Here in Atlanta just when you put away your summer clothes, it turns hot again.  For a few weeks in September it could 90 degrees or 70 degrees on any given day and sometimes all within the same day.  It makes for some interesting mornings getting dressed.  So, the Atlantan fashion-savvy must know how to transition their clothes from summer to fall, for real.   I like the boots-with-a summer dress look, but I think it only looks right (read: not insane) when the weather turns slightly and it isn’t too hot.  I mean, I see women wearing cowboy boots with sundresses in 100 degree weather and all I can think is “baby, your feet must be hot” not “wow, that’s a cool look she has going on”.

The other day was a perfect day to wear a cross-seasonal look.  The day started off cool, warmed up in the afternoon and by 5:00 p.m. it was cool again.  Since I was going to be out all day starting at 8:00 a.m. dropping the kids off at school until an evening school social at 7:30 p.m., I had to dress for the weather fluctuations.  

This is my favorite Lucky Brand dress that I wore often this summer with flip-flops.  But because it has short sleeves (vs. sleeveless) and the colors aren’t so summery, I am able to wear it into fall as well.  In the morning and evening I threw on my long duster for another layer.  I got sort of a less-etherial, funkier Stevie Nicks thing going on.  My Minnetonka boots work so well with this dress!  I bought these boots at Nordstrom back in August and this is the first time that I have worn them.  I love them! I was drawn to their comfort, funkiness and versatility because I can wear them with dresses and skirts or with tucked-in jeans. I will be wearing these boots often all fall and winter.  I have since found out that they are a hot item at Kitson.  I find that really funny because Minnetonka moccasins lived on many feet in my teen-aged home of Minnesota….and I wouldn’t call Minnesotans the gurus of fashion, at least not back in my day.  Corduroy shorts, turtleneck shirts covered with tiny whales or ladybugs, loafers or moccasins–that was the look du-jour.  Or, of course, if you were from Uptown, you copied the androgynous look of esteemed Minnesota resident, His High Holy Purpleness.  Either way, it was awful.

So, here I am years later loving my Minnetonka moccasin boots.  Full fashion circle.

Trying to organize my back-load of photos that need to be scrapbooked (almost 7 years behind..as long as my daughter has been born…hmmm) I found this photo of my daughter as a baby.  I think she is about 5 months old in this photo.  She had some cheeks, huh?  You know I just ate on them all day long.  

As you can see, her eyes were blue, really, really blue (forgive my clumsy red-eye reduction attempt).  Two days after she was born–when she decided to open her eyes–the first thing we said was “Her eyes are blue!”  It was a shock to us as it was to everyone else.  And boy have we heard it through the years!  Her eyes turned green at about a year old and there they have stayed, but we still get the same reaction, even today.  People look at her and comment on her eyes; then they look at me, with my brown eyes.  If I am without my husband, sometimes they don’t say anything because it is possible that her father is the green-eyed parent.  But if we are all together, they look at her, look at me, look at my husband (with his brown eyes), look back at her, and always ask the same question: “So where did she get her eyes?”   Like we bought them at the store on sale somewhere.   The answer that I give, that her grandmother has green eyes, is met with skepticism.  People: I have videotape to prove that I am the one who brought her into the world in my living room on a sunny fall day.  I don’t think anyone wants me to pull that out! 

Genes are funny things.  My husband’s mother was born with blue eyes that turned green, just like my daughter’s.  Both of her two boys have brown eyes and all of her siblings have brown eyes.  The green-eyed gene was waiting to make an appearance once again with the birth of her second grandchild.

Folks mean well, I know, with their comments.  But it makes my daughter feel self-conscious that people question her place in our family because she stands out among our trio of brown eyes.  It doesn’t help that my son basically has a replica of my face on his slightly smaller body.  

