It's that time of month again.

Tomorrow is the 1st of month, which means that all the shoe clubs will be putting their new releases out at midnight PST. I'm not expecting much, really. It's February so it's kinda of an orphan month in the seasons. Spring starts in March, so everyone wants color and springy stuff, but it's still too cold pretty much every where to wear the cute spring stuff yet. So, it's an in-betweener month. I don't like leaving things unworn (then I have to justify them to Hubby), so I don't like buying peep toes or sandals now, but I've only got another month or two to wear the closed toe stuff and boots, so I don't want to order more of that. I go through this exact same thing in reverse every September.

I have stayed up for this every single month since last May. Not tonight though. I've seen the JustFab Elite boutiques and I haven't found anything I like at all. I've seen the ShoeDazzle previews - there are a few things I like, but nothing I suspect will sell out immediately so they can wait until tomorrow. I've closed my Sole Society account, have never bought from Shoe Privee, and I will be closing my ShoeMint account after the crappy previews they released. Basically, I expect February to be my in-betweener month and don't want to get overly excited. I'll get up 15 minutes early in the morning and do a loop through and 'skip' the month on all of them before I forget.

Not to mention that I'm on a shopping-diet and I'm not supposed to be buying anything that doesn't either help me get to Jamaica or can be worn/used while in Jamaica. Before you ask, yes, I can wear heels on the beach. I'm just THAT good. lol

I'll see you all tomorrow with a wrap up of the new releases and the Hump Day Enabling post.

Happy 1st!
-A

It was worth a shot

The taxes did NOT do themselves - so I had to. We are getting a little more back than I was expecting, so that's a nice surprise. Maybe a sliver of it will go to breaking the shoe diet. ;)

Now, I'm drinking the new Orin Swift Palermo cab-sav and about to have my master-griller Hubby's strip steaks. Just another Saturday night in our household.

Remember - don't drink and shop, but if you do, make sure it's something I'd buy. ;)

-A

Saturday Morning Micro Reviews - Because I'm hoping our taxes WILL do themselves

I got a few new pairs of shoes this week - none of which are new releases, but each warrant a small blurb since it's Saturday and I'm looking for excuses NOT to be working on our taxes. (But honey, I'm blogging!) On to the goods:

I got Makeeda from JustFab in blue this week. I'm not sure why I waited months to get them. They run a little wide but otherwise true to size and super comfy. The quality seems to be better than most of the other JustFab shoes I've gotten, too. The studs are attached well and placed properly. There is no visible glue and the seams and heels are straight. I have no clue where I'm going to wear bright blue studded heels, but they're gorgeous enough that I just don't really care! A+++ to JustFab on these. ;)


I got Francie from the ShoeDazzle "Steals" section (going on until Tuesday) and love her more than I thought I would. The reviews say she runs small, but she's actually a tiny bit big on me. The toe is shaped nicely and the heel is a perfect height for 10 hours at work. The quality is good - there are no issues at all that I can see. The heel is somewhere between red and pink. I can't tell which - apparently I've completely forgotten my colors. I'm mucho impressed for $20!


Alas, all is not well, though. I got my Jessica Simpson Bendies and don't like them. The colors are gorgeous and they are amazingly comfy and fit like a dream (like all her shoes) but there is just too much going on for my narrow foot, I think. I don't like how they look when I look down at them. I'm blaming it on my personal preference and telling you to try them anyways. I should note that while I got the other two pairs with credits, I paid for these. I broke my shoe diet for these. I think the shoe gods are punishing me for that. But, on the bright side, someone offered to buy them from me, so my loss will be her gain. Maybe that'll get me back in line with the shoe gods who are obviously pissed at me. :(

And, not shoe related, but following up on my previous bling-organization post: I got the Just In Case Dazzle Deal from ShoeDazzle this week, too. It's perfect for what I was wanting. The larger, box-style case will fit in my suitcase, and the smaller, wallet-style one will fit in my carry on. Both match my existing large La Petite Vanite case perfectly. And, as a plus, I'm got more room to stash new bling when it comes in! Score!


Now, I guess I need to go work on our taxes. Ugh. Unless I find something else to use my time on. Maybe the pantry needs to be organized, or the litter needs to be cleaned, or...or...or... Awww, who am I kidding? A date with Uncle Sam, it is.

