Shoes, Glorious Shoes! 12

Fierce, fierce, FIERCE! That's the only way to describe these. They don't have a terribly interesting story, other than the fact I saw them MONTHS before I actually purchased. I had two DSW certificates to spend, and only 3 days before they expired. Now, I don't know if it pains the rest of you, as it does me, to waste coupons/certificates/gift cards - but any time I have ever let one go unused I feel like I'm pulling money out of my wallet, lighting a match, and watching it burn. Totally over dramatic, I get that (other than the gift cards, which thankfully most places have gone to those never expiring) but that's just how I feel. So I was DETERMINED to spend these two. But didn't have a lot of funds to cover the extra.

So... off to the clearance section of the site I went. I had actually forgotten about this pair - as I said, it had been months since I originally saw them - so much to my delight, they were in the list of results as I was browsing. Now, I am not one to usually say how much I spend on shoes. Especially not in a setting like this. But when you get a deal like this, it's hard not to brag. $150 original price - after clearance discount, certificates, tax and shipping: $53.

I felt like I hit the lottery.

*Insert a week of impatiently waiting for my shoes here* AND HERE THEY ARE!

Brand: Betsey Johnson Name: Trimm

Store: DSW.com

Review: 4" heel. No doubt, Betsey is consistent. Her shoes run easily 1/2 size small, maybe full size for some. You can kind of see in the picture, but the back of these shoes come up so far. Right where the bend between heel/ankle and leg is. As a result of that, and the fact that these are patent leather, you are GUARANTEED a blister if you do as much walking during the day as I do. I recommend investing in moleskin patches before wearing. I learned the hard way. *rubs ointment on blister*

Being that these are always worn to work, I know the outfits all tend to look the same, but feel the obligation to post anyway.

And now after all that, I realize, maybe their story isn't so bad after all!

6" Heels (Are Hard on the Knees)

Given I have been anticipating typing this blog for over a month, I felt the title was very important. So I started analyzing all of my fave Aerosmith songs, looking for the perfect lyric. After days of thinking about it, and hours today of really going through the songs, thinking about the lyrics, comparing that to my trip/night/concert experience... well it started to get a little ridiculous. Then it hit me like a ton of bricks. I didn't have to use the EXACT words. As soon as I flipped that switch in my brain, the title instantly clicked.

So here we go! The Aerosmith concert. The sole reason (tee hee) for purchasing these shoes.

As soon as I heard Aerosmith was working in the studio - I mean SERIOUSLY working in the studio - again I decided it did not matter how much tickets were. We were going, and we were getting good seats, not just settling for what we could afford. As much as I hate thinking this way and cannot imagine my life without Aerosmith music, let's be honest - we never what is going to be their last album/tour. So why not experience it for everything it's worth? Granted, I would LOVE to be able to do the VIP packages that are like $1,500 a ticket. But realizing that was in no way a reality, being willing to purchase the best tickets for "regular" folk without seeing how much they were first is a big thing for me.

Once the tour was announced, I clicked on the link for tour dates/locations with my breath held. I knew already Memphis wasn't going to be on the list. We stopped getting good concerts years ago. But you never know anymore with a lot of artists, the South gets neglected on many tours. I do not count Florida as the South. UNLESS they go somewhere other than Miami or Orlando. Then I'll give them credit. But when they choose the tourist city, just so they can say they visited the South... whatever. So now I always just hope that there is a Atlanta, Nashville, St. Louis, etc date on the schedule. Something within reasonable driving distance where I don't have to take a full week off work just to attend.

Breath still held... it seemed like it took forever for the page to come up... and... EUREKA! Atlanta was one of the scheduled dates. Giddy with excitement, I instantly began planning the trip in my mind. Given it was Atlanta, this isn't hard for me to do. First thing I did, obviously, was checked the Braves schedule to see if they were at home that week (they were). That of course turned it into a two(ish) day trip to a "Do we want to stay a week?" trip.

Given that Allison and I initially bonded over our love for Aero via Twitter - all the while living in the same city and never knowing each other (gotta love social media) - I next contacted her to see if she planned on attending any shows. Much to my delight, Atlanta was her city of choice as well. We agreed we had to meet beforehand to "tailgate". At the time we had not met in person and we joked that it took us going out of town to meet. That ended up changing and we DID meet before Atlanta, though.

Cut to the search for the outfit. As stated before, I found the purse first and built the rest of the outfit around it:

Yes, those ARE skull "brass knuckles" for the handle.

For whatever reason, after all that searching for the outfit, I only took one full shot for you to be able to see it, and that doesn't even show the shoes. I think I was discombobulated from my wardrobe malfunctions. Plural.

