Little Black Dress?

Forget that...I go for the little black shoe. I got these beauties at Bakers when Summer and I were hunting for the perfect girls night out on the town outfit. I wore them first with this fabulous green and black dress which there are no pictures of...we agreed no pics in order to get more life out of our dresses...because if there's no picture proof...it's like you never wore it. :) I'm headed to see Brian Regan, my favorite comedian tonight with the fam...so I killed two birds with one stone...or two shoes with one day??

And so it begins...

These are some of my favorite shoes ever. I wear them with jeans, sundresses, sweats, whatever. The picture does not do justice to how nasty they look...they're stained red from kool aid dropped by my sweet little cousin, a little brown from being worn to the lake a few too many times, but they're perfectly broken in and I couldn't love them more. They came from The Gap, because The Gap got cool and decided to start carrying Chuch Taylors. I bought them the same time I bought Trey's brown ones, which he also wore all the time, until Slater, the bottomless pit (pun intended :) ) ate one. Now the one that's left sits forlornly in the closet while I continue to enjoy mine.

A journey in footwear

In light of yesterday's blog...my brother in the framily Chris proposed a challenge. To wear every pair of shoes I own in succession, without repeating. And, I accept. So, to record this journey, I'll post a picture of my shoes every day until I've exhausted them all. I'll be excluding boots, because really? You just don't wear suede boots in April in Texas. That can be a challenge for this fall. I'll also, not that anyone cares but me, include where and when I got them...because pathetically...I remember things like that. Maybe not on all of them...but most. Who knows, I might even throw some quotes in, and some songs about shoes.

Today the challenge begins with the new gold shoes whose picture is already posted.

I'll kick it off with a quote...
"Stiletto, I look at it more as an attitude as opposed to a high-heeled shoe." ~Lita Ford

Bewitched

I think, with all seriousness, that Michael Kors has done something to bewitch me. I cannot walk into that store without leaving with something. His design style is classic and chic...and the store at Northpark has the most amazing sales known to man. Boots once thought out of my price range are made attainable at the end of the season. I'll never forget walking into the Dillards in Shreveport and seeing the racks of clearance boots, and spotting the unmistakable Michael by Michael Kors box. Could it be? The boots I already owned in brown, now made available in grey? Grey suede scrunchie boots, oh how I love you. The first pair I greedily grabbed off the shelf just happened to be a 1/2 size too big...but for $42.50...who cares?? I did not let that box out of my grip while I searched for another pair for my shopping partner Carrie. We found one other pair in all of the store, only a size too big...I told Carrie, "Wear thick socks. Buy the boots. You have no choice." They're beautiful...but I digress...

I was at the mall last night, having dinner and drinks with some of my favorite girls when Michelle happened to say, "Michael Kors has the best sale on some of their shoes." My ears perked up while at the same time my mind raced..."do not even think about going in there Katy," said the good, frugal, budget savvy angel on the left shoulder while the shoe loving, designer addicted she-devil on the right whispered, "Just go look...it can't hurt to look..."

I leave the girls and have a genuine errand to run...I need to hit La Occitane to buy a bundle of lavender, and in order to get there...I have to pass...yes, Michael Kors. My feet, on their own will, head into the store where the first thing I see is a 70% off sign above an entire shelf of shoes. And not winter shoes, we're talking cute, summer, wear now shoes. I begin planning outfits around the shoes I'm seeing. I'm still not convinced until the sales girl (who I'm pretty sure said, "Hi Katy" when I walked in) says "Most of those are either $25 or $35 with the sale." "Are you serious?" I asked in genuine astonishment. "Serious," she said with a smile. Much to my chagrin, and Trey's relief, they only had a couple of pairs left in my size. I left with the cutest pair of gold and silver heels...see picture for reference.

I was feeling a tad guilty since every time I buy a new pair of shoes, which is often, I promise myself I won't buy another pair until I clean out my closet, or start wearing everything I own. But I've realized something. I'm on a quest...a quest for the perfect sole mate. I can't fight it. And while Michael Kors is providing me the oppurtunity to search for this mate at very large discount prices, who am I to deny myself that pleasure? I took comfort in Carrie's words..."You're excused because, for that price, it would be a crime to NOT buy them."

I've owned alot of shoes in my life. I love Reef flip flops, low top Chuck Taylors, Jessica Simpson heels, Sperry Top Siders, ballet slippers of any color and style, and over the top heels from the $4.99 shoe store. I'll shop at Nordstrom, Payless, Barneys, or Target. I just LOVE shoes. I feel that one day, I'll find a pair that screams...."I am SO you!" And I'll probably buy one in every color. So to all of you out there on the hunt for your own sole mate, be it Converse, Jimmy Choo, Puma, Christian Loboutin, or Nike...keep searching. That perfect pair is out there somewhere...waiting for your feet to say, "Ahhhh, feels like home."

