Chucks - the bigger the better!

This has been a big growing year for me. I just finished my first year of college at Temple University in Philadelphia. I changed my major second semester and entered the Tyler School of Art, where I'm planning on getting my Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. I'm planning on obtaining my teaching certificate and someday maybe moving into art therapy. That being said, I told you that in order to explain how my submission to you came to be. In my 3D class we were given pieces of styrofoam and told to make an extension of our bodies using the foam.  For my project I created a stop motion animation and used the styrofoam to create oversized shoes that I wore all over campus to document a daily routine I follow at school.  It was a pretty fun project to carryout.  In all there were over 3000 pictures taken and countless staring, laughing, and pointing. A few random people even asked to try them on. Hope you enjoy. And I just wanted to thank you for coming up with such a creative blog. I'm always interested to see what kinds of crazy pictures will appear when I log in.

-Jimmy

*Check out Jimmy's blog and final project. You'll love it. 

Wii Feet

This is how we roll.

I spy with my little eye...

I don't have a drivers license. That means my adventures can be quite limited and not very spur of the moment. Husband works disgusting hours which means after work he's in no mood for driving or walking or moving.

If I'm lucky and he has a Saturday off he sometimes surprises me with an adventure he's been planning all week. I love to see things. I'm the kid with her face pressed against the glass on a road trip. Trying to see everything. Always pointing to things we pass for husband to look at who always very kindly reminds me that he can look - which he would love to do - and we can die OR he can keep his eyes on the road and we can live. Even if I chose the first option it's too late because of his scripted answer. Life is good though.

Last Saturday he planned a trip to somewhere neither of us had been before. The Arboretum. The day was perfectly sunny. The flowers were beautiful. My hand holding partner was happy. I was happy. The water feature only added to my delight.

Who is your adventure partner? What's the best unplanned adventure you've been on? Is there a place you've been meaning to visit but haven't found time? - I challenge you to go! And send us a picture ;)

bare footsies

to me summer means exploring with bare feet.

Like a Deer in Disco lights...

I don't remember the first time I came across Doe Deere but I do remember the picture that made her stick in my mind. The little antler wearing deer girl. A-doe-rable, no?
I know I don't need to convince you that she's great but we all know I love a good list so here goes...

Why I heart Doe Deere:
Her make-up and tutorials.
Her blog and creativity and beauty.
Her name and her zest and her pep talks.
Her thoughts and stories.

Her tootsies and shoes!

"I'll be honest - when I first heard about The Gypsy Feet blog, I was convinced it was run by a dirty old man! But seeing how Laura is not old and not a man at all, it's ok to indulge in a little foot fetishism. ;)

My feet are different sizes. No matter what I do, the right one seems to be at least half an inch longer than the left! Sometimes I wish they sold mismatched pairs for odd-footed people like me. I love to dress up my own feet in colorful socks, shoes & nail polishes. Yesterday I bought two identical pairs of shoes in different colors: sea-foam green and yellow. I plan to wear the yellow on my left foot and the green on my right. Now, of course, I'm stuck with an extra pair of mismatched shoes - maybe I'll sell them on eBay!"

-Xenia

What are you waiting for?
Be a Deerling and go visit her!

Yellow Brick Memories...

I love these feet in these shoes to remind me.......

1. she won't be little forever

2, her love of playing "pretend" 

(I think we should all do a little more of that)

3. of my love for wizard of oz when I was her age

(isn't it lovely when your memories become their memories)

4. that the idea of happy endings still exists and we can always find our way back home.

-Makaya

(Makaya Larson Photography)

"Ah got shot on the butt-tocks"

We had quite a good turn out for our movie themed photo challenge. It went from a two week challenge to a three week and now this is week four and I'm posting what I think is my fav pic. It's taken me this long to choose because I hoped everyone would forget so I wouldn't have to choose - they were all great! Take a gander here.

And the winner iiiiis...

Drrrrrrumrrrrrroll...

Good job Kirsty! I really love this and love that you got Mr. Kirsty and the wee man to join in too.

With a twist.

