Everything Comes Full Circle

As I near my birthday this year (you know the new twenty), I feel the need to tone up body, spirituality and my wardrobe.  Things I turned my back on in my twenties and thirties (yet wore in high school) like red lipstick, red nail polish and high heels I now cannot seem to get enough of.  Yet this time around, I am more careful with the purchase;  comfort and quality a must.  The red nail polish has to be just the right shade Essie Fish Net Stocking

Photo Essie website

 The high heels Chie Mihara found a pair on Amazon supposedly used. The only used part was they came without a box.  By far the most comfortable high heeled shoes I have ever put on my feet! Love them and I have bunions and heel spurs so that is saying a lot!

The lipstick L'Oreal Infallible Bold Bordeaux perhaps a bit more burgundy but on my lips it looks deep red. This is the best dime store lipstick bar none. But now as I get older I must also use a lip liner. Much better look for wearing a deep color lipstick. The look is crisp and clean and stays longer.

And viola I feel like a grown-up, a very sexy grown up.  I don't feel like I am playing dress up any longer.  I own the look in my soon to be 40's. I feel good.

Diamonds by Candlelight

One of my favorite precious stone cuts is the cushion cut.  Someone once told me it was created long ago pre-electricity and was designed to showcase a diamond by candlelight.  True or not, the story is full of romance and I feel ever so romantic when looking at a cushion cut stone.

Last week our electricity was out for 3 days and I be damned if my brilliant round cut stone and pave band did not look absolutely lovely by the light of a roaring fire and many candles.

The photo does no justice to the glimmering lights reflected off of the stones.  I felt a bit warmer that very cold night coloring with my daughter by candlelight, sipping wine and yes every so often looking down at my very sparkly stone.

Missrepresentation

Go to the website Miss Representation and check out the video trailer for yourself.  Looks like a worthy organization. You can even host a viewing of the full length feature in your community.  Good empowering information for our sons and daughters.

An Ode to Libraries

Yesterday I heard a guy mention to a group that bookstores and libraries are all going to become extinct just like music stores.  Hmmm. This comment gave me pause. I have worked at and frequented both bookstores and  libraries and  admittedly have a soft spot in my heart for both.  I think the man who made this comment has never looked to a librarian as a resource for information.

 Libraries and librarians are an amazing often overlooked source of information and/or direction on where to best find the information.  One key component to what I think will allow libraries to endure is that they are free.  Sophia and I have been frequenting the local library and are overwhelmed by the resources for free provided to us.  The librarians often put on interactive readings with craft projects for children.  There are touch screen computers with great children's learning games.  And then there are the incredible selections of books and movies that the children can check out.  It is so empowering for a little one to come up with books of movies they want to check out on their own.  I have always loved libraries but it is thrilling to share this love now with my daughter

Where to Shop in Jackson Hole

We did not shop much on our trip to Jackson, though the shopping is plentiful to say the least, especially the very cheesy t-shirt shops.    There were a couple of shops that caught my attention though:  Wyoming Outiftters and Vom Fass.

Wyoming Outfitters is a local shop right  in the town center and across from the famous antler arches.  The buyer is the owner and she knows her client base well, western with city flair and some great rugged lines like Ibex and Kuhl..  She has some great clothes for kids, parents and grand parents.  They have there own line of branded men's belts that were great:  think heavy leather with rich dyes and buckles that are replaceable. The website is not great but one thing I saw on-line that I did not see in the store is this darling kid's western outfit

Photo from Wyoming Outfitters website

The shop smells so good and the staff is very helpful.  Worth a visit if you are in Jackson.

The second shop I really like is not a local shop.  They are headquartered in Madison, WI.  Vom Fass has a handful of shops in the US.  There are so many reasons to like this shops from the free samples, to the amazing LED lighting, the helpful staff and well most importantly the product!  They sell  European oils, vinegars, wines & spirits.  Really fun shopping experience.  I sampled a Grappa while there and purchased a 50 ml bottle of  Armagnac. Pricey very experiential shopping experience and great gifts.

How to Make a Scarecrow Family

I am not creative.  Knowing my weaknesses, I decided to go door to door in my neighborhood and recruit a project manager for my afternoon craft project.  Sophia and I needed direction and ideas to build our front yard scarecrows.  We knocked on 3 doors until finally our neighbor Joni said she was in (not that she was our last pick we simply went down the row.....most of our neighbors all have grown children and are wonderful with Sophia).  Even neighbors who turned us down for helping donated clothes and straw for the project.

