Well I took the advice

I took part of Amanda's advice and part of Paige's and got an empire waisted dress at Le Chateau.

Normally that is not my style of dress, but apparently that is the "in" style right now unless I want to go super formal!

The dress is also not a colour a normally wear, with the skirt part being "Hermes" browns/golds and white. The top part is black. I tried on some shrugs to help me stay warm, but they were all the sweater kind and made me look frumpy! So I settled for a coordinating wrap/scarf.

So...now to decide on shoes. I am NOT buying new dress shoes, as those are even hard to find than runners (which I am still looking for!), so I have to select from what I have: Stiletto heel boots that make me 6'2", high heel but slightly frumpy black shoes that put me a little over 6' (they are part patent leather, and part cloth), or metallic sandal type heels (they are kind of between pewter and gold colour if that makes any sense).

The boots are the most comfy, but I will be insanely tall, and the dress is kind of knee length (it isn't an even length at the bottom, so some hangs above my knees and some to my knees...I think extra smalls are supposed to be much shorter so not sure it hangs in the right spot!), so I am thinking the boots and the dress will just highlight my knobby knees...

Anyway, thanks in advance to Paige and Amanda for helping out on Saturday so I can enjoy the evening out with Rob, and to ClareP for helping on Sunday so I can judge a show! (She will be cleaning stalls in the afternoon and then doing afternoon chores, so don't be alarmed that the barn isn't clean if you come out to ride on Sunday!)

On a "I think" good note, they are sending dad home for a few days. He will be back home either tomorrow or Friday, so mom is understandably in a tizzy trying to get the house ready for him, as he still isn't all that mobile and the house has lots of stairs! My sister and her family are sticking around to help which is great too, so maybe i will have time to see them again. I think they are going to try to have him at home part of the week, and then in the hospital for a few days when he gets transfusions. I think my mom is overwhelmed a little with him coming home as he isn't very mobile, but I am sure it will all be ok!

Karen