The Continuing Adventures of the Case Against Pants

When it comes to fashion, I still dislike pants. True story. I've only worn pants three times so far in 2010. My goal in 2011 is to NEVER WEAR PANTS.

"But why," you ask, "do you hate pants?"

Well...

#1: They don't always flatter me. I am a hair under 5'0" but was blessed with curves. Lots of them. I have a proportionate hourglass figure with some extra squish on it...and abnormally short legs. They're nice, sturdy, shapely legs, but mega-short. Wearing pants just makes me look...well, stumpy.

#2: I don't find pants comfortable anymore. I'm really not sure why. All I know is that unless there is an elastic waistband and a considerable amount of stretch (or flannel, flannel is good too...) I am distinctly uncomfortable.

#3: I am a girly-girl. Aside from second grade, when I became a tomboy because my BFF Samantha said she wouldn't be friends with me other wise, I have been a girly-girl. Frills, lace, bows...the whole nine yards. And I feel my girliest in skirts.

#4: I have to dress up for work. And let's face it, it's easier to throw on a dress and call it a day than stare at a pair of basic slacks and think all right, let's get this going...

#5: Dresses are easier to sew than pants.

So that's why, when P and I were moving into our apartment, I tossed a megaload of crap. Jeans with holes in the heels, khakis that I wore day in and day out in high school, knit tops that were faded and pilled and had a tendency to slide up my tummy squish. All the stuff that I wore to death in college, but I really shouldn't wear as a young grown up.

All in all, it was rather cathartic.

However, that left me in a predicament. What shall I wear to work? Pretty much everything that's still in my closet is still ancient (you buy a lot less when you stopped growing at the age of twelve) and is splattered with the remnants of a life as a theater kid. You know...diluted paint. Wood glue. Glitter. Snags from getting caught in the flies. (Don't laugh...it happens.) Am I really supposed to wear that to my new big girl job?

Luckily, my parents offered to help me get some new pieces of clothing. HALLELUJAH.

And, oh wait, it gets better.

My mother has become a fan of getting me things from Modcloth.

That's right, the Holy Grail of all things adorable and retrochic. I am now the proud owner of four Modcloth dresses.

How This Dress Got Its Groove Back (which I wore for my rehearsal dinner)

The Soda Fountain Dress in cola (because I have to wear black for trunk shows)

The Tea Rose Rendezvous Dress (so comfy!)

The Indie Darling dress (which is currently awaiting me at my parents' house)

I'm going to have to face it, I'm addicted to lo...um, Modcloth.

Now I just need to sit down and figure out how to match up my outfits and figure out what else to get and what else to get rid of. So...maybe I'll start doing fashion entries? Maybe? Yeah...that'll be fun.

I also have plans to sew up plenty of things to augment my wardrobe. The only thing is I have about a hundred unfinished projects. I wish I was kidding, but I'm not. I spent about three years going "ooh! I wanna MAKE THAT!". So I would buy up the supplies, perhaps get started, and then move on.

It's ridiculous.

So I'm trying to sew through my stash in hopes of putting together some redeemable outfits. Some of them, however, are just awful. You know how I was going to make New Look 6722 in yellow knit? Yeah. Yeah, that was a travesty. Just awful. Thank the pattern gods that that bad boy has been discontinued.

(I'll discuss it further when I've figured out how in blue blazes I can salvage the remaining fabric, but let's face it- there's only so much you can do with a highlighter-yellow knit.)

Oh, well.

I hope you enjoy my further fashion endeavors! Now I'm going to give Simplicity 2622 a try!

Already Prettypoll

(I really ought to be hard at work on cleaning and finishing my red coat that I started two weeks ago. But this is more fun!)

Sally at Already Pretty posted this on her blog, and as I love polls, shopping, and doing things other than chores, I decided to do it.

1. How often do you think about shopping?
It depends. I usually think about shopping when an occasion is coming up- back to school, a holiday, etc. I also get into moods when I just really hate my wardrobe and want to spruce it up.

But clothes? I think about clothes ALL THE TIME. Yes.

2. About how often do you shop for clothing, shoes, or accessories for yourself?
If I purposefully go shopping, it's usually only when one of the above circumstances pop up. But many a time I'll pick up something that I simply cannot say no to. For instance, last month I went to the mall to get a pair of brown heels for Beau Jest. I came home with brown heels, red patent leather flats, and a deliciously wonderful Danny Phantom tee shirt.

