bird leggings, pink utility jacket, fashion over 40, Shelbee on the Edge

The Truth About Birds & Link Up On the Edge #193

May 1, 2020 / 47 Comments
bird leggings, pink utility jacket, fashion over 40, Shelbee on the Edge
bird leggings, pink utility jacket, fashion over 40, Shelbee on the Edge
bird leggings, pink utility jacket, fashion over 40, Shelbee on the Edge

I dedicate this post to my friend Debbie of Fashion Fairy Dust…

I suppose a more adequate title would be “My Truth About Birds” because what I am about to say is merely my own opinion and my own irrational musings and not at all based on any type of actual scientific facts. The stories below, however, are based on actual real personal experiences in my life.

Birds are freaking creepy creatures. (See, not at all a scientific hypothesis.) I don’t like them. I never really have. And I have tried so hard to give birds a shot at winning my affection. But to no avail.

bird leggings, pink utility jacket, fashion over 40, Shelbee on the Edge
bird leggings, pink utility jacket, fashion over 40, Shelbee on the Edge
bird leggings, pink utility jacket, fashion over 40, Shelbee on the Edge

When I was very young, my mom had this bird ornament that she would put on our Christmas tree every year. I am sure you have seen these…they are covered with real feathers and look like taxidermied birds. I was so freaked out by the fact that my mother would decorate our Christmas tree with a dead bird. I was terrified of this thing.

It was Christmas Eve 1979, I was 5 years old, and my older sisters got me so excited for the super special gift they had gotten for me. Per our regular holiday tradition, we exchanged our gifts on Christmas Eve when I was presented with the most beautifully ornate present I had ever seen. Lo and behold, inside the box was that damn dead bird ornament that horrified me. I screamed, my sisters laughed and laughed, and a lifetime bird war of sorts began…we have been exchanging dead bird ornaments every Christmas since 1979. Maybe not every single year, but we have been rather consistent for the past 40 years to the point that I own more feathered tree ornaments than any other type of ornament. Gah.

bird leggings, pink utility jacket, fashion over 40, Shelbee on the Edge
bird leggings, pink utility jacket, fashion over 40, Shelbee on the Edge
bird leggings, pink utility jacket, fashion over 40, Shelbee on the Edge

A few laters, when I was 7 or 8, my sister got a pet parakeet. He was green and his name was Nipper. He lived in a cage in our bedroom. I was definitely less afraid of this bird, mostly because he was alive and not some creepy weird dead bird. One day, I walked into our bedroom and saw Nipper lying on his back in his cage. I thought he was sleeping and went to get my mom to show her how cute this bird was sleeping on his back in the cage. As you can imagine, my vision of cuteness quickly turned to petrified doom as I realized I was staring at yet another dead bird, but a freshly dead bird this time. Ugh.

But still I tried to like birds even as they continued to haunt my childhood. When I was 16, I spotted the coolest antique bird cage at a flea market. I wanted that cage so badly but I felt it was necessary to have an actual bird in order to justify the purchase of an antique cage. I know now I could have just bought the cage and used it for something else. But my teenage mind was set on having a parakeet which my mother got for me for Christmas that year. She got me a blue one and I honestly can’t even remember his name (see how special that bird was to me).

I had him for a few years because I took him to college with me. He wasn’t a bad bird. He was rather affectionate and would nestle into my shoulder and hang there for hours on end. But sometime during my sophomore year, I decided he needed a friend. So I got a green parakeet and put them in the cage together. That was a really bad move. Because the new parakeet was not nice and he turned my nice parakeet into an evil biting, snipping, antisocial winged demon. I couldn’t feed these creatures or clean their cage without suffering some sort of physical bird assault. I eventually rehomed them at a private bird sanctuary and I never missed them for a second.

bird leggings, pink utility jacket, fashion over 40, Shelbee on the Edge
bird leggings, pink utility jacket, fashion over 40, Shelbee on the Edge
bird leggings, pink utility jacket, fashion over 40, Shelbee on the Edge

As you can see, my fear and dislike of birds comes from a series of semi-traumatic bird events in my life. But I can appreciate their role in the ecosystem. I do enjoy their beautiful songs on a warm spring morning. I find the colorful plumage of some to be quite breathtaking. Their ability to navigate the world through the sky impresses me immensely. But yet, I cannot feel affection towards our winged friends. So as long as they stay far away from me and are heard without being seen, then I am okay with birds. But when it comes to a bird print on clothing, I am weak and I cannot resist. As strong as my distaste for birds may, I love a good bird print (see my bird leggings)! It’s kind of weird, but it is my truth about birds.

bird leggings, pink utility jacket, fashion over 40, Shelbee on the Edge
bird leggings, pink utility jacket, fashion over 40, Shelbee on the Edge
bird leggings, pink utility jacket, fashion over 40, Shelbee on the Edge

Do you have a particular animal that freaks you out?

