Pure Energy at Target — a review April 30, 2009

Tomorrow is Relay for Life, and tonight I went to Target with every intention of buying mouthwash and band-aids and breath mints and breakfast bars in preparation. I had no plan to buy any clothes. But on a whim I wondered back to the plus size section and, lo and behold, there’s the new line I heard about just yesterday. The new line is called Pure Energy, and I will confess that when I initially heard about it I was skeptical. As a true clothing aficionado (aka “Holy crap, how many clothes do you HAVE?!?) I felt it was my responsibility, my obligation even, to do a little test drive.

The good…
-The clothes are cute. Really, sincerely cute — not as conservative as LB, not as edgy as Torrid. They are very Target-trendy.

-The prices are AWESOME. Half the price of LB for comparable items.

-There is a reasonable selection of different items, for Target at least. I still wish they would stop the rapid encroachment of maternity on the plus section, but it was better than it has been in the past.

– Some of the items seemed to be pretty good quality. This is just initial observation though, I haven’t worn or washed anything yet.

– The sizing seemed reasonably accurate. Often Target items run small in my experience, but these sizes were pretty true. They use a Torrid-style 1/2/3/4 sizing system, which I personally like, although I could see it being confusing for some people. Other items are more traditional number sizes.

The not-so-good…
-The quality on some items was terrible. We’re talking sleazy polyester and poorly sewn sequins.

-There was not a great size selection. In most items there were plenty of 1s and 2s, a few 3s, and one 4, if that. This is pretty typical of Target, at least my store.

-Some items seemed poorly designed for large women — lots of empire waists without enough booby room, for example. I am 5’6” and wear a 26, and while everything fit, the items I tried were about 30/70 on design. That will differ considerably by individual though, obviously.

-There were many, many sleeveless tops and dresses. This is my biggest concern. I have no problem going sleeveless, but I am in the minority among women, even thin ones. Just today I had a conversation with a co-worker about how she “doesn’t do sleeveless”. I really hope Target has not doomed their new line by putting so many sleeveless pieces in. I can see the clothes not selling well just because of women’s upper-arm insecurity, and then Target deciding that there is not an adequate market for the product and pulling it. It would not be the first time something like that has happened *cough* OldNavy *cough*, after all.

Overall, I am pretty psyched. Pretty clothes for pretty fatties — yay! Now if only I could help my co-worker love her arms. Oh well, one fight at a time.

I guess I’m it. August 11, 2008

I got tagged by Candy, so here we go..

The Nitty Gritty details:
It’s a random tag, and here are the rules!
1. Link to the person who ‘tagged’ you!   Check.
2. Post the rules on your blog!  In process.
3. List 6 random facts about yourself!  I like random.
4. Tag 6 people at the end of your post!  My friends are gonna love this.
5. Let each person know they have been tagged by commenting on their blog!  Okey dokey.
6. Let the tagger know the entry is posted on your blog!  Hey Candy, I posted!

Okay, so six random facts…

1. I am a lot crunchier than anyone knows.   Par example, I have this weird swollen itchy thing going on in one of my eyes, so I asked my extra crunchy nurse friend if it was ok to put colloidal silver in my eye.  She said yes, but that the very best thing for eye problems was breastmilk if I could get it.  Given that I am living in baby land, I didn’t think that would be a problem. Thus, as I type, I may or may not have just put kindly donated breastmilk in my eye.

2. I have a serious music addiction.  If I hear a song I like, I will track it down like Sherlock Holmes on amphetamines, and more often than not I will buy the whole album.  The internet definitely makes this whole process much simpler, but I run out of hard drive space pretty fast.

3. I LOVE dance.  I love to watch it, I love to do it, I love to think about it.  I would love to learn to choreograph.  Usually if I am listening to music, whether that be in my car or in the dentist’s office or wherever, I can see dancing in my mind.  I really wish I had the ability and resources to make thos dances come to life.

4.  I am 32 and I have never really dated. I have also never smoked anything, never been drunk (although I will confess I was a little tipsy at a wedding about 3 years ago), and never been high on anything except art and exercise.  I do not regret any of those decisions even a little bit.

5.  As of today, I have six pairs of glasses and one pair of prescription sunglasses.

6. I am happier now than I have ever been before in my life.

-Tag 6 people:

Katieann

Joy

Suzanne

Prue

Stephanie

Lisa

I would really love to have tagged Lauren but she’s a loser without a blog.  Sad.

My very own bloggy challenge April 28, 2008

At any given moment, I have 3 or 4 blog posts floating around in my head.  I think of things all day long, but I get busy, or I dismiss them as too insignificant or redundant or stupid, or I forget, and to be honest, the amount of stuff I am not writing is starting to make me sad.  So I have decided to challenge myself.  For every day in May, I will write a blog post titled with the Dictionary.com word of the day.   Go me!

Yep, that’s my faceprint. March 10, 2008

You can see it on the cafeteria floor, since today I fell on my face, after slipping and dropping my tray and flinging food everywhere.  Did I mention it was in front of 35495698692356927865 students?

