Tom took me to dinner the other night at Ichiban. We sat next to the sweetest family celebrating their little boy’s birthday.

This is what I wore:

Leopard top - F21
Black Tank - Target
Leggings - F21
Boots - Steve Madden

Right now I’m sitting on the couch, sick, watching Gossip Girls and eating homemade chocolate chip cookies. Other than the being sick part, it’s a pretty covetable evening if I might say so. Can’t wait to get better…

Yesterday, Mom, Lindi and I went to Christmas in the Woods at Shaker Woods. I don’t like it as much as the actual Shaker Woods festival in August, but we still had a great time.

Cardigan - Perfect Boutique (Sewickley)
T Shirt - Kawaii Gifts (Shady Side)
White Tank, Jeans and Purse - H&M
Boots - Aldo
Scarf - Gap
Cat - Animal Rescue League

Today I went to church with the family and then to Primanti Brothers for lunch. Yum!

Black Cardigan - F21
Orange Shirt - American Apparel
Belt - H&M
Leggings - Dicks Sporting Goods
Boots - Aldo

Can you tell I love my boots? They’re definitely my favorite shoes at the moment.

- Mimi Pond

Aldo finally got their site up and running.  So here are the boots I bought yestesrday:
Frigane

These are slightly darker than mine.  I bought the Cognac colored ones.  I’m in love with them. 

Next week, as a celebration for my brother and sister-in-law moving here, I will be purchasing these:
Frohaid

It took a lot of self-control not to kick things with these boots on in the store.  I felt like Lara Croft: Tomb Raider in them. 

I’ve always patronized my mother for having an obsession with boots.  This is the first time that it’s plagued me… this boot fanaticism.  I’ve realized that I can literally wear these with EVERYTHING. 

So tomorrow after work Tom and I leave for Philadelphia to help pack up Ryen and Lindi and get their butts here in Pittsburgh.  I’m ecstatic at the thought of having them near me.  We will drive out there tomorrow and turn right around and come back basically.  That’s okay, though, because they’ll be here for good now and I won’t just have to wait until holidays to see them. 

And this is a typical picture of Ryen and Lindi.  Lindi looking all cute and adorable and sweet… and Ryen trying his hardest to make himself look like a complete ass.  But that’s what makes them so lovable.  In this pic, though, you can see on Lindi’s face that she’s about to slap him in the back of the head.

Another fabulous picture of my oh-so-fun sister-in-law..

I’m not entirely sure what Lindi is doing here.  Both of these pictures were taken downtown Pittsburgh at Station Square.  I’m thinking that maybe she was dancing to the water and light show that was going on behind us in the fountain…??  Never a dull moment…

Now if I can just get my other brother and sister-in-law up here, the family would be complete once again.  And hopefully Ryen and Lindi don’t kill me for posting these pictures.

-Bo Derek

Last night I forced myself through a session of retail-therapy.  This is a common remedy in my family for any emotional / physical ailment that might befall us.  After an extremely successful trip to Ross Park Mall, I logged onto forever21.com to order the items that I sadly couldn’t find in the store.

First and foremost, The Emily Pump: (and of course, as I go to add the link, there are no more in the on-line store.  So sorry, but I got the last pair!)

I initially saw these over at Creature Comforts and it was love at first sight.  Lucky me, they only had one size left and it was mine! 

*Update:  The shoes arrived and to my dismay, the heel is about an inch higher than I can manage to walk in.  They’re getting returned this weekend.  Drats.

The other thing I ordered was this adorable H81 Gingham Drawstring Hem Top

I have an ungodly obsession with plaids and flannels for the fall this year.  This is my first purchase of the two and it might just be my last.  I’m not entirely convinced that I can actually pull off the grunge-chic look that I’ve envisioned in my head. 

On top of all this I purchased a good amount of stuff at the mall that I will have to model for you because the images on the website just don’t do them justice… not that pictures of ME wearing them will be any better.

My favorite purchase of the evening were my boots from Aldo’s.  Which, of course, I’m going to have to model because their website seems to be very uncooperative at the moment. 

Shopping definitely makes me smile.  New shoes especially make me smile, but still in the back of my mind is that nagging reminder of everything that’s going on and when the high of finding my soul-mate in the form of a leather strappy flat boot fades, I realize I need another pair of boots.  Just kidding.  Honestly, though, it’s still hard.  I’m anxious for this trying time of my life to be over with and I know that’s horrible.  One should never wish away their life.  So for the moment, until this passes, I drown my sorrow in guilty pleasures such as boots, tunics, turquoise skinny pants, tv shows and most of all, art.  It’s most certainly wonderful to have this little sheltered world here to release all of my anguish in and know that it’s falling on sensitive ears (or eyes since you are reading) with warm hearts.  It really is amazing to find out that you have friends you’ve never met that can share in your pain and your joy. 