And now your featured favorites from last week.

Reader Favorite (Most Clicked)

Dee of Grammy’s Grid shared her post, Who Are You Blogging For? Part 1. She offers some great tips for all of us bloggers whether we blog for our own personal creative outlet or as a source of income. Whatever the reason for your blog, I highly recommend checking out Dee’s 5 part series for lots of helpful tips.

Grammy’s Grid

My Favorite Fashion Post

Mireille of Chez Mireille shared her post, Pascha Outfit: Modcloth Skirt for the Win, featuring the perfect skirt for spring and summer. As Mireille has previously illustrated, not only is this skirt so darn pretty, but it is incredibly versatile. I love how she mixes other patterns with this bold floral print!

MIreille of Chez Mireille

My Favorite Non-Fashion Post

Jennifer of Effortlessly Sophisticated shared a really great eco-friendly brand in her blog review, Earth Day with Plaine Products. This company, which offers a variety of beauty and hygiene products, has found a brilliant way to cut down on single use plastics for their products. Do check out this post. It really has a lot of great information along with a wonderful eco-conscious product line!

Jennifer of Effortlessly Sophisticated

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Before I sign off, I want to wish my sweet Archer James a very Happy 9th Birthday today! I will share details of his birthday celebration tomorrow so please stop by then!

Awesome Archie, Shelbee on the Edge

Keeping it on the edge,

Shelbee

Linking up with these Fabulous Link Parties.

Shop my look…

Outfit Details: Leggings-LulaRoe / Sweater and Jacket-Old Navy / Tunic-TJ Maxx / Boots-Carlos Santana (Famous Footwear) / Gloves-Army / Earrings-Old / Sunglass Necklace-La Loop

I am a midlife woman, wife, and stay-at-home mother of 2 boys and 2 cats. I have a passion for helping other women feel fabulous in the midst of this crazy, beautiful life.

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47 Comments

  • Nancy

    May 1, 2020 at 9:14 am Reply

    Oh what a bad story! Haha. But I am glad you love bird prints as they are so lovely! Happy Birthday Archie!! Have a fabulous day!

    • shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com

      May 1, 2020 at 2:34 pm Reply

      Kathrine, thanks so much! I love that you are the bird lady and can connect with them in a way that I apparently cannot! My son connects really well with our bunny who seems to hate everyone else in the house. And my husband is the cat guy! I think I might just be a people person. Have a great weekend, my friend.

      xoxo
      Shelbee

  • Kellyann Rohr

    May 1, 2020 at 12:30 pm Reply

    Awwwww, a big happy birthday to Archie! The last year in the single digits!
    Okay, bless your heart Shelbee, I cannot imagine unwrapping a beautiful present and being horrified by that bird ornament! I’ve never wanted a bird as a pet but I don’t mind them. I think keeping them on your leggings is the best place for them for you my friend!!
    xo,
    Kellyann

    • shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com

      May 1, 2020 at 2:30 pm Reply

      Thanks so much, Kellyann! My track record with birds is not so good. I agree that the best place in my life for birds is on my leggings! Stay tuned for more about Archie’s zombie apocalypse birthday party!

      xoxo
      Shelbee

  • Ellibelle

    May 1, 2020 at 2:53 pm Reply

    I used to have a co-worker that was afraid of birds and I never understood why, I don’t think she knew either. Reading your story there must have been something in her life as well that made her afraid of them too. Personally I love them, just not in cages. But I do freak out if they ever come into the house. My cats have been bringing them in occasionally. I then (after I scream LOL) have to either lock the door of the room they are in or lock myself in if it happens to be in an open area of the house until my husband is home.

