the world is wide

My favorite episode of Doctor Who happens to be "Closing Time." While my Doctor might be David Tennant, my favorite episode of all time is "Closing Time." And not just because I had the song by Semisonic stuck in my head each time I happened to either see the title, hear it, or think about it. No, I actually like the episode because I think it's well done. It's funny, serious, there's a baby, and Craig is awesome. My favorite lines of the show still stem from "Utopia," but overall, "Closing Time" is my favorite episode.

Speaking of "Closing Time," I happened across this post on Facebook today. I read the whole blog post before watching the video, but like the author, I thought the song was about the bar closing and getting kicked out. And while fifteen year old me had never set foot in a bar, I still loved the song. I taped it when it was on the radio and played it over and over-- no where near like how I hit repeat on the Backstreet Boys or 'N Sync, so my dad is likely to know all the lyrics, but I am able to recall them easily enough to sing it in my mind when I see "Closing Time."

So, I watched the above video. I stared at Wiggles (who spent most of the time I was trying to watch it on VOLUME SETTING LOUD), laughed, misted up, and then proceeded to go download the song. Because, even thought 15 year-old me loved it, 15 year-old-me failed to have iTunes (due to the fact it wasn't invented yet).

It does make me wonder how many other songs that seem straight forward are not what we think. (I know many of the songs I like are sometimes not about what I think. And sometimes the words are even wrong. It breaks my heart that "Adam's Song" is not  The dream is over, I've survived but rather The tour is over, I've survived. Makes me glad I didn't contribute that quote to them on my yearbook senior year. Mostly because I didn't have room if I wanted my own name on it. Turns out, it was a quote by myself, as I'd heard the lyrics wrong.)

adventures in online consignment and designer jeans

Since having Wiggles, my body is different. One: I still weight ten pounds more than I did before Wiggles decided to implant herself and grow. Two: how I carry that extra ten pounds is different than how I usually carry weight. Last time I had a huge weight gain, EVERYTHING grew wider. Hips, waist, bust, legs, arms...you get the idea. This time those pesky ten pounds (or sixteen after the holidays) sits right where Wiggles used to hang out. Only, now instead of being all hard and baby filled, it's just saggy and empty. I can feel my abs once more, but after eight months, I accepted the fact it's kind of here to stay. My hips aren't all that wider, but my waist is two inches wider than it was before Wiggles. (BW.)

So, I sighed and chucked my favorite Lucky Brand jeans, those VS jeans I've had since I was 25, and my various other jeans/pants. (Except my American Eagle ones I've had since I did that first major weight gain while in Del Rio. Those, oddly, still fit me just fine. No clue why as the others are all the same style, just different brands. But whatever.) I dreaded, deeply dreaded, finding new pants. I have never liked buying new pants. Mostly because they don't make pants for me. When I was a twig, nothing fit because unlike most twigs, I had hips and a butt. (Go figure.) And while I matched up measurement wise perfectly with a size six across the board, some times I needed a four, sometimes a two, and once a zero.

After Wiggles (AW), I don't fit in anywhere. My hips are the same size, my bust depends on the day of the week, and my waist is a size ten. I wouldn't mind wearing a size ten. I don't care about the number, I mostly care about how my butt is going to fit into a size ten. Because while my so called waist is a size ten, my butt is still a size six. And I know there are a whole bunch of people who have a similar problem. And I know there are pants that are made for people like me. However, I cannot try these pants on easily because I live in the middle of nowhere.

Also, I don't want to pay a lot of money, but I really wanted designer jeans. I mean, I've always wanted designer jeans, but I didn't understand paying 100 or more for jeans. I had a heart attack when I hit the buy button on my Lucky Brand jeans and they were only 88, and I got extra marked off for being a first time buyer on the website. But, that's a lot of money for a pair of pants.

Then, while buying clothing for Wiggles, I realized: If they have online consignment for children, they must have them for women. I had seen a news story back when I was pregnant about online congisnment, but it was mostly really high end stuff and mostly purses. I didn't need a new purse (shocking, I know), but I did need new pants.

So, after buying Wiggle's some new jammies to fit her super long body from Moxie Jean , I did a web search for online consignment. I wound up on a website called ThredUp. I surfed around, looking at what they had, what they took, and realized it was right up my alley. It was a mix of high end and the middle of the road. Basically, everything I wore and what I aspired to.

