sorry... but Barbie still creeps me out...I was a Jane West kinda gal! She had accessorizes but her clothes were permanant! LOL...

We were at a short sale yesterday to turn on the water for a home inspection today (I have the buyer, Sweetie is the lister). While I was inside checking faucets, Sweetie opened the meter box to find a Barbie. She's in pitiful condition - mud & twigs in her hair, looks like her legs have been spray painted black. He teased me about not wanting to bring her home to clean up. Haha. I left her on the front porch.

What year do you think she was manufactured?

I'd love to find a page-boy Barbie in wonderful condition but those babies go higher than I like.

Trekked over to K-Mart and found no good snow boots. Walmart was pathetic too except I did pick up a grey sweatshirt for $6.05 including tax - made in El Salvador - a Hanes product to-boot. I've looked online at LLBeans' and Land's End, but I haven't liked the reviews, plus, trying to find something season-specific like that at this time of year - the supplies go fast in the style and color I always want - it's incredible.

Waltzed over to Macy's and bought hubby some fancy sleeping underwear (on sale with a 25% Friends & Family pass card the kind clerk gave me (I had a 20% coupon from the newspaper but he topped me on this)). Course, if I had a Macy's card - I'd get all the Family/Friends passes all the time).

Told him about the days when Hecht's Department Store used to have nice items. Macy's bought out Hecht's and now Macy's is just another junk name as far as I can see. Any brand name clothing is just weird. Not to mention, these 'better quality' department stores, they used to truly have BETTER quality, brand name items and I barely see any of that. Most of it looks like the same stuff you can get a Walmart - which just totally disgusts me. And the men's department - good Lord, the color schemes of the clothing. Names like Tommy Hilfinger (sp?) (I did get hub's sleep undies in a nice, solid navy cotton knit fabric)) and LaCoste, just all those names - the color schemes - are these designers trying to make men look like clowns?!!

Cute little jacket was found (and tempting) - short little jacket in leopard with a big furry collar. Didn't check to see if the 'skins' were real - but, oh, if I were 30 again, I'd have bought that little thing just for the fun of wearing it with some slimming jeans and heels...and, I'm STILL tempted (although the jeans are now wide-leg relaxed and low-heeled flats for this girl). Another good reason NOT to shop very often.

I have sweaters that are 18 years old (just taken real good care of - and, yes, they are worn every year).

What's in YOUR closet?

I'm wearing my snow boots right now! LOL Have had them on all day & just haven't taken them off yet. I got them at Sear's in October. I love 'em - and they're Totes brand, no less.

That Barbie wasn't an oldie - probably maybe 3 to 5 years old at most. I have a black haired Barbie I really like - rescued her from an REO last year. She's wearing a candy-striped halter top w/short denim shorts & a wide silver belt. She's probably not very old either, but I like her and we've had a lot of fun with letting her turn up in surprising locations, y'know, pranks make the job go by easier.

I hate clothes shopping, I really do. Trying to find snow boots is just ridiculous too. So many of them are NOT WATERPROOF. DUH!!!!! Or they're just barely above your ankles...and don't get me started on inexpensive water-resistant mittens/gloves for kids. Most of the gloves available are just those knit sweater-like things that get wet after they are out in the snow 10 mins. Two or three years ago I found them water-resistant gloves and mittens that were like ski gloves but a fraction of the price - only about $5 a pair. Well since then all the kids have grown a lot and the cheapo gloves ripped out by the end of last year...trying to find them this season is impossible. All I can find are $25 ski gloves or the knit sweater like gloves that seem to get wet the moment they step outside.

I hate shopping for apparel anymore. It's more than frustrating. I am half expecting to see swimsuits on the rack anytime now. I guess I should have bought the kids their gloves in June.

LOL! Isn't that disgusting - having to buy clothes in the off-season to get ready for it because if you wait - you'll be too late.

I'm done with buying black leather gloves - every time mine get wet, I end up with charcoal-colored fingers and the dye runs off onto stuff I touch.

I'll have to try Sears for boots - Totes, huh? Like Perky says, it VERY difficult to find boots that when you step in quishy wet snow (the fluffy stuff's on top but the bottom layer has been melting) and your feet get soaking wet - and yes, they need to come to AT LEAST right below the knee. I think anymore they just make 'em for people who walk on shoveled sidewalks. Well, that's not where alot of US go, is it?

My new fleece pants and shirts keep shedding - I hope this stops soon - it's sticking on every thing!

I'm in sears.com right now and they do have a wide selection at reasonable prices - thanks for mentioning barb43! Oh! Too many choices - the $143/pair - those may wait for an after-season sale, but I'll go for the $39.98 boots with the straps for now! Kind of motocyclie looking.

I lived near Atlanta in the very early 80's and picked up a lot of Braves shirts...got married shortly after and gained a few pounds and the shirts didn't fit anymore but just couldn't bring myself to toss them. My youngest son has been wearing them for a couple of years now and they still look like new. Most of the crap that is made now won't last a year.

