Whose bed have your boots been under?

My sweet Molly chewing on one of my favs- thanks!

Love, love, love Shania Twain... I have got to add her to my playlist... "and who's heart did you steal I wonder, this time it feels like thunder baby, and who did you run to..." But sadly she is actually not on my mind right now- just the song BECAUSE I have had boots on my mind! I love my family, my dogs, my pictures- they are precious to me!

But in a fire, assuming the before-mentioned things are safe- I am going for my one-of-a-kind, irreplaceable BOOTS!

To some this may sound silly, but to me they are defining- as defining as my red hair. City/ country, single/ married, skinny/ over-weight, wealthy/ poor, casual/ the country club/ many, many parties/ my debutante balls/ the bar/ the ranch- my boots have been with me and are irreplaceable. And even more than that, they are actually irreplaceable because they ARE (often old) and USED.

Every pair of boots I have purchased since I can remember is used, has their own story, history, long before I ever placed them on my feet.

I like to make up stories in my head about who might have worn them- cowboys, movie stars, politicians- highly unlikely at a cost of less than $30, but a girl can dream. Nonetheless, I hold them close to my heart. At any given time I have owned as many as 25 pairs or as few as 5 picked from various flea markets (Canton's First Monday is my favorite), eBay, antique stores, vintage clothes stores, goodwill... you would never believe the cool boots you can find! I have given them as gifts, shared with my mom and sister and traded with friends. I actually went to a true boot outfitter recently with Clay at his urging to see if I would like to get something- heck NO! I am totally spoiled... basic Justin or Ariat boots are nice but there is no creativity to their look, nothing vintage, nothing unique- all the boots that I even kinda liked were over $300! Maybe someday I will buckle down and get something when the teasing gets to be too much, but until then my charge to you- don't settle! Take pride in your boots, enjoy the hunt, have something re-soled, get the leather treated if it's amazing. But most of all don't pay $200 for average boots. Your clothes will show their age at some point, random jewelry can get boring, average shoes will go out of style/ fall apart, but boots get more comfortable with age and even when they do they tell your own little story.

I still have the boots I got engaged in, debuted in, sported all through college, play at the ranch in, and have my first boots as a toddler...

maybe it's an ode to my mother and our special 'boot hunts' or my fierce love for my state and everything it represents or a foreshadowing my life to come. But no matter, next time you see a really cool pair of vintage boots I hope you will stop and take a closer look.