Spring has Sprung

And I’ve recently discovered the joy of boutique shopping. Only it hasn’t been quite as joyful these last couple weeks thanks to the slightly pudgier pudge around my midsection.

Interestingly, these dainty little shops with their whimsical vintage décor and distinctly feminine ambiance seem to cater only to those women whose proportions fall somewhere between the pixie-like Zoe Deschanel and the more buxom Scarlett Johansson. Any bigger than that, and you’re “so sorry, out of luck.”

The other day I’d popped into one of the boutiques on my frequent visitor list and found that they were having a ridiculously good sale. Sundresses marked down to $10-$14, and it wasn’t the run-of-the mill stuff you’d find at a department store. I went into the dressing room with two armfuls of garments with lace detailing, eyelet trim, open backs, and keyhole collars… and I walked out with nothing. It was so frustrating and, in the same moment, very motivating.

I can remember when I was at my heaviest weight, I’d see smaller women schlepping around in jeans and a baggy T-shirt and think “don’t they know they can wear anything!?” For the life of me, I couldn’t figure it out. I mean, I was wearing dull clothes because I had to, because Anthropolgie didn’t make dresses in a size 18 or 20. But I knew for darn sure that when I got small enough, I’d make sure every article of clothing I owned was something I really enjoyed wearing. Cultivating a sense of personal style is difficult when your options are limited (although there are many more plus-size fashion options than there used to be!), but once you find yourself in that “sweet spot,” shopping is suddenly much more fun. And so is getting dressed in the morning, for that matter.

So this one goes down on the list for me of fun reasons to stay focused…

Get back my boutique-sized bohiney!

One of my favorite finds!

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