Girlie Girls

Lo, those many years ago, i.e. pre-marriage, pre-babies, pre-everything that I do now, there was no way I would've walked out of my house without painted fingernails, painted toenails, smell good, and lip gloss.

Fast forward 30 years as I leave the house now.

"Teeth brushed?"
Check

"Deoderant on?"
Check

"Clothes on?"
Check

"Allrighty then. I'm good"

But yesterday, oh sweet yesterday.

Yesterday held a new and previously untried luxury for me.

The kiddo and I entered into the Wonderful World of Bought and Paid For Pedicure-Land yesterday.

I think that may possibly have been the greatest moment of my life. Well, that and the glory-hallelujah-I-finally-birthed-this-baby moments.

Anyway, we walk in, announce that we are there for a pedicure, sign in and are told to "choose a color."

Choose "a" color. That shouldn't be hard. It's going to be red. Always red. If I'm going to make a statement, that statement will be made in red. But nobody mentioned that there were so MANY MANY shades of red to have to choose from. I finally settle on a red with an "S" in it, Seductive red, Streetwalker red, I don't know.

Then, to the chair of all chairs. I slid my fat self into that chair, put my feet in that water and I was a goner. It was so great. Warm, foot-massaging water. I was so hooked. Then came the cutting of the toenails, the shaping of the toenails, the lotion on the feet, the taking-off-the-rough-skin on the feet. Then, finally the polishing of the toenails. The skin surrounding my toenails wanted to shout for joy. Let's just say I don't color inside the lines very well when I paint my toenails and fingernails.



Then the next decision to make was: "What will I wear to church tomorrow, and what pair of shoes will go with these fabulous toenails?"

So here were the choices this morning:









For the record, I wore the white ones.

Anyway, this love of shoes, therefore love of painted toenails, emerges early on in the girls of this family.



Years ago, when my now-30-year-old niece was about 3, she came up missing in the K-Mart. My sister panics and goes to look for her. Was she in the Toy Department where other 3-year olds would be? Nooooo, she's in the Shoe Department, trying on shoes.

Anyway, we like shoes. We like painted toenails. You know why? Because it's a GIRL thing.

Don't believe me? Just check out this sampling from church this morning:






















So the next time you see my camera pointed toward the floor at a wedding reception, you'll know why. It's because I know that getting all dressed up doesn't stop at your hem line. I take head-to-toe seriously.

Because XX marks the spot.