Vampires, Sparkling Lights, and Me Without a Patch

Have I spent the past two days watching the Twilight movies to prepare for this afternoon’s Breaking Dawn 2 viewing at the Cinema Suites? Yes! I have. (I read only the first two books. I’m slowly coming to grips with the idea of not ALWAYS having to read the book before seeing the movie. Please know that last weekend I saw Fellowship of the Ring for the first time ever. I haven’t yet read the book. And that’s OKAY. I read To Kill a Mockingbird and Revolutionary Road before seeing the movies. I read all of the Harry Potter books, yet haven’t seen all of the movies, and it’s all okay. I’m still a fairly decent person who doesn’t bear false witness against her neighbor, although I do covet some of their stuff. (And that’s NOT okay. I’m working on it.))

Where were we?

Veggies and Vampires

What you see here are my quesadillas (which were delivered to my seat) and my water (which I drank while lounging on a leather recliner!)! AND, although my gut instinct is to say something lame like, “Weight Watcher points don’t count when you’re sitting in the dark!”, deep down I know it’s just not that funny, and this evening finds me literally busting out of my jeans.

Seven Year Itch

These are the GAP jeans I’ve had for nearly seven years. They’re my absolute favorites, and now they’re broken. A very kind friend of mine told me that I shouldn’t fret, because the hole upgrades them to Cool. I quickly reminded her that I’m 42 and that wearing these seemingly cool jeans takes me back fourteen steps on my journey to look Polished. I need advice on jeans, my friends. I’ve been told by a VERY reliable source that those blingy jeans (I hate the word bling, by the way) with silver thread and baubles on the rear look absolutely ridiculous on anyone over the age of 30, so I don’t want to go in that direction, yet I’m also not quite ready to surrender myself to a pair of pants that shows the world that the back of my knees and my butt are becoming a bit closer with every trip around the sun. Suggestions are hereby solicited.

Last night was nearly perfect.

Santa is lit.

One of the local parks is getting ready to open their Christmas light display to cars and carriages, but they always reserve the first weekend for walkers. The four of us bundled up, walked through the park, and then visited the food trucks for hot chocolate and gooey butter cake. Consider the holiday season kicked off in style, despite the gap in my pants.

Saturday night's alright for gooey butter cake.

You're as cuddly as a cactus, you're as charming as an eel! ‘ ‘ ‘text/javascript’>

29 thoughts on “Vampires, Sparkling Lights, and Me Without a Patch”

  1. From that wonderful post, all I’ve got is this:
    I live so close to Sarah’s Cake Shop that I don’t need no stinkin’ truck.
    Sorry.

  2. Well, my fashionista daughter-in-law is of the opinion (recently expressed in my direction) that it’s the wash (color) <– ((so why don't they just say "color" any more?)) of the jeans that tells the tale. I recently bought a new pair, after having had a similar devotion to some that look just like yours. The new ones only came in the darker color (wash?) and I figured what the heck. Jeans are jeans, right? D-i-l just about fell all over herself complimenting (?) me on having *finally* acquired a pair of up-to-date ("not so mom") jeans. Gah. Whatcha think? Should I have told her that they came from K-Mart?

  3. Oh, your comment system dropped my disclaimer! I put it inside those sideways “v” marks and I bet it thought I was trying something fancy in HTML (whatever that is)

    Please read the above as if it had been preceded by the following public service announcement:

    “Cue fashion advice from someone from whom no one in their right mind should solicit fashion advice”

  4. The last pair of Gap jeans I purchased fit me as for about as long as it took me to dole out my $70. I have a hard time figuring out my size. But I’ve had the best luck with Jag jeans. You can find them at Dillard’s. They make a skinny jean that on the rack doesn’t look to flattering, but they are the first skinny jeans I ever wanted to buy.

    I want gooey butter cake.

  5. Age is only a number. I say go try on jeans, all kinds till you find what you are comfortable in! You will know! – Im 48, I wear bling jeans (skinny – size 10) in a dark wash and I feel comfortable….I don’t feel like I am trying to “be young,” but then I don’t think at 48 I am old, I don’t look it or feel it. I wear clothes that make me feel good about myself – that flatter who I am. 42 is definitely not old and you should be rocking who you are!

  6. I want gooey butter cake. I try to stay away from bling of all kinds. I’m watching the American Music Awards, and I don’t know why.

  7. The last pair of jeans I bought was at Costco. I have no idea what size I am, although I am vaguely aware of my measurements, but what good does that do when clothes manufacturers just make up numbers, and no two sizes are the same. I do know that if you button them up and wrap them around your neck, if the two sides touch or slightly overlap, they’ll fit your waist… of course for leggy people like me, that doesn’t mean they’ll be long enough… I also need adult garanimals.

  8. I agree with Judi–you just have to find jeans that you like and that you think fit well. If they happen to be a little bling-y, that’s ok. At least, that is my attitude about it–I generally learn to like whatever weird jean thing is in right now based on the fact that the 1 pair of jeans that fits out of every 50 I try on might not be what I thought I was looking for. But it fits, so it must have been MADE FOR ME, and if there is some bling, that was made for me too. For the record, I’m 42, and at this moment I am wearing dark wash jeans that are a tiny bit bling-y–the button on the front and the buttons on back pockets are gems. Normally I wouldn’t choose jeans whose back pockets have button flaps, simply because that’s annoying for insertion of grocery list, etc., but they fit so well I had to get them. And now I am Super Mom. Good luck, though. Jeans-buying takes forever!

