Buy - Return - Rebuy

Remember these? I had returned them and experienced returner's remorse a couple of months ago. Well, I went back to that same store last week and they were still there, and even cheaper than when I returned them. So, I rebought them. They are the exact same pair, scuff and all, but they were about $10 less than what I originally paid and I've finally come to terms with having so many pink shoes.

I've been known to do this with other shoes - buy, return, re-buy - but I think this is the first time that I've ever rebought the exact same pair months later. The friend that was with me, who was also with me the first time I bought them, was as amazed as I am. They're so cute! I can't believe no one had snatched them up yet. And they're just as comfy as their purple sisters.

As for yet another pair of pink shoes, I've stopped trying to fight it. At least most of my wardrobe is pink, too.

-A

A Hit and a Miss

Remember this BOGO? The one where I broke down and grabbed two pairs of Abbey Dawn for the price of one on JustFab? Well, there's good news and bad.

First the bad: Starstruck runs huge on me and I had to sell them. I feared this would happen since they're basically the same shoe as the Iron Fist Filthy Landlubber T-Bar which broke my heart. Oh well, you win some, you lose some.

Now the good: I love Pretty Please. They totally surprised me. I ended up wearing them on a day that I had a completely forgotten about seminar and walked for m-i-l-e-s in them. They were actually pretty comfy and gave me an air of badassedness that was sorely needed that day.

So, I'm still not a fan of Avril Lavigne, but I'll give her credit for choosing Iron Fist to be her fashion partner.

The Steal of a Lifetime...

...well maybe not lifetime. But at least of the last month.

As I'm sure many of you have heard, Betsey Johnson's retail operations are bankrupt. This means she will no longer be selling direct to the public online or in brick-and-mortar stores. Her stuff will still be available through other retailers though, such as Zappos, Macy's, Dillards, 6pm, Heels.com, etc. So hope is not lost. But, because of this, her stores and online operations are going through liquidation right now and there are tons of sample sales going on. And I happened upon one helluva deal due to this unfortunate circumstance.
I've mentioned my quest to build up my collection of closed toe wedges and got really really lucky last week with this purchase. I found the Betsey Johnson Corsett wedge in blush (nude, really) for $20. It said it was a sample and had blemishes. But wait! I had a coupon also. So, I ultimately got these for the cost of shipping. I kid you not. These originally retailed for $139.95 at Dillards.

I got them in a 7 since that's what I always wear in Betseys but wish I'd gotten a 6.5 since these seem to run a little larger than her usual sizing. They'll be fine with an insert though. And they're really comfy. Oh, and the blemishes they said they had? It is one little pink spot on the inside of one shoe from where they rubbed the box. If I didn't know to look for it, I never would have seen it. As an added bonus, they're a very sensible 4.5" heel with a 1.25" platform. They're almost flats.

I'm gonna be a selfish squirrel and not tell you where this particular nut came from. I have found other huge steals from there and they have extremely limited quantities when they have them so I'm saving that info for myself. Sorry, girls, even the biggest enablers have to keep mum from time to time.

-A

The Pointy Sisters

I hate pointy-toed shoes. My tingers love them and that's why I hate them. They look weird and make my already long toes seem even longer. And they're just an odd, unnatural shape. And they fit me weird. Most ladies stay true-to-size in them, or even go up 1/2 size. I go down in size. My toes slide all the way into the point. Have I mentioned that I hate them. Loathe. I've got one pair of red Gianni Binni's from Dillards and one pair of bubble gum pink Manolo Blahnik's left over from the last time these were popular and I refuse to wear either. Those both have toes that go on for miles.

But, more than hating pointy toes, I'm a sucker for a sale. So, when ShoeDazzle put Julia in their BOGO last month, I was drawn to the bargain and decided to give the turquoise a try. I didn't have that color in my collection and they didn't appear to be as pointy as some of those atrocious things. Word was that they ran tight, so, knowing that pointy toes fit me oddly, I went with the 6.5 and ShoeDazzle managed to get them to me in about a week and in perfect condition.

Oh. My. Gawd. I freaking LOVE these shoes. LOVE. They fit like a glove and are sexy as hell. They're only a 3.5" heel, so they proved to be great while running around the office and on errands for about 16 hours. The point still bugs me a little, but they're not that extended point that some have. They're more of an almond toe that comes to a point instead of being rounded off. This new found love is so shocking that when I told a friend about them, his response was that the next thing you know, I'd be liking orange. (NEVER!)

