Favorite Pants

Overwhelmed...cheap...I couldn't decide what to title this post.  It all started a few weeks ago.  I was hunting around on-line and found some pants, my all time FAVORITE pants, online at the Gap.com site and they didn't have my size.  Drat.  So I went to ebay to see if anyone had any NWT.  They did.  I ordered a pair of Gap Hip Slung Flared Trousers in Denim (normal Gap price $54.50, bay price $26.00-Score! or so I thought).

When they arrived, they were perfect.  I heart this pant.  I had (at the time) 3 pairs in my closet that I had found on sale over the years and I only bring them out for church, going to fancy dinner, etc.

Then, I noticed that every single seller of Gap products NWT that I wanted to buy stuff from was in Cincinnati.  Strange.  So I Googled Gap Clearance Cincinnati and guess what?  THERE IS A FREAKING GAP CLEARANCE CENTER near Cincinnati, not an outlet, but a CLEARANCE CENTER.  I found this out last weekend while surfing the net.

All week I've been trying to decide if I should go to the mother ship.  Should I drive an hour...maybe an hour and a half to go shopping?  Are there really good deals there?  I should be saving my money.  Etc.  I flip flopped all week on if I should go.

Then, I realized that my new pants didn't fit.  They were a size 10 and guess what?  I've lost ten pounds and they are too big!  Woot!  But bummer, new pants don't fit.  I psyched myself up this morning and convinced myself that since I haven't really spent money all Spring Break week long and I needed new pants maybe I should go.  And I did.  With two kids and a purse full of candy for Bubba.

We got to the Gap Clearance Center and found out that they have Banana Republic, Athleta, Pimperlime shoes, Old Navy, and all the Gap brands at this place.  H..O..L..Y crap.  Two hours later Hannah, Bubba and I walked away with...

2 boys Gap summer shirts (Bubba)

1 women's Gap jean short (Hannah)

1 women's Gap sweatshirt (Hannah)

1 women's Old Navy Swimsuit (Hannah)

1 women's Banana Republic shirt (Me)

2 women's Gap tank tops (Me)

2 pairs of women's Gap shorts (Me)

2 pairs women's Hip Slung Flare pants! (Me)

4 pairs Banana Republic earrings (Hannah and Me)

1 matching Banana Republic necklace (Me)

1 pair of boxers

1 yo yo (Bubba)

1 sparkly giant bouncy ball (Bubba)

1 beach paddle ball set (Bubba)

All for the budget conscious grand total of $100.  Seriously.

Sure there were a ton of things in the store that needed to be washed, needed minor repairs or should have been trashed, but the majority of things were in great store worthy shape.  Sure it was so overwhelming that you started to hyperventilate when you walked in and saw the size and sheer possibility of it all, but it was pretty well organized and all the sizes and prices were well labeled.

If you go I recommend that you look everything over for defects or stains, and you try everything on since some of the things could be mis-sized.  It is amazing!  I bought a beautiful silk BR shirt (retail $69.50) there for $4.99.  My Hip Slung Trousers?  $6.99 each!  My trousers were Tall's, but I'll pay $6.99 each and hem my favorite pants!

Hip to Be Square

A few weeks ago I went into Eddie Bauer and bought a pair of skinny cargo pants similar to this picture, except skinnier.  I don't know why, but today I decided to wear the pants.  I had no major painting projects planned at school, no messy science experiments...seemed like a good day to try out the pants.

The majority of the pants in my closet (except jeans) are from EB.  I wear one or two particular styles (Vashon-old name replaced by Shaw).  They are my go to everyday pants.

I put on the pants today and immediately noticed a difference.  They were skinny.  They fit like I was a teenage boy, except that my underwear wasn't hanging out the top, and they were crotch-y.  You know that extra material at the crotch?  I was pulling at my pants ALL day.  Pulling UP the waist...pulling up the crotch...looking at my legs because the material touched them...it was creepy.  People commented on my tick-ety-ness.  Why would I buy these pants?  To be hip?  Are they in fashion?  No. Shh...I'm cheap.  They were on sale the other day for $10.  Who can't use a pair of $10 pants?  They seem to be all the rage!  Skinny cargos?  Isn't that an oxi-moron?