Do you have a sense of community?

I found Anne's post about Adopt-A-Family so inspiring, I encourage everyone to read it. She has taken the time to create earrings where the proceeds go to her local Adopt-A-Family. For every $50, a family gets a turkey, all the trimmings, and gifts for the children during the holiday season.

My family has struggled in the past where the gifts were not as bountiful as they are now... I think I was around age 10, and our own community gathered a couple of gifts for us. That had a huge impact on my mind set.  Ever since then, I have had a strong connection with the community and my neighbors. In high school and college, I was all about helping the needy, even starting a chapter of Food Not Bombs at the Community College (It didn't last very long, be we tried...). 

The last couple of years I have been so occupied with frivolous crap that I forgot where my roots stem. This year, I pledge to be more involved with the community and those less fortunate. And not just during Christmas, but all year round. We all need to step outside the box for a minute and be thankful for what we have and to think about those who are honest people and hardworking that struggle to make ends meet.

Vegas didn't kill me...

Just an update to let you know I made it out of Vegas alive... I've got some nice photos I'll post in the coming days....

...I've got to tell you about my day trip to San Onofre (the surfer's paradise)....

...I'm still daydreaming like no other...and I can't contain myself...

...my heart is at a standstill this morning...

....and I can bet the stars won't be shining so bright tonight.


(I'm going to make an honest attempt at blogging more often, I've got so many ideas I want to share, I lose track of time so easily.)

*Edit* I have been unable to detox myself from my coffee addiction. It's in full swing now and no one can stop me.

Things To Do

Today is just one of those days where I feel I'd be more productive at home than at my day job...

Things To Do and in preparation for the Ball, this weekend:

~Get my formal dress altered, the previous owner was a tad bit bustier than myself
~Steam dress
~Purchase the correct undergarments (once you see the dress, you'll know why)
~Nails done- because I feel like being the ultimate girly girl
~Clean truck inside and out-Remove excess sweaters and boots and coffee mugs (I'll be driving it, you know...)
~Pack for two nights away

And same old same old what to do:

~Buy dry cat food
~Typical housecleaning stuff on Saturday
~Slowly take my vintage inventory out of my car's trunk to clean and sell..
~Clean car
~Sell car, hmm...heck, my '94 t-bird will be considered vintage in 4 years according to Etsy...that's a thought....

A Beautiful Autumn Day

The investment in my Canon SLR has been so worth the cash! I truly am lucky and thankful I was able to afford such a bad ass toy! My next investment it probably to purchase a longer lens than my stock one.  In the meantime, I am pretty proud of the images I have taken thus far.


Kaela and I spent the evening (before the early sundown) taking photos. As always, she was the perfect model!

1980s Ski Jacket, will be available tonight in my shop!

1970s/80s Light Weight Coat, will be available tonight in my shop!

The following dresses are a part of Kaela's fashion pieces, 1940s-1950s reproduction dresses. They can be found at  Lipstick Vogue on Etsy.

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Thanks, Kaela, for being such a great sport!

Wardrobe stylist for hire!

When I am around creative and artistic people, the air is refreshing...it just breathes life into me. These types of people are passionate about their work and you can see their eyes light up as they are doing it! I wish I could say this was a normal thing for me, but really, living in the desert, these folks are few and far between. So when I do get the opportunity to hang with such rad people, I take full advantage of it.

I met Josh, a photographer, at a the local Route 66 car show a while back. I made it a point that I was interested in possibly trading work with him...Well, we came up with an idea to start off with...

Being inspired by the Painfully Hip Design Collective...the imagery they create is so beautiful, really I want to jump in on those photos and be standing there next to everyone involved!

So, Josh came up with an idea for a photo shoot and I gave it life through vintage clothing...this is my first attempt at styling a shoot, although it did help Kaela brought a few pieces herself...























Spending a day creating these great images was a lot of fun. Definitely a learning experience, too...in more ways than one...observing the photographer, the model and the added duties I had of being Ms. Michelle, assistant for holding reflectors!


Photography by Josh Montelius : Razor Images
Model: Kaela
Styled by Yours Truly
More images here
The 1950s green crinoline is available in my shop, here.

I love dress up time!

I was invited by an old friend to join him at his first Marine Corps Ball at the end of November. Today is the start of my search for the perfect dress....

He hinted that he wanted me to wear either Scarlett or Gold, for the colors of the Marine Corps....as much as I'd like to make that happen...gold will look horrible on my skin tone, and a Scarlett dress is proving difficult. I love to do the matchy match thing...and I have a few weeks leeway to find the perfect dress.

After browsing through Stop Staring, My Baby Jo, PinupGirl Clothing, Bettie Page, and countless other online retailers...nothing compares to the beauty and craftmanship of a vintage dress. I have a ton of options with a vintage dress...brocade, acetate, lace, rhinestones, sparkle, chiffon, long, short...but my favorite is that darn metal zipper.  And you can't forget, NO ONE will be wearing the same thing! ;-)

I'm levitating towards a 1960s frock with chiffon. It might be the easiest to dance in one of those, we know I like to boogie down. All of these dresses were found on poshgirlvintage.com.

How do I become the best dressed gal there? This will be a fun contest to compete in! ;-)

My Beloved '59

Billy sent me this link the other day. Always thinking I'd be safe cruisin' in the '59, this safety crash test proved me wrong! 1959 Chevy vs. 2009 Chevy????





Psshhh I think it's a conspiracy. This video is rigged. Notice most of the video is of the damage on the '59??? No, I don't believe it, it's paraphernalia the automakers are releasing to redeem themselves in this current economy. False assurance to the consumers!

Rock your baby, all night long

Chris introduced me to this incredible new online radio station, Rockabilly Radio, and it is theee best online radio yet. If you like obscure, old music, you'll have an appreciation for this selection of songs. The majority is '50s rockabilly with some newer stuff thrown in every once in a while. Best part is, no commercials! You'll get an announcement randomly a couple times day by the same announcer, but that's it. I was listening to it yesterday during work and I think a max of 190 users were on it at one time. It's still smalltime, but I'd love to see this station grow!

(Wanda Jackson)

Young and the Reckless

I've been feeling rebellious and reckless within the last month and I just realized it. I came back from a week's vacation from the day job, not sure if it did me any good. Normally, I'll take time off to drive somewhere random but this time, I went to Montecito for a couple of days and relaxed. The rest of my time spent was mulling around the house with no motivation. With hopes of getting things done with the shop, I listed but two pairs of shoes! Going to be bed at 2 am and waking up at 10:30 am was my schedule pretty much, unless it was a Friday or Saturday night, then it was home by 3:30 am.

I come back to work and my boss gives me the chance to work full time for the next two months, (I've been working 30 hrs/week) so I take it. I always feel more fulfilled when I have a lot going on and I am a busy body. So this is good, I like this change in my schedule. I'll have to get up earlier and stay later. I'll have less time to worry about boys!

About the reckless part- have you ever felt like giving in to a self-destructive mode? Just to remind yourself you are still alive? Let's just say I am so greatful today to be in good health and have awesome friends and family around me. I'm really blaming Lady Gaga's video for Just Dance and Sienna Miller's portrayal of Edie Sedgwick in Factory Girl for my recent actions. Why? Because I can and this segways into an awesome you tube video I found recently.

It's a make up tutorial to imitate Edie. Because we know I love the 60s.



Here are some of my favorite photos of Edie, found through Flickr, because I have the attention span of a 3 year old:

Wedding fun (not my own!)

By now everyone should know I am the worst person when it comes to uploading pictures off my camera and posting them on my flickr. So, it's been a few weeks. BUT I still wanted to share the fun I had at a girlfriend's wedding.

The ceremony was short and sweet, just how I like it.

The reception lasted until all hours of the night! Laced with a tropical theme, the wedding favors consisted of those yummy sugar gummy chewy candies. The cake was a throwback to Ben & Jerry's Chunky Monkey ice cream.

The bride and groom even had a petting zoo of sort with brightly colored McCaws.

And the best part- enjoying the dance floor! It didn't matter what music the DJ was playing, we were there dancing til no tomorrow!

Good times were had, my friends. I have a smile on my face just thinking about it!

Sale time!

Hey everyone,

Have you been eyeing something special in my shop? Well, this is your lucky day! If you are anything like me and love discounts, then this is it! I'm offering 25% off everything in my shop through Sunday, September 6th! Please see my shop announcement for more details.

It's another one of those out-with-the-old-in-with-the-new-kinda-things. I don't like my shop to be cluttered with more than a couple pages of stuff, and I have so much more to list, especially new for the cold season coming up. And, I'm in a good mood! hehe. If you have any questions, I am completely convo friendly!

Head over right now!

Small World

It's amazing how this blogging internet world is so inter-connected. A while back, Liebemarlene Vintage created a post on Summer Finds and she included one of my '50s blouses. This was such an honor. But what is even more fabulous is the friendship I have made over this feature. Andra, from Cats and Flowers, saw the blouse and purchased it! We have been emailing back and forth since then, telling stories of each others lives, it's great how this vintage interest has brought us together. Did I mention she is from Romania? Awesome, I tell you! I wanted to show everyone how she styled this peter pan collar-ed blouse:

(Of course, this was done with Andra's own photo shopping skills, as I have not mastered that yet. But stick with me, I'll get it figured out.)

So beautiful!

Meteor Galore

For those of you who love gazing at the stars, Wednesday night is the perfect night for you. It's time for the annual Perseid Meteor Shower. This star show is amazing! I am so lucky to live and breathe in a not-affected-by-L.A.-smogged-area, that watching and appreciating the stars every night is possible.

I think this is a good chance to take a short drive to Inspiration Point, bust out a lawn chair and a bottle of wine and stay up all night! The star show is expected to be at it's best between Midnight and 5 am, (in North America, anyway). I'll bring by Ipod, too, and listen to Patsy Cline's Walkin' After Midnight.

Having to go to work on Thursday will be no biggie, I'll have a good excuse to enjoy nature at such a wonderful moment!

Ooh, play that sweet violin for me...

I am so horrible at keeping up with this blog. Lately it's been tough to read up on everyone else's, too. I've had a couple busy weeks at my day job. We had a big safety inspection and I had to go through all of the buildings to fix everything the guys "forgot about". It was so stressful, I had three dreams about work. Those dreams are the worst kind, let me tell you. I hope they have ended!!

I've been stressed out at home, too. It really doesn't help to be stressed at work then come home to more stressfulness. I am trying to recuperate but my head still hurts. I'm looking for a 4 wheel drive truck, so I don't have to borrow my dad's anymore...I really dislike new car shopping...they all look the same and remind me of sheep...baahhh.... But a late '60s, early '70s truck would be nice. Finding one that is already fixed up is a battle. Oh yeah and the 4 wheel drive ratio is like 1 in 500 non 4wd's. (If you are wondering, the 4wd is a necessity for me to get to work in the Winter snow.) Here comes the herd of white Silverado's...

I am so busy yet feel so freaking bored. I feel so unfulfilled. I am missing something and this time I can not put my finger on it. Maybe it's craving the open road again. I am going to Lake Tahoe next month...and driving (7 hrs) ...I've never been, so it'll be a new adventure. Oh, but the more I think about it, that's not what I need... I feel another phase of "discovering my inner self" again. Here's to being a future recluse...

I've been running rampant, with the truck thing, whether or not to go back to school, what to take if I go back, catching up on household things, figuring out the time for my business and social life (in which I pretty much don't have a social life anymore, I miss the days of being gone all weekend and going to rock shows and dressing up cute...).

Here I am being a little crybaby, please play that violin for me...

I have a feeling I will be okay and things will figure themselves out. I am just venting...

On a happy note, I had an awesome little photo shoot with Kaela. She was a lot of fun to work with. She totally understood my awkwardness trying to shoot. My first real life model! LOL. I had this idea of shooting in the middle of a newly repaved highway in the mountains... the only bad thing about it was trying to dodge the bikers every few minutes.

This 1950s button down shirt is available here.

1960s Flora

I decided I was going to look nice and cruise over to Mark's house. I did have devious intentions....I brought my camera so he could take pictures of me in his cool yard in the mountains. Here is the result...

I bought this dress a few summer's ago at the Pasadena Rose Bowl. I think I wore jeans that day and it was just too hotttt, so I found this number and changed into it right away. This 1960s dress is made of tapestry fabric, so it has an awesome structure with seaming and pleats...

La Vie En Rose

The bookstore is so much fun. I can spend hours there...Went last night to find Minor Characters , unfortunately this big chain store in the middle of the desert did not have it. Alas, I did find a magazine printed in the UK entitled La Vie En Rose. (I've always liked browsing through the international magazines, but have only once bought one. That was Lulu and the photography in that issue was so unique...). I attempted a google search, but did not find an official website for Rose.

I fell in love with one of the photo shoots, modeled by Georgina Carolina Verbaan. Named Happy Rehab (March/April 2009), this shoot dons early 60s high hair and bleached blonde fun, reminiscent of a disheveled Marilyn Monroe and a pinned up Bridgette Bardot. These photographs are why I bought the mag:



These are taken directly from the company of the photographer, Fotofloor (Click for more photos from the shoot). This is wonderful that they post these on the web! I just had to share because I love love this layout.

Now I have the urge to bleach my hair again :-/

This mag is pretty darn cool- the English is perfect and elegant, the jokes are shocking but so funny and blunt, reviews quirky artwork that makes you think, and there were quite a few photo layouts rather than just one compared to American fashion magazines. I recommend this to anyone and everyone.

I heart 1940s

This last weekend, I attended the first reunion my family put together. Months ago, I decided to splurge a little and purchased a fancy dress. Not so formal, but something light, airy, something I can handle in 100 degree weather without spilling out or looking uncomfortable.

I've been meaning to purchase a dress from Lipstick Vogue, but had reservations about the price range. I took the plunge anyway and treated myself to this little number.

Let me tell, you, it was completely worth saving up for this outfit. It's the Blue Sparrow U.S.O Dress created directly from a vintage 1940's pattern . Ms. Kaela was such a pleasure to work with...she is very friendly and her work ethic is dead on. Quite frankly, it didn't hurt she's based in the same town as I. It's nice to know I am not the only one in this lonely town who appreciates this era.

*Edit: So I spent 3 hours wasting time on Photoshop and turns out the featured photo is small. I will not be fixing this, nor deleting this. Instead I will post a decent size of this photo on my Flickr account.

Thick As Thieves

If a man walked up to me wearing this suit, my knees would be a knockin'. I probably will fall in love instantly. My normally coy self would be drooling and hopefully this dream man will have a handkerchief within reach to dab my chin dry. I would be willing to have his babies right then and there...

Even watching those early '60s tv shows where the hubby comes home in one of these slim fit suits, makes me think, why don't men dress this well anymore? I guess the same goes for women...but that's a whole other story...

It's amazing what running into acquaintances will do. I ran into the designer's wife this last weekend. We were catching up and she mentioned he's been designing this line for about two years now. So, of course, I went home checked out this amazing site. I haven't seen anything like this until now... Thick As Thieves.

'59 heaven

Uh oh. Yeah. I did it again. Although, I am quite sure I know what I'm doing this time...

I am sure you have seen glimpses of my '59 Chevy Biscayne. This is my dream car. Almost, not quite done though. There are a few things that I'd like to do: Replace some body panels and obviously paint and re-upholster the interior. It's in ok shape considering and it does run fine on its original engine.




A glimpse of the green interior:



And this is the "what did I do moment": I bought this 2nd 1959 Bel Air as a parts car on Saturday. I figure I will take what I need from it, then resell it. Passin' it on down the line! It's got most of what I need to make mine more complete.




I am patiently waiting for my father to retire from work so we can do this project together.
:-)

*edit* Oh yeah- I forgot to mention the funniest part of the delivery of the Bel Air:

Strange, I was watching my father and the seller undo the straps on the car and trailer. They undo the rear ones first, and as I am watching them, I am getting the funniest feeling. Something's not right kind of feeling. They continue to undo the front straps and what do you know-- the car was not in gear and starts to roll!!!!! They obviously don't realize it and I am running to catch up with it...if you can imagine this....stick my arm through the open window, turning the wheel (why? I am not sure at this point) I open the door and jump in, slam on the brakes and still turning the wheel. By this time the guys ran to the other side of the car attempting to stop it.

If I hadn't turned that darned steering wheel, it would have crashed point blank into my beloved El Camino.

My heart was racing, as was everyone elses. That situation could have been bad. But, luckily I reacted pretty well for my old age.

Memoirs of a Beatnik

I am the type of person who will mark up a good book to no end. I am a visual person and to see comments I have written in the margins will allow me to remember more easily. I like to highlight good quotes. I'll highlight references the author makes. I'll highlight a word I'd like to start using in my vocabulary or try to make popular (that never works). This was always a good tool for me in school. When I read, I need a quiet atmosphere, with some low volume music, in this case, listening to The Supremes' Reflections on vinyl over and over was my choice. No one talking to me is always the ideal situation.

Unfortunately my bookcase is overflowing and I have a credit of a gazillion dollars at the used bookstore, I am turning to borrowing books at the County Library. Super great, but I can't mark 'em up. Hence the long awaited review of Memoirs of a Beatnik by Diane De Prima. I had to go back and scan the book for items of interest to comment about. I'm not the quickest about things like that.

I was SHOCKED when I read this book. Maybe I didn't pay attention to the reviews close enough, but wow, something I was not expecting. I have never read a romance novel and now I wonder about those middle aged women who do. Memoirs was very graphic about the sexual exploitations encountered in the early '50s. A complete 180 from the stereotyped, young prudish women of the era. The book begins with some nitty gritty details that I hoped would end in the second chapter. They didn't, really. Then, I start questioning my own sexuality. Now, I'm strangely drawn to completing the book.


I feel Di Prima did an interesting take on describing the social class she was partaking in... Her group was coined as the "new bohemians" in which the other classes looked down upon. She wrote about poverty, about the lengths she contrived to live. A bit unorthodox, but much more interesting. Answering ads for "sexy girl models" and also abandoning her cool flat to live in the country for months. I am wondering if these new bohemians were under estimated? Making references to Brahms Requim, lots of jazz music, Chanel's Russian Leather perfume, and many classic writings. Were people back in the day just more educated and intellectual around??? Nowadays those who scrimp to live have never had the chance to experience such cultural references.

I was a little dissapointed with the name dropping near the end. I felt it was a bit shameless. But, it did give an opportunity to recognize other writers in the era.

I took this reading out to the streets, as I do like to shock my friends. :-) The first fella I tried to talk about this with, did not get the point. As someone who has never read a beatnik book, he missed the whole romanticized idea of this generation. I mentioned the sexual exploitations and he just wanted to talk about the sex part. He didn't want to hear my thoughts about the sociology of the book. Thumbs down on this.

A couple days later, went to the bar and chatted with the bartender who loves to read and has read every book under the sun. I mentioned the same things as I did guy #1, right away, he suggested another book that was similar in content. Thumbs up. No sex talk occured. LOL.

This was an easy read, and was okay, in my opinon. I may check out another one of Di Prima's books. But later on down the line.

Sheharazad from The White Mole emailed me to chat about this book, recommending Minor Characters: A Beat Memoir by Joyce Johnson. A little toned down with the love affair she had with Kerouac. (Thanks, sweetie, this book is next on my list!)

Peacock beauty

If you've kept up with my blog since it started, you may get the idea I am a day dreamer. I am always trying to perfect certain things in my life. Like the shop, for example- I don't think it will ever be perfect and up to my standards completely. I do try my best at everything I attempt. I wear myself out on too many occasions, but it is just too darn rewarding, I guess.

Well, anywho, I'm jumping the gun yet once again and shouldn't even hint at this, but I am just too excited. I've got something in store that will hopefully be revealed in a couple of weeks. Here's a hint using some cool vintage items I found via Etsy. ;-)

1930s paper ephemera from ElementLux.etsy.com

Vintage dress from madistaraffair.etsy.com

Cross Stitch from sparkershop.etsy.com

1970s outfit from Lolavintage.etsy.com

This hairstyle: my new obsession

I have an amazing friend by the name of Chris, who also happens to be in Blazing Haley. (No, he didn't pay me for these kind words...) I think he is the only person who completely understands the old soul in me. Just when I thought I was the only person on earth who enjoyed obscure country from the early 50s and sitting through 50s films without a yawn, I befriended Chris (I think you can all it befriended...). Someone who is sincere, enjoys hanging by the old cars without the sillyness of overdramatic people, one who appreciates the beauty of a walk in the fancy garden or along the beach (sorry to burst your bubble...). Good friendship right here, let me tell you. He is very unique...he looks at the whole picture rather than following a trend that might be passing by. He stays true to who he is. He is one of the few I trust and we know more about each other than anyone ever could.

I am always so interested in his discoveries and was so pleased when he came across a few movies last year (or maybe the year before). We had a movie day at his place and watched one in particular: Man's Favorite Sport? (1964) with Rock Hudson and Paula Prentiss. Pretty funny for it's day and therefore my infatuation with finding a cute vintage fishing outfit (as worn by Ms. Prentiss). I was never able to find a fishing vest that was small enough to fit me...but I still look every now and again.

I fell in love with her hairstyle, too, in this movie and am seriously considering being a copycat after my family reunion next month. I'll wait just in case it's the next bad choice. Can you blame me? There are going to be professional photographers at this shindig.

Here are some more photos I'd like to share of Ms. Prentiss and her down to earth style.

*These last photos courtesy of life.com, which has an abundance of classic photographs.

YART Sale!

I'm participating in the Etsy wide YART Sale through Sunday, June 14th.

10% off all items in my shop!

digsofvaudeville.etsy.com

* See shop anouncements for details

Super comments award

I was really moved when I read an email from Anne: She's passed this award on to me for super comments on her blog. I just want to say thank you. :-)

This circulating award has absolutely no rules- feel free to pass this along to folks you think deserve it.

*Thank you to everyone who reads my blog and all the great emails and comments you write! *

I would like to pass this on to someone in particular, Johanna, from Metal, Cloth & Wood. I came across her shop through the promotional tool, Little Black Boxes. I purchased the box one month and she was one of the contributors. She enclosed a sweet hairpin from her shop that was packaged with great care and love. She by far surpassed all of the other contributors with her wonderful presentation.

She is a very talented artisan. I love her musings about her dog, Dexter, her posts concerning environmentally friendly topics, and cruelty-free products. I look forward to many more of your writings. Congratulations!

Beatnik way of life

Oh, how I dream of the days when I could lay on my bed, listen to punk rock music for hours on end, and read a book in 2 days time. No real worries in retrospect, where boys were the heartbreakers and dreaming of living in a far away city was the ultimate desire. I really do blame Kerouac for the latter. Hopping trains, side jobs here and there, drinking, promiscuity. To me, that was glamorous in a not-so-Hollywood kind of way. Where I was always going against mainstream, never felt like I belonged - anywhere. I still feel that way but have learned to embrace it and roll with it.

