Mushroom Madness and the Converse Queen & #SpreadTheKindness Link Up On the Edge #675
I mentioned yesterday that we just returned from a 5 day road trip to Asheville, North Carolina, and I am still trying to catch up on things in blogland including the sifting through of vacation photos before I can share more about our trip.
I was ready to really get rolling on things yesterday morning after taking the kids to school when we received a notification two hours into the school day that the kids would be dismissed in one hour. There was a water main break that has sent our little town into a governor- declared state of emergency. We essentially ran out of water. Although the break was repaired late yesterday, schools are canceled again today for lack of clean drinking water. We are still under a boil water advisory, probably for another 3 to 5 days, until the system is repressurized and clean water starts flowing freely again.
So my planned day to catch up on blogging things quickly turned into a day of feeding all the hungry children that arrived at my house at 10:30 a.m. yesterday morning. One is still here today and will probably remain here until Sunday night. But that’s okay. These children, my own and the ones who belong to others and are frequent fixtures in my home, they make my heart so very full.
Anyway, since I am not ready to share details of my North Carolina trip, it seemed appropriate to share my awesome mushroom poncho which I picked up in Asheville on my last trip to North Carolina in February. I was going to provide a link to a post about my last trip but I never wrote one! Oops.
On that trip, I found this magical mushroom poncho in a little hippie boutique in Downtown Asheville whose name I cannot recall. It was stocked with all things Grateful Dead, psychedelic, and tie dye. A happie hippie haven, indeed. I almost didn’t get this fantastic fungi poncho because I almost didn’t see it. I was standing in the checkout line holding a really cool teal and brown Grateful Dead poncho when I spotted the purple peeking out from between two other ponchos. I stepped out of line and tugged at it to reveal the glorious display of purple polypores. And I was sold. But I was also sold on the Grateful Dead one. So I bought both and gave the other one to Becca. It looks so good on her. Teal is her color!
I styled this poncho back in April specifically to photograph an outfit wearing my old brown high top Converse sneakers. I had been cleaning out my closet when my sister informed me that her 14 year old granddaughter (my great niece, or is it grandniece?) is as Converse crazy as I once was. And she wears the same size shoes as I do. So I sent her a photograph of my Converse collection to select one pair that I would mail to her with the understanding that she may have all the others if she comes to visit me. Postage would be way too expensive to send that many pairs of shoes by mail!
She selected the brown high top ones. Probably because they really are the coolest pair in the bunch. They fold over and snap down to reveal the brown and white herringbone print on the inside. After searching and searching, we have dated this style of Converse to around 2004. They are just a few months shy of being vintage.
Before packing them up and shipping them out, I decided these sneakers needed their moment in the spotlight. I have had them for 19 years, after all. I have no recollection of where I purchased them but I do recall wearing them fairly regularly during my 30th year of life. After that, their appearances became less and less regular to only occasional and infrequent. And now I cannot recall the last time I put my feet inside of them. So I was happy to pass them along to someone who will love and appreciate them as vintage fashion! For posterity’s sake, however, I wanted to put my feet inside of them one last time and take a few photographs.
So I styled them with an old purple tie dye maxi tee shirt dress with a “Queen” graphic which was the perfect pairing for the color palette of my mushroom poncho. The graphic seemed appropriate for a celebration of my queenly collection of Converse as I pass it onto the next generation of sustainablility-minded fashionistas.
The time has finally come to hand off my Converse crown because these old sensitive feet did not appreciate the cuteness of these sneakers as they once did. In my 20s, fashion over comfort was a common theme. As I approach 50, my feet and the rest of my body and soul are choosing comfort every time! Converse are cute but my feet are finicky. Therefore, the Converse Queen resigns!
Do your feet decide your footwear choices? Have you ever chosen fashion over comfort? Why do we do such things?
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Keeping it on the edge,
Shelbee
Joining these Link Parties.
Outfit Details: Poncho-Hippie shop in Asheville, North Carolina / Dress-Charlotte Russe / Sneakers-Converse / Socks-Sock Dreams / Necklace-Rainbow Zen / Earrings-Vendor table at a Grateful Dead cover band show
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
I am a midlife woman, wife, and stay-at-home mother of 2 boys and 2 cats. I have a passion for helping other women feel fabulous in the midst of this crazy, beautiful life.
24 Comments
Suzy Turner
What a fantastic poncho, Shelbee! I LOVE it!!
As for Converse, I went through a phase of wearing them ALL the time, especially after we visited the States because they were so cheap there, we bought so many pairs lol. But I got rid of almost all of them a couple of years ago because they were so uncomfortable to wear! They did look good though lol!
Big hugs
Suzy xx
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Suzy! Are Converse really cheap here? I thought they were rather expensive! LOL For what you get. They have no support and no flexibility. It kind of amazes me that so many people are obsessed with uncomfortable shoes! Haha. I do sometimes wear the slip on style Converse as well as my black ones, but the rest of them will be passed on to my niece. She rocks them!
xoxo
Shelbee
Di
That is a fabulous purple mushroom poncho! It looks so cozy, too. When I was a teenager in high school, I wore my black low top Converse constantly. Today, no way, I need arch support. I still have some not so comfortable shoes in my closet, but they are gradually being purged, shoes need first and formost to be comfortable to be purchased today! Also, I so enjoyed your previous Halloween costume retrospective. Having school age kids in the house really makes Halloween magical and puts you in the spirit of the holiday! Thanks for the link up, and enjoy your weekend!
