Sunny - I LOVE those boots! I love cowgirl boots too but I'm a bit more conservative style and price-wise with my Ariat Heritage boots - wouldn't mind a pair of those winged ones myself though. When I was in Denver this spring, I lusted after every just about every pair at Cry Baby Ranch. My favorite accessories are scarves and I love my big Silverlake Flap purses by The Sak. Dang Goldy, those Rocketbuster boots are nice but whoa.... way too pricey for my blood. Here is a link that might be useful: Groovy Rocketbuster Boots, if you have some extra thousands of dollars laying around.

Things that are authentic. Real (or correct, high-quality reproduction) Chippendale, Hepplewhite, Regency, Stickley, Eames, Knoll, to name a few. Trench coats. Blue blazers. Perfectly fitted fine wool trousers. Camelhair coats. Good cashmere sweaters. Genuine pea coats. Brown & cream spectator shoes. Chinese bronzes Japanese obi patterns French copper cooking pots Real silver and gold leaf frames. Wedding ring china. Certain silver patterns (1810, Fairfax, Old French, Tiffany Audubon, Craftsman, to name a few) Georg Jensen anything Linen slipcovers Mohair velvet Ticking stripes Old Hermes leather Red leather Mark Cross datebooks Heavy ivory letter paper Beeswax candles Audrey Hepburn Gregory Peck 1955 Jaguar XK140 Roadster A bobby pin holder made by your 8-year old from an old Sucrets tin with a bobby pin glued on top, and some awful pink paint .

funkyart, you can find good looking flats but some will be expensive. My new go-to flats for spring/summer/fall, are by Toms - cheap and SO many varieties. They also work with the orthotics I must wear in my shoes. When I need to look a bit better, my old standbys are my Belgian loafers <http://www.belgianshoes.com>. They are only sold in NYC or by catalog. I take a 7 1/2 in most brands but in my Belgians, I take a 7. They come in many widths - in regular shoes, I wear a C width; in Belgians, a M. Ordering from them is a pain - they make a run of one color/leather at a time in Belgian, so one asks what is available in ones size and one gets whatever they may need for the next 2 years! They are unfailingly rude to everyone, no matter how many years one has been buying them. But they're worth it! They're wonderfully comfortable shoes, can take an orthotic, and are very attractive. I can wear them with church clothes and a fur coat and they "work". When one buys them, they come with a sole that is soft, just like the leather of the uppers. Wear it that way for at least 6 months to a year - doesn't matter if the sole gets worn or even is beginning to develop a small hole. Then, when they've truly molded to your feet, take them to a local shoe shop for a VERY thin sole to be glued to the bottom. If you're not sure of your local shop, send them back to Belgian Shoes and they'll do this for you. They also offer a refurbishing service - they can really make a tired pair look like new again. If you can wear a low heel, Ferragamo's classic bow low heel shoe is a classic winner - comes in a jillion colors. They are now also making it in a flat. Again, expensive, but I have ones that are 20 yrs old and still look good! If you're really willing to splurge on a low heeled shoe, Roger Vivier makes their classic pilgrim buckle in a low heel and a flat. I one of each. I've had both now for about 10 years and they have held up very well.

I love the impact of the zebra stripe. Making interchangeable seats is a genius idea! I picked up a dining chair off the curb a year + + ago, in a slightly similar tapestry animal print (gold and cream though). It was very dirty, I think it had been left in a garage for quite a while - tons of dust, and dirt smears, and food stains. I had meant to superficially clean it and donate it for someone else to re-cover, but after a good vacuuming, Woolite upholstery cleaner cleaned it beautifully. It is now my desk chair. I don't know what the fabric is made of, but I guess probably some synthetic. Almost a year later I picked up a matching chair from the same curb, but this one had a stain that I was able to fade to almost unnoticeable, but not completely gone. Next time I rent a carpet cleaner I will try the upholstery tool on it.