cowgirl shoes debute

I wore my cowgirl shoes to work today. We have casual Fridays so that means I can wear jeans. It's way awesome. Anyway, I wore my cowgirl shoes. And my flip-flops. You see, I have to walk about 15 minutes from the parking ramp to the building I'm working in right now. And there was no way I was about to hike that far in those shoes. Especially the first time I've ever worn them.

That's a mistake I've made before.

Anyway, so I wore my flip-flops until I got to the office and then switched out. My cowgirl shoes rocked. They are surprisingly comfortable, although I can tell I'm going to have to break my feet into regular heels again after a winter of wearing my dressy boots with socks.

Also, this morning while riding the elevator in the parking ramp I was thinking about my flip-flops. Do you remember when people used to call them "thongs?" Or maybe that was just my weird family. But yeah, we totally called them thongs until...you know...actual thongs started getting more popular.

And sometimes I still look at my flip-flops and laugh.

dye job

I dye my hair.

I've dyed my hair ever since--on a whim--I had one of my roommates dye it freshman year.

I was wild and crazy, what can I say.

I used to be blonde. It didn't look so great.

Definitely look pretty washed out.

My sister...now my sister can pull off blonde. It looks good on her.

Anyway, so I dye my hair now. I just dyed it this week and it turned out okay.

I accidentally bought semi-permanent dye. I hate it when I do that. Two reasons:

One. It doesn't last as long. Duh.

Two. My hair has to be wet to apply it. If you've ever dyed your own hair you know how difficult it can be. Now imagine dying wet hair. Heaven only knows how many spots I missed because I couldn't tell what was dye and what was wet.

The plus side of semi-permanent is that it doesn't have the horrible stench of permanent. I've actually had to leave the room because my eyes have been watering from the fumes. It isn't pretty.

This picture is from Thanksgiving 2008. I'm pretty sure it's the best my hair has ever looked. I love that color. Too bad I can't remember what it was. So I keep on goin' on, if you know what I'm saying.

I just have a hard time justifying spending a ton of money to get my hair dyed professionally, especially since I do it about every two or three months. I don't devote much time or money to my hair, I'm afraid. That's probably why I don't like it, I suppose. I should invest more in it.

My sister has awesome hair. It's so thick. On Christmas she wanted me to play with it for a while and I was so jealous of her hair you wouldn't even believe it. My hair is so fine it just always looks flat and stringy. Plus it needs a trim: I'm going on five months now. I love getting my hair cut. Love it, love it, love it. I also used to like head lice checks in elementary school. There's just something about another person running their hands through my hair...

Was that too much information? Come on, you know you enjoyed lice checks, too.

But I always had some strange fear I would have lice.

What's up with that?

Why I Love...

Suits.

I know, I know, it's sick and wrong. But I love them.

There's something about putting on a suit that just makes me feel so professional, so powerful, so polished.

I've had several suits in my lifetime. Three of them are too big for me now, I'm sad to report. However there are still four hanging in my closet.

I have a classic black suit. The pants are a little big but I can't find another pair in a smaller size to match the jacket. I'm dealing with it for now but once I lose my 8.5 pounds I'll probably have to buy another black one if I can't find matching pants. Everyone needs a black suit.

I have a summer brown suit. It's kind of a knit-looking thing. The jacket has short fitted sleeves and a skinny brown belt. I really like it.

I have a gray skirt suit. I couldn't find matching pants at the time and I still can't, so I guess that one will just have a skirt.

And then, my favorite: a gray suit with white pinstripes. I'm wearing it to work today. I tried to find a picture online to show you but I couldn't. Maybe I'll take one of myself wearing it so you can see. I love it.

My favorite work-clothing brand is Worthington. It's carried at JCPenney. The brand fits me really well. Plus I think it runs slightly big so I get to buy a smaller size pant. It's pretty awesome, I'm not going to lie.

help

I got these babies last week.

Aren't they gorgeous? Come to mama.

Let me just take a moment to say how much I love DSW. And the clearance racks at the back of the store. And the $10 gift card I got for signing up to their rewards program. All of which enabled me to save $78.04 on these lovely ladies.

Yes, seventy-eight dollars. I paid $31.96 which means these shoes were originally $110. Not too bad.

Guess what brand they are.

Now was that funny, or was that funny?

Do you want to know what I love the most? No more cheesy jokes, I promise.

The bow. But it's like a half-bow. You stare at it and you're like, "is it a bow, or is it not a bow?"

Answer: It's a half-bow.

I am a little worried about the height. Four inches. I measured it with a ruler. Seriously. And man, are those ever skinny heels. I was thinking I might wear them for graduation, but I'm afraid I would fall over on stage and embarrass myself in front of hundreds of people.

And that would be bad.

So, now for your help. You know how I feel about shoes. I love them. And I love these. And, just as if my shoes were my children, I name them.

But I can't come up with a good one.

So please help me.

You wouldn't want these beauties to be without a name, would you?

Would you?

It has WHAT?!

We got the Cabela's Christmas Footwear and Clothing catalog in the mail the other day.

