I think the 蜜桃视频appChamber of Commerce and the Downtown 蜜桃视频appBIA should change their slogans to 鈥淪hop local to avoid the ugly cry.鈥�
Storytime.
The wedding for the first of our four boys to get married is in less than two weeks, and I won鈥檛 be wearing the dress I bought for it.
Let me explain.
Almost everything I own to wear day-to-day, head to toe, is purchased in 蜜桃视频appat either Random, StyleZone or Mark鈥檚 with a little Walmart thrown in for the socks and whatnot.
But, this is my son鈥檚 wedding we are talking about, so as soon as we learned the date of the nuptials, I started looking online at gowns.
I wanted a dress from a hoity-toity brand that a styling mom of the groom would wear, I thought.
I don鈥檛 have a hoity-toity budget, however, so I turned to eBay and Poshmark.
Very long story of endless scrolling short, I found an off-the-shoulder floral gown that, in my mind鈥檚 eye, I could see a classy, 鈥済ood鈥� mom of the groom wearing. It was on the top end of my budget, but heck, this is a big occasion.
I checked in with the bride, who approved the chosen dress from the photo. It was a go.
鈥淎re you sure you want to buy online and not try something on first, closer to home?鈥� my husband asked.
Pfffff. No!
Many weeks and a ton of cash dropped for shipping fees, duties, taxes and a currency conversion I hadn鈥檛 considered later, and the dress was in my hot little hands.
The off-the-shoulder aspect didn鈥檛 fit quite right, so I dropped some more cash on an amazing local seamstress who fixed it up good.
I put the dress away, satisfied I would be the best me I could be at the wedding and in the pictures that would last for generations.
Then, a couple of weeks ago, I pulled out said dress, shoes, and girdle (now called shapewear, apparently) and put the whole outfit on for a test run.
Cue the ugly cry.
I hated it. I looked like a sausage wrapped in 1990s potpourri.
Turns out, I am not six feet tall and 20 years old with 34-24-34 measurements, like the model wearing the dress in the picture on eBay.
But I had spent. So. Much. Money.
I faked a smile and came downstairs to show my husband, who said a version of 鈥淲hat is wrong? Why do you have that face?鈥�
Thinking of the money and that he had told me not to buy it online, I determined to stick with the dress like a bad boyfriend in high school.
Fast forward to last week when I was in Random to pick up something for a friend, and there was a stunning pink spaghetti strap dress ($29).
I tried it on and loved it. I sent a picture to the bride, who approved.
There were shoes and a shawl to match there too.
For less than $100, I had replaced my entire outfit (minus the girdle) and was smiling the rest of the day.
Moral of the story?
Shop local, avoid the ugly cry.
