Tomorrow Is Another Day...

Shoes and Other Things

I'm going to take a little break from the trip report today and talk about some things that are either only tangentially related or--gasp!--unrelated at all to Japan!

First up, I have a couple of shoe recommendations for you.  Recommendations as in, if you are going on a vacation that involves great amounts of walking and still desire to wear somewhat attractive shoes, listen up, ya hear!  I've worn and reviewed some moderately comfortable, yet definitely cute, shoes in the past, but I think I have finally hit the jackpot on vacation shoes.

Lands' End Classic Ballet Shoe

I have never worn such a comfortable ballet flat.  I don't know why these are so ridiculously comfortable--is it the soft leather, the cushy insole (yes, I added a Dr. Scholl's insole for extra shock absorption), the rubbery traction on the sole that prevented me from slipping and sliding all over Japan?  I don't know, but I walked miles in these shoes and suffered no more than the expected slight discomfort that comes from pounding the pavement for hours in any pair of shoes.  Incredible.

Skechers Active Bikers Straightaway

If you're in the market for something a little more sporty, yet sleeker than the typical tennis shoe, you can't go wrong with this offering from Skechers.  I don't love the look of traditional tennis shoes with shorts because I'm already a little sensitive about the size of my feet.  I felt like these actually made my feet look smaller, and they were like walking on a cloud.  I do recommend breaking them in for a couple of days as I got a small blister on the inside of my arches just from wearing them without socks, but it was nothing a band-aid couldn't handle.  I was so happy with my shoe choices, and between the ballet flat and the sportier Skechers, I felt like I had a shoe to wear with pretty much anything.

In other news, I've been having a tough time adjusting back to life on Eastern Standard Time.  I've never really experienced more than the most minor of jet lag on the first day arriving in a new country, and part of that has always just been travel exhaustion.  But I'm going on day four of being back home, and I'm still not on a normal schedule.  On Tuesday, I passed out doing homework at 3 pm and woke up from a dead sleep at 9 pm.  Yesterday, I fell asleep watching tv around 7:30 pm, woke up at 10:00 to feed the dogs, and then couldn't sleep past 6:00 this morning.  My big exciting goal for today is to stay awake until at least 10 pm and hopefully sleep through the night.

Of course, it might be helpful if I could actually sleep upstairs in my bed, but our upstairs air conditioning decided to die on us the night before I left for Japan and it hasn't been repaired yet.  With our weather lately, this means that upstairs is generally around 85-90 degrees even in the middle of the night.  So, I've been sleeping downstairs on the sofa where the air conditioning is in perfect working order and the sun is streaming viciously through the window by about 6:30 in the morning.

Finally, I am two weeks into my LAST MASTERS CLASS!!!  This means that unless I have some other surprise awaiting me from Grand Canyon University, I should be masters complete in exactly 6 weeks.  I cannot tell you what an amazing feeling that is, compounded by the fact that this class seems like it'll be a breeze.  Senioritis has set in in a major way.

Thanks so much to everyone who's been kind enough to welcome me back, and I hope you've been enjoying my Japan recollections.  I know reading epic trip journals isn't everyone's cup of tea, so please don't give up on me, just a few more to go and it'll be back to my usual blathering!

TGSQ: NYC Edition--The Judging

Okay, so life went and got a little wacky there and shoes just took a lower priority than doing 4 weeks worth of  homework that I've been putting off, visiting Colby on base (where he's been trapped for the past week), and fighting off phantom bed bugs that then turned out to be poisonous plants.  The house is finally back to normal after the massive frenzy I whipped up attempting to uncover just one damn bed bug, and I must say, it's probably the cleanest it has ever been or ever will be right now.

I'm almost caught up on homework, which is a lovely feeling, though not as lovely as the feeling of not having any homework at all.  And Colby should be able to come back home tomorrow, though of course he's scheduled to leave for a real trip this weekend, so that will be a short lived distraction.

BUT!  I have received and tried on all of the shoes detailed in my previous shoe quest post, and now I have reviews to give you, though still not a final decision...

First up, we have Dr. Scholl's Habit Ballet Flat in Taupe Camo ($47.00)

The first point that I have to make is that either my feet are shrinking daily, or everyone who has reviewed every single shoe I purchased is totally off on their sizing recommendations.  Every shoe I bought came with the recommendation to order a half size up because the shoes ran small.  Every shoe I tried on was unarguably too large for my foot.  So, I don't know what to make of that, except to recommend that you go ahead and order both sizes and just keep the one that fits.  Or I guess you could go to the store and try them on, but who does that?  Crazy people, that's who.

But anyway, as for this specific shoe, I have to say that it's incredibly comfortable.  The insoles are suede-lined which will be perfect for soaking up all that lovely foot sweat (you know you get it too, don't even wrinkle your nose at me!), and have just the right amount of padding and arch support.  Some reviewers did say that the heel rubbed, and that is a common issue when breaking in flats, but I always keep heel guards on hand to slip into my shoes if it starts to get too painful.  But here's the bad news.  I absolutely hated the appearance.  From the picture, I thought they would be a sort of greyish beige color, but in fact they're much more silvery and have a great deal of glitteriness to them.  Now, maybe this is just my former military self talking, but camo shouldn't sparkle.  It's just... weird.