3. How LONG can you shop without tiring?
I can shop all day, dude. Seriously. I am the queen of window shopping. I am always searching and perusing, but I can go all day without buying anything. If I'm going to Opry Mills or an outlet mall, I come prepared for a journey. The only caveat? I must be fed, or I get grumpy. Luckily, P has learned this and doesn't take my grumpiness personally.

4. Do you prefer to shop at brick and mortar stores, or online?
I usually stick to real-life stores, just because I like the security of knowing something fits. Plus, I've learned the hard way that what looks super cute in a picture often makes me look like either a six-year-old or dumpy. I prefer trying everything to make sure it looks all right.

5. What is your favorite fashion-y thing to shop for?
#1: Fabric

#2: Dresses

#3: Shoes

I love fabric. I lust after fabric. I am a fabric WHORE. I run through the aisles of JoAnn's and Textiles petting everything I come in contact with. P follows close behind with the cart, offering his input, which consists of three basic phrases:

"What will you make out of it?"

"Where will you wear it?"

"Put it back."

Despite curtailing my fabric purchases, I still collect a lot more than I should. But I love sewing, and I love the complete customization it affords me. I collect pictures from Modcloth and Kate Nash's blog and copy them. Plus, it tends to be a lot cheaper to sew things myself.

That being said, if I find a dress in a store that I like, I buy it. I am a dress girl, and I shall not deny it any longer. (Also, if the dress comes with a cardigan, it gets bonus points.)

The last thing I shop for voraciously is shoes. My parents nicknamed Imelda Marcos when I was about twelve. I just love shoes! They're mostly a wide selection of cheap canvas ballet flats, but I'm working on upgrading them. (Part of that whole "graduating-and-getting-married-and-growing-up thing".)

So that's how I approach shopping! Now I want to shop. But I have wedding invitations to purchase...not really room in the budget for a spree.

Maybe I'll just finish my red coat.

The all-important dress!

(Before I start this, I just have to say that I've gotten a lot of comments on the '50s retro dinner party I mentioned on my Thursday's Ten...so I think that as soon as P and I have moved into our apartment and are satisifactorily settled...there shall be a retro dinner party! But I digress...)

I just realized that I've had my wedding dress for almost a month, and I've yet to blog about it! But first, before I proceed...

IF YOUR NAME IS PATRICK BRENT TREVATHAN, YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO PROCEED! I SHALL KICK YOU IN THE KNEECAPS IF YOU DO! SO HA! GO PLAY SOME VIDEO GAMES AND FORGET ABOUT THIS!

And now that he's taken care of...

I knew that once I got home from Disney, I needed to find a dress rather quickly, so I could have enough time to get it in and get it altered. My original plan was to take Kat and Emma and go to Jacqueline's Bridal out by Opry Mills, because they were having massive sales. I emailed and called the shop, but they never got back to me. Through a long series of circumstances, we weren't able to go there.

(Seriously. I don't feel like telling the whole story, but I don't recommend going to Jacqueline's Bridal.)

So we went with another shop on my list, Bridal Warehouse. I wasn't completely pumped about going there- after all, it sounds like the Walmart of the wedding world- but I knew they carried Alfred Angelo bridesmaid dresses, and they sounded more inexpensive than other shops. I called them, fingers crossed that they would have an opening for that afternoon, and they did!

We got to the shop in the late afternoon and were greeted by several very nice ladies. They assigned Leslie to help me. She asked me a few questions about the kinds of dresses that I liked and some details about the wedding, told us how the shop worked, and then let us descend upon the dresses!

Kat and Emma leaped right into perusing the racks. Before I knew what was going on, we had about ten dresses picked out! Leslie helped too, offering suggestions and picking a couple that she recommended. And then we descended upon the dressing room.

We all liked the first dress I tried on. It was poofy and princessy, which I always dreamed about wearing for my wedding but I didn't think I could pull off because I'm short. But it was surprisingly flattering!

I also tried on two dresses in the style that I figured out I would wear- A-line, no poof, lace overlay, empire waist. But when I tried them on, we all had the same reaction. They were nice dresses, but they just weren't the "OMG I'm a bride!" excitement that I was looking for. So we continued!

The next dress was very structured, with a little poof. And it had a corset back, which we all lurrrrved.

The bodice was very pretty and slimming, but the skirt was a little too...I don't know. Too much like a deflated pillow top for my taste. I also didn't really like the line of beading so low on my waist. It made my torso look long and blocky.

So on to the next one!

As you can probably tell from my face, I loved this one. I tried it on as a total whim. I thought it looked like a Victorian-princess-circus-performer-ballerina. The bodice looked like a corset, and the skirt was all tulle and striped with lace.