    Fun outfit today. Love the bird print on the leggings and great jacket!
    Happy Birthday to Archie!
    Ellibelle’s Corner

    • shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com

      May 1, 2020 at 4:28 pm Reply

      Ellie, thanks so much! Seriously, bird attacks can totally traumatize a person. And they are really freaky when they get indoors and start flipping out. The same with bats or any other flying thing that comes in my house. Flying things are most unwelcome here! And yes, they definitely do not belong in cages! I hope you have a wonderful weekend, my friend!

      xoxo
      Shelbee

  • Michelle

    May 1, 2020 at 2:55 pm Reply

    I always thought those dead bird ornaments were disgusting. LOL! Fortunately, no one in my family were into them. I can’t even remember where I saw the dead bird ornaments when I was a kid. But your memory brought back that feeling of disgust. I think at the time, I thought it was a genuine dead bird.

    I’ve never had a bird as a pet. Cats and dogs are more my style.

    I noticed your leggings right away. As a woman who loves her wild leggings, I can honestly say those are fabulous! (Although, I was kind of hoping they were bats. LOL!) Fantastic outfit!

    Michelle
    https://mybijoulifeonline.com

    • shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com

      May 1, 2020 at 4:26 pm Reply

      Thanks so much, Michelle! I am definitely more of a cat person than anything else, but I could honestly do without any animals in my life at this point! Here is another silly story about dead bird ornaments…years ago my mom and I visited one of her aunts around Christmas time. As soon as we walked in the front door, I gasped when I saw her Christmas tree which was literally covered in dead bird ornaments. All the same ones…white doves…covered in feathers…perfectly spaced all over the tree with lights and garland and no other ornaments! I looked at my mom, my eyes wide with horror, and whispered, “OMG. Look at all the dead birds.” To be clear, I was probably around 30 years old at the time and my mom pinched my arm and told me to shut up! Hahahaha

      Bats are pretty cool creatures…except they are winged and that freaks me out just as much as birds! I hope you have a great weekend!

      xoxo
      Shelbee

  • jess jannenga

    May 1, 2020 at 3:19 pm Reply

    Happy Birthday Archie!! He is the same age as my niece. 🙂 Aw,, bad bird stories.. I think people once they saw Hitchcock’s The Birds, probably didn’t like birds much after! Funny about your sis and you exchanging bird ornaments. We collect rustic animal ornaments, which started in Asheville, and I do have a red cardinal for my tree. 🙂
    How apprapo are your tights! Looks fun with your black boots and sweater. It is funny that you bring up birds. I have been watching You Tube videos on Cockatoos lately, they are smart and funny!
    have a good weekend!
    jess xx
    http://www.elegantlydressedandstylish.com

    • shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com

      May 1, 2020 at 4:21 pm Reply

      Jess, thanks so much! I just shared a little story about Hitchcock’s The Birds in my response to Lucy…seriously creepy stuff! I do love the sound of birds singing and find them interesting if I were to watch a show about them. But I would prefer they don’t come too near me! I have a lot of rustic animal style ornaments, too. Those are so cute!

      xoxo
      Shelbee

  • Lucy Bertoldi

    May 1, 2020 at 3:20 pm Reply

    Omg how creepy!! I can totally relate- one of my daughters is petrified of birds too. And for me it was that Hitchcock movie!! Haunting to say the least. I’m not really creeped out by any animal…except when i was pregnant with my second daughter for some reason I became scared of cats lol!! Always afraid they’d jump and attack my stomach…go figure!

    • shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com

      May 1, 2020 at 4:19 pm Reply

      Lucy, thanks so much for sharing your story! Birds are creepy things, for sure. And cats can be equally so! Hitchcock’s The Birds totally freaked me out, too. I took a Hitchcock class in college and learned that he put bird seed in Tippi Hendren’s hair and then tied fishing line to the birds’ ankles which he then attached to her clothing with safety pins. So when the birds were attacking her in certain scenes, they were really attacking her! I would seriously die!

      xoxo
      Shelbee

  • mireille

    May 1, 2020 at 3:31 pm Reply

    First of all, thanks for the feature! Second, oh my, those are some interesting bird stories, lol! My hubby has a thing about bluebirds (who like to do their business on our cars) and hummingbird who used to dive bomb him growing up when he mowed the yard! I do enjoy seeing all of the birds at the birdfeeders at our house and hearing them.
    http://www.chezmireillefashiontravelmom.com

  • Lizzie

    May 1, 2020 at 4:52 pm Reply

    Oh my goodness, the bird ornament! That would be so traumatic! Well, at least with bird prints, they can’t hurt you lol! I don’t think I have any crazy bird stories but there was one making a nest in my plants last week lol!

