This has been a kind of crummy stressful week in general. Inspite of taking off Thursday and Friday so I have a 5 day weekend, it just hasn't felt that festive.
The first part of the week was crummy because the hubby was out of town. Which means I'm taking care of the house, the dogs, the cats, the chicken and myself. Oh, yeah, plus work. The dogs go to doggie day care when the hubby is out of town because they just can't stay home for 8 - 10 hours by themselves and I can't come home in the middle of the day for them. So have to schlep them back and forth with me in the car. By day three, the dogs are a bit stinky so I do not dress up at all. And it poured all three days which really helped. I wore the same old jeans skirt all three days. Yes, I was hawt!
I did at least try to distract with cute shoes. I can barely remember what I wore as a top but I do remember what shoes I wore.
These cute little slingback wedge espadrilles are actually from Payless. Cute and inexpensive... yes!
No, I wasn't cuffing my jeans again, this was just during the "photoshoot".
I wore my Olivia Rose Tal mules one day.
And lastly, these a-dor-able black and white polka-dot peep-toes. Love them!!!!
These were hunted down. Hunted I tell you! Far better sport than anything else!
They're a brand called "BP" which I think is a Nordstrom house brand for Juniors (and has some pretty cute coats, I'm just noticing. Hmmmm....). As always, I put tons more pics on Flickr, if you're interested.
While I was waiting to go pic the hubby up from the airport on Wednesday night I made a really really bad video TiLT (Things I Love Thursday) for Miss Gala Darling's site, iCiNG.
Yes, it's craptastic, I know, but I have a crummy little camera. What do you want from me?
The highlight of the week was getting my Zappos order. I got the Corso Como booties.
I also got these really cute Nine West oxfords which I intend to post more about at a later date. I do have to give Zappos another shout-out here. I ordered these both with a gift certificate and messed up the order somehow.
Right after I placed the order, I called them, they totally fixed it and prioritized my shipment to next day delivery. It was all my fault and they gave me the upgrade. That's customer service, baby!
If you watched the bad video, you would have heard that Thursday was the hubby's birthday. What did he get to do? Well he woke up with a huge neck problem from his trip and went to the doctor. We were scheduled to go out of town this weekend but didn't end up going because our dog boarding place was all booked up. Luckily we didn't because he is in no shape to travel still.
That morning we went to check out dog places then came back and did stuff around here.
Other highlights of the somewhat-lousey and totally-lazy weekend include:
Cute but