An Ode to my Booties

Turtleneck: J Crew
Skirt: Target
Belt: Ann Taylor
Booties: Aldo
Earrings: gift?
Sunnies: Puerto Rico


Dear booties,

I love you. I love that I found on super sale at the Aldo Outlet and thus paid a fraction of the price for you. I love that you have a sturdy heel, that you've challenged me in my shoe styling options, that you're warm but not too hot.


I love how comfortable you are and how strong I felt the day I walked uphill for 3/4 of a mile on my way home from work while wearing you (I won't mention how sore I was for the next couple days). You're probably my best shoe purchase is what I'm saying.

Don't ever change.


Love,
Frances Joy

Thankful

Top: Sonoma via Kohl's
Skirt: Gap
Belt: Banana Republic
Earrings: Turkey
Booties: Aldo
Sunnies: Puerto Rico

Y'all, I live here. This is my front yard. Let me say that again, because it is so amazingly beautiful, that I can't even believe it: this is my front yard.


I have to admit that sometimes I have a crappy attitude about living in the middle of nowhere. We have no phone service at our house, not even cell signal. We can't get Internet until the state-run communications/electric company approves the request for phone service that was put in for this house ten years ago (yeah, you read that right). We don't have a tv, can't get mail, and have electrical issues that I won't even go into because they are myriad and complicated.


And I'll readily admit that I'm not outdoorsy and don't believe I'm cut out for country living. If this were Green Acres, I'd be Eva Gabor. But this, this beauty around me? This reminds to be thankful.


And I am thankful. I'm thankful for the experience, for our sweet, sweet students, for the mountains and volcanos around us, for the strawberries grown in this region, for the hospitality and friendliness that's been showered upon us. I'm thankful for my coworkers, for the fact that Kiku is here with us, for the miraculous health care I received here, for the fact that I'm forced to take a mini vacation every three months to keep me refreshed. I'm thankful for the blog and the connection that it provides to the rest of the world....


And seriously, how amazing is it that I live here?

Wordless on the beach

Dress: J Crew
Sandals: Chinese Laundry
Sunnies: Puerto Rico
Earrings: Turkey
Bag: H&M

Y'all, my words can't compete with that sunset.

Color Rotation - Purple

Dress: New York & Co. via Ross
Earrings: Turkey
Sunnies: Puerto Rico
Beach: San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua

I think I'm going to make this my last color rotation post, just because I've lost track of what I've posted, what I've photographed, and what I've blogged. I'm lame like that.


Anyway, this is purple. When I was fourteen, I wore purple almost everyday, and then my mom said, "I'm not going to buy you any more purple stuff." I think she was afraid I was going through a Prince stage or something - funny because I've never really liked Prince (Sorry). Anyway, after that, I kind of didn't really like purple for a long time and I avoided it. Clearly, I'm less avoidy now, but I don't have a whole lot of it.


Anyway, we spent the past weekend in Nicaragua renewing our Costa Rican visas. Basically, we need to leave the country for forty-eight hours every three months. Some people might consider this an inconvenience, but I have to say that I NEEDED the weekend off - for real off, not off like, I just have one meeting this weekend! Yay! No, this was like, no cooking, no alarm clocks, no being far from the beach off.


I did a whole lot of this (three books in a single weekend, y'all!), a lot of swimming, and a lot of tanning (yell at me; I know better). I ate well, I walked on the beach with B, and I relaxed more than I have in a long, long time. It was nice. Really nice.