Before we were married pre-husband and little sister would play Twister all the time. I always got to spin - my fav because I laugh too much and too hard to have any control over my body.

Playing Twister and also Hide and Seek with my husband and little sister are some of my favorite memories ever.

One of my favorite memories of Twister was when two of my sisters were playing with husband and all were in awkward positions when one sister declared, "I'm going to *pump!" At that moment husband's head was extremely close to her bottom. The game lasted maybe one more second after her declaration. She won.

*fart.

Strolly Poly.

Maybe when we don't behave like children when we're at the zoo we'll start to think about actually having our own children. 

Until then, we're taking our time.

Ain't no thang.

Art Gallery

On the Saturday before I left Glasgow again for a few weeks, or a couple of months – i've not decided how long yet – i went to the art gallery with my mother and brother. We were talking about and comparing paintings in preparation for my brother's art exam.

There were many interesting things at the art gallery, and the best part is that it was free.



These are my feet with my mother brother while we look at butterfly specimens.

Panda Expressions...

Along with Italian Soda's I have to admit that Panda Express Orange Chicken is another of my favorite American things. I was so excited to have it last night so I could strike it off my summer list. - Our gypsy, Megan is collecting Live lists. Check it out.

Growing up we'd sometimes get Chinese (or Indian) food as a treat, normally on a Friday or Saturday. It wasn't a frequent thing until we got older and were able to buy our own but we don't have Orange Chicken where I come from. My favorite and 'my usual' was Sweet and Sour King Prawn with Egg Fried Rice. Basically the best thing in the world. My older sister, Emma would always get Chow Mein and I always thought it looked slimey and gross until Panda Express. Now I'm like, "rice who?" YUM!

Panda Express has the best Orange Chicken - crunchy, crispy, zingy, sweet, sticky... but where's the Prawn Crackers? If it's not one thing it's another, right? Although, I think I'm happy to trade the crackers for the take-away boxes I always saw on American films. Love them.

What's your favorite take-away food? 

oh the places you'll go...

Sometimes I'm surprised by my surroundings. 
I never really imagined that the landscape around me could be any different than what I grew up with. Scotland is beautiful and I've seen glimpses of it as I've been here in Washington or traveled in Oregon. Idaho is nothing like any place I'd ever been before though and on the opposite end of that is Arizona - two extremes way beyond my mental capacity to imagine without experiencing it for myself first.

In Scotland the landscape is spotted with ruins of ancient buildings - castles, crofts, homes. There's a real sense of history there. The heather covered hills. The only place I've been so far that I feel that same historic spirit is Utah. Those mountains. Breathtaking. A different kind of history.

A couple of evenings ago I was standing out on the deck watching the sun go down and I heard a familiar sound. Geese. It felt like home but at the same time it was so foreign. Geese fly over Scotland in Autumn and Winter. They migrate to Canada. I've never heard geese in summertime before. It made me long for home but it also helped me accept that this is home now too. 

I love this adventure.

snow shoes

yesterday i had a plan. the plan was to go hiking. plan A was to go to jump creek, a location near home where you can hike to a waterfall. that plan failed. it was too hot. plan B was to drive to the mountains to hike where the weather would still be nice but not as hot. that plan also failed. the weather was nice and although i was wearing shorts, there were still piles and piles of snow.

It's nice in Nice.

-Lila B

These pictures came to us in an email entitled "Carnavale in Nice, France". with no story or explanation.

Proving a picture is worth a thousand words. 

Adorable. Thanks for sharing, Lila.

So I married an...

Sometimes I have random amazing thoughts. Like lightening bolt thoughts. They happen sometimes and stun me. My recent thought was this, "I felt more comfortable in my wedding dress last week playing around in the garden with Kirsten than I did on my wedding day!"

It was a bizarre thought and at first I thought, "Shame on me! How could I think such a thing?! My wedding day is a day I should cherish, forever and always. Prancing about in the garden in my dress is disgraceful!"

Then I was like, "Hey self, simmer down! It's just a dress and it is sort of a costume anyway. You spent a good few pounds/dollars on it! Congratulate yourself for wearing it more than once AND 5 years later, at that aaaaand for enjoying wearing it."