Of all the things I think of when I think of Cabela's, clothing and footwear would be among the bottom five. And dishes, which is ironic, because that's where we got ours.

However, such is life.

May I take a moment to applaud Cabela's for a wonderfully done cover page? I told Darren I wanted that puppy, but I couldn't find his order information anywhere in the catalog.

Just kidding. Sort of.

There were lots of nice shoes in the Cabela's Footwear and Clothing catalog.

I like these Ugg look-a-likes.

They had some nice slippers, too. I think these are for men, however.

But then...WHAT IS THAT??!!

Is that a boot? With a pocket??!!

Yes it is, my friends. Yes it is. Notice the pocket has a nice buckle over it, so you won't have to fear that your keys or driver's license or $20 will fall out. Just think of how practical this will be! Next time you go to the grocery store you won't even have to bring your purse. Just stick a fifty and your grocery list in your boot and pull it out as needed. It would be a "purse-boot." A "poot!"

I wonder what I would put in my poot. Perhaps an extra chapstick. You can never have enough of those. Or some candy, for when I get hungry. There are no limits to the things a poot can hold!

Well, as long as that thing is smaller than a deck of cards.

How exciting! How novel! I think I will order my poots today!

Or not.

Why I Love...

My cowgirl shoes. In ten reasons or less.

Scratch that. In ten reasons or more. I might have trouble limiting myself.

1. They're peep-toe. Duh.
2. They have a stacked heel.
3. They look like they have cow hair on them.
4. But it feels like horse hair.
5. Hence, cowgirl.
6. The inside side of the shoe is a cutout.
7. They make my feet happy.
8. I generally find the more off-the-wall the shoe is, the better I like it.
9. And the less likely you will have it.
10. They were 40% off.
11. They have awesome stitching.
12. Shoes with names like "cowgirl" or "crocodile" or "Mary Janes" or "Red Friday pumps" or "hooker boots" or "the devil's footwear" (and yes, I actually own shoes by those names) are infinitely better than shoes like "flats" and "heels."
13. And finally, what's not to love?


P.S. If you look very closely you can see my flip-flop tan lines. Awesome.

a wedding dress photo op

This post is dedicated to my dear friend who recently got engaged and will soon experience the joy (and pain) of wedding dress shopping. Congratulations, Laura!

Wedding dress shopping.

What an adventure.

I went wedding dress shopping in April, nine months before my January wedding. It was a little early, I admit, but I would soon be stuck in the wilds of northern Minnesota, and any trip to a wedding boutique would be at least 45 minutes. The nearest David's Bridal was two and a half hours. I didn't want to wait until the fall when I'd be back in the cities, so I decided to get my dress in the spring before I went home for the summer. Plus, let's face the music, I was really excited.

I sort of had an idea of what I wanted, but to start I grabbed a bunch of random dresses to try on.

Dress numero uno.

The back reminded me of a tuxedo. And I didn't like the see-through lace all the way up and down the train.

And the front...

It definitely pulled off that hourglass shape. Or maybe that was due to the crazy undergarments I was wearing.


Not a winner. The back reminded me of a beetle.

This is actually the dress one of my friends wore at her wedding several years ago. I didn't know it at the time, but I saw pictures later and was like, "HEY! I tried that dress on!" It had buttons all the way down the back and it was very pretty, but not for me.

Check out this one:

I think it's safe to say Alaina and mermaid style do not do well together.

Falling-off dress.

The above dress was actually worn by another friend at her wedding, but it was after this. Her wedding was that following August and when I saw her in her dress I just knew I had tried that one on. When she got closer I could tell for sure. Yep, same dress. Kind of ironic that out of the 10 or so dresses I tried on, two were worn by other people I know in their weddings.

This one was too floaty.

And this one was my favorite.

I loved the ties in the back.

And the flouncy skirt.

I loved the whole thing.

But, it was not the dress I bought that day.

It was about this time my mother talked me into trying a dress with a halter strap.

Halter strap: take one.

That would be a no-go.

A very, very, definite no-go.

You can't tell from this picture, but this dress actually had giant white rose blossoms stuck all over the back. Mercy, were there ever rose balls on that dress.

Halter strap: take two.

A critical eye on the dress. My mom, aunt, and sister, who were with me, LOVED this dress.

The back. I did love the lace.

Trying to decide.

It was a winner in the end. My mom and aunt said I might someday regret getting a dress that was so "modern." Which may very well be true. Sometimes I wish I would have purchased my first choice. Other times I don't mind so much. But in the end, I did love my dress on my wedding day, and I guess that's what is most important.

So, Laura, my wedding dress shopping advice? Try on as many dresses as you want and don't let anyone talk you into anything you don't want. It's your day. I wish you all the best in your wedding dress shopping excursions. Love you lots!

Why I Love...

Pearls.

I'm having an affair with my pearls. Shhhh...no one tell my husband.

I love pearls so much. They're so versatile. I can wear them with anything.

Anything, I tell you. I wear them with jeans and I wear them with dresses. I was going to wear them for my wedding but they didn't go well with my halter straps. However, I did buy a new necklace for the wedding with a swirly-diamond thing and it had drop pearls. But, moving on.

