Painted toes ... ?

I rarely paint my toe nails - almost never.  In fact, I can't even remember the last time they were painted.  I know it is such a girlie thing to do and its so summery and fun but I just don't do it. 

My friend Vicki always has her toe nails painted - always.  Actually, I am sure that lots of girls do, I just don't happen to be one of them.  (Haven't I mentioned that I am pretty low maintenance?)  I did used to get my finger nails done for about five years prior to leaving California, but no one here could match the quality and quickness of Peter, my Korean nail guy, so I gave them up. Well, Vicki has a really fabulous nail girl she loves in California too.  And due to some VERY fortunate circumstances, she still gets to go to California every month and didn't have to give her nail girl up after they moved to Utah.

Vicki is very creative and artistic when it comes to her toes.  She comes up with her nail ideas and the salon comes up with the talent to do it.  For example:  Since the 4th of July is coming up, Vicki will have her toes painted to look like an American flag.  When her son was coming home from Brazil, she had them painted like the Brazilian flag.  If a wedding is coming up, she has them paint them pastel colors with flowers.  I remember for a special Disney event she had Tinker Bell painted on her big toe nails ... it is actually quite impressive.

The reason for my recent toe painting isn't nearly as festive or fun.  I worked so long and hard in my yard on Saturday that even after two showers I could NOT get my feet and toe nails clean enough!  So rather than be completely embarrassed by what looked like a lack of cleanliness, I painted my toes - kind of like a disguise.  Then this morning when I got out of the shower and was drying my feet, I said, "Oh yeah!  Hey, my toes are painted ... I like that."

And I should maybe be a little embarrassed by my less than perfect toes in this picture and extremely veiny feet ... but I'm not!  And I decided to have my adorable Claire Murray rug as their backdrop, because it is one of my favorite things in my house.  Isn't it so cute?

I had been to Nantucket Island a few times and every time I was there I would go into the Claire Murray rug shop (which is so darling) and drool over her rugs.  I really wanted one.  But they are really expensive.  On one of our trips there, I think it was my sister, Spring, who said, "Polly!  How much money do you spend on little this's and that's that when all totalled up would probably be around what a rug here would cost?  Just buy one if you want one so much and don't buy anything else."  So I did.

I kept it rolled up for awhile too.  I wanted to put it in the kids bathroom but I was worried that it would get ruined too fast.  Then one day I thought, You know, this rug would look so perfect in front of my own tub - its girlie, I won't ruin it, and I will look at it everyday and it will make me happy. 

So I put it in front of my own tub and I look at it every day and it really does make me happy to see it.  I am in LOVE with this little mermaid.

(Yes, it is also my flip-flop-tan-line season.)