Living

The cowboy boot is distinctly American, embodying the spirit of a man facing the vastness of nature with little other than the humble garments on his body, a few tools on his saddle, and the steed beneath him. Developed to perform a variety of tasks in a multitude of scenarios, in any weather, this boot is an enduring icon of the West, the Cattleman, and the American Dream. Truly, the cowboy boot was a critical part of the American cattleman’s progress in ranching the West, and many other places in the world. If you want to feel like you are here to run the day, rather than have the day run you, pull on a pair. There’s no footwear like the cowboy boot.

Guide to Buying Vintage Cowboy Boots

OR

Ode to the Cowboy Boot

This post may contain affiliate links. All opinions are my own. 

It is a matter of function first and foremost. Even the most fashionable of well-made cowboy boots remain sturdy, weather resistant, walkable, and protective. While of course, the heel gives the wearer extra height and often an attractive stride, it is designed to prevent the foot from sliding dangerously through the saddle’s stirrup while riding. The toe can give a horse a nudge and can squash the proverbial cockroach in the corner if pointed enough. The shaft, in ever more epic heights, protects the leg from injury and the elements.

To the uninitiated, it might come as a surprise that there is a whole subculture devoted to the cowboy boot. Boots crafted by hand from hides of animals from several species of animal including reptiles and birds are enhanced with tooling, inlays, and gorgeous stitching. For many, forget splurging on designer jeans: blowing your paycheck on a pair of custom boots is the ultimate indulgence. The epitome of such custom boots is the Rocket Buster brand from – you guessed it- Texas. It seems that if you can dream it, they can craft it.

If you haven’t a whole (or several) paycheck(s) to spare, buying vintage might be the hot ticket for you. My personal collection of cowboy boots boasts a majority of vintage gems that I scored from yard sales, one barn sale, my Grandma, and now some from Instagram. Isn’t it awesome how we can buy cool, old stuff in such a new way?

I have long been an admirer of the Instagram account of GoodBuyGirls in Nashville, TN owned by the lovely and talented musician Tanya Montana Coe. This boutique has a brick and mortar location that I haven’t had the pleasure of perusing in person but I often drool over their selection of turquoise jewelry, retro rhinestone cowgirl duds, and most of all, their vintage cowboy boots.

[Read more…] about How to Buy Vintage Cowboy Boots

I have been really interested in safety razor shaving for shaving better, with less expense without sacrificing speed (an all-important virtue in my mind) and finally took a walk on the wild side and bought a safety razor. This post will explain what the heck a safety razor is, how it is way better than the disposable razor you have been using, and how to shave like a pro. Read on, Wildflowers!

I haven’t even come close to zero waste but I have been utterly inspired by http://zerowastehome.blogspot.com . If you haven’t checked this site out you should. In this blog, the author explains in great detail all the ways we can stop putting packaging (that we paid money for) into the trash. This blog really spoke to me because she explains how much money is wasted by this totally crazy practice of buying disposable stuff when reusable is way better and shows her readers HOW to replace disposable items with reusable ones. I find her writing very easy to read, her methods sensible and practical, and her transformation inspiring. Her book is available by clicking the photo link below.

[Read more…] about Guide To Safety Razor Shaving

Enter to Win!

This post will share with you the manifesto of anyone seeking to add more handmade and homemade into their lives.

I care deeply about sharing with others the how and why behind learning more old fashioned, domestic pursuits like sewing, canning, and mending. Sure, I love those activities in a hobby sense, but far more importantly, those skills allow a person to become less dependent on others. I can’t tell you the number of women who have told me that they couldn’t  hem their pants, had no idea how to fix a tear, or that they were afraid of canning. The idea that they feel they could not do those very simple things and had so much fear that they dare not even attempt a cooking task like canning is very troubling to me. Of course a person can do those things! Our grandmothers were no more able or bright than we are today. Yet many of us have erroneously developed this idea that we can’t, and what a shame that is.

There are two problems with this whole mindset- that a perfectly capable gal can’t make jam or sew a button- one being that the makes said gal dependent on someone else to do it for her. By learning how to take in a dress, fix a rug binding, or cook a large and vaguely frightening squash, we take control of those tasks, those objects, and the time, money, and benefit associated. Cooking is the most obvious of these examples where the control of the food we and our families consume is often in someone else’s hands. I’m not saying all those other hands are bad, necessarily, but they aren’t our own. By embracing the idea that if we learn a few new things we take a bit more authority in the design and quality of our lives. Furthermore, developing increased sovereignty is certain to grow one’s confidence in other, related areas. It feels really, truly good to be able to solve a problem-even a simple thing like pants that are too long-for yourself.

The second problem is the idea that a person cannot learn these things. It is fine if you don’t like sewing or you don’t care to learn to put up salsa. It is not fine that all kinds of people are going about believing that those skills are vastly beyond their capability. I’m here to tell you that you indeed can learn these skills-any skills you want to- and that they are not “hard” but are a matter of deciding to learn. I worked in a fabric store while attending all five years of college and daily customers indicated that they felt like they could not ever sew/knit/tat/insert any craft here. That is bananas.

Now, people compliment me often, gushing that they could never sew as I do, as if I’m a Navaho Code Talker. This is also bananas. I very rarely attempt projects, for fun or necessity, that are very difficult. Yes, anything new can be hard at first, but of course with a little practice and either mentorship or self education, it becomes much easier. Many who are working, ruling boardrooms, managing teams of subordinates, single-momming and killin’ it, caretaking and problem solving, believe falsely that they could not learn to sew a bag or crochet a scarf. This makes no sense at all, of course.

The final element of this manifesto is to encourage you to find a domestic pursuit that you enjoy and do it for the sake of the pleasure in it. The satisfaction from picking, cooking, smelling, tasting, and finally canning your own jam can be tremendous. Choosing beautiful fabric or deliciously colored yarn can be therapeutic, and sitting before a spinning wheel that you finally get spinning the right way can be downright triumphant. If crocheting a hat makes you want to put the hook in your eye, then find a different medium that gives you pleasure, takes control over one tiny part of your life, and shows yourself and the world that you can absolutely learn a challenging new skill.

Here’s to handmade, Wildflowers.

If you love goodness like this, be sure to subscribe. I would never spam my Dear Readers and I only email you to let you know that the latest sewing, canning, creating, DIY inspiration and encouragement is posted.

Here’s the ways I can help you grow like a Wildflower.

Share recipes and inspiration for crafting projects on our group pinterest board.

Make friends, share projects, troubleshoot, show successes in the private Grow Like a Wildflower Facebook Group.

Learn the basics of canning for FREE including process, equipment, and safety in the Canning Basics Course

Get the Canning 101 ebook to really get a handle on how to can your own jam, pickles, and more.

Enroll in the Start Canning course: this premium course SHOWS you in a way a cookbook cannot everything you need to master canning.

Learn how to make the easiest, most festive countertop preserve, perfect for cocktails in the free Shrubs Email Course!

Get the ebook that explores in depth and shares a wide variety of recipes in Shrubology.

Enroll in the course that will transform you into the hostess with the most-ess: Wildflower Mixology. Learn how to make farmers market fresh cocktails with ease. 

Ready to learn how to crochet? I can teach you in 15 minutes.

See you on the blog, Wildflowers!