“I tried taking pictures, but they were so mediocre. I guess every girl goes through a photography phase. You know, horses… taking pictures of your feet.”
–Charlotte, Scarlett Johansson’s character in Lost in Translation, by Sofia Coppola
Last week, I told you about my missing pair of shoes, and then that afternoon, they magically appeared, all thanks to the hard work of my local mail carrier. It seems that a substitute carrier mistakenly put them in a neighbor’s parcel box, an address with my house number on a different street, and the shoes sat there for ten long days. During that time, I searched for them, contacted the post office, went to the post office, reported the missing shoes to Ruche, where I purchased them, and eventually gave up hope of finding them. I came to the conclusion that somebody loved my size 10, teal suede shoes so very much that they just kept them for themselves. I was preparing myself for the day when I would see someone in my neighborhood walking down the street in my shoes, and I would have to turn and walk the other way.
I’m happy to report that there isn’t a shoe-thief living amongst us after all. Instead, one of my neighbors is just too lazy to return a misdelivered package to the post office, which is literally located in our neighborhood, just down the street from the Dairy Queen. But I’m over it, and thrilled that my shoes, the Guided Hope Flats in Dark Teal, finally arrived safe and sound. And their name is kind of hilarious after that little mail adventure, since I never lost hope that I would eventually wear the shoes (Ruche promised to send a replacement pair after a two-week wait), and the flats eventually found their way to me, in a very roundabout way.
The shoes need a little breaking in, but they are so pretty to behold, and I’ve never worn this color on my feet before, so it’s a nice little pop of color, especially for Fall and Winter.
(My missing shoes; safe at last!)
And then I made a quick trip to Kohl’s last Wednesday morning before my pre-holiday cooking and cleaning began, and took advantage of their Black Friday sales starting early. I found two pairs of flats by Vera Wang’s collection at the store, and they were on sale for a steal. Honestly, I was hoping to find one comfy pair, since I normally have great luck with her styles, and since I couldn’t decide between the two, I just bought both.
Since one pair is more casual and the other is dressier, I’ll get lots of mileage with each.
While I was taking pictures of my own feet, a very strange angle, if you ask me, I tried the ubiquitous pigeon-toe pose favored by so many fashion bloggers. It’s a ridiculously uncomfortable way to stand, I found. But these shoes are cute and casual, and I know I’ll wear them a lot in the coming months.
And then I found this dressier pair with the tweed trim, and I think they’ll go well with skirts and dresses this winter. I like the small, edgy details that keep the shoes from becoming too sweet, and they are also quite comfortable.
(Sole train. Sorry, I couldn’t resist!)
In fact, I think all three pairs will be suitable for the Alt Design conference in January, and I just need to plan some outfits to go with them. I’m definitely set for shoes now, for many, many months.
Did you buy anything over the holiday weekend?
I spent the week relaxing and preparing for Thanksgiving, which was a wonderful day spent with family and friends. Here are a few things that caught my eye this week:
An interesting take on the idea of Thanksgiving and tradition.
And I’m so thankful I wasn’t invited to this dinner!
Change is coming. Slowly, but it’s coming.
“Chicho and Pocho,” the heartwarming story of a man and his crocodile. I promise this will make you smile, and maybe cry.
If you’re up for a little holiday shopping, Sephora is having a great sale with $10 Black Friday Doorbusters. It’s a great way to stock up for gifts, and don’t forget to check out their weekly specials!
Have a wonderful weekend!
Last Thanksgiving, our little family bucked tradition and spent the holiday at a lovely resort in the Texas hill country. It was fun and filled with new memories, and we tentatively planned to return again this year. But things fell through at the last minute and, instead, we are hosting a small get-together of our own. Ryan’s parents and a few friends will join us, and we’ll see my family over the weekend. I’m surprisingly relaxed about everything and the preparations leading up to today have been stress-free.
To be honest, Thanksgiving has always seemed a peculiar holiday to me, coming less than a month before Christmas and stemming from a difficult time in our nation’s history. In college, the last week in November marked the beginning of crunch time, as final papers and exams loomed heavily over every student. I always wished that we could move the day to after finals and push it all together with Christmas, which held more meaning for my family and lasted a lot longer. And now, as a parent, I feel the Christmas shopping rush beginning as soon as the Thanksgiving dishes are washed and my Inbox fills with holiday discounts. James’ and Ryan’s birthdays are in the middle of December, too, so it is a busy, busy month filled with lots of party preparations.
Last year, we began our home renovation two days after Christmas, which meant taking down the tree and packing up the contents of our home, all on December 26th. It was incredibly stressful and I’m so glad it’s behind us now. I’m really enjoying the slower pace this year and I’m trying to savour this time with my boys while they are still so young.
I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving! And to my Canadian friends, Happy Thursday!