When it came to getting married I didn't care what I was wearing. I didn't care about cake or anything. I was so happy to be marrying the man. I was more excited for the marriage than the wedding, I guess.

Now I think I'd have liked to have done things differently. To have had a photographer and a huge party and cute invitations and shoes and favours and a dress I actually liked and didn't buy just because it was on sale and stuff...

How strange it is to sort of regret not caring about the wedding.

I'm terribly happily married though. I can't complain about that.

Glorious Weeds.

My feet are stained yellow and green.

Anyone else love barefoot adventures so much as I do?

The sun always shines on his birthday.

Every birthday my husband has had since we've been married we've been at his parents home. I've never felt like I can take over the birthday festivities since the woman who birthed him has been here and I feel like I'd be robbing her of his birthday.

Before I make that sound any more weird than it already does let me explain the picture. For his 22nd birthday people were gone for the day and I wanted to do something special for him. We drove to Walmart to find a slip and slide but they were all out. It was such a lovely sunny, hot day - it was also a Saturday if I recall correctly. So we went home and decided to make one ourselves out of old snaily tarps that were lying around the garden. The fun was kind of short lived as I jolted my shoulder into my face as I slipped and slid. Other than that it was a magical birthday and one I'll top some time... when I think of something better than a slip and slide.

Got birthday memories? Blog about it then leave us the link ;) 

Don't let the sun go down on me...

Have I shared my love of traditions here before? I'm not sure if I have but I'm about to!
The tradition that goes with this picture is this:

Y2K. My parents made plans to get up and go down to the beach to take pictures of the millennial sunrise. The first sunrise of the new millennium did not disappoint. It was absolutely beautiful and quite a lot of other people had the same idea to go take pictures of it. Since then it's something my mum and dad have done together every year. 

I got married in 2004 and came to America. My husband was able to join in the early morning adventure in 2004 when he was visiting. After that we haven't been able to join in until this last New Year when we were in Scotland again. It's something I've missed. Bringing in the New Year surrounded by family. So tired and excited. I'm not a very emotional person but there's something absolutely completely magical and sacred about watching the sun rise on a new year.

I have a picture frame on my wall. The top picture is a beautiful red and orange New Year sunrise taken in 2002 and beneath that is a lovely blue and green sunrise of New Years morning 2004 with husband and I clinging to one another with ginormous smiles plastered on our chattering, frozen faces.

I found him in 2002 and married him in 2004 (that's his foot on that first morning of 2004 at that beach). It seems extremely appropriate that those two pictures go together. 

New beginnings. Adventures. Challenges. So many memories. New traditions of our own.

What are your favorite family traditions? Have you incorporated your childhood traditions into your grown up life? Made new ones all together? I want to hear about it!

Feet rock, especially hers.

I came across Carolyn after she was featured here.

Love this girl, love her blog. 

"I never knew feet could be so interesting, and....cute! Probably because i've lived with monster man/hand feet my whole life.

I have come to terms though and decided that my feet are the best when they are dirty and bare...cause that means i have been living ;) The dorkiest thing is that for years i wouldn't even show my feet!! Now i couldn't even care less...they take me places!! Run races, jump on beds, play footsies, and even pick up laundry. Basically, feet rock!...especially mine ;)"

-Carolyn

hiking and camping and fishing, oh my!

these feet are officially ready for summer and all that it entails.

Shiny, foot-happy people...

My boyfriend and I were lucky enough to have a Holiday in Hawaii last year! We are from Australia so it was a bit of a trek but so worth it! I had an obsession with taking pics of my self-done pedicure while on holidays and everyone commented that I had about a million pics of my feet in Hawaii! But now I know I am not alone and there are other foot-happy people out there!

- Charlotte K,
 Sydney, Australia

Aging Feet

When I got married I had a few years to be the age my mum was when she got married.

Now I'm the age she was when she had my oldest sibling and I have no children.

