Too bad it’s not this easy to win the lottery.
Wait a minute. Did I just say easy? I’d hardly call three shopping trips in search of the perfect awards ceremony dress easy.
On two separate Friday mornings, I hit six stores in Flagstaff. Unfortunately, I didn’t find much — one extremely expensive (and beautiful) gown. Since I didn’t want to pay $300 for a gown I didn’t completely LOVE, I headed to Phoenix on Saturday.
Bigger city, more places to shop … and better prices, right?
Thank goodness that did, indeed, turn out to be the case. I visited three stores in Phoenix — a store in the mall and two bridal shops.
What is it about bridal shops? At the first one, all the dresses — even the supposedly huge ones — were too small. (The same thing happened on Friday at the bridal shop in Flagstaff. Dresses that, as size 3X, should have fit me … didn’t. I couldn’t even zip the darn things.)
I had better luck at David’s Bridal. I tried on several gorgeous dresses before deciding the one I liked best made my butt look big. It’s big enough already — it doesn’t need help from the dress.
In the end, I headed back to the mall and bought the very first dress I tried on Saturday morning. Keep in mind, this was after a day of driving all over Phoenix, looking for something I liked better. (At least I had a chauffeur. My roommate went with me, and her husband tagged along to go to Lumber Liquidators. He drove.)
GH gown. Obviously, I'll be wearing a different bra — and taking off the chunky black watch. And doing something with my hair.
This beauty was $165 — and I got a discount because some of the beads/sequins are loose and need to be tacked down. I was able to pay for a couple of pairs of shorts for this summer with the savings.
Even better, it matches my blog. I was looking for a purple or red dress in keeping with my blog banner. Success! 😉
The savings didn’t stop there, though. This same store was selling cocktail dresses buy one, get one for $1, so I spent $55 on two short dresses to wear during other conference events. I believe there’s some kind of party one night.
Looking at the photo, I see I need to start toning my arms, though. Shake Weight, here I come! 😉
9 Comments
Kimberly Kincaid · May 2, 2011 at 5:35 am
*Love* the purple! It’s my favorite color 🙂 Isn’t there something special about a floor-length dress? It’s a princess thing…
Beautiful!
arlene · May 2, 2011 at 9:18 am
Thanks. If only I’d have known that I wanted the first dress i tried on in that first store, I’d have saved myself a whole day’s worth of shopping — and a few tears of frustration at the store where nothing fit.
Abigail Sharpe · May 2, 2011 at 7:46 pm
You look so pretty! That deep purple is an amazing color.
Your post also proved a long-standing point with a friend. He and his girlfriend (now wife) got engaged after a relatively quick courtship. I mentioned this to him and he said, “let me ask you this. When you’re dress shopping and you love the first dress you try on, don’t you buy it?”
I said, “No! I go to five other stores and then end up buying the first one I try on!”
Hee. 🙂
arlene · May 2, 2011 at 8:04 pm
I’m glad I’m not the only one who does that. I asked them to hold that first one because, as I told my roommate, “No way can I buy the first dress I try on!” Technically, it wasn’t the first, since I’d been to five stores in Flagstaff — but it was the first one from this particular shopping trip.
Mallory Snow · May 3, 2011 at 12:31 am
Arlene, I love the dress! It’s absolutely gorgeous and so flattering on you! I’m just so disappointed I won’t get to see it on you, so of course I expect pictures of you all decked out for the big ball. 😉
arlene · May 3, 2011 at 8:00 am
Absolutely!
Kari Thomas · May 5, 2011 at 10:23 am
Hey sweetie! Beautiful dress for such a lovely lady! (My fave color, too!).
Im soooooo proud of you! Even though I was no longer with NARWA, I kept track of your writing success and was soooooooooo VERY happy to hear of your Win! CONGRATS! Its well deserved! Now, dont stop —- keep going forward; youre going to have many more great success stories with your writing!
Remember the first time we met? Years ago, at that dinner in Flagstaff, when Rita Rainville and I came to meet you and Angie. I told Rita then that you would one day make it AND make it BIG in your writing ….because I could absolutely “feel” your determination and enthusiasm. You proved me right!
Wishing you lots more great success stories! I’ll be watching —and of course READING!!
hugs, Kari Thomas, http://www.authorkari.com
arlene · May 7, 2011 at 12:35 pm
Thanks so much! It’s good to hear I made such an impression. I think meeting you two and going to NARWA meetings was one of the best things that happened to me … I’ve learned so much from the group. I should write the radio station a thank-you letter for sponsoring the “dinner with a romance writer” contest.
Angie’s been married for more than a year now. We still share the same house (though I spent a lot of time at the Boyfriend’s in Sedona). I live in one end and she and Josh have the other. We share the living room and kitchen — and split the mortgage three ways.
Kari Thomas · May 5, 2011 at 10:25 am
P.s…….
Are you still roomates with Angie? WHEN did she get married? Way kewl and congrats to her!
hugs, Kari Thomas, http://www.authorkari.com