****SALE ALERT!!!!!****

Dillard's has marked down all their permanently reduced merchandise by 30%. There are some unbelievable bargains in all categories, including shoes! Hurry! Before it all sells out. ;)

The Official Hump Day Enabling Post - January 25, 2012

There are quite a few sales and coupons this week, so let's get this party started, shall we?

• JessicaSimpsonCollection.com is still running 30% off all sale merchandise with code 30SALE. And, if you spend more than $100, shipping is free.
• Heels.com has a coupon out for 20% off your order: BETATEST. 
• Heels.com also has a Groupon available right now. Spend $25 and get $50 worth of credit OR spend $50 and get $100 worth of credit. The Groupons will work on any amount high or low, but no remaining value will be carried over to future purchases. (Basically you can spend it on anything you want, but you better spend as much of it as possible in one shot or else you lose the balance. This is from their Director of Operations) It is also not combinable with other coupons, such as the one above.
• DSW is offering double points for regular DSW Rewards members with code DOUBLEIT and triple rewards for Premier Rewards members with code TRIPLEIT. 
• NineWest has 25% off their Beyond Sexy Boutique. No code necessary.
• SteveMadden.com has a Stock Up & Save sale going. There are varying discounts depending on how much you spend + free shipping. Their homepage has all the deets.
• ShoeDazzle is still running their 50% off Steals section. They have finally said that it will end on January 31. There is still tons of stuff available. I finally hit the wall at 13 items. I think that's plenty, don't you? They also added a handful of new (full price) shoes and bags to their Valentine's Day shop last night.
• JustFab has announced a Birthday Sale that begins tonight at midnight PST. It will be a BOGO on select styles. I'm not sure what will be in the sale yet, but it's definitely worth checking out. 
• And, as always, remember to go through Ebates -  Where it pays to shop online. Seriously. It really does. And it's stupid easy. There's really no excuse not to. What are you waiting for? GO!!!

Now, go forth and SHOP, my lovelies!

-A

22 Days...

They're for Jamaica. Oh, yeah!

That's how long I made it without spending money on shoes. That may be a personal record which came to an end today. After trying to walk away for days, I caved and bought the Jessica Simpson "Bendie" in deep purple.

They were $37.49 with shipping after using the code 30SALE. I also went through Ebates to get another 3.5% cash back. So, at least I got an awesome bargain. Even if I did blow the shoe diet.

I do have two other pairs of (free) shoes coming too - Makeeda in blue from JustFab which was bought with a credit, And Francie from ShoeDazzle which was gotten as an exchange for a bum purse from the Steals section. Heels.com is also running a Groupon deal through tomorrow that is $25 for $50 or $50 for $100. I'm probably going to get the latter and use it to knock something off my coveted/wanted/allowed list.  All in all, not too bad, considering I was averaging 2-5 pairs a WEEK for months.

But, Bendie up there? She's going to Jamaica, mon.

Happy Shopping!
-A

I knew I bought that camera for something

Do you realize how hard it is to get a squirrel to sit still beside a stiletto long enough for me to take a picture? Luckily, Nutty, was willing to accept payment in wine and bling. Fortunately, I have plenty of both.

All this brings me to: TaDa!!!!! I have a new banner! Finally! I've been mulling ideas over for weeks and finally decided on what you see here. All the important stuff is there - wine, shoes, bling, scarves, and of course, a Squirrel. I considered going the standard anime route, but decided I've got this really expensive DSLR camera, I might as well put it to good use.  It's cute. I think. And so does Nutty.

;)
-A

My Precious!!!!

I have acquired quite a bit of new bling recently and my existing storage just wasn't cutting it. So, I added an earring holder to the tie-rack-re-purposed-as-a-necklace-rack and reorganized my main box o' bling. I've got another, smaller, travel box coming tomorrow that will also hold some stuff on a day to day basis. Worst case scenario has me adding an additional tie-rack for bracelets and letting the rings, pins, and non fish-hook earrings take over the main box, with the larger blingy necklaces going in the new box. I'm thinking ahead, you see? It makes it easier to stash stuff as soon as it comes in if I'm highly organized. I fear Justin already thinks my shoe-love has been replaced with bling-love. Temporarily, he may be right. This stuff is cheap! And it's pretty! And I haven't bought a pair of shoes in 20 days, now. (According to fellow shopping-dieters, using credits don't count.) Besides, the shoe world is between seasons right now so it's boring and uninspiring. Something has to keep me happy, no?