Love love love!!...but....

This made me not love it quite as much.

It had straps. Big lace straps. It made a beautiful criss-cross pattern that blended into a low back, but the front...well, Emma summed it up best:

"This would look so much better if you were thirty-five!"

At first Kat and I were like "huh?", but then I caught on. It is a very princess-like, romantic dress, but the straps made it too modest and demure. And there was actually another woman in her mid-thirties who tried on the dress, and it suited her much better!

Leslie, seeing me caught in such a quandry, actually went out and got one of the alterations ladies out to help me. She asked me how I would want the dress, and she explained that because of the details of the bodice, it would be impossible to convert it to a strapless neckline because of the low back. She also explained that because of the lace detailing on the hem, the skirt would have to be hemmed from the top. So she held it up to demonstrate how much it would have to be hemmed...and instantly my love for the dress drooped. The lovely lace looked far too busy the closer it got to the lace-bedecked bodice, and I started to look more like an overembroidered doily than a princess bride.

So that dress, sadly, was eliminated. Sensing my dismay, my loyal team suggested that I try on the first dress. And the second I put it back on I knew it was the one. First of all, it zipped. The first time I tried it on, it didn't quite zip all the way, but this time it did. Leslie joked that I must've lost weight in the hour I'd been there! I walked back out so Kat and Emma could see me, and we all knew it was the one. Leslie pulled shoes, a veil, and a tiara so I could try the whole look, and it was perfect.

The big thing is that this dress is discontinued, and so I would have to buy the sample. So I'm quite glad it fits! Leslie also said that either I could get the zipper replaced for free (because it's a sample) or they can put in lacing in the back. She also said I could get the neckline altered to a sweetheart (which flatters me more than the straight line) and the sheer beaded cap sleeves can be made off the shoulder. And best of all, it requires very little hemming!

The dress is ivory, which I wasn't 100% sure about at first, but it turns out that it flatters my skin tone very well. Which is fantastic, because I really don't have a choice.

I bought my dress that day...well, put it on layaway that day. It was only...get this...$689! That's half the price than the Mikaella dresses I tried on at Arzelle's, and 1/6 of the price of the Snow White dress I loved! And I adore this dress. It's not what I imagined, but I love it. Also, because of a promotion at the store that day, I bought the perfect veil for 50% off. It has all this lovely beading on the edges that matches the dress.

Oh, wait...you wanted to see a picture of the dress? Well, here it is!



As you can see, I love it.

It has beading. Beading. I swore up one street and down the other that I wouldn't have beading. But what am I rocking out? Beading. But it's just so lovely and subtle that I don't care!

A lot of the elements that I love didn't make it on this dress: buttons on the back, a blue sash, soft lace. But that's okay...I have plans for that...maniacal plans...

(Don't worry. I'm not adding any aforementioned notions on the current dress. But you know how I swore I would never have beading? I also swore I would never be a two-dress bride. But that's another story...)

Whose Powerade was that?!

OMG. I love having days off to play in Disney World. I went to Typhoon Lagoon (for the first time), then Fantasia Gardens, then Downtown Disney with Carissa. So much fun!

Lowlights:
-Um...none, really. The weather was nice and everything was a lot of fun.

Highlights:
-I went to Typhoon Lagoon with Carissa, one of my roommates. I rode the raft slides- Mayday Falls, Keelhaul Falls, and...uh...the Something-Or-Other Falls. I skipped out on the Crush 'n' Gusher, though. Not quite ready for that one.

-Carissa and I headed out to the Fantasia Gardens mini-golf course...$6 for cast members! We met her old roommate Krystina there, who's a seasonal CM...she's friends with Minnie Mouse, among others. We sucked, but we had so much fun.

-We went to DTD and grabbed dinner at Earl of Sandwich, then shopped around. I traded for a super rare Meet the Robinsons pin, and bought some killer Alice in Wonderland pajamas. "Killer" and "pajamas" don't really seem to belong in the same sentence, but seriously. They're awesome.

-Krystina had to head out, but Carissa and I went to see Up at the 11:30 showing. I love being a cast member...where else can you pay $6 for a nighttime movie ticket?! The movie was amazing. It's definitely the most emotional of all of Pixar's films, which is saying something. The montage in the beginning with Carl and Ellie is just heartrending. And then it's hysterical at the same time. The parks are selling a shirt with Dug the dog on it that say "I have just met you and I love you" and I'm so going to buy it.

On Thursday, though. When I get my paycheck. Money's awesome.

You may have heard that EPCOT stands for "Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow." Which it does. But it also stands for "Every Paycheck Comes On Thursday."

