sewing for the “girls”: buying clothes

so let’s face it, not everyone who’s reading this series is comfortable with sewing themselves something. and i totally understand that. because even though i DO sew, i hate sewing for myself!
 
a woman’s body—while a miracle of creation—is insanely difficult to fit well and right. (i’m all for coverings of fig leaves again, amirite? who’s with me?)

so sometimes you want to—need to—buy yourself something to wear. and for big chested gals, many times dresses are just out of the equation. they just don’t give us enough breathing room. the majority of outfits i wear are skirts and tops. and knit tops, at that.
but that’s not to say i don’t lust after the adorable cotton sundresses i see smaller (less-blessed, shall we say?) women donning.

so when eShakti offered me the chance to try one of their custom fit dresses i was ecstatic!
their dresses are totally customizable—you enter all your measurements in a simple form, and in a week your dress is on it’s way. you can even alter the length, the sleeve—lots of changes to make your dress “yours”.

i picked this one:

a bright summery color with pops of orange flowers embroidered on the hem.

what i love:
it’s a dress! it fits! i can breathe in it! ;)
the fabric is lovely, lightweight and breezy and i feel so summery in it.
i got a ton of compliments on it. the ordering process was easy—with the help of my husband to get some of the measurements i needed. the hardest part was narrowing it down to just one dress!! there’s a ton more i loved:

Source: eshakti.com via Shannon on Pinterest

Source: eshakti.com via Shannon on Pinterest

Source: eshakti.com via Shannon on Pinterest

Source: eshakti.com via Shannon on Pinterest

also: it has POCKETS!!! lovelovelove that!!!





what i'd change:
i do have to say that while the fit is called “custom”, this isn’t like a couture gown (obviously)—in other words it’s not step-in-and-zip-it-up-like-a-glove. they use elastic back panels and ties at the waist, which is fine. although i wasn’t super thrilled about the waist ties…they made me feel a bit like a little kid. they were long enough to wrap around to the front and tie, though, which i was happier with.





i also kind of wish the floral design continued around to the back to give it some more interest. but again, that’s kind of nit-picky.




all in all i’m super happy with my eShakti dress and experience, and i can not WAIT to order from them again!



also…let’s all thank my hubs for stepping in as photographer. otherwise you would have been subject to blurry pics in my messy room.




disclosure: i was not paid for this review. i did recieve a product to review, but all opinions are my own.

one down, three to go.

when i was 11 years old my best friend asked me if i shaved my legs yet. she was already shaving regularly, she said. but she had something i didn’t—an older sister. a sister who showed her the ropes of all things feminine and girly.

gasp! i was shamed. i felt so childish and naive compared to her. hey, at 11 years old it doesn’t take much to make a budding tween feel self-conscious and awkward. (okay, it doesn’t take much to make me feel self-conscious and awkward even now)

anyway, i spent the next few months sneaking my dad’s cheap, orange, single blade razor. i used bar soap to shave the soft, blond hairs off my legs, never asking my mom or telling her anything.
and one night when we were laying on the couch watching a movie she felt the smoothness (ha!) of my legs and asked—”are you shaving?”

i was caught.

 
april, 2010. still a baby 

only now i think back and i can’t help but wonder why? why was i so nervous to bring it up to her? did i think she would be mad? or laugh at me? i’m not really sure what i thought. but i know my mom would have done neither of those things.

and the 32 year old me looks back at that 11 year old me and giggles.

truth is the growing up process is a tough one. (an understatement to be sure). it’s fraught with embarrassment and awkwardness and gawky bodies and bad smells and emotions and hormones…
and now i’ve come full circle—i’m the mom, and i have the 11 year old. and i realize that, while there’s a lot of parts of growing up that are all of the above, there are a lot of parts that don’t have to be--and i am determined to make shaving one of them.

april, 2011. the clock is ticking… 


no sneaking dad’s razor and a bar of soap for my oldest.

shaving is a rite of passage, and should be treated that way.

so when i was given the opportunity to try out Venus Embrace and Satin Care Passionista Fruit shave gel with guinevere i jumped on it.
but i was unsure how to get into it…rehearsing what i would say to her like i was calling a boy for the first time. finally i just jumped in with both feet. i asked her if anyone in her class was shaving, and did she want to?

she’s so nonchalant this daughter of mine. “sure.” but that was all it took.

it was mommy-daughter time--sitting on the edge of the tub, teaching my oldest daughter how to shave her legs… and let’s face it—of all the “talks” we need to have with our daughters—”do you want to shave?” is by far not the most difficult. but it was important to me that i was the one to share that moment with her.

with three younger sisters behind her, i feel like guinevere and i are testing the waters and setting precedents for future “growing up” experiences. having fun products to use just makes it that much more special.
the Venus Embrace razor has ribbons of moisture surrounding the actual blades (all five of them), so it feels very, very safe for a new shaver. it gives a close, smooth shave with very little chance of nicks or cuts.
the Satin Care Passionista Fruit shave gel smells divine. it’s fun and fruity and leaves your legs smooth and smelling wonderful. and both guinevere and i have sensitive skin, but we were fine with this product. (seriously—i can’t even tell you how good it smells. i wish i had a scratch and sniff blog so you could get a whiff)


april, 2012. i can see the woman she’s becoming

so in the end i find myself back where i started. except this time instead of sneaking dad’s razors, i’m sneaking my daughter’s Venus Embrace and Satin Care Passionista Fruit shave gel.

i just love that this stuff helped me make at least this one rite of passage not a painful one!
now if only Venus could come up with something to help the first time she gets her heart broken?

what about you? from first bath to first day of school to first time behind the wheel it seems we go from one “first” to another with our little ones from the day they’re born—some easier than others!

THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED!
thanks to all who entered!!

share a tip for tackling tough "firsts" conversations with your kids to be entered for a chance to win a $50 Visa gift card, courtesy of BlogHer and Venus!
Rules:
No duplicate comments. You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:
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b) Tweet about this promotion and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post
c) Blog about this promotion and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post
d) For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about an alternate form of entry. This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older. Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail. You have 72 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.
The Official Rules are available here.
This sweepstakes runs from 5/21 - 6/30.

Be sure to visit the Venus Brand feature page on BlogHer.com where you can read other bloggers’ reviews and find more chances to win!  If you have a first-time shaver in your home, you should check out some of these great tips from Venus Embrace!