The latest buzz

Warning:
If you are a male, reading this post may be hazardous to your health. You can wait for the next one. This one is for "the girls" about "the girls". That's your warning. If you choose to read on, it will be at your own risk. Read the small print. We at one part inspiration take no complaints about the following information. Male readers are strongly advised.

O.k. Are all the cyber men cleared out?

I am going to share with you a couple of discoveries I have made in the last few months about bras. I watched the Oprah show where they talk about how much difference a good bra makes. So I made a little trip down to the local lingerie shop to find myself a good one. Getting measured was a little uncomfortable, but I figured it would be worth it if "the girls" sat up pretty and made me look less.....how can i say this???....saggy.

So, as a result I bought a very expensive bra. It was a whole lot of Timmie's sacrificing, let me tell you !

Later in the season, I noticed that the shop had a sale on. So I ventured back in. They had a "50%" off sale. Yahoo! I could buy two for the price of one. This time, I didn't have the same sales lady. This one talked me into buying a size bigger in the cup and smaller about the ribs. Now, for those of you who have ever tried on bras, you will know that's screwy logic. That would be the same as having to walk around upside down in order for everything to.. how can i say this....fall into place. Not to mention not feeling like your ribs are being held by a vice.

So that was a problem. I didn't know how to solve it.

Enter Volleyball. At volleyball, we moms talk about a lot of stuff. Some of it has to do with the volleyball game. One day, I learned from another mom that there was such a thing as a bra extender. Who knew? Not me. I'd never before encountered being breathless from wearing a bra that was so tight around my ribs that I thought I was going to pass out.

This mom edgeymacated me. She not only passed on the information, but she actually showed me what they looked like (all very discreet of course. please. we were in public).

So off I went to the lingerie shop to find a bra extender. I bought two. One for each bra I'd bought at the sale . [Note to anyone who is inspired to go out an buy bra extenders in every color. You should check to make sure how many hooks your bra has. If for instance, you buy an extender that only has three hooks as I did, you will look off kilter when your bra has four hooks. It's a little hard to explain the hump in your back.]

Off I went again to the lingerie store to return the first extenders and then find the ones that had the right amount of hooks for the number of hooks on my bras.

One problem solved.

The other problem with buying a bra that may be expensive but isn't the right size, is that your straps may come down. (ALOT). This happened. (ALOT). I was forever pulling them up. Now I know you may be thinking "Why didn't you use the adjusting do-mahicky at the back of the strap". Once again, I am way ahead of you. These bras had more strap than it had adjusting do-mahickies (do-mahickys - for those of you who play Scrabble and have a need for correct spelling). There I was running my groups, visiting with friends, doing my every day activities; .... meeting and greeting and adjusting. I kept having internal conversations about it. "I bet those people are thinking - why doesn't that girl get her bra fixed properlY?????" Believe me, I tried! I held my shoulders as straight as I could, but sure as shootin' those little straps would start wandering down my arms. And straps that don't hold up the bra, are not holding the rest of the bra accountable for holding up "the girls".

I suppose in our enlightened age, one might not have to worry about the social niceiteies associated with constantly readjusting the bra strap. Call me old fashioned, but I don't think it looks that great for a middle age woman to be adjusting her straps while trying to be taken seriously by her boss. Unless there's a lot of conversation that has "awww shucks Miz Hazel, now yew did'nt hafta do that".
So today, I had a brain wave. If there had been an invention that solved the rib cage crush, maybe there was an invention for bra straps that don't stay up.

SO off I went to the lingerie store to ask the question. I was even prepared to invent something if there was nothing available - as long as it didn't call for sewing. Oh happy day, they make a silicone shoulder pad (invisible) that holds your bra strap in place!!!!!!!!! Who knew? Not me. I put them in right after I bought them. (discreetly of course, I was in public) and do you know? Not once have those pesky little straps come off my shoulders. Now, all I have to do is break the habit of thinking that they have!

This one is truly "for the girls".