I've got sunshine...

I've been wanting yellow pumps since, well, forever. And I never found a pair that I really liked that were also in my price range. But, earlier this month, ShoeDazzle released Julia and the contrast of the yellow against the pink sole reminded me of the Betsey Johnson Ditan in yellow which I've loved since they were released. There are issues though: while I love the colors of Julia, a) my tingers cannot tolerate pointy toes. They slide all the way down in there and get all squished. It's not fun and b)see a. But, and this is key, they're the usual $40 from ShoeDazzle. Ditan was running $100. Big difference. HUGE. Especially considering the shopping diet. (60 more days!).

I sucked it up and decided I was just going to go ahead and get Julia, but was waffling on the size. I typically go 1/2 size down in pointy toes because of the aforementioned tendency to create space where there usually isn't, but the ShoeDazzle Signature Soles always run small to begin with. So I held off until reviews started coming in and I could make a better decision. (For the record, the consensus seems to be that they are true to size on most girls)

During that wait, an interesting thing happened. One day, I was sitting in my office, talking to one of my bosses about a project and all of a sudden I got a text message. I looked down and it was a dear fellow shoe-whore letting me know that yellow Ditan was available in my size on 6pm for $40. $40!!!!!! Yes! I actually told my boss "Hold that thought..." and turned around and ordered them without a blink. At least he's understanding. All he asked is that I stay away from his wife lest she develop the same habit.

They're even more gorgeous in person. They are tighter than all my other Dita/Ditans but not quite tight enough for me to have gone up a size without using inserts. They broke in really nicely the first day I wore them and I got tons of compliments on them. One co-worker said "Your shoes make me happy." I think that's probably the best thing I can ever hope for someone to tell me about my shoes. They're my little bursts of sunshine.

As for Julia, I'm considering the turquoise still. It'll all depend on what else gets released at the Dazzle tonight. I kinda feel dirty knowing that I almost bought the imitator when the real thing was waiting for me all along though. So maybe I'll just hold off for a screaming deal on the teal Ditan. I'm mean, hello, I've got 4 pairs already, I think 5 would be the icing on the Betsey cake.

-A

Not My Proudest Purchase

Sometimes, even a shoe-whore makes regrettable choices in footwear. In my case, these are purely out of necessity. Our upcoming Jamaica trip (61 days!) requires me to have shoes that will allow me to hike rivers, waterfalls, and rocky shorelines. There are only a few options for this – the full on water shoes, which are uncomfortable as hell, especially when rocks, sand, shells, etc. get in them. Crocs are also a possibility – but unless you work in healthcare, those should never be worn in public. Ever. Then there are these – the Teva-style sandals. They are ugly as sin, but the lesser of the 3 evils. I was embarrassed to purchase them. I tried these on at the back of the shoe section, where no one was at, carried the box close to my chest so no one could see what they were, and I looked the other way at the register while the cashier checked them to verify they match. They were cheap though ($17ish), so I don’t feel bad about spending tons of money on something I don’t actually want.  And, I won’t lie, they’re comfy. Very much so, really. But so many hideous shoes are – that doesn’t make them any more fashionable or mean that they should be worn on a regular basis. Sadly, being in Colorado, I see more than my share of these every day. At the grocery store, restaurants, etc. I want to say "Just Stop!" to those who wear them as their normal casual shoes. I may have lost some cred now that I own a pair, but at least I have the sense to wear them only for what they're meant, and you'll NEVER see me wear them with socks. There ought to be a law.

Busy busy busy

I've been entirely too busy and have taken on too many commitments and by the time I get home every evening, I'm exhausted and just want to crash. I've got so much to blog about though. I got some new shoes and bags, I made some dresses,  and bought some nail polish. The nail polish fiasco is an Oprah all by itself and will get it's own post. Oh, and ShoeDazzle made major changes.

There's just so much! I'm exhausted just thinking about it. I'm gonna go spend an hour at the gym and will hammer a post out when I get back. Maybe about my new Chinese Laundry wedges, or the super simple dresses I made for Jamaica. Hmmm.

Later!
-A