My hope is that as she grows, she will not listen to what people say about her eyes or hair or skin, or that she doesn’t resemble anyone in particular in the family.  Instead, she’s got a little bit of everyone in her beautiful face.  She long as she realizes that she is deeply loved in this fabric of a rich, complex heritage, that is all that matters.  

“Here he comes, here comes Speed Racer, he’s a demon on wheels…”  I LOVED watching Speed Racer as a child!  Well, I loved watching the re-runs as it had been off the air for a long time; I’m not that old people! The big eyes, the race car action, the Racer X drama, the funny antics of Spritle and Chim-Chim, well, that made for some great afternoons in front of the TV.   My kids knew the words to the theme song long before they ever saw an episode because I used to sing it all the time.  I was excited when the new movie came out and it was okay; the action was exciting and I like the way Speed’s family was portrayed, but I found it very confusing.  The best part was when Speed jumped out of his car at the end of a race and did his trademark pose from the cartoon.  Smoooooth! Have you seen the new animated Speed Racer television show????   I haven’t either, but the opening song is so bad that I have NO desire whatsoever to watch it.  Sacrilege!  

Here is the best and one and only Speed Racer Song:

As you know from my Barack Obama action figure post, I like to display action figures and dolls in my office; not really as a collection, but for my own amusement and joy.  My kids have stopped asking if they can play with them, because the answer is always NO.  Wait until I die, I say.  Look at this bobblehead I found of Speed & Racer X at Retroplanet.com.  And I found these Speed & Trixie dolls too from Mattel.  I was sleeping on these!  I got get them now!

Go Speed Racer, go Speed Racer, go Speed Racer, Gooooooo!

*I don’t get paid for my opinions in any way; this is just me sharing stuff that I like and I think you will too.

As I have mentioned before, my husband is a Big Wig in interactive media and what you would call an “influencer”.  So, he frequently gets free stuff mailed to him with the hopes that he will blog or talk about the product within one of his many spheres of social networks.  Awhile back the people over at Eboost sent him a big box of their Vitamin Supplement Packets.  I am traditionally very leery of anything said to give you “energy” because I get jittery from caffeine.  I don’t drink coffee, I only can drink one cup of tea and the one time I took No-Doze in college I got ill.   But, sadly, sleep has not been my friend for about 13 years (since my kids have been born…..hmm) and the lure of energy in a packet was tempting.  

I tried Eboost and Hey Mikey! I liked it!  It really gives me energy, but doesn’t make me jittery at all because the energy comes from vitamins, not caffeine.  Loaded with Vitamin C, B-12, Selenium, Zinc, Copper and Green Tea Extract, I actually feel that I am doing something good for my body by taking it.  And I totally notice the difference in how I feel on the days that I don’t take it; I am more sluggish and not as alert.   It is now part of my morning routine (I take it along with my multi-vitamin, calcium supplement and fish oil capsule).  The single packets are great for traveling and I take it with me everywhere. 

Sadly my husband stopped getting Eboost shipments, so I buy it myself through their online store.   Currently it is not available for retail sale in my area, but check the website because it is available in some states as well as national gym and hotel establishments.

I’ve had my Eboost today and I’m off to conquer the world!

*I don’t get paid for my opinions in any way; this is just me sharing stuff that I like and I think you will too.

Conversation between my daughter and her friend as he is entering our house for a playdate.  He sees the Obama sticker in our hallway:

Friend: “Oh, I see you have an Obama sticker.”

Girly: “Yeah, I support Obama; who are you gonna vote for?”

Friend: “Me?  Oh, I’m gonna vote for Obama.”

Girly: “Me too.  Okay, let’s go play.”

They are six years old.

After my husband returned from the Democratic National Convention with very cool Obama t-shirts for himself and The Boy, I was determined to find something equally cool for Girly and I.  But, I didn’t want any old stodgy shirt; whatever I got, it had to be funky.  My sister-in-law hipped me to this site and I found the perfect tee for me and Girly:

Proof that it is possible to be cute and political at the same time!