Shoe store Attraction, or I'm a Magnet, still.

It's probably happened to you. You were just shopping in that brand name department store, maybe bent over a rack of designer tees, trying to find that elusive size large... when someone said, "Do you work here?"

And you turned around, cell phone to ear, purse in hand, wearing no name tag, no where near the  I stand 11 hours a day kind of comfortable shoes... and yet?

 You looked like you belonged there, or they were so desperate for help, they were willing to ask a stranger.

This happens to me a lot.

People don't just ask me for help. They ask me for advice. ( They have no idea they picked the worst candidate possible.)

In the produce section, I get: "Excuse me, but which tomato is best?"

Seriously, dude? I have no clue. Buy the biggest reddest one.

In the home improvement store, I've been asked to weigh in on paint color choices.

White. You can never go wrong with white. Or off- white, more of a cream, really. Anything that has the word "wheat" in it. Yep. That's the one.

And always, always, I am asked for my opinion in the shoe store. I swear.. cross my heart and all of that.

 Every single time I step into ANY shoe store, I will be approached no less than two times by absolute strangers who think I am their answer.

Well, I am.

Last night, shopping with a gal pal, I was approached by a young girl who started the conversation with, "This is going to sound strange, but I..."

 I almost held up my hand to stop her there, but I let her continue.

 "... I have the same tights that you're wearing, and I want to see which of these shoes ( she holds up two black stillettos; one with a lace-up front, one traditional pump), would look better with them, would you mind..."

"Not a problem," I say and follow the girl back to where she and her friend have made a mess of the shoe aisle.. I then try on both pair, trot around in them, suggest the lace up ones, they agree and box up the others. I make my way back to my row.

 Within three minutes, a man wearing two different boots comes around the corner. A woman is sitting in front of a few open shoe boxes, texting on her phone. She barely looks up.

 The guy is tall, attractive and has that sort of good boy gone bad cowboyish adorable quality.

 "Excuse me, may I ask your opinion. I'm trying to decide..."

 He lifts his pant legs to show the mismatched boots.

 "Which one do you like better?"

The woman glances at me, the boots, the guy, then motions with her phone, and says,"The dark one-" just as I say, "The lighter one."

He smiles at me.

 I say, "Are you wearing them with jeans mostly?"

"Yeah."

"Turn around." I look at his ass.

He turns back around.

"Yeah, definitely," I say. "The lighter ones. I like the toe." (and then, shamelessly borrowing from Paris Hilton I add, "They're hot."

 He breaks out into a grin. "Thanks."

Moments later I see him at the checkout counter and think, "Man, they should hire me."

( see my pics of the shoes I bought on FACEBOOK.)

It was a black Friday, a social Saturday and somehow I ended up in Detroit in Sunday

Those are all great excuses for missing three days of November Shoe Posts. And if you have stuck with me this long, then you will be glad for this gift I'm going to give you.
Call me Mrs. Claus.

1. A Black Friday secret. NOVEMBER 27
Buy something- anything days in advance of Thanksgiving day at the store you plan to visit for the great deals on Black Friday. Return this item on Black Friday, and use the opportunity to also make your super duper sale item purchases at customer service, where there will little to no line.

2. Endless.com. NOVEMBER 28 Shop for shoes here- at home in your pajamas with a 100% price and happiness guarantee, free overnight shipping and free returns.

3. wi-fi inflight. NOVEMBER 29 Delta has it free right now, hosted by E-Bay.
I am shoe shopping at 12000 feet.

what do you think?

Evening shoe from Piper Lime or this one?

All needed to match the vintage dress my sister found for me in the attic room of a tiny downtown eatery and craft shop in Central New York.

If Paris Hilton lived in Georgia

There are a lot of blondes in Georgia- natural blondes- who still believe in big hair and glitz. I think there may be a bit of "stuck in the 80's" happening around here. And certainly if Paris Hilton came to town, she'd be confused by the accents...
but my daughter was certain that if Paris Hilton was going to go trick or treating in our neighborhood, she'd wear these shoes with a sparkly silver skirt and a BFF shirt while cradling Tinkerbell in her arms.

Of course, we only bought them with HALLOWEEN in mind- it may have been the shiny shiny that pulled us to them, or the $6 price tag.

Silver Mocassins, to make Pocahontas proud

If I was eleven, I'd wear these.
I'm not eleven.

Momma said you gotta wear white on wedding day

The wedding story.. the shoe part 2.

These are the shoes I wore at my wedding in Firenze, Italia.

These are the shoes that were buried in my closet in California, that I had to call home from a payphone in Germany to ask my fiance to bring for me. Do you know how hard it is to find white shoes in Europe after August? Do you know how difficult it is to operate a payphone in Dusseldorf?