Or "Every Person Comes Out Tired."

Or. "Excruciating Polyester Costumes of Torture."

Take your pick.

*sigh*

It's been about a week and a half since I last updated this...but really, there hasn't been much to write about, except for packing, unpacking, repacking, and eleven loads of laundry. I wish I was exaggerating, but I'm not.

I finally have almost everything taken care of. I have new shoes, too. Awesome looking sandals. I love them.

They're ICarly shoes. And they're a size 4 1/2. In children's.

And I wonder why I'm routinely mistaken for fourteen or sixteen instead of my real age.

Seriously, though. I'm finally starting to get excited about going down, but it's sad, too. No one really seems like they're going to miss me, or even notice I'm gone. I kn0w my personality has kind of tanked in the last year, but really...have I burned so many bridges that people don't even care about me anymore? I got to see Kat and Rose one last time, I get to see Erin on Friday, and Patrick has spent a lot of time with me as of late (albeit after a tearful discussion...tearful on my part), but most of my friends have barely even acknowledged my existence, much less said good bye to me. It's kind of a bummer. I know I take rejection really hard already and I should just suck it up and move on...but really, would it kill my friends to say goodbye? Or even remember that I'm leaving? There were some people that don't even remember I'm going somewhere, much less for three months.

It doesn't help that I'm anxious about my roommate situation. Last time, I wasn't terribly close friends with the girls I lived with, but at least I already knew them. Now all I know is one girl who's going to live in my apartment, but I think she might have some party-girl tendencies...which is not me at all. I messaged her a couple of weeks ago to tell her a little about myself and ask her to write back about herself, but she never did.

Do people dislike me this much?

*sigh* Imma gunna finish packing now...

Why the past few days have been awesome, and why I shall explode before two weeks are out

Wednesday
-I FINALLY got to hang out with Kat, Emma, and Rose. Seriously. Hasn't happened in forever.

Thursday
-P took me on a picnic!

-P took me out for ice cream

-P took me shopping!!

-While shopping I got new sandals (with 3" heels!), new flipflops, a new white dress, new lip gloss, and new skivvies! Seriously, hit up Aerie. It's a good time. (Was this too much information? Sorry...)

-I got so excited about my new stuff that I ran to Kat's room to show her...we ended up just chilling out together for a couple of hours. She commented that it was just like old times.

Friday
-Did pretty much nothing. Then I cleaned for a while.

Saturday
-World Lit I exam. It was actually much easier than I thought it would be. Hallelujah!

-I got two bags of sour gummie bears because the cashier girl in the school food court wasn't trying to gyp me like everybody else.

-I got free Panera. Including a cinnamon crunch bagel and some kind of chocolate praline cake.

-Mike the Almighty Director played my demo reel in Voice and Diction class as an example of a good one. Also, I have A's on all of my assignments for that class.

-I found out that not only am I presenting the underclassmen awards at the theater banquet, I'm making them. I immediately texted Kat that THERE WAZ A CRAFTING EMERGENCY.

-I called my mom to tell her that I would have to miss Lindsay's senior banquet because it's the same time as the theater banquet, and we ended up chatting for an hour. Let me tell you, that's not something that I ever thought would happen when I was a kid.

-Kat (after finishing an exam) saved my life and took me to Michaels, where I bought crafting supplies to make awards.

-Because of the humidity, the paint won't dry, so I resorted to sewing my dress and stopping to add a new coat of paint every two hours.

-My machine needle broke. I went to bed.

RIGHT NOW!
-I am sitting at work, wishing I was working on projects that need to be finished. I don't think I can make it to church...eighteen or so awards need to be completed!! And my dress too!

-I have to finish the awards.

-I have to finish my dress.

-Lindsay's last chorus performance is at 3:30.

-The banquet is at 6pm.

TOMORROW
-I have to write six essays for my History of Theater exam.

-I have to work on the Death of a Salesman protocol (which is going to kill me).

-I have to pack.

TUESDAY
-Marriage and the Christian Home exam.

-Packing.

-DOAS protocol.

WEDNESDAY
-Script Analysis final meeting

-Finish packing.

THURSDAY
-Physics exam (at $*&#@ 8am!!!!)

-Move most of the way home

-Unpack.

FRIDAY
-Finish moving out

-Start packing for Disney

SATURDAY
-Star Trek and possibly Ren Fest...this is most likely the last big friend outing I'll have before I leave!

SUNDAY
-Um...something is happening. I just can't remember what it is. It's definitely my last Sunday before I leave for Disney.