So far this year:

1. Dropped a tray full of taco salad.

2. Fell through the glass on a vending machine.

3. Slipped and did a faceplant in the cafeteria.

Weird crap 3, Erin 0. Will this year ever end?

Life happens February 25, 2008

Back in November, I started coughing my brains out, so I went to the doctor.   He said upper respiratory infection, gave me antibiotics, and sent me on my way.

In December I went back because I was still coughing my brains out.  The doctor looked  disturbed and said chest X-ray.  Fortunately, there was no pneumonia, just particularly evil infection, so more antibiotics, some steroids, and I went on my way.

A couple of weeks ago I started coughing like mad again, so I went back.  As it turns out, I have a long-lasting (like months) para-flu virus which, by itself, isn’t too bad but it wears down the immune system so that secondary infections can take hold, which explains the repeat respiratory infections and the general crappiness of the last four months.

Three weeks ago I had a death in the family.

I have a show opening in 2 weeks.  Not a play (sigh), but a little fund raiser show that could definitely be going more smoothly.

I am exhausted, and stressed, and sick.  I am not feeling any tremendous insight into anything, therefore no writey on bloggy.  No writey at all, actually.  I am basically at the “fire bad, tree pretty” mental stage.

Thank goodness for Buffy DVDs.

Hi-larious January 16, 2008

Want to know why I’m rated PG? I said pain twice and hell once.

I might laugh at that all day.

The root of all evil January 15, 2008

Despite conventional wisdom to the contrary, it’s not money. The real root of all evil is advertising.

I have never been a fan of commercials and ad campaigns, since their basic purpose is to make you dissatisfied with your life so that you buy crap you don’t really need. I am thankful every day for my DVR with it’s magical ability to fast forward past them, but it is impossible to avoid them all, and there are three playing constantly at the moment that make my blood boil.

First came the ads with that overly perky I-had-a-hit-show-in-the-seventies-and-now-I-am-the-star-of-many-many-Lifetime-movies has-been starlet schlepping a diet plan based on eating entirely manufactured foods (Chicken Carbonara!) in precisely the amounts your personal diet nazi nutrition counselor tells you to, thereby ensuring that the very minute you go back to eating your own food or God forbid, go to a birthday party and eat an oreo in a moment of absolute rebellion (the horror!), you will immediately gain back every ounce you lost plus 10 pounds more. The plan is brilliant — if it doesn’t work, the company can just insist that you must have cheated, plus they already have your money, so why should they care? If it does work, they have made a customer for life, since the minute you leave the fold, the weight will come back at the speed of light. You can almost hear the diabolical laughter behind said starlet’s preening.

You know that skeezy guy in bars who uses the non-pickup pickup approach? The one who talks about how much he hates the whole bar scene, how everyone is so shallow, how much he wants to find something “real” and wouldn’t you rather go someplace more private to hook up talk? Apparently that guy is doing the ad campaigns for Weight Watchers now, because that is their whole approach. Don’t you hate the way diets don’t work? *wink* Diets are so mean. *strokes hand* It’s a good thing you met me, I’m different. Really. Want to come back to my place and see how different I am?

As if those weren’t enough, tonight I saw a new one that blew my mind. It’s for Alli, the re-invented used to be prescription now over the counter diet drug that makes you crap your pants. The format of the commercial is a few women IMing and discussing Alli. OK concept, hilarious (in an ironic sort of way) conversation, all about how fabulous Alli is and glossing right over those pesky side effects. I have spent way more than my fair share of time on IM, and I can tell you exact how that conversation would really go…

Me: What’s up?

Chick taking Alli: I started taking Alli.

Me: How’s that going?

CTA: I bought new pants.

Me: Oh, you lost that much weight already?

CTA: Nope, I crapped all my pants, and that oily stuff doesn’t come out.

Me: Oh. That sucks.

CTA: Yep. I’m a dumbass, plus I am out $50 for the pills and I spent $150 on new pants.

Me: Dude, that REALLY sucks.

CTA: Oh well, I should be getting a tax refund soon.

I got gift tagged December 14, 2007

Prue, The Good Twin, tagged me with the Christmas meme — still not sure why it is called that, but I am guessing she saw my recent paucity of writing and thought she would give me a little jump start…vrooom, vroooom!

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? I have issues with scissors, and folding, and pretty much any activity whatsoever involving fine motor skills, so gift bags for me.

2. Real tree or artificial? I have only put up a tree once, and that one was real. The experience was enough to make me swear to never put up a Christmas tree again. I do like the pre-lit purple ones at Target though.

3. When do you put up your tree? Nevah

4. When do you take the tree down? The great loveliness of not putting one up is not having to take it down. While everyone else is slaving over the devil pine, I can sit on my couch and watch The OC. HaHA!

5. Do you like eggnog? Ew. I have never had it, and the name makes me gag. I was a Bio major and do not gag easily, so I am thinking it is best avoided.

