Why, it was just yesterday that I was talking about pretend catalog shoots, and then a little trip to Target sent me right down that road once again. (The Target trip was mostly to get glue for reattaching the M key to my keyboard, which jumped ship, and now is working, if somewhat stickily, thanks to the glue.)
First Eli, who is a bit cowboy-obsessed at the moment, spied a cowboy hat right off, smacked it onto his head, and that was pretty much that. Then, in a random homey section, I got all taken in by a whole display of mismatched floral items, and there before me was suddenly the apron I’ve been dreaming of. Yeah, I know, I could not be more of a suburban housewife if I tried. Dreaming of an apron. Good grief. But anyway, there it was, and yes I know that I’m sure some brilliant Etsy person could probably make me the same thing but what if it wasn’t perfect and I had to try to return this handmade thing? Plus I just never get around to seriously perusing the massive apron listings. And there was my dream apron, in Target, all waiting for me. I’ve had aprons before but they’ve been the sort of classically-shaped kind, which are uncomfortable, and frankly unflattering. And you may have noticed I bake a lot, and every single time I get flour all over me. Plus habitually wipe my hands on my pants.
Well, and anyway, so we got home and suddenly it occured to me that apron + hat = Sundance catalog. So here, for your amusement:
Though in retrospect I should have moved the Boppy pillow from the background. Boppy doesn’t belong in the Sundance catalog. At least it’s the denim cover, which is marginally Sundancey.
And of course you get to see E sporting the hat:
This would be from the Catalog of Eli: squirrels in bucket truck shirt, cowboy hat, plate with waffle leavings.
In other news, if you squint out the window behind Eli, you can see that the snow berm is now to the top of our five-foot fence.
Howdy! W. was a cowboy for Halloween in October, and, because I jump at most any chance to get dressed up, I was a cowgirl. And what I want to say is this: it wasn’t really that hard for me to find the necessary components for cowgirl costume in my closet: boots from Carlisle (that great western outpost where we went to college), hat from the Rodeo Bar (believe it or not, an outing we went to with child after reading about it on gocitykids.com), courderoy (maternity) jumper, apron (mom gift), husband’s leather belt, ruffle-necked shirt (don’t ask) and holey cardigan sweater that I wear daily anyway (mr. Rogers like). So, I just want to say, I feel you: who DOESN’T want the perfect apron, and a chance to wear their hair in braids, and feel like perhaps she could stride around with wide cowwoman strides and take care of things ferociously and not be messed with. I DO I DO!
Yeehaw. this is very real, by the way. I did that cowboy-mania themed 3 books commentary for npr, and got lots of emailed “me too!”s and one actual listener postcard! I read tons of western fiction for it, and it was a very, very pleasant time. sort of wished I dressed in costume for the picture, cuz yours looks so nice!
And I also have my cowboy boots from that Carlisle jaunt, and was about to wear them for the photo above, but realized I’d need a much larger house to get back far enough to get the hat and the boots in the photo (so instead I’m wearing slippers, which you can’t see).
And I think you’re right in what you’ve brought up about how it’s very East-Coast-girlhood of us to dream about cowgirldom. Do you think people who grow up Wyoming dream about sailing, or lobster fishing, or islands, or New York City? I imagine so.
And since you’re not going to link to it, I will. Everyone! Go listen to Emily talk about cowboy books! http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=91155807
Huge snowfall outside and you’re just wearing a t-shirt under that apron? Go put on a sweater, missy! You’re making me cold just looking at you!
As usual, I must know where I can procure the same shirt for Sam. He’d flip out over a squirrel-in-a-bucket-truck shirt. (Sam is pretty much Eli’s mini-me.) Has Eli read Cowboy Small yet? That’s one of Sam’s favorites.
How cool that a hat store ad came up when I clicked to leave a message! Love the outfit on both of you. But what are you doing in a short sleeve shirt in your house! Must be a bit warmer in Maine than chez moi.
We like Cowboy Small, but Engineer Small (of “The Little Train”) is really the one who does it for Eli.
The shirt was procured off of eBay. It’s by Mulberribush. That’s the shirt brand I generally get the boys because they’re cute and not camo print. And well made, so you can get other people’s used clothing and they’ll still last through two kids. And they want to wear them. Just search in the boy clothing area on eBay for “Mulberribush.”
I changed back into my regular shirt after my mini photo shoot. Somehow it didn’t look as Sundance to have on my big green cardigan.
Oh! I like Mulberribush. Sometimes they have stuff on kidsurplus.com, too.
Relieved re: sweater.
wow! what a great site anne! I didn’t know it existed! and thanks julie for reminding me about ebay for little boys. I like the way you’re squinting into the distant prairie for sign of trouble comin’ – or maybe sniffing a troublesome diaper. can’t say. that is one kind of trouble, isn’t it?
(thanks for the plug, too, she says embarrassedly).
I didn’t know about that site either! Thanks, Anne! (And thanks Anne and Mom, for your concern about me dressing appropriately for winter. Rest assured, I’m properly bundled.)
Yes, I’m either looking to see if the stagecoach is comin’, or wondrin’, “What in tarnation is that stink?”
Want!