UPDATE: The earring holder is simply lace fabric, doubled over and pulled tight over a 10" embroidery hoop. Then it's hung with ribbon that is tied around the screw on the hoop. Unbelievably easy and it works wonderfully. I got the idea from a fellow blogger who may wish to remain anonymous, so I'll let her claim credit if she wishes. ;)

The weekend finally made it!

I have figured out enough of the legal side of copyrighting that I am comfortable posting again. I have tons to catch up on!

Talk at all you gals later!
-A

The Official Hump Day Enabling Post - January 18, 2012

I have a massive headache so this will be short tonight:

• JessicaSimpsonCollection.com is running 30% off sale items with code 30SALE. 20GIFT still works on regular priced items for 25% off, and shipping is free if you spend more than $100
• ShoeDazzle still has tons of stuff in the Steals section for 50% off, and they've added a full price Valentine's shop with lingerie, picnic baskets, prior Dazzle Deals, and shoes - but sadly, no new shoes.
• JustFab, however, did add a ton of new stuff in their "Be Mine" Valentine's Day collection.
• Code SNAP20 will get you 20% off at Shoemall.com until the 21st.
• As always - use Ebates - it's free money and super easy to use.

Happy shopping!

-A

Some People's Children

Until I can figure out the intricacies of copyrighting, I will not be posting further. It appears that multiple people have decided to use my work as their own. This pisses me off to no end. I'm also not thrilled with the sheer number of ladies who took me starting a blog as an invitation to do the same. While I think it's great that you all took the initiative, just as I did, I don't think it's great when you blatantly copy my theme and ideas. I work my butt off on my posts - to make them cogent, humorous, helpful, and entertaining. I do not want to find a link to some random blog on my facebook newsfeed that's basically the same article re-written. If you can't come up with your own ideas, then you probably shouldn't be blogging.

I'm going to go break my shopping diet and have a nice glass or 4 of wine.

I'm still here!

I was away from the computer all day yesterday and super busy on Thursday and Friday. I haven't forgotten you gals. I've got a handful of posts nearly done and I've been working on building a new banner for up there^. It's gonna be cool!

I'm also trying to build up some inventory to launch a possible Etsy store for my crafts. Of course, this requires me to work on the as-yet-to-be-completed craft room. Which in turn, requires me to supervise my hubby's building of it. It's vicious circle, but I will persevere.

Also - I have a little request. If you win something on eBay, pay immediately. Don't sit on it for days, or even worse, not pay at all. If you aren't going to have the money when the auction ends, then don't bid on it.

Love and Shoes!
-A

The Official "Hump Day Enabling" Post - January 11

I've got my blog-Princess tiara on, so let's jump right into all the bargains and money-saving goodness, shall we?

• BetseyJohnson.com is running buy-one-get-one-free on all sale apparel. Code WELCOME1 will take an additional 20% off your first order.
• AmiClubWear.com is doing 50% off everything through tonight with code AMI50SALE. They do have a $10 minimum order, and their shipping is high, though. :(
• ShoeDazzle added a ton of older styles to the "Steals" tab - where everything is currently 50% off. I'm hoping this becomes a regular thing and they keep adding stuff. My bank account disagrees with this though.
• 20GIFT will take 20% off your purchase at JessicaSimpsonCollection.com - or SALE30 will take 30% off all sale merchandise and shipping is free if you spend more than $100. I'm not sure if the two will work together though.
• Steve Madden  is still running a good sale on tons of stuff.
• VibrantArtwear.com has all their jewelry for $1.00. I have never ordered from them, but I haven't heard anything bad, and for a buck, it's worth a shot if you see something you really like. 
• As always, check out Monica's Fantabulous Fashions!!! I've gotten so much bling from that woman recently that my hubby thinks I've traded my shoe addiction for necklaces.  Little does he know that this is an additional addiction. ;)
• RueLaLa is having a really good sale on designer shoes - such as 7 For All Mankind, BCBG, and etc. 
• AND - DON'T FORGET TO USE EBATES!!!! It's FREE money! It's EASY! 