OTHER THINGS TO DO IN THE WEEK BEFORE I LEAVE:
-Go to two different bridal shops to look for my gown and the girls' dresses.

-Get my license.

-Get my hair cut and redye it.

-Go to two doctor appointments.

-Spend as much time with P as possible.

-Deal with my dad's side of the family coming in for Lindsay's graduation.

-Go to Lindsay's graduation and get mentally prepared for her 18th birthday.

-And, oh yeah, move to Orlando for the Disney College Program.

Yeah. So that's why my updates are few and far between, and probably will be until I'm settled in Orlando. I'm glad I'm doing it and I'm grateful to get in, but seriously. I am going to die from exhaustion. "Caitlin was near death, but the doctor was able to help." (That's an Oregon Trail joke.) So did I miss anything?

Oh, yeah.

I AM GENERAL CARWRIGHT IN GUYS AND DOLLS AND MIRIAM IN BEAU JEST!!! TWO PARTS!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am thrilled to little bits and pieces. Sure, it's not Adelaide, but what am I going to do? Throw hissy fits because I didn't get the exact part I wanted? I went a whole year without being in a mainstage production. Now I'm in three in one semester (I'm also still playing Missy in the pig show). It's going to be awesome. I'll blog more about that later, but for right now, yeah.

Now it's time to paint some spoons.

Mm, retail therapy!

Last night I rounded out the first day of dress shopping with a look-see at Jessica McClintock. It's pretty stuff, and it's inexpensive stuff. However, I was a mite disappointed. I tried on two dresses, and instantly discovered that the dresses were wearing me. I was hoping one of these dresses would work- I mean, they were in the $300-$500, and a lot cheaper than the two dresses I lurved but are a lot pricier (they were both $1,500). But yeah. I was drowning. And my mother saw them and mentally compared them to the dresses I tried on earlier, and quickly decided that even though a different dress would be pricier, it would be worth to have a nice one. So yeah.

Today didn't start out very thrilling. I mean, really...who schedules a dentist appointment at freaking 7:30 in the morning? (The answer is: my mother). But my dad made it up. He took me and my sister to Pancake Pantry (pecan pancakes are SCRUMPTRULESCENT) and then shopping at Opry Mills. So guess what I found?

-a blue knee-length "town gown" from Old Navy

-a white tee shirt with cap sleeves from Old Navy

(When I tried on the town gown and the tee shirt together, Lindsay commented that I looked like Belle- I even had my hair in a low pony. I snarkily replied that she should give me a basket and book so I could walk through the village singing, and the dressing room attendant cracked up.)

-Navy and white polka dot shoes, also from Old Navy

-Khakis from Gap that ROCK MY WORLD. Seriously. Not only were they $12.99, but they were TWO SIZES SMALLER than what I used to wear! Hence, the ALL-CAPS REJOICING.

-A SERIOUSLY FANTASTIC figure of Speed Racer. He's got one of those little suctiony thingies so he can hang on a window, and as soon as I get a car I'm going to name it the Mach 5 and hang that cute kid up in the window.

And in the meantime, I am going to lounge. And read Artemis Fowl. Why? Because I am seriously in love with that kid. I mean it. You hate him in the first book, but then you hit Artemis Fowl and the Time Paradox and you just want to give him a big kiss on the top of the head and tell him it's all okay. Of course, he would respond to that by straightening his Armani tie, telling you that public displays of affection are most uncouth, and reassuring you that he had everything under control in the first place. But that's why you have to love him anyway.

D-day! (dress day)

That's right! Today is the first day of dress searching!

To be honest, I'm a little nervous. I mean, this is a BIG DEAL. It has to be "the one"...and it has to be the right price. Plus, I always get anxious about trying on clothes. So this could potentially be really interesting...

Last night was a ton o' fun. P and I headed over to hang with Lora and Anthony for St. Patrick's Day. She made shepherd's pie, and I brought Irish soda bread and vanilla chocolate chip cake (I was on a baking frenzy), and there was green beverages (with awesome cups and straws!) to be had. Then we watched Baby Mama and some Will Ferrell goodness while we played hand and foot (which Lora and I DOMINATED at. Seriously. It was spectacular).

And do you know what else is spectacular? The adorable pink gingham dress I got at Target for $21.99.

Seriously, how cute? It's the first dress I've purchased, rather than made, in probably a year. But on the downside, I did not find a single pair of shoes that I just loved. How sad is that? Oh, well. Maybe I'll have better luck tomorrow.

OH AND BY THE WAY...

P has his own blog. It's so nerdy and awesome. ^_^