On a similar note, Dr. Scholl's Graduate in Camel/Gold ($62.90)

Virtually the same exact review can be copied and pasted here regarding the comfort, and sadly virtually the exact same review regarding appearance as well.  In the picture, the gold plus the snake print didn't seem quite so... tacky.  But when I actually had it on my foot, the super shiny gold PLUS the glitteriness PLUS the giant gold buckle PLUS the snake print was all just way too much.

Miz Mooz Opal in Black ($69.95)

These shoes are absolutely adorable, and I would definitely keep them if only comfort weren't the main requirement.  They do have a suede-lined insole, much like the Dr. Scholl's, but there's less padding and while in the picture the toe looks rounded, it actually comes to a blunted point, which caused some rubbing on my outside toes.  Again, if I weren't going to be walking countless miles in these each day, they'd be keepers, but I could practically feel the blisters breaking out just walking around my living room.

Miz Mooz Vargas in Black ($79.95)

These puppies were an all around bust.  The insole is a shiny gold faux leather that I know would result in blisters on the soles of my feet, there's no padding or support to the shoe, and on top of it all, they just aren't all that cute in person.  I didn't realize from looking at the picture that quite a few of the gold studs all over the shoe are hearts.  Now, I don't have a problem with hearts in moderation, but zillions of gold hearts covering my feet is just a bit too precious, even for me.  So, uncomfortable and uncute.  Bye Bye Vargas!

Miz Mooz Esther in Black ($84.95)

Finally, an all around competitor!  In the categories of comfort, Miz Esther has a well padded sueded insole with even a little hint of arch support.  The details are eye catching and attractive without going over the edge into Tackyville, and I just adore the pleating around the vamp.  On top of all that, the soles are a matte rubber which is my absolute favorite for avoiding slips and falls (you know I pay a lot of attention to that little detail!).  The only reason I hesititate to declare this an outright winner is because the shoe is a little big on me.  I had trouble tracking down a 7.5, but I finally found it and ordered it, so I'll compare the two sizes when it arrives and make a final determination.

SURPRISING TWIST!!

Yet another shoe has been accepted into competition at this late stage in the game.  I just couldn't bear to give up on Dr. Scholl's after walking around in the clouds that they call shoes, so I did a little digging and found what could be the perfect shoe.

Dr. Scholl's Graduate in Bronze ($63.00)

Bet you didn't see that coming!  He was dead the whole time!!

A Distraction of Microscopic Proportions

Today was meant to be  a day all about the joy of shoes, as we compared and contrasted the relative merits and drawbacks of my New York shoe contestants.  Instead, I am sitting downstairs in a nearly empty room, while a man cleans all of our carpets, and am awaiting a delivery from Amazon of mattress, box spring, and pillow covers.

It appears we have been infested.

With what, I do not know.

A couple of weeks ago, I received what I thought was a red ant bite on my leg.  It itched, and I grumbled about it, and waited for it to go away.  A couple of days later, I got a few more bites all in a row on my left arm, and I noticed that the "red ant" bite appeared a little less red antish than it had previously.  I continued to itch and grumble, as the bites mounted up.  We decided it was probably biting gnats as I'd been spending a lot of time outside in the evenings working in the garden.  But then, as I spent less time outside and the bites continued to increase in number, that seemed to be a less and less likely option.

There was still a lot of itching and grumbling going on.

Ever since I saw a 20/20 or Dateline or Nightline or somesuch special on bed bugs, I've been absolutely paranoid about Colby bringing bugs home from one of his trips.  He frequently makes fun of me as before I get in bed, I'll fling the covers back suddenly, in hopes of catching one of the blood suckers scuttling around beneath the sheets.  So, of course, the more I thought about it and the more time I spent with Dr. Google, the more I was convinced that our house was crawling with tiny bugs.  Colby raised the valid question as to why he wasn't being bitten, and even more valid, why after intensive searching we still hadn't found a speck of physical evidence of a bed bug infestation, but I was itchy, grumpy, and still intensely grumbly, so I stripped our bedroom of anything fabric and ran it through the sanitize cycle in the washing machine.  I also ordered the aforementioned mattress covers, and set to applying cortisone cream liberally.

At last count, I have somewhere in the neighborhood of fifty to sixty bites covering my arms and legs, and one particularly cheeky bite inside my belly button.  Colby has... zero.

Last night we slept on a bare mattress with just a sheet that is to be thrown into the washing machine shortly, and I wore a long sleeve shirt, pants and socks to bed.  And I still woke up this morning with more bites--or "bites" I don't even know at this point.

Currently Dr. Google has me convinced that I've managed to somehow contract scabies, perhaps as a throwback to my former life as a fearful pirate sailing the seven seas.  I already have a doctor's appointment set up for Thursday, so I'm going to ask if they can check out what is rapidly becoming a rash covering my appendages so I don't have to make another appointment and wait even longer to find out what is wrong with me.

Sooooo, the point of all this is that in my intense panic and grossed outedness, ordering shoes fell by the wayside.  But no parasitic mite should be able to take away that one last joy--you may feed off of my blood and ravage my skin, but you shall not take my shoes!

The Great Shoe Quest: NYC Edition

Yes, my lovely readers, the time has come for yet another endeavor to locate the holy grail of shoes: the comfortable, stylish flat.  This shoe must be able to endure hours of walking, standing, and yes sometimes skipping, all while maintaining an adorable exterior that makes people say, "Dr. Scholl's? Really?!?"  It's a role that many a shoe has attempted to fill, thus far with less than stellar results.