  9. i stay away from bling-y jeans (and bling-y everything), too.
    my favorite pair for a few years now is from h&m. reasonably priced great jeans.

  10. Jeans can be rewoven??????
    Talbot’s (are they just in New England?) have long wearing, well fitting, plain jeans for women – expensive but worth it,

  11. Chambray pants say very polished. Comfortable yet classy looking. Good luck! And I love when local attractions have Christmas lights.

  12. I’m a devoted fan of Lucky Brand Jeans. They have a everything from skinny to flare leg jeans and fits for people who are apple or pear shaped too. I’ve had pairs last six years with a lot of wear. They’re not cheap but if you know which style you like, you can buy online (where they often have great sales)

  13. I have had excellent luck with jeans from Banana Republic Outlet (The Mills) for 2 years in a row. I hope I didn’t just jinx myself into the ‘waistband gap’ vortex.

  14. Hi! I’ve been reading here for,um, a very long time and this is the post I can’t not comment on? So, I’ve recently worked a chunk of weight off (ha, chunk, get it?) and while I am grateful it leaves me clueless on my size and how to dress myself. I have just recently purchased 3 pairs of jeans and am feeling pleased and done for the winter. Lucky jeans in size 12 found at Costco, Boyfriend jeans size 8 and Long and Lean size 10 from Gap. The last 2 pair were more expensive than I wanted but they fit and I look good in them. And I actually asked a salesperson to help me figure out what my size was and what looked good on me (I talk to sales associates about as often as I comment on blogs.). But see…THREE different sizes…this makes no sense to me. I was very concerned about the bling on booty phenom…I do not need that…and the word SKINNY jean or LONG and LEAN makes me feel sweaty because I just know if I step into the dressing room a laugh track is going to start running as soon as I try to zip those suckers up but I tried a bunch of crap on anyway and I lived to share the tale. Good luck.

  15. Go to a store that has lots of jeans, pile up a bazillion pairs in multiple sizes and just go plow through until you find a pair that looks great. Wear them for a week and if they are great, go buy another pair exactly like them.

    Don’t look at sizes. Don’t worry if you don’t find jeans nirvana on the first stop. It’s not you, it’s them. There are zillions out there, there’s a pair for you.

  16. I just splurged on a pair of Joe’s jeans, and I’m not sure I can ever buy a different brand. They don’t *look* stretchy, but they are. Don’t let the website fool you, the bootcut style doesn’t really look like a pair of bell bottoms. I went with the skinny ankle style and I love them!

  17. I own one pair of moderately blingy jeans, and I really like them. (There are levels of bling. I would not wear the pair with sequins all over the pockets.) I guess I am saying don’t completely rule them out.

    That said, the jeans that seem to fit me best are the Miss Me brand, and they have many shapes and styles, both with and without bling.

    Yay for holiday lights!

  18. Such a bummer when a favorite pair begins their decline, isn’t it?! Though I would say don’t give up on them yet! Plenty of people pay really good money to buy jeans with holes already in them, so maybe it’s better to just think of them as “coming into their own”??!

    My favorite brand is Silver jeans. If you can’t find them on sale, they can be a bit pricey, but then again, I don’t buy jeans very often. A good pair will last me several years, and considering that jeans shopping is second in frustration only to swimsuit shopping, in my opinion, if I find a pair that fits well and that I like, I’ll spend the extra cash for them.

    Good luck!

  19. I *despise* jeans shopping, to the core of my soul. I have yet to find a pair that I love, especially since losing weight. One would think that at a size 14, instead of a size 38 (yep, women’s size 38…keep going up by 2’s from size 28) that it would be much easier to find a pair that fits and that I love. But nope. What makes it especially challenging is that my calves are still huge in comparison to the rest of my body/legs. Another reason why living in Key West is ideal for me…denim shorts I have zero issues finding great ones that fit well, and I can wear them almost 365 days/year.

  20. Bling is bad. My favorite jeans are Stella from Express. I also have some luck with Old Navy, but you have to try them on in a store as their sizing varies so much. I also have some Banana Republic jeans that I like a lot (STL Mills). Would you private message me what park that is? We’re thinking of scheduling a weekend away, and this looks like a festive, fun time. And while I’d never log it in my WW online tracker, I’d seriously devour some gooey butter cake.

  21. Kidding. I’m never going to see that movie of my own free will. Or unless someone offered me a platter of quesadillas.

    I love that you always read the book before watching the movie though!

  22. Since my body has gone through so many changes in the past 10 years (pregnancies, medical treatments, breastfeeding and an unnatural addiction to HoHos), I wish I COULD wear my favorite pair of jeans from 7 years ago! Wear them with love!!

    I agree with Marianne: go to a department store that carries all kinds of jeans and just make an afternoon of it. For me, I’ve rediscovered my love of men’s jeans.

    As long as you’re committed enough not to ever wear your pjs out into public, any kind of jean is a WIN, even your favorite pair with the holes in them.

  23. I am not generally a commenter, but I can’t resist telling you how thankful I am for your wonderful blog!! AND, also, as well, you have been blessed with terrific , startlingly slender thighs!! LUHCKY!! (gee, I sure hope this feels like a compliment, and not a creepliment).

  24. I machine darned Mr Coffee’s jeans and they were very respectable – I have darning tutorials on Pinterest, which I could find for you right now, were it not for the fact that I am falling asleep. What? It’s late over here. Give me a few hours.

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