Coffee Talk Thursday: What are You Wearing?

That sounds more like what a creepy caller would ask in a raspy voice on the other end of the telephone, doesn't it? Well after getting past that initial reaction, let's now have coffee since it's Coffee Talk Thursday!

And you probably guessed, let's talk about what we're wearing around the house each day.

If your doorbell rang right now, would you:
a) answer it cheerfully (you feel confident about your appearance)
b) run and hide
c) quick change/slap on some makeup and then hope the person's still there

Well before we get to your answer....I have a story to share.

When my second son was about seven months old, I still hadn't lost all my baby weight and was in the habit of wearing my comfy velour sweatsuit everyday most days. One fine fall day, my mom was visiting, and on this particular day we didn't have any plans to go anywhere (I actually planned to get my floor mopped), so like any other day, I reached for my trusty sweats. No one's going to see me anyway, right?

Well, later in the afternoon, nice day that it was, we decided to take a little walk. Problem was, we walked right past the pumpkin patch at the church up our street. And of course, with Grandma visiting and the cute little pumpkins beckoning "Come take a picture by me!", we had to go in. Now mind you, I didn't have my hair done, I didn't have any makeup on, and to top it all off, under my sweatshirt, I had put on a "Jim Beam Rodeo" t-shirt. It was a particularly hot fall day, so here I was in the pumpkin patch of the little Christian church wearing a "Jim Beam Rodeo" shirt!

But it gets better (worse, depending on perspective). While at the pumpkin patch, I saw not one, not two, but several of my friends, including people I used to know when I worked in news (for those who don't know me in real life, I anchored the morning and noon news for our NBC station in pre-mommyhood). I really wanted to stick my head in the center of a pumpkin and not come out until dark! (I did try to find a picture of this day for your viewing pleasure, but I burned it couldn't find it).

When I saw that picture awhile back, I could not help but think, "What was I thinking?" In my mother's terms, it looked like I had "let myself go." Yes, I had recently had a baby and wasn't back to my usual size, and being frugal, I didn't want to spend a lot of money on clothes that I hoped I wouldn't have to wear too long. But really. It was a turning point for me.

While the sweatsuit is now in the back of my closet, I still struggle with finding the balance between being comfy and looking trendy. It's even harder if I know I'll just be home all day. Usually I feel like I want to "save" my good clothes; why, I do not know. Plus, there's the factor that being dressed too nicely makes it hard to get housework done, because I don't want to ruin my clothes, and good clothes just don't feel "worky" (yes I made up a word!).

What it boils down to for me is: if I would never want the outside world to see me looking the way I do somedays, then why in the world is it ok for me to present that picture to the world within my walls--my most important world, my family? If I'm too embarrassed to answer the door or go anywhere without changing first, I should probably not have been wearing what I was wearing in the first place. Please don't think I'm trying to criticize anyone; I'm just sharing my reflections that apply to me while we share coffee this Thursday. So I challenged myself to dress each day in a way that is both comfortable and reasonably fashionable. My litmus test? If an unexpected visitor was at the door, and I could answer without secretly inwardly cringing, I pass my own test!

Now, I realize I'm getting a little long-winded here:), but I am super excited to tell you that Shari Braendel, fashion expert, Christian speaker and author on fashion and beauty, and part of the Proverbs 31 team of women, will join us tomorrow to tell us all about fall fashion trends and how we can be fashionable and frugal at the same time. PLUS...she agreed to give away a copy of her newest book, If Clothes Could Talk. I've read it; I love it! Tons of helpful information--dressing for your body type, the best colors for you, handbag rules, and much more! So leave me a comment--what do you think about all of this? How do you balance comfort and style? Have a great day, and let's visit again tomorrow!