My Day of Beauty

As I mentioned in my last blog I have had a very uneventful week at home sick. I had read all of my library books, googled every website known to mankind, and watched all of my CSI:Miami Season 6 DVD's. So....like I said, it's been pretty uneventful. And, since I was up until 5:00 this morning!!!!!!!!!! because my side hurt every time I laid down I decided maybe it was time to head to the doctor. Josh had planned to be at home today to work on sermons so by the time I rolled out of bed and threw my nappy hair into a clip I headed out for the after hours clinic in Bay Springs. It was SOOOO nice today and I really wanted to be going for a walk and was really kicking myself for not going to the dr. earlier in the week and getting better.

I pulled up and there was a parking lot of people. Yay. I was so thrilled to go expose myself to the multitude of germs that awaited. :) Well, the receptionist looked like she had already had a day and I noticed there was a sign that said they would not be accepting any more patients until after 1:00. Great. I then decided I would go drop off our library books. Sarah just got her first library card and the library has become our favorite hangout. We really missed it this week. We are allowed 10 items from the library at a time on our cards and Sarah feels like me that we should get 10 items everytime we go! So, I had an ARMFUL of books and movies to drop off. I found a way to position them and made my way to the door. What did the sign say? They didn't open until 1:00 today. I made a mental note that if I had to go back to work I wanted a job at the library and hauled my books back to the jeep. I started debating. It was about 11:15. I didn't want to go home just to turn back around. I needed to go get measured for my bridesmaid dress for my sister in law's wedding. I was looking and feeling like the 11th plague, but I figured this might be my only alone time out of the house before I had to have the measurements to her. So, I ventured on to Laurel.

Now, let me stop here and tell you that I cannot think of anything more humiliating than going into a fancy dress shop where all of the salespeople are dressed to the nines and have perfect hair and makeup and having a complete stranger take your measurements. Although, having someone you KNOW may be equally or far more humiliating. That is like when my sister worked at a tanning salon and spray tanned me for her wedding because I was 7 months pregnant and could not tan. I know I could not let a stranger do that, but at the same time I am sure Jenny had horrific nightmares of my blessed belly for months. But...I digress. Anyway, back to feeling humiliated did I also mention that I had taken no time to get ready, had no make-up and was wearing jeans and a t-shirt? I actually passed a pick-up truck on the side of the road where they were selling perfume and I thought about stopping. But I didn't.

Well I got to the dress shop and it actually wasn't too bad. There was another lady in jeans and a t-shirt so I didn't feel so bad. The lady made me stand in front of a full length mirror which I do not understand. I guess it was so I could have a visual of the abysmal measurements she was writing down. It also gave me the chance to see a bleach spot on my t-shirt. Not a big one, just big enough to say "I have no self pride and don't even look at myself before I leave the house." :) It was pretty quick and painless until I got out of the store and looked at the paper. As my friend Shelly says, "FOR THE LOVE OF PETE!!!" I can never remember what "normal" measurements are and I was trying to remember that Baby got Back song when he says the measurements. You know what I'm talking about? Anyway, all I could think when I saw my hip measurement is that Mr. Sir Mix-A-Lot would probably consider me quite the overacheiver!!

After vowing not to eat for the next 3 months I realized I still had a little bit of time before the magical 1:00 hour when the clinic and the library would come to life. On my way I had noticed a Sally Beauty supply store but as I was sitting there I noticed something even more glorious across the street. A Walgreens! Please do not ask what my deal is with drugstores. I truly do not know. I do know that when I check out I become convinced I need a 12 step program. And...it is March! I love March! It is just so exciting to me when the weather starts to change and spring is on the way. So how do I celebrate every year? With new make-up of course! So I spent a few minutes at Walgreens. I was proud to realize that I have gained a great deal of self-control in the last few years, mainly due to the fact that I've finally learned there are some beauty issues that they just don't make products for!! I did get a new mascara and nail polish. That is also a sign of spring. I get very lazy about painting my toenails during the winter so it is like a rite of passage to get my new toenail polish for sandal season!

When I left I decided to bite the bullet and go get my eyebrows waxed. It was way overdue and my time out of the house alone is about as rare as finding something that's not fried on a Mississippi menu. I figured I was already feeling bad, might as well just suffer through it all at once. :) Can I just say that sometimes it stinks being a girl and especially a girl with dark hair? Let's face it, blonde girls can get away less grooming. They just can. That's why blondes have more fun! They don't have to get waxed as much!! The girl put the wax on and as soon as she did I knew it. I could feel it. I was thinking, 'Isn't that half of my eyebrow?' She gave me the mirror to see after she was done but what can you say? At that point it is done. Do you demand her to put it back? Ask her to go ahead and take all of it and get intensive lessons in penciling in eyebrows? What can you do? I was just glad it was on the side that my bangs lay. Praise God for small mercies, right? No, there will be no pictures with this post. There will probably be no pics of me for quite a while!!

On my way home I started thinking about my "day of beauty". I know I've blogged about seeking that inner beauty and the beauty that only comes from our Lord. But I gotta tell ya, sometimes I wish the plain old physical kind was easier to come by! I was raised by a true southern belle. I don't think I saw my mama without make-up until I was like 10. Seriously. Mississippi girls don't do the dishes without lipstick on do you hear me? My mom is beautiful and I have a drop dead gorgeous sister who has done modeling and was blessed with all of the fashion sense between us. She always has the cutets outfits and the best hair. I have struggled to overcome my jeans, t-shirts and ponytail ways. I've always wanted to be one of those perfectly manicured, meticulously dressed, look like they just walked out of the salon people. Of course the people who walk out of the salon with both of their eyebrows!! :) I blame my lazy fashion ways on growing up a dancer. I had a dance class at school, and band practice after school and then usually another dance class after that. While going through the shed at my parent's house I found one of my dance team t-shirts and my brother said "You lived in that" and it is so true! I also was never allowed to have fingernail polish on the dance team. Even though we wore hideous white gloves when we performed we still got checked at every game. For real, y'all!!

So, now I've traded my dancing shoes for tennis shoes as I run errands and do chores. I choose my clothes based on what I will not have to iron and what will hide baby drool and apple juice the best. I continually have the best intentions about keeping my nails painted and my lipstick on. My poor husband! I guess I have learned that when you go days without makeup living in jeans and a t-shirt you definitely get noticed for even the smallest attempt made! I like to set the bar low!!! I am a total candidate for "What Not to Wear" and please, somebody feel free to nominate me! Just DON'T ASK FOR MY MEASUREMENTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :)