Christmas in October

After viewing THOUSANDS of dresses (seriously, thousands), I finally purchased Claire's Christmas portrait dress. Yes, this is a big event in my household every year (not that Claire knows or cares a thing about it). Let's put it this way...I had her first Christmas dress bought almost three months before she was even born.

Unfortunately, I don't have access to those pictures right now, but I bought both her first and second Christmas dresses from ebay. The first year was a Children's Place very traditional red plaid. I loved it. I didn't have a formal picture taken of her, as she was not even two months old, but I took some at home---all pictures involved her binky (not much has changed).

Last year's dress was a steal on ebay---a baby gap red velvet jumper with plaid waistband and white shirt for underneath. That picture turned out so lovely.

This year she looks so different, mainly so much more hair!!

I originally had a look in mind and searched and searched and searched and searched...to no avail. I am well known for getting an idea in my head and pursuing it relentlessly until I find what I want. I won a dress I loved on ebay, but the seller wrote the next day to let me know she found a stain she hadn't noticed before. Unfortunately, it was on the collar, so I didn't want to risk it being seen in a Christmas photo I send to many people.

I then found another dress but it has since disappeared from the Web site. Grrrrr.

So over the last few months (yes, months), whenever I had the will and the time, I searched for Christmas dresses from Web sites I guarantee some of you never knew existed. I searched ebay weekly. It's not only exhausting but annoying---I get annoyed that I am so ridiculously picky (and it IS ridiculous) that I simply cannot just settle for something that's pretty. It has to be different. Unique. It has to "speak" to me.

So here were are present day, the beginning of October. Today I found two dresses that I fell in love with. Then I looked at the price tags. Um, no. Well, really, if I'm going to be dumb enough to look on the Saks Fifth Avenue site, I deserve to be made a fool of. So I made my way over to ebay and found another one I loved. I was so excited because I've always done well on ebay...then I looked at that price. Sigh. Really? I know it's boutique, but really? Bottom line, both insanely out of my league. I debated whether to post them...in the end I said what the hay...




Yes, ladies, above would be the dresses that didn't make it past the elimination round for the verdict of "Over $100 for a toddler's dress? Are you high?"

So I stopped by a Web site that I completely forgot about and in less than two minutes found the dress. It is a totally different look than what is above and what I originally had in mind. I am not going to post it. You'll see it in the Christmas cards, where I always enclose a picture of Claire. You may or may not like it, but at least know how long it took your insane friend to find it and humor her.

It's so tiring being me.