The reason boot cut jeans exist.

Last summer I went to the Adirondacks.  While there, my sister comes out in the most amazing boots.  I may or may not have drooled.  They were worn and rugged and cool.  She wears them when she goes horseback riding which made them even cooler.

I wore them one afternoon when I rode a horse for the first time in about 30 years.  This was to get over my fear of horses.... besides the point.
I believe those worn, rugged and cool boots gave me confidence.  I spent a lot of time looking down at my feet... even on top of that horse... bareback.

"What kind of boots are these?"
"Those are Frye boots".
"What?"
"Frye.  It's the brand."

The day I get back from NY I search online.  Where do I get these Frye boots??  What are these Frye boots??  Well, they're $218 is what they are and I've never spent more than $49.99 on footwear (except my running shoes which I no longer run in).

"They never go on sale", I'm told.

I'm bound and determined to get these boots.... someday.

Well, today is that day, folks!

I found them on Amazon.com for a lot less so I snatched them up and did another thing I never do... I charged those bad boys... because they're worth it and gosh darn it, so am I.

Hell mutha effin' yeah.

A trip to Ikea puts a smile on my face

I love Ikea.  I love it too much.  I loved it $400 worth yesterday.

Friday I went with the intent to buy one thing.  A new dresser for $279.  I bought the dresser, sheets, a throw pillow cover, a throw pillow, two sets of curtains and a lamp shade.

I was all gung-ho to put the dresser together but it comes in two big ol' boxes that are too heavy to lift alone (if "he" were around...anyway).  The little platform cart thingy that is for community use at my condo has been MIA all day.  The dolly has a flat tire.  I can't lift the boxes out of my truck into a grocery cart.  My plan was to kinda slide it and let it plop onto the flatbed thingy.  Then kinda slide it and let it plop onto the floor where I could commense assembly.

Hopefully tomorrow I scrouge up a friend that was also MIA all day to help me.  if I can't I plan on bringing it up board by board.  Seriously.

Really, when you think of it, that's a lot of stuff for $400.  That's what's helping me sleep at night.

Moving at a stand still

It's been really difficult to get going with all the Christmas stuff I have to do. I haven't put up my tree and at this point I won't because I'll just be taking it right back down again in three weeks.
I'm not making my own Christmas cards this year. I guess that's about right; I've been averaging a homemade card about every other year. Still, I have to get out there and buy some so they get in the mail before Christmas!
I haven't done any shopping. I have a list and ideas but no motivation to do it. However, I'm going to knock out three or four gifts tonight on a trip out. That leaves eight or ten gifts to still buy.
Then there's the whole wrapping thing. I'm fine once I get started. It's the digging everything out and putting it all away... and the folding and the taping and the ribbon tying and the tag writing...
I better get out there before I put on the yoga pants and curl up with my knitting needles with a cup of hot cocoa.

Mama needs a new pair of shoes

So I bought four.

I needed shoes for work.

At my last job I wore jeans and tennies most days. While I can wear jeans everyday at my new job, I feel I shouldn’t wear tennies quite yet. I got all for less than $60 - booyah!

Shopping on an empty stomach with PMS

I went grocery shopping last night at about 9:30. Not the best time but it's not busy and I can whip through the isles with ease.

The problem is that I had an empty stomach and had all kinds of random cravings.

So I started in the produce section. Avacados. Ohhhh wouldn't guacamole be good? Bought a tomato then needed corn chips.

Ohhh what about a ham, cheese and egg bagle? Bought ham, eggs and bagles. Had cheese. Ohhh what about grilled cheese with bacon? Bought bacon.

Cocoa Pebbles sound good and what about Pop Tarts? Oh, wait how about this idea I saw while staying up late one night watching an infomercial for the Magic Bullet. Whipping cream + chocolate sauce = chocolate mousse.

Two bags of garbage later I got home and all I had to eat was some cinnamon and sugar toast.

Long holiday weekend

This holiday weekend was a busy one.

Thursday was spent at my brothers waiting for dinner. He was almost two hours late in serving. Then onto my dad's for dessert. My favorite - pumpkin apricot cake with cream cheese frosting!

Friday was spent shopping... six hours of shopping. I usually go with my sister but she was in Europe this past week (lucky!). I went with a friend and her two kids. The 15 month old wasn't having any of the shopping business but she did well overall. I got a couple gifts purchased and a couple things for myself... of course.

Saturday I met an old friend for lunch and we ended up hanging out all day. We went on all the rides at Nickelodeon Universe. I've never been on any of the rides at the Mall of America so this was all new to me. I've always gone for the bars (way back when), the restaurants, the movie theater and some shopping. It was fun!

