AL is a'ite

the humidity is doing wonders for my skin.

unbearable heat is a good excuse for subsisting on real fruit popsicles.

i started going to the gym.

people are really friendly.

so i'd say things are a'ite.


but since i am feeling quite the grouch today let me level with you:

i'm annoyed with sources (for my job) who don't want to talk with me on account my employer's religious affiliation. someone told me the needed to pray before they would consent to be interviewed for a story. i'm told that is pretty normal here.

i'm exhusted because i stay up way way way too late watching the olympics. watching isn't quite the right word. this is not a passive viewing experience. i jump up and down, curse, and run around the room while i am waiting for results. maybe i am a little too invested in this.

then i went to church yesterday and the bishop went off on how it is NOT ok for people to be late to church and how it is also NOT ok for kids to get up and during sacrament meeting. this of course made me want to go off on him about how people are doing the best they can and perhaps if he is so worried about this he should step off the stand to help out those parents who clearly have their hands full.

dang i am self-righteous. i blame my bad temper on olympics/popsicle withdrawal. i mean it has been at least 45 minutes since my last reboot. i think i need s stronger drug. looks like i am headed to the store for ice s(cream).

mazel tov friends.  

Are you ready boots?

riding boots are practically perfect in every way. 

you could say they are the mary poppins of boots. 

first off, they look good with everything.  

dress? check. 

leggings? check. 

skirt? shorts? jeans? 

check. check. check. 

and to top it all off, these puppies are made for walking.

so you should probably buy some,  

because let's face it, we could all use a little more 

super-ca-la-frag-al-istic-expi-al-a-do-s-ious 

in our lives.

here are a few of my favorites.

1. Frye Melissa Button Boot $328

2. Ciao Bella Tabby Leather Riding Boot $99.95

3. Target Kasia Riding Boot $69.99

4. Frye Harness 12R Boot $238

5. Target Katherine Harness Boot $59.99

6. Target Magaska Riding Boot $39.99

7. Frye Dorado Riding Boot $458

8. Antonio Melini Elena Boots $149.99

mercedes buying tips:

buy the most expensive boots you can afford. that sounds really elitist, but they tend to be better made so they last longer. they are also less likely to make your feet stink 

(an important consideration if you have feet that smell like a bag of dill pickle chips after a day in cheapies).

if high quality boots aren't in the cards this year, order a pair of cheapies online. i can never find my size in the store but they've always got what i need at target.com.  that sounds like a paid endorsement.  in my dreams

(oh and if you go this route for the love of all that is holy, invest in dr. scholl's oder eaters.)

treat your boots to some weather-proofing spray. it's worth every penny. i know it seems like such a pain in the arse to spend 10 bones on preventative medicine... for your boots. It will do you both good in the long run so quit your belly aching and pony up.  

up next: boots made for night walking.

Peachy Keen

Remember when I said I have peach hair?

I wasn't kidding.

I was going for pink.  To do that you have to bleach out your hair.  I was game. My hair, however, was not.  So I'm giving it a summer vacation.

Coconut oil on the ends.
Kerastase Chronologist treatments.
Argan oil for styling.

Its dry as the sahara--but with a little help from my friend "southern humidity" these locks will be ready for pink in no time.  

One of these days I will post something of substance.  Maybe.

My life is not as bad as I think it is

We are moving. 

To Alabama. 

I am ambivalent. 

I am excited to bomb around the South (Soul Food! Rosa Parks Museum! Gulf Coast!) .

But leaving this crazy state is going to be harder than I thought.  

I will miss: 

my dear friends, 

my job,  

my mountain home, 

and Winco (dude grocery shopping will never be the same for me.)

Some mornings I get anxious and depressed as hell. When that happens, I make a list of all the reasons the sky isn't falling.  

For example:

I still have my job, I'm just working remotely.  

We'll be living in a "foreign country."

My hair is peach....and so on.

But sometimes mental notes don't cut it.  Sometimes a girl need visual reminders--and when that happens (which is pretty much every day) I look at these and say out loud, "Mercedes your life is not as bad as you think it is because....."

1. you are not wearing this cone of shame. 

 2. this bird did not just poop on your head. 

 3. no one is making you eat breakfast. 

 4. your skin is not this saggy. 

 5. this evil child did not just pee on you. 

 6. you are not famous for being morbidly obese.

 7. you are still a woman. 

 8. your husband does not kiss like this. 

and so on. 

inspired by buzzfeed, a nice non-chemical alternative to prozac.