Perfection

There is no better way to describe yesterday. Perfection. Perfect weather today, perfect drive to the city, perfect shopping friends.

I have been dreading this day since a year ago. I hate to shop, most of you know that about me. I have no confidence in what to pick for myself. I can't visualize what something that is hanging limply on a hanger, will look like on me... and what works well with my body challenges.

My stress began when I realized I had to buy a "mother of the bride" dress for Michelle's wedding. To some, this would be fun, but to me, for many reasons, it meant a terrifying exercise in frustration.

Thank you God for all my friends. All of them. I have so many people in my life that fill in all the potholes of talent I haven't got. Because of their understanding and talents, I am able to concentrate on the things I can do best, and they carry me through all the things I can't do well.

Shopping was made less painful in the past by my "shopping team" of Debbie, Heather and Lynn. They excel in this and therefore it was comforting to have them to lean on in this most important shopping challenge.

With the wedding being only 2 months away, and the spring/summer line of clothes is dwindling in the stores (go figure in early spring they would be dwindling) it was time to bite the bullet and get to the city. Saturday was it.

We started off bright and early to be at the stores in the city by the time they opened. We arrived at the Sunnyside Mall and started our spree in Nygard and ended in Marise Petite. There were tons of dresses, most too fancy, some too colorful, others were somewhat ok, and others were down right hilarious. I eventually tried on two dresses in our last store and although I really liked them, we didn't think they were really "mother of the bride" quality. I must say, though, it was really good to get my first visit to the changerooms over and I actually liked the dress I had one. I know my friends wouldn't have let me try something on that wasn't going to be great.

Our next stop was Park Lane Mall on Spring Garden Rd. We were going to start with Samuel and Co. When we walked in I had a good feeling. There were a few dresses that were not super fancy but really nice, and a change room was started. Sadly our camera got left behind in the car and I have no other pictures to share. All the outfits I tried on were very nice and it was nice to have some choices in the store. One of my nightmares in this exercise is that the stores wouldn't have any styles that were appropriate or my size.

There was a suit jacket with a very nice neckline and a swing skirt that was sweet, and a couple of dresses that were just cut to narrow and felt not right. The last dress I tried on slipped onto my frame, zipped up the back and sat perfectly where it was suppose to. It is a simple cut, with a unique neckline and darts where they need to be, and none where they're not welcome. It was the right amount of color, the right length and the right fall to the fabric. It was perfect.
We literally hugged each other and cheered... the store clerks nodded approval and I slipped back into the changeroom to take it off and I giggled the whole time I was changing. I started the morning with deep cleansing sighs behind those doors so I would say it was a perfect day. I can't really show you the dress but I can share a little snippet of the fabric because the rest of the story is based on the color and imprint of the dress. For the next 45 minutes, Debbie and took up our usually seats in the change room and watched Heather and Lynn try on dresses, shorts, capri's, tee-shirts and badly painted pieces of cheesecloth. Once my shopping stress was over, they had the freedom to get their shopping needs met!!!

After all the purchases were made, we started out of the mall to have lunch but Heather wanted to stop in "John David's Shoes" for a quick look. Discussion was made at Samuel and Co, regarding whether I should buy bone colored shoes or black. I didn't really want bone color, so I new in my heart I would look for black. As we entered the store, I rolled my eyes and stood watching the others touch and pick up several shoes that were way out of my style and price range. I just knew this would be a 5 minute visit for me... and I didn't even bother looking around. This was not the store for me. Let me just tell you how that 5 minutes went!.... Debbie sauntered over to one "unit" of shoes carrying my dress which was zipped up nicely in a garment bag. A very nice gentleman in jeans and funky glasses asked if he could help her. She said "yes, we are looking for either bone or black shoes to go with this dress". He asked to see the dress.... and said oh, I have the perfect shoes for this dress." Debbie brought him over to me, and Heather arrived at the same time and he said just a moment, I have the perfect shoes... As he rushed away.. Heather whispers to both of us... "That is John David..himself". Pretty cool, I thought, and then said to Heather, oh no, how do I say NO Thank you to him. I was terrified of the 5 inch platform BONE colored hooker shoes I thought he would be bringing out to me. But when he arrived... he showed us the perfect pair of shoes. 1.5 inch heel... the same colors as the dress, slingback, open toed.... and.... dots. I was sure they wouldn't fit, but he asked me my size, and I told him... and he was back in a flash with them and they were like Cinderella shoes.. they fit perfect. They were wide enough and just the right height. It was so cute, as he was bent over putting on my shoes for me, he said, "and of course you will wear these shoes without hosiery and you will get a french manicure with no other color but white tips". I answered well of course I will. I was thrilled that he said no hosiery... since I wasn't planning on wearing any anyway! Then he rolled up the capri pants I was wearing, over my knees, got the dress out of the bag and there we stood.. Me, my three friends and John David in a very large full length mirror with my dress held up against me and the perfect shoes. John David was right.. and there was no need to say no to him.

5 minutes... just as I thought. My stress was done.......and we were sitting have lunch by 12:30 at Your Father's Moustache and celebrating all our success. A few more hours for the rest of the girls to get their shopping done and we were home by supper... There is no other word for the day... really.

Perfection.