fall fashions....

I love autumn.  I love the change in weather that signals the end to the seemingly endless, oppressive heat of summer.  I love the fact that I can pull out my soup pot and make hearty meals that hit the spot on a rainy day. I get especially excited that the feel of a blanket at night is now welcomed and needed instead of dreaded.  There's just something so comforting about pulling the covers up to your ears and burrowing under the weight of a handmade quilt on a chilly night.

What I really love about fall though, is that I can now dig out my favorite clothes from the basement storage boxes.
These are the clothes that I wish I could wear year-round.  These are the clothes that inspire me to try and become more "outdoorsy" and adventurous. (or at least try to get a fire going in the fireplace by myself)  These are the clothes that cry out to me to liberate them from confinement in the midst of 100 degree heatwaves.  These are the clothes that inevitably get me in trouble from the fashion police.

These are my flannel lined jeans.

I know that there are cute outfits for fall that incorporate denim, but they just don't work for me. Particularly those adorable draped scarves that make jeans and a plain white t-shirt look dressy and classy.  
First of all,  please remember my track record with light colored clothing...not good, even with a scarf to cover the coffee stains.
Second of all, anything draped around my neck would also be:
a) tangled in my seat belt
b) water stained as I lean over the sink
c) caught in the front door
d) hopelessly wound around me, my purse, and my shopping cart at the grocery store
e) angrily stuffed in the bottom of a bag, leaving me with my coffee stained t-shirt to wear
Not exactly the cultured, chic look I'm supposed to be aiming for.

My next option for dressing up the denim seems to be boots, except my idea of boots, and the fashion world's idea of boots seem to be on completely opposite sides.
I think that boots are to be used for working in the yard, hiking, or shoveling snow.  Try to find anything like that in the fall boot collection at your department store.   Those boots are made for people who do not need to walk or even move to do any of their daily activities.  The last time I checked the heels on those boots my daughter said, "Mom, put them back. You would hurt yourself in those."    She knows me too well...sigh.....

So as the days get shorter, the  temperatures cooler and summer fades away, what is a girl to do?

Gleefully skip to the basement and reverently remove the lid to the plastic tub containing the beautiful sight of flannel friends.

When the fall fashion police come banging on my door, (and they will) I will not panic.   I know I am breaking every fashion rule in the book, but I'm guessing they will run away screaming when I open my door grinning and  wearing:

My recently liberated flannel lined jeans with the layered look of the 80's turtleneck, paired with a flannel shirt, accessorised by a matching colored scrunchy in my ponytail, wool socks and sneakers.

I will chuckle, close the door, and contentedly head back to my pot of baked potato and cheddar cheese soup paired with warm crusty bread and a cup of tea.  Not a fancy scarf, or pair of dressy boots in sight....

'cause I missed the class on that.