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Di, thanks so much! Aging brings us so much wisdom, doesn’t it? Like how to listen to our feet! Haha. I remember spending the summers walking barefoot on hot sidewalks and gravel without wincing. Now I can’t even walk barefoot on a plush carpet without discomfort! I have so much purging to do and it feels really great to do it! This poncho is so cozy. I was bundled up in it at the festivals this year and it kept me really warm in the cool night air. I hope you have a wonderful Halloween, my friend! We will definitely be in the spirit of the holiday.
xoxo
Shelbee
Rena
Have you tried platform-style Converse yet? I have two pairs and they are extremely comfortable. I’m wearing a pair in my “doing it wrong” post that I added to the link-up. My footwear choices have changed dramatically over the last decade or so, especially after bunion surgeries. It’s so nice to put on a pair of shoes to wear without feeling dread over what level of pain I will likely incur during the day.
Rena
http://www.finewhateverblog.com
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks, Rena! I have not tried the platform Converse yet. They look really cute on other people but I don’t know if they’re really my style. Actually, putting aside the comfort issue of Converse, I really don’t wear sneakers of any sort very often at all. And I have a ton of sneakers! They kind of all need to be moved out. My feet have become so sensitive from my Raynaud syndrome that now I am super picky about my socks as well as my shoes. I can no longer walk barefoot comfortably which makes me really sad. Birkenstocks have been such a blessing! I wear them around the house all day every day and my sensitive feet are happy. So the Converse are getting passed down to the next generation and my insane sock collection is being turned into some really adorable crafts which I will share soon!
xoxo
Shelbee
ratnamurti
Vibrant colours really suit you, Shelbee. Especially purple. 🙂
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Ratnamurti, thanks so much! I am embracing all the bright and vibrant colors these days. They make my soul happy!
xoxo
Shelbee
Marsha Banks
Shelbee!!!! That poncho is gorgeous and absolutely perfect for you! And, the dress underneath is fabulous, too! I love that you are giving all those Converse shoes to your niece! My son always had several pairs of them, but he never kept them. They got too old and smelly! He’d definitely be impressed by your collection! I do hope you’ll write a post about this last road trip! I can’t wait to hear all about it. Thanks for the link up!
https://marshainthemiddle.com/
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Marsha! As uncomfortable as the Converse are, at least the dress and poncho make up for it in comfort level. This dress feels like a nightgown. It is that super soft brushed fake cotton fabric. I also have it in a gray tie dye with a “Blessed” graphic. I don’t find the dress all that flattering, but, like I said, comfort wins out over fashion these days! Bundle me up in my long layers and leave me be. My Converse haven’t gotten too smelly because I just don’t wear them enough. I will definitely hold onto the black ones, the two slip on ones, and maybe the blue came ones. Those are my most worn pairs that have actually been on my feet in the past year or two. As for the others, years and years have gone by since I have worn them. So they don’t smell like stinky feet but they do probably smell like my musty dusty basement. I am going to work on that North Carolina post for next week. Unfortunately, Michelle and her husband got sick and couldn’t join us. But the rest of the trip was amazing!
xoxo
Shelbee
Nancy
What a collection! I used to love them too, but they are so uncomfortable really. Now it is…. love the brown ones! Really something for you to buy one for Becca. Always thinking of others!
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Nancy! Converse are ridiculously uncomfortable. I can’t believe that they started out as basketball sneakers. They aren’t even comfortable enough for light strolling. I can’t imagine they were any good for playing basketball! Eek. Let the young kids wear them! I’ll pass mine on. Hahaha
xoxo
Shelbee
Gail
You’re a kind soul Shelbee, offering refuge to the children and giving away precious sneakers to the next generation. I love a poncho! Great colors.
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Aww, thanks so much, Gail! I really am a pay-it-forward kind of person. So many people have shown kindnesses to me, I have to keep the circle unbroken and set an example for the next generation! Have a wonderful weekend!
xoxo
Shelbee
Amy Johnson
Oh, sorry to hear about the water main break. That’s no fun. Thanks for the party!
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks, Amy! It hasn’t been too bad. Except there is no bottled water left in stores anywhere near me! I hope you are having a wonderful weekend.
xoxo
Shelbee
Joanne
Wow, you really do have quite a Converse collection. I don’t think I ever wore those but I did wear some penny loafers from Bass until the bottoms literally fell off of them. I loved them so much and remembered them as being my most comfortable shoes… so I bought a pair recently and they immediately went back. I definitely need more cushioning and support now.
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Oh my gosh, Joanne, I had some Bass penny loafers, too! I remember my best friend had them so naturally I HAD to have them, too. They were awfully uncomfortable just like Converse! Comfy feet are a must these days!
xoxo
Shelbee
Patrick Weseman
That pancho is super cool. Love it. Thanks for hosting and I hope that you have a wonderful week. Oh, did you buy an Ashville Tourists hat. I have one.
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Patrick! I am loving all the mushroom things! I did not buy an Asheville Tourists hat! We didn’t do any sporting things on this trip. I do have two baseball hats that just say Asheville!
xoxo
Shelbee
Jennifer
I really love the colour of this outfit!
Jennifer
Curated by Jennifer
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks, Jennifer! Me, too! My husband and I have both on a purple kick lately! He has added 4 new purple shirts to his wardrobe this year.
xoxo
Shelbee
Your True Self
Oh, yes, comfort over fashion! I also used to wear shoes even if they hurt because they looked right. But now, I probably have dozens of beautiful shoes to give away. In fact, I have come to favor comfort in everything I wear now. Why did we ever do otherwise?! Well, we’re older & wiser now as well as older & bolder. Which means, older isn’t so bad, is it? Lol! Thanks for a well-written and entertaining post, as usual – Angie, http://www.yourtrueselfblog.com
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Hahaha. Yes, we are older and wiser and very much bolder, too! There is so much power in that, isn’t there? Life gives us enough uncomfortable things to deal with, we shouldn’t have to bother with uncomfortable clothes and shoes, too!
xoxo
Shelbee