Eiffel Tower

Today is the 127th anniversary of the opening of the Eiffel Tower.  It was built in 1889 as the entrance to the World's Fair.  I've mentioned before that The Bean loves the Eiffel Tower and really really really wants to go to Paris.  Maybe she can wear some of these shoes when she finally gets there:

OK, she can't wear these first two as they are art and not real shoes.  But they're still fun.  And they wouldn't be comfortable, so they're better as art.

 

 Much better for being touristy.  And there's a lot of blue, so you know I appreciate that.

Arty in a different way.  I think these are really pretty.

Interesting.  Not my favorite, but I like the concept.  And that they are the colors of France's flag.

Simple but sweet.

Love the colors.  I keep thinking the trees on the right shoe are camels, though.  What is wrong with me?

 

These are my favorite.  So cute.  Plus, they go with today also being National Crayola Crayon Day.

I've never been to Paris, but I hope to go someday.  Maybe if she's extra nice to her auntie I will take The Bean.

Memory Lane: 2013. 2015 (look, I had some follow-through from last year's post!).

Manatee

It's Manatee Appreciation Day!  I don't really know a lot about manatees, but I appreciate that they are cute, funny, blobby looking creatures that float around.  For some reason I think of them as sweet.  I could be totally mistaken about that.  Let's appreciate some shoes:

How pretty are these?  Until you slide your big, smelly feet in them and squash the poor, blobby manatees.  You should be ashamed of yourself.

That is one dapper manatee.

Dang, Zazzle has a shoe for every occasion.   These are a little odd in that you can't really tell what's on them.  If I hadn't known it was manatees I might not have guessed just by looking.

There weren't a lot of shoe options, so I threw in some socks. Oh my gosh, how cute are these? 

How was your day?  Did you appreciate any manatees?  My day has been kind of rough.  I'm really really tired and I'm not sure why.  I'm also sad for a variety of reasons.  Manatee socks help.  Niece snuggles would be better, though.  I need a teleporter.

Oh well, here is a manatee song to make you smile:

Memory Lane: 2013. 2014.

Happy Birthday, DJ!

Today, as I'm sure you've deduced from the title, is DJ's birthday!  She's 19, in the Navy, currently stationed in San Antonio, TX, and wants to be a nurse.  It's hard to believe I was 2 weeks shy of being legal drinking age when she was born.  Where the heck did the time go?  And how can she be 19 when I'm only 25?  In exciting news, she's currently in Montana, and I got to talk to her today while she was at Mom and Dad's house!  And then the silly phone started ringing off the hook and I had to get back to work.  Don't people know I'm trying to talk to my niece?  Oh well.  In honor of her new career in the Navy, here are some navy blue shoes:

That's an odd and interesting detail on the toes of these.

I had to include these after the old lady post the other day.

Another interesting detail.  Maybe a little fancier than I would tend toward, but still pretty.

I'm fairly sure I've posted these before (I've decided to stop caring if I have or not and post anyway...if your memory is better than mine you can tell me when and where the shoes were originally!).  The details are a little funky, but I like them.

 

Simple.  Classic.  Yes.

Shiny patent leather Mary Janes!

Sigh.  Ankle straps.

You know I hate the thing between my toes, but how perfect are these?  Dang, now I wish I'd gone in a more nautical direction.  Next year, I guess.

Happy Birthday, DJ!  Love you to the moon and back!

Memory Lane: 2013 (poor kid had a Good Friday birthday). 2014. 2015 (a Palm Sunday birthday is much more cheery).

