Soul Sister Sunday….on Wednesday!!!

SMOKE AND MIRRORS  by Shainee Ellison

It was upon us. The husband's annual  work Christmas party. I've grown to look forward to this event each year, especially since my bestie Jana works with Matt now. Jana and I relish in the fact that it is one of our only "real" opportunities a year to glam it up for a night  out with our babies daddies, and glam it up we do.  I do believe the husbands think our gusto is a bit over the top. Imagine that?
   THREE days before the party ( got to love procrastination or the mindset that we Mama's work best under pressure) Jana and I , with three little budding fashionista's headed to the mall with our game faces on..... Literally! The stores screamed out bright colors and glittery displays begging our eyes to look and our bodies to follow suite. Carefully, painstakingly, we tried dress on after dress, outfit after outfit. For me, my biggest issue is at 5'7, which isn't THAT tall, all the dresses resembled long shirts. One sales girl overhearing us talk about how SMALL everything was, was glad to inform us this was a juniors store. Hey we had juniors with us! ( ;  After MANY hours with our three little helpers we were all tired and hungry. We all seemed relieved to be at the fun part of the trip...food court time!
     The day of the party arrived and I wasn't feeling great. The dress I had got suddenly seemed like a torture device. Wearing that all night would be super uncomfortable. Uh-oh my mindset of fashion over comfort was quickly leaving my mind. Houston, we have a problem. See, once I lose that mentality, it is all downhill from there. So off to Ross I went, 3 hours before the party thinking I can find something and I did...for $6.99!!!! Malls shmalls! I raced home with the "I think I can" mindset, trying to prep my brain for the transformation from tired, ill feeling mama, to glamour queen.
     The problem with me is I am a massive homebody. I love the comforts of my space, the warm colors, smells, and sounds of my home. That said I was in a "home" mood bad so I needed to pep talk myself and get her done!
1 .Sprayed myself to a lovely orangey -tan shade-Check
2, Hair sprayed, curled, and molded to a big hair level-Check
3. Make-up applied with a spray gun to last all night-Check
4. Fake nails on and painted-----never happened!
5. 20 inch heals duct tapped around my ankles so I didn't die-Check-just kidding!
6. And last but not least, my screaming into the mirror, "You feel hot" ....not!-Check
     As I walked out my oldest said,"Hey there super model", and my youngest said ,"Wow Mommy!" Then the most important opinion, my mans. He couldn't stop singing my praises. So even though inside I felt like the mama that teaches in her pj's most days, my family made me feel really beautiful. Mindset changed.  So as I sit here and write this in the comforts of my home, sipping coffee, STILL in my Pj's I know that deep down inside that girl is in there. The one I call out ever so rarely. The one that LOVES playing dress up. And you know what , she looks fabulous<3