This shoe must not only stand up to the rigors of pounding the New York pavement, but if met with great success in the Big Apple, will then go on to the ultimate test of a shoes' comfort and style:  Tokyo.  Is there a shoe in this world that can face these demands with bravado?  That can provide arch support, padding, and a distinct lack of rubbing in all the wrong places?  That can do all of this with stunning good looks and a great personality?  If so, dear readers, I shall find it.

Armed with the knowledge attained through previous shoe quests, I loaded up my endless.com shopping cart with a vast army of contestants.  I focused not only on appearance, but on claims to comfort and support from both manufacturers, reviewers, and my own brand experience.  Much to my chagrin, the adorable Sofft shoes that I so longed to test out are not available until May 25--too late for entrance into this competition.  But let us all spend just a moment of silence, gazing upon their beauteous form.

Sofft Paola available 5/25--$97.95  Better luck next time darlings.

And now for the real combatants in this footwear face-off.

Dr Scholl's Habit Ballet Flat--$47.00

Miz Mooz Vargas Flat--$79.95

Miz Mooz Opal Flat--$69.95

Miz Mooz Esther Flat--$84.95

Dr. Scholl's Graduate Ballet Flat--$62.90

So, there we have them.  Shoes will be ordered this weekend, and if the internet tracking system is to be believed, will arrive for their judging on Tuesday.  Thoughts on each and the announcement of the winner shall be announced shortly thereafter in what is sure to be a momentous victory for my feet and a rather more Pyrrhic victory for our budget.  Stay tuned!

The Great Shoe Quest: Oxford Edition, Meeting the Contestants

I was hoping to write my happy birthday blog post tonight, but between working out, Project Runway, and Shear Genius bedtime is suddenly upon me and I just don't have the energy for all of that work.  Tomorrow I am heading over to the school where I will begin working next week for Company B (YAY!) to fill out new hire paperwork, cleaning the house so that if anyone breaks in while I'm gone they won't find my dirty underwear lining the hallways and dog hair coating the carpet, running some last minute pre-trip errands, dropping the puppehs off at camp, and then probably getting around to packing some time around 10 o'clock at night.  You know, the usual pre-trip routine!

As a side note, I am hoping and praying that the rains stay away from Orlando this weekend, but even more than that, I am putting most of my energy into praying that Gustav doesn't go ripping through New Orleans again.  I have so many loved ones down there directly in the line of fire, and I honestly don't know if New Orleans can survive another hurricane--even if it is just a Category 2. It makes me sick just thinking about it...  There are a lot of things I miss about the South, hurricanes are not listed amongst those things.  Though days off of school and work because of hurricane warnings rank pretty high up there...

But anyway, enough of this morose pessimism, let's take a look at the gorgeous shoes that have made it into the first round of contention for The Great Shoe Quest: Oxford Edition!  I have scoured the internet for the top notch oxford contestants, and have broken the shoes down into two groups:  "Classic Oxfords" and "Loafer Inspired Oxfords".  I am still undecided as to which is my preference, and it may come down to trying on a couple of each just to see how they look on my feet.  I do have a preference for a higher, slimmer heel, but I've included a couple of lower, chunkier heels in the mix for those of you who don't enjoy teetering around on stilts!  Also, let me say it now, I do not condone peep toe oxfords, nor do I think that these shoes should be worn barelegged.  I think they look fantastic with pants or a dress and tights, but I just think they look clunky and Herman Munsterish when worn any other way.  I believe those are my only qualifications, so without further ado...

Classic Oxfords

       

Left: Banana Republic "Bree" Wing Tip High Heeled Oxford.  I love the oh so traditional look of this shoe, and love that the heel is high and slim, but still has a bit of substance.  I wouldn't be worried about this puppy getting caught between any cobblestones!

Right: Max Studio Zanzibar.  I'm still leaning more toward wanting a black shoe, but the subtle red of this oxford really is gorgeous.  And the delicate heel and hidden platform are a lovely combination.

Left: Steve Madden Vulture.  This was the shoe that I initially fell in love with in my online perusals, but now I find myself wondering (and I can't believe I'm about to say this) if the heel is actually too high.  I know, who am I, and what have I done with Angela?  I do love the drama of the shiny patent leather though.

 Right:  Franco Sarto Deer.  In stark contrast with the towering heel of the Steve Madden oxford, this shoe retains the feminine sleekness and classic oxford detailing, but with a much more manageable heel.

Left: Stuart Weitzman Nanny.  I must be honest, I'm not sure it was too wise of our dear Stuart to give this shoe such a matronly name, but I think the patent leather and moderately high heel save it from looking like anything that would inspire thoughts of grandmothers or nursemaids.

Right:  Nine West Kimball.  This is probably the most straightforward, classic oxford out of the bunch, and I applaud its traditional appearance.  This would look quite sleek and professional--much more of an in the office oxford, than night out on the town.

Left: Martinez Valero Women's Sachi High Heeled Oxford.  I adore the cream colored accents, squared off toe, and shiny patent leather--I know it's early in the game to begin choosing favorites, but this one is a beauty.  One to watch!

