I need a new coat too. I have an adorable dark pink plaid coat from last year, but it's too big and I got it really cheap at Burlington Coat Factory, and you can tell. All the fabric is pilling in a nasty way. Coats are expensive though... I was eyeing this one yesterday: http://www.shopblushboutique.com/Pro...productid=5462
but they only have it in Large.

I ordered some new pants and sweaters from Banana Republic yesterday. 6 in the pants and smalls in the sweaters. I have this terrible feeling that someone at the BR warehouse is thinking, wtf, why is that enormous girl ordering clothes in size small? We'll LOAO when she has to return it all... But I pulled my winter clothes from the basement yesterday and tried them all on. I think I might have lost more weight than I thought because I could have sworn I'm only a couple of pounds lighter (like 4-5) than I was this time last year. But all my old medium sweaters are swimming on me, which is a bummer. All the lovely merino and silk sweaters are expensive to replace...

Ahh clothes. It's a pest. It would be MUCH easier if I lived in a place with actual clothing stores. Facing at least a 2 hour round trip to go shopping (and that's just for TJ Maxx--8-10 hour round trip if I want regular mall stores) really makes shopping more difficult, especially when you're not certain about sizes.

Kristy - 2 hours just to get to TJ Maxx? You do live in the boonies.

Sunday night is our Labor Day Cocktail Party at our yacht club and I'm looking forward to wearing my newest halter top dress. It's kelly green and I'll pair it up with my cork 3" wedges with black straps. I just checked the weather and it will be warm end for sleaveless and backless. In case the breeze kicks up, I'll pack my new black v-neck cardigan.

Tonight, I'm going to wear my cowgirl boots - they're so pretty, I can't call them cowboy boots - a really cute, flirty jeans skirt and a white tank top with self bra into NYC to meet DH for dinner.

Tomorrow night is a BBQ at the beach so I'll wear my cute b&w sundress with the wedges. (Not the b&w halter top that I posted pictures of from our swing dance 2 weeks ago.)

Between my finds this summer at TJ Maxx and Goodwill, I have a full summer waredrobe and am on my way to a good fall/winter one. My closet and drawers are filled up again. Now, I have to stay vigilent to remain at this size so I don't get smaller or bigger for next summer.

I got these shoes today. Sooo cute!

http://cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?...MEWN:IT&ih=006

They are cute! And the perfect fall color. Hope they fit like a dream.

Carolyn, it seems like clothes help a lot of us keep our weight in line. Have fun this weekend - your outfits sound great!

Love the shoes, Susan, especially the bow. I'm a sucker for decorated sandals and shoes.

Baff, I'm guessing that weight lifting is what changed your body shape in the past year. It's entirely possible to lose many inches without much scale movement. Mel lost two pants sizes without losing a pound once she started lifting heavy. Three cheers for muscle!

BTW, you really ARE in the boonies! What do you guys do for fun out there (besides drink wine )?

I am so lucky I have a Talbots about 20 minutes away as there is nothing else less than an hour.
I was trying to limit myself to a maximum amount each month but of course have gone over it.
Well my excuse is I have bought almost nothing in the last 10 years when I was heavy and what I bought then is Mega Big on me and worn to bits.
I am getting rid of all my elasticized waist pants.YAY!!!
It is such a thrill to get into size 6 regular tailored pants.
Got a great pair of straight leg jeans, a fantastic jacket, some great tops and they are holding a few more things till my Talbots cc recycles in a few days. LOL!!
Whenever I look at my husband eating pizza I just enjoy the smell and think of all my lovely (small!!!) clothes.
Nothing is worth eating to put on the weight I had before.
It took me 5 months to lose it and I never want to be in that position again.
You sure are right Meg --clothes are a great inspiration to stay slim!!!

Yep. I do, in fact, live in the boonies. All we have in my town, hours and hours away from any decent city is, a. wine and a wine tourism industry (ie, fantastic restaurants, mostly expensive), b. the liberal arts college where I teach, c. agriculture--asparagus, wheat and world famous onions. So, for fun we drink tons and tons and tons of wine (honestly, I've never lived anywhere before--including Australia--where such excessive wine consumption is the norm), go for glorious bike rides around the wheat fields, shop at the farmer's market and eat excellent cheese. I'm a city girl, but I have a hard time figuring out why I'd want to trade all that in for a Target and a Banana Republic

What's with the short pants/long shorts??