As I'm sure you have figured out by the title by now, I went back and bought more of them. Two more to be exact. I got the pink and the yellow also. (They were only $20 each, how could I not?)  I had to go up 1/2 size in the yellow because, well, they were out of my size and desperate needs call for desperate measures. They still fit, but I will definitely need an insert to keep them on my heel. They're still gorgeous and all three pairs are in perfect shape, which means I've gotten 5 perfect pairs and a bag in a row from ShoeDazzle, and that in itself is no small feat. I just wish I hadn't missed the black in these.

I don't know that these have completely opened my mind up on this style, but I will no longer automatically skip over all pointy toed shoes while shopping. Because what I really need is to have more options in shoes.

I have a point.
-A

It's the First of the Month! August Shoe Club Roundup

First of all - this is my second post today! You get a double dose of the ShoeSquirrel! Yippee!!!

Now, on to the goodies:

Estephanie in Pink and Green

ShoeDazzle: I'm going to save my discussion of their new shipping charges for another day, and just say that they released real suede pumps for $40. Yes, you heard that right. Real suede. $39.95. Her name is Estephanie, and I'm a sucker for vibrant colors of suede. I had a coupon so I got them in green and pink. Oh, who am I kidding? I would have gotten them without the coupon too. Those were actually released yesterday, as an August pre-release but I'm counting them as a First of the Month release because everything else was a snooze fest or had way too pointed of a toe. I'm obviously still not on that fashion bandwagon. (Though, there is an exception I'll be telling you about soon)

JustFab: They have begun releasing more boots than I remember from Augusts past. There are some really cute ones, but I just can't bring myself to buy boots when it's still at or near triple digits here. I'm sure I'll get the bug and grab a pair in the next few days, because I always cave like that. But, the pumps this month didn't really wow me and there are are some really cute bags, but I was wishing for different colors in them. I just can't handle orange. Maybe I'll hold off and see what mid-month brings. Oh, don't forget to skip or buy by the fifth or you'll get charged.



ShoeMint: They finally have a month that makes me proud to be a member - except that the damned things are still $80, and there's just no way I'm paying that. There are three shoes that I want this month, which may be about the same quantity that I've wanted in their entire previous 8 months of existence. I'll give them credit for the three that I have gotten being high quality and gorgeous, but I'm still not paying $80 for a shoe club. No way, no how. Don't forget to skip this one either - that would be a sucky charge to wake up to on the 6th if you weren't expecting it.

Molly, Ruth, and Danielle from ShoeMint

Sole Society: Are they still considered a club? They no longer do monthly releases, opting instead to do daily releases. You no longer have to skip the month over there either. So, it's more like a shopping site that you have to log into than a shoe club. I logged in momentarily today to look at yesterday's release. Underwhelming.

ShoePrivee: Totally forgot to check until just now. I always forget about them. I'm not sure what concept they're even following anymore, but I do know that they have a boatload of stuff in their Bargainista section for $20 and up. Go check it out. I've never actually bought anything from them, so I can't give you any pointers.

I think that about sums up the beginning of August. There were, as always, hits and misses. And, as usual, different clubs shine on different months. One thing is for sure about this month though: no matter what your taste, you'll find it at one of these clubs. They're just that varied.

Happy Clubbing!


-A

Shoes for less than a buck

Months ago, we were at dinner and I saw a lady in a pair of black pumps with purple and green accents. I fell absolutely in love with them. I would have asked her where she got them (I have no shame), but she was walking in the opposite direction as we were being led to our table and I couldn't find her again. Alas. That night, I Googled the description of them and came up empty handed. I pretty much gave up. But, then, about a week later, I found them purely by chance. I was at Kohl's walking through the shoe department like I always do and guess what? They were there, on clearance, for $15 and I had a 30% off coupon. They're from their Jennifer Lopez line. Of course they didn't have anything remotely close to my size available. But at least I knew the name of them now so I could start some serious searching and stalking.

eBay is a shopaholic's dream. It really is. If it's not available on eBay, it probably doesn't exist. It's just a matter of patience and knowing how much you're willing to pay. And don't forget to take shipping into account when you're thinking about pricing. I've gotten a few hard-to-find items and sold a few on there, with luck mostly. So, the first place I went looking for these JLo's, after I discovered they were no longer on the Kohl's site, was eBay. And I found them. For $0.99! Yes, less than a dollar. I had to pay $10.50 in shipping, so they were $11.49. For brand new shoes. Never worn. Sure, I had to wait out the auction, and may not have gotten them if someone else had bid, but I did get them.

They're really comfy and well made. They may be one of the most convincing faux leather shoes I've ever gotten. I'm thrilled with them and even more thrilled with the price I got them for.

High Heels, High Hopes

I won this tumbler from JustFab in their Million Fans contest on Facebook. It's just cool and I wanted to share it with you all. It's huge, too! My goal is to drink 3 of these full of water every day. Not vodka. Water.