Thank you Joni!!! You were the creative master of our project.  I think the key to our success was the amazing Colorado weather, the very lovely neighbors and the fact that we just wanted to have fun.  The end project was  not the goal, but the goal was in the making of the 3 wacky figures and having fun during the process.

Items we used:
newspaper
hay
3 pair of overalls
3 shirts preferably button down
foam
rhinestones
glue
twine
pumpkin material
scissors
stapler
plastic grocery bags
safety pins
pillow cases

Time:
about 2 hours mainly because we just had fun and were often sidetracked by Sophia finger painting everything

Directions:
Heavily stuff clothing with crumpled newspaper-great job for 4 yr old
Stuff cuffs with some hay and tie off with twine
stuff pillow cases with newspaper for heads and cover with plastic bag
cut out pumpkin heads and glue on fun stuff to make faces
staple foam to plastic bags
attach heads with safety pins
giggle at outcome and invite neighbors over to see.  Fun stuff :)
Surprise daddy when he comes from work.

Benefits:
Not buying cheaply made crap from store and the fun we had.
I think to be more green we could have used the actual pumpkins that grew in our compost but we had problems with propping up the weight, plus Sophia had a blast gluing on bright shiny objects to make the faces.

I Can Conversate Now.....Please Invite Me to a Grownup Party

I spend an awful lot of time conversing with a 4 yr old and 2 dogs.  Needless to say, when around adults, not only is my subject matter a tad bland (oh my I just love my Dyson!!!) but I do not always speak coherently and in full sentences.

Well, there is nothing like travel to fix that problem and give you some new cocktail party discussions.  We just spent one week in Northwestern Wyoming, visiting Jackson, Grand Tetons and Yellowstone. I am sure I will revisit the trip many times in the next few weeks on the blog but for now, please invite me to a party.  I swear I will try to weave in some witty anecdotes and colorful conversation in full and complete sentences.

See I really was there!  Me and Old Faithful on October 4, 2011.

Something Blue

I think I am not supposed to write negative things on a blog.  After all, my favorite writers seem to always post positive thoughts and opinions.  Alas, I tried for a couple of  months to be non-negative, it ends today.  The post though is nothing life or death, it is about a film I saw on a plane a couple of weeks ago, "Something Borrowed".  Ugh.  I love film in general but this film just was sad. I mean bad sad.

Promotional Film Poster from "Away We Go"

  I minored in film studies just for the love it. One of my first film professor's  suggested deconstructing popular films such as "Airplane" to see what it says about us as a society.  In "Something Borrowed" I would have to say that film just says as a society we are mean spirited.  Where is the humanity?  The characters were just immoral and downright awful to each other.  I am not saying everything has to be Disney but lord how about some really interesting characters that are human and humane at the same time.  I wanted to see this film because I really liked John Krasinski in "Away We Go".  He was even good in "Something Borrowed" in a much smaller part. Go see "Away We Go" especially if you have young kids.  It is lovely and heartfelt and true. Still love Maggie Gylenhaal's portrayal of a very tightly wound, over bearing mum; a reminder for me personally of how I do not want to mother, but as for "Something Borrowed" skip it.  Do something good for a neighbor, like bake a loaf of bread.  You will feel lovely and good instead of blue.

Enter to Win

My grandmother was a war widow.  My father was 3 or so when his father was listed as M.I.A.  As a young widow, Grandma did not sit at home.  She, my father, and my aunt traveled by car and rail all over the western U.S. and Canada.  The stories my father tells are really fantastic about their adventures and mostly misadventures. When they were at home though in the mid-west, my grandma, being on a some what limited budget, entered sweepstakes to win home items.  And win she did. The story goes, grandma had a room in their house where she kept her loot:  washers, irons you name it.

Truth be told I love to enter sweepstakes.  I am careful  not to enter ones I sense are scams or will put me on every spam list out there.  In fact, I even have an email account set up just to enter contests as I know it will be flooded with email offerings.  I know it is cliche, but you cannot win if you do not enter.  My husband who never enters any sweepstakes is very lucky.  He wins at live drawings and has won the grand prize three times! Two of those times were for the much coveted New Belgium Cruiser bikes.

Image: New Belgium Brewing Blog

Some of the contests I have recently entered have given me projects to do my 4 year old.  Boden's Design a Cover Contest was loads of fun.  Kiddos just have to paint a "wintry" theme.  

