The Redfish Kids Clothing Swing Dress

As seen in “Eat, Pray, Love” with co-star Julia Roberts

Last week Lorraine and I (partners in crime in all things Redfish) set out on a whirlwind buying trip to Los Angeles. A combination of work, family and life had put our long overdue trip to LA on hold so many times it had accumulated a mile-long hit list.

Like all good guilt-ridden mothers (I’m sure many can relate), we were determined not to be away from our families for one minute longer than necessary.  Dutifully burning the candle at both ends prior to our trip and packing a week’s work into a three day marathon of meetings, fabric-buying, and planning sessions, we were exhausted before we even left the ground and knew we’d leave even more so.  It was only the notion of finding time for a brief respite during our trip –naïve as it may have been- that carried us through.

Landing in LA, we breathed in the air and sunshine (okay, smog too) and hit the ground running.  Despite having only 30 minutes sleep the night prior, we plowed through our first day like warriors-fueled by thoughts of a civilized dinner out, movie, and maybe a little shopping….REALITY CHECK!  We had left out one critical part of the equation in our planning- we were both so exhausted at the end of each day that despite our best efforts, we could not muster the energy to rally for much of anything …..reality BITES! It seemed our carefully laid plans for a brief sojourn had hit a major roadblock… except for one saving grace….DAD!  Yes, Dad, whose Manhattan Beach home provided us the perfect base camp during our stay, turned out to be our unexpected saving grace and hero.

Catering to our every need, Dad (Randy to those not joined by the bonds of blood) nurtured us with the determination of  an Italian mother (a side of him I’d never seen) – cappuccinos appearing the moment our eyes first fluttered each morning and poured wine and fresh sushi waiting each night.  My dad provided that little bit of emotional nourishment we needed to propel us through each arduous day- he was indeed our guardian angel!

 Tummies full and eyes half mast, Lorraine, Dad and I sat enjoying the Southern California air on the last night of our trip. The three of us talked for hours and as we polished off the last bottle of wine,  Lorraine and I mulled over our successful working trip and how relaxing it had been to hang out with my Dad at the end of each day.  We had miraculously gotten to almost everything on our list- a list that was impossible at best and we joked  that the only “must do” item that remained was to indulge ourselves with a trip to see “Eat, Pray, Love”.  We both knew the chances of finding time to see it at home were scarce at best, and we desperately needed a hit of “feel good” in our frenzied lives.

 To our astonishment, my Dad jumped up rather suddenly and reappeared moments later with a Googled list of  “Eat, Pray, Love” showings.   “If we leave in ten minutes you can catch the last show- come on! I’ll drive you!”  Truth be told, we were so tired we could hardly keep our eyes open but we just could not resist the temptation of “doing it all” …so off we went!

Sitting in the theater we giggled at the incredulity of the situation…still a little shocked we’d made it in time for the last show but excited to be there.  Ten minutes in however, we started to slide into our seats like noodles, heads nodding as our brains denied what our bodies would not…we were just not going to make it through this show!

Looking at Lorraine (the morning bird of our twosome) confirmed this for me, and we both agreed it was going to have to wait for another night- our beds were calling!  

Reluctantly, we slowly started to gather our things- praying for a sudden burst of energy that wouldn’t come – we were just about to get up but sat back for a minute longer – the movie was at the “hope chest” scene …Julia’s friend was showing her a chest full of treasures she had been saving for the baby girl she dreamed of ….Julia then reached in and pulled a little black and white dress from the chest … trying to make sense of what we were seeing, our heads cocked like puppies as we watched …something was so familiar about that dress but so out of context it was hard to name…like when you are in an airport in a foreign country and see someone you know so well but you almost don’t recognize them because your brain can’t comprehend them there. 

 That dress….what was it about that dress? It took a few moments for our eyes to relay the message to our brains and I think Lorraine had me by a few seconds on this realization because just as I was digesting that it was OUR DRESS – our signature Redfish Dress– I felt a jolt of pain in my arm, followed by a wave of pains all over the left side of my body as my subsequent “oh my god, our Redfish Dress is in “Eat, Pray, Love” beating began.  In the midst of hollers, hoots and words I couldn’t even distinguish, Lorraine must have hit my arm about 50 times -and not in any kind of girlish way-these hits carried the intensity of a Redskins linebacker! (Note to self- send Lorraine to deal with any future bill collection issues.)

The usher arrived moments later mentioning something about complaints and asking us to be quiet …which was not going to require much effort from me.  Still speechless, I tried to comprehend what I had just seen on the screen…on the screen with JULIA ROBERTS!! How did our dress get there? Who picked it out?  OUR DRESS! And it wasn’t just any dress, this was our signature Swing Dress– the one on our business cards, the one on our website, the one on our hangtags…this was the dress that had been there from the start! 

Lorraine and I looked at each other…it felt big.  In the big scheme of things – it really isn’t – but to two mothers slugging away with everything they have and falling asleep on the floor every night…it felt pretty darn good…you might say it was a jolt in the arm! Our energy renewed,  we were determined to stay and enjoy the rest of the movie- it didn’t matter how good it was – it was amazing!  Ten minutes later I woke up and realized Lorraine was curled up in the seat next to me, her head in my lap.  My partner in crime and all things Redfish and I…had found our respite – not in rest or shopping but in an affirmation of everything we work for and sacrifice for each day.  Our dress, debuting in a big movie…. co-staring Julia Roberts!