Many Happy Returns

As some of you may know, I went to a wedding in Philadelphia a week ago (Congrats Anonymous's!) My preparation for the trip was pretty sparse. I knew I needed a dress to wear, but I really didn't have time to go buy one. I finally went the day before the wedding to the mall and found a dress that I *loved.* It was black with blue flowers..or maybe it was blue with black flowers, but whatever. I really liked it, it was on the clearance rack, score. The only downside was that they didn't have it in my size. They had it two sizes bigger...which isn't really great when you're talking strapless dresses on a girl with not a lot to hold it up. So, they had the same style dress in my size, but different colors. A black and white dress with a different pattern. And it fit, but it wasn't that blue that I loved. So, I called Tom for an opinion: dress that I love that doesn't fit but doesn't look terribly big, or dress that I don't really care that much about but fits really well. Because the mall is like 2 miles from my house and the dresses were both on clearance, we decided I would buy them both, he would help me decide, and I would return the one I didn't want later. Seemed reasonable enough.

That night, I try them both on, and it's decided that the one that fits is really much better looking and will be a lot more comfortable for me because I won't have to pull it up all night. So, black and white dress it is. I decide to wash the dress that night because I'm not a huge fan of traipsing around in a dress that 50 other girls have had cinched around their midsection. So, I follow the laundering instructions for the cotton dress. Should be a breeze. I pull it out of the washing machine, and it has changed colors. It has gone from black and white, to gray all over. I have no time to buy another dress, so black and blue it is.

In the end it worked out because I loved the black and blue dress, but it did drive me crazy all night trying to make sure it stayed up. Also, Tom's tie that I'd picked out ended up matching my dress perfectly (although I'd chosen it when I was wearing the black and white dress) so everyone got to tease us all night for matching. :p (Photo stolen from Jenn.) So, that was good times as well. Anyway, wore the unwashed black and blue dress, danced, had a good time. Fully intended to return both dresses when I got home, because who needs a dress they can't clean? And who needs a dress that's two sizes too big? Not me.

So, yesterday I go to Macy's with my two dresses...neither of which still have the tags attached. I walk to the counter with the sign clearly displaying "Dresses for return must have tags still attached." I explain to the girl behind the counter that with one washing, my dress had gone from black and white to dingey gruel. She was appropriately shocked and went to get her manager to help me with my returns. And here's where it gets interesting. I tell her the situation, and she tells me "You shouldn't have washed it." Um..if I shouldn't wash it, then the tag shouldn't say to wash it in cold water with like colors. I tell her so. "I know it says you can wash it, but I wouldn't have." Apparently she had an aversion to clean clothes. In the end, she let me return both dresses tag-free while explaining to me how dresses shouldn't be washed. And I explained to her how important it is for me to not come in contact with other people's deodorant. In the end, we both got what we wanted. I got to wear a dress for free, and she got me to leave.

Yesterday I went to Target and bought Reese's Peanut Butter Pumpkins which turned out to be melted and misshapen. I plan to eat them all and then return the empty packaging. I figure I'm on a roll, right? :-p