I got this wonderful pearl necklace from my husband for my 21st birthday. It's Mikimoto which is, according to the saleswoman, the Wedgewood of pearls.

If you don't know what Wedgewood is...Mikimoto is the Tiger Woods of pearls. And for heaven's sake go here and educate yourself!

It's a crime to not know Wedgewood. But that's another post for another time. My goodness, am I ever distracted today.

Pearls. Focus.

The cute clasp on my pearl necklace. And I should have removed it from the box so you couldn't see the snaps holding it down. But oh well.

My pearl and diamond earrings. I bought these for myself on Valentine's Day in 2006. Yes, it's a little sad. But if no one was going to buy me flowers or chocolate I was going to buy myself some jewelry, dang it. And I never regretted it. I love these earrings.

That's the extent of my real pearls. I do have several fake ones as well, including this amazing ring.

I love how huge and eye-catching it is. Besides the ring I have three or four sets of fake pearl earrings, ranging in size from the head of a pin to the nail on my pinkie finger. I love those huge ones.

Did you ever watch Pepper Dennis? It was only on TV for about four episodes in fall 2005 before it was cut. Well, Pepper Dennis had big pearl earrings. I went out and bought some right after that episode. I think it's safe to say Pepper Dennis inspired my love for pearls.

I've never been one for a lot of diamonds. I have my engagement ring and wedding bands, of course, and a pair of swirly diamond-and-some-kind-of-black-stone-earrings Darren gave me for Christmas, but other than that, nada.

Correction: I did own a diamond bracelet my mother gave me for Christmas and a pair of diamond earrings she gave me on a different Christmas, but they were stolen.

And even though they caught the woman and she was in jail for a while, I somehow never received my jewelry nor did I ever receive restitution, despite a trial, mounds of paperwork, and months of waiting. So much for the Roseville PD. Someday I will write a post about my room being ransacked and my things being stolen and my frequent calls to the police department. But not today. Today I am writing about pearls.

Did I mention I love pearls? No? I love pearls.

She Coulda Been My Twin

People used to say we looked like twins.

I guess I can see that.

My sister Alexis and I are only 19 months apart in age. (My brother and sister are only 15 months; yes, my mother was a brave soul.)

We did everything together growing up. We were completely and totally addicted to Barbies. We made up songs and dances and had our mother videotape them. We learned how to Rollerblade down my grandparents driveway. We created games to play on our trampoline. But as much as we looked and acted alike, we definitely did not appreciate being dressed like twins. Something our poor mother never understood, even from the get-go.

My sister is one month old in this picture. We already have matching outfits on.

The next Christmas...

And the Christmas after that. Lest you start to think we only were dressed alike at Christmas, take a gander at this...

Okay, so the hats are kind of cute. And I did always love ruffles on my socks.

I'm not sure why Lex looks so scared in this picture. Maybe it's the fear she will forever be relegated my hand-me-downs, thus essentially owning two of every single outfit in her closet.

She had good reason to be afraid.

I went to a wedding this weekend and saw the children of a woman I went to school with. She has two adorable little girls and they were dressed in matching outfits. I thought "how cute!" and then the next day I found these pictures. Oh, the irony of life.

This was taken during our "dance class." Don't ask me about the crimped hair. What do you expect for 1993?




At our cousin's wedding last March. No, we didn't plan this.

My sister and me on my wedding day. In non-matching outfits.

a clothing oddity

I got some new clothes at Target the other day. Sometimes I hate buying clothes. I never know which size I need so I always grab two of everything and then I'm limited to only six items at a time in the fitting room. And four of them don't work. You can see how it takes a while for me to find clothes.

I got these two shirts. The white sweater was on clearance (yay!) and I really like the black button-down. Want to know something funny?



One is a large and the other is an extra-small.

And yes, they're both from the women's department.

Can you guess which is which?

Maybe it will help if I put them like this.

I bet you guessed the black shirt is the large and the white sweater is the extra-small.

You're WRONG.

Yes, it's true. The white sweater from the WOMEN'S DEPARTMENT is a large and the black button-up is an extra-small. I'd hate to see an extra-small sweater. What teeny-bopper would fit in that? It probably wouldn't fit a six year old. Maybe that's why it was on clearance.

new haircut

I love getting my hair cut. I love it when the stylist shampoo's my hair. I love it when she massages my scalp. I love it when she combs my hair. Pretty much I love it when anyone touches my head. I liked getting mandatory lice checks in elementary school, for crying out loud.

So I got my hair cut today after months and months of debate. I had my hair chopped short my freshman year of college and HATED it. I was skeptical about this cut but my hair was backing me into a corner. I may win occasional battles but it had definitely won the war. Here is my "before" picture.

My hair actually cooperated--it probably knew on some level it was going to die today--and I almost backed out of my hair appointment. But within 40 minutes it was as flat as normal and I wanted to chop it all off again.

After much internet research I gave up on figuring out my face shape and just picked out a cute short hairstyle. It looks nice.

It'll probably only be a week before it gets the better of me again.