The amazing expanding dress!!!!!!!! You have to see it to believe it!

I, of course, had to have rocked out hair as well.

Now, when I purchased my tickets I knew I had done good. I knew we were going to be close and really be able to enjoy the show. I had NO IDEA how good they were going to be. I had no idea we were going to be @ 10 rows away from Steve & Joe every time they came over to our side of the stage. I had no idea we were going to be on the Club Level (though I could've done without the encounter with the douche bartender; seriously, Club Level at Phillips Arena, Barcardi bar - looks like a shrunken version of Brian McCann... you've been warned). I had no idea we were going to be lucky enough to have the people next to us move down and therefore have plenty of room for me to dance... it was just awesome.

As always, the guys put on a great show. Great song selection, some really stand-out moments during the concert. My personal fave: when Joey was doing his drum solo, all lights on him... and out came Steven, drumsticks in hand... and started playing with/over/around Joey. EPIC moment, and I wish I'd thought to record. I was too lost in the awesomeness.

The Demon of Screamin

Mr. Joe Fucking Perry

Wish I could relive this moment over and over again. I know... Dream On.

The word is that Aero is doing a second leg of their tour when the album releases, I can only hope that they'll come remotely close again, ideally in multiple cities so we can continue to rock along with them. If not... ain't that a bitch.

Shoes, Glorious Shoes! 11

There is no way to describe these shoes other than SEX. They are sooooooo sexy, pictures don't do them justice. And rather appropriate for what I purchased them for. Wait... that makes it sound like... nevermind.

Let's start again. Once I knew for sure that we were going to the Aerosmith concert in Atlanta (more on that later), I knew I had to have a fabulously sexy rocker-chic outfit for the concert. I found my purse first, and had to build the rest of the outfit around that. The shoes were the last piece of the puzzle. Well, sort of.

I had my outfit selection narrowed down to two dresses and a top. So I had to find a pair of shoes that went with all three that way I wouldn't have to bring multiple pairs of shoes as well. The search began. Multiple sites, multiple evenings. Finally ran across these fantabulous beauties. But they were a little more than I was looking to spend. And so, as I have learned to do over the last few years, I wrote down the brand/name and started the search all over again. This time for the same pair of shoes, but just to see who had the best price. Ended up finding them on Amazon for a fraction of the price on every other site. VICTORY!

Brand: Chinese Laundry Name: Tippy Top

Store: Amazon.com

Review: 6 1/2" heel. No, you didn't read that wrong. Every site they're sold on says anywhere from 5 1/2" to 6". They're all lying. I measured it. It's easily 6 1/2" and maybe even a little closer to 7". However, the platform is a good 2"-3". Makes these shoes UBER-comfy. Fit true to size, and I absolutely LOVE them.

Obviously being at work, I had to tone down the outfit a bit - but I still had to make sure it rocked, and what better way than to represent with some houndstooth?

More in the next blog on the actual night of the concert and the rest of the outfit!!! Til then, shoe lovers!!

Shoes, Glorious Shoes! 10

Simple, but so me. That’s what this pair is all about. I have had them FOREVER, so I don’t remember any story tied to them other than the fact I got them on clearance at Rack Room.

Since I have no story, I am just going to start rambling and see where this blog takes us. This outfit is from a full month ago, and I am just now getting around to typing this up. Life has been a little crazy, and seems like it’s not going to slow down any time soon. And even though these blogs are just for fun, I still wanted to get caught back up so I’d have one less thing on my mind. I am in desperate need of a vacation, and thankfully I have a mini-one coming up in a couple weeks.

GUESS WHERE WE’RE GOING????? SAME MALL, SAME STORE!

Ok yes, we’re doing more than just camping out in a shoe store for 4 days. We’re going to Atlanta first and foremost for the Aerosmith concert. When I looked at the Braves schedule to see if they were at home the week of the concert, I saw they’re playing the Phillies, so OF COURSE we must go to those games while we’re there. Which means I’ll get to see a lot of good friends. All of that equals a rocking good long weekend, so why not add some shoe shopping in with it?! Speaking of shoes, here they are!

Brand: X APPEAL

Store: Rack Room Shoes

Review: 4” heel. Run a little big, so they’re not UBER-comfy. If I had gone down a ½ size I think they would have been perfect.

The only way I can wear denim to work! Well, and a jean jacket/top. But you get the idea.

And finally, with that, I am caught up on all of my shoe blogs. Guess that means it’s time to go shopping!