Happy Shopping! 

Similar, But Different

Anyone who runs in the shoeclub circles is aware of ShoeDazzle's Amour. It comes in Pink/White, Black/White, Aqua/Gray, and Brown/Blush. I have the Brown/Blush combo - which you see here. They are a really pretty shoe and, in my opinion, pull off the color blocking trend very well. They are a faux suede fabric with a smooth-ish finish. They do run 1/2 size small - even a full size on some wider feet. In fact, they are one of the only ShoeDazzle shoes I've ever had to go up in. They are pretty high - 5.25" but the 1" hidden platform makes them wearable. They are only $40 - I recommend you grab a pair.

BUT!!!!!!! If you want to spend a little more, or get lucky and score a pair on eBay or a flash shopping site, get the Penny Loves Kenny Tetra's instead. The shoe that 'inspired' Amour. (The Tetra's, in turn, are a knockoff of a Louboutin, but since this is a bargain blog, we won't go there) I have the lavender Tetra II that you see here - but they come in about a dozen color schemes. These retail for about $90 on most sites, fit almost exactly like Amour, and are real suede. They run a little more true to size, but on the narrow side. I lucked up and got these bad boys 1/2 size up for $27 on eBay. So deals can be had if you look for them.

As for how the two stack up, side by side, they're the same stature - exactly. To the untrained eye, they're the same shoe. But there are definite differences. The material is the main one. The Tetra has a very supple brushed suede. It's very soft and buttery. The Amour has a faux-suede material, while nice in it's own right, is definitely a downgraded material over the Tetra. But the shoe retails for about half the price, so that's entirely expected. The fit of the two are also remarkably similar. They're both narrow and not very tinger friendly.

The most obvious difference is the shape of the toe and the layout of the studs on it. Tetra has a much tighter pattern in the studs, and the toe seam is higher quality. There isn't a single stud out of place on my Tetras. They are also polished, and all the same patina. On Amour - the brass is tarnished to a varying degree and the stud placement looks a little more haphazard. But, without having seen the Tetra's up close, it would never have even occurred to me that there may be an issue with Amour's studs.

Now, a funny story. I missed the original aqua/gray Amours when they were released last spring. I just wasn't into the color-blocking trend and never really regretted it. But, in September, when ShoeDazzle re-released Amour in this color combo and the black/white, I jumped. I hadn't seen the PLK Tetra's on sale anywhere and figured I'd be happy with Amour for $40. So I got them. Then I found the Tetra's on eBay and sent Amour back the same day they came in. I thought there was no way I'd like Amour when I could have the original. But, when ShoeDazzle restocked Amour in December though, I realized they really aren't the same shoe and I could justify having them both. I've also got a brown sweater with pink edging that they'll look totes adorb with. So I reordered them. They came in today and I love them.

Although they're very similar, they aren't so similar that I can't recommend both. I know most women would wonder why in the hell I have ONE pair of stud-toe two-tone pumps, much less why I have TWO. But chances are I'm the only one, other than my Sole Sisters, that will ever even notice that they're even close to the same. My honest recommendation is to get Tetra if you like one of those colors/materials and/or get Amour if you like one of those color combos. Or get both. Or multiples of each. I don't judge.

End Note: Tetra is also available in fabric - that though I haven't seen in person, it looks to be linen. I've never heard anything bad about it. There are tons of other knockoffs of Tetra by other brands on the market. I have not tried any of them and don't plan on it. I think my need for stud-toe color-blocked pumps is satisfied.

Priorities

Spent the day yesterday with 76,000 of my closest friends at Mile High watching the Broncos beat the Steelers in one helluva NFL Playoff game. Go Broncos! Go Tebow! I'm a believer!!!

I'm recovering from that experience today while watching my REAL passion - Bama vs. LSU in the BCS National Championship. Roll Tide!!!! I'll see you gals after I come back down from my annual football high. ;)

An Addition to the "WANTED" List

Betsey Johnson "Ditan" in Teal Neon, Size 7, For under $60

Because Blogger is Stupid

I'm going to have to extend the contest a few days because Blogger keeps defaulting back to NOT allowing anonymous comments and several ladies have notified me that they have no way of posting their stories because of it. If this is happening to you, contact me at shoesquirrel (at) yahoo (dot) com or on facebook with your story and who you are and I'll post it for you. I don't know why it's being such a royal pain. Grrrrrr.

