Padded Hangers

Considering that I now have a little doll to dress up, I have had to use a great amount of restraint in the purchasing of clothes for her. It's just so tempting, and I think I've done pretty well. I only bought a few things while I was pregnant, and even after Annie was born ( not that shopping was really a priority ) I didn't do much at all. Now that we're into month four, and the appointments and being a new parent has calmed down a bit, the story has changed. My restraint justified some splurging.

When it comes to shopping, I am part thrift or vintage, and part boutique. When it comes to my wallet, the first parts usually win. I've always enjoyed the hunt for gems at the 2nd hand stores. It's become a finely tuned skill for me, and I like that it's recycling. All that said, now and then I find myself under the seductive powers of a boutique. Both of these venues offer things you won't see a million of, and mean you don't have to brave the dreaded mall ( much to the chagrin of Pops, the dread melts away if the mall has an Anthropologie ). While I was pregnant, entering a store like Babies R Us would nearly throw me into a panic attack. Now that I've gotten used to the scene and I've discovered they sort of have a boutique section of clothing, I don't so much mind the trip anymore. Last week I did both kinds of shopping for Annabelle.

Her casts have created some fashion challenges that I was more than willing to find creative ways to remedy. The weather is a bit cooler now, and most of her clothes are Summer pieces, so we needed to get some Fall and Winter things that would be cast friendly. Especially since we'll be in Washington in December. I don't mind her casts showing sometimes, but it's nice to go out with her, and not have strangers ask "what happened?" It's fun to fashionably conceal them. So with these things in mind, I went to a thrift store, and to the foofy section of Babies R Us to dress up my Dolly, and let her stylishly blend in her casts. The trip to Babies R Us was a family one, and was mostly intended for the purchasing of crib bedding. We are getting ready to move Miss Belle into the nursery and out of her bassinet in our bedroom. But that's a whole new post for a different day. I picked out some things and brought them to Pops with a nervous smile. His response was "how about only ONE padded hanger ( meaning shwanky ) per trip?" We compromised at two, and one from now on, which will definitely not be very often. Fortunately, the "padded hanger" items I selected were marked down, and then I also bought a couple of things from the regular section. The day before, I made a trip to the local Veteran's ( how appropriate ) thrift store and spent $20 on a bag full. The priciest item was $1.65, and there were several things that were .65 or .95. I love it. The 2nd hand baby clothes are in great condition as they grow so fast that they don't wear them out.

And now, just for fun, I'd like to see if you can tell a difference in the padded hangers or regular pieces, and the thrift store purchases. Feel free to post your guesses in the comment section. The tops don't count in the pictures of Lu-Belle in skirts or pants. I didn't purchase any tops. There are three padded hanger items, two regular, and four thrift store. Have fun guessing!

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