Apparently I Need Pictures

Today, in addition to being the day AFTER Easter and the day BEFORE DJ's birthday, is Children's Picture Book Day!  You may have gleaned over the years that I'm somewhat fond of books?  So of course I was excited when I saw this as a holiday, and began thinking of my favorite childhood books.  There are a ton to choose from, and I started to think about a series I used to love called The Betsy-Tacy Books.  I started looking at the books on Amazon, I looked to see if there were any themed shoes that were appropriate (nope), I discovered that there is a Betsy-Tacy society in Mankato, MN and informed Mom that we needed to take a road trip, I found shoes that weren't about the books but still tied in, and THEN I reread the name of the holiday and realized it's Children's Picture Book Day.  Oops.  Maybe if there were pictures instead of words I would have understood it better?  I really can read, honest.  Oh well, I already went down a rabbit hole of nostalgia and am going with the original post.  And, the Betsy-Tacy books do have pictures, they just aren't picture books.  Anyway, if you haven't read them, you should check them out.  I think I will be rereading them soon to see if I still love them as much as I did as a kid.  Here are my Betsy-Tacy shoes for you:

We start with the Betsy shoes.  These would be cute if they bows weren't plastic or rubber or neoprene or whatever and once they have feet inside so I can's see that crazy pattern.

I've posted these before, but don't remember when or why.  I like them.  They are bright and cheery and say spring to me.

 

Hmmmm...maybe?  I like all the parts (except the pattern) in theory, but less all together.  Or maybe it is just the pattern.  I'd like them a lot better in solid brown with the red accents.

 

Oooh...sparkly and turquoisy.

Here is where the Tacy shoes start.  Also sparkly!  And strappy.

Like the color, not terribly fond of the shape.  But it gets points for being bright and potentially cheery.

What's up with me and the hot pink shoes tonight?  I like this also.  And I think Betsy and Tacy might appreciate coordinating but not matching shoes.

Damn.  That is one tall boot.  I'd wear it if it were shorter.  I don't like over the knee boots.  Free the knees!

Despite my inability to read properly, at least I got a lovely childhood memory and some interesting shoes out of the deal.

Memory Lane: 2013. 2014. 2015.

Happy Easter!

Christ is Risen!  Happy Easter!  Here are some shoes!

Oh, Irregular Choice...I'd love to know what kind of drugs you are on...

Um.  Who wears these?  Put down the glue gun and back away slowly.

Or these?  At least they are pretty colors?

Oh dear.  I really did have good intentions when I went looking for Easter shoes.  And the the results were really really frightening.  Poor little trapped bunnies.

At least these are marginally cuter.  The bunnies look a little sad, though.  And I just realized I ate zero chocolate on Easter.   I didn't go to church, and I didn't eat chocolate.  I officially suck at Easter.

I posted these last year (turns out I posted those Irregular Choice ones, too), but they're so bright and fun, and I needed a palate cleanser after the rest of this craziness.

These are cute, too, so at least we're ending on a decent note.

Memory Lane: 2013. 2014. 2015.

3 Things:

1. I made it through Lent with the 3 things!  I missed those 2 days, but made them up, so I didn't do too bad.  And now I will stop subjecting you to this part of the blog.  I should probably tell you all of the deep things I learned about gratitude by doing this, but I'm just too tired to think straight.
2. We finished at the old house today!  Done.  Yay!
3. Christ is risen!  We celebrate the promises of the resurrection once again!

Holy Saturday

You'll be shocked to know that we spent a good chunk of the day unpacking.  You'll be even more shocked to learn that I scraped the crap out of my arm.  I need a vacation from this move, please.

On a happier note, we spent the evening with some friends and got to meet their foster son, who is 2.  He's adorable and so much fun.  I had a great time playing with him.  I figured tonight's post should be about boys' toddler shoes:

I wonder why this one didn't come up on my search for puppy shoes?  The pink version did, but not the blue.  Rude. 

These are so serious and grown up looking, and yet somehow re still fun and toddler-like.  Or maybe I'm just insanely tired.

 

Woody!  Every kid needs a pair.

Blue, but not my favorite of tonight's shoes.

Maybe I'm just in a brown and orange, old man shoe kind of mood?  Because I think these are adorable, too.

Between the unpacking (and helping the hubby haul the ginormous outdoor fireplace to the backyard) and playing with a very busy 2 year old, I am not really tired.  I think I shall go to bed.

Memory Lane: 2013. 2015.

