There is Beauty All Around

This
can not

even begin to describe

how beautiful

the Black Forest is.

Just a Tad Too Small

Okay fine, I'm gaining weight and I'll deal with it...somehow. But not by cutting back on Magnum Ice Cream bars, Haribo Gummy Candy, or all the delicious food I get to eat. But somehow I want to be able to comfortably fit in my clothes again.

food i like to eat
was so busy eating it after it was cooked -- forgot to take an after picture

This is what I'm thinking everytime I put on a shirt or pull it down during the day because it's not long enough when it used to be fine. This is what I've been thinking for the past looong time. But when I do go somewhere with a scale, although I'm a few pounds more than I used to be, I'm not that much heavier (cuz then I wouldn't be doing a blog post about my weight). So I just go on wearing the small clothes, wondering what on earth happened to my clothes but blaming it on a weight gain, I mean, what else could it be?

Let's go back to where I'm wrong. Yes, wrong. I admit it. My husband once cautioned me about how hot the water in the washing machine gets. I'm talking H-O-T. Like 60-95 degrees Celsius. We're talking 140-203 degrees in Fahrenheit. 212 degrees is the boiling point of water--the boiling point! And it didn't really sink in but I thought, I wouldn't wash on the "white clothes" mood aka the hot cycle. Problem solved, I thought. Okay, it's still hot if you wash on the "colored clothes" option. But I never really did get the whole Farhrenheit thing very well, let alone Celsius.

It was not until I decided to wash my carry-all bag that I realized I am shrinking everything by washing and/or drying it!!! EVERYTHING. I fully admit I thought Rick was overreacting because he is tall and slender. He has mentioned how he'll buy a new shirt and it fits perfect before he washes it. But after the wash, it's just a tad too small. (American manufactors don't supply the "tall and slender" population very well. It's usually the "tall and overweight" category when looking at XL clothes.)

bag under discussion is to the left of me in the picture

the most delicious shave ice we've ever had at Matsumoto's in Hawaii


It's really unfortunate that I found a few great pairs of jeans before discovering this dilema because now they are just a tad too tight.

My bag, which I could previously shop at the grocery store and stuff a ton of stuff in it (Germans don't give out bags at grocery stores like in the States--you have to pay for them, so the majority of the customers bring their own). We're talking a couple liters of bubbly water, a package of cheese, some bags of bread, maybe some of our favorite jam or pesto sauce--all in my handy shoulder bag. My bag, which used to be able to hold my school books and notebook, still does but now I have to turn them vertical! So yes, I have definite proof that my bag--along with everything else I've washed in the past YEAR has shrunk!

my very nice, sweet, and sexy husband holding said bag

Yes, my bag which I used to be able to throw in a big sized beach towel and beach necessities can now only carry a regular sized to smallish towel. I like them big, people. BIG.

me, being delighted with my bag (hidden behind the big hawiann towels we got)

i told you, i like them big

don't mind the big white car in the picture--has nothing to do with the story

So I admit my wrongful actions and unfortunatly I did not realize that washing and drying our laundry was harming the whole batch. I guess the bright side is, I can't blame my weight! But now I need a whole new wardrobe and I like the one I had. I guess it's not as bad as it seems. I still fit into my clothes but they're just a tad too small.

Is there a secret to un-shrinking clothes?

What would you do if you shruk your whole wardrobe?

Do you think you would figure it out quicker than I did?

Would you be happy you strunk your clothes so you could buy new ones?

Do you know where to buy clothes for tall & slender people?

Are you going to answer these questions?