Les Bottes/The Boots

I am sure that most anyone who knew me prior to my move to France will be shocked by what I am about to tell you....shocked. First, let me say, that I am a normal mother of 4 children, or at least as normal as one who has 4 children can be. Before we arrived in France, I dressed pretty much like all the other Moms I knew and hung out with. A lot of work-out attire and tennis shoes, with the occasional jeans and/or pants with a sweater. Whatever has happened to me? I do not claim to be "tres chic" by any stretch of the imagination, but I will say that I only wear work out clothes when I am actually working out, and lets face it, that is a pretty rare occurrence. However, my ever developing sense of fashion has manifested itself in a new and sudden interest in boots. Well, purses and wool coats too. I am not sure, if it is the fact that every woman here wears boots almost daily, or if it is that it is hard to buy clothes here if you are larger then a size 8, and everyone that knows me, knows I haven't been a size 8 since age 12, but, I will say it now, I am addicted to boots.

I know my boot addiction is shocking. You will be really shocked when you find out what now resides in my closet.

When we arrived, I had 3 pairs of boots, one brown, one black and one reddish. The black and brown boots were from Target, my US shopping mecca. The red boots I still have and they are pretty beautiful. So beautiful in fact, that I had to buy myself a purse to match...thanks Nonna. They were pretty expensive by my pre-France standards and were actually purchased at Macy's.

However, this is what I have become.........

Purchase #1......Brown boots, for walking around town in. They go with everything (except my black wool coat...I must wear my blue pea coat). These boots were more expensive then my red boots, but I wore them almost everyday last winter. Because I wore them everyday, I had to find a cordonnier, that's what they call a trained shoe repairman in France. Although for some reason, they make copies of keys as well. My brown boots have visited the repair place 3 times, but are still holding together, barely.

Purchase #2....made shortly after purchase #1. I had to have a pair of black walk around town boots....to match my grey wool coat. Unfortunately, the heel, at 3 inches, although perfect for a French women to walk around in, is too tall for me.

Leading to Purchase #3, but I did wait until after summer, a pair of low-heeled black boots. They even have a pointy toe. Of course, this lead to the purchase of a long black wool coat as I decided that my grey one is just too short to go with my pointy boots.

And then, a gift, from the Grand Canard, a pair of thigh high, black boots. I am not sure who was more excited about this purchase. When they finally arrived, I was thrilled. I put them on with black leggings and a long sweater and off we went to Toys-r-Us. I know, this is where all the fashionistas go in thigh high boots. However, this being France, I was not out of place. Unfortunately, the boots are a size too small, and I only lasted about 2 hours in them. I think though, that I could train myself to last longer if only I had the time. Still, for the occasional trip to Toys-r-Us, what could be more perfect?

So, after my closet was filled with boots of all different colors, I thought I was done, but then came the Soldes and with it purchase #4. The Soldes is the bi-annual sale that takes place across France for 2 months per year, once in the summer and again, the first week in January through the first week in February. In January, I saw one of the other Mommy's wearing the cutest pair of knee high brown boots and I just had to have them. I looked everywhere, in vain, for these boots, and finally 2days before the Soldes ended, I asked the other Mommy where she had gotten them. Apparently I was not the only one that loved her boots and had to have them. She doubted I could still find them, but, as I have giant feet, at least compared to the French, the trade off for not being able to buy clothes here, I was victorious. Well, mostly anyway, as these beautiful boots were located in a teeny tiny boutique....so teeny tiny, that I had to leave all 4 girls standing on the street while I shopped. It was also a very expensive teeny tiny boutique. Still, they were 1/2 price...my most expensive pair of boots ever, but I got them for 1/2 price.

And then finally, purchase #5....rainboots.....that's a boot right? Ordered from Target. I waited weeks for their arrival, and since they got here, it has hardly rained at all. Only twice have I been able to wear my beautiful, black and red plaid rain boots and new black trench coat. Come on rain!

And, now I think I am finished buying boots.....but, I did notice the toe of my red boots are a little last season, and what if my casual brown boots become unfixable, or I see another pair I love, or maybe if....well, you get the picture.