Winter Coat

Being from Indiana there are a few months out of the year it's almost vital to have a winter coat. Something to keep you warm from the stupid winds and "blistering" cold. Now I realize that our weather here in good ole Middle of Indiana is nothing by comparison to Alaska or even northern Indiana but its' still cold. I used to dread winter while up at Purdue because walking to class in such "freezing" cold conditions was just miserable. In fact in High School i would go to school extra early so my dad would take me up the "trail" so I wouldn't have to walk.  After my 4 years at Purdue I remember swearing I'd never move north of Hamilton County because it just seems so much colder and windier as you go north...not much of a fan.

For those who don't know me very well, I despise Winter, the only thing that makes it even remotely worth while is Christmas. There is just something about snuggling up on the couch on Christmas with hot chocolate and fire going because it's so cold outside that makes me all warm inside. While I must admit these occasions didn't happen to often in my lifetime I think it's just the fantasy of the whole thing.  Well after the holidays I'm ready for 90+ degree weather. I absolutely LOVE the hotter than hot climates. Now I don't love all the humidity which is why I am not a fan of Florida but still at least it's warm out.

Well all of this cold weather brings me to the whole point of this post.  While in High School one Christmas my mom got me this really nice Columbia jacket. One that has a fleece lining that you could wear alone if you wanted. This nice purpley lavender periwinkle coat got me through all 4 years of blistering cold winters up at Purdue. However somewhere in the move back to my parents house and then 2 weeks later the move to Adam and my new house the fleece lining got lost. Meaning I have searched high and low through both houses and it is no where to be found. Mind you this was back in 2008.

Ever since then I've just really used my north face fleece or one of Adams many jackets for warmth. Being that I start complaining of the cold the minute it drops below 65 (and yes I still keep my house at 65 or lower during the winter...heat is expensive!) winter the past few years has been anything but enjoyable, especially those few -20 degree days.

Well this year Adam apparently had had enough of my complaining and me using his multiple winter jackets (benefit of a hubby who works outside all year round) of course I made sure not to use the jacket he was needing that specific day. And after all for my first winter without it I had a measly 20 foot walk into the building I worked. Last year was a different story but a little cold never hurt anyone (tell that to my back that tenses up to the point of severe pain but oh well).

So anyway this year Adam decided he'd use his Christmas bonus (I'm still surprised he got one at all! yay!) on my new winter coat. Of course being nearly 6' tall and a little on the larger side this year finding one that fit was no small task. I must also say that North Face and Columbia has changed their sizes so they are smaller! I tired on XL's of both brands and I felt like they were cutting into my shoulders every time I moved PLUS if I were to reach for something I felt like my midsection would show. (For all of you who wish you were tall...take it back! I'd take short any day, you can shorten your clothes if you want, You can't add fabric to clothes...so annoying). So anyway after me basically pouting for a few days I agreed to look at the Mens section..GASP! This was a very vein thing for me to be upset about I mean it's not like I'm THAT big,  and mind you the wind breaker part of my jacket still fits while I wore my other north face fleece with my old Columbia jacket, hence why I believe they changed their sizing! Thanks for making a girl feel like she's 300+ lbs!

After Adam did some EXTENSIVE research he found a jacket he thought I'd love. He must have called 5 or more different Dicks around the area and the new North Face store asking if they carried it and no one did. Finally he found it at Gander Mountain and just 2 days ago we went to pick it up. I must say That I'm pleased with it. It fits great, it doesn't cut into my armpits and the length of the coat and the length of the sleeves all fit fine. And best of all it doesn't necessarily look like a man's jacket.  We settled on the North Face TriClimate Jacket. I have to say I like the Jacket but I'm just still a little upset I had to go to the Mens. Where do girls who are larger than me get their coats? I mean it might not have been a big deal if I liked the trendy puffy coats but those are just not me. I needed something I felt myself in, I'm not an overly trendy person and those just felt way to girly!

So anyways I'm excited to finally have a winter coat that fits and will hopefully make these next few months not as horrible for a girl who really needs to live in the Caribbean!