Carnival!

I have a love for all things cheesy, or what I affectionately call kitschy, and carnivals are one of them: the "fixed" games, the shoddy rides, and the inconvenient timing (that couple of weeks where the weather is transitioning, so it's either raining, cold, or both). Roomie, Rock Band Buddy By and I ventured to one last night about half an hour from home. It was in an outlet mall's expansive parking lot (natch) and it was about 50 degrees and decreasing by the hour. We made bets on the games we played (the water-squirting racers, crossbow target practice, popping balloons, and even the Big Slide) and went to a couple of funhouses.

By took a pic of me in front of a mirror that gave me a huuuuuuuge butt, but it didn't register on the camera apparently. Oh well, guess even in distorted images, I am not meant to have a "black girl butt". And yes, there is an Elmo stuffed in my hoodie in the right pic. I tried a fried Oreo (or four) for the first time and even ate chili cheese fries out of a phony dog bowl. Ahh, a slice of classic Americana! Oh, and the carnies! One was desperate to take Roomie on a date, and I encountered one whose real voice sounded like a cross between Boomhower (sp?) from King of the Hill, that voice box Vietnam guy from South Park, and the Scream killer's voice changer. Spoo-ooky! I challenged that it wasn't his real voice, and maybe I hurt his feelings. Oops. No bearded ladies and sword-swallowers, though. We still had a great deal of fun. The whole carnival experience made me think of those Miu Miu ads with Kirsten Dunst.

I jacked it from someone's site (thanks Google images!) so if it's yours, sorry! If you know whose it is, I will give credit, no prob.

Oh! And we went shopping beforehand (of course, it was an outlet!) and Roomie scored these really cute sneakers in a size 9. We searched for a 9.5 for me, but to no avail.

Too bad, I soooo love houndstooth and plaid right now, and I am definitely a Nike girl. But it pleases me to know that she said I have encouraged her to take more fashion risks! :-D big whopping smile on my face. That's great, because she said if she had to pick one outfit to be her uniform forever, it would be a white shirt, jeans and white sneakers. !!!!! I don't know what to say other than put exclamation marks. I would perish in a uniform. Ok, maybe that's dramatic but it would suck royally. Unless, I could constantly change shoes and accessories. I digress as usual. I got some really cute heels too. And they were from Baker's! I don't even like Baker's but I am just attracted to shiny things.

I am certain they are a knockoff of something, but who cares! I got 'em for like 70% off. The cashier said they are last season or something. I find it laughable that places who sell knock-offs have "seasons", especially when their knock-offs are from designer's old seasons. I don't really care about wearing last season's anything. If it looks fabulous, it doesn't matter right? Right? I don't know, maybe I am wrong...nah!

Score!

I am most often discouraged on retail/outlet shopping trips...most sales do diddly-squat to fit my budget or the clothes I have heard so much about disappoint, majorly (*cough* Bitten by SJP *cough* more on that in a sec). But yesterday...the clouds parted and the choirs sang harmoniously as the sunrays shined on this little number.


Ok, ok, not really, and I have already said I am no photographer (plus my camera is like from the first generation of digital cameras, btw). It looks a little blah in the pics, but this silver/gray trench coat (is it a coat, really?) is all kinds of awesome in real life. Shockingly it is by Romeo + Juliet Couture, which I usually loathe (damn you, with your fleur de lis and trendy skulls on your $65 t-shirts). It retails for close to $200, which I find ridic, so imagine my pleasure to get it for the price of one of the aforementioned tees! Yay, me!

Ok, so you true bargain hunters and fashionistas may be scoffing at my deal, but I am very proud. One of the biggest ironies I encounter as a 5'8" size 4 is the "model myth". You know, that most clothes are made for tall, skinny girls. Skinny maybe, tall...hell no. Most jackets cuff at that awkward length some 3" before it hits my wrist. I look like I've grown out of my clothes though they are newly purchased. The ones that are long enough at the sleeves are so big on my frame they make me look like a perverted flasher. Others I would try to fake as being 3/4 length sleeves won't close over my chest. This jacket is heaven to me for being pretty, pleated, light-weight, having the ability to close over my boobs (*ahem* Bitten), and having 3/4 length sleeves. It's gonna be my spring trench. It's so girly I can't stand it! Squee!

And now that you have indulged me in my little gushing moment...I gotta talk about Bitten by Sarah Jessica Parker. WTF, dude? I was so hyped. I went on the site and picked out this adorable dress and waist-length khaki trench that would total up to $20. I went to Steve and Barry's with baited breath and...wow. First off, I felt like I am in a Sam's Club Warehouse while Amanda Bynes is talking to me with crossed eyes about her Wet-Seal-on-speed line, Dear. I wentstraight to the Bitten area...it was half cleaned out. People were grabbing and tossing things like a free-for-all. Did I mention it was Saturday? It was like one of those cartoon clouds of smoke they use to symbolize fights with the limbs and heads appearing from time to time. My hoped-for trench was nowhere to be found. Damn. It. But I found the dress! In a size 14! Curses, foiled again. As I hung my head, tossed haphazardly from a rack was a cute, simple LBD and I got excited again, taking a 4 and a 6 with me to the dressing room. I tried on the 4 first, and my roommate had to practically press her foot into my back to shove me in the top of the dress corset-style so she can zip it. Ah, no worries, I have huge nunga-nungas. It is a fact of my life, and I deal. So then I put on the 6. It fit exactly like the 4 at the top, yet the fabric barely grazed my waist! So, does SJP think that as girls' frames spread, their chests stay exactly the same? The injustice, people! I looked around more, but felt more and more uninspired by all the nondescript colors and designs. Bitten was sucking out what little fashion savvy I had vampire-style (get it? Get it?) and so I left, muttering about how Carrie Bradshaw wouldn't be caught dead in there.

But then I found my trench coat/jacket/thingie and forgot all about it! :-) Shopping is like the best roller coaster I could ever ride, I swear it.

Oh, and apparently I have a reader or two! Hope I haven't sent you packing with my lackadaisical updating habits!