Right:  Dolce Vita Women's Taylor Oxford.  I love the sassiness of the slightly upturned toe and the pert little X that the laces make.  I feel strongly that if I wore these shoes, I would have to get my hands on some spats.

Left: Aldo Magaly.  This is close in the running for the most traditional oxford award, but the perforation details and gleaming patent leather really kick it up a notch.

Right: Anne Klein Quaint.  Houndstooth!  Patent leather!  Oxford styling!  It's like Sherlock Holmes exploded in a shoe factory!  With the solid, yet still feminine heel, I think this could be the Everyman's Oxford.

Loafer Inspired Oxfords

     

Left:  Steve Madden Reilly.  So, do you see what I mean about these shoes being more reminscent of a penny loafer in a way?  Still, the lace up detail is also oxford-like, and so these shoes have made it into the running by virtue of their stunning good looks and willingness to take a chance!  I like the combination of fabric with the patent toe and vamp as well as the perforation detailing.

Right: Bandolino Steffi.  It's a little hard to tell from the pictures, but these actually have a lower heel than the Reilly--3" as opposed to 4".  Although, I think sometimes different manufacturers measure from different points when giving heel heights, so maybe that's why these look remarkably similar despite their alleged 1" difference.  Anyway, these are a little sleeker than the Reilly, and it's a nice patent--not too shiny, so potentially a bit more conservative.

BCBGirls Cayla.  Okay, so these aren't really loafer inspired, but with the dramatic cutouts along the vamp, they didn't exactly fit into the Classic Oxford category either.  The nice thing about these shoes, and even the Steffi and Reilly is that I think I could lift my bare legs ban, as they're a bit more delicate than the classic oxfords.  Especially these with the openness of the cutouts.  Definitely very daring--I'm intrigued!

So, there you have it, my thirteen favorite shoes (hm, I wonder if I should have found another shoe to keep the more superstitious of you from falling into hysterics right now) inspired by the menswear/oxford trend.  I'm curious to hear what your thoughts are, and I'll be back at work on the Shoe Quest in early September, winnowing these selections down to the finalists, which I'll then review and eventually narrow down to the ultimate Shoe Quest winner!  Until then, happy shoe hunting!

The Great Shoe Quest: Oxford Edition

Did you know that it is currently in the low 50s outside the cozy warmth of my house right now?  May I remind you that we are currently still firmly within the month of August, a month that by all accounts is referred to as "summer"?  In case anyone is a little confused, as our heavenly Father seems to be, summer is defined by Dictionary.com as "a period of hot, usually sunny weather" or "the hotter half of the year (opposed to winter)". Now, I'm not saying that God is WRONG by deciding that it should be 52 degrees outside on August 22nd, and in all fairness, the sun is currently shining on the other side of the world, but really, it is my lowly opinion that summer should involve a little bit more sweating than I have had the priveledge of experiencing over the past three months.  After all, the dictionary did specifically say "opposed to winter", not "just like winter, except with rather less rainfall".

However, I suppose I should consider myself lucky that not only did I manage to break a sweat this year--and in 85 degree and below weather mind you (my Louisiana roots are horrified by my weakness)--but I also got away with wearing sleeveless shirts, on at least four separate occasions, without once wishing that I'd remembered to bring a jacket.  In fact, I think that if you were to place all of the beautiful sunny, warm days we've had this year, end to end, we've probably had close to 3 solid weeks of summer.  So, certainly an improvement over last summer, God, and for that, I thank you.  "A" for effort.

So, in short, I have begun steeling myself to the fact that Fall is advancing upon us once more, and soon I will be deep in the throes of Seasonal Affective Disorder, bursting into tears at the slightest provocation and wondering how on earth people can smile and laugh in a world so dark and dismal.  Fortunately, that should last for only eight or nine months before it is summer again and I'm no longer threatening to commit a murder-suicide if we get stationed in Alaska for our next assignment.  And of course, there are certain advantages to fall in Washington--for one thing, it once more becomes acceptable to order hot chocolate at Starbucks without people giving you the hairy eyeball.  Also, I enjoy tights and boots and outerwear, so there are sartorial benefits as well.  Then there's all of that rain, which takes care of watering the yard for me--not that I really remember to water the yard regularly in the summertime, but it relieves the pressure nonetheless.

And to make myself feel even better about the upcoming fall season, I have decided to go a little crazy and jump on my favorite trend from last year, which I never got on board at the time.  That would be the menswear trend--more specifically the oxford pump.  Honestly, when the trend first started popping up last year, I was more than a little uncertain about my feelings for it, but as the season went by and I saw more and more real life examples as opposed to the rather questionable runway looks, I really started to fall in love.  There is something undeniably sexy about menswear for women--from tweeds and military influence to the sophistication and retro glamor of the oxford.  Unfortunately, fall came to a close before my love was fully developed and I figured it was too late to get on that bandwagon, so I moved on with my life.  But when I was in San Francisco for the Fourth of July, I saw a girl wearing the most adorable pair of patent leather oxfords with a delicate high heel and a little glimmer of hope came alive in my heart.  I started searching my favorite shoe sites, and lo and behold, the menswear trend is indeed back with a vengeance for this fall and there are oxfords aplenty on the menu.