Thank you, ladies!

Friday Night Odds and Ends

A few things to wrap up Friday night:

• Only a couple more hours (I hope) are left to enter the contest!
• As widely predicted, ShoeMint charged several girls who skipped the month: their accounts showed they'd skipped the month, and they'd received confirmation emails of skipping the month. Yet, they still got hit with $80 charges and had to chat or call customer service to get it resolved. Not cool. They are the fourth BeachMint company and should have this crap figured out by now. This is inexcusable. To top that off, they released their ENTIRE January collection as early previews in December. There was NOTHING new on the 1st. Huge disappointment. I'm not impressed and will probably be cancelling sooner than I anticipated. 
• Speaking of BeachMint companies, I also ordered for the first time from JewelMint. Although I like the ring I got, I'm glad I got it for $8. It's not a $30 piece of costume jewelry. Not by a long shot.
• I am officially on a shopping 'diet'. We're going on a big trip in July and I need to refocus my energy on getting the necessities for it and paying for the airfare that went up significantly. I will stop myself from buying anything I can't live without. Anything on my WANTED list is fair game though, and there are a couple of new ones I need to add to that. 
• I organized the master closet this weekend. Hubby saw the entire collection in one pile for the first time. His eye is still twitching. And he doesn't know about the 5 pairs that came in this week. Or the 4 more coming. But there's room for them in the closet now. So that's awesome!

All that being said, lets dive into some bargains!

• ShoeDazzle still has a good bit of stuff in their "Steals" section for 50% off and added more bags today. I've gotten 11 items from the sale so far. I need to stay away. 
• I'm a Betsey Johnson whore apparently. I'm wearing her socks, her sweater, and her jewelry. If not for my feet being cold, I'd be wearing her shoes, too. All her sale apparel is 50% off the already reduced price at BetseyJohnson.com. If you've never shopped there, code WELCOME1 will take another 20% off. I just got this sweater in red and freakin' LOVE it!
• The NEWEAR code is still good for 25% off at JessicaSimpsonCollection.com
• I did not win a 'Shoe-drobe' from Chinese Laundry in their contest. (Alas, is 4 pairs of shoes really a shoe-drobe? I think not.) But, for consolation, they gave a code: SHOEDROBE15 for 15% off their site.
• SteveMadden.com is running a big sale. There's some really cute stuff up to 50% off.

I would like to send out a sincere thanks to the girls who have used my referral links for JustFab and Ebates and clicked on the ads from Google (all over there --> on the side bar). They don't add up to much, but they do add up. I really do appreciate it.

And now, I will go drink margaritas. Plural. But no SUI for me!
Good night, dolls!

Save the shoes!

You wanna know what sucks? Mud puddles. Or snow. Or, well, anything wet that sits between my front door and my car. I hate it, especially when I'm wearing certain types of shoes - suede, faux suede, fabric, velvet. It stains soooooo easily and gets watermarks. And I'm a klutz. Which makes it that much worse. If there is a puddle of nasty, my suede platform will end up in it. From 10 feet away. If I drink coffee while walking - it will drip on my shoes as sure as the day is long.

I finally got sick of losing shoes to otherwise harmless liquids and decided to find out what I could do about it. Fixing my klutziness wasn't an option so I resorted to chemicals. (If the following doesn't work for you, chemicals can be found that make you forget/not care that you've ruined your shoes - they can be found at your friendly neighborhood bar and/or liquor store) This is what I discovered by trial and error: 

The basics for this are: A spray protectant/waterproofer for suede and/or fabric, a clean white washcloth, a bottle of white vinegar, a stain removal pen or wipes, a spray on suede cleaner, a lint brush, a suede brush, and a suede eraser. All of these handy-dandy little things can be gotten at your grocery or drug store. More expensive brands are available online or in department stores - but I've not run across any that work better than the cheap stuff. (One exception - noted below)

First thing: Whenever you bring home a new pair of suede (real or faux), fabric, or velvet shoes, YOU MUST PROTECT THEM! I use Kiwi Protect-All for Suede and Fabrics. It won't prevent damage from the BIG oops-idents, but it will save you from a drop of coffee or water here and there and maybe one trip down a damp walkway. So don't spray it on then think you can go dancing in the rain. It's good, but it's not THAT good. I spray two light coats about an hour apart and let it dry overnight. This stuff is flammable and very dizzy-smelling. I recommend doing it outside.

