Stinky, I'm not glamorous by any means, I wish I were. But when I try, I kinda clean up okay. This is a pic just before our daughter's wedding ceremony wearing the MOB outfit. (I wish I had been standing straighter instead of slouching.) Listen, for those of you who are shopping online, I don't know if you've heard of ebates.com. Registration is free. Before you shop online go to the main ebates page and look up the store name. If the store is a participant, you'll be directed to the store website. Shop just as you normally would have and you'll accumulate some % points that translate to cash back. I get a check regularly...not that much, but it's free money I wouldn't have gotten otherwise. You might want to check it out. In this economy, every little bit helps.

Joanie- your best bet would be to go straight to a store that is just for swimsuits. Mostly all of their selections are separates and many lines have bra sizing. Yes they are pricey, but it's my summer splurge. If I'm going to be half naked in public, you bet my suit is going to fit and hold my parts in properly! IMHO spending extra on a couple of well made perfect fitting suits is a no-brainer (considering you take care of them, hand wash etc they can last for years). We have a store in a local mall that is called "everything but the water". Name speaks for itself! Unfortunately, I have no advice for the ones who "fear the fitting room germs". Unfortunately, I am petite and curvy (not overweight, but not ready to wear either) so have to try on everything, and have to get most things tailored. It is a fact of life for me! Thankfully I LOVE "the art" of shopping so have accepted the fact that it takes me some effort to get the look I want. I have many favorite places to shop but most are at least a 30 min+ drive, so usually plan a "shopping day" (not very often with 3 kids!). There are a couple of local boutiques which I love, and although one may think "stuck up" or "pushy" when it comes to boutique shopping, once the salesperson gets to know you and your style, they become like a personal shopper. Plus I get advance notice and first pick on their special sales! My place calls me when they think I might like something that just came in. There is no pressure on me to buy. 9 times out of 10 I just browse and may buy on that 10th visit. I too live on a budget, but make sure I put away for my "happy fund" when that occasional splurge is needed.

While in NZ I bought a down comforter that has lasted 12 years and still like new. I really didn't have a clue if it was the right selection. It was from Fairy Down. Back then the dollar was quite less, so the price was far below buying one here. My daughter has bought two from large stores at sale prices and they were awful, didn't last and had the feathers constantly poking through. There are sites which explain how to determine the best. Bottom line is down percentage, added feather count lowers the quality. And we don't know where the feathers came from. Fill rate is also important. I would trust any down from NZ or Australia. Their business is to stay high on the list with the best products. They also have a separate resource for clothing, outdoor/camping products. Link is for online resources for FairyDown. I checked one I was familiar with and shipping nationwide was $10. Not sure what currency values are. Here is a link that might be useful: Fairy Down online

All of you are great! I so much appreciate your sharing your thoughts with me and I have a "sort-of" plan! I live in NC, in a very rural area. Walmart is the only game in town for close-in, but that outlet mall I mentioned is about 25 miles away, pretty accessible. And especially now that I'm retired and can shop when the entire rest of the world isn't there. So first I'll go over there and check out what I can find. Another ten miles or so and I can go to Sears, Penney, Belk. There's a big and relatively new shopping center in Durham with, I believe, a Nordstrom and heaven knows what all else. I've been there only once because every time I get ready to go some kind of violent crime seems to happen there, I get scared, and I stay home! (Mind you I haven't made plans but a very few times, so I guess it's not that often, but still...) Beyond that we're talking a 50-mile expedition to more urban areas. I'm not sure I want anything bad enough for all that! Sometimes I can fit nicely into junior sizes, if I could find any that didn't look like they're for somebody maybe 13 years old. At this point, I really don't need an applique of Tweety Bird on my butt! All this would be a lot easier if I had a little "fluff", if you know what I mean... kayjones, I love you! All these years I've been a Goodwill shopper on a regular basis, it's the only place I can find jeans that fit and that's what I've worn to work for years! And I've found lots of other things, too, believe me! Plus, it's my go-to place for books. I know where all their stores are within a 30-mile radius. But Goodwill is sort of a hit-an-miss proposition, maybe you find something, maybe you don't. So here's the deal: I'm checking out that outlet mall again. Then I'm going the extra miles to some of the other stores--I know I can find a Nordstrom and a Macy's, a Belk, Penney, and Sears. And I'll check on-line as well, though really, you need to be able to try things on and touch the fabric and all that. One store's size two is another store's size gazillion, it seems. I will report back and let y'all know how it's going!