Shopping - My Coping Mechanism

I am sorry for the delay in posting, friends. I am back from a business trip to Pennsylvania and settling into life again. I came home to a box of four pairs of Bandolinos, ordered on the HUGE blowout sale that I advertised in my previous post. You can expect to see detailed posts about each pair in the coming weeks.

Today I bought another two pairs. You see, I had an awful day. Not to be ominous or anything, but if that 'bad things happen in threes' bit is true, I'm just holding my breath for #3. Anyway, I won't include all of the details in this post. The point is that I bought another two pairs of shoes. Why? Because shopping is my coping mechanism. It's true. When I'm upset, I head for the stores. I hope that the number of shoes I own isn't a complete testament to the number of times I've been upset, but I do know that on several occasions, I've engaged in retail therapy.

I just had quite the encounter with my neighbor, so maybe that's #3. Frankly, I'm hoping so because I'd count that as pretty minor overall. Otherwise, I'm going to be hitting up the stores again. Ciao!

Bandolino Blowout on 6pm.com

Heads up, shoe lovers! 6pm.com cut up to 75% off on 763 styles of Bandolino shoes for women. Prices start at $13.23, and no pair costs more than $29.95. Orders over $100 receive free shipping; otherwise, shipping adds $6.95. Sale ends October 20. Ciao!

http://www.6pm.com/

Simon? No - Cindy Says.

Here comes Cleopatra. Or Gladiator. Or just an entirely odd, albeit eye-catching, shoe. The Cindy Says sandal comes in pewter, a matte black and a shiny gold.

Clearly the pewter is the best choice. The gold is over the top; the black is boring. A fellow shoe lover compared the black to a flip flop with an ankle brace built in. I'd hypothesize that the knob for the toes would hurt, and the wrap around the calf will most likely get hot during the summer, the months in which you would wear this funky sandal. Overall, a very interesting shoe that would draw some looks and start some conversations but probably is better to look at than actually wear. If you are interested in this Egyptian sandal, you can find it online at Amazon.com for $106. Ciao!

That Naughty Monkey...

For all the flak that Gov. Sarah Palin takes, she does have some style. I do so solemnly swear to not turn this post into a political blog and will focus solely on the Alaskan governor's choice of footwear. If any of you have been anywhere near the Internet recently (and that's a novel idea really), you've probably seen plenty of discussion about Palin's shoes.

Palin has brought a fresh breeze to Naughty Monkey, a fabulous brand of shoes that you should check out if you haven't already. I remember seeing Palin's shoes (Naughty Monkey Double Dare Pumps) the first time she debuted them. I thought, "Wow, great shoes. I bet those are from some high-end designer." Now, understand, folks, Naughty Monkey makes great shoes, but they're clearly within most people's price range. These red pumps of Palin's list from $82-$89 on Amazon.com/Shoes and $89.95 on Endless.com. That is, of course, if you can find them in stock; since the chic governor stepped out in these pumps, they've flown off the physical and virtual shelves.

And why not? Look at them! Start at the toe - a beautiful peep-toe, a slight platform all with a delicious big buckle across the top. Fabulous, classy. Look at the stitching, too. My favorite is the line that runs along the shoe and ends in a tiny silver button toward the heel. Now look at the design on the leather! Do you notice the swirly lines through the color? Stunning, but simple. The tapered heel will provide support and be a perfect ending punctuation to an outfit. They'll look great whether you're wearing slacks or a skirt. This is a steal, ladies!

The Double Dare comes in Red/Gold, Black/Black, Cream/Cream and Tan/Black. While the other colors are certainly wearable and will add some flare, the red pumps with the gold buckle and gold swirl design is eye-catching. So I dare you. In fact, I double dare you - put politics aside and get a pair of these oh-so-fabulous pumps. And if nothing else, check out Naughty Monkey - they truly are a wonderful designer. You won't be disappointed. Ciao!

Forget Plain Black

So I went to a wedding in Chicago last weekend and saw some stunning shoes. You would expect that the most stunning shoes would have been the bride's (hers were cute) or the
bridesmaids' (also cute), but the best pair I saw belonged to the groom. I usually blog about women's shoes - our stilettoes, our boots, our flats - but these shoes were too great to pass up.


I saw them the moment I walked in. I am so used to seeing men wearing plain black shoes, so when I saw these, clearly not plain black, I was pleasantly surprised. I also gave my approval to my friend readily - of her choice of fiance and his choice in shoes! Ciao!

Lessons from FDR

Before he took office for the first time, Franklin Delano Roosevelt uttered those now-famous words, "...the only thing we have to fear is fear itself" in his inaugural address. FDR, of course, went on to guide our country through the Great Depression and World War II. He is the only president to serve more than two terms in office and was and continues to be widely revered.

His statement, though, "...the only thing we have to fear is fear itself" is worth dissecting. I do not mean to belittle FDR in any regard, nor make his statement any less worthy of note, yet I see its relevance in our choice of footwear today. Yes, I do, and I say that while maintaining the utmost respect for this beloved president.

I own quite a few books about shoes, and one asks this question: What type of shoe are you afraid of? I am afraid of flats. If I were to assess my closet, I'd find pair after pair of stilettoes and high heels. Flats are a scarcity. I am not drawn to flats while shopping; that's just me. But what am I fearing? The shoe, or the stigma that goes along with flats? Perhaps, as FDR said those many years ago, I am not fearing the shoe, nor the stigma, but the fear itself. It might be a stretch, I realize, but I acknowledge the possibility that I am actually afraid of the fear that I associate with wearing flats. And that is probably something I should work to get rid of because flats can be great additions to a shoe family, and I am missing out on some great shoes because of my fear.

So I now pose the question to you. What type of shoe are you afraid of? Ciao!