Day One:
We’re up and out early for us Snyder women….we’re out the door before lunch and that’s huge for us. Three women getting ready is never easy. We head north to pick up my Mom. She’s joining us for this grand adventure. She’s also looking for her Grandmother of the Bride outfit.
We head north – toward Dillards – the one department store that isn’t in our area. After our 80 mile trek we arrive. Money in hand and ready to shop.

Grandmother of the bride finds her outfit within the first 15 minutes! She finds the perfect color and length (which is really tough when you’re only 5’1” tall). I, on the other hand, am up to my neck in mother of the bride horror wear. I don’t like any of it – at all. The few that I like are the wrong size – too small, mostly. I realize that my recent diet has taken me into the no size zone that lingers somewhere between misses sizes and women’s sizes (which is a nice way of saying plus sizes… I’ve often wondered plus what?)

So, we shop FOREVER. We shop everywhere. And my mother, the grandmother of the bride, even finds the perfect pair of way cool shoes for her outfit. Me? Nothing? No dress – nothing.

We hit one last store – the other Dillard’s in town (not our town, but Huntsville, Alabama which is where we landed) and I find this pair of knock out black Palazzo pants. I love them! And they fit – great. The bride loves them, but I remind her that she’s stated the No Black rule and I’m sticking to it. She realizes that I may end up at her wedding wearing my housecoat if something doesn’t give – so she rethinks her rule and agrees that black pants will work! Yes! We have the pants.

I find a top that is okay – nothing spectacular, but it has this spectacular price. I buy it, along with the fabulous palazzo pants. We hit the car to head home and I drive one block east and turn around. I hate this blouse and I paid a small fortune for it. I march right back into the store and return it.

So, day one is over with a complete – head to toe – grandmother of the bride outfit bought. And pants for the mother of the bride. Well, at least one part of me is covered.

Day two we just stay in our area and shop. We hit three malls in three hours and find nothing. The last ditch effort takes us to a department store that sells everything from tires and tools to juniors and misses clothes. We find it! Not just any it – we find the most spectacular top. It’s ivory and black and wraps. It has a deep v neck (to make me look thinner and less double chinned) and a side clasp, which is supposed to make my waist look smaller. At this point, I don’t care, I am just glad to have something to wear. I would post a picture but I’m just not up to trying it on again. Just take my word for the blouse and these are the pants.

So there you have it — one half of my costume…. I mean outfit. Now, it’s shoes and jewelry. Not too much more to go. Only the accessories and four weeks.