There's No Place Like Oz

I cannot remember a time in my life that “The Wizard of Oz” was not a part of. That’s probably because growing up, I would watch it at least once a day. Now to me, this sounds like perfection, and still to this day I wonder why I don’t watch it more often than I do now. But I can imagine to my parents and my sister, it was like “AGAIN????” Thankfully, they did not stifle who I was though, and now can be proud (or ashamed?) of their contribution to my crazy, possibly-a-little-out-of-control, obsession with “The Wizard of Oz”.

Sometimes I have to explain to people that I am not obsessed with all things Oz. While I obviously pay homage to the book, and even have several copies [though I don’t think I’ve ever read it all the way through] on various shelves, I do not have a pull towards it like I do the movie. The movie wouldn’t have been the movie without the book. I get that. But I’m not going to buy every single copy of the book I don’t have, like I do the movie. I think I am up to 7 copies of “The Wizard of Oz” now. The one nearest and dearest to my heart, my first copy - recorded from TV, complete with 80s commercials; the rest divided between VHS and DVD copies. Every time a new version is released I have to buy it, just in case there are bonus features I haven’t seen. Or the packaging is different. Or it’s an Anniversary Edition. Or… well… you get the point.

The Scarecrow is my favorite character in “The Wizard of Oz”. I think when I was younger it was probably because he was Dorothy’s favorite. Growing up, it’s been more about my favorite line from the movie. “Some people without brains do an awful lot of talking, don’t they?” Two reasons I love that line. One, it is SO true. Think about it. The people that usually know the least about the situation are the ones that have the most to say. Two, while I am not by any means stupid or without brains, I do have my blonde moments [which I embrace proudly] and anyone who knows me in person knows I sometimes *cough* all the time *cough* can talk a lot, so I relate to it as well.

I love how this movie still holds true as a classic, even 73 years after it was released. You’ll see it in every movie countdown. You’ll see it on any show you watch on TV right now. No seriously, you’ll hate me for pointing it out to you, because now it will jump out at you. I can’t think of one show we watch or have on DVD that doesn’t have at least one Oz reference in it over the seasons. Even reality TV. “House, M.D.” is particularly fond of this movie. I’d love to pick the brains of the writers, to see which one of them is an Oz freak. CONSTANT references to Oz over all of the seasons. In music, funny lines, posters on the wall…

Which leads into my own little treasure trove of Oz goodies. I have really had to tone myself down over the last couple of years and only buy the unique, haven’t-seen-this-a-million-times items. Otherwise I would have no room to live. My entire guest room is devoted to “The Wizard of Oz”. If I were to take a picture of each individual item or set, this blog would be 10 miles long. Instead, I’m just going to give you the general idea.

While this was taken as the shelves were still a work-in-progress, it does showcase all of the Oz items I had at the time. The bottom two shelves that are empty in this pic are now filled with my Disney snowglobes and misc. collectibles.

Since then we have added this Wicked Witch snowglobe which plays her theme song and has smoke that swirls eerily around inside the crystal ball.

And this stagecoach. Probably one of my favorite things on the shelf, since they rarely make the “black and white” collectibles. It plays the entire “What’s this I see?” audio from the movie.

Who has a Wizard of Oz cuckoo clock? I do! Toto is the “cuckoo bird” and barks on the hour.

The bed and opposite wall house everything else Oz.

Probably still one of my fave things in the whole room. So simple, yet so funny.

And since this is the “fun post” for the shoes you met here, one last pic of the Ruby Peep-Toes. This pic was taken a couple of years ago when we were off to see The Wizard at the summer movie series at The Orpheum. I of course had to wear my Dorothy-esque blue gingham top!

Shoes, Glorious Shoes! 9

I am so super excited about this post. Not only because the shoes are super cute. But because it'll lead into my "fun" post for these shoes. And let's be honest. We all already know what's coming.

Every time I wear these shoes to work, I get two reactions. The people that are aware of my Wizard of Oz obsession and say "Hey Dorothy", and the people that [clearly] live under a rock and have no clue about my Wizard of Oz obsession and say "Hey, has anyone ever told you those shoes look like the Ruby Slippers?" And that usually leads into me going into a long, detailed, and much more than they thought they were in for, description of my everlasting love for everything Wizard of Oz. More on that in the next blog. Let's get to the shoes.

Got these at "same mall, same store" when I was in town for the Christina Aguilera concert a few years back with my bestie. She must be given all of the credit, because she spotted them from like 4 stores away and instantly pulled me in there to try them on. The thing I love most about them (other than the obvious Ruby Slipper association) is that even if my outfit isn't super snazzy, as you'll see below, they give it a little kick and still get attention. And... who are we kidding... I'm all about the attention!

