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!