The Muse: A Walk in the Woods

 In case you hadn't noticed, I'm not exactly the outdoorsy type. I like femine clothes, luxurious fabrics, and high heels. On the rare occassion I do wear trousers/pants they are seldom more practical than the skirts and dresses I wear. Since May when I first strted reading about the Quabbin Resevoir, its creation, and the area surrounding it in central Massachusetts I have been fascinated and have read as much as I could in anticipation of visiting it, in particular Michael Tougias' excellent and comprehensive guide. I waited on my day trip however, thinking I should stay close to home in case I got a call for an interview. Well last week the jig was up, and I said 'screw it, lets go for a walk in the woods.' Hence my conundrum, I don't exactly do a lot of hiking and very little of my wardrobe is adapted for it. So I got creative, these jeans, which have quickly become my favorites breathe well and have the right amount of Spandex to make them ideal for walking in warm weather while still protecting you from all the wee goulie beasties that live in the woods. I also only own one pair of sneakers, reserved exclusively for gym usage, they are also running shoes, with a thin mesh top, less than useless in any place out of doors, hence the cowboy boots which have served me well both summer and winter. The rest of the outfit, well perhaps its less practical, but its not like I got a lobotomy or something. However, as the day went on it got warmer (though it was good ten degrees cooler than it had been at home that day) and after all that walking I changed before stopping by the Swift River Valley Historical Society Museum where I finished my day, because lets be honest you know if I'm separated from a skirt for too long I break out in hives. I'll post some more photos and a little history of the Quabbin including why I had such a strong desire to visit soon.

 Outfit One:

Blouse: Solitaire via Marshall's
Jeans: 7 For All Mankind via Marshall's
Necklace: Frills, The Fantastic Umbrella Factory
Boots: Nine West
Sunglasses: J. Marcel
Headband: Forever 21
Purse: Selfridge's (UK)

Outfit Two:

Tank (worn under shirt): Old Navy
Blouse: Deletta via Anthropologie
Skirt: Mix Nouveau New York via Marshall's
Flip Flops: Old Navy
Headband: Forever 21

This was my first try using colored mascara I saw mu cousin Allyson wearing it at a party (hers was blue), and while I had always thought it would look awkward, I actually sot of like it. Mine is Totally Teal by Maybelline Great Lash. That's the one in the hot pink and lime green tube, the cheap all time bestseller for mascara. I've never been able to wear their traditional black, it makes my eyes itch and was clumpy, the limited edition colored variety had the same issues but it was a cheap and easy way to try out something new before spending more money on it and hating the effect. I wish they had still had the blue and purple varieties, however both were sold out and the limited edition was only this month.

My inspiration refers to what is probably one of my top ten favorite books of all time. It  was assigned summer reading for my senior year of high school when I was going into AP Literature, and I was not at all looking forward to reading it. Of all the pleasant surprises I've had when reading this is perhaps the greatest. Bill Bryson, like me was no wilderness man, when he attempted to walk the Appalachian Trail he was also 25 years older and even more out of shape than I. It is a hilarious exploit, touching love letter to America and its rich history, and will make you an enthusiastic armchair traveler if nothing else.