Now, what happens if you screw up and soak the shoes? This is the first time the white washcloth comes into play. Press the cloth to the shoe to absorb the moisture. DO NOT RUB! Once you've gotten as much of the moisture off as you can, WITHOUT RUBBING, then leave the shoes out to dry. Overnight is a good bet. Expect that there will be watermarks from the edges of the spill and don't freak out (yet) that your shoes are ruined. What you do next depends on what material the shoe is made of:

On real suede, get your suede eraser (that's the little white block beside the brush in that^ picture). Rub the watermark edges gently. It should make it less visible. Then, brush the entire area that got wet with the suede brush. That should make it mostly unnoticeable. If this doesn't do the trick, or for actual stains, you'll need to use the suede cleaning solution. I don't like this stuff. I'm terrified of it. If you use too much it can do more harm than good. So, I don't apply it directly to the shoe. I spray it on that clean white washcloth and rub that onto the stain. Some cleaning solutions recommend the shoe be damp during this process. Again, that terrifies me so I don't use that type of solution. After you rub it onto the stain, use another part of the cloth to wipe it dry. After it's completely dry, hit it with the suede brush again, and Voila! good as new. We hope, at least.

"Faux Suede": On what's usually referred to as faux-suede, but is really a raised nap fabric, it's not nearly as easy. Do the white cloth pat dry trick and hope for the best, actually. Your only chance at saving these is if you can get a stain pen (like the Tide Pen in the picture up top) or a stain wipe to get the stain out. You can then try and rub the area with the cloth to see if it clears it up a little. A suede eraser or brush will destroy this material. If the nap gets matted from water, a lint roller will sometimes pull it back up. Make sure you waterproof the crap out of this fabric if you want to keep them for any length of time.

Velvet:  Easiest of all. (It took an interesting incident for me to figure this one out.) Pat it dry, then use that washcloth to rub white vinegar over the stain. Then lightly brush the area with the suede brush and hit it with the the lint roller. Easy. Done. Bam! This won't work on crushed velvet, but since I haven't seen that stuff since 1992, I didn't bother to figure it out. Test a spot on light velvets though to be sure it doesn't stain or leave a mark.



Satin - which I avoid like the plague: I'm told that Dryel Instant Stain Remover rubbed in the direction of the fabric grain will get some stains out. I have not tried this, but it makes sense. Dryel is a dry-cleaning type product and satin usually needs to be dry-cleaned. I've never understood why shoes worn while one is typically drinking tend to be made of an impossible-to-clean material. The one time I ever had to clean a pair of satin shoes - I took them to a professional cleaner. They still weren't clean when I got them back.

Uggs: This is the 'exception' They make this kit-------->. Use it and follow their instructions. It's specially made for sheepskin, and for $20 it'll give you peace of mind over that $200 pair of boots you just bought. All the other stuff will cost you the same over time. Don't scrimp and pinch pennies here, ladies. Just get the damned stuff and use it!




I think this pretty much covers most porous surfaced shoes. There are a couple more obscure fabrics that you can use these tips and your judgement to clean. Except where noted, I've tried all these tricks and these are how I got the best results. Here's hoping you are lucky and never even have to clean a pair of shoes, but if you aren't I hope this helps. Now, go wash that filthy white cloth. Happy Shoes, Dolls!