Sophia chose holiday gifts....who wouldn't!

We had loads of fun 

Not so sure the doggie did though....

Another fun contest is the yearly Real Simple Essay Contest.  This one is a great creative outlet.  I am still editing my essay.  

There are those sweepstakes that you just "Enter to Win" as well.  Just found this one Beso's $1000 diaper give-away.  It is co-sponsored by one of my favorite blogger's Joanna Goddard. I am not in need of diapers (thankfully so on many levels, personally speaking that is) but if I win, will pass on to a friend.

Anyway, often chances are pretty good at winning.  Another friend of mine won a contest for a 2 week trip to New Zealand from a major magazine. So enter to win, you just may yet.  And besides sometimes the fun is in the process or just the anticipation that you may win that luxury get-away for two to Paris.

Off the Grid: Out of Your Mind or Bliss?

Image One Block Off the Grid

Wow less than 3 acres and you could live off grid.  I am not saying this is the answer for us all but what little things can we do to live a greener life?

 I went to the landfill this week.  That was eye opening as ever.  All of the plastic childrens' toys!  What a waste.  Personally I want to cut down on purchasing things.  That goes for medicine cabinet type stuff especially; do I really need 3 curl enhancer gels?  It is the packaging that I find most prolific at week's end in the trash.  I think the goal this year is to dramatically cut down on the amount of items purchased especially that come with plastic packaging.  At the grocery store, I already stopped using plastic produce bags. I go without (we usually eat produce quickly and we grow a fair amount ourselves) or I use these mesh bags I purchased:

Image: Simple Ecology

K.I.S.S.

Right?! "Keep it Simple Stupid".  I struggle with this in every aspect of my life.  I  tend to over complicate most decisions, meals, house projects, life in general.

When I said I wanted an outdoor clothesline, I envisioned  $200 spent, plus some kind of cement being poured.  Thank god I have a great partner who helps to balance me.

This is what I got.

Brilliant!  I am thrilled.  The total cost around $33.  Time 20 minutes plus the time picking out the hardware.

This is what was used.

How about this for sandbox and swing?!

Who needs plastic?  The sandbox is my favorite.  Large river rock lined up to enclose the circle.  How sweet and simple?!

Slouchy No More

Love this look! So simple dress, cuff, sandals, bag, yet she looks so great.  I am trying not to dress in yoga clothes 24/7 and looks like this are a great alternative.

Image: The Sartorialist

Blue Cup, Red Cup

My neighbor's 6 year old had her first day of school yesterday. I asked her what happened.  She was pretty excited overall.  The biggest change though from kindergarten to first grade for her was the freedom to use the restroom when  needed. "All you have to do is place a red cup if you are a girl on your chair or a blue cup if you are a boy!"  She was pretty much ecstatic over this new development in her educational career.

I am sure the feeling of independence was important for Gillian.  But also just the freedom to go take a break from a controlled environment must be a great feeling for a kid.  I still love to shut myself in the bathroom for 2 minutes just to take a breather from life.  My husband likes to read magazines.  I personally just shut my eyes and meditate.  Where do you go for your personal 2 minute break?

How I would love it if this was my bathroom oasis!

Images French by Design

inability to edit myself!

I can be very self critical and in general I am a pretty good editor of others' works but not when it comes to my writing.  I am unable to see my gaffs and errors.  Sorry readers.  Someone suggested waiting 2 hours and then going back to edit.

 Obviously the BBC cannot see their errors always either!

Drip Dry

I so want a permanent clothes line in the backyard.  Here in the country, many of my neighbors have them in their yards and nearly all of them are used weekly nearly all year round (The sun in Northern Colorado is rather intense even in winter).  I still have an indoor drying rack which is almost defunct now since the naughty blue puppy has chewed most of the wood and when that is full I find various chairs etc to hang clothes over.

I found 2 interesting websites with some new design in clotheslines:  Urbanclothelines.com  and Peoplepoweredmachines.com.

These Rotary options seem interesting

Photo from Urbanclotheslines.com

I think this may make a lovely fall project.  Now to choose between permanent, retractable or rotary, ah decisions, decisions.