In hindsight, the wedge heel was a blessing when I had to run through cobblestone streets (the morning of our nuptials we got lost on our way to the Palazzo Vecchio)

almost missing our own wedding.

Yep, that's me the blushing- er- squinting bride.

I may have worn the shoes one more time since returning home in 1992, but I'm certain I did not feed the strap through the buckle without thinking of a red room, a smiling consulate and a very sweaty, very nervous groom.

( A groom who cut off my feet in this picture, before he took for Chinese food in Italy.)

Ciao Bella, Italian leather fine enough to rub against your cheek. Just watch out for the buckle.

Part 1.
I was married in Firenze, Italia.

Yes, really.

We had to have witnesses, so we paid a guy with a camera to A. take pictures- but use MY camera, and B. act as our witness.
The other mandatory witness was a lady who worked in the Italian Consulate and happened to follow us over. She was very good with large hand gestures, but spoke no English. During the civil ceremony she stared at me the whole time from the sidelines and murmured, "Bella. Bella. Bella."
Whether she was talking about me, the Switzerland thrift shop dress, or the whole idea of Americans getting married in La Sala Rossa in the Palazzo Vecchio, I will never know.

( this is the room and the chairs and art and the chandelier- but we didn't have any guests, and this isn't us, and I'm pretty sure this bride did not buy her dress for 17 Swiss francs at a thrift store with her travel buddies that she just met in Salzburg and had been drinking wine with all day. No, I am certain of that.)

I do know that I still have the shoes (Wait for PART 2 ) that I wore that day- and they are nowhere near as comfortable as these Italian beauties.

Don't I know you?

I started off my month of shoe blogging with some new shoes I recently purchased, some have made it out of the closet.. and some are still unsure of their sexuality. Remember this shoe ?
She had a lot of issues, and now I think she may be the evil twin to this shoe.

"Ah-hah!" You say. "Oooh," I say, noting the purple 60% off sticker. "Hmm," you add scratching your size 10 foot, wondering if they might run a bit on the large side.
SLAM! That's the sound of my door closing as I run out to see if the black twin is still on the racks.
And speaking of racks, which sounds a bit like rackets.. here's an idea that might actually work for me, as I actually have experience selling shoes. It would be just another something for me to do, I mean, if there were another five hours in a day, I could.
Imagine, me- making money- reselling shoes. This gal did.

Yes, I know that it would mean I have to give away shoes. But I could do it for men, or for ladies with tiny feet. Like a charitable thing. Right?

Blurring the lines: Be A Gladiator

I'm pretty sure we all saw this movie. I mean, who doesn't like men with swords, wearing chainmail, men with sexy accents and enough muscles and angst to get the attention of Queens, or Princesses. A storyline that is all hero all the time... where somebody falls in love, somebody deceives, somebody is left wanting and somebody dies.
I think the era, the clothing, the okay- skin and leather and buckles and straps is all a part of it.


So, when the "old gladiator sandal" made a comeback a few summers ago, no one flinched. Some folks took it too literally, wearing sheets on Holllywood Blvd. Brandishing longswords and chest plates in the ATL... but for the most part, we paired subdued strappy sandals with floral sundresses and called ourselves fashion forward.

I couldn't do it... not the flat ones anyway. and when I saw these on the last chance sale rack at the shoestore for 80% off, all I could think was Halloween, costume, toga party, and that I would have made a really really bad Gladiator.

Purple Shoe, I think I love you.

I have nothing to wear with you, and even though you appear to be less than retail cost, I am not willing to part with 70 bucks today.
I will go home and think about you, and like the lovers before you, may decide you are too pretty and vapid, or that your boxy exterior may cramp my style.
On the other hand, if I go home and can't get you out of my mind, if I imagine places I could take you and skirts I could buy to woo your attention, then.. oh yes, then I'll be back and I promise, you'll ride in the passenger seat, not the trunk.

2 boots 2 catch up 2 days. 2 stories 2.

It's almost winter, and time to cover up the legs you stopped shaving when you tucked the bikini in the bottom drawer. It's also holiday, party season and when someone says pirate? You say: Buccaneer boots.
Now try to find the perfect pair, because Lord knows, you do not want to stand for 8 hours in those thigh high stiletto boots like 2 years ago at the Murder Mystery when you were Smarty Pants.
okay, i know. this is a crappy picture of the boots, but until I can buy another battery for the camera today, this is all I got.
( spoken like a true pillaging pirate.arghhh.)


Yep, me again. for the day I missed when I was re-creating a house out of The Salty Sea Dog Saloon and Galley...
Here's more leg and more over the knee boots. ( faux suede, pointed toe, full length zipper and scrunchy look all for less than $45. Score!
These are surprisingly comfortable and actually, I may have ordered a half size too large, which only means thick socks, unless one of my shoe-loving friends wants to buy the 8 1/2 and swap me? ( available in black, winter white and gray)
and no, the car isn't part of the swap. She's all mine.