    Lizzie
    http://www.lizzieinlace.com

    • shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com

      May 1, 2020 at 5:07 pm Reply

      Lizzie, thanks so much for stopping by! That is some serious bird trauma, isn’t it?! As long as they stay in their nests (or in your plants, for that matter), then I can peacefully exist in the world with them!

      xoxo
      Shelbee

  • Ada Furxhi

    May 1, 2020 at 5:51 pm Reply

    Happy birthday to that handsome blue-haired boy of yours! QUARANTINE BIRTHDAYS FOR ALL OF YOU THIS YEAR, BUT HEY AS LONG AS WE ARE HOME+SAFE!!

    Loved the bird story too and of course the fun leggings and necklace.

  • Deborah Stinedurf

    May 1, 2020 at 5:52 pm Reply

    LOLOLOLOL! And you know that I LOL with the fondest affection because…I get you girl! I too enjoy the sound of them and agree that many of them are extraordinarily beautiful, however they are all avian terrorists! I also get your weird love of them on clothing because the tattoo near my bellybutton is a bird…go figure? Much like I have an overwhelming fear of gargoyles (ya, that’s logical) and yet there are gargoyles all around my yard and there’s actually a pair of them sitting next to my desk as I type this…you and I are complicated creatures…lol
    Debbie
    http://www.fashionfairydust.com

    • shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com

      May 1, 2020 at 5:55 pm Reply

      I am so glad that you got a good chuckle out of this! I have so many more stories that involve terroristic flying creatures, too, but I will save those for another time! We are definitely complicated creatures, for sure. Although, I find gargoyles kind of cool as well as many other mythical type creatures. It is the real life ones that freak me out! Haha. Have a great weekend! See you on Monday’s video call!

      xoxo
      Shelbee

    • shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com

      May 1, 2020 at 10:37 pm Reply

      Gah, Cheryl! Snakes are so creepy! Yet so many of us have embraced the snakeskin trend on our clothing and accessories! Isn’t that funny how that works? I hate birds, but I love bird prints. You hate snakes, do you love snake prints?!

      xoxo
      Shelbee

  • Shannon April

    May 1, 2020 at 11:53 pm Reply

    I love birds-, especially for home decor. Loving the colors you put together today Shelbee!! I rebranded. My Gamine & Stripes is now April Styling in case you get confused. Have a great weekend!

  • Laura Bambrick

    May 3, 2020 at 2:44 am Reply

    Haha! I have a friend who hates birds too! I can’t say I’m creeped out by any animals I can think of. Unless worms count? It’s after the rain when they are all over the sidewalk. YUCK!!

  • Patrick Weseman

    May 3, 2020 at 5:25 pm Reply

    I like watching birds to there thing at the park and in nature but could never have one as a pet. Just me.

    Looking very nice and hope that you and your family are safe and healthy.

    • shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com

      May 4, 2020 at 10:32 am Reply

      Thank you, Patrick! Yeah, I definitely never want a bird as a pet again! I do like to listen to them singing in the early morning hours while drinking my coffee and even get excited when I see birds like bluejays and cardinals and woodpeckers in my yard…as long as they don’t get too near me!

      xoxo
      Shelbee

  • Emma Peach

    May 4, 2020 at 8:50 pm Reply

    My mum doesn’t like anything fluttery or flappy around her. She freaks out at moths, hates bats and once had a hissy fit when a fledgling bird made an emergency landing in her hair…it was the 80s and she had big hair! I love birds and get to look after all kinds, big and small, at the wildlife hospital where I volunteer. I especially love the birds of prey…the bigger the better! Those leggings are fabulous!

    Emma xxx
    http://www.style-splash.com

    • shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com

      May 4, 2020 at 8:54 pm Reply

      Aw, Emma, thank you so much for sharing that story! I can relate to your mum! If a bird landed in my hair, I might die. But I also love and appreciate your fondness and affection for birds. And I am glad that there are people like you and the sanctuary that adopted my birds. I wish no harm to the creatures. I would just like them to not fly in my hair!

      xoxo
      Shelbee

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Shelbee on the Edge