Brand: Luichiny "Name": L78318
Store: Off Broadway Shoes
Review: 4" heel. Fits pretty true to size, not super comfortable though. The insides of the shoe almost feel like they're lined with glitter, too. I endure it simply because they are what they are, but I would never actually tell people they were comfortable if that was going to be the make or break factor.

See? Simple outfit, but still snazzy because LOOK AT THE SHOES!

And now I can FINALLY type the blog I have been waiting all my life for! :)

Gettin’ Buggy With It

No, the name of my blog page is not just a coincidence. I actually have an obsession with all things ladybug, or katybug, as known in my circle.

It started when I was a youngster. My grandfather always called me Katydid, and that caught on throughout my family. Not really sure how that transitioned to – or if there was even any connection – Katybug, but at some point during my school years my friends started calling me that. Most memorably, my friend Natalie in high school. That’s when I think *I* adopted it as my nickname.

Push forward a couple more years, and somehow someway ladybugs were crowned katybugs in our little group, and the rest is history. I started collecting, on a very limited basis, little katybug collectibles. It started so innocent. Now, years later, there is no part of my life without katybugs in it. Even my license plate says Katybug. Spelled differently to accommodate the state of TN, but Katybug all the same. So the next pair of shoes should come as no surprise.

Store: Shoe Carnival

Review: Kitten heel. Fit small, these are actually a full size larger than what I usually wear. Obviously being near-flat flip-flops, they’re super comfy. And given they have katybugs on them, I of COURSE love them dearly.

More katybugs. I have a new katybug dress that I need to let out just a smidge in the top before I can wear it, but it WILL be showcased here eventually. Perfection.

And the accessories. Even katybugs on the glasses.

One question I get ALL the time is “Why do you spell it Katybug and not Katiebug, since Katie is how you spell your name?” I have multiple answers for this, and I’m not sure which is the right one. But the two I use most often are “Maybe because I insisted people spell my name with a y when I was younger.” And “I guess my friends just thought ladybug and replaced the beginning of it with the beginning of my name.”

Either way, rest assured the Katybug collection will only continue to grow!



Shoes, Glorious Shoes! 8

Same mall, same store. That’s right. I warned you a lot of them would be this way!

I actually got this pair while my shoe beast was still in hibernation. We were just basically going in every store in the mall and looking around. I’m really kinda surprised I bought these, honestly. Only for the fact I have maybe 4 brown outfits in my closet. I typically don’t do brown, and don’t do gold jewelry. Silver jewelry, and my closet is FULL of black, hot pink, and red. I always tell myself I’m going to switch things up and start buying different colors, but never do. So for me to buy these must’ve been fate. You’ll understand once you see the outfit.

Brand: Carlos Santana Name: Roulette

Store: Off Broadway Shoes

Review: 4” heel. Fits large. To the point I went down a half size. But because of that, and the fact I don’t wear them but a couple times a year, the toe area fits TIGHT. I only wear them on days I’m pretty sure I won’t be doing a lot of walking, otherwise I’m going to come away with blisters.

See what I mean about worlds colliding in wonderful ways? I had already had this sweater for probably 5 or more years when I bought the shoes. Didn’t even think about the sweater when I bought them. And come on! I don’t think I could’ve found a better match if I tried!!

Also, I apparently just decided to pay attention to the fact you can change your pic size once you insert them. I have now gone back and corrected all blogs so the outfit is easier to see.

Shoes, Glorious Shoes! 7

This pair took some work. We were in Atlanta, in Discover Mills…

You’ll notice a lot of my stories revolve around this mall. In fact I believe one of my blogs already has. Maybe I should come up with a code word or shorthand for it: Same city, same mall.

…we had already been in Rack Room and another shoe store that I can’t think of the name right now. No finds. I was beginning to think the shoe gods had turned on me. Then we walked in Off Broadway. After walking two full aisles and not finding anything, I half-heartedly started down aisle three. Now if you’ve ever been in an Off Broadway Shoes, you know how massive these stores are compared to other shoe stores. So for me to make it through two whole aisles and not stop once to try anything on, or even just look at the price… crazy.

Aisle 3 brought me these gems. Well… sort of. I stopped dead in my tracks as soon as I saw them. Looked at the boxes below to see if they had my size and… of course not. So I put a “sticky note” on my phone with the name of the shoe so I could search it once we got back home. Cut to a month (and about 20 web searches) later, FINALLY someone put them on eBay in the size I was looking for. Of course I instantly purchased them, wasn’t about to let someone else get MY shoes.