We used to call them wedgies.

We used to call them wedgies.
Originally uploaded by Another Good Thing

Before little boys discovered the laugh riot of yanking someone's underwear up into their butt crack.
So now, the fashion world calls this kind of shoe a platform with wedge heel.

The big players do it up in style:


Dolce and Gabbana $695

Prada $284

Pedro Garcia $395

Miu Miu $565

me. I just look on the racks at the discount stores and find the same thing- or cooler, for a lot less. ( $40) Then I store my pennies in a jar under the bed and save it for a rainy day in Belize.

Peep Toe Bootie, Zipper Up the Back

Peep Toe Bootie, Zipper Up the Back
Originally uploaded by Another Good Thing

Am thinking I should have put my foot in one of these to give the correct effect. My foot fetish men would enjoy the bright red big toe poking out the tip.

..and that sounded a heck of a lot more sexy than I intended...
Back to the footwear.

I found them in one of those cheesy trend- only all-imported and made with child labor mall stores that have ZERO class.

( After years of retail, on both sides of the counter- I can say this).

What you should know:
A good store has bi-lingual, pretty staff that is helpful, humorous and likeable.
You want to buy from them, And you will.
The store should have perfect lighting, great music- not blaring- and well thought out aisles/ sections. It's set up to pull you in, and keep you there- color, flooring, upscale materials... all a plus for the finicky buyer. After all- we have a crapload of choices. Make us want to chose you.

That said, this store was none of that-

so I went in , grabbed these off the shelf, slipped one on then high tailed it out of there, stuffing my receipt into my pocket.
I love them.

They're black suede, with a wrinkled/pleated front and zipper back- and a pretty tall stiletto heel that will put me over 6'. I like that.
Great looks, decent price at under $50, and they are surprisingly comfortable... but...I have yet to wear these out of the bedroom.


Okay, that didn't sound right either.

Good Girls Don't

Good Girls Don't
Originally uploaded by Another Good Thing

This is the first pair of flats that I might actually be able to wear. I haven't yet, but that doesn't mean I wont. They are Calvin Klein after all. And he and I see pretty much the same fashion wise- if you haven't taken a sneak peak at his Spring 2010 RTW line- that I hope to shop from- you must.
But back to the shoe. I have high arches and most flats just don't cut it- for fit or comfort, dd in some very shortened calf muscles from years of retail, modeling and high heel dance nights... well, let's just say I do bare feet better.
But these have a little tiny heel and a build up under the sole, and are cut smoothly across the foot with a very very soft Italian leather...Worst case scenario, I'll dress like a Pilgrim this Thanksgiving and let my half price Nordstrom Rack $49 deal complete the outfit...then give them to my Mom.

Hooker Boots? Or Not?

Hooker Boots? Or Not?
Originally uploaded by Another Good Thing

It's November again. Time for me to dedicate all my blathering to footwear.
I must have bought at least 30 pairs of shoes since last November, but if I repeat a pair, I will assure you there is a reason.
Perhaps that shoe made me do something good- or bad. Or that shoe went someplace memorable. Or that boot kicked the ass of someone who deserved it, or maybe I gave that shoe away and now it's out there in the world all alone, making it's way to some party, or standing in line for foodstamps, or becoming the final touch on a costume, or protecting the calloused foot of a Nigerian water carrier.
But today?
November 1, 2009
I give you faux snakeskin square toed platform hooker boots. from Burlington Coat and not yet been worn. Hey, it's still warm here and I'm not feeling the slutty vibe, though I am tempted to pair them with a very office friendly black jersey wrap dress, and add a scarf or woolen cape for a Super Woman/Crocodile Dundee flair.

Shoe Math

If Linda goes to DSW with:
One coupon for 30% off
a birthday reward of $5 off
and a purchase return- without a receipt- one pair of unworn too tight metallic peep toes
(original price 59.99 on sale for 30%off)

What will it cost her to buy the $80 ( compare at $105) Italian leather stiletto bootie pumps?

ANSWER:
-9.52

Yes, that's right. They owed her money.

So, of course, she brought her daughter back later, gave her the 20% off friend coupon and the store credit, and the little bunny scored a new spring shoe for under 20 bucks.

sweetness.

It appears my bottom line may be a great deal higher than other people's bottom lines

As I sit down to pay the monthly bills, organize our files and accounting information, I glance at the dusty budget book shoved behind the seldom used fax machine.
I used to be so good at that.