A Rut

I definitely fall into a comfortable cooking rut.  It happens about every 6 months, I realize I cook the same 5 meals over and over again.  There are so many free recipes on line but there is something about spending money on a cook book or cooking magazine that drives me to be creative.  I think it is honoring the chef and the investment.  I love The Cook's Illustrated.  You can pick it up in line at any grocery store.  We have maybe 10 of the magazines we have purchased over the last several years and I am seriously considering a year subscription.  Last night I made a really great beef enchilada recipe from the May/June 2011 issue.  But the real find for me was the avocado sour cream topping.  How easy and what a great little flair to add as a topper. I slightly changed the recipe from the magazine so my version follows:

Cilantro
Avocado
Sea salt
Sour Cream
Olive Oil
Blend
yum

There really is magic for me in 5 ingredient or 5 step recipes!

Old Wives' Tales, Do Tell!

I love old sayings almost as much as old movies.  This morning on my neighborhood stroll with dogs and Sophia in tow...well dogs in tow, Sophia running loose and creating general havoc, I stopped to chat with a couple of folks.  The general consensus based on sayings from their childhood (somewhat long ago that was if you will) was that the first freeze is near.  The first saying is that when locusts sing, the first freeze is 6 weeks away.  Based on the first neighbor's math that means September 10.  The other one was something about spiders spinning webs means winter is near.  Oh my based on this last one, I would believe it! I feel like I am cleaning webs twice a day right now.  What other old sayings or superstitions did you grow up with?  Be interesting to see if that first freeze comes by September 10!

Harvest of Plenty

Four years ago I purchased a few grape vines.  Not reading the inserts in the planters, I did not realize that Big Box stores often sell plants that do not grow in the climate where they are selling the plants.  My grapes are an example of this.  It is not supposed to fall below 20 degrees.  Ha!  Somehow though our 5 grape vines have managed to last 4 winters.  This summer is the first time they are producing fruit.  I am thrilled to try one of these that is if our naughty blue puppy does not eat all of them first.  We have caught her ever so delicately creeping up to the vines and pull off grapes one at a time (I blamed it on the squirrels until we caught her in the act).

Roasted Belly

So I am not one to wear a bikini often. This year though, I was excited to find an option that has an actual fitted cup size.  I love this.  It truly fits my tata's.  Allows them to be locked in and lifted to boot.  Yesterday while attempting to get Sophia to put her head under water at the local public pool I had on my bikini.  I think I was in denial that my tummy was out for all the world to see because I neglected to put sunblock on that swath of very tender white skin.  Ow.

Land's End has some really cute 2 piece options that you can purchase in cup size.

I think this polka dot skirt number is so cute!

The Dishes get Saucier!

Rhubarb!!! You are such an easy plant to grow.  I love your bright magenta stem and your big luscious leaves.

I am not a complicated cook.  I thrive on dishes with 5 ingredients and 5 or less steps preferably in 1 pot. Rhubarb makes an easy tasty treat.

Pick the stems.  maybe 10 to 15.  dice the stems into 1 inch or so chucks.  put in pot with a little water and a little sugar or often I add maple syrup.  low boil for 30 or so minutes, enough to break down the fibers.

I love it. serve as a side or desert.  And the color is pretty on any table.

My neighbor's rhubarb plant is over 30 years old, so gardener's of little faith, there is hope with this plant!

Elk like Hot Peppers

Hanging out in the house last Thursday evening, we heard Sophia from the backyard yelling, "The dogs have the elks! The dogs have the elks!".  I went to the yard only to find Sophia about 20 feet from a very large bull elk with a huge rack and our naughty 6 month old blue heeler pup trying to herd the elk.  There were 2 other large bull elk in our garden devouring the hot peppers.  Elk love hot peppers.  They will actually pick the peppers off the bushes one by one.  Strange.

Here are some other interesting elk facts.

The Smell of deFEET

Overheard at a liquor store in Winter Park, CO.  Young boy speaking to dad standing next to me in beer aisle "What is that smell?! It is giving me a headache.".  Dad replies, "Me too!".  Extremely self conscious that perhaps that smell was emanating from me and my unwashed, working out, camping with 2 dogs and a kiddo in a dirt pile possible body odor.  If the smell was from me, the father seemed to forgive me when I grabbed a six pack of Oskar Blues "Mama's Little Yellow Pils". and he solemnly nodded and said I had made a good choice.

When did camping become stressful and dirty instead of a good reason not to wash and being completely unplugged and stress free?  No doubt camping with kids is stressful.  There is the unrelenting Colorado sun beating down with little shade to hide from it due to the pine beetle infestation killing off trees.  It is freezing at night (literally) so little ones wake up several times a night shivering.  There are no tv's or toys to keep kids occupied.

