Monday, October 23, 2006

THINGS THAT I LOVE- PART III

Before I start this post, make sure you scroll down and check out the old pictures of Cho-Cho my Mom sent me. Not only is the bear adorable but look at me! Ok that was shameless. On with the post.

Today I want to talk about a love that blossomed about ten years ago. This is my love of shoes. I had a fondness for shoes long before my Sr. Year of High School but this is the time when I was allowed to truly venture into the world of heels. Kudos to Mom on that one, I didn’t need to be sauntering around SW High School in heels at 13. Plus, they are really bad for your legs. Today I have problems finding a pair of flats that are truly comfortable. Anyway, the obsession started with a pair of Steve Madden sandals that were made of a bunch of leather straps and kind of tied up the foot and had a nice 2 or so inch chunky heel. I thought they were fly. One of my friends thought they looked like a torture device. They were actually very comfortable though because of the ties you could adjust every part of the shoe.

As the years progressed so did my taste. I was a fool for platforms. I spent much of my time in college perched on some 5in sling-back peep-toed tan and brown suede cow-looking shoes trekking up and down a very steep hill multiple times a day. In retrospect I have no idea how I didn’t fall down that hill and am quite amazed that I went up and down that hill so often, I don’t know if I still could. I don’t wear them too often anymore (but sometimes). I mostly use them to reach things in the tall cabinets when Tony isn’t around. One thing I learned with those shoes though, was the power of the super sale. I bought those beauties for like $30 and they had originally been $130 or something. I have relatively small feet so good looking sale shoes in my size are not that hard to come by.

So now that I have rambled a little, time to get to the point, my two favorite pairs of shoes that were at least $100 off. I tried to narrow this down to one pair but I just couldn’t. I’ll start with the first purchase, the silk-screened Prada. These shoes are just beautiful. I found them on sale at Barney’s in NY and they were a whopping $200 off. I don’t think I have ever worn them outside (maybe once). Most of the reason for that is they are not particularly good for long walks and I have a bit of a hike to the train. Actually, they took a lot of breaking in but since I work in an office and only really have to walk to the bathroom, lunchroom, water fountain, copier, etc. they didn’t have much of a chance to be broken in. I can now wear them a full day without being in pain. Even so, with all the drama, I love my super sale shoes. They always turn a few heads with their stunning lines and beautiful patterning. I really can’t complain.

Pair no. 2 was actually a present from Tony. I thought he was having a hard time finding me a Christmas present and I mentioned that if he was having trouble thinking of something for me, these really cute (ok I think they are really cute, I realize a lot of people think they are awful and don’t match themselves and those people are kind of right but the shoes work for me) Marc by Marc Jacobs shoes were $150 off and I loved them although they were a little expensive even with the sale and if he didn’t want to no pressure. We had agreed not to spend that much on each other. I had got him a really nice chess set, "The Areas Of My Expertise" by John Hodgeman (which was sold out throughout Chicagoland and I had to hunt for it for weeks), and salt and pepper shakers (because he kept saying how we needed them and I thought it would be fun). Anyway, to make an already too long story longer, he had already got me a kick ass fondue set with a grill attached but thought he had to get me the shoes too. We agreed to open one present a day before all the others. I opened my lovely shoes; he opened salt and pepper shakers. He had thought the salt and pepper shakers were a PSP because I had told him I had a really hard time finding one of his gifts (the book). He was pretty upset. We now laugh about it but things were touch and go there for a few minutes. I should also say that these shoes are incredibly comfortable and I could go dancing all day in them. Now if only I had some music to dance to….

Seeing that it is a new week, we are back to guess that tune. Hooray!

1. I see us in the park. Strolling the summer days of imaginings in my head. Knocks Me Off My Feet, Stevie Wonder. Identified by Mom

2. When I was here before. Couldn’t look you in the eye. You’re just like an angel. Your skin makes me cry. Creep, Radiohead. Identified by Mom.

3. The guilty undertaker sighs. The lonesome organ grinder cries. The silver saxophones say I should refuse you. I Want You, Bob Dylan. Identified by Brooke.

4. The morn the morn the morn that I was born my old man beat up the Dr. he clocked the Dr. because the Dr. said I looked like Chewbacca.

5. All right stop what you’re doing cause I’m about to ruin the image and the style that you’re used to. The Humpty Dance, Digital Underground. Identified by Dad. (oh I rock this song at kereoke btw)

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Ooh! Ooh! I get to get the easy ones first! (I guessI'm still in competitive mode from yesterday's kickball game...)

#1. Knocks Me Off My Feet by Stevie Wonder, from the magnificent album Songs in the Key of Life. Our record has a skip in the "I don't want to bore you with it, but I love you I love you I love you" part of the song. It goes "I don't want to booooore... I don't want to booooore..."

#2. Creep by Radiohead. A classic for sure.

Anonymous said...

Oh, I miss those cow looking shoes. Didn't you get them from Nordstrom Rack in Schaumburg? It is a wonder you didn't fall down as much as me in college.

#3. I Want You - Bob Dylan

Anonymous said...

#5. The Humpty Dance - Digital Underground

Dad

Mood Indigo said...

this post makes me feel SO much better about my recent splurge on a new pair of Stevens :)

Foofa said...

Mom- You and that kickball. I'm a little scared.

Brooke- I so got them in Schamburg. They are so busted now but actually not all that busted considering how long and how often they were in use.

Mood- Yeah, my shoe problem should make people feel better. I have about $500 worth of shoes under my desk daily. Just so you know, there are 4 pair of shoes under there and one was free.

KuPu said...

WOW Natalie. I so wish I could wear heals like that! I always feel so tall, even though I'm only 5 4". So I'm not, but whenever I wear anything with a platform or whatever, I feel the urge to bend my knees, so that I look shorter. I'm so strange! Maybe I need help with that! :oP
What size of feet do you have?
I also have a hard time finding shoes. My feet are between 5-6, so I'm right in-between children and adult sizes and there are NEVER any Nice shoes in my size!
LOL...Life goes on!
I LOVE Clothes. ANY kind, I seem to love it all!
Kim

KuPu said...

P.S
I LOVE Your Shoes though!!!!!!
Will you take me shopping and help me with my strange un-normal habit???
LOL!
Kim

Mrs. Loquacious said...

I, too, love shoes. However, my love is tempered by my rather limited budget right now (Hubbs isn't so fond of shelling out for pricey pairs I barely wear and end up blistered from), so my most expensive pair is only Nine West. They're gold and rhinestone-encrusted, open-toed, and 3" high. I wore them with my cheong-sam at my wedding, and they were brutal to my feet but boy did I look dead sexy! =D

Anonymous said...

you know, it IS rather astounding you didn't spend more time wiping out on mead way or the big hill up from the science building than you did.

of course, there are plenty of other embarrassing moments to make up for your lack of volkert-esque grace.

:)