Unfortunately I got a cold somewhere around Thanksgiving morning and it hit me hard Sunday. I slept most of the day and then went to the airport to greet my sister - finally home from Paris and Barcelona.

Lovely weekend, thankyouverymuch.

My dad, my step mom and I went to the Ordway to watch about a dozen of the 30 opera auditions for the MN Opera. I enjoyed it more than I thought. Enough to want to see an opera now.

In May, I got my dad a gift certificate for a shave at Heime's. He finally used it on Saturday. It was fun to watch. But the handle bar mustaches that most of the staff wore was too much. One guy had something weird going on with his little goatee. I was distracted by it when he talked and couldn't possibly take him seriously. What does he do when he's on his own time wearing a Nike running suit to Target? Does he wax up the ol' goat and hold his head high as he browses the TP isle?

My dad was browsing around the shop while we were waiting for his appointment and some shoe salesman latched on to us. He went on and on about this shoe and that shoe. My dad showed no interest but the guy wasn't going to let up. The salesman went on and on about the way this shoe was made and he's been selling these for 18 years and those are only made in such and such, blah, blah, blah. He finally said, "I sold two pair of those yesterday". My dad turns to him and as he walked away said, "congratulations". Is that the best or what?!

Later we had a lunch I would kill to eat again. We went to the St. Paul Grill and I had "The Grill" Charlie's.

Two Grilled Medallions of Beef Tenderloin on Fresh Potato Rolls topped with Caramelized Onions and Horseradish Mayonnaise. Served with a Side of Béarnaise.

It was done so perfectly I whimpered with every delicious bite.


On Sunday, after much debate and trying to convince my friend's daughter NOT to do this, I caved. Cierra has been toying with the idea of coloring her hair black. Her beautiful brown highlighted hair. I tried talking her into dark, dark brown. "No, I want black". I told her once you go black, you never go back. "Black". So, I did it. It's drastic and makes her look an entirely different race (she's biracial- black/white). She just called me this afternoon to thank me again and tell me she loves it. Whew!

Let me tell you about Cierra. I met her when she was three months old. Her mom and I were just becoming friends our senior year of high school. I spent more days with Cierra and her mom than I did with my own family. I fell so deeply in love with this little girl it sometimes took my breath away. She has always been sweet and loving and funny and beautiful and she completely adored me. She is now 18 and an adult but still very much my baby girl. She fills my heart with so much love and I can't imagine my life before her or without her. Anyway, that's my Cierra. Cierra with the black hair.

Bah Humbug rant

I love Christmas, don't get me wrong, but there are some serious dip shits that come out of the wood work this time of year.

Yeah, the malls are busier and it's next to impossible to get anywhere because of all the traffic. But when you add all the people who don't normally leave their houses to the road, it causes more problems. They don't know how to merge, signal or accelerate. They don't know how to park or just move out of the (my) way.

The temporary sales people (or maybe they're permanent and just stupid) aren't helping with anything. C'mon! There is no reason it should take 3 minutes to ring up a pair of slippers for that lady while there is a line of 12 people staring at you!

It's the Christmas season and Bed, Bath and Body doesn't have jack on sale except the Yankee Candle scent of the month.

I want to scream and shriek "MY NOSE! IT'S BURING!!!" every time I go into Michael's and have to pass within 50 feet of those damn cinnamon scented pine cones.

How can there be absolutely no, none, nada, zilch silver switch plates left at Menards? And what is that funky smell when you walk in the door????


Ahhh, Christmas. The most wonderful time of the year!

Gotta lotta stuff done

This weekend was pretty constructive. First off, I was able to sleep in until 10:30 on Saturday! I watched a movie then I went to the library and did my homework. I went to Menards and priced medicine cabinets, light fixtures, bi fold doors and picked up a few more paint samples. I went to Target and bought.... stuff. Went to Marshall Fields and bought a cute little Tiffany lamp (and some Frango mints!). On the way home I got some Chinese take-out and watched another movie

Sunday I didn't make it to church - I'm okay with that since I've been really good on going for the past six weeks. I did a whole bunch of little home improvement things. I painted a plant table, tore down the border in the kitchen, cut and installed carpeting for the front closet, hung some pictures, touched up some paint, did a disastrous paint technique in the bathroom which I'll eventually fix. I did laundry and went for a walk. Then shower and watch Desperate Housewives and Grey's Anatomy.

Lovely weekend!