Spring Fling: No Small Feat

Skirt: Amazon; Bag: Francesca's 

Hearts and Cherries Necklace

Top: So, Kohl's

Bag: LC Lauren Conrad, Kohl's; Skirt: Forever 21

Top: New York & Company

Shoes: Jessica Simpson Collection, DSW

Candy Gram Slam Necklace

Top: So, Kohl's

Shoes: Zulily; Socks: Amazon

Jacket: Candie's, Kohl's

Bag: Dolls Kill

Spring is the best.  There are few things more uplifting than seeing the first daffodil after the snow or the first day you realize that you can wear short sleeves and sandals.  They're magical, those firsts, because they mean that the world's waking up.  But the thing about that is that sometimes waking up's hard to do.

Every spring, I drag my feet about giving myself a pedicure.  I put it off as long as I can, covering my unsightly toes in flats or cowboy boots on those rare days when I venture out to run errands.  Maybe you're thinking, come on, your feet can't be that bad.  But they are.  I've been wearing heels for more than twenty-five years, and all that abuse takes a toll.  That said, the thing that puts a stop to my procrastination is my annual dermatologist visit.  If I don't want to look at my untamed tootsies, then I certainly don't want my doc looking at them, because really, isn't her job hard enough?  So soon it'll be pumice and polish time, my cuticles camouflaged by a thick coat of crimson, a.k.a. Cherries in the Snow.  And once I'm done, I'll think not too bad, and wonder what all the fuss was about.

So thanks, Revlon, for taking the bummer -- if not the bunions -- out of summer.

One Bright Sprite and the Three Stars of Rainbow: Night Skies, Equines, and Alt Rock

Sweatshirt: Forever 21;  Coat: Jou Jou, Macy's

Skirt: Tinseltown, Macy's; Bag: Betsey Johnson, Macy's

Paint Party Necklace; Black and white necklace: Mixit, JCPenney

Sweater: Gap; Coat: IZ Buyer, Kohl's; Bag: Betsey Johnson, Amazon; Boots: Betsey Johnson, Macy's

Pink Piano Barrettes

Yellow bangles: B Fabulous; Strawberry bangle: Delia's

Coat: Wild Fable, Target; Bag: Worthington, JCPenney; Shoes: Mix No. 6, DSW

Mystery Necklace: Ready, set, solve!

Jeans: Simply Vera, Kohl's; Tee: Modern Lux, Target

One bright sprite -- that's me.  Because if I can't be Rainbow -- Brite, that is -- then I might as well be her sidekick.  Or, you know, a citrus soft drink.  

Sadly, none of my actual sprites from the '80s survived (I wasn't always the dedicated hoarder that I am today), so all I have is this Hallmark Itty Bitty from the 2010s:  

Maybe I should ask the heavens -- and also, ironically, RB's steed Starlite -- to send some my way: 

"Star light, star bright/First star I see tonight/I wish I may, I wish I might/Have this wish I wish tonight."  

If that doesn't work, then I'll crank up the Muse.

Make Like a Tree and Leave: Going Places

Bag: Amerileather, Zulily

Shoes: First Love by Penney Loves Kenny, JCPenney

Dress: LC Lauren Conrad, Kohl's

Fabulous Felt Blue Roses Barrette

Fabulous Felt Orange Roses Barrette

Flip Flops: Katy Perry Collection

Top: Nine West, Kohl's

Bag: Zulily; Rings: Seahorse Designs, Etsy; Necklace: The Tote Trove; Sunglasses: Brigantine Beach shop; Hair clip: Goody, Target; Beaded bracelets: So, Kohl's; Yellow bangle: Silver Linings, Ocean City; Orange bangle: Mixit, JCPenney; Lime bracelet: Cloud Nine, Ocean City

Top: LC Lauren Conrad, Kohl's

Necklace: Candie's, Kohl's

Red bangle: Decree, JCPenney; Purple bangle: Claire's; Coral bangle: Silver Linings, Ocean City; Rings: Mixit, JCPenney; Skirt: Amazon; Bag: XOXO, ROSS

Skirt: Marshalls

Fabulous Felt Cute Fruit Barrette

Top: So, Kohl's

Wristlet: City Streets, JCPenney; Heart ring: Delia's; Rainbow ring: Wet Seal; Necklace: The Tote Trove; Sunglasses: So, Kohl's; Red and green bangles: B Fabulous

Skirt: Mossimo, Target

Print top: Mudd, Kohl's

Mint flower clip: Forever 21; Yellow flower clip: Capelli, ULTA; Yellow bangle: Mixit, JCPenney; Bag: Candie's, Kohl's; Mint bangle: Decree, JCPenney; Sunglasses: Mudd, Kohl's; Coral flower clip: Kohl's; Necklace: Gifted; Turquoise ring: Francesca's; Gold ring: Mixit, JCPenney

Sandals: Bongo, Sears

Shrek always says better out than in, and maybe sometimes he's right.  Even if he is referring to farting instead of leaving the perimeter of one's yard.  That said, I wore the outfits in this post to actual places, as evidenced by my mostly flat footwear.  This is where I went, in order of outfit appearance:

- Parents' house for my dad's birthday

- Gynecologist 

- Dentist (That's why I'm not wearing my usual lipstick, red mouths being frowned upon by the chisel wielders.  Going without it felt weird, ranking this outing below the one to the gyno.  Because although I donned a mask for my stint in the stirrups, I wore my Cherries in the Snow underneath, making the ordeal (slightly) more bearable.)