Now, it should be noted that I am a very VERY impatient person when it comes to waiting on a package to be delivered to me. I want it the day after I order it. I’m nice enough to give them that long. But even with all of that said, these shoes took forever to get to me. 7 days was the final transit time, and they were shipped Priority Mail (supposedly a 2-3 day transit). They said out for delivery 4 days before they were actually delivered. This was not a shocker, I mean it IS the USPS we’re talking about and I am hands down the biggest USPS hater in the world, but still incredibly angering. I sent them an angry e-mail. I picture them reading it and laughing an evil villain laugh. They lost their “we give a shit” chip years and YEARS ago.

But I digress. I had my shoes and they were finally ready to be seen in all their glory!!!

Brand: Betsey Johnson Name: Dita

Store: eBay

Review: 6” heel. They’re actually about 5 ½” but they have so much attitude, I’m giving them the extra half inch. I had read several reviews online that Betsey Johnson shoes run a size small, so I purchased a half size bigger than I normally do. Figured half size was less risky than a full size. Boy am I glad I did. They definitely run small. It was work getting them on for the first time. But as the day went on (I tend to kick my shoes off under my desk when working on a project, so I can pull my feet up under me in my chair) it got easier and easier so I think I stretched them a bit. I think if I had gone up a full size, they would’ve ended up being loose after wearing them a few times.

The best part about these shoes are the heels. Again, attitude even when walking away. And I LOVE how shiny they are. Words and pictures don’t do it justice. You’d have to see in person. But you definitely see these shoes coming from a mile away.

The outfit was flirty, to play off of the shoes.

And the accessories. I love when worlds collide in the most delightful ways. I bought this ring online a month or so ago, for the katybug of course. It didn’t even occur to me at the time I had this bracelet that my grandmother bought me years ago. Perfect match, right? The only bummer is I have a red flower Y necklace that would have been the accessory trifecta, but I couldn’t find it that day. Come to think of it… I still haven’t.

Shoes, Glorious Shoes! 6

The story behind these shoes is simple. Right place, right time. We were out shopping for a new pair of dress shoes for the bf, and happened to find a pair at Rack Room. Well you know, they’re Buy One, Get One ½ Off every day… and nobody likes to see a deal go to waste. So, I did what any good girlfriend would do and sacrificed by picking out a pair of shoes for myself that we could get ½ off.

When I first posted a pic of these shoes online (by themselves, not on my feet), the response was very “eh”. They didn’t really do anything for anybody. I promised them all they’d understand once they saw them on. Lo and behold a few days later, I snapped a pic of them at work, and the response was a complete 180°. Let it be KNOWN: Katybug does not purchase shoes that are just “eh”. There has to be something special about them, or I’m not getting them. The only shoes in my closet that I am not 100% in love with are shoes that I’ve had for 10+ years and get worn maybe once a year, if even that.

Brand: Limelight Name: Yvette

Store: Rack Room Shoes

Review: 4” heel. Fits perfect to size, though they *are* difficult to get on and off. Very comfy but I will say, with all the criss-cross straps, if you do a lot of walking in them those start to dig in a bit by the end of the day. If you’re wearing them to a party or for a desk job NOT like mine (I walk almost all day long most days), you’re not going to have any complaints.

Edgy shoes ask for an edgy outfit. Well, as edgy as a business casual environment will allow for, anyway!

It’s hard to tell in the picture, but there is a zipper up the back of the heel. I love a shoe that has attitude even when walking away!

Shoes, Glorious Shoes! 5

Here they are. The shoes that awoke the beast. We were on vacation in Atlanta, shopping at our fave mall, Discover Mills, and walked into Off Broadway Shoes. At the time my shoe addict beast was in hibernation. I saw plenty of shoes I loved, but admired them from afar and moved on without purchasing. Granted, financial issues helped with that decision. But still…

We walked into Off Broadway, and these bad boys were right at the front (understandably so). I tried them on, and instantly fell in love. Stupid of me to try them on. Stupid of me to walk in the store. We knew we didn’t have any more money to spend if we wanted to be able to pay for gas on the way back home. I sadly placed them back in their box and walked out of the mall. The rest of the trip and the whole way home, I kept talking about the shoes. Thinking about the shoes. Dreaming about the shoes.

I had to have them.

Now thankfully I have a very good memory. I used to say it was photographic when I was younger. I think age has put a dent in that theory. I tend to forget things easily while at work. Someone can ask me to send them a file, I’ll say ok, and five seconds later I’ve forgotten about it. I tend to either forget, or block out, painful memories. But when it comes to the deliciously random details of life, they are stuck to my brain like glue. I can quote the entire movie “The Wizard of Oz” (as my Dad would say: animal noises, and all) top to bottom without thinking twice. I can recall conversations that were had with friends months before, and bring them up when having a related discussion months later. And much to my delight, I apparently can remember the names of shoes after only looking at the box once as I try them on.