I love my mum so much and have always wanted to be like her that it was difficult for a short amount of time for me not to be following exactly in the pattern that my parents lives fell into - it's their pattern and their lives and I'm ok with that.

Mum, I love you and still want to be just like you.

Happy Mother's Day.

-I hope my legs look as good as yours when I'm your age :D

Follow the golden stripe road.

Almost two years ago I finished my masters degree. A couple of months before that I was a bridesmaid for my cousin. She's been more like a sister than a cousin and I've always said that not many people have known their best friend for their entire life.

There's not one second of my life that the cousin of mine hasn't been alive for and that I've not known her during.

Instead of giving us jewellery that we would never wear, our bridesmaid gifts were personal to us. I received these golden shoes. GOLDEN STRIPPED SHOES.

Weeks later, I was overwhelmed with the summer events – the stress, the busy-ness, the impending future – and I went to a graveyard that I had previously found in a park behind my house in Dundee.

On top of a really steep hill hidden under the trees I sat in a spot of sunlight that was breaking through the leaves. It was one of the most peaceful times in my life – being completely alone, but feeling like there was a thick peaceful happiness; stillness; and spiritual calm. The graves round about were mixed in age. Some had messages of love, some told the basics, others were steeped in icons and emblems from a life now gone. There was love and grief mixed in this completely desolate area. And the sun was perfect.

The summer is coming back, and it's time for a little more golden sparkle in my life.

Interview with not-a-vampire:

I never was obsessed. I liked the stories, yeah and I told everyone to read them. I also became a library for people to borrow the books but I was never obsessed. 

There's been a few times I've wanted to spill my Twilighty guts all over the place, at Girls Night usually because my Mr is tired of hearing my griping and complaining. But they'd see my guts are not dazzling but a little more Lord Voldemort-ish. The thing is I love to complain about it as much as others love to lust over it. There's been a few times I've had to try and swallow my tongue to keep control of my Twilight Tourettes. Twilight lovers are people I really don't want to get in a fight with. Can you even imagine how that would end? Probably with me having my head ripped off and thrown in a fire.

I was embarrassed and sort of humiliated when husband dragged me out at midnight to get the film the second it was released. Bless his heart. He thought it was one of those times that 'no' actually meant 'yeeeees!!'.  It didn't.

Sure, I was super pumped to go see the first film and totally did want to go see it opening night but only because it'd be with some of my favourite people, and it was my birthday and I was excited. I didn't see it opening night but another night and it was too much fun. It probably wasn't even legal.

Sure, I posted all the trailers on my blog - and I'll do the same again. I'm out of control. I won't however, ever, ever, EVER see Breaking Dawn. I'll never recommend that book and I'll never post trailers or anything about that on my blog. EW! I try not to ever use the word 'hate' because it's like a swear but I hate Breaking Dawn.

Breaking Dawn can eat my shorts!

Go add your tuppence to the Gypsy Feet movie inspired challenge on Facebook.

PS. You can thank my little cousin Jennifer for this rant. She started it!

megan's summer playlist

The photo is an old favorite with some new spice, in honor of my playlist.

The links. A few of these songs are even free to download.

Ingrid Michaelson "Breakable"

Dr. Dog "Heart it Races"

Passenger "Walk You Home/Night Vision Binoculars" 

Jason Mraz "If It Kills Me"

The Impossible Shoelace "Plastic Flowers"

Mason Jennings "Keepin it Real"

Paper Party "Picture Show"

Charlotte Sometimes" How I Could Just Kill a Man"

The Beatles "I Will"

Obadiah Parker "Hey Ya"

This is not what I had in mind.

On my summer list of fun I had "puppet show" and I was pretty excited.

My son had other ideas. Read more about it here :)

She taught me my gypsy-ish ways...

1. Her wise words that I treasure.
"Take loads of pictures and be famous." "Make it a Wonderful Life."

2. The Secret Mother/Daughter meetings at the super market for hot chocolate and sausage baps.

3. When I first found husband it was online (shush!) and I didn't have money to visit him. I think my dad was glad but then husband told me he would buy my tickets. My mum talked my dad into letting me have the adventure. I deserved it after all. When she was the age I was she had her own American adventure. 