3 Things:

1. Happy little boys who have incredibly infectious grins and who share their toys with me.
2. As the post title says, it is Holy Saturday.  I always feel like today should be overcast.  Maybe not as gloomy as I think Good Friday should be, but not as sunny as it was today.  Today was beautiful, which is good, despite my weird holy week weather feelings.  Holy Saturday is a day of waiting and watching. A day between.  A day to reflect on the mysteries and grace of God's promises.
3. An evening with good friends and yummy food.

Good Friday

I spent my Good Friday cleaning at the old house and picking up all of the random stuff that gets left during a move.  I had planned to go to church, but the day went later than I anticipated (what else is new with this move?) so unfortunately I didn't get to go.  I'm one of those people who needs Good Friday before Easter and the promises of the resurrection.

Shoes and Good Friday don't seem to go together, so I'm going to go with another day from the holidays calendar:  Waffle Day!  Is that sacrilegious?  I hope not. It probably is.  I'm probably going to hell.  Oh wait, the promises of the resurrection, which come from Good Friday, are all about grace.  Whew.  Maybe I won't go to waffle hell after all.

Overall waffle shoes are kind of hilarious, but I have no desire to own any.  The last picture is my favorite, and the crazy thing is those are Melissa shoes for toddlers.  I never though I'd find any Melissa shoe cute.

Dang.  Now I want waffles.  With peanut butter and maple syrup.  Maybe in the shapes of shoes!

Memory Lane: 2013. 2015 (I finally have a 2015 post again, but now don't have a 2014 post). 

3 Things:

1. Good Friday.  It's not a fun or pretty day, but the promises of the resurrection come from it, and that makes it good.
2. There might(?) be a light at the end of the moving tunnel? 
3. I'm going to miss the neighbor kids at the old house.  The 2 younger girls have been coming over to chat while I've been packing and moving, and they never fail to put a smile on my face.  They are the same ages as Laughter and Flower, which makes me miss those babies even more.

Maundy Thursday

My inner Liturgical Calendar isn't as finely tuned as it used to be, but I DO at least remember that it's Holy Week and today is Maundy Thursday.  Maundy (from Latin mandatum or mendicare), or Washing of the Feet remembers the Last Supper Jesus had with his disciples.  They celebrated the seder, or Passover, and after the meal Jesus washed the feet of his disciples.  Many churches do a foot washing as part of their Maundy Thursday worship services.  I've been on both sides of it, as the washer and washee, and I'm definitely more comfortable doing the washing.  I always feel a little bit weird having my feet washed.  I'm like Peter who tried to convince Jesus to let him (Peter) wash his (Jesus') feet.  I guess I have to remember to let people care for me.

Since foot washing involves bare feet, I thought for today instead of doing shoes I would do fun pedicures.  You want those feet to be cute for the foot washing!  (Yes, that was sarcasm.  Yes, I do realize that having "cute" feet is missing the point of the foot washing ritual.  But, taking something seriously and holding a tradition within the respect with which it is due does not mean a little whimsy can't be involved.)

You know I love stripes.  You might not know that I used to always paint my toenails different colors.  I guess before I had my current shoe fetish I had a love of brightly painted toenails.  I had to dress those Birkenstocks up somehow!

 

More stripes.  These say spring on the left and fall on the right to me.

Beachy toes!  Although I'm not entirely sure what the design on the left is?

 

 Polka dots!  These are very springy and Eastery.

Of course I chose a blue option.  This is more along the lines of what I might get nowadays.  I'm not usually very adventurous with my pedicures these days.

 

More polka dotty Easter toes.

Ooooh, I love dragonflies.  AND they're blue!

Oh man, I might have to see if I can do this myself on my toes for Sunday.  Sooooo cute.

Don't let your pedicure, or lack thereof, keep you from getting your feet washed.  Jesus loves your toes no matter what!

Memory Lane: 2013 (it was the beginning of Holy Week three years ago). 2014 (elephants and Arts Camp).

3 Things:

1. Day 3 of the new hair cut and I still like it.  It even looks cute when I am lazy and don't do anything with it.
2. The weather is so pretty.  Lovely and sunny but not yet hot.
3. People in my life who tell me to shut up and let them take care of me.  More often than not I need that.