But then again there are no tv's or toys to keep kids occupied.  I must say when we were mixing at a playground at a local ski resort with clean smelling kids and my little one had dirty hair, face and clothes including pitch black feet from walking barefoot all weekend, I was not embarrassed.  I was proud that my kiddo had embraced the feel of being footloose and fancy free.  No doubt, coming home tired, bug bitten and dirty is tough and a lot of work for the adults but truly in the end that feeling of not needing to meet all of societies cleanliness requirements is liberating.  And there is always the wonderful and refreshing wash off in the creek that awakens all of the senses in one icy snap.

And no amount of trouble will ever make me want to give up my nightly midnight star gazing moment when I wake up and need to pee.  I never mind getting out of the tent in the freezing Colorado night air because that view of Orion on countless camping nights is a precious grounding reminder to me that there is a much bigger beautiful world out there for us to explore with Sophia, dirty and smelly or not.

Missoni at my local store?!

Cool.

No Name Leather

The art of home crafted goods.  Yes Etsy is a great way to find hand hewn treasures now but what about fairs? I loved going to art fairs as a kid.  The Art Fair at Queeny Park in St. Louis always being top of the list.  Now it seems like so often the goods are all imported or just too expensive.  This summer I happened upon 2 great folks selling nice hand crafted goods.

One was at the The Colorado Renaissance Festival. "No Name Leathers" is the name of the shop.  Really lovely pieces. I asked if the owner had a website.  His response was the only web he had was in the corner from the spider.  A bit of a crusty soul but a great artisan.  I bought my sister a beautiful belt for her birthday, a wallet for my husband and a hair piece for my daughter.  His dyes were so vibrant especially the reds and greens.  It was great to see him actually crafting handbags while we watched.  Oh how I wish he would sell other than the 6 weeks the fair goes on.  Wow he makes his living 6 weekends out of the year.  Can you imagine?!

The second place was in the Indian Village at Cheyenne's Frontier Days.  There was a tent set up with some really amazing leather and beaded items such as shoes, handbags and jewelry.  The folks there were not the artisans but the pieces were still very cool.  They hand these hand made leather satchels mixed with hounds tooth. Great design and you are not paying for any body's logo!

Armed and Dangerous

I just armed my 4 year old.  I told her words were no longer working.  She needed to act and act decisively and quickly.  Our 6 month old blue heeler puppy was/is full on acting like a 6 month old, very smart, very active, and very naughty blue puppy. I gave Sophia the hose and told her to shoot when approached.  Low and behold it worked.  Two birds, one stone.  Sophia loved having power and control and Pickles thought this was a lovely game, made up of chase the water spray.

Alas, the one problem was the student turned on the teacher.  I am now soaking wet.

The best summer days are full of free fun.  Nothing beats a sprinkler or hose on a hot sunny day.

What are your free finds in the summer to beat the heat and have fun?

Nice cool splash in a city fountain is always a good option!

Dark vs Light

Film is a passion of mine.  I love the feeling when I stumble upon a secret find.  I like to imagine no one else has ever seen the black and white screwball comedy from the 30's such as "The Thin Man".  In reality, the film series starring William Powell and Myrna Loy is very popular and has been viewed by millions over the years but in my mind, Nick and Nora are my very own whimsical couple to watch and giggle with when I screen the film.

In my teens and twenties I could stomach darker films.  The same period of my life allowed me to stomach darker brown ales as well such as Newcastle.  Funny as my taste in film has lightened (tears and suspense ok-violence and gore not so much).  Now I prefer a good Belgian White or recently I have acquired a taste for New Belgian Brewery's Mothership Wit along with a movie such as "The Beginners" and what better place to watch both then at a brew and view such as The Lyric Cinema?!

It's my birthday! It's my birthday!

 OK photo is  perhaps a few years old but I still love celebrating my birthday!  I love the simplicity of this particular birthday.  You can see my mother had out the good china and crystal and we were dining in the dining room.  I was probably turning 5 or 6 and I am sure I thought eating on the good stuff in the good room with a wonderful homemade cake was the cat's meow!

A great birthday really is made more special when celebrating with those you love.  Looking forward to cooking a special meal for my little girl and special guy tomorrow night.  They are truly the best past of what my day will be tomorrow.  Matt and Sophia, I love you both.  Thanks for making my life better.

