Travels with Poppy, the Glamour Don't

Greetings, Internet. I'm blogging from a Best Western in Elyria, Ohio, which is just as glamorous as it sounds. We drove for 14 hours today, and I'm makeup-free. And I'm wearing my summer travel outfit: a black t-shirt, a pair of olive green cargo pants, flip-flops, and piles of jewelry.

The jewelry breaks one of my own rules, because I firmly believe that it looks younger and/or hipper to resist the temptation to pile on jewelry. But what happens when you've finished packing the car and find your favorite bracelet and ring next to the kitchen sink? You put them on and clank around all day.

The flip flops are for ease and comfort and for those moments when I want to stick my feet up on the dashboard. Everyone knows it's tacky to keep your shoes on when you put your feet on the dashboard.

The black t-shirt is for when I'm drinking a full cup of coffee and hit a bump in the road. OK, it doesn't look so hot, but it beats wearing a bib. It's pretty sad the way I can predict spilling food on myself. Sad, but accurate.

And the cargo pants not only give me a place to put my phone when I'm pumping gas, they also give me a place to stash the other stuff I discover that we've forgotten to pack. Which is why I spent a good part of the day carrying around a big tube of toothpaste. "Is that a tube of toothpaste," Mr. Buxom asked, "or are you just glad to see me?"

Obviously, I need to face the facts: 1. summer is almost over, and 2. I need to clean up my act!