Given the huge selection and numerous choices involved--traditional oxford or loafery oxford, high stiletto heel or low chunky heel, patent leather, plain leather or fabric?--I have decided that the only solution is to embark upon another Great Shoe Quest.  Next week I will give the rundown on all of the lovely oxfords that have made the cut and will have the honor of being featured on my highly respected, immensely popular website, and then in September, I will begin narrowing down the selections to find the lucky winner of The Great Shoe Quest: Oxford Edition.  Join me next week, for the exciting season premiere!

Shoes. OMG Shoes. Let's Get Some Shoes.

I have before me ten beautiful shoes.  Shoes with so much style and comfort and potential.  But in my hands, I hold the photos of only the three shoes that will go on to become winners of The Great Shoe Quest.

Category 1: Practical Ballet Flat Finalists

Clarks - Swan in Dark Brown Leather
Pros:  Very comfortable and the brown is quite dark and rich.  The leather is extremely soft, and the insole very well padded.  It seems like it would need little to no breaking in.  A definite front runner.

Cons:  The vamp comes up too high over the top of my foot, and I felt like it made the shoes look a little clunky.  When I take a step, I can feel little puffs of air coming out of the shoe--it's like a humiliating shoe fart just waiting to happen.

Clarks - Arye in Champagne Leather
Pros:  When I put on these shoes, I was impressed by how immediately comfortable they were.  Like the Swan, the insole was so well padded, it really did feel like walking on a cloud (only less damp, I would imagine).  The color is a very light gold, so it can be worn casually or more dressed up, and it's so neutral that it will definitely go with either black or brown.

Cons:  The 8 was a little bit too big, and the 71/2 felt a little cramped around the toe box.  I think since they're leather they would probably stretch after some wearing, and if not they could always be taken into a shoe repair store for some manual stretching.  The ribbon edging, while adorable, might cause a little bit of rubbing on the foot.

Indigo by Clarks - Giana in Cafe Brown Leather

Pros:  Really, the only pro is how cute the shoe is.  The quilting of the leather is really different and adorable, and the darker ribbon edging the brown leather would help it match black and brown.  The leather was very soft and pliable.

Cons:  While it was certainly more comfortable than some of the flimsier ballet flats already in my closet, it didn't stand a chance when compared to the Swan and Arye.  There is very little padding on the insole, and while it would probably be great for normal wear, I don't imagine my feet would feel so great after walking over cobblestones for miles and miles.

Category 2: Sturdy Walking Shoe Finalists

Privo - Comice in Brown Nubuck

Pros:  The shoe fits my foot extremely well, has a great textured and padded insole, and seems like it would be a very sturdy option for all kinds of terrain.  It's tight enough to fit comfortably without socks, but still has enough room that I could get away with a thin sock if it's cool outside.  The brown doesn't seem like it would match so well with black, but this seems to matter a little bit less since it has more of a "tennis shoe" look to it, and I don't generally worry about matching those to my outfits.

Cons:  Not the most elegant style.  They would work great with pants, but are definitely a little too "sporty" for a dressy skirt or dress.

Privo - Float in Brown Nubuck

Pros: I loved the leather detailing on the sides and strap.  The leather has an almost metallic sheen that dresses the shoe up a little bit.  The insole is the same as the Comice, making it a very comfortable option.

Cons: The 8 was far too loose and the 71/2 was far too small.  Since the majority of the shoe is a mesh fabric, it wouldn't take to stretching very well without loosing its shape.  The leather strap could cause some rubbing issues after prolonged wear.

Privo - Step in Chocolate Nubuck

Pros: Such a cute shoe--the leather detailing over the toe is really adorable and gives the shoe a dressier look so that it could easily be worn with a skirt or pants.  Has the same padded insole as the Float and Comice.

Cons:  Unfortunately, the big pro about this shoe is the cause of the major con.  The adorable leather part on the toe of the shoe puts pressure on your toes and was already uncomfortable after just a few minutes on my foot.  There's always the possibility that it would loosen up with repeated wearings, but I don't know for sure.

Skechers - Bikers Locomotion in Toffee

Pros:  The insole didn't have the same textured padding as the Privos, but it was still extremely comfortable.  The style is quite cute, and like the Step and Float, could be easily worn with jeans or skirts.

Cons:  Far too wide for my foot.  The 8 slid off of my foot with almost every step, and the 7.5 was far too small.  Even if the 7.5 had fit, the shoe seemed to add girth to my foot and made it look much wider than it really is.

Category 3: Comfortable Heel

Ecco - Basel T-Strap in Espresso Patent

Pros:  Really, really cute shoe with a vintage vibe, and quite comfortable.  The heel was a great height, not too tall, not too short, so it was very easy to walk in, and the leather was so soft that it really felt great on my foot.

Cons: The vintage 1940s look was certainly part of the appeal, but I felt like I could only wear it with certain dresses, as it may have been a little too dressy or retro for more casual skirts or pants.  The insole could have had a bit more padding, though this could be remedied with a little Dr. Scholls action.

Ecco - Brig Petit T-Strap in Barollo Patent

Pros:  Another cute shoe with a vintage look--this time a little more Thoroughly Modern Millie.  Again, because the heel was low and chunky, it was very easy to walk in, and the leather was very pliable.

Cons: This would probably be a perfect shoe for someone who wants a dressy heel without a lot of height, but for me, the heel wasn't high enough and it was a bit too thick for my taste--I think the heel looks higher in the picture than it does in person.  Also, the brown is a very pretty color, but it does have a distinct reddish tinge to it that would make it difficult to match with a lot of outfits.