4. She's so cheeky. The morning I left home she climbed into my bed and licked my face to wake me up. She's a real rascal - in the picture she's planting bulbs in a friends garden when they were at work.

5. She's selfless. I've witnessed her deal with heartbreak - the loss of a child amongst other painful  things. The sadness and tiredness is evident in her eyes and yet she has a hug and a smile - maybe tense but still a smile - for everyone. Most people have no idea that she could use some help herself.

6. Whenever I see a burnt orange, rusty colour I think of her and her freckles, brown eyes and never dyed hair. She looks years younger than my dad. I can't tell you the age difference or who's older than who because I'd have to kill you. Trust me though, you'd be surprised.

7. When she tells a joke the punchline comes first making the joke even funnier - especially to herself which makes it funnier to everyone else. Countless times she's been crippled and crying with laughter, doing the pee pee dance before even getting to the middle of the joke.

8. I've never seen anyone knit like her. She doesn't have to even have her eyes open and her knitting needles are breaking all sorts of laws of physics. She knit her first adult size sweater when she was 10 years old. She's like a machine.

9. When she's in the kitchen she sings, usually Scottish songs. Songs I'll sing to my children when I have them. Especially the one about the blind orphan. How does that go again, mum? If I have a daughter and name her Maggie it's because of this song she always sings.

10. She's easy to love because she's so wonderful. If I'm ever a mother I'll be lucky if I'm half as good of one as her - my kids will be even luckier.

I love you mum and I'm sorry I couldn't keep my promise of never leaving home and staying with you forever and ever - is that why you sent me to America the first time? You beast! It's all becoming clear! I'll talk to you about this later ;)

Send us your mother inspired lists and pictures.

This post is part of a world wide blogging tribute to Moms led by TheBlogFrog

I want to teach the world to sing...

I make a summer list every year of things I want to do so when I have a quiet moment I can't say "I'm booooored!" I just look at my list and find something to do. You can see the beginnings of my 2009 list here and Megan's here. (If you make your own list let her know.)

On the topic of summer and lists I want to see what 10 songs you'd make your summer 2009 playlist. Email them to us to be posted - don't forget to include a gypsy feet picture too.

Here's my list - for now:

1. Don't Stop Me Now - Queen  
2. Big Girl - Mika
3. My Hands are Shaking - Sondre Lerche
4. Ruby - Kaiser Chiefs
5. Lullaby - Jack Johnson & Matt Costa
6. Falling in Love at a Coffee Shop - Landon Pigg
7. Starlight - Muse
8. Mona Lisa - The All American Rejects
9. Lovebug - Jonas Brothers (I like it OK!)
10. Potential Breakup Song - Aly & AJ 

these feet are made for jogging

with the weather getting warmer, going for a jog is simply irresistible. how have you been enjoying the warmer weather?

Just keep on walking...

today I had one of "those day." you know, the ones where the internet is being wonky, the apartment is a disaster with 7 loads of laundry drying from various shower rods, lamps and chair, the weather is cold and clammy and the dog downstairs just won't stop barking. so, you take a deep breath and oh! there is a voice mail to check. "I'm sorry, the recording department at {music conservatory that shall remain nameless} made a mistake and didn't record your junior recital.

you drop phone. sink to floor. and sob. you go spiraling into a quarter-life crisis. the months of preparation, the energy and magic of the day, the dozens of high notes that went spinning and then were instantly lost into thin air. gone. gone. gone. never to be replaced. when head stopped beating, i decided to take my mind off of said woe and mindlessly blog hunt.

i found yours through Naomi of Rockstar Diaries. i was curious... did i have photos of my feet? of the other feet i love? i began to search through iphoto and was a amazed. apparently i take A LOT of stiletto, boot, foot photos.

they made me laugh and smile. they made me reminisce. they reminded me that life is constantly moving forward, that we're never standing still. and we can't go back in time. but what we can do is more important. we can wake up, put on those fabulous red heels and just keep walking.

