I Needed a Personal Shopper - Week 15

“Crying is for plain women. Pretty women go shopping.” 

                                                                                  ― Oscar Wilde

I only intended to go in and look at the earrings, and maybe, just maybe find a pair that needed to go home with me. They have a wonderful array of dangling gems that sparkle when they catch the light. After a careful analysis and many holdings up to my ear, I chose a simple, casual pair, that suited me, a simple, casual girl.

Then I turned around, and the explosion of colors sucked me into the depths of the store, it happened so fast I didn't even know I was shopping until I had handed off the earrings, and had two skirts in my hand instead. They were then quickly taken out of my hand and placed in a dressing room. The clothes fitting adventure had begun.

I had shopped at this store many times before, but it was usually my daughter trying on the clothes. I would half-heartedly try things on, always thinking that I was too old for the styles here. Well, I can tell you that Eileen quickly put that myth to rest. Clothes were flying in and out of that dressing room faster than you can say Jiminy Cricket.

I love that Eileen took in to account that I am not a tall, skinny, blonde 20 something, but an average height, average weight, middle aged, artificially enhanced red head. She pulled things based on my coloring, my body type, and my hang up about hating my knees. Yet, she pushed me, gently, to try on things I never in a million years would have tried on by myself. Like this dress...

Which may or may not be hanging in my closet right now :) Who knew it would look so stinking cute on.

Now, I worked in retail for a number of years, so I am very attuned to good customer service, and Eileen rocked it! I appreciate that she wasn't just after the sale. She really wanted me to look good in what I bought. I tried on a dress that I really liked, but she wouldn't let me add it to the potential pile because of the way it bunched in the back just above the bra band. I appreciate that honesty.

Ladies, I would highly recommend taking a morning or an afternoon for yourself, going to a boutique with amazing customer service, step out of your comfort zone and try some new things on. It is startling what it can do for your self confidence.

Eileen, you are now my personal stylist for fun, new clothes. Time to put the solid colored shirts and jeans away and live a little.

*My thanks to Eileen at Tikal for your help and allowing me to take these pictures.

SELF-PORTRAITS

The theme this week at 52 of You was color. Thank heaven finally something fun to work on.

WEIGHT

This week I gained: .5 lbs

Total weight loss: 7 lbs.

EXERCISE

This week at personal training Maribeth got the hula hoop out. Now I haven't done this since I was a kid, so I was a bit skeptical that I could keep it, but I did, for almost two minutes. Apparently hula hooping is the big craze right now with weighted hula hoops for abdominal work.

FOOD

This is the second time I have made this pasta salad. It is so good.

Creamy Bacon, Tomato and Avocado Pasta Salad

6 slices of bacon

1/2 lb. dried rotini pasta

1/2 cup mayonnaise

juice of 1 lemon

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/4 tsp. white pepper

1 tsp. dried dill

1 cup halved cherry tomatoes

1 avocado pitted and sliced

1. Cook bacon until crisp. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate.

2. Cook pasta according to package directions. Strain. Run cold water over the top until the pasta is cooled.

3. While your bacon and pasta are cooking, whisk mayonnaise, lemon, salt, garlic powder, pepper and dill together in a bowl.

4. Stir cooled pasta, cherry tomatoes, sliced avocado and reserved bacon into the dressing. Toss to combine. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

5. Serve.

* recipe source is http://www.recipefirst.info