I am a year-round boot wearer, and I am always on the look out for my next great pair of boots – these Born Audie’s are currently on the top of my hit list. Some sort of attractive crossing between a pull-on engineer boot and something more equestrian in nature, the Audie slip on boot delivers on style, comfort and even color. I am smitten with the blue Kite Board Suede (pictured below), but you can also select from Green Tea Suede, Stollen Suede, Caramel Latte Suede, or black depending on your color preferences. Constructed of velvety suede with over-stitching, the cap toe the chunky 1″ heel add a bit of menace, while the pull tab allows for easy insertion of your foot. These sporty boots feature hand-sewn construction as well as the DRYZ moisture-managing footbed which helps insure a dry inner environment. My experience with the comfort and longevity of Born shoes and boots means these beautiful blue suede boots are worth the cost.

Price: $180.00
Zappos: Born Women’s Audie Engineer Boot

For my birthmas this year I was lucky enough to receive a black and green, custom-made, dinosaur hoodie and scarf combo – the little known “scoody.” I freakin’ love it! I live in the frequently rainy pacific northwest, and the charm and ease of grabbing my warm, fleecy dino hood before heading out into the weather is addictive. Hand-made upon order using all new materials, your dino scoody consists of two colors of fleece – the body of your reptile, and the contrast color used for spikes, hood trim and hood-securing scarf. The spikes are well filled for proper projection into space. In profile, or even full frontal, there will be no doubt that you are a dinosaur. Stitched with love by apriKot DIY clothing and based out of Bellingham, WA, your hoody may take up to two weeks to arrive. Choose any color combination that suits you – my favorite is the classic black and green. Dinosaurs not so much your thing? Choose from among bear, deer or kitty scoodies which are also available.

Price: $30.00
Etsy: apriKot DIY clothing Dino Scoody

The perfect jellyfish encounter – 3 lovely phosphorescent beauties dazzle on this women’s dark, long-sleeved organic tee. A new release from the indie style lords of Deadworry, I am loving this scoop neck top and it’s creepy oceanic lurkers. A perfect addition to the winter wardrobe, this super soft organic cotton t-shirt is cut especially for the ladies. Currently available in sizes S, L, and XL from Shana Logic, this item will be shipped from the artist in 7 business days. Deadworry is located in Florida, and each shirt is screen-printed by hand.

Price: $25.00
Shana Logic: Women’s long sleeved Jellyfish Top

Yeah these boots are waterproof, but you know what? they are probably impervious to just about anything that comes before proof. One of the toughest jobs in the world has to be mining and from the steel shank to the vibram sole these Matterhorn boots are designed to help keep the feet of these incredibly brave workers safe. It’s getting difficult to find shoes made in the USA, but Matterhorn is a brand of the Cove Shoe Company located in Pennsylvania (so you know they are tough!). You don’t need to be a miner to rock these badass boots, just hardcore.

$299.95
Matterhorn- Waterproof Mining Boot

Hand-crafted in Columbia, the Hossada necklace features two shades of tagua slices dangling from a woven collar, creating a cascade of intricate colored slices. Like tree rings, mineral geodes, or finger prints; it seems each slice of vegetable ivory has a unique and captivating pattern. Available in about a zillion colors, one of them is sure to catch your fancy. Choose from turquoise (shown below), purple, green, berry, brown/orange, red or fall brown. This eco-friendly splash of bright colors is surprisingly lightweight for so much action. You might be wondering what the heck a tagua nut is and how choosing vegetable ivory equates to being environmentally friendly. The material used in this jewelry collection comes from the nut of a rare palm tree (Phytelephas Macrocarpa) that grows only along the South American coast – it’s known as the tagua nut. The nut is harvested seasonally, only after it falls off the palm tree. When the palm fruits ripen, the fruit drops to the ground, and the nuts can be collected for processing. Afterwards, they must be left to dry for 2 months, and they become extremely hard. Once the nuts reach the artisan crafters, they are polished until they get a clean and shiny look. Then, the nuts are cut with extreme care in order to give them different forms, and they are French-dyed into various vivid colors before becoming jewelry. The cellular structure and grain is similar to that of elephant ivory, but is much more dense and resilient. Vegetable ivory resembles the finest ivory texture and the color is slightly softer than normal ivory and contains a void in the center of the nut. Tagua has been known and used by craftsman for years and is frequently passed as elephant ivory. Tagua is viewed as a sustainable alternative to ivory derived from animals, and responsible cultivation and harvesting of tagua may also help with rain forest conservation in South America. The Amazonian Indians believe that the tagua nut brings prosperity, happiness, love and abundance. Any way you slice it, this necklace delivers tons of color and activity, so be ready to get noticed in the Hossada choker. I think Bones might even be smitten by the Palma collection.

