Surely you can't be serious!

Sometimes brutal honesty can clear up confusion! I learned this (again) today :)

It all started with a phone call to my mom yesterday. She answered the phone and right away put me on speaker so should could set the phone down and continue getting spiffed up for a big meeting. Over the course of the conversation I heard make-up drawers opening and closing. It was a nice change to hear muffled sounds in her background as she always has to listen to me with the kids playing/fighting on my end of the line. I told her about my day and then she told me about the meeting she was heading up that evening. It was being held at a bank and she was the speaker, speaking on home buying (she's a realtor - thus an appropriate topic!) Then she said to me, "Oh and I bought a dress from H&M. I think you'd like it!"
"Oooo, tell me!" I said, excitedly as I wanted to know what she was going to dress herself in for this formal evening.
She continued, "It's really cute. A nice soft sky blue with little red flowers on it and cherries. It comes with a matching purse!!"
I thought to myself, "Surely you can't be serious!" But trying to be nice, I envisioned to the best of my ability a nice tailored dress with a lovely floral design that would suit my mom. But all I could come up with was bad flashbacks from the 80's. And a matching purse? Did this come from the Dress Barn? Was she going to a hoedown after?
"Well," I said "Sounds like a nice Spring dress." I realized I sounded less than enthusiastic about her dress choice and offered the idea that she could send me a picture so I could get a better idea of it.
"Good idea! I'll do that." she said.

In my head, this is what I pictured:

Fast forward to today.

Finally this afternoon she sent the picture of the dress "she wore" to the meeting last night. When I opened the attachment I burst out laughing and called her immediately. Through fits of laughter I managed to get out, "What size is that? Is that a little girls dress?"
"Yes. Why?" She answered confused.
Then in even more laughter I explained to her that I thought the dress she described was what she picked to wear for the important meeting. I had no idea that she bought the dress for Selina, not herself. Must have missed the memo!
"I wondered why you acted like you didn't approve!" She said. "You could have been honest and said, 'What's wrong with you?? That is not a good choice! Where's your fashion sense?" And of course she would have clarified the dress was for a four year old. Not a forty year old. Honesty would have cleared up confusion in no time :)


Actual dress: