Boots McBlog

 

 

My first “big girl” bike was a lavender banana seat wonder.   She had a basket on the front with daisies.   Her name was “The Debutante”

 

 

 

I was four, maybe five years old when she arrived.  It was winter.   She needed training wheels.   Mom and Dad let me keep her in my bedroom.

 

 

In hindsight,  I realize their decision to do that was  probably more self serving – sparing them from pushing me for hours in the cold weather.

I thought they were they coolest parents EVER.

 

 

My  mean big brother would push me  up and down the center hall of our house on that bike.

 

 

 

It was in those moments,  I didn’t think he was so mean.

 

 

When The Debutante finally got her training wheels,  we ventured outside.  My world got bigger.

 

 

It took awhile, but I finally got my balance.

 

 

The training wheels came off and I rode…and rode….and rode….

 

 

Up and down the street.      To the playground.    To my best friend’s house.

 

 

 

I was an adventurer.  An explorer.    I was invincible.

 

 

 

Then, one day, the bike wheel hit a rut.   I went flying over the handlebars.

 

 

 

I skinned my knees, my elbows,  my chin.    I chipped my tooth.    It was ugly.

 

 

 

I laid on the ground.  I cried.   a lot.

 

 

 

 

My friends saw me lying there.   I was embarrassed.  I was far from home.   I cried harder.

 

 

 

And then I stood up,  brushed myself off.

 

 

 

I took a big, deep breath.

 

 

 

 

Then, I got back up on that bike.  And kept riding.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(images via Pinterest)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Earlier this week,  I made my decree that this is not boot weather.    (I’ll make ONE exception for cowboy boots).    There are so many fabulous shoes out there to wear perfect for this purgatory of  pre-fall.   I know I know, all you folks out there sipping your pumpkin spice latte’s reading this, gearing up for a tailgate….in our heads it’s autumn.   The lunar calendar and mercury levels continue to read”summer”.  Welcome to the season I loving refer to as  ”Sautumn”.     You can count on your dear friend Boots here,  to figure out – there’s a shoe for that.

Here are my pre-fall pics

 

Animal Prints are a great transitional statement

 

 

 

 

 

 

Never go wrong Neutrals

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The goes with everything not-so-basic black

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A little pop of fall color

 

 

 

And if you should be so lucky to score the “it” shoe of these season.

 

All that shimmers….

 

 

Awww,  it feels good to be back sharing my favorites.  Can I just tell you that there are about 30 more pair of shoes that are perfect for this season.

Whether we call it post summer,  pre-fall, or  autumn,  it’s safe to say shoe shopping season is my favorite season of all.

 

Happy Weekend, Y’all

 

boots

xxoo

 

(images via pinterest)

Yesterday was the day.    I’m talking about the maiden voyage to the pool.   Years past,  I would throw on my swimsuit, dash off to the pool, not give a second thought to my suit or my skin.   I wanted to splash with my friends and have fun.   That was a long long time ago.   Before  I was old enough to compete in the swimsuit portion of the competition.   Before sunscreen.   Before diet battles.  Before running or riding a bike that stayed in one place.  The good ol days.

Today, there are two words that can breed fear in me like nothing else.   Yes,  I’m talking  ”swimsuit” and “wrinkles”.   As women,  there is a certain courage we muster to fight the fluorescent lights and  the not-so-there fabric dueling with the having-more -to-cover body.  The battlefield is a cramped room with what I’m convinced is a circus mirror.  (and I’m not talking about the one at an angle that makes you look taller.  Those are down at  Banana Republic).  It never fails my dressing space is usually placed next to a pair of 16 year BFF’s whose young perfectly taunt bodies are thinking (out loud), ” Oh.My. Gah!   Ma stomach is  like sooo bloated because I like ate that fry…..two days ago.”    Worse than the Battle at Waterloo is  the battle to find water wear.     In my quest,  I’ve  finally found an unlikely ally, I will share with you.      Wrinkles.     Yes,  wrinkles.

Well,   technically,  it’s called “ruching”.  Ruching is a repeated pleat or ruffle used to embellish attire.  The word literally means “beehive”.   When you think about it, the gathering of fabric (ruching) looks very much like the lines of a honey home.  Fabric en masse is  THE perfect weapon to transform any  pooh bear shape into a sexy Queen Bee.      Here are just a few of my faves…

 

 

I love this coral hue from Carmen Marc Valvo.  Delicious!   ( I have this suit in RED)

 

 

Speaking of red,  va va voom!   This is not your mother’s swimdress.

 

 

Bring a little vintage glamour to the beach with this gorgeous suit from Anthropologie

 

 

This  asymmetrical suit would be perfect for a little nighttime poolside glam or  in daytime pair w a huge straw hat  to prevent asymmetrical tan lines

 

 

I adore the sunny day hues and cross directional ruching of this suit.  gorgeous.

 

 

For those blessed bodies  who look less like pooh,  can still bare your middle, and adore wrinkles…  (I hate you.  just kidding…  kinda)

 

 

Who knows,  a few more hours on that bike that doesn’t move  + a few more cupcakes avoided and I may just be wearing the above suit…

like this

 

 

See, ruching works for swim cover-ups, too.

Who knew wrinkles + swimwear could be so chic.    It’s  like the medici effect of fashion.   Now, what are you waiting for?   Get out of your hive, don a little ruching, and flaunt your queen bee self this weekend.

 

Cheers, y’all!

 

 

~  Enjoy a few Voice of the Beehive  tunes from my High School poolside days ~

 

 

My freshman year of college one of my favorite things to wear was a light weight cotton, navy and white, boat neck sweater.  It had a Parisian / nautical  / Jackie-O feel about it.    I thought I was ever so sophisticated with my GAP purchase.   Paired with  white jeans and  a little bit of red lipstick, and voilá,  I was ready for the world.      While I thought I was Kennedy chic,  one of my dear funny girlfriends always felt it necessary to sing Madonna’s “Papa Don’t Preach” each time I wore the sweater.

Skip forward a few years and I am still mad for navy and white stripes.  I still think they are tres chic.   And I still pair them with white jeans and red lipstick.    I’ve snatched a few pieces for this season.  Just a few weeks ago, I posted a collage of a few of my favorite stripey flairspirations on my BOOTSMC TUMBLR .

Turns out  Madge and I aren’t the only one preaching stripe love.   Bloggers and fashion enthusiasts all over the world  are showing their stripes.    While I’m  usually the type of blogger who stays in my own minuscule part of the blogosphere,  I’ve decided to join the fun today with  Decor8 ‘s Blogger Stripe Mania. Holly of Decor8  is asking bloggers who love stripes  to post a pic of themselves in  their stripes.  Lo and Behold,  The Angler just snapped a shot of me last weekend in my new favorite stripey T.     Feel free to join the fun!

If you are having a hard time deciding where you fall with stripes and need good advice,  check out Holly’s Blog for more ideas.  I think Papa would give his blessing.   After all, we are in LOVE…with stripes!

 

Stripes on the Water

 

Stripes with Flare

Stripes Head to Toe

Stripes on Madonna

 

 

Stripes on Moi

Simple Daytime Lace