(No shoes were harmed in the writing of this blogpost)

SUI - aka Shopping Under the Influence

We've all (well most of us) done it: come home from dinner or a party where a large quantity of alcohol was consumed, started to browse online and ended up buying something either a)hideous by sober standards, b)way too expensive, c)useless, or d)all of the above. This is known as "drunk shopping". While it's barrels of fun for us to cheer others on while they're doing it, it's not so fun when YOU wake up the next day with a headache and wondering why you have an email order confirmation for something called a "Resurrection Plant". (I know someone who this happened to)

For me 'hideous' has been many pairs of shoes bought after one too many margaritas. That WTF? moment really sucks when those boxes come in later in the week.  Now, there are certain sites I completely stay away from if I've been drinking too much. 'Expensive' was my Ugg Bailey Buttons. I really didn't have the $200 to spend but the tequila made me do it. (Maybe the lesson here is to stay away from margaritas).  I haven't crossed into the completely useless category yet, though I came pretty close with a certain t-shirt a few weeks ago - also influenced by margaritas and a certain smart-ass enabler on facebook.

All this brings me to this: I love hearing these stories from other ladies. So, lets have an informal little contest of sorts. Tell me your best drunk-shopping story in the comments (on here, not on facebook) and on Friday night, after I've done a little drunk-shopping myself, I'll decide who has the best/funniest/most outrageous story and send them this cutesy wine glass as a prize. Sounds fun, doesn't it?

"Shopaholic? I almost never mix alcohol with shopping"

I have to have a couple of rules: Anyone in the US or Canada can participate, I can't afford to ship it elsewhere though. All stories must be posted on this blog post. I will not accept anything emailed, pm'd or posted on facebook or twitter. If I get fewer than 10 entries, I reserve the right to extend the deadline. If you do not have an account with which to post non-anonymously on blogger, then you MUST include some type of identifying information on your post. That way I actually know who's entry belongs to who and know who to contact when I decide who wins.

Ready...Set....Go!

UPDATE: 1/3/12 - The New York Times apparently felt the need to discuss this issue, too. But, they aren't giving away a nifty little wine glass to make drunk-shopping easier, now are they? ;)

Out with the Old, In with the New

There is nothing better than spending all day cleaning and realizing when you're done that you've uncovered/freed up the space for 14 new pairs of shoes. Which means I now need new shoes: (my coveted list and the highest price I'm willing to pay, and what I expect to eventually find each at)

WANTED

 

Betsey Johnson "Diskkol" in Leopard. Size 7, for under $60

 Jessica Simpson "Beijo" in Cloud Burst, Size 7 for under $50

Steve Madden "Pammyy" in Berry Suede, Size 6.5 or 7 (I'm between sizes on this one) for under $45

Betsey Johnson "Majestee" in Blue Multi, Size 7, for under $75

Chinese Laundry "Dresden" in Dark Teal, Size 7, for under $40

There are others, but I have seven(!) coming this week already. If you see or hear of any of these on sale or see discount codes, I beg you to let me know. There may even be a little token in it for you!

Happy New Year!!!!!

Happy New Year to all my sole sisters! May you all have a year filled with laughter, good health, prosperity, love and most importantly, SHOES!

Do you do resolutions? I don't usually bother, but this year I'm determined to get my shoes organized better. I've got the spreadsheet, but I want to be able to see everything. What solutions have you guys found for limited space? I've looked everywhere and can't find anything! Hubby won't allow me to go to Ikea and get the Billy bookcases for the bedroom - he doesn't want the 'collection' taking over that space, too.

Also, today is the 1st of the month, remember to 'skip the month' in any shoe, accessory, or fashion clubs - ShoeDazzle, JustFab, Sole Society, JewelMint, StyleMint, ShoeMint, BeautyMint, Send The Trend, etc. Even if you plan on buying, it's a good idea to skip anyways so you don't get hit with an unexpected or unwanted charge on the 6th. My first of the month ritual includes me logging into each site and skipping before I even look at a single shoe.

To be very honest - I'm not loving anything from any of them this month. I ordered one pair from ShoeDazzle (that isn't even a new release) because I have a top that they will look great with and a pair of white boots from JustFab because I had a credit to burn and don't actually have white boots. I don't really care for anything from any of the others. I wonder if I'm beginning to be bored with the clubs (as happens occasionally) or if they really are that 'blah' this month. I feel like I've seen it all before. I'm also going through the phase where I don't really want to buy more boots because spring is just a couple of months away, but I'm not ready to buy spring styles yet because I can't stand them sitting in my closet, unworn, for weeks. :(

I guess I'll just wait and see what the New Year brings!