- Post office

- Bank

Obviously, the highlight was my dad's birthday.  Here's a shot of the presents I wrapped:

And one of my mom's colorful, pre-dinner snacks:

On the craft front, I took these two rose barrettes (well, not these barrettes, as the ones I wear are always dandruff-dusted doppelgangers of the ones I sell), out of The Tote Trove vault.  Which is a fancy way of saying that I reactivated them in my Etsy shop.  I thought, if they're good enough for me to wear, then they might be good enough for someone else.  Because nothing says happy birthday, father quite like fabulous felt.  

And finally, I may be the one going places, but my trees are the ones going rogue.  The husband thinks that the palm tree-looking one (actually an oak) in the first pic is the work of seed-spitting squirrels.  And then there's the one in the last pic, extending octopus-like over our hedge.  

When I asked if that was also thanks to the squirrels, the husband deadpanned, "No, the raccoons." 

Memorial Day Mandate: Put Your Best Foot Forward

Dress: ELLE, Kohl's

Bag: XOXO, ROSS; Sunglasses: Wild Fable, Target; Yellow and red bangles: B Fabulous; Rainbow necklace: Cloud Nine, Ocean City; Red and yellow necklaces: Wet Seal; Rainbow bangle: Nimia's Boutique; Bow barrette: Carole, JCPenney

 

Fruit barrette: Whimsies, Craft Fair; Red and white barrette: B Fabulous 

Red top: Lily Rose, Kohl's; Yellow top: Forever 21

Bag: Delia's, Dolls Kill; Bangle: Mixit, JCPenney; Necklace: The Tote Trove; Ring: Francesca's; Sunglasses: Amazon

Fabulous Felt Yellow Folk Flowers Barrette

Top: So, Kohl's

Flowers: Michaels; Ribbon: Craft drawer

Headband: Lady Arya, Zulily; Bag: Macy's Backstage: Sunglasses: Amazon; Strawberry Necklace: Betsey Johnson, Macy's; Flag necklace: Michaels; Ring: Wet Seal; Blue bangle: So, Kohl's

Dress: Lily Rose, Kohl's

Bag: Amerileather, Zulily; Bangle: Burlington Coat Factory; Bracelet: Cloud Nine, Ocean City; Bow: Hobby Lobby; Ring: Betsey Johnson, Amazon; Sunglasses: Rampage, Boscov's

Red White and Chew Necklace

Can you believe it's Memorial Day again?!  It feels like I was just taking down my Christmas decorations.  Of course, that's because I was.  We had a lone holiday wreath on the window until very recently.  A bird had built a nest in it and the husband, good soul that he is, didn't want to disturb it.  But then the nest emptied, the husband took the wreath down, and we put it all behind us (and also in the trash; after six months on the roof, that wreath was rank).  Which meant that we were more than ready to chow down on hot dogs and hamburgers at my parents'.  

I wore the first outfit, it being the most festive but also family friendly.  And I couldn't help but think that it was my rainbow wedges' first trip outside my yard.  I got them two years ago despite the section under the toes being made of canvas.  I usually shy away from fabrics and suedes in that area, as they tend to get smudged with what I'll delicately refer to as foot residue.  But then, below the ankle hygiene has always been important to me.  When my sister and I were little, my mom often sang, "Marguerite, go wash your feet, the Board of Health's across the street!"  Not because our feet were particularly dirty, but because she was that kind of mom.  To her credit, we never had to go to the emergency room, let alone the Board of Health.   

Shoes: Impo, DSW

Anyway, when the husband and I returned home, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that my piggies had left only the faintest of marks.  It was nothing that a little soap and water couldn't fix, but as I scrubbed, I thought, look what this pandemic's done to me.  There I was, all atwitter at having to expose my precious shoes to the world. 

If there's a lesson here, then I'm not sure what it is.  Don't be afraid to get your feet dirty?  The promise of pie is worth wardrobe risk?  If you love your shoes, then set them free, and if they're meant to be yours, then they'll stay blemish free?

I don't know, and maybe I never will.  Only one thing's for certain, and that thing is this:

I'm not putting up outdoor wreaths next Christmas.