Shoe News, New Shoes

So since I last posted about shoes, I have cut down a lot on my usage of uncomfortable shoes. But I've discovered a few things, like if you wear shoes in your size they don't hurt as bad, and if you have wide feet look for shoes that have ample room in the toe box your toes don't deform when wearing them. It's amazing how getting shoes that fit your foot help. The good news is that my shoe collection is still getting use, though I have had to cut out the use of a few pairs entirely. The bad news is that I have not yet lifted the self-inflicted shoe buying moratorium.

Except for the lovelies you see above. 

This is exactly how it went down, and in no way is embellished or exaggerated. Names have NOT been changed to protect the innocent because I'm the only innocent one in this story, and you already know it's about me. 

TC and I were browsing at the Nordstrom Rack, I with no intention of purchasing anything, especially shoes, TC with every intention of thwarting my efforts at thrift. TC evilly pointed out every evilly adorable shoe he saw, while I innocently and fervently tried to ward off his evilly evil advances. TC saw these Naughty Monkeys and pulled them off the shelf. 

I gasped at the sight of their snake skin leather. I fawned over the chains on the toe of the shoe.  How could I resist them? I could hardly. But I persisted in resisting. Until the other shoes on the rack began to taunt me, "Nah nah nah nah nah naaaahhhh. You can't resist us." 

Alas, the shoes in my brief hallucination were correct; all attempts at resistance were futile. And with the husband jeering and doing all things that might make it impossible for me to forbear (like saying, "These are kind of cute. You should try them on."), I caved and tried them on. 

And once they were on, it was like a choir of angelfish was singing and I could do nothing but walk directly to the back counter (to get the mate of course), then walk directly to the front counter (to pay of course), and walk directly to the car, then realize that I left my husband inside the store. 

So you can clearly see that all this purchasing happened against my will, can you not?

Against my free will or no, these shoes are surprisingly comfy. I wouldn't run a marathon in them (but then again I probably wouldn't run a marathon in any shoes, at all, ever), but they are good for a few hours at a time. And, most importantly, they are adorable and make me squeal like a little schoolgirl every time I see them.

Update: TC has been forgiven for his evil-doing. For now.

Crafty McQuiltington

Long ago (in May), in a galaxy far away (at the Sandy Expo Center), there was a quilt show that TC and I attended. I have never quilted anything in my life (I think I've tied a few quilts, like with yarn, but that's the extent of my experience), but I thought that seeing artistic creations would be a good way to get me excited, plus a good friend of ours invited us.

So we went. And yes, TC was nearly the only man there. And yes, most of the men in attendance hung around the food court looking bored to tears. 

But there was a lot of beauty to be seen. 

Like this lovely:

An easter quilt. I am amazed at how non-tacky this quilt is. It seems like so many Easter themed arts and crafts are kind of tacky. That's just my opinion though.

Americana. The flag actually has 50 stars. So detailed.

This bird quilt really caught my eye.

Too bad it's out of focus, but I do have a close up of one of the birds.

And then there were the quilts that looked like paintings. The detail was astounding.

Personally, I love this mustard quilt the best. The color is fantastic, and the stitching is so intricate. 

Lastly, I want to show you a quilt that only a true believe, a true fan, one completely devoted to the cause would make.

I think that regardless of your political persuasion, you can appreciate the dedication of the creator of this quilt. 

New Menu.

Remember back in late December/early January when I had high hopes and grand dreams? Remember when I planned a dinner menu each week and actually shopped for and prepared the meals that were listed on the menu? Remember when I stopped in April due to sheer laziness? Remember how TC and I have been subsisting on strawberry banana smoothies and grilled cheese sandwiches?

Yeah. Those were good times. 

In order to curb my laziness I decided that I would make a new dinner menu and begin planning meals again. Summer is such a glorious time for fruits and vegetable. I must, MUST take advantage of this. 

So here is my newest menu:

And, here it is for download.

This week's menu includes cantaloupe, nectarines, chicken, potato salad, and steak. I make no promises, but I will try ever so hard to keep you all apprised of how it goes this week.

Fashion Forward Friday

Alpargatas!

You're probably thinking: what are zeez sings called alpargatas.

Well, thees is what dey are:

They are also called espadrilles, but in our house they are always called alpargatas.

You may be familiar with this style because of Toms Shoes.

