Just click your heels...wait, there aren't any

Isn't it always like this: back when I was in school, I said I'd take a break from blogging because I have finals, and I ended up blogging in procrastination. Now that I'm supposed to take a "break" from the computer to recoup from all the craziness, I'm not doing it. Imagine that--I actually have *time* tonight. There isn't enough of it for crafting, so blogging it is. I'm still trying to find that work-life balance, so trying to regain a regular blogging schedule is a start.

I've been wanting a pair of red shoes for a really, really long time. Since my outfits are now based on the grays and the blacks, red shoes became an even more coveted accoutrement. They add a little bit of levity and punch to an otherwise somber and serious outfit. I have a pair of red sneakers, but they don't go with the dressy outfits I now frequently wear.

The search for dressier red shoes has been long and hard. Price, of course, is the foremost consideration. Comfort is another major consideration. I've been wearing pumps a lot, so I wasn't sure I wanted another pair of heels, even if they were red. Unfortunately, comfortable and sharp-looking red flats have been in short supply. Finally, the perfect shade of red was hard to find. I'd find things that are either too bright or too dark, never juuuust right.

As I was trawling through the mall during the last days of Christmas shopping, I came upon the pair I've been looking for. It wasn't at all what I expected, but it's perfect. At the very corner of the $19.99 shelf in the Naturalizer store, I saw these:


They're comfortable, they're cute without being cutesy (the pointy toes make them look grown up, despite the words "mary jane" being part of the shoe model name), and they're the perfect shade of red. And the price is right, last pair in my size, so on and so forth. What more can I say? Oh yes--they go pretty well with peaches and pinks. These dressy patent leather flats really go a long way.

What I love about them is that they look fancy without costing like so. Here's what really gets me tickled: after I made my rounds through the adjacent Loehmann's (where I got my mom a perfect-fit cashmere sweater for about $40), these shoes got me to the Beverly Center--a huge mall in ritzy Beverly Hills--to do some last-minute Christmas shopping. I noticed quite a few fashionistas openly staring at my shoes, particularly when I walked into a pricey boutique, where *gasp* I dropped $215 on a Christmas present for myself. (Got your attention, didn't I? But you'll have to wait another few days for this juicy story). A few people in there complimented me on those shoes. I couldn't help but secretly smile against the monied fashion establishment.

About that Christmas gift to myself...come on, surely you know me better than that. It's not quite the horribly foolish, extravagant blowout one might imagine. You'll see why next time.