Cue the Google search. Up comes DSW.com and the rest is history. Ever since I purchased these shoes, I have been on a full-blown shoe binge. Doesn’t help that DSW has a rewards program, so I’m always earning coupons/certificates. I can’t stand letting free money go to waste. I think the only thing saving me from being homeless on the street living in a shoe house is I do make sure to only buy the shoes if they speak to me. I don’t buy shoes just to buy shoes.

So without further ado, here they are:

Brand: Steve Madden Name: Saassi

Store: Dsw.com

Review: 5” heel. Fit just a smidge big. Not big enough to go down a half size, especially since the strap keeps your foot from sliding in and out all day. Super comfortable. This is a pair I think I could get away with wearing all day and all night and not come away with blisters the next day.

Nothing over-the-top on the outfit. I let the shoes be the star.

I *almost* put 6” heel on the review for this pair, because technically they’re about 5 ½”. Couldn’t decide if anything over 5” qualified as 6”, so I just stuck with 5”. They’re tall. Let’s leave it at that.

Shoes, Glorious Shoes! 4

I’ve actually had this pair of shoes for a year or so now, so I don’t remember if there is some wonderful or dramatic story to go with them. I do remember that I got them for super cheap during one of my first trips in years to Rack Room. They were already on clearance, plus they were my ½ off pair, so I think they ended up being like $7.

I was slow to jump on the ankle boot bandwagon. In fact, these are still my only pair. Have seen plenty I love, just never hit the purchase button for some reason. But when they first became THE thing a couple years ago, I wasn’t sold. They kinda reminded me of a pair of pants or a long skirt that had shrunk and was now in that weird in-between area. Not really long, but not really short… just… off. But when I saw the price I could get these for, and the fact I knew I had a sweater in my closet they matched perfectly, I took the plunge. SO happy I did. They lend themselves to a rockstar feel for some reason. I find myself walking with attitude and purpose when I wear them.

Brand: XAPPEAL Name: Gia

Store: Rack Room Shoes

Review: 4” heel. Fits perfectly to size. Just enough space in them if you want to add a pair of socks, you can. I will say, for some reason the right boot puts pressure on the top of my foot like every other time I wear them. I don’t do anything differently, so that could just be a weird Katybug-ism – not the shoe.

I was tentative when I first got these. I started wearing them with tights, then would do tights or leggings. Now I don’t care. I’ll wear them with anything and OWN it.

If you do not yet have any ankle boots in your collection, I highly recommend you get at least one pair and then party like a rockstar!

Going to the Chapel

Nope, not me. Don’t get excited. Not anxious to travel that road again any time soon. Other than maybe the party. Would it be wrong to get married just to be able to plan the reception? And pick out the dress(es)? Yes? Ok, moving on…

This is the first of my “fun outfit” posts for a pair of shoes. So it got it’s own special title- rather than sticking with the shoes, glorious shoes series. You first met these beauties here. I will say, I must’ve either broken them in the day I wore them to work, or just slid them on better this time (yes, there is an art to putting on a shoe), because they were UBER-comfortable this time around. No squished toes for Katybug.

The occasion? Obviously a wedding. A friend/former co-worker of mine got married a few weeks ago. The wedding was beautiful, one of the sweetest weddings I’ve been to in a long time. Maybe ever. Not a dry eye in the house. The reception was downtown, and my luck being what it is, I managed to be the car that was right behind the last car that would fit in the lot for the reception location. And so begins the excitement of finding a spot to park that is safe/where you won’t get a ticket or towed. Luckily Spaghetti Warehouse was just a few blocks up, so I took it upon myself to pretend to be a patron and park in their lot. So now we know that you can walk a few blocks in these shoes and not be in miserable pain by the time you arrive at your location. Also, I know those of you that live in Memphis/know about Memphis are incredibly impressed with me right now. I walked 3 blocks on a dark side street downtown. By myself. And I’m alive to type this blog right now.

I feel like we should insert some sort of superhero music right here.

I love any chance I get to primp up. Doesn’t happen that often anymore, although I suppose I could primp up for work if I REALLY wanted to. But that would mean I’d have to get up at least an hour earlier. And that’s where the discussion ends. But for this night – primping was on the menu.

This pic was snapped just to text to a friend to show her my outfit. Thank goodness it was, because much to my surprise – no additional pictures of my outfit were taken that night. And so continues the tradition of bad/blurry outfit photos on the blog.

I was so excited that my hair was still curly after the wedding, I had to snap a picture.

So there you go! Maybe now that Spring/Summer is here I’ll have more opportunities to doll up and go out. I know I at LEAST get to look forward to the summer movie series at the Orpheum. Can’t tell you how excited I am that they’re showing Princess Bride this year. Add it to the must attend showings of Wizard of Oz and RHPS, and we’re talking about the possibility of three blogs! Shoes, Shoes, SHOES!