Anyway, thank you, all of you, for being there.  It means so much to me.

- Henry David Thoreau

Now, to me, EVERYTHING requires new clothes.  Well, maybe not requires, but I certainly use every excuse I can fabricate to buy new clothing.  Shannylee.com’s renovations are underway, not just in appearance, but in content.  Like I said last time, I feel I’ve been holding back on 90% of who I am because I wanted to keep this little place about art only.  PSH!  Yeah, not anymore.  I was feeling suffocated and confined.  Now I know I can get on here and just say whatever I want about whatever I want. 

So more about the clothes…  Now I would be lying if I said that I woke up every morning with butterflies in my stomach at the thought of getting dressed.  Some mornings I wake up wishing I could wear sweatpants and my husband’s Air Force t-shirts with old flip-flops to work, but the better part of me, the self-respecting part of me won’t let me.  I stare into my closet with disdain, wishing my mother had never bred into me my love for clothing, and I conjure up some outfit, ordinary or not, that gives me that little sigh of relief after gazing in the mirror and reflecting on the torment I endured to pick it out.  Then there are my shoes.  I have never dreaded choosing which shoes to wear.  I have quite unhealthy love affair with my shoes.  Whether they be leather ankle boots, gladiator sandals, or peekaboo wedges; I adore them all.  Here is an outfit from this past weekend on a Vespa ride to Soergel’s Orchards.

Shirt: Lux
Vest:  Target
Belt:  H&M
Shoes:  Steve Madden
Sunglasses:  Kenneth Cole

And what girl wears just a t-shirt on a Vespa?  I had tights on, too.  Those came off as soon as the ride was over because I loath tights.  LOATH, I tell you.
 
And shopping on Saturday at Southside Worx:

Shirt:  Kenar
Jeans & Scarf:  H&M
Gladiator Sandals:  Coconuts
Purse:  UO

I may not have time to draw/paint/sew everyrday, but I definitely DO get dressed everyday, so I’ll be around here alot more. 

The weekend is over.  It was a good one.  Friday night we drove to Philly to stay with my brother and sister-in-law.  Saturday morning we all woke early to finish the trip to Bethany Beach. 

This is, of course, after one very imperative stop.  Free People.  Living in Pittsburgh, we have a variety of stores, styles and price ranges to choose from, but we still have not been graced with the presence of a Free People store.  Anyway, I went nuts.  Here are my purchases that I cannot wait to wear when the weather turns chilly!!

I got the navy blue coat.

I also purchased a dress that I couldn’t find a picture of to share with you and a brass tambourine charm necklace on a mustard braided floss band.

This is what I didn’t get, but haven’t stopped thinking about and might have to order::

So after the most wonderful shopping excursion, we headed off to Delaware to meet up with my family and celebrate Grandma’s 80th birthday.  These pictures will have to come tonight because I am unable to upload my pictures right now. 

The moral of this post is… a 5.5 hour drive to Ardmore is more than necessary to acquire such exquisitely divine clothing.  I’ve already planned another trip for the first weekend in November to revisit.  And perhaps I’ll go to Peddler’s Village and see my sis-in-law at her winery.  Weekend trips are the greatest.

More to follow…

For color week, today is orange and yellow. These 2 colors depict so many happy things in the world.. sunshine, flowers, smiley faces.. Well here are the yellow and orange things that make me happy.

My favorite yellow bag that Tom bought me +
an awesome yard sale find of a chair for $3 +
my yellow living room=
Happy Girl

A painting of mine that is technically unfinished
hanging right outside the bathroom door

Some pretty flowers in mom’s backyard

Books from childhood I found in an old box Mom gave me

An amazing orange velvet chair that Tom’s grandpa gave us.
He gave us TWO!

My absolute favorite vases of KOI fish from Z Gallerie

Beautiful bird that couldn’t stop looking at me at the Aviary..

Gorgeous little Tommie Rae
I added this because we were carving pumpkins and it’s all over her cute little hands

A Lily up on Mt. Washington after a rain..
Yeah, I actually took this picture myself.
It surprised even me.

I took this one too at Phipps Conservatory.
Yes, I took this one, too! haha

Another one from Phipps..

And another…

Last but not least, my adorable, oh-so-lovable kitty, Willie
(in his Christmas hat)

That concludes yellow day and orange day. I actually have another post coming up of my craftiness the past couple of night. I’m gonna have to do it in a separate post, though. This one is just getting too long. If you can’t tell, I absolutely love taking pictures. And I love taking pictures of flowers.. obviously! I hope you all enjoy them. Leave lots of comments! I love to hear from you!