Red Cowgirl Boots | Dreams Really Do Come True

I dreamed of these red cowgirl boots two years before finding them!!

Okay, so let me start out by saying that I'm not a real cowgirl.  I grew up in Smalltown, Iowa... close to the country, but far enough away that I rode the in-town bus to school and was deathly afraid of farm animals.  In fact, throughout my junior high and high school years I did everything possible to push "country" away.  I wrinkled up my nose at my mom's country music, daydreamed of life in a big city, and insisted (much to my family's laughter) that the one type of guy I would never ever marry would be a farmer.

After graduating high school, I came to appreciate and love the Iowa countryside.  I suppose you can blame it on an old boyfriend for introducing me to all the romance of the country: four-wheeler rides on gravel roads at sunset, bonfires out in the middle of a field, parties in cabins in the woods, stargazing underneath amazingly clear skies... I fell in love with country horizons, country fun, country music, and country songs.

Even though I'm still far from being a legit "country girl," I've been lusting for a pair of red cowgirl boots for about two years.  It all started with a dream.  I dreamt that I came upon a shabby, hole-in-the-wall Western shop full of vintage cowgirl boots in every color and pattern imaginable.  I tried on pair after pair until I noticed a pair of gorgeous crimson ones.  I tried them on and they fit!  Despite the high price tag, I bought them.  And I was soooo happy.  The dream was so real that when I woke up in the morning, I was thinking about what to wear with my new boots.  Then I realized it was a dream.  Bummer. :/

So off and on ever since, I've kept my eyes open for a pair of red cowgirl boots.  I wanted them bright red, worn in (not new), vintage if possible, comfortable, and entirely lovely.  I searched Western shops, thrift stores, Etsy, and all over the internet.  I came across several pairs online in the last year, but they were either the wrong sizes or waaaay too expensive.  So I kinda just gave up.

Then I got away from my college town for a visit back home this past weekend.  Thursday night I stayed at my grandma's house.  In the morning we got up, went out for breakfast, and decided to hit the hometown antique stores that I hadn't visited for a few months.  We were checking out a new shop on the town square, which was also full of vintages clothes.  I got a little excited over a pair of brown cowgirl boots that I found, but mentioned that they were too expensive and that I wished they were red.  I then went on to tell Grandma about how I dreamed of a red pair.

On our way out of the shop, we decided to take our time looking at the stuff in the front window displays.  "Look, Jessy... a pair of red ones," Grandma said.  And lo and behold!  There was a pair of the most beautiful red cowgirl boots!  I cringed at the thought of looking at the price tag, sure that a red pair would be more expensive than the pricey pair of brown ones inside the store.  $24.  Twenty-four dollars?!  Grandma insisted I try them on.  I think I might have danced my way into the store to ask to try the boots on.  And when I did, my foot slid in so perfectly... it was like the moment from Cinderella when she tries on the glass slipper!  Haha.

Me in my new red boots!  And a sneak peak of my bedroom, which will fully be revealed soon.

My awesome grandma bought them for me and I've pretty much been swooning over them ever since.  I'm trying to think of a way to wearing them every single day until the first snowfall... haha.  But here I've pulled together a few wardrobe ideas for my new boots.  For class and going out to dinner or shopping with girlfriends, I'd pair my boots with a pair of skinny jeans, a floral tank, gray cardigan, and scarf.  (Pretty much what I'm wearing in the above photo.)  For a date night or evening on the town, I'm thinking of wearing them with a little black dress, beige cardigan, metallic gold belt, and crocheted scarf, plus a floral purse.  And lastly, these boots are meant for game day!  Iowa State's colors are cardinal and gold---so pairing these boots with a pair of skinnies, an ISU tee, and gold scarf will have me set to celebrate with school spirit.  (The Cyclones are actually doing good on the football field this year!!) 

Week Day: Worn skinny jeans, floral tank, gray cardigan, red scarf, leather crossbody satchel, dangly earrings.  Night Out: LBD, gold belt, beige cardigan, floral purse, vintage earrings, crocheted scarf.  Game Day: Trusty blue skinnies, gray ISU tee, red and gold scarf, red tote.

The moral of this story is that dreams really do come true!  It may have taken me two years to find the perfect pair of boots in the perfect size, color, and price... but I found 'em!  And now... I'm just a little bit closer to being a "country girl."  ;)