Sheffield Antiques Mall

How I’ve spent almost my entire life living in Memphis without knowing about Sheffield Antiques Mall in Collierville, I will never know. Now granted, it’s probably not been there for 30 years, but still…

We ran across this place on one of those weekends where you just drive around aimlessly and see what kind of fun you can find. Definitely one of my fave things to do when you want to get out of the house, but don’t really have anywhere you want to go. This particular weekend, we decided to drive through all of the little strip mall centers in Collierville and see what kind of stores we could find that we didn’t know existed. Enter Sheffield.

From the outside it doesn’t look like much. Very plain building, simple sign, no frills. We walked in the front door, and I said “Uh-oh… we’re in trouble.” Think flea market, but in a warehouse-sized building, and there all the time. If you’ve ever been to Black Lion in Opry Mills in Nashville – same concept. Multiple vendors under one roof, each in their own 6’ x 6’(ish) booth space. With a place like this, the ONLY way to tackle it, is start at one end and just weave your way up and down the aisles until you get to the other. Our first visit we had already been out shopping all day, and I’m not going to lie, my feet had had enough of the 5” heels I had on. I’m very much a “the pain doesn’t matter as long as the shoes look cute” kind of girl, but we got halfway through this building and I seriously felt like I had walked my feet off and was walking on bloody stumps. And that’s probably the most pleasant way I could describe it. Words don’t do it justice. So the second half of the building was a blur, I wasn’t really giving it the attention it needed. We decided to come back another day where we could devote the entire day to the mall, and REALLY explore each booth.

Cut to a week or so later. First stop, comfy shoes, in we dove. So many of the booths are just packed to the gills with knick-knacks that you REALLY have to explore every nook and cranny of the spaces to see everything the vendor has to offer. The only way I can give you a full idea of how much stuff there is to see is tell you our final shopping time upon exiting the building. 4.5 hours. FOUR. AND A HALF. HOURS. In one “store”. The booths cover every category you could ever imagine. From furniture and antique décor, to sports memorabilia, to clothes. The list goes on and on. We walked out with so many goodies, I could barely contain my excitement.

One of my faves was my new wine caddy.

It’s a shoe blog. Are you surprised?

I highly recommend you check it out if you’re in the Memphis area. It should be noted that Sheffield is actually undergoing expansion right now, adding more booths.

I can only imagine how long THAT shopping trip will be.

Shoes, Glorious Shoes! 3

So these shoes were a happy accident that you read about in my first post. I seriously am only at Wolfchase once every couple of years, if even that, since I worked there. I think I'm a bit allergic. Plus anyone that's ever been to Wolfchase knows, it's always Christmas-crowded. You're going to be bumping into people, annoyed at parents that refuse to take care of their kids, and thumbing through gone-over-50-times racks in almost every store. Just a whole lot of frustrating, and not worth it in my opinion. We went there for a very specific (non-shoe-related) purpose that night and just decided to walk the whole mall. Started at the bottom floor at one side, did the full length, then moved upstairs. Got halfway up the escalator and I remembered... Rack Room!!!!!!!!!! Suddenly the annoyance level that I was at seemed slightly worth it.

Dove into the store and let me tell you... I could go on for an hour about how annoyed I was while I was shopping. I do not understand why most parents these days could give a shit about how their kids act in public. In my day (yes I just said that) I could barely get loud, much less act out without getting spoken to. Just ONE example in the store that night... "He started it!" "No, HE started it!" "Did not!" *punch* "DID TOO!" *HARD PUNCH* *soft voice* "boys stop." *insert chasing each other, punching, running into customers scene here - with Mom still shoe shopping, paying no attention* So I was almost about to just walk out, decide it wasn't worth it. Until I saw these beauties:

Brand: G by Guess Name:

Store: Rack Room Shoes

Review: 5" heel. Fits about as close to size as you could ask for. I used this picture because if you'll notice, my baby toe is almost popping out from under the strap. I mentioned in a previous post I have long toes. I failed to mention the exception is my baby toe. I have actually been asked before if I only have 4 toes. So the fact I can comfortably wear strappy shoes like these, should speak to how comfortable this shoe fits. LOVE.

The outfit:

Kinda wish the outfit were better with as many attempts as it took me to get this picture to load. I started this blog last week, and for whatever reason, this pic just did NOT want to load upright/kept coming in on its side. But I finally got it. Don't ask how. I don't know.



