new shoes not on my feet

These new shoes came home with me last week. The girls approved and they were significantly on sale at Halo, a dangerous wonderful shoe shop here in Portland. (They have a bunch of pairs here, too.) It's amazing how fast I can buy something like shoes with 3 girls in tow. In about 2 minutes, if you are wondering.They are Mariana by GOLC and are vintage reproductions. I love them so much. The girls approved and the 3 year old said they were much prettier than what I was currently wearing, which were probably black clogs. I am showing them here because really, where am I going to wear these? I mean, I will wear them, I know I will, but right now, with parks and the library being the 2 main places I seem to go to, they aren't getting much street time. I put them away with my other heels, and was shocked to see how many pairs I have. What the? Considering I haven't worked outside of the house for over 5 years, I feel I might have too many pairs. But then, sometimes I feel as if I have very few shoes, so obviously I am delusional and can't be trusted. Oh, and I was going to take a photo of them on my feet, but that peep toe there is too revealing and my toes need a bit of work. We don't need to see my toes right now, right? It's still winter after all.

That reminds me, I was researching a bit back on non-creepy nail polish and nail polish remover and there is a new kind (new to me, anyway) I want to check out by Acquarella. I haven't seen it in person or tried it, but I am very curious. Okay, after reading all this info on their site, I am interested, but it seems like a lot of steps? Or maybe I just react to too many words. . . I can't tell. No, I take that back, it's a lot of steps. I also need to try other non-creepy brands as well, like Honeybee Gardens.

Comments

[Grammie]

Yowza. Very lovely. Vintage repros means they won't go out of fashion, so when you finally get to wear them, be sure to kick up your heels.

[Sara]

Love the shoes. A girl can't have too many pairs of shoes.

[melissa Crowe]

I think the whole shoe thing (Do I have too many? Do I have too few?) is like body dysmorphia (sp?), where you look in the mirror one minute and think you're pretty fine, and then you look in the mirror the next minute and feel you have suddenly grown a preternaturally huge bottom (or hips, chin, eyebrows, etc.). Who knew it could extend to fashion--but you've convinced me it does!

[joslyn]

those are swell shoes...

p.s. also loving your groovy new banner. i'm such a sucker for orange circles!

[Cora]

Regarding nail polish, I would suggest buffing, especially if your nails are healthy and you want this to show. In Europe, they have these amazing tools that sand and buff your nails to a gleam. I haven't seen this in the US, unfortunately. But a leather chamois cloth is said to work very well. Nail polish will always leave a residual stain on your nails (that yellow-ish tinge).

[arb]

I was just now looking up makeup on the EWG "skin deep" site which you probably have mentioned here before (http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/). They actually have as their "safest" (I bet they'd take pains to distance themselves from that language) a particular Revlon. Now I'm not crazy about giving my money to Revlon, but many of the "low hazard" rated ones seemed to be big brands. Honeybee Gardens was a 3, which is the low end of "moderate hazard."

Anyway I was there to check out eye make-up--inspired by your long ago make-up & skin care post! I'm thinking of trying out a brand called "alchemy of colour."

[amanda]

aw, man. you're killing me with the shoe linkage. dangerous, my friend. And I'd say that you made a might fine choice - I agree with those smart girls of yours!

[melissa]

Oh, I hear you. I own 7 pair of RED shoes in the casual/dressy casual category. I'm a potter. Mud, red shoes, not so practical. But I LOVE my red shoes! A girl's got to have some vices, doesn't she?

[Sarah Jackson]

Oh, you had to send me there, didn't you? My feet thank you, but my bank account does not. I feel a red pair calling me.

[Patti]

Wear them anywhere. Just slide them on like your clogs or flip-flops with jeans, dresses, shorts. They are art but wearable art. Share them with the world. Create a little shoe envy.

[sarah]

I want some! very cute.

[Sarah]

Ooh! Love those shoes. I'm going to have to go down to Halo this weekend!

