helps contribute to the preservation of my sanity, I'm all for it!