Thursday, July 4, 2013

Stars and Stripes (and Shoes!) Forever.



This 4th of July didn't have a lot of the elements I usually expect.  A house full of people, kids in the sprinkler, sparklers and way too much to eat.  It did however, have the more important elements of Family (not as much as usual, but enough), Food (good, but not too much) and Fireworks (watched for the second night in a row with my favorite guy, my son.)  Lots of the "usual suspects" were out of town this year, including my daughter who is out of the country.  But my 88-year old mom was there, still active, alert, and sass talkin'.  My nephew who spends a lot of time traveling was able to spend the day with us before leaving for St. Croix (hard life he has...) and my son, despite not feeling well, and about to leave for a two-week vacation with his Dad, was able to spend the day with his favorite cousin and the host of friends he makes pretty much everywhere he goes, playing basketball in the driveway.  Seeing him happy makes me happy.  He's excited about his trip, but he'll miss me, I know he will!  We had plenty of food, it just wasn't overflowing and overwhelming us like it sometimes does.  My sister done good!  Ribs, burgers, baked beans...shall I go on?  I ate once, although the plate was piled mighty high, and didn't bring any home.  That's a positive thing, although I'll be back tomorrow.  We once again witnessed the fireworks from the car, but unlike last night, it seemed as though there were fireworks everywhere you looked.  It made my heart glad that my teenager was so interested.  Driving down a deserted road, we could see the fireworks show of at least 12 different cities.  It was like a movie!  He took some photos and videos for his various social networking sites.  I'm glad he was so impressed. 

I wore the shoes!  They looked MAH-velous, and even though some people didn't seem too impressed, I know that they wouldn't have known they were remade if I hadn't said anything.  I am however, proud of my ability to make something new, useful and beautiful out of castaways, outcasts and outright trash.  I see the smirks, the head shakes and the general pity I sometimes get because I am forced to be frugal, but it is so not about that. I believe in reduce, reuse, recycle, and have been actively pursuing this lifestyle since I was a teen. I also love the thrill of the thrift, the hunt and the occasional dumpster dive.  I live with and wear amazing, beautiful things every single day and it is my choice to wear and decorate with vintage and used.  And as long as I'm not asking them for any help, they should be glad.  My ability to live within my particular budget means I never ask them for anything, although technically I really could use the help.  However, because of my choices, I can get the occasional massage or nice dinner out and still stay within my very limited budget. We thrifters get a bad rap sometimes and it's so important to spend some time communing with those who understand.  Raise your hand if you agree!  Now, let's commence the communing.




So here are the shoes, and as I said, they turned out great, even those very weird heels.  It took six coats and a lot of drying time, but I like the look!   I'm feeling a little lost with no project lined up for this weekend, but I do still have those mason jars and I haven't done a craft with them yet.  With a full week of solitary lined up, I should get around to something big.  I hope to chronicle my week in photos, including my trip to The Heartland Spa for a 24-hour "Stressbuster".  It's a Groupon I bought a long time ago for such a time as this.  When I have no one else to be responsible for, I need the R&R, and I'm up to here with people who don't think I deserve it. 

 Baby You're a Firework!  

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