Well, those all knowing, carefree days have come and gone and now I am a mom with: unshaven legs, stretched out tummy skin, my mom's hair, unpainted toenails, ice age taste in music, some sketchy clothing, great skin (I am still in denial about my wrinkles), and a limited vocabulary littered with the word poop. I know this post is supposed to be about gratitude and I am getting to it.
These days I have found comfort in shallow indulgences. When the poop is plentiful and the whining at a fever pitch, I put on a pair of pretty shoes.
A pretty shoe can turn tired, unkempt feet into a vision of grace and femininity.
A pretty shoe can turn an overworked housewife into a girl with people to see and places to go (even if the only thing on the agenda is the grocery store).
Pretty (and colorful) shoes put a skip in my step and a swing in my hip.
Pretty boots can hide a multitude of sins. Boots cover my unpolished toes. My hair covered legs can go undetected by a tall pair of boots. The ugly side of maternity is hidden by a good pair of sturdy boots (and the pair of strong, suntan colored ted hose that I had to wear summer of 2006, and no you cannot see a picture. Those days will have to be the subject of fables and folklore).
No matter how many wrinkles I accrue,
or how much poop I clean up,
I will always be grateful for the quick-fix of a pretty shoe.
23 comments:
I hesitate to write this here for everyone to see, but last week I found myself struggling not to buy a pair of really cool leather hipster-ish shoes in Uppsala, Sweden for a price that...well, let's say that that money could just have been used somewhere else. Not to mention that it was rather ridiculous to buy another pair of shoes to add weight and bulk to the giant backpack I was carrying across Northern Europe...but I bought them anyway, wore them out of the store and shoved my the worn
Asics running shoes I had been wearing in my pack and kept walking ...and I felt a lot cooler in Sweden and Norway because I had those shoes...
So, Martha, point is: I got your back.
PS I like the idea of those plush pink babies putting a swing in your hip...
also if you go to my blog and look really really closely at the pic of me squatting in the woods and moss in Bergen, you can see those awesome shoes...
yeah I hiked in them...
I love your shoes. I wish I had the ability to put pretty shoes as a priority, because as Posh Spice put it on Ellen the other day, it really makes a girl feel good. But alas, I was a tired mom before I was even a mom, in the shoe category at least, putting comfort and sensibility before all else. I have branched out a bit, have two pairs of heels, neither of which can be worn in the winter. And am contemplating buying another pair of knee high boots. I have some brown ones; I love to wear in the winter. I feel kind of stylish even. And now I've decided I need black too. That's not frivolous, right? Black and brown. You can't really have just one and call it good. Anyhoo . . .I am grateful for shoes too, not the pretty necessarily, but the comfortable, get me around this city with my stroller: running shoes, danskos, chacos . . .those are the shoes that make me say, Thanks! But they don't necessarily put a swing in my step.
You always have the cutest clothes and shoes. I especially love the high heels with the grey bow. I think I need some new shoes now...
I like your shoes too Martha...I'm especially grateful that Nathan didn't let something as mundane as practicality stand in the way of a gratifying purchase...as they say, its an investment!!! I think you get my drift.
I'm with you on shoes...especially in my overweight phase...(I'm hoping still it's a phase) ANYWAY, loving shoes!!! And love that no matter how fat I am I can still wear my shoes!
Darling shoes.
I wish I could say I had cute shoes, but my big feet and need for orthotics keeps me, thus far, in very sensible shoes. Once in a blue moon I can find something at least slightly hip, but rarely anything truly fabulous.
Be grateful for your feet! :)
Love all those shoes. You are very vintage, girl. I'm all about the spike heels that hurt in 10 minutes. That's while they call them church shoes.
Those babies are things of beauty. I'm thankful you are thankful for something shallow and I wish I could see you at church all dressed up and feeling pretty!
I. LOVE. THOSE. GREEN. SHOES.
But I am not coveting, cause that would be a sin.
I. JUST. LOVE. THEM.
Shoes and me? Not really. Give me a good pair of flip flops and I'll be smiling... oh, and my cow-boy boots, those things are cozy.
You do have quite the collection of lovely shoes though.
What mom clothes? You have one of the best closets I can think of!
What a fun lunch we had today. We need to get together more often. I'm a big fan of girlfriends and food.
i am So in love with those shoes with the silver bows...do you wear a six and half so we can share??
Jen-I do wear a six and a half!
So it turns out that I'm a little "slower" than the rest of you - I finally had to call Laurie before I got it figured out!
I'm with everyone else...love the shoes. Most of my shoes fit into the catergory of "one hour shoes". My feet hurt after an hour because the heels are so high, but hey, I love them!
Thanks, Martha, I now have a new addiction!
I LOVE this post! It makes me want to go put on my most favorite shoes just to sit at my computer!!Lunch was so much fun, we'll have to do it again!
Martha...left you a phone message...call me when you get that.
Love you dearly and don't ever stay awake stressing on my account.
I heart the boots in your last photo! You have a beautiful collection:)
I love shoes too! and yours are full of personality...i love it!
Ah yes, a kindred spirit.
wow... I knew that you had a collection over there, but to have every pair be so stylish? You are amazing... Shoes are a small problem over here as well. I love to shop for shoes, because no matter how chubby my butt is - a size 6 1/2 fits on the feet! Whew! I am loving the rubbermaid shoe boxes. Clear with lids - Costco hooked me up in the Spring. Have you seen them?
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