A few of my favorite things...

Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens

Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens

Brown paper packages tied up with strings

These are a few of my favorite things

When the dog bites

When the bee stings

When I'm feeling sad

I simply remember my favorite things

And then I don't feel so bad

These are the lyrics that were running through my head this morning at 3:45 am while the house shook from the thunder and the room looked like day. I was sleeping soundly, as I usually do during a thunderstorm when all of a sudden I was awakened by a combined 130 pounds of crying, shaking, hyperventilating dog. As it turns out, our dogs are terrified of thunderstorms. I'm not sure if this is a newly onset fear, because I don't remember ever being jolted out of sleep quite like this...and I'm pretty sure that in the 3 years we've had our dogs there have been thunderstorms. Now, Duke...not so much a problem. As a beagle, he can curl up quite small at the end of the bed and not cause any problems. He's also apparently the braver of the two. After the initial jump to the bed...he was A-OK. Slater, on the other hand...kept me up all night. Much to Trey's chagrin, I told Slater he could stay..."he's shaking..." I told him. "Oh, I can feel him," he replied. But with every crash of thunder, he leapt up, and then had to find a new position. 2 grown people, a beagle, and a pitbull in a queen bed do not a night of sound sleep make. I finally shoved him off the bed, only to have him stand with his nose on the bed, still crying. Hence, the singing to myself at 4:00 in the morning. If I were to write a chorus to that song it might go something like this...and I'm not a songwriter by any means AND this is the musings of an incoherent girl at 4 in the morning...

Fresh fruits and veggies from the Farmers Market

running through dew on a warm summer morning

getting mail from the framily...tied up with string...

these are a few of my favorite things...

That's as far as I got last night...I might add more later...maybe everyone else can add to it. :)

Or maybe we can admit that I should never try to change lyrics of famous songs, especially in the dead of night and never mention this again.

getting to knooww you...

So I got these questions off of Chickbug's blog...which I just recently tuned into and love. :)

1- what time did you wake up this morning? 6:45
2- did you watch tv last night? if so, what? American Idol, "No Country for Old Men"
3- what is one thing you are looking forward to in the next month? getting on a boat, The Byron Nelson!!
4- what is your favorite dessert? Green Stuff
5- three websites you read everyday? www.whowhatweardaily.com, www.aol.com, www.dailycandy.com (yeah, I'm apparently THAT shallow)
6- which do you like most: breakfast, lunch or dinner? breakfast, fo shooo
7- if you could go anywhere in the world, it would be....EVERYWHERE
8- favorite day of the year? February 3rd
9- why do you read blogs? to laugh, and to see what other people out there are up to...
10- one thing you want to accomplish in the next year? to do a triathalon, and feel great in my skin!

'Nilla Milk with Tia

Does anyone know what to do with a 4 year old boy? I hope so, because I sure don't...but I'm about to inherit one for a short time. My sweet nephew, whom I adore beyond all reason will be staying with my husband and I for awhile...and while he's stayed with us before...it's pretty much been for one night, and I've gotten to play the cool aunt role. We hit Starbucks together about once a week...Ev gets Organic 'Nilla Milk and Tia (me) has her caramel macchiato. We've been to the zoo, parks, fed the ducks at White Rock, and even Wild About Harry's. The kid's a Dallasite through and through. I LOVE dressing the kid, and taking him to fun places, but raising him? Yeah...news flash....I have NO maternal instincts as of yet...hence the reason Trey and I have not pro-created. We fly by the seat of our pants, to the gym, to dinner, to soccer games, bible study...we love being on the go. Apparently, as people who have children have told me, that's all about to stop. Or...at the very least, slow down a little. I've never shied away from saying that I'm not even sure I WANT to have kids of my own...and if we do...we'll most likely adopt, Brangelina style. But I look into that sweet little boys face and long for him to have a stable home, a home where he knows what time he'll go to bed, where he knows the food he'll eat is good for his body, I long for him to be in church, learning what life might be all about. And so, if it takes a bit of sacrifice on my part to, even for a time, give him what I think it is that all kids need...who am I to shun that oppurtunity? I ask for prayer, and for ideas? Anyone? Beuhler? I am so thankful for the friends I have that have already said, "We'll do anything you need." And while I don't normally call on favors, I am so about to!