I would rule the HELL out of the Phillipines…

Today’s PhotoHunt Theme: Shoes. 

… for free shoes.  Just call me Imelda.  In fact, many of my friends used to.

Why?  Because I’m a freakin’ Shoe Horder.

And let’s just get this first thing straight.  I’m really no girly girl. 

(Aside: I totally just heard Hans & Franz in my head calling me a “Gurrlie Gurrrl.”)

Anyway – not a big ‘girly girl.’  In fact, until the end of grad school, I even refused to wear pink.

I am also not what I’d call A Material Girl.  So often, for me, less is more.

In fact, weirdly enough for the point I’m trying to make here… I LOVE being barefoot.

But, still… shoes?  I LOVE SHOES.  *twitches a little*

Cute shoes, comfie shoes, flip-flops, heels, tennies, boots, sandals, whatevs. 

I have even loved some very ugly shoes. 

Just.SHOES.

At almost 3 months pregnant, I had to do a very, VERY painful thing.

We were preparing to move to Nashville, TN from Austin, TX, leaving behind jobs, friends, home, and one dog… because of a Gig change for John.  And while that, in and of itself, was gut-wrenching… and I had to pack almost the entire house myself (while working a 40+hr/wk job) because John was already living in TN…  the WORST part was deciding I had to pare down The Shoe Collection.

We had WAY too much stuff to move.  And I had to pack it all.  And I was FREAKING TIRED.  My body was making a human being at the time, and all.

So, when I started packing the shoes… and realizing that there were still shoes in The Shoe Collection which I bought in HIGH SCHOOL? (Sorry to yell at you but, HIGH SCHOOL, PEOPLE.)  I had to face the realization that these shoes needed to go to a new home.

At Goodwill.  Where my tired ass wouldn’t have to pack or lug them across several states.

So… about 40 pairs of shoes were donated to Goodwill.

*cringe*

And the ones I kept still filled a box.  A, um, large box. 

Unfortunately, pregnancy not only gave me a beautiful baby boy -

- but a permanent widening of my feet.

So, guess what I discovered, which was still holding true even way, WAY after Braden was already happily cruising through this world, getting into way too much crap -

- and constantly demonstrating to us the power of his lungs… can you guess?

MY SHOES DO NOT FIT ME ANYMORE.

Only a few pair still fit.  *cries into hands*

And so, slowly, I have donated small loads of my beloved shoesies here and there, to Goodwill. 

And The Collection has dwindled greatly.

But please, don’t grieve for me too much.

I’ve managed to keep my claws in some good ones. 

And slowly, ever so slowly… perhaps we will see The Collection rise again.

A Shoe Horder can dream, can’t she?