I was in Macy's yesterday and there are racks and racks of long .. shorts? Short ... pants? All in fall colors and fabrics. The length is odd, like a below the knee Bermuda short. Most definitely not a capri or cropped pant.

Here's an example:



They're also showing them with dark tights or stockings underneath. Something like this was popular in the late 80's/early 90's, I recall.

I didn't try any on but already know that would be a very unflattering cut for me. I wanted pants and kept running into ... these ... instead.

What do you guys think?

Yesterday was also just a horrible day for finding my size. Even on brand new merchandise, the ONE size small or 4 would be gone -- snatched up already. It is supremely frustrating to see an awesome pair of fall pants -- not even on sale yet -- and go through perhaps 20+ pairs looking for a 4. There would be maybe a 6, two size 8's, three size 10's, four size 12's and five each of 14's and 16's. But no 4's. What the heck? Same with smalls in sweaters. There would be a few M's and a ton of L's and XL's but no smalls. Macy's obviously thinks that everyone in Pittsburgh wears a L or XL (and they're almost right about that -- we're an overweight city, for sure) but hey! what about the rest of us? This is getting ridiculous.

baffled -- That sounds like a great life. I also teach at a small college and could have ended up somewhere just like that (in fact, I think I applied to your school... unless there are lots of small liberal arts college in East Washington -- I'm assuming east...)

Meg -- I dislike those pants. Or shorts. Or whatever they are. Not for me.

I however, had fun shopping at my Talbot's Outlet! I bought 2 skirts, 2 pairs of pants and a sweater all for around $100 (not their best sale, but still). The sad part is that I really am still a 14 and not a 12. But I'd rather have clothes I look and feel good in than squeeze into a smaller size for my vanity.

I actually kind of like those pants. They look quite chic. I saw a ton of them while we were out shopping in Seattle but I didn't try any on--they're too dressy for my workplace. Also, in most parts of the country, Fall is a very short season, and those pants would be too warm for summer and too cold after October. You could only wear them for a month or two.

Wyllenn, you might well have applied for a job here. Not too many colleges in eastern WA I have this vision of being on a campus visit during this job cycle and running into you during the job talk or teaching presentation or whatever. I know what you look like!

Meg~I don't like that length of pant, either! I love capris and cropped pants (or good ol' full length) but anything shorter than that aren't professional enough. I think my Mom calls this length pedal pushers? They are too long to be a Bermuda. They're just ugly.

One thing that I did see in a couple magazines/catalogs is a new jacket style--3/4 length sleeves and a kind of cropped/swing length so you see the shirt underneath. It's pretty cute. Of course, now I can't find a photo to show you all, though!

I'm still hoping that I get a couple hours tomorrow to do a little shopping for myself. I did go to the mall Friday with DS to escape the hot house, but I wasn't in the mood. All I got were some books. I can always buy a book!

That is an excellent point, Allison. Books always fit. So do shoes

I used to think shoes always fit too, so when I was heavy I bought shoes (since clothes shopping was just depressing). Then I lost weight and my feet went from a wide to regular and down a half size. Unfortunately, I have a lot of really nice shoes that don't fit any longer. But I can't bear to part with the dressy ones that are hardly worn, so I've been experimenting with insoles and heel pads and such to make them wearable again.

Case in point ... I have an awesome pair of dark blue satin pumps with bows bought for my sister's wedding in 1999. They go perfectly with my dress for DD's wedding in November. Except that they fall off my feet! It looks like I'm playing dress up in my mom's shoes. So I've been padding them up and think I can wear them without clomping around. I just love them and would hate to get rid of them, especially when they're exactly what I need to go with my dress.

baffled -- I never got to the interview stage, unfortunately. It sounded like a neat place (provided it's the same one!). It would have been harder for hubby to find a job out there, though, whereas it was easier in the Chicago area.

Meg -- I've been thinking about shoes lately. When I was at my heaviest I really liked the support I got from shoes like Finn Comfort -- though they certainly aren't showy. Now I can tolerate "cuter" shoes and think I need to check them out. I bought a bunch of sandals for summer, but there's close toed shoes and boots for the colder months to explore!