i love freedom

i have been wanting to delve into jonathan franzen's newish novel for quite some time, and am finally going for it.  coming off of a trilogy of  "young adult" novels (the hunger games, obvs), my mind is a bit squishy, but i am ready!  i have read about 30 densely packed pages each night for the last two nights, and i am already in love with mr. franzen's meticulously-detailed-snarky-intellectual prose. 
i have so much respect for any person who is smart and persistent enough to write a novel.  and someone that can write as personally and powerfully as j-franz?  wow, i am in awe.  but don't hold your breath for my freedom review.  at 608 pages, it could be awhile before i finish...

pretty nails

a few days ago, i went with a friend for a waaaaay overdue pedicure.  on a whim, i decided to have one of the ladies there paint my fingernails, too.  omg- what a difference a pro makes!  when i paint my own nails, they look kinda cool in a messy, rocker sort of way, and by day two are already horribly chipped, but for a mere $5 i got the best nail polish job ever!  i have received compliments, have looked adoringly at them uncountable times, and i just feel so damn put together. 
it's the little things, isn't it?!

a hand model, i am not

cold weather feet

i love boots.  and if you know me, you know that i pretty much wear boots and jeans every day all fall and winter long.  in the sweet summertime my toes must be free, but from the beginning of autumn until the warm spring air returns, boots are a staple.  for me, it is only about boots.
that being said, this year i have been ready to invest and venture beyond my trusty black leather campers and classic green hunter wellies.
i have entertained the idea of uggs (but my husband said they don't work on women my age) and sorels (said husband had another strong opinion here, referencing an old joke from his mountain days about women and buffalo.)  so my quest continues.
if i was to get a pair of sorels, they might be fun and flashy like these

or maybe these warm beauties

i also like these

these zipper back rain boots from jcrew are still my favorites.  i might have to have them.

these are also pretty cute!

why, hunter, why??? 

 

i'll keep you posted on the boots, and hopefully other stuff, too.

xo,

hvk

in the beginning...

i want my own blog. 

i have a work blog, i have a family blog, but where do i record the thoughts and moments that fall in between?  the question has been plaguing me for some time, and with the encouragement from some friends on a recent trip to seattle, the answer became clear- i need my OWN blog! 
i'm not exactly sure how long i will be able to sustain it, or what it might contain, but i need a place for my stuff to be filed away (and scrutinized by you, the reader, and hopefully commented on, too!), so here it is.
thanks for helping me remember the life i have outside of the rest of my life.

if only there were more hours in the day...