Sofft - Regina in Cashmere/Spirit Tan Leather

Pros:  Looked even cuter than in the picture—the heel is a little more slender, and the sole doesn't have such visible tread.  Remember those commercials where the women were playing basketball in their high heels, as though they were wearing tennis shoes?  That's what I felt like when I put these shoes on.  The insole is very well padded, but so are the sides of the shoes.  The whole shoe feels cushiony and soft.  The lighter tan leather has a little bit of a glimmer to it without being overly glittery, giving it a very nice dressy feel.  Oh, and free.  That's always a really lovely pro.

Cons:  Because the heel is higher than the other shoes I tried, I probably couldn't wear them for as long without getting some fatigue on the ball of my foot.

And the winners are....

Clarks - Arye in Champagne Leather

I'm wearing these today, and I love them.  When I look down, I can see that I'm wearing delicate, beautiful ballet flats, but when I'm walking, I feel like I'm wearing my most comfortable sneakers.  The really were winners in every category, and I haven't had any trouble with the ribbon rubbing uncomfortably so far.  I'm still considering having them stretched, but I'm going to try wearing them for about a week to see if they stretch any on their own.

Privo - Comice in Brown Nubuck

This decision was a little bit more difficult, just because I really did like the idea of a walking shoe that would be sturdy and comfortable, but also easily coordinate with a skirt or a pair of pants.  However, the Comice was just far and away the most comfortable choice, and I don't imagine I'll be doing a lot of hiking in skirts and dresses anyway!

Sofft - Regina in Cashmere/Spirit Tan Leather

This was another really easy decision.  Yes, it was really fantastic that the shoes were sent to me free of charge by Sofft, and I do feel like I should make that very clear, just so that there's no internet scandal about how I'm hiding the fact that I'm reviewing shoes for which I didn't have to pay!  However, even if I had shelled out the ninety-one bucks out of my own pocket (making them, by the way, the most inexpensive of the dressy shoes I tried), I still would have chosen these shoes.  Like the Clark Arye, they were winners in every category--dressy, comfortable, and versatile (can be worn with skirts, dresses, or jeans).

I'm so pleased with all of these shoes, and I just hope it proves that you CAN find comfortable, practical shoes without losing the style factor.  Okay, I'm ready to go to Italy now!

This Weekend I...

...Finally finished writing and addressing all of our wedding gift thank you notes!  Today I have to go buy stamps, but by tomorrow, those suckers will be in the mail and winging their way to our patient and generous friends and family!

... Had a fun filled movie night courtesy of On Demand and my evil DVR.  At least it managed to record all of Pride & Prejudice without chopping off the last half.  And is it just me, or would it have been all that difficult to find a somewhat more smoldering Mr. Darcy?  I know Colin Firth really made the role his own, but Matthew Macfayden's portrayal really is just a pale imitation.

... Managed to beat Colby at Scrabulous even while thousands of miles apart.  I will have the grace to admit that it was indeed a very close game.  He's a worthy opponent, although I still reign as the undefeated champion in our household.

... Broke in our lovely new elliptical machine with two 30 minute workouts that left me sweaty, breathless, and with the realization of how horrifically out of shape I've gotten in the past few months.  I've got a long way to go if I want to be a svelte, elegant American in Italy in just a few more weeks!

... Watched six episodes of that classic 90's television series, Party of Five, again, courtesy of On Demand.  I spent most of the nineties watching Nick at Nite, ABC's TGIF lineup, and The X-Files, so all of those favorites of my peers such as Party of Five, Beverly Hills 90210, and My So Called Life are a whole new world to me now.  I really had no idea that Matthew Fox existed before Lost, and I'm loving him with his long flowing locks.   And this was probably giggled about 15 years ago, but does anyone else find it amusing that the surnames of two of the leading actors are "Fox" and "Wolf"?

... Made two decisions regarding The Great Shoe Quest!  The results really will be coming this week, I promise!  I know I said the same thing last week, unfortunately, Zappos' new shipping policy has made reorders a bit difficult, and apparently Privo shoes have a HUGE disparity in size compared to the rest of the shoes in my closet.  Watch this space--results coming SOON!!

I've reached the conclusion that it's a really good thing I married Colby, so that I'm forced out of the house from time to time.  If I had my way, I'd never change out of my pajamas and cross the threshold unless we were running low on dog food.  How was your weekend?  I hope you managed to leave the house at least once!

This Weekend I...

...Went to a new cupcake shop that just opened in our cute little downtown main street.  I decided on a vanilla cupcake with chocolate frosting, and Colby had a chocolate cupcake with vanilla frosting.  Clearly, I have failed spectacularly at my Lenten promise.

...Bought dahlia bulbs and tulip sprouts to plant in a few weeks.  I cannot wait for that first burst of beautiful spring color!!

...Spent Saturday night filing our taxes.  Well, in all fairness, Colby put in most of the effort, but I helped when it came to itemizing our donations, and we finished with only a bare minimum of head biting.  Now we just have to sit back and wait for the almost 5 G's to come rolling in.  I kind of love tax season...