Cute, yes, but an imitation of an age old classic. An exact replica in which Dear Tom doesn't even attempt to give credit where credit is due*. He doesn't even call them alpargatas, or really espadrilles! The horror, right?


You see, Argentines have been wearing alpargatas for ages. AGES! And so have other cultures, but I prefer to give credit to the Argentines.

A modern Argentine (SIL2) wearing alpargatas. She moonlights as a horse whisperer.

They are an Argentine staple. And I was introduced by my in-laws many years ago.

Me and the in-laws. See me, in the black sweater and black skirt and burgundy alpargatas? This was all the way back in 2007! In all honesty I've been wearing them since 2000, but have no photographic proof of such.

And here I am again in turquoise alpargatas.


Thanks to Toms and other companies, the alpargata, or espadrille, has become more popular in the United States with even celebrities showing their love for alpargatas/espadrilles/Toms.



* In all honesty the Toms Shoe mission is noble and honest. But this is not meant as an advertisement, rather as an information item for your consideration. There are other sources of this style of shoe, one directly from Argentina at La Querencia, however I have never shopped at this place and do not endorse it. In fact, I would suggest exercising caution when doing business online with any foreign company. That caveat aside, love the alpargata! Do it! I dare you not to.

The Greatest Invention Yet

This video made me laugh pretty hard. So have a Thursday funny.

Fashion Forward Friday

Denim on denim on denim.

Did you know that denim on denim is a trend right now? (me neither)

Well, it is, okay? And I was so ahead of the curve on this one. Like 15 years ahead of the curve.

Take a look-see:

Umm, yes that's me on the right rocking the frumpy jeans and oversized jean jacket, PLUS Quiksilver baseball cap. Hello! That's coolness right there, just in case you are unfamiliar. COOLNESS.

Just in case you care, but I'm not saying you should, but that's my sister KL on the left, and my dad in the middle. I know, who cares right, since they're not all super fashion forward and not wearing denim with more denim.

And the living is easy

So kiddos, it's summer. Okay, so not technically. But, the days are getting longer, the flowers are blooming, summer thunderstorms roll through, it's warm (sometimes)... all these things indicate summer to me. Plus, having to keep myself better *ahem* groomed so I can wear shorts (I'm talking knee length people) has worked its way into my life.

So with longer days and warmer weather what are my goals? Where is my focus? Why am I even blogging about this?

I have the following goals for the next three months:

1. Stop working. 
2. Start sewing again. I haven't touched my machine in two months now, and that makes me sad. Every once in a while I have an intimate moment with my fabric and patterns, hoping to rekindle my sewing mojo, but it seems to be on a hiatus. And what a shame too because my closet is pretty roomy since I cleared out my winter clothes. Here are the items I will work on once I recover from my laryngitis of mojo:
• Bright orange skirt with a bow waist.
• Jacket with cute sleeves in a fuchsia cotton with a white with fuchsia paisley cotton print for a lining. FUN!
• Shirt dress in a super cute cotton fabric that remains as of yet TBD. 
• Finish the shorts that I started two years ago.
3. Take pictures. Of stuff. Doesn't matter really what. Just stuff. Pretty pictures. Of pretty stuff. Yeah.
4. Go to the frigging zoo. I have no idea why I want to do this so badly, but I do. Okay? Okay? (Can you sense my hostile tone here? I also don't know why I'm being hostile about this.) 
5. Spend lots of time with the Huz. Cuz he's cool. Frigging cool. It's crazy how cool that man is. Seriously. 

So my goals aren't really earth-shattering. But I share them with you because you're my friends. And because I like lists, and summer, and typing. So there you go.

Dear neighbor,

Dear neighbor making cookies,

I have my window open to let in the afternoon breeze, and apparently so do you because I can smell the cookies you are baking. They smell delicious and give me the urge to bake. However, I will not bake cookies because I have been eating out of control all week and need to get a handle on things and having several dozen cookies in the house is not going to help things. So no cookies for me. And no baking for me. But, thank you neighbor for sharing your yummy cookie scent. And thanks for reminding me to eat better today. You're the best.

love, Gordita

Fashion Forward Friday

Flannel!

Remember the 1990s? The early 1990s when flannel was huge? Remember when grunge was cool? And Nirvana ruled?

No?

Really?

Ummm, am I the only one old enough to remember that?

