*But it does have a lingering kick at the end...
For any newcomers around these parts, here's the explanation for a recurring indulgence in vanity.
It's been a blue moon or two since the last installment of Frugal Fancy-pants. I've intended to take pictures before now, but whenever I was fancy enough, I just didn't care enough. The stars must align, and all that. What's funny is that I haven't felt fancy in a while, and today's featured fancy-pants outfit is rather dull. Forgive me.
Without further ado, here's
EXHIBIT A
Wear this outfit when dour November lets a smile break through, and the weather warms enough to plant fall garlic.
-New York and Company sweatshirt: rummage sale purchase; less than a nickel
-Jeans: rummage sale; less than a nickel
-Red boots: borrowed from your eldest daughter because yours gave up the ghost; under a dollar from a yard sale
Total cost of outfit: Less than a dollar.
Optional accessories:
-Wheelbarrow: came with the house; free (if you don't count the thousands in house loan)
-Feed sack full o' horse manure; free except for some elbow grease
-Bowl full o' 200+ cloves of garlic: free from this summer's harvest
-Sturdy shovel: hand-me-down from the Purdy's; free
-Mini shovel: hand-me-down from Andy; free
-One small elephant: priceless; and under that costume, I'm sure he's also free (as a bird)
Highly recommended accessory:
-One small child in pajamas, playing in aged manure: priceless
EXHIBIT A, PROLONGED
Later that evening, I couldn't resist the opportunity to use Mt. Manure in this post.
Manure-mucking outfit:
-same as the garlic-planting one, only with the addition of dusk.
Optional accessories:
-Old snow shovel: hand-me-down; free (but not really optional when you need a flat, sharp shovel to separate sheets of manure)
-Little boy about to lose our best flashlight: priceless (and the flashlight was a Christmas gift)
Aaaaaand
EXHIBIT B
Wear this outfit to church when you can't find anything else to wear and you're sick to death of wearing all that brown and black hanging in the closet. You won't feel fancy, and you will feel boring, but, hey, you're wearing a color! And it's frugal!
-Heeled boots: re-handed hand-me-down from a lady on Mike Jones' postal route, from her to him, from him to Mary, from Mary to me; free
-Brown polyester knit skirt: a relic from freshman year of college; under a nickel at a rummage bag sale
-Green tee: rummage bag sale; under a nickel
-Jacket: rummage bag sale; under a nickel
-Belt: rummage bag sale; under a nickel
Total cost of outfit: Under a quarter
Optional accessories:
-A fancy, little boy making Indian calls: free
-Twenty pounds of chub gained since summer's end: nearly free
-One and one half ounces of beautiful womb-baby, growing strong: gift from God; free
I normally announce pregnancies as soon as we find out, because I believe all babies deserve to be celebrated and marked, but I just never did. I don't really know why.
So here you are. Happy belly! Happy baby! Happy day!
Many congratulations to you! I haven't been reading long enough to keep up with your children...how many does this make? You are absolutely right! Every baby whether #1 or #12 deserves the very warmest welcome.
ReplyDeleteOh I am so excited for you!!!! CONGRATULATIONS!!! What a wonderful blessing from the Lord! So when is bub due? And how are you going? I can only imagine how excited your other kiddos are :) We are getting a baby here for just a few days (foster care) and Ellie is about dancing with excitement (as is her Mum)!
ReplyDeleteBlessings
Renata :)
Yipeeee!!!!
ReplyDeleteI like green an awful lot, so this is plenty fancy for me.
And I love that little smiling face in Pj's and manure.
And I love the sight of that bump!
Praise be for the blessing within!
Wowza! I was wondering what was happening. A BABY!!! Woohoo! Good to know.
ReplyDeleteThanks for this. I'm trying to get Charlie back to sleep right now. Hoots and giggles are not doing it.
DeleteYAY, yay, yay, yay... eight is great! (Ok, I won't rhyme this entire post!)
ReplyDeleteI love always pausing here, seeing your family, your words, your truth.
Congratulations to you & yours!
So tricky! Hooray for another baby! A pregnant belly is entirely fancy! God is so good! So many exclamations!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteEmily,
ReplyDeleteNumber eight! Eight is great!
Renata,
May ninth is the date, so I'm hoping baby's safely out by June 1st. :) Enjoy your babe!
You other good folksies,
Thanks so much for sharing in the joy! It is always such a wonder. (And YOU, trawlerman...I was wondering how to break the news to you and figured a blog post would do nicely. SURPRISE! It's not just the donuts, after all! You've got another baby!)
Congratulations Abigail, and blessings to you, your hubby, your chilluns' and this newest. So happy for you :)
ReplyDeleteCongratulations! May 9th and July 5th are not that far apart. :)
ReplyDeleteI'm grinning happily after reading this.
Yay! The cat's out of the bag! I was wondering when you'd make the big reveal- or rather, teeny tiny one. ;-) Although- can't hide it much longer! Here comes the beautiful baby belly!
ReplyDeleteNine beautiful children. What a blessed lady you are.
I read this the day it was published, and somehow my congratulations didn't make it to the screen.
ReplyDeleteIn a few weeks, I hope to see you in real-true-lifeness, but I've several weeks of school to slog through yet before that.
His mercies are new every morning.
Titi
SO happy for all of you!!! Like Titi, I saw this post earlier and thought I had responded but I must not have saved it because it's not here. Still, so very excited for the whole family. And "frugal fancy pants - baby belly" never looked better! Congratulations!
ReplyDeleteMuch love!
Thanks, all! Still happy! Still growing ENORMOUS.
ReplyDeleteOh, Elizabeth B. in B-lo,
I was SO stinking excited when I read your comment and meant to write you a real letter with real ink on real paper, and then I let life crowd in. I need to do this still, but an email will have to do until then. :) Much love and a big, huge grin to you all!