Betabrand's Model Citizen

Love this marketing concept.  Take a photo of yourself in Betabrand's clothes and they post it on their website.  How easy is that and yet I found out about their website from a friend who posted his picture and that posted the link to his photo on the website on his Facebook page.  Successful, free advertising that works.  wow.

Just purchased a pair of Cordarounds for my hubby (a bit too short though so we need to exchange).  Those eggplant Japants look pretty cool!

You need to go to the website to see the picture that is designed into the reflectors on these bike to work pants

Very funny!

What is in a nickname?

Ever think about filling in an old childhood name on official documents like mortgage applications when they ask for nicknames?  Our daughter could fill in "Critter", though her list is constantly evolving mostly created by my very creative husband.  I of course had the moniker of "Suzabell" given to be my mother and "Putsy" by my Grandmother.  My mother still calls me Suzabell occasionally and I love having a special name which when used conjures up all kinds of lovely childhood feelings and memories.

What was your childhood nickname and is it still used?

Roll Baby Roll

Check out my friend's "store" on Etsy.  She is a great crafter and her heart is in each knit.

Sweet little bambino gifts!!

Merimace. Home Grown Knitting

Show Show!

Several years ago while at a very she-she business dinner a group of gals a bit tipsy on champagne decided to be risque and show their off their bras.  The prevailing round table chant was "show show!!!"  till all had bared their La Perla lovely straps.  At that moment I knew I had to upgrade the worn broken down slightly discolored bra I had on (I think I modestly -though I am not all that modest-slinked to the powder room to save myself the embarrassment of show-showing very unsexy lingerie).  I promptly went out and was properly fitted at Sol. Several large department stores will provide you will free fittings.  Victoria's Secret will as well though they do it over your clothes and that in my opinion is not accurate.

Over the last few years my cup size has gone up twice.  I am one of those lucky or unlucky gals who with weight gain stores most in my boobs.  I love the girls to be perky and the key is truly to be fitted and buy a great bra that fits and yes in my opinion lifts.  On of my current favs and moderately priced is Felina.

 How pretty and the straps are definitely good enough for show-show!

My Sweet Peas

Peas are not the most bountiful veggie to grow in your garden if you live in Northern Colorado.  We had one harvest and the total amount is shown above!  Alas this may not be the smartest use of garden space but they are probably the cutest veggie going.  

The well heeled lady baring her sole

The other night at an apres mountain biking party, a friend had on a pair of Frye Oxfords.   The wooden heel was starting to wear into the welt (new term I just learned as per Wikipedia: A welt is a strip of leather, rubber, or plastic that is stitched to the upper and insole of a shoe, as an attach-point for the sole).  I shuddered over the potential loss of a lovely pair of shoes and mentioned she needed to have them repaired. (A future posting about the dying art of shoe repair. My local shoe repairman is lovely.  Until recently he resided in a storefront straight out of the 30's. Now he is in this local western shop but his charm is still ever present and old school as ever).

 With the unsolicited comment to my friend Suzy, I officially am turning into my mother. Years earlier, while in high school, a friend stopped by to pick me up for a night out.  Reggie had on a well shod pair of wingtips he had purchased from Goodwill.  My mother not only chastised him for the scuffs, she brought him shoe polish right there and then.   Though embarrassing at the time, now I see the wisdom in the act.  


There is nothing like owning a pair of well crafted leather shoes and finding a certain amount of pleasure in maintaining those skips.  The ritual of pulling out the shoe box filled with the polishes, whether they be waxy in the tin can or creamy in the little glass jars, the soft feel of the flannel rags to wipe the polish on and oh those fantastic wooden backed brushes with long soft bristles to buff on the shine.  I know when I perform this maintenance task, there will be no surprises (well unless I did not seal the lid properly on the tin and the polish is all dried out and cracked).  The biggest hurdle will be not to stain my hands with the polish as I swirl the rag in the cream and after 5 minutes of silent meditation following the methodical brush strokes back and forth, my shoes will be supple and scuff free, providing an immediate sense of accomplishment.  I can now go forth and shuffle in my newly shined shoes to my hearts content, knowing that when I next polish my shoes I will remember the mad cap adventures that caused all the scuffs and scrapes.  

Me in Frye Carson boots at O'Dell's Small Batch Revival having one of those adventures where I actually caused damage to the wood on the heel.   $8 to repair the heel!!!  yippee!! And the shoes will last through a lifetime of crazy fun moments.