Well color me embarrassed, and a bit old.

So this photo is circa 1994. At the tender age of 15, I am sulking, and next to me is my dad, who is not sulking. Back then, sulking was also considered cool. I promise. And obviously my dad was not cool enough to sulk.

The fantastic fashion forward friday combo for my fabulous friends: flannel, denim and Vans. So classic it makes me want to sulk.

A finished project for you to ogle

Once upon a time, I finished a project. And now, months later I'm finally ready to blog about it. YAY!

The pattern was New Look 6808 (found here: http://www.simplicity.com/p-2482-misses-tops.aspx), view C. The fabric was an ivory stretch cotton sateen from www.fabric.com. Together, they made this:

I'm not really annoyed, I promise.


And a close up of the bow detail.

Overall, I love this pattern, and I love wearing this top. It makes me feel adorable. If I were to make it again, I would franken-shirt it, using sleeves from a different top because the sleeves here gape. Minor annoyance.

More on the alphabet

No fashion forward Friday for you today. I know how disappointed you all are. I am too. But I'm a little under the weather and need some rest. Plus, I have so few pictures that I'll run out of material in a few weeks if I keep up this pace. And I really enjoy dragging things out, like this explanation for not having a fashion forward photo for you today.

So instead, I will show you the last of the alphabet pictures. Because they make me happy.

Puppies! Love sick puppies. So cute it's sickening. Or maybe that's the raging virus in my bloodstream. Ha.




The quail you already saw because I could resist bragging about my ability to draw.




Silly wabbit. Carrots are for cakes.




Anytime a seal wears a turtleneck I am more than pleased.




Happy extinct animals make me happy.




Mythical creatures with purple hair also make me happy.




Do you have any idea how hard it is to find an animal that starts with V? It's hard. Trust me. TRUST me.




And seriously, what's better than rugby playing wombats? I don't know that there really is anything. At. All.




X is another one of those letters that nothing starts with. And this is a drawing that really looks nothing like an actual x-ray fish. But, you know, whatevs.




Yaks are ugly creatures, but, it's the only animal I could find a somewhat cute illustration of that starts with the letter Y.




A zebra who is unsure of something, or perhaps is asking himself, "What are these people doing and why do I have a checkered tail?"

Injury prone

I have several current injuries to tell you about:

1. My right thumbnail is torn pretty deep. I keep a band-aid on it constantly to make sure the rest of the nail doesn't snag on anything and rip off prematurely. I injured myself when moving a garbage can approximately three feet. I picked it up, it slipped, and my nail ripped.
2. My left index finger has an inflamed hang nail. I don't know how or why this happened. So I have a band-aid on it to keep it clean.
3. My right ring finger was injured yesterday in a freak accident involving a 2" binder. I was moving it from one shelf to another, and SHAZAM, some random metal piece of the binder sliced a little V shaped hole in my finger tip. So I've got a band-aid on that, just to keep it clean, and because it hurts.
4. My left third and fourth knuckles have little burn marks. I burned them getting toast out of the toaster on Friday, and the burns are still bothering me. They are not bandaged because knuckles are impossible to bandage.
5. I have random bruises on my legs right now, and really just in general. I think I must bump into furniture without noticing. Or I notice, but then I forget by the time a bruise shows up.

If you look at my hands, I look like a mess. Maybe the rest of me looks like a mess too. I don't know. But my hands for sure. Why am I constantly injuring myself? I don't understand it. Am I clumsy? Careless? Subconsciously sabotaging myself due to a deep seated self hatred? Making excuses for an abusive family member, like "Oh this black eye? Yeah, uhhh, I fell down the stairs."

Looking back on my most recent "serious" injuries, they have all resulted in some traumatic bandaging. I sprained my ankle two years ago and had to wear a conspicuous brace, which was white and contrasted sharply with the black tights/pantyhose I typically wear to work. I fell off my bike and scraped up my hands and wrists, which had to be bandaged with white gauze that TC so lovingly wrapped me up in every morning. I had some warts removed (gross I know) last summer, and had to have my foot wrapped up in ace bandages for over a month. Showering during all of these times was tricky (except for the sprained ankle) and involved some form of plastic wrap.

Sigh. Things could be worse, I know. But, when my injuries are self-inflicted, I start to think, "Hey, Gordita. Stop hurting yourself." You know what I mean?