Fashionable Friday: Must Be The Shoes

So last week was hair. Hair we do, hair we don't do. I did mine this week and I have to admit that taking the time to straighten it really has made dressing easier and put me in a better mood. That is until I realize how long it is and how much it gets in the way! So ponytail style it is...but at least I look polished instead of ragged.







But this week we are going to talk about our feet and what we put on them. Shoes, probably the biggest weakness most women have and freely admit. It is the one thing that can literally put a spring in your step or have you crying out in pain...all on the same day. I love shoes. I can't walk into a store that has them without taking a peek, even if I am there for something else.

I consider myself lucky that my feet have always been small. I can usually walk into a store and try on all the floor models, getting a quick shoe fix before a sales associate has time to register I am there. At the same time though stores usually only get one of the smaller sizes...meaning I have had to pass up a shoe because it does not look like its mate. The color is off or it is just too worn out for the price.

After college before I figured out what it was I wanted to do I ended up working for Nine West. Talk about a dream come true! I remember my first day they told me to pick out a pair of shoes, for FREE. I quickly picked out a pair of black booties. They were probably at least 3 inches high with a leather toe and heel and the middle was elastic. They sort of looked like this, only the leather was stiffer and the heel was stacked:


The manager laughed and said I would regret that choice and she was right, my first day of wearing them and after 8 hours in them, she was right. But they were great for bar hopping and dancing the night away. I hung onto those shoes for a long time.

Living in Boston was great for a shoe addict because you had four seasons in which you could wear shoes. I think it was once I moved back to Florida and began working in an office that my shoes began to taking on a more comfort appeal. But the real kicker was working in an office where the attire was casual. I figured since no one would be seeing me, why bother wearing fancy shoes? Thus began the flats era.

Most days I wear flip flops. In the winter I pretty much live in Uggs. Throw in sneakers and you pretty much have my shoe wardrobe. I do try and buy flats that are cute but no matter how cute I think they are Hubby hates them. He loves heels. He loves me dressed up and in heels or wedges or platforms. Anything, as long as it isn't flat.

I want to wear those shoes. I still try them on, I still occasionally will buy a pair. But now they sit in their dust-bags and I wonder when I will wear them again. I rocked a pair of sexy shoes back in 2008 to a wedding. I was amazed that I lasted almost all night in them. Now? Now I don't trust myself to not fall and break a leg chasing after Spencer. I mean I tripped over some platforms last year and I was PUSHING A STROLLER. I
stare at my Louboutins and think about all the fabulous places I may one day wear them.

What about you? Do you live in one style of shoe? Do you still buy others hoping to wear them someday? Did your feet grow after pregnancy and so you had to start over with shoes? Tell me your shoe stories!

Fashionable Friday

Remember back when I said I wanted to incorporate more than Mommy talk on this blog? And I did maybe two fashion post and then the next thing I knew I was pregnant and it seems it is back to baby talk.

I am now deeming Friday, Fashionable Friday. I am going to try and make the post as fashionable as possible. We will see how it goes. I use to feel like I was a pretty in-the-know type of gal. I loved shoes and purses and looking made up. Then I got a job where it seemed no one knew a thing about fashion and so began my downward spiral into whatever was most comfortable. I began buying shoes that were more for comfort than fashion.

After being fired I began a work from home gig...which meant I could roll into the home office in pajamas or sweatpants. This further sunk my fashion sense into very murky waters. Oprah talked about not being a schlumpadinka and gave pointers on how some cute yoga pants from Old Navy could remake your wardrobe. I took that meaning into a whole other level. Yoga pants every day? Sure why not.

Follow that with getting pregnant and well...yoga pants turned into outfits I shall not name. I bought some maternity wear and was given a bunch of stuff from a friend but I sure didn't look like how I imagined I would.

But I still love fashion. I love flipping through an InStyle Magazine and drooling over clothes out of my price range. I love thinking about how I could copy the outfit but do it within my budget. Shoes, purses, accessories. These are all things I still love but just don't make time for anymore. Kids will do that for you.

So I am going to reclaim my fashion sense and love for fashion here on my blog. Even if it's only 1 day a week!

(You didn't miss this post, it was published late and I backdated it.)

Fashion Talk: Post Numero Uno

So here we are at my first post about fashion. I was going to go the easy route and talk about shoes because I love shoes and find them easy to talk about but then I saw a picture of a few different items and decided to combine everything into one big first post. So sit tight, cause here we go!

Shoes...I think from the first time a little girl hears the story of the wizard of oz or sees the movie, their shoe obsession begins. I know every little girl gets at least one pair of ruby red slippers to parade around in and click her heels 3 times. Sadly I don't remember my red slipper but I am sure I had a pair! I think the best thing about shoes has to be that no matter what your weight may be, you can always find a pair that make you feel good. And it doesn't always have to be a sexy pair, it can be a grungy flip flop or sneaker. But everyone has that one pair that they can slip on and either sigh in comfort or growl in diva mode.

My shoe budget ranges and lately I've gotten very lax on where I buy and how much I spend. While I do have a pair or Louboutins and love them, the price point on them is quite high. And once I spend that much, I don't wear them everywhere. I savor their newness and want them to look pretty forever! But never fear, you can always find a designer knockoff, done well at places like Target. I have found many a wonderful pair at Target, that have held up and look great. My most recent pair are these wedges. Comfy cute shoe with a great price point but I had one issue with them...my feet slide too far forward because the "pleather" is so soft. I had to buy inserts, which solved the issue but cost an additional 10$, which I would have rather put in a more expensive shoe but lesson learned.

While I love shoes, what I love more are outfits that come together easily and make you look like you didn't even try. Most of my outfits are not like that! I admit that before traveling, I try everything on before putting it in the suitcase. Same thing when I am going out and am "dressing up."

Of course lately I have fallen into the schlumpadinka trap. (that's an Oprah word) No makeup, no fuss, no muss. I think being a stay at home will do that to you, especially if you aren't going farther than the front yard. I don't need makeup to do that or a cute outfit.

I admire women that can throw on a t-shirt and jeans and a cute pair of shoes and look put together. They usually have a piece of jewelry on that makes the whole look and I think I found that piece. I love the colors and the different lengths of all the chains. I think it would make a great statement piece, now if I could only find something similar at a lower price point...

There it was, my first post about fashion. Not extremely exciting but hey, I never promised that!