flip flops, levis and a new hoodie

This morning I was being nosy on facebook, looking at everyones photos, imagining what their lives are like. I found myself looking at pics of a semi friend, who lives a Completely different life to mine. Firstly, she is the kind of girl that you don't want to like because not only is she literally, naturally a size 1, she has boobs, great style and ufortunately she is nice too. Her pictures paint the story of a young, beautiful girl, living in a big city and having a social life that rivals Carrie Bradshaws. Her extremely stylish, metro sexual boyfriend and mine, who once asked me where his dressy Carharts were, have nothing in common and apparently beyond having gone to the same high school It girl and I don't either.

I looked down at myself. I hadn't showered yet and I was still wearing my black yoga pants, an old T shirt and last nights make up. Instead of feeling sorry for myself, I made a plan. I was going to get my ass in the shower, actually blow dry my hair and take the $30 in my wallet and head to TJ maxx. It girl, I imagined was shopping at vintage boutiques and Neimen Marcus, but in Rutland County VT, TJ Maxx is my only option.

During the 30 minute drive, I was thinking how great It Girls life must be. I invisioned her in a fabulous city apartment kitchen, with Pretty Boy. Most likely ,they were cooking italian food, listening to jazz and sipping expensive red wine from a crystal decanter. Playfully they would stir the sauce together with one wooden spoon, and he would nibble on her ear. Her life, or the one that I dreamed up for her, was right out of a romantic comedy staring Jennifer Aniston.

Once at the store, I picked out a few different tops. There was a chunky cardigan, a lacy button down blouse, a slinky tank, and a LBD (Little Black Dress). I was going to leave the store a new, fashion foward, fabulous twenty something.

Sounds good right? Here's what actually happened. I didn't like how anything fit. The neon lights in the dressing room emphasized my need for a dye job and a personal trainer. The cheap knock off's looked like well...cheap knock offs. My son wouldn't sit in the cart and i nearly lost him twice. On my way to the door, feeling defeated and hopeless, a bright jungle green hooded sweatshirt caught my eye. It was $14.99 and it looked comfortable, and practical. Green is a good color on me, I was telling myself as I shelled out half of the money that I have to my name for my purchase. My defeated feeling started to lift, and was quickly being replaced with a new comforting sense of self.
After shopping, I went home and put on my new sweatshirt and took Little Man to the park.
It was a beautiful day, and with my favorite pair of Levi's some worn in flip flops and my new green hoodie that brings out the green in my eyes I felt perfectly stylish. Besides, I thought, as fabulous as It Girl looks in the photos, she would stick out like a sore thumb here, in the sand box.