Almost time...

...for a little shopping for mama.

Despite having found some real gems (my flutter-sleeve milkstars top is ridiculously flattering and comfy - and practical) online in the past few weeks and awaiting the arrival of more at my mama's house (shipped them there so I'd be sure to have them on our "vacation"), I'm jonesin' for some real shopping.

I'm sure I'll get frustrated and feel like a big cow in the dressing room (just part of the transition from M clothes to "real" clothes), but I'm excited. I'm feeling pretty good, and my Beans are relatively cooperative when it comes to being out and about. That means my mama and I can take them to the Exton Square Mall - or maybe even King of Prussia - and hit a couple of stores.

Yes, I'm going mall shopping.

For me right now - in transitional sizes - it's the most practical. It also helps that we're transitioning between seasons; I'm hoping for some sales.

On the list: a couple of pairs of pants, a skirt or two, and maybe some new shoes. I'd love to have more skirts than slacks, but so far, I'm not terribly inspired by what's out there. A simple denim skirt (lordy, am I having flashbacks there) will probably suffice, plus the black pleated one I ordered and have waiting for me at grandma's house.

My treat to myself, though (other than the massage my mama's making me get)? I'll see what fanciness I can find at Malena's. Like I've mentioned before, this is a gem of a vintage store (also reachable online) owned and expertly run by a childhood friend of my sister's (aka prettyinpink). She's always got a scarf or purse or buckle or pair of brilliantly gaudy earrings I just have to have. Unfortunately, even without the baby weight, I'm usually to Germanically-boned for vintage clothing, and my size 9s are usually too long for vintage shoes, but I can accessorize (what's that word? as Fancy Nancy* says) 'til the cows come home - and they will, up in southeastern PA, where I'll be spending the next week...

*Fancy Nancy is a gloriously diva-ish little girl who frequents a series of children's books. One of The Bean's favorite "aunts" brings her new installments in the series (sticker books, flip out books - the latest and most popular so far) when she visits. Thanks, BlueSuitGirl, for cultivating my daughter's interest in All Things Fancy.

Practicality, Schmacticality

(Important caveat: I apparently have no more energy left. Not sure why, but I crashed like the losing tractor in Footloose. So if some or none of this makes any sense, I'm sorry. I'll fix it later.)

Thank you to those who helped with The Great Black Shoe Search of 2008. The update? I bought the Sofft Gabriella and the Bronx Shoes Flore. The Sofft fit perfectly, and are true to their name - they were gorgeous and comfortable, but there was that teensy little place on the inside of your foot where the edge of the shoe rubbed. And the Flore was just too small, and not worth trying a different size.

So I took advantage of the zappos.com return policy, printed out my return label stuff, taped the box back up and shipped them right off...ahem...I mean, have them waiting in the trunk of my car to drop at the next UPS store I see.

In the meantime, I've browsed zappos.com again, but nothing struck me as perfect. So with the gorgeous weather we've been having, I thought, Shopping! It's rare I have time at lunch to shop, and the Clarendon area just doesn't have much in the way of stylish stores (the late All About Jane, Free People, and South Moon Under being exceptions).

And then there's the local shoe haven, Shoefly. Hurrah for Shoefly. At least I hoped. Even after working in the area for 2 years, I hadn't stopped by - until today. Baby B and I scorned the sidewalk lunch crowds and spent our lunch "hour" inside, trying on shoes.

Ladies, get thee to Shoefly.

Great selection, good prices, good sales, and cute accessories.

As I said to Baby B, there was practically no shoe in the store I wouldn't have at least tried on. Seriously.

I tried on 2 pairs of "black" peep toe wedges. Quotation marks meaning that one pair was actually deep, deep metallic green. The other had what I'd describe as a black-to-clear ombre wedge (can't find them online - sorry!). Neither was a perfect fit, so I thought I'd check zappos instead (the VERY helpful salesperson called the DC store, too, but to no avail).

And then I resorted...tough decision...to try on the pair that caught my eye when I walked in the store.

Sooooo not what I was out to purchase.

But I did. And I'll wear them to death.