Mental Health Days and Retail Therapy

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Don't get me wrong, I am blessed to have a stable job that provides a comfortable salary, benefits, challenges to keep me on my toes, and a somewhat flexible work schedule. Additionally, knock on wood, I am blessed with a pretty good immune system so I rarely suffer from colds, the flu, or other ailments that keep me away from the office. While I do find it very easy to use up all my vacation days, I am always left with more sick days at the end of the year than I am allowed to carryover.

When I woke up at 5:15 this morning and was hoofing it around the block with Bailey, I seemed even more tired than normal. Now, this was sort of odd because I had actually gone to bed at 9 p.m. last night. Who knows, maybe I've got some freakish system where I function best with only between 5-6 hours of sleep (my usual). I vaguely remembered that I had NO meetings scheduled for today. Therefore, with a huge project looming that will keep me up nights and weekends, I zipped off an e-mail to my boss and advised I wasn't going to be in today and that I was taking a mental health day. In a word, it was divine.

I went back to bed after feeding Bailey and got another four blissful hours of sleep. Then, I rolled downstairs and lounged on the couch for another two hours catching up with Kelly and the women of The View, all while sipping my pot of coffee. (Yes, somehow in the last year or so, I've become addicted to my morning coffee.)

Next, I met one of my besties for lunch and a few laughs. Then, off to the mall for some retail therapy. Anyone who knows me well, knows that I really do not like to shop; however, I am really bored with my clothes for a couple of reasons.
  1. About 80% of of my wardrobe is from Talbots. I've decided all their clothes kind of start to look alike.
  2. About 70% of my wardrobe is more than eight years old. Stuff is starting to look a little bit dated and frumpy.
  3. Lately, I feel fat...OK, make that fatter, since I've been practically off the BMI chart for years. Nothing fits quite right and pulls in all the wrong places.
The clothing gods were with me today, I actually found a few new things that I liked. Sadly, I am still fashion challenged when it comes to putting together a wardrobe. I should have added "80% of my wardrobe consists of solid colors." I'm trying to break out of my rut...I wish I was wealthy enough to hire a stylist who would shop for me and throw together perfectly coordinated and accessorized outfits. C'est la vie... I'm still happy with today's haul.


I read an article not too long ago in which designer Michael Kors related the top 10 things every woman should have in her wardrobe. Let's see how I stack up after today:
  1. Black pants suit: Hmmm, I have a gray pants suit and a black suit with a skirt (of course that suit falls into the greater than 8 years old category...in fact, it is more like 14 years old. AND, both are from Talbots).
  2. Crisp white blouse: Check...just bought a new one about a month ago (from Talbots!)
  3. Black sheath dress: Check minus. Two contenders here, again no surprise, both from Talbots. I have a black sheath dress that is lacy (worn to my niece's wedding) and a black/gray herringbone sheath dress that is actually one of my favorites. I'll work on this one.
  4. Black pencil skirt: Check. Although, at the moment it is a wee bit snug. (Check minus because it is also from Talbots.)
  5. Neutral-colored cashmere sweater: Denied! I have only one cashmere sweater, which is a not exactly neutral moss green. It was a gift. I have a hard time shelling out the bucks for cashmere...plus, it makes me hot. And, with frequent hot flashes, who needs it!
  6. Fur vest: Sorry, not my style.
  7. Classic trench: I could use this! The all weather coat I have been wearing is 10+ years old but at least I can say it is NOT from Talbots.
  8. Dark fitted jeans: Check plus. I bought a black pair (from Talbots) about a month ago and got a pair of dark navy today from Coldwater Creek.
  9. Nude stilettos: I'm going to be frank...I have bad feet. No shoe in my closet will ever fall into the stiletto category. The majority of all my other shoes are black.
  10. Cognac leather satchel: Like my shoes, all of my bags are black too.
I'm not sure when the shopping bug will hit again, but my quest for patterns will continue...as will my quest for a body like Stacy Kiebler...or at least one like a trimmed down Kirstie Alley.

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