A New Leaf

For the longest time, I never really understood what the big deal was about that season we call "spring". That season never seemed to really happen in the Michiana area. There weren't tons of flowers, the temperature never settled anywhere near clement; pretty much the only thing we got in spades was rain and wind. So when you consider that I spent the first 24 years of my life in that region, you might be able to see why spring never really registered as anything special. I mean, how can you appreciate something that maybe lasts a week (at best) and then goes straight into summer?

Of course, now that I live in the Snow Belt, I find myself really missing that week. From what I've been able to glean from observation over the past few years, spring just flat-out does not exist here. The best I can figure out is that we get this little stretch of time that could accurately be called NOT WINTER. Because it's not spring by any stretch of the imagination, but we can all agree that it's definitely not winter anymore.

The lesson: Never move to the Snow Belt. Or appreciate what you have when you have it. Pick the one that will make me look better in your eyes.

In any event, since flowers only exist in the florist section at the grocery store around here, my best guess that spring has arrived when there are buds on the trees. Because buds means that there will be leaves, and leaves means it must be warm, and warmth means NOT WINTER.

So in honor of the fact that there are buds on the trees, I bring you leaf hats.

Oh, vintage. How you never let me down. No matter what kind of crazy thing I'm looking for, you always have something to offer.

Hypothetical Time: Let's say you help out a lot at church. Palm Sunday was over a week ago, and you've got a bunch of extra palm fronds lying around. What should you do with them?

...Do I even need to spoon-feed you an answer at this point?

And not just any hat--a freaking Mad Hatter hat! Wear those palm fronds with style, my friend!

Okay, this is actually an art piece as opposed to a functional hat, but it's pretty and I like it so here it is.

This claims to be a holiday headpiece, but I'm thinking that you could pretty much tweak the crap out of the pattern and wear it whenever you wanted.

Just because it involves leaves doesn't mean it has to be green, as this hat proves.

...Not really sure what's going on with this one. Yeah, it's got leaves and stuff, but it looks like a felt cloche had not-sober relations with a sun hat and this was the result. Whether or not that union was unholy is entirely up for grabs.

And on that note, I'm out until Wednesday. 'Later!