When we lived in NH, where most everything was cheap-- probably their way to entice people to move there-- I was on a budget/money clinging kick. I kept track of every penny that came in and went out. I had a household budget book with designated categories of expense from frivolous entertainment to fuel. I kept every receipt and was able to submit my husband's travel expenses within hours of him deboarding a plane.
It was early in the marriage, and we had agreed that each of us would do the things for the family that we were good at. For me, it was being the Mom. It was organization, decorating, shopping, and planning- from meals to trips to birthday parties. I'm like a mini-Martha who doesn't cook as much.
For my husband, it was earning the paycheck, dealing with corporate assholes and generally anything that had to do with large machinery.

Since NH, and CA, and CA and PA... we have had our share of financial ups and downs, and even when it it took every bit of our savings to move to GA, we still never worried. We never went hungry and we never thought we wouldn't or couldn't succeed. We may have had a few battles about what was budgetarily important, but in the end, we never stressed about something as stupid as money.
After all, it's the world's most renewable resource. You can just make more. (says the woman who has not held a "real" job since 1993, worked 3 jobs so she could take 2 months off and backpack through Europe, filed bankruptcy after an ex- beau ripped her off and left her with a house and a dog and 2 Iguanas, and has been through 2- count 'em 2- tax audits)
Yeah, what the hell do I know?

Recently, it came to my attention, that our lack of stress and lack of concern about money means we have more of it. God is mysterious like that.
Not balancing the checkbook, not cutting coupons, not being the guy in the grocery store with the calculator figuring out the best value per ounce... NOT doing those things allowed the positive energy of wealth to flow our way ( f you want to go all new- agey on me). Whatever the case. I am free from the money worry. Either it's there or it isn't.
We pay off any credit cards monthly, have one car loan and are paying down the house. We put money aside for kids and school and odd bills. We don't think about retirement funds or shitty stocks.
We are hopeful for a future chunk of change that will foot future bills and buy us into a better area, but we aren't sitting around thinking it will come from a lottery ticket or a casino trip... or from some tax change/government help.

Know this. You can't buy love or happiness or health. You can buy the way TO them, you can even buy "band-aids" that look and for a short while might seem to be the same thing. But at night, alone in your bed when you take that minute to rewind your day... it isn't hard cold cash you'll remember.

I know people who are so focused on their money that it constantly eludes them. People borrow and don't repay, people steal and people owe. The money is scared to go back. All that negative energy... that kind of person will always struggle, and probably not just in their finances. Some people are so conscious of their bottom line, of their gross and expenditures, that it cramps them. They are like the woman who waits so long to wear the fancy dress, that it no longer fits her. Me, I'd mow my lawn in it.

Sure, there are real money issues, and we have some concerns with Obama in office. Seems like we may be penalized for our 'free' money values, for my husband's hard work in a growing and quite lucrative field. For our restraint in incurring senseless debt.
In these belt-cinching times, our pants are hanging loose, but that doesn't mean we're bending over and asking for it.
I just know that when I pulled out that dusty budget book and read the entertainment column, I wasn't ready to give up my $19 Blockbuster membership or the $26 gym, but in May, after my year is up? I may feel okay about dropping the $39/month massage.
Because it will be sandal season, and girl? Everyone knows shoe shopping cures all money woes. Especially when there's a two for $39 sale.

For Shoe Lovers: A Gift of THE MAN

You say Ibiza. I say Shoes.

I could tell you all about the crazy time I had on the island of Ibiza. I could regale you with tales of dancing, drinking and oh-so-typical Linda behavior... but then you might hate me.
Instead, I give you my pink pointy Spanish shoes... just another thing we sucky unoriginal Americans can steal.

Football Team Colors

Today is a big rival football game in this town. University of Georgia vs. Georgia Tech.
UGA has the same colors as my high school- and as the town's NFL team... just one reason to root for them, I mean, I already have the wardrobe. Of course there's more to it than that, but on this almost last day of shoe month, I needed a reason to pull out some red shoes.
Hey, I like nerds- like the ones they grow at Georgia Tech, but no matter how much science and math you have under your belt, nothing beats beef and brawn on a muddy field.
Love how this guy wraps up the competition.
And like my husband says, guys go to Tech for the education. They go to UGA for the girls.

Sandal of silver strings and knots

Sandal of silver strings and knots
Originally uploaded by Another Good Thing

Happy Thanksgiving.
Yes, even today I have to stick to my 30 days of shoes blog promise. This sandal, a complicated silver strap, tie, knot, twist and wrap espadrille is another shoe that was practically stolen at an 80% off sale. So when I only break her out once a year, I don't feel guilty.
Symbolically, it's a good shoe for today when families and friends come together, each bringing their own knots and ties, a complicated mess that when wrapped up correctly binds forever, or even when only wrapped very very poorly with spit and a promise.