I’ve mentioned a number of times that Fall is hands-down my favorite season. The changing leaves, cool but not cold temperatures, the smells, the clothes, the boots and just the overall feeling of coziness that goes along with the season. I love it all. But do you know what I don’t love?…
THE STORY
…The annual wolf spider migration, that’s what I don’t love. I’m not a fan of the arachnid family to begin with. Any type of creepy crawly freaks me out, whether it’s winged or it crawls, and spiders, wasps/bees/hornets are in a tie for number one on my list of ickiness. And at the top of the top of my list are wolf spiders. Not sure what a wolf spider is? Check this out and you’ll see why I’m not a fan.
I always have to be careful in the summer because their most favorite place to chill is in between the big rocks that border all of my flower beds. I can’t tell you how many times one has sprung out at me and I run screaming across the yard. I normally don’t kill them outside, because hey, I’m in their house. But when they come into mine? All bets are off.
Throughout the year we always run into a few in the house, but Fall? Ya, the migratory pattern of what seems to me to be all of the wolf spiders in a five mile radius ends in my house. I understand the desire to keep warm, but if they can’t hack the cold then how about heading south like the birds do? In the last two weeks alone I’ve killed and/or held hostage four of them. One in our bedroom (how terrifying is that?), two in the bathroom, and one in the computer room that as I type this, is sitting about five feet away from me trapped under an upside down jar candle. The other spiders can forget about paying up the ransom; the beastie finally died inside the candle jar and because I’m a big baby pants it’s still there.
Why is the spider under a jar to begin with? Well, here’s the thing…some of them you can step on if you’re particularly quick and agile because wolf spiders are fast my friends, but some of them are the size of my min pin’s head and stepping on them would be akin to stepping on a small rodent. Such was the case of my dead compadre under the jar. I wish you all could have seen it…talk about laughing until you pee your pants. I was sitting here typing a post and I saw her coming across the room out of the corner of my eye. And I say “her” because males aren’t so common; wolf spiders are one of those species that the female eats the male after they mate. I think it’s safe to say that the spider sex had better be damn good if that’s what the male gets when it’s done.
Anyhow, when I saw her scuttling across the floor I immediately jumped out of the chair and landed in a ninja-like stance looking around desperately for something to catch her with because I couldn’t leave the room. You see, the only thing worse then finding a wolf spider in your house is losing a wolf spider in your house. I swear to God, if they get away then they lurk and lay in wait for me. The only object handy was the jar candle so I snatched it up and ran towards her as she was running towards me, like the spider version of playing chicken I suppose. I caught her just as she attempted an evasive maneuver towards the computer desk. And there’s she’s been ever since.
THE OUTFIT
I picked up this striped men’s button down shirt at Kohl’s when I scored this white one for a grand total of $9 for both. This one is similar and currently on sale for $19.99. I borrow from my husband’s side of the closet fairly regularly, but I figured at such a fabulous price why not pick up a couple that I could call my own? My favorite way to style a men’s button down is with jeans or denim shorts, but since I was going to work I swapped out the denim for dress pants. Normally I would pair something this masculine with something frilly, like say a tulle skirt, but I kept the boy theme going until you got to my feet and then…the floral sandals. Again. I know, they pop up a lot. But I love them. And seriously, nothing throws a little girly-girl into an outfit like a pair of floral sandals/shoes/boots.
THE TIP
There’s not a thing wrong with going full-on masculine with an outfit. But if you want to throw in a curve ball, add something super feminine like floral shoes or a handbag. Or maybe add on some serious bling via a sparkly statement necklace and/or an arm party including all of your favorite bracelets.
THE LINK UPS
Check out the weekly link ups I participate in for even more fashion and style ideas…
Shirt: Kohl’s (Similar); Pants: GAP (Similar); Sandals: JCPenney