Kate, we hope you had a good weekend and that this week is the best EVER for you!

The anti-feet one:

i hate feet. not sure why i’m still harboring this decades-old disgust for such a helpful body part, but there you go: i’ve outed myself as a foot hater. i’m a little nervous as to the reaction i’ll get from all of you gypsies out there, but i’m not backing down.

 

maybe this hatred stems from always feeling embarrassed over my wide feet and long, crooked toes. but seriously – feet are nasty, no matter who they belong to. they sweat, they smell, people usually develop some form of fungus on them, they get ingrown toenails, they’re usually dirty. ughhh. i’m shivering right now just thinking about feet.

 

i honestly see no appeal in the appendages other than being a tool to get me from point a to point b. i do like to paint my toenails fun colors, and of course like any girl i love to dress them up in cute shoes. but do i want to get a pedicure? no – i’ve tried that twice in my life and both times got yelled at for being too jumpy [my feet are ticklish! probably because they’re not used to being touched]. do i want to rub my husband’s feet? definitely not [sorry, babe]. bottom line: i don’t want you looking at my feet and i don’t want to look at yours. Period.

 

however, i’ve noticed contributors to this blog have a tendency to take pictures of their feet at some special occasion or in some memorable location, which typically involves pointing the camera downward. i have a photo fetish too [and one that induces much less dry heaving]: i like to take pictures of the sky. for some reason, my whole life i have loved to point my camera up at the giant expanse of sky and try to capture the openness and beauty up there. i don’t even have to include people or faces in my pictures – i can see any “random sky” picture saved on my computer and instantly remember where i was when i took it. i just feel this need to save a particular moment – which i think is the purpose of this blog too, just portrayed in a different way.

 

maybe i DO have something in common with all of you foot-lovers – maybe it doesn’t matter whether we’re taking pictures of gross feet or beautiful clouds, pointing our cameras down or up. maybe all that matters is that we are IN the moment, living our adventure, and we want to remember that.

 

so here you go – my photo contribution shows you one moment, looking up AND looking down [but without the nasty toes]. this is a shot of the LA sky that I love, along with the most revealing foot picture i can allow for all my new gypsy friends. let’s both enjoy our adventures – but stay the heck away from my feet while you do it :)

I have to say, I was mega excited when Lyndsey wrote this for us. I'm impressed and quite inspired. Thanks, Lyndsey. 

PS. You need to visit again because that's one of the sweetest Gypsy Feet pics I've seen. ;)

The Kilted Gypsy

Thistle colours.
Watching him measure and adjust to wear it properly.
The easy sway of the pleats against the back of his legs.
The boost in confidence.
His fake accent.
The look on his face when I tickle his knees.
His Scottish pride - me.

Vegan shoes meet Mr. Snail:

Today an actual adventure was had.
I complained of being bored and the next thing I know husband is telling me to pack my bag with things an adventurer would pack and dress the part.
Naturally, I grabbed my hot pink gerber daisy anywhere clip and clipped it to myself.
I couldn't find a rope so I grabbed a length of rope lights.
A trowel, 2 belts, 3 kirby grips/bobby pins, a baggy of crackers and a notebook and pen.
It was raining so I took my brolly too.
I slung the rope lights around my shoulder Indiana Jones style and was ready.

A note card was handed to me with my first clue and away we went. 
On our way we noticed so many slugs and snails - perfect because I couldn't think of what to do for my Gypsy Feet picture today.

I like snails.
I like their cheeky little eyeballs and their fancy little shells.
I like the glittery goo trail they leave behind.
I love that they don't bite or sting.
I used to like pigs but now they're giving every one the flu.

I hope snails don't start doing that.

I freakin LOVE summer!

Prickly green grass.
My favorite spot on the lawn.
Sunbeams tickling my skin.
Toasty red skin.
Dancing light on the inside of my eyelids.
Salty drops of glittery moisture on my skin.
Hair being bleached by the sunshine.
Rustling leaves.
Cloudless sky.
Flip flop tan lines.

Summer, I love you.

What are your favorite things to do outside in the summertime?