Valentines Day = a perfectly valid reason to have a daughter

Happy belated Valentine's Day! I hope you all enjoyed your day. It was 15 degrees and snowing here, and I spent the day accompanying Miss Buxom to her third audition in three days, then driving her back to northwest Michigan. This morning we went out to breakfast together and bought some dorm supplies, but on Valentine's night, I was KNACKERED. I felt vaguely cheered by the red coverlets on the beds at my hotel, but that was about it for Valentine's Day and me.

However, I do not repine. First of all, last week my husband remembered that it was the 30th anniversary of our first date, and gave me a couple of little presents. How's that for a class act? And look what he's married to, poor man. Not only did I forget our first date, I gave him nothing for Valentine's Day, unless a loaf of sour dough bread from a local Panera Bread counts.

Under those circumstances, how could I feel neglected?

On top of all that, I got to buy my daughter all the cutesie, too-young-for-me products that I, in my childishness, still covet. Want to see?

throat lozenges, candy, Korean Alice in Wonderland cushion foundation, custom iPhone with Minnie Mouse, Minnie Mouse lip balms from Japan, candy

A less washed-out photograph of the Alice in Wonderland cushion foundation, as well as the rest of the collection. SO CUTE.

Seriously, I'm swooning over heah. Let's have another look at these Minnie Mouse lip balms, shall we?

OMG! SQUEEE!!!

I need to grow up.

So did anyone out there do anything—how shall I put this—more sophisticated for Valentine's Day? Something involving candlelit dinners, LBDs, perfume, and champagne? Fill me in so I can live vicariously.

For want of a nail

Right around the time we start thinking about wearing sandals in Chicago, I managed to drop a toolbox on my left foot, and gave myself an owie on my big toe.

The results were just as unattractive as you'd think. I had quite a bit of bruising, and I broke my big toenail. It looked ghastly. It's better now, but I'm off pedicures and sandals and all that wonderful summer stuff until it's  grown out. Toenails grow really slowly, and I'm expecting to make it all the way through the summer without wearing sandals. At least, when I'm trying to look good.

It hardly seems fair. Here I am, not even half way through my fifties, and I've discovered another body part that, out of consideration for my fellow man, really should be covered up.

I mean, it's not like I was looking for work as a foot model, but my feet were OK. People didn't point and stare. But now my toes have joined my upper arms, thighs, buttocks, etc., etc., as body parts that must remain hidden, if only out of politeness.

And I've discovered something. What they always say is true; your shoes really do determine your outfit.

I went through my summer shoes and discovered that they're pretty much all open-toed. I have some pumps and slingbacks that would work for summer, but I didn't have anything that would work with casual pants.

I started shopping. I looked for ballerina slippers, because that was the one closed-toe shoe I could think of that wouldn't be hot or heavy looking. I got some subtle, non-logo-centric Tory Burch ones

and some loud, logo-rific Chanel ones

and these Prada driving shoes, but in beige.

But when I got my new loot home, I realized I didn't have anything to wear with them. My new flats looked completely stupid with every single pair of  pants I own (except--maybe--the bronze woven Tory Burch ones with my cargo pants rolled up.) The rest were all too long and too wide for flat shoes.

So I bought some skinny jeans. I know. Skinny jeans and Poppy shouldn't appear in the same sentence. But you can't wear ballerina flats with bootcuts. Your pants can be cropped, straight, or skinny, but not flared.

I also bought a pair of J. Crew Minnie cropped pants. They're OK. (Actually, they're J. Crew's most popular style. But on me, they're just OK.)

So here I am, with three pairs of shoes, two pairs of pants, and nothing to wear.

Stupid toenail! Grow! So I can wear my sandals.