Exposed!

As a follow up to my previous post, I thought I'd share a funny story from yesterday.

The hubby & were walking through Whole Foods last night, waiting for our yummy pizza to be created (highly recommend btw!), when he looked down at my new, fabulous boots that I may have managed to smuggle past him from the UPS guy. His eyes traveled from my boots up to my eyes, which deftly avoided contact with his. And the smirk started to spread across his face. I of course adeptly denied that these were not in fact, delivered in the rather large box I received from Martin & Osa last week.

Why must he be so perceptive?! I mean, I totally appreciate that he still pays attention to the detail, but man I cannot sneak anything past him.

And p.s. this is the second time I was found out. The other time was with my new cable-sweater Uggs...we were at Home Depot riding the escalator and I managed to take a broad stance, putting my cutely adorned foot in front of us. Exposed again!!

p.p.s. If one attempts to smuggle said boots by husband, be prepared to spend extra $$ at GameStop to appease him...

Made for walkin

Well, I think we've established by now that I have a bit of an obsession with anything clothing/fashion/shopping related...I've been able to restrain myself to a certain extent given impending large financial purchases (ahem, house). However there is one weakness I cannot seem to fight: BOOTS. It sounds silly, right? But you live in Chicago for a winter and you will understand this obsession. (Although I must confess only a few of my pairs actually protect against the weather.)

What started out as an innocent dabbling a few years ago has turned into a full blown need for boots of every occasion, weather, outfit, day...and the list goes on. I recently counted and I have grown my collection from the basic brown & black heeled boots plus a pair of warm winter Merrell boots to TWELVE pairs. Yikes! Not to mention I've had to stash said pairs of boots in all nooks & crannies within our tiny condo to avoid the discovery of said obsession by my husband (who may be reading this- honey I swear, they were all on sale!)

While the number seems absurd, I can't seem to part with any of the pairs and my quest still continues. I have boot envy; like the cute powder blue Hunter wellies I spotted on the bus last week, or the ugly but so warm & yummy tall Uggs everyone has been sporting...sigh. Sometimes I think my only self-restraint against seeking out more pairs is the knowledge that 1) I have no more room 2) complete and utter guilt and 3) husband will eventually have to move out to accommodate boot obsession (for both space & frustration reasons).

It all boils down to this: there is something comforting about wearing the perfect pair. Warm, comfortable, sassy, the perfect complement to any outfit, and ultimately protection for that gross winter slush/snow/ice. For now, I shall just have to "make due" with my limited collection.

Where the Heart Is

Over the holidays I was able to spend time with family, friends, loved ones...it was my first venture back to Michigan since wedding season and it's amazing how much has happened in just a few short months. Whenever I travel back "home", it seems that I get my bearings back. I know what I want, who I am, where I want to be...and then I travel back to Chicago and it seems my compass just spins round & round and never can find North.

There's something inexplicable about the love, joy and peace that I feel when we're home visiting, and it's not just during the holidays when those feelings are a'plenty. I was young and impatient when I fled that state seeking independence, only to find it was within me, and I ran away from those I loved. The cost of finding my independence was a price I still am paying for...sure I have cherished all of the people I've met, experiences I've had, and growth I've experienced in love and life. Maybe I wouldn't have grown had I stayed. However I can't help but wonder why my path just won't cross again with the place I love so much.

Regardless of where we are planting down roots, I still feel as though my spirit only truly returns when I venture back to my true home. Will that ever change?? I don't know...but the pangs of missing, all of it, still ache after a few weeks. For now, I will focus on building our home here and hope I find that feeling, even if it's only a small shadow of the Michigan love I have deep within...