... Received my shoes from Endless AND Zappos and began testing them for The Great Shoe Quest!  Hooray!  Apparently Zappos does still ship shoes overnight?  I don't know.  I'm confused, but I'm not questioning it further.  A few of the shoes were too big, so new sizes have been ordered and results will definitely be posted by the end of this week!
 

... Surrounded myself with pink grapefruit Airborne and Kleenex.  Yesterday, I only moved from the couch four or five times, and that was just to go to the bathroom or to harass Colby into making me chicken noodle soup.  Imagine the most annoying sick person in the world, and then multiply that by ten and that's me when I have a cold.

I'm at work today, infecting the rest of the office because I'm all out of sick days and I'll be damned if I'm going to use a personal vacation day because I don't feel 100% great.  How was your weekend?

Becoming A Reality

February 28.  The first time I ever ordered shoes from Zappos and didn't receive free overnight shipping.  From now on, unless I pay upwards of $7.00, shoes ordered from their website will arrive in 4-5 days.  I really feel like today should be a day of mourning.

In addition to the severe pain that was caused by the loss of Zappos free overnight shipping, Endless is no longer offering negative $5.00 shipping, although it is still free overnight.  It's the end of an era folks.  A beautiful carefree time that will be remembered with the same fondness as the Napster Years.  But life does go on, and so next week, I hope to wrap up The Great Shoe Quest with my thoughts on all of the shoes and my final selections.  I know I'm pretty dang excited!

And to go along with the vacation time that was so graciously bestowed upon me by my illustrious company, Colby's passport arrived in the mail on Tuesday, and mine showed up yesterday.  We're official, y'all!!  Although, I admit that I'm pretty bummed about the fact that I lost the stamps I'd collected over the years in my old passport.  Le sigh.

So, all in all, today I'm feeling pretty okay.  Italy is just over a month away, and it no longer feels like some far off dream.  I've been mentally selecting outfits for the past few days, and I think this weekend I'm going to finish my vacation shopping by purchasing a pair of these pants in lemonade and porcelain blue.  Assuming they don't make my ass look ginormous, that is.

Tonight I'm going to have dinner with Lori, and I'm oh so excited since I think the last time we saw each other was on Christmas Eve.  I'll probably moan about my job a little bit more over cocktails, but then I am putting it out of my mind until next week.  I've done nothing for the past two days but think about whether I should quit, and if so when I should quit--pre or post vacation?--where else I would work, how much it would suck to not buy shoes for the entire duration of the job hunt, whether or not it really is all that bad here, and how tired I am of 11 hour days.  My brain is utterly exhausted, and this weekend I just want to have fun eating cupcakes, buying flowers for our front yard, shopping, and vegging out on the couch.  I'm going to take a page out of Scarlett's book and say, "Fiddle-dee-dee, I'll think about that tomorrow."  After all, tomorrow is another day!

(And there we have it--it took almost 3 years, but I finally managed to throw out the titular line.  Nice.)

The Great Shoe Quest: Hollywood Round

Well friends, we've skimmed through the preliminary auditions in The Great Shoe Quest, and here we are ready to face our initial selections and whittle them down to the finalists.  Those lucky few who make it from Hollywood all the way to my house in Washington will be facing stiff competition, and great expectations from the judges.  Will they be able to stand up to the pressure?  Will all of their promises of cloud-like comfort and support fall apart under fierce scrutiny?  Only time will tell, but first, let's take a look at those special shoes that have made it this far!

As often happens in this round of the competition, a few shoes manage to sneak through with a Golden Ticket that the viewing audience hasn't seen before.  Thanks to some reader recommendations, there have been a few additions to this round of the competition, specifically in the Sturdy Walking Shoe category:

Skechers - Bikers Locomotion in Toffee
Skechers - Blissful in Toffee
Skechers - Bikers Onlooker in Brown Suede/Plaid

Let's also take a minute to review the criteria of this intense competition:

• Must be supportive, sturdy, and comfortable, with an attractive and streamlined design
• Must coordinate with a large number of outfits
• Must be something that can transition from the cobblestoned streets of Rome to the rugged hills of the Amalfi coastline to the streets of Seattle with ease and style

I made the ultimate decision to go with browns for these shoes, based on two factors.  One, the majority of shoes already in my closet are black, so it seems silly to buy three more pairs of black shoes.  Two, I reviewed the clothes that I'm tentatively planning to pack and everything seems like it will look fine with a brown shoe.  From all of the contenders I made a careful assessment of how the style fit in with my requirements and read the extensive reviews from their owners, from there I narrowed my selection down to these lucky finalists, all of which will be ordered over the next month and put to the test.

Category 1: Practical Ballet Flat Finalists


Clarks - Swan in Dark Brown Leather


Clarks - Arye in Champagne Leather


Indigo by Clarks - Giana in Cafe Brown Leather

Category 2: Sturdy Walking Shoe Finalists


Privo - Comice in Brown Nubuck


Privo - Float in Brown Nubuck


Privo - Step in Chocolate Nubuck


Skechers - Bikers in Toffee

Category 3: Comfortable Heel

Ecco - Basel T-Strap in Espresso Patent


Ecco - Brig Petit T-Strap in Barollo Patent


Sofft - Regina in Cashmere/Spirit Tan Leather (Note: I was actually contacted by a representative from Sofft who came across my blog and offered to send me either their Regina or Serena shoe.  After I scraped myself off the floor where I had collapsed in a torrent of grateful tears because FINALLY this blog has done SOMETHING to earn its keep around here, I responded gleefully that I'd love to try the Regina.  However, as wonderful as their customer service is, that alone is not what got it into the final round.  Everyone that I've spoken to has adored the Sofft brand, and I plan to report back honestly about my opinion on the shoe once I've tried it on my own two feet.)

