Feeds:
Posts
Comments

The Red Shoes

Those who know me, know I have a thing for shoes.

My history with shoes has been a love/hate affair since I was really little.

Due to some foot problem that I can’t even recall the reason for now, my mother always took me to buy the ugliest brown shoes at the one nice shoe store in town. And I mean ugly. They were clonky and brown and plain. I hated them. If I didn’t think dire consequences would befall me if I hacked them into pieces, I would have destroyed every single pair of them. One Christmas program at school in particular sticks out in my mind. I had a beautiful new blue dress with lace trim and there I was on stage with those horrid brown shoes.

Sometime around the sixth grade either my problem went away or I refused to wear the brown shoes anymore, but my footwear selections began to look up. For my eighth grade graduation I remember getting a pair of three-inch high white wedge sandals. I thought I had hit the big-time.

For the next decade I fell in love with shoes. I had heels and boots, flats and sandals in fun colors and styles.

Then somewhere in my mid-twenties, arthritis set in an old foot injury with a vengeance and I gave up all my beautiful shoes. I took to wearing ugly support shoes in shades of black and brown. It was like a return to my childhood footwear nightmare. This went on for many years. I hated my shoes and I think they hated me right back.

One day I was browsing in a store and found a pair of shoes that practically screamed out to me to buy them. They were cute and sassy and fun, unlike anything I owned at that time. Surprisingly, they were comfortable and I had no problem wearing them.

Cute shoes reentered my world and I’ve been on a bit of a campaign to restock my closet with as many pairs as possible.

The latest addition was this pair of Red Rialtos.

red shoesThey practically jumped off the shelf and chased me around the store. Super comfortable and so cute and sassy, I absolutely love them (My shoes stay on my feet for about 12-hours a day so when I say they are comfortable, I mean they were comfortable all day!). The best part is, I just saw them on sale for only $14.99.

She Who Loves Cute Shoes

Wintery Tablescapes

Although I’m more than ready for spring to arrive, there is something about Winter Tablescapes that is altogether lovely.

anneliese_Bleached-Tablescape_01

Like these frosty pinecones from Kirtsy.

Love the white snapdragons with the white twigs from Stone Garden.

Love the white snapdragons with the white twigs from Stone Garden.

 

This design from DigsDigs is beautiful. The white on white tones are awesome, especially with the silver accents.

This design from DigsDigs is beautiful. The white on white tones are awesome, especially with the silver accents.

This table from Rachel A. Clingen Wedding Design is lovely, although there aren't enough layers of thermal to get me to sit outside and dine.

This table from Rachel A. Clingen Wedding Design is lovely, although there aren’t enough layers of thermal to get me to sit outside and dine.

She Who Will Not Be Having A White Out

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wardrobe Editing

I came across this chart on Pinterest   from Modern Eve and knew I had to share it.

Wardrobe-Editing-Decision-Tree

How many of us hang onto clothes we knew deep in our hearts we are never, ever going to wear again?

Or we wear clothes that we really shouldn’t?

This chart is a provides a nice, easy step-by-step guide about which clothes to keep and which ones to purge from your closet.

Yes, I know many of us are hiding under bulky sweaters since it is possibly we ate one too many Christmas cookies, but now is a great time to clean out those closets. Follow this chart, clean out your closet and start the year organized and ready to take on the world!

She Who Really Needs to Clean Her Closet

Chunky Potato Salad

potato salad finished

After  months of pumpkin, caramel and apple flavors followed by the traditional holiday fare, we were ready for a taste of summer the other day. So I whipped up some chunky potato salad.

It tasted divine – or as divine as potato salad can taste.

Ranch dressing and pickle juice give this chunky mixture it’s subtle flavoring. Whip up a batch and see if you don’t get rave reviews. When taken to a potluck gathering, the bowl usually comes back empty.

Ingredients

Ingredients

Boil the eggs

Boil the eggs

and the potatoes.

and the potatoes.

Once the eggs are cooked and cooled, remove yolks.

Once the eggs are cooked and cooled, remove yolks.

Then smash them into oblivion.

Then smash them into oblivion.

Chop the egg whites and pickles then add to cooked, drained and cooled potatoes.

Chop the egg whites and pickles then add to cooked, drained and cooled potatoes.

Spoon the dressing, made from the smashed yolks, over the top of the chunky mixture. Blend well.

Spoon the dressing, made from the smashed yolks, over the top of the chunky mixture. Blend well.

Top with paprika and parsley then dig in!

Top with paprika and parsley then dig in!

Chunky Potato Salad

6 medium to large red potatoes

6 eggs

1/2 cup chopped dill pickles

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/3 cup ranch dressing

2 tbsp. pickle juice

salt and pepper to taste

paprika

parsley flakes

Boil eggs until hard-boiled then cool.

Cut potatoes into bite-sized chunks, leaving on skin if possible. Boil until fork tender but still firm. Rinse, drain and cool.

Slice pickles into bite-sized chunks then add to potatoes.

When eggs are cool, remove yolks and set aside. Cut cooked egg whites into chunky pieces and add to potatoes. Smash egg yolks until no longer crumbly and add mayo, pickle juice and ranch dressing. Do not, under any circumstances, substitute salad dressing for mayonnaise. You will be taken out in the streets and flogged. When your egg yolk mix is nice and creamy, stir it into the chunky mixture, coating thoroughly. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Top with a sprinkling of paprika and parsley flakes. If I had fresh parsley, I would have used sprigs of it rather than dried.

She Who Likes the Taste of Summer