Price: $65.00
Palma Collection: Hossada Necklace

I am totally smitten with these new snow boots from Keen! Maybe I have heightened appreciation for warmth, dryness, and good traction in a winter boot since Portland, OR got hit with a more than a few days of snow last winter. As soon as I can afford a pair, I will be placing my order for these perfect wet-weather, winter boots. Like a rather charming and absurd mating of a sorel snow boot and some chuck taylors, the Snow Rover waterproof and insulated boots feature lightweight (but surprisingly warm – rated for -25 degrees) KEEN.Warm™ technology -  an anti-microbial insulation technology that is created from charcoal bamboo. Constructed of a leather and canvas upper, I love the soft faux shearling lining, and I think these boots look even better in person than the picture below suggests. These outdoor performance boots also incorporate the KEEN.DRY™ waterproof breathable membrane that let’s vapor out without letting water in. They sound pretty bad ass for challenging climates, right? Men can choose between dark shadow/warm olive (pictured below) or potting soil/silver mink. The Snow Rover is available in sizes 7 – 14, with many 1/2 sizes, too. Don’t worry, ladies, Keen has snow boots for you, too.

Price: $154.00
Zappos: Men’s Keen Snow Rover

The indie superstars at Supermaggie say they see flocks of grackles, blackbirds and starlings migrating through their area every year, headed north. Clearly their migratory bird experiences provide the inspiration for the great Flock print, pictured below on a men’s Army colored t-shirt. Made of 100% cotton which has not been pre-shrunk, the unisex blanks run true to size. Looking for the Flock on something besides a tee? Ladies Flock apparel is also available. BirdFight has also been out watching the birds.

Price: $28 to $32
Supermaggie: Men’s Flock T-shirt

All Hallows eve is just about here, and it’s a perfect Friday to enjoy the fine Fall weather and all the treats this time of year has to offer. A few of my favorite indie flavored posts from around the blogosphere are listed below.

BoingBoing: Bees That Drink Human Tears
Just hold real still while they’re sipping, you probably don’t want to startle these bees.

Rare Bird Finds: Hand Thrown Skull Mug
I am completely smitten with this charming skully mug. It’s even microwave safe!

Hide Your Arms: Tentacles of Horror Hoodie by Raygun Robyn
Cthulhian splendor ensures a wide berth on the streets.

Street Anatomy: Hello Anatomical Kitty
Such cute, charming and kittenish little organs.

A Slip of a Girl: Looks Like Vintage, But It’s Not! (So That Means Size Options!)
Super saucy black slip is sure to inspire.

Modish: Adventures of Jessica Rose
Sweet, feminine and made of handwoven cashmere – winter is looking nice!

Miss Malaprop: Colorful, Eco-friendly Layered Looks for Fall from Stewart+Brown
Eco friendly and brightly colored, Stewart+Brown really deliver.

I thought I needed a new coffee mug to round out my winter collection (and celebrate the coming of a new espresso machine to my household), and initially thought the giant squid mug was the winner. Then I saw this awesome dinosaur/dino bones caffeine holder, and realized that T. Rex plus T. Rex bones equates to the best coffee cup ever! I cannot say that the artistic rendering of the Tyrannosaurus is top notch, but it does convey the general premise of the magnificent beast, and once you add a hot beverage of your choice the world turns to bones. The bone view is pretty satisfying. And waking up every day to fleshed out dinosaurs on your cup, then savoring your morning brew while enjoying an archaeological dig – I have clearly found my new beverage container of choice. The dino mug holds 12 ounces of fluid, is microwave safe, and requires hand washing.

Price: $11.95
The Afternoon: Disappearing Dinosaur Mug

I just got a pair of these black denim jeans last week, and I really love the fit, the color, and the fact that they are made of 99% organic cotton. Way to go, Levi’s! They have the same cut (mid-rise, straight leg) in a blue denim which features 15% recycled cotton as another eco-friendly possibility. I like black sheen (seen below), which is an inky over-dyed black denim, with nice texture, a subtle sheen and just a tiny bit of clingy stretch due to 1% spandex. Available in sizes 0 through 14, most sizes come in either short (30″), medium (32″) or long (32″).

Price: $69.50
Levi’s: Women’s Mid Rise Straight 552™ Jeans