My first order, I ordered mostly jeans. Because that was what I needed. After much deliberation, I decided I'd try a size 29, a size up from what all my old jeans were and a size down from what all the sites claimed I needed for my new waist. While, when you order enough to get free shipping your order will take what feels like a life time to zigzag from California to where you are (sometimes being mere miles away yet going to Dallas for some reason), it is worth it. The prices for their lightly used designer items is great and you can easily return anything that doesn't fit. You have to pay for the return, but clothes are light and if they are heavy, flat boxes work just fine.

Anyhoo, I got four pairs of jeans to start out. James Jeans, Citizens of Humanity, Hudson, and 7 For All Mankind. All size 29.

The James Jeans were rather tight, but they were supposed to be legging jeans. After I wore them a few hours, they stretched out perfectly. Now I just air dry them on a hanger pulling the waist to keep the shape I molded.

Citizen for Humanity fit perfectly right out of the box. They were also trouser style, which I LOVE. They reminded me of my favorite pair of Levi's had in college that bit the dust awhile ago. (I still have them, but don't wear them for fear of them falling apart.) My only issue: after two wears, they loose their shape and fall down all the time. I had totally forgotten this was an issue for regular jeans. I hadn't had this issue until I tried to wear maternity jeans, but it seems to be my new world. As the Hudson jeans did the same thing. Even if I wear a belt, by the second wear, I'm always pulling my pants up.

The 7 For All Mankind jeans didn't fit at all. Couldn't even button them. So, I sent them back with other items that didn't fit and ordered the next size up. I have a feeling since they fit perfectly right out of the box, in a few hours I'll be pulling them up as well. Such is life. While reordering the 7s, I ordered a pair of green jeggings by Habitual. Never heard of them, but green pants! They looked like they'd be way too small, but they fit fine but were super long. All the jeans I got claimed to have 32 inch inseams. Well, except the 7s. They claim they have 31. I'm not sure who measures inseams of the jeans I've been wearing, as I've always worn a 32 when I want to wear flats and a 34 when I wear heels. Clearly, when the company claims it's a 32, it's really not because none of my former jeans were too long unless they were 34s.

Maybe I shrunk?

Now, I've also used the selling side of this site. I sent in a bag before the holidays. However, due to the volume of people unloading clothing on them, they are backed up and I haven't gotten my itemized list of what they took. I did, at the same time, send off a bunch of Wiggle's old stuff to Moxie and heard back. I sent in 102, but they only took 64. They did tell me why they didn't take the items they rejected and all things that are nice (which mine were) are donated to a local charity. Hence why I went with them when I was doing my research for kids consignment online. (There's thrift stores in this place, but no kid consignment.) ThredUp also says they donate the things they don't take, so I view it as either way, I get it out of my house easily and get a little bit of money (or store credit. For Moxie if you spend your money one their site, you get ten bucks extra. I will be spending it there, as Wiggles keeps growing.)

Alright, I must end this entry of somewhat random pointlessness and dry my hair before Wiggles wakes up from her nap as I said I'd go to a fini flight (Final Flight) for one of our friends whose getting the hell out of Dodge.

No Time.

In the eight months I've had Wiggles in my life, I have learned one thing about her: she doesn't nap consistently.

Take this morning. It's our first morning home after being gone for two weeks. For two weeks she had no schedule. Why? Because between her and various relatives, no schedule I wished to put in place would work. So, when she began to get cranky at 10.30, I pushed her through till 11, fed her, bottled her, put her to sleep. She went happily. I figured I had two hours to exercise, get some things I need to returned done, and then I'd eat.

Nope.

It's an hour an half since I put her down and Wiggles is up and around, screaming.

WHY WILL SHE NOT NAP?

No clue. She's never napped properly. Some days, I get a three hours nap, sometimes I get a half hour. Some days, she refuses to nap at all. I honestly thought this didn't start till she was older, but she's been doing this since we left the hospital.

So, I was going to do a nice long blog post about my year or something, but I can't. Because she woke up.

I also didn't get my returns processed because the post office is being stupid.

An unexpected error keeps happening and they refuse to take my money.