Shoe Love

Ever since the spring, every time I go into a DSW, I find these shoes, and I pet them. I think they're fabulous.



Unfortunately, they're also $300 (or at least they were - they may have made it down to $200 by now). Too rich for my blood. Surely by the time they are in my price range, there will be only size 9's or 6's left and so it will never be.

But last time I saw them a couple weeks ago, I tried them on and took a picture so I'd have something to remember them by. If I owned them, I would rock them like nobody's business this weekend. Cos, you know. It's 4th of July. Oh yeah, and they're Marc by Marc Jacobs, in case you're curious.

Instead I probably won't be rocking anything this weekend. Just sporting headphones to block out my rowdy neighbors and their firework popping. And reading. Just the kind of three-day weekend I'm craving right now. My new job is going well, but June's been a rather busy month, and I'm due for some quiet R&R. And some baking. Any requests?

First day of school

It's tomorrow! For me anyway.

All evening, I've been watching "The Big Band Years" on KERA (the Dallas-area PBS station). They'd compiled all this footage of performances by Glenn Miller and Benny Goodman and others playing some of my favorite old big band songs. It was what I imagined MTV would have looked like had it been around in the 30s and 40s.

Ages ago, I bought a double CD set of the Glenn Miller Orchestra's greatest hits and I still love listening to it. If you don't want to invest the money, you can always listen to KNCT, broadcast out of the Central Texas College campus in Killeen, Texas. On Sunday afternoons, they play nothing but great big band music from 12 to 6 pm (that's central time, y'all). I caught it once on a drive back from Austin and now listen to it on the interwebs when I can.

Assuming I ever get married, and it's to a man with lots o' money, I want a big band at my reception. It would be fabulous. They would play "Pennsylvania 6-5000" and "In the Mood" and "Chattanooga Choo Choo" and of course "Moonlight Serenade." And I would have forced the boy to take some dance lessons before-hand so we could tear up the dance floor. There'd also be lots of champagne involved. Gee, wouldn't that be swell?

Clearly I've got a thing for the 30s and 40s, as evidenced by my love for this music in addition to my obsession with any film starring Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire. But that's a whole other post. For now, enjoy Mr. Miller and his players!

C'est moi

Did you ever have one of these done when you were young?



I never did. At least not that I could recall. So when I was at the Dallas Arboretum in May to sign up to volunteer (an awesome gig, I should add -- I highly recommend it), and I saw a lady with a table set up selling her silhouette sketching services, I walked right up and put down my money. Only midway through did I realize it'd make an awesome Mother's Day gift.

I think I look like I'm 8 years old in that picture, rather than 28. I think that's exactly how my hair looked at that age too. And as her next client was rolled up in a stroller, I had no shame. Even grownups should have a silhouette done. Go do it.

Speaking of me, me, me, next we go to diaries. I got one of my final publishing job-related freebie goodies in the mail last week. I'm definitely gonna miss those.



My Keel's Simple Diary is white. I probably would have chosen blue or green, but receivers of freebies can't be choosers.

I've missed having a diary. My last one is dated to my college years. About a year ago, I pulled it out and found it to be the funniest thing I'd read in ages. Honestly, it's a riot. This one is a little more restrained. Some simple questions, thought-provoking prompts, and you're done. Just the simple continuity of it feels nice. I dig it.

Strange days

Such a strange strange month it's been. Don't you think? Or is it just me? It has been so tumultuous, full of goodbyes and hellos and big changes.


Photo by the amazing Pete Souza, The Official White House Photostream. (Yes I'm still obsessed with it.)

Aren't graduations fun? I love 'em. I didn't get to attend any this spring but I know plenty of people who did. I miss that ebb and flow of a school year. How September is the new beginning rather than January. New outfits, freshly sharpened pencils, go pick out a new Trapper Keeper with kittens on the cover. Vacation at the holidays, then back to school. Spring Break. Tests. And the end rolls around in May. School's out for summer (for ever).

Students follow this schedule. TV sorta does too. I wish I did sometimes. I wish summer had that lightness to it like it did when I was young. So I'm changing direction a bit. Trying something new. Leaving magazines for the time being and going back to that school environment. I hope I like it. And I hope this means I'll have more time for my blog, and keeping everyone up to date on the latest polar bear news and etsy favorites and all that nonsense. You'd like that, wouldn't you?

So give me a couple more weeks and I'll soon have my business sorted out. Fingers crossed.

By the way, did you know that there is this crazy abandoned mini-golf in a spaceship business right alongside I-35E just south of Dallas? It's at the exit for Italy, and it is superfun to take pictures inside of. Case in point.



Dork.