I've still got my brown leather coat from the 80's but my wife refuses to go out with me if I wear it....looks fine to me.

I think that's a fine jacket - leather is forever. Tell her at least it's not polyester.

I'm quite disgusted that I had to go out to purchase my s-in-law's Christmas exchange gift. She wanted it to be from Lane Bryant and she posted some items she'd like.

Well, I always thought Lane Bryant was a quality store. WOW! Was I wrong! Sweaters were $59.00 & $69.99 on sale for $39.99. These things, and EVERYTHING in the store, look so CHEAP, I mean trashy cheap. Sweaters are supposed to keep you warm and these things were merely T-shirt material.

I thought...I'll go to the nighties - get her a shirt nightie. Everything looked like something an 9 year old might wear. Stupid prints and saying on the nighties. Even regular shirts were like that. The blouses that had ruffles were so cheap looking. It was all in line with Walmart quality. It was disgusting.

I have to tell my s-in-law that it's time for me to take HER shopping, because that store would be enough to convince me to go on a diet.

I like CJ Banks better than Lane Bryant...but they are still very expensive.

I have to admit s-in-law appears to like cheap clothes because she's ALWAYS buying clothes, shoes, purses.

I believe if you buy quality, it'll last longer - which it does - but, for those who like alot of variety, I guess cheap would be the way to go.

I still have quality clothes in my closet from 16+ years ago - if I could just lose the 16 pounds I gained in the past 2 years, I could squeeze into the pants and skirts. I'm talking Liz Claiborne (although her line is starting to look weird since she died), Jones NY, stuff like that - nothing tremendously expensive. I buy classic styles that don't go out of style, so, hence the better qualtiy to last a bit longer.

Cheaper clothes (I'm talking price-wise) you can also find that have quality in them. I have 2 cardigans that still look great 15 yrs later. Just have to take the defuzzer to them once or twice a year and they look like new again. Love the defuzzer.

Jones NY is very nice stuff. Plus it helps if you avoid the dryer when laundering your clothes except perhaps to "fluff" them...sadly I don't have time for pampering my laundry half the time, lol

I like cheap clothes that don't look cheap (i.e., designer stuff on sale at TJ Maxx, Marshall's, etc...) but it's hard for me to find stuff that fits me (I'm on the plus plus side with a lot of things particularly shirts/tops) that doesn't look hideous or that doesn't look trampy (amazed at the hooker-wear that is out there)

Hooker-wear! Too funny! Any time that I do go shopping (which is rarely...and more so since I've gained weight because I keep telling myself I'm going to lose the pounds, exercise, eat right, stop smoking, cut down on alcohol...every year all year long I tell myself this...duh!), anyway, I ALWAYS go to the sale racks first. There may be something there that will go perfect with my need at the time.

I have several pairs of pants with the tags STILL on them - been hanging here since around 2001. One tag says $79 (liz claiborne) but I KNOW I got them on clearance sale. I was going to take them to a consignment shop; here's Evan Picone wool pants at $48 reduced twice to $19.99 and I'm sure these came from the 50% off lowest ticket price rack. I might be able to fit into these. If I can get them over my hips, I'm half-way there!

I disgust myself having these clothes and not losing the weight - it's the beer and having to sit in front of the computer all day.

I wore a cotton cable-knit pull-over navy sweater today (the cable-knit is on the front,back,sleeves. I hate sweaters that just have a design on the front - like, nobody's gonna care what you look like when you're walking 'away' from them?). I purchased it before 1990 - I remember where I was working when I bought it so I know it's age. Got it a J.C.Penneys in the girls department. I saw it and loved it - I think it was a girl's size 14, but I think it's labeled wrong - has to be! One of the in-law's in-law's (several divorces/marriages) - we were sitting, talking today and even SHE has some clothes that are 15 years old and still wears them. I'm sure my m-in-law (prude) was just rolling her eyes in disgust at us! Ha-ha!

Ya' know...I was so excited finally to have purchased some new sweatshirts and pants sometime before Christmas; but, now, don't get me wrong...I love my sweatshirts and pants from K-Mart - really. It's been at least one month and I wear them every day; BUT, the one and only article I bought from Walmart, a grey sweatshirt is now pilling on the outside - ALL over the place.

Both the K-Mart and Walmart sweats were made in El Salvador (CH means chica-I think that's 'small' talk). K-Mart's has 80% cotton to 20% poly (Joe Boxer brand name) whereas Walmart's is 75% cotton to 25% poly (Hanes brand name). I don't know if that's making the difference or if Walmart has the El Salvadorians using cheaper fabric altogether. (I heard they force manaufacturers to cheapen everything so Walmart can then sell it cheap. You may think you're getting the same product, you're not.)

Thinking about it, the last 3 old pairs of sweatpants (two now have completely worn off ALL cotton at the knees - just poly hanging there now...all 3 of those pants have pilling all over them. Wanna guess which store I bought those from about 15 years ago? Some things never change....