[sulu-design]

The most RANDOM things make me delurk...
I love the shoes (and love Halo - I've prohibited myself from entering more than a couple times a year now) and think that you can be the sassiest mom at the library if you throw them on with some jeans and a cute shirt. Patti's got the right idea. Let them become clog replacements this spring!

[emily]

i got these in eggplant for christmas.. i LOVE them.

[heather]

I must have some sort of defective shoe gene, I only have 4 or 5 pairs, that is if you can count two pairs of flip flops as shoes...
and I loved the link to the nail polish. I have two very girly girls, and they would love to have their nails painted, but I can never bring myself to laquer them up with the other chemical-y stuff. Now maybe they can have pink toenails after all!

[Janelle]

Those are beautiful and I would love a pair, fun but still casual enough to wear around the town (at least if you are me and you don't have to worry about kids)..

Sometimes I think I dont have enough shoes since I have one pair of sneakers, two fancy black heels, one pair of black flats, and some crazy red shoes. I need more crazy shoes.

[amy]

adorable shoes. and the polish thing...it does seem like a lot of steps. hmmm...

[Amanda]

I went to the site, and I just couldn't look through the steps...hydrated nails? No clue. Honeybee Gardens looks much more manageable and good prices too!

[Lydia]

those shoes are so cute!

i totally hear what you're saying,...i just bought two new pairs of high heeled shoes and yes, i still think in the morning when i'm getting dressed that I have no shoes...yet, i'm overflowing with shoes!!

soooo cute. love them. they're fun. and you can still wear them,..they're not crazy high, high heels!! :)

[Nancy Cook]

Love the shoes and I so relate to your shoe thing of having so many you don't wear but, not feeling like I have enough. I hardly have occasion to wear them as I also have not worked outside the home for over 2 years now but, once in a while the right opportunity comes, right even if it's a arts/crafts party. I find I wear nicer shoes in the summer because the nicest I get in Winter is Camper's or Fleuvogs
I'll have to check out the nail polish links.

[Laura]

I love that shoe! That is a great brand-- and such a nice color. I just purchased shoes I didn't really need yesterday. But they were so on sale, so. :)

[Amy]

I love those shoes....I think I need some it green. Do they make those?

[melissa f.]

tracy did a great review of happy nailpolish on sewgreen in the summer time...

[erinn Johnson]

I have 4 children aged 8, 6, 4 and 3. If I only dressed for where i go with them (which is evry where, we are always together) I would look like a mess. I wear skirts and dresses and $200 ballet flats all the time, it is all I have these days. (As a side note, I have a shoe problem)

I say where the heels to the playground, you need to feel good about yourself!

[kelli]

I have an ex-husband who refused to carry my shoe bag for a weekend trip. Let's just say the last decade my husband has enjoyed showing off how strong he is. Never question your need for shoes. They are like vitamins and contibute to one's well-being.

[Annhb]

Amy, wear those shoes somewhere! I'm in the same boat as you are (wearing my black or blue clogs)and I need to get out of it! Wear those clogs! Do you have the Frances books by the Hobans? Your post titles have been sounding like songs Frances would sing!

[anna b]

has anyone tried the honeybee nail polish? i like that it cane be removed with vodka! i picture myself doing my nails (toe) with a martini and i like that...as for other non-yucky makeup, i like zuzu (for concealer, eyeshadows and blushes), afterglow cosmetics (blush, mascara) and hemp organics (lipstick). i like shoes cause they don't care what your stomach looks like...they always look good!

[Alexis]

Those shoes are wonderful. I'm still looking for a semi-comfortable low wedge deal. The high ones are working for my everyday like they used to.

Artisan bread in 5 minutes...I'm sold.
:)

[Betsy]

Those are adorable shoes..they would look really cute with jeans, I think..

[rebecca]

you can never have too many shoes, especially when they're that cute!

