Miracle Dress

Ok. I am sure that anyone in college, just out of college, or just married can commiserate with me when it comes to shopping. I try to convince myself that it is fun to be broke and that "just browsing" is fun but it seems like lately, walking into a clothing store is nothing but pure torture to me. I have plenty of clothes, but the second I walk into Gap I am convinced that I desperately need white skinny jeans and flowery scarves and gladiator sandals. They are Spring ESSENTIALS! I NEED that stuff, obviously.

Anyway, I was birthday shopping for dearie dear today (almost 23! My baby's growing up!) and it was the first time in a while that I had been in a store all by myself...usually we do everything together other than go to class and work. It was kind of weird, but I took advantage of this opportunity to do what I do best: take 23 hours in a store. I wandered around Old Navy, barely able to lift my feet in depression over all of the cute stuff that I would never be able to afford. Striped cardis. Peasant blouses. Eyelet skirts. I gave the stink eye to all of the happy shoppers with their armfuls of brightly colored T's and discount denim. And then, a miracle:

See, it had been kind of a lousy day up until this point. Usually Saturdays are impossible to de-rail, but this one got off to a bummer start and I just couldn't snap out of my foul temper. I blame the fact that I felt like spending $7 on two boxes of Girl Scout cookies was stupid yet I wanted them oh so bad (Seasonal items stress me out: I always buy oodles of pumpkin products come October because I feel like I will miss it if I don't take advantage when I can.), and there was a 10k that I really really wanted to run this morning but we decided that we could think of better things to spend $20 bucks on. So basically, I was having a really big pity party that day. I know, obviously my "Reversals" don't work all of the time. Hey, I'm only human.

Anyway, I turned the corner at Old Navy and half-heartedly poked through the clearance rack. Seeing as there is hardly ever anything in my size on sale racks that is any good, I didn't expect much. Then, I saw it: a pink, short-sleeved, knee-length dress. Size small. Somehow, still just hanging there, waiting for me. I thought that for sure it was a mistake, things in small don't just hang there forever, they are snatched up immediately by one of the many small women in Provo (has anyone else noticed that? I feel like AK had so much more of a bell-curve when it came to sizing. Utah is skewed heavily toward the small end). Hands trembling, I looked at the tag: $12.50. Are you kidding?!?!? Now that, I can afford. I had $20 bucks from my parents for Valentine's day, and I would have change to spare for that essential flowered scarf that Gap told me I needed.

I rushed to the dressing room and tried it on. It was exactly what I needed for Summertime: comfy yet dressy enough to wear to work. I was giddy with sale brain. I even snapped a dressing room pic which I kind of thought only 14 year olds did. But since I have a Hello Kitty phone cover like a 14 year old that's ok:



As I took the dress off and hung it back up, I noticed the reason why it was untouched on the rack: it was maternity. Cool. But you know what? I didn't care. It had a tie, and I will just tie it extra tight...when you are shopping on a budget, you can't afford to always buy in your proper gestational section of the store.