Now more than ever I miss being able to finish a book. I needed that inspiration to get my own writings on paper. I've had a few good things here and there- being published in an internet database and some sort of club inviting me to read the poem in a venue in San Diego...I respectfully turned it down...I do not like the spot light on me. I'm more of a behind the scenes kind of gal, to tell you the truth.

I've had some obstacles the last few weeks to deal with and the transition is hard. I am by far not complaining, but I feel maybe I owe an explanation to my MIA status. I'm not sure how long it'll last, but I hope to be back to my normal schedule in due time. With this transition and found friendship with a long lost person from a time I wrote the most, he's inspired me to write again. I miss the translation of feelings onto paper and then sharing them with close friends (but would die if an outsider read it). Because reading gets my mind churning, I will be using my free time to catch up on a few books and hopefully figure out a way to release some pent up thoughts onto paper.

I really wanted to make this into a beatnik fashion inspired post- but with a few minutes of not finding anything on Google that I fancy, I gave up. I decided "beatnik" is a frame of mind. One of that outsider who just keeps moving, never really planting a seed in any one place.

I did find one thing, and I've already placed a hold at the library...I'm looking forward to reading this book...

Thank you

I just want to say thank you to the following ladies for featuring me in their blogs. I woke up this morning with a couple of emails that put a smile on my face! It's times like these that just make me strive to work harder and also inspire me to do my best. I feel refreshed that my hard work has not gone un-noticed.

Robin Lynne at Etsy Under $20 featured the Bingo Belt Buckle from my shop:

Rhiannon at Liebemarlene Vintage featured the 1950s Sleeveless Blouse from my shop:

XOXO

Back into reality

I just got back from a week in South Western Montana, what a beautiful place! I can not imagine what it looks like in the middle of Summer when everything is green. There was a fantastic routine everyday of sleeping in, a nice breakfast, exploring the area, and nice dinners to come home to, only to go to bed fairly early. No internet. My phone did not get reception at the house. Only the company of good people and quality talk time, with the occasional food channel show. I'll have pictures in my next post.

Oh boy did I savor the time off. I came back so relaxed and, again, with a new viewpoint on life. I would love to own 30 acres of land and have my own ranch, with a creek running through my front yard. Things were so simplistic I wonder why people would rather live in an area with a million people in one square foot. The town we were in was clean, the sky was blue and herds of deer, elk and wild turkeys gobbled on through without worrying about any hunters. I also saw my first wild red fox on the way home, through the high elevation mountains in Idaho.

I come home, drive to work and realize nothing has changed. There has been a red balloon stuck in a tree since Valentine's Day. I pass it everyday, and I can't believe it's still there. It's just a reminder as to how life can be so mundane and routine. People work their lives away and it's time to take a step back and enjoy the fruits of your accomplishments. Whether it's to sit on your porch for an hour listening to the birds or to go exploring in your hometown- you are bound to find something you never knew existed.

Mom shoes

First mom shoes. Second soccer mom van. Third thinking rational thoughts.

What am I doing? I broke down and finally bought some comfy sneakers. Went to the mall yesterday. Walked through every store. Mind you every sneaker is ugly. My Adidas Sambas that I wanted to buy (because mine are worn to the bone) are now looking CHEAP as HELL. Finally the last store I found some Skechers. Yeah. Skechers. I told myself I would *never* buy this brand. BUT I am running out of time and would not have a chance to buy comfortable *snickering* shoes before I leave for Montana. So okay they fit and they support my foot. I don't think I've felt this bliss in well over 5 years. I did a search to find a pic, and what comes up? I think these shoes are organic????!!!!!??? Well, cool. Maybe now I don't feel like such a ho hum gal.

So, to counteract the whole "mom" feeling, which, by the way, these shoes only look decent with mabe 2 or 3 pairs of straight leg jeans I own....ugh, well...

I made another purchase this morning...

By Dear Creatures and....

By Wow and Flutter.

Both purchased from Gomatta Girls.

:-D