[laura]

One warnig about the Honeybee Gardens nail polish that you remove with rubbing alcohol: take them seriously when they say to remove it after 1 week. I left it on my toenails for a month before I tried to take it off and nothing would take that stuff off...not alcohol or nail polish remover. I had to wait for it to grow out (luckily it was a light color and I could polish over it)

[Pip]

The cuter the shoes, the thinner you'll look. OK - I made it up - but you certainly feel so much nicer in new shoes. And if you feel good, you'll just be such a good person.. and so productive.

So my point is, buy shoes when you want. You deserve it. But perhaps one pair a month is plenty. And take the ones you don't wear to Goodwill - so other people can feel cute too.

[Kathie]

Wear your new shoes to the library. Next month you can wear them to the park, too.

[Fer]

New shoes are good.

Always remember - you can never have too many shoes!

[Julie in Houston]

Great shoes. I'm also a surprisingly fast shoe shopper. My boyfriend is thankful for that. And you can NEVER have too many shoes. I don't care if you never work outside the home again!

[Lucite]

Those shoes are super cute! Zoya also makes toluene and formaldehyde-free nail polishes in lots of colors, that are semi-cheap yet nice. They sell them at Blush Beauty Bar on 23rd street.

[Amy Lu]

Another nail polish option is SunCoat http://www.suncoatproducts.com/

I prefer buffing. Much easier! :o)

[joanna]

those shoes look very good, and yes, you were very fast! i just bought some new shoes too this week =)

[Caroline]

They're nice shoes.
Go on...take them for a little walkie to the liberary!!

[elliebelle]

Those shoes are fab! I clicked on the link to see the others - I want them all! haha...I am like you though, I buy heels and all I ever seem to wear are flats.

[Kristie]

I was SO disappointed with Aquarella :( I followed all the directions precisely and the polish still looked awful after a day (or less). It didn't chip, it just sort of wore off and got dull (not shiny). Lately, I've just given up wearing polish, but maybe I'll try the other brands mentioned here. And I LOVE the Skin Deep website! I'm addicted to looking up every product in my house!

[Brownington]

Glad you asked this question about Aquarella. I am pregnant and was going to order some fume free polish for my toes but now I think I'll wait. I am going to look into the other brands people mentioned.
Oh and I totally know what you mean about the heels. I used to work in and office and I loved getting just a little dressed up. Now that I am working from home, I don't know what to wear.. I want to look nice but wearing heels to Trader Joe's or the Postoffice just doesn't work for me. I need to get some of those Miz Mooz shoes!

[lealou]

wow those are very pretty shoes....

[liz]

the heal is low - would be perfect with jeans. you can wear them all the time. you are a mom, and need something comfy, BUT you are a woman too and need something pretty.

[Elizabeth]

those shoes are fabulous. They immediately made me think of photos of my mother as a young woman in an office. shoes just had more class then, I guess. either way, mazeltov.

[Mona]

This comment is in reference to where you will wear your new shoes? If I had those shoes I would give myself a mini manicure and me and my little girl would be sitting up with our freshly painted toes in the air. I would create an occassion to wear those shoes. Even if it is for a moment. But I am a girly type of woman but don't we all have a bit of a girly girl stuff in us? Congratulations on your purchase and please create an occasion to wear those shoes. :)

[LilyBamboo]

Great heels. I realize people in Portland might give you weird looks but in Europe a lot of moms wear heels.... grocery shopping no less. So get dressed with heels and get out there. ... granted I'm living in Europe and only own one pair of heels which I wear once a year.

[White Feather]

Okay, now I just feel old, because I had a pair very much like that in black patent leather when they weren't "retro"--they were current. :-(

[Alya]

there's no such thing as too many shoes..

[~Elizabeth]

I just bought some of Honeybee Gardens' nail polish because I'm allergic to every cosmetic known to man. The color is pretty good and it sets very well, but some of it washes off in the shower (which is fine because it's kind of creepy to be sporting the same polish on one's toes for months). They do make another kind of polish that's more permanent. I'll try that the next time.