mother to fill out her form to get her groceries and this girl says to Bridget that she really likes her top and where did she get it and Bridget pops off, “Neiman Marcus,” without thinking, like this girl could march right over there and get herself one. And then the girl just nods her head soft-like, but you could see she was disappointed like maybe Bridget was going to say Kmart and she’d just march over there and beg her mother to buy one for her. She was wearing blue jeans, but not any kind you can be proud of, no name or anything, and a T-shirt with butterflies on the front; not exactly a fashion statement. So Bridget and I were talking about how lucky we are not to have to shop at Kmart and not really have to worry about where we shop at all and Bridget says, “I wish I would’ve had another top with me. For truth I would have given her this shirt,” she says yanking a piece of it away from her body. “I’ve worn it like a dozen times already.”
And then this idea just came to me; just knocked me right in my head plain as pie. And I say, “Why don’t we make it so these girls can have clothes like ours?” I tell her I’m thinking we could start a clothes-share just like the food-share. And Bridget goes, “Yeah! We can get everyone to donate really good clothes that they’re tired of, right?”
We’re going to call it Sweet ’n’ Sassy Fashionique. We like the sound of it. My mother said the best way to get it off the ground is to get the daughters of all the Junior League women to help out. Plus those kids all have the best clothes and believe me they get tired of them really fast, so their hand-me-downs are first rate.
Monday after school we’re meeting with Mrs. Blakely who heads up Table Grace Kitchen to tell her about our idea and then my mother is contacting the Junior League woman and Bridget and I are going to make a list of all their daughters that want to help out and we’re going to set up a boutique, hopefully in the room in back of the food room, that’s supposed to be full of food; it’s an overflow area, except we never have enough food to fill up the first room. No matter how many donations we get, the food just marches right out the door like it has feet.
So now I’m feeling very happy with myself. There’s a warm spot in my heart that just gets warmer thinking about girls like the one that came to the food kitchen and seeing their eyes all shiny and bright as they pick out a complete outfit. That’s the idea, they get to come and for an hour shop the boutique and come away with maybe two complete outfits, belts and necklaces and everything. So we’re collecting those, too.
Bridget is lying on her bed on her stomach making notes of all of the things we have to do to get it started. The sun is shining through her window and catches some strands of her hair and it looks sort of like a halo. I’m so excited my hands are shaking and my head is filled with twenty happy thoughts at once. When two friends get together, it’s amazing what can happen. You just never know.
***
I’m telling my father all about the boutique. I’ve already told my mother, but the excitement is still bubbling inside me so I start telling my father as soon as he gets home. He’s walking forward and I’m walking backwards in front of him.
“Guess what?” I say, but don’t wait for him to answer. I immediately explain what Bridget and I are doing and plop down on the sofa. He actually sits down next to me and listens and then pats my shoulder and says, “That’s a very good idea, Andi. I’m proud of you.” My father hardly takes time to talk to me at all and now he’s listening to me and talking back. Ever since I met Rodney my life has been filled with miracles. Everything just glows.
Chapter Thirty-seven
We got the news this morning. Amy had the baby! The doctor was right. It’s a boy. He’s premature so he sort of looks like a little bird, but a really cute one. He’ll have to
And then this idea just came to me; just knocked me right in my head plain as pie. And I say, “Why don’t we make it so these girls can have clothes like ours?” I tell her I’m thinking we could start a clothes-share just like the food-share. And Bridget goes, “Yeah! We can get everyone to donate really good clothes that they’re tired of, right?”
We’re going to call it Sweet ’n’ Sassy Fashionique. We like the sound of it. My mother said the best way to get it off the ground is to get the daughters of all the Junior League women to help out. Plus those kids all have the best clothes and believe me they get tired of them really fast, so their hand-me-downs are first rate.
Monday after school we’re meeting with Mrs. Blakely who heads up Table Grace Kitchen to tell her about our idea and then my mother is contacting the Junior League woman and Bridget and I are going to make a list of all their daughters that want to help out and we’re going to set up a boutique, hopefully in the room in back of the food room, that’s supposed to be full of food; it’s an overflow area, except we never have enough food to fill up the first room. No matter how many donations we get, the food just marches right out the door like it has feet.
So now I’m feeling very happy with myself. There’s a warm spot in my heart that just gets warmer thinking about girls like the one that came to the food kitchen and seeing their eyes all shiny and bright as they pick out a complete outfit. That’s the idea, they get to come and for an hour shop the boutique and come away with maybe two complete outfits, belts and necklaces and everything. So we’re collecting those, too.
Bridget is lying on her bed on her stomach making notes of all of the things we have to do to get it started. The sun is shining through her window and catches some strands of her hair and it looks sort of like a halo. I’m so excited my hands are shaking and my head is filled with twenty happy thoughts at once. When two friends get together, it’s amazing what can happen. You just never know.
***
I’m telling my father all about the boutique. I’ve already told my mother, but the excitement is still bubbling inside me so I start telling my father as soon as he gets home. He’s walking forward and I’m walking backwards in front of him.
“Guess what?” I say, but don’t wait for him to answer. I immediately explain what Bridget and I are doing and plop down on the sofa. He actually sits down next to me and listens and then pats my shoulder and says, “That’s a very good idea, Andi. I’m proud of you.” My father hardly takes time to talk to me at all and now he’s listening to me and talking back. Ever since I met Rodney my life has been filled with miracles. Everything just glows.
Chapter Thirty-seven
We got the news this morning. Amy had the baby! The doctor was right. It’s a boy. He’s premature so he sort of looks like a little bird, but a really cute one. He’ll have to
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