The accessories were good this day, too:

I absolutely adore this necklace, however it *DOES* lend itself to an unproductive day. It's very easy to get lost in fidgeting with the beads. But then again, I'm one of those girls that twirls her hair all day long, so...

**Be aware - I have a $10 DSW that must used before 4/21. MORE SHOES TO COME!!!!!!

Shoes, Glorious Shoes! 2

I've decided it's just easier to number these posts, rather than come up with cute little blog title posts for each. Especially if I start blogging about things other than just the shoes/clothes I'm wearing that day.

Also, it's occurred to me that most of these blog posts will always be based around my work outfit, which is fine, but not always the most fun outfit that goes with the shoes. So I might start a spinoff for the casual/fun outfits for shoes you've already seen. We'll see where the blog takes us.

So this pair doesn't have a super exciting story. I had a coupon for DSW - and I try to make it a point to never let a coupon go wasted. I am still ill over my $50 wasted (expired) Kohl's cash from a few weeks ago. Makes my stomach hurt even just typing that. $50. I could've gotten all KINDS of Cookie Monster PJs for that... but I digress. My coupon was for $10 off $59, $20 off $79, $35 off $99 (disclaimer: the second two amounts could be wrong - the first one was the one I used) - so I went in just to see what I could find. Now let me say, I am a huge fan of DSW. Always frequented them when shopping out of town. Never knew we had one here in Memphis until a co-worker clued me in a few months ago. This was my first visit to said location. Was NOT impressed. Much smaller than other locations I have been to, and selection was just "eh". Wandered the aisles for 20 minutes or so, trying on shoes that didn't really speak to me, trying to convince myself they were "cute enough" for the coupon. But who wants to buy shoes that are "cute enough"? No one. No one, that's who. So I aimlessly wandered back to the clearance section, and stumbled upon these shoes. Who knew you could find better selection in clearance than on the aisles? Enjoy.

Brand: JS by Jessica Name: Edore

Store: DSW

Review: 5" heel. Fits a little large. I think if I went down a half size, it would be uncomfortable. I think some insoles should be enough to do the trick. After a full day of wearing them at work, I was ready to get home and get them off because my heel kept sliding out of them as I walked.

*Additional note: This is my first pair of shoes with this brand, but just from my experience in the store trying them on (multiple styles) it seems to be all over the place size-wise. I had one style I had to go down to an 8.5, one I had to go up to a 9.5. Definitely try on and walk around a bit before you buy.

And the outfit:

Can I say, I did this pose (which I call the pee-pee pose) just to bring some humor into the blog, because it always cracks me up when models pose like this. But once I saw the pic... I kinda get it now. Showcases the shape of the clothes, which is what they're hired to sell.

Touché, pee-pee posers.

Touché.

.

Shoes, Glorious Shoes!

My very first post. This is exciting! I don't know what to say, should I start by thanking the little people that made this blog possible? My parents for raising such a shoe-a-holic? My agent... ok, that's getting a little out of control. Let's dive into the shoe fun!

Started this blog at the recommendation of my friend Allison's request. Apparently I am slowly converting her into a shoe lover... or she likes my feet. One way or another, she is now curious as to what clothes I pair with all of my wonderfully fabulous shoes, and what better way to showcase that than... A BLOG!

I actually fell in love with today's pair about 2 months ago when shopping at Rack Room in the Tunica outlets. However, as you probably know - and if you don't, let me enlighten you - Rack Room is Buy One, Get One 50% off every day. I am a firm believer of always taking advantage of this deal, so if I find one pair, I MUST find a second. Otherwise it is my opinion that I was not meant to have those shoes. So I found this pair, and began my hunt for the second pair. After trying several on, and seeing several I liked, but they didn't have my size, I finally gave up.

Cut to a little over a month later. Wolfchase Mall. Decide to go in Rack Room, just to see if they've gotten anything new (plus I'm never at Wolfchase, so they could have more just being a different store location). Found a pair of Guess shoes - that maybe you'll see in a later blog - that made me drool, and once again... the hunt for the second pair began. Same thing, tried several on, some I liked not in my size and then I spun around and it was like one of those scenes in a movie. The glowing light, the heavenly music... there they were! I think I actually shrieked with glee.

So without further ado:

Brand: maripé® Name: Kimber

Store: Rack Room Shoes

Review: 5" heel. Fits pretty true to size, though I will say I have to slide them on just right to make sure my second to last toe isn't squished. But I have pretty long toes, so that could just be me. Other than that, SUPER comfortable.

And the corresponding outfit:

I'll work on my outfit images/posing from now on. This one was rushed at lunch today, and I realize is a little out of focus, but you get the idea!

So there you have it! Hopefully this is the first of many shoe-riffic posts!!!