6. Favorite gift received as a child? I really honestly don’t remember, but I can tell you my favorite gift as an adult — a few years ago my sister organized the family to get me a washer and dryer. After laundromatting everything for years, I can safely say it was the best gift of a lifetime.

7. Do you have a Nativity scene? Somewhere. I haven’t put it out since the great tree debacle of ’99. I have a strange obsession with historical accuracy in nativity scenes, specifically, I hate it when there are wise men in nativity scenes. Most scholars agree that the wise men did not arrive until some time after the birth of Jesus, and would have not been at the actual Nativity, so I always put the wise men across the room somewhere.

8. Hardest person to buy for?  This year I am having a terrible time buying for my sister.
9. Easiest person to buy for? My mother’s husband.
10. Worst Christmas gift you ever received?  A couple if years ago I got a devotional book for couples in a Dirty Santa.  I’m single, and it’s poorly written.

11. Mail or email Christmas cards? Neither.

12. Favorite Christmas movie? Emmet Otter’s Jugband Christmas

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas?  I haven’t yet.

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Um…..no?  *refuses to look you in the eye*

15. Favorite things to eat at Christmas? Cranberry Salad
16. Clear lights or colored on the tree? Clear
17. Favorite Christmas song? The Atheist’s Christmas Carol by Vienna Teng

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Travel to the sister’s house

19. Can you name all of Santa’s reindeer?  Nope.  Neither can I name all seven dwarves.  I am working on the elements song though.

20. Angel on the tree top or a star?  If I ever get a tree, I want to put a garden gnome painted gold and wearing a tutu on my tree.

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning?  Christmas day
22. Most annoying thing about this time of year? Traffic, and the same dumbass 5 holiday songs being played everywhere
23. What is the “corniest” family tradition you do, or miss doing?  The ongoing fight with my sister regarding the location of the wise men from my mother’s nativity scene

24. Ugliest Christmas Decoration ever invented?  Those big inflatable yard things
25. Which looks the best, theme trees or homey trees?  I like homey trees
26. What does Christmas mean to you?   I have really bad memories from a specific event that happened at Christmas, and because of that I have had a hard time at Christmas for years.  This is my first Christmas as a whole, healthy person, and so this year it means a new start, and a chance to build new memories.

I tag Heather, Holli, and Lisa

Four times six December 2, 2007

My friend Heather posted this on her blog, and since I am feeling pretty uninspired at the moment, I thought I would swipe it…

4 Jobs I have Held in My Life:

High school science teacher — I’ll talk about this one first, since it is my current one. I teach Biology and Ecology, and I coach drama. In previous years, if you had asked me, I would tell you that I loved it. This year I don’t love it. I have decided to stay on one more year to determine if the not loving it is something real or passing ennui.

Training & Development Instructor/Performance Improvement Analyst — I did this for one of the big three insurance companies. While they were not the most fun five years of my life, they were invaluable for learning. I learned about professionalism, project management, computer skills, teaching skills, and way more about insurance than I ever wanted to know; all skills that have been invaluable in my current job.

Camp counselor — I spent three summers in college working at a summer camp. It was an amazing experience, and last summer I went back there to lead music for a week.

Subway sandwich artist — Don’t ask.

4 Movies I have Watched More Than Once:

I watch the same stuff over and over, so this one is easy. Four of my most watched–

Empire Records

Center Stage

Never Been Kissed

Real Genius

4 Places I have Vacationed:

White Lake, NC — My family used to go every summer. It’s not exactly a luxury resort, but it was fun.

Myrtle Beach, SC — Last summer I went with my sister and her husband’s family, and it was the best trip I have ever had.

Disney World — I was 14 and had just finished the 9th grade. There were four of us in a Nissan Sentra, and it was a 14 hour drive. I don’t remember much else.

New York City — I love, love, love NYC. I wish I could go back.

4 of my Favorite Foods:

Lox and cream cheese on a rosemary and olive oil bagel

Chocolate bread pudding

Dill pickles

Cornbread stuffing

4 places I would Rather Be:

An isolated beach

New York City (not right now, though, it is too cold)

My hammock in the middle of summer

With my nephew

4 hobbies I engage in regularly:

Reading

Directing

Music

Watching really mindless TV

Deadline Junkie November 27, 2007

In the past few days, I have recognized something rather disturbing about myself.

I am addicted to pressure. Without it, I feel lost. I love being way too busy way too much.

The problem is, I don’t feel any pressure at all to do normal, everyday maintenance kinds of things. I love the pressure of putting a performance together, but doing the dishes or buying groceries? Meh. That stuff is always there, and if it doesn’t get done today, it will get done tomorrow, or this weekend, or sometime. The only time my house gets clean is when I am having people over, and then it is at the last minute, usually as people are walking through the door.

So right now, I feel lost. My next production doesn’t start until February, nearly 3 months away. My house is a mess, but I can’t seem to do anything about it other than look at the mess and decide to clean tomorrow, and play The Sims today. I’m bored.