So, that's it for Hollywood.  I'll be reporting back soon once the shoes start to trickle through my front door with my final choices in each category and thoughts on all of the contenders.  I suspect that it will be difficult to ship the losers back from whence they came, because according to their reviews, they're all fantastic shoes.  Alas, we have elliptical machines and curtains to pay for, and so back to the store some of them must go, next time on... The Great Shoe Quest Results Show!

The Great Shoe Quest Begins

February is off to a rip-roaring great start--already the sun has shone more in the past 3 hours than it did through all of January.  Colby arrived home Friday night and we immediately resumed our places on the couch, cuddled up with the puppies at our feet and tuned into the Lost Season 3 Finale and Season 4 premiere.  All I can say is that if the premiere is any indication, this season is going to be about 5,000 times better than last year.

We also got our passport pictures taken and can I just say, what a ripoff. Granted, it's been a very long time since I got my old passport photo done, but I seem to remember it being a slightly more advanced process than standing in front of a dirty projector screen while a bored Rite-Aid employee takes your picture with a crappy digital camera from 2001.  The pictures are AWFUL and pixelated and a horrific embarrassment, but then I guess that makes them the perfect passport photo.  Enough people in blogland and real life have indicated that it will only take 3-4 weeks tops to get my new passport, so I think I'm going to risk skipping the expedite fee and just keep my fingers crossed that when our plane takes off exactly two months from today, I'll be on it with passport in hand.

And as everyone in the country is probably aware, the Super Bowl was on yesterday.  I tried to give even half of a flip as Colby spent the first ten minutes agonizing over which team he was going to root for, his decision making mostly based on the number of former LSU players on the team, and eventually decided on the Giants.  Since I didn't care one way or another, I rooted for the Giants as well, but felt that I would be happier doing so from behind my computer screen, ensconced in the warm embrace of Zappos.com.

I've been on the hunt for comfortable, but CUTE, shoes to pack for Italy for a few months now.  I've searched the TripAdvisor website extensively looking for suggestions, but honestly the thought of wearing Tevas, Crocs, or hiking boots makes me want to poke my eye out (but just one!).  I have to believe that it is possible to combine style and comfort, but it has become apparent that I am going to have to take matters into my own hands.  Over the next month, I will endeavor to find these elusive "perfect" shoes, so that I can properly break them in before traipsing for miles around glorious Italia.  I'm documenting my search here in the hopes that I will be able to assist other world-traveling fashionistas conquer the planet one blister-less step at a time.

There are three categories that I'm looking to fill with the perfect shoe:

1. A cute, but well cushioned and supportive, flat that I can wear with skirts, dresses, or pants
2. A more sturdy shoe that will be more appropriate for evening hikes through the country-side or up Mt Vesuvius
3. A dressy but low, chunky heel that I can wear out to dinners and still easily walk in without breaking my ankles on the cobblestones.

So, if we liken The Great Shoe Quest to American Idol, let's think of this round of tryouts as the city auditions.  I scoured Zappos and Endless (online stores selected based on their free overnight shipping and easy as pie return policy) for shoes that showed great potential, but not all of these shoes will make it past Hollywood.  For now, I would like to award a Golden Ticket to the following shoes:

Category 1: Practical Ballet Flat
Clarks - Swan in Black Leather
Clarks - Arye in Champagne Leather
Clarks - Demure in Black Leather
Indigo by Clarks - Giana in Cafe Brown Leather or Green/Orange Printed Satin
Indigo by Clarks - Picnic in Red Striped Raw Silk or Black Leather
Privo - Spot in Chocolate w/ Pink Dots
Amy Gladstone - Bow

Category 2: Sturdy Walking Shoe
Privo - Comice in Brown or Black Nubuck
Privo - Float in Brown or Black Nubuck
Privo - Acacia in Smoky Brown or Black Nubuck
Privo - Trumpet in Chocolate or Black Metallic
Privo - Step Flat in Chocolate
Cole Haan - Phebes in Putty Suede/Patent


Category 3: Comfortable Heel
ECCO - Brig Petit T-Strap in Black Patent
ECCO - Basel T-Strap Pump in Black Patent
ECCO - Bristol T-Strap Pump in Black or Olive
Sofft - Serena in Chocolate or Black Suede
Sofft - Regina in Cashmere/Spirit Tan Leather

So, clearly, that is a LOT of shoes, and I'm definitely going to have some serious narrowing down to do over the next few days.  Looking back over my initial choices I can see that some are not exactly practical for traveling purposes--for example, while the red striped raw silk flats are absolutely gorgeous, they're not going to be able to match easily with a large selection of outfits.  Also, I need to do some serious thinking about whether I'll be packing more black than brown clothing and how much I'll care about the possibility of having to mix the two colors.  It's not the fashion sin that it once was, right? 

You know, it's a darn shame I don't put this kind of time and effort into things like keeping the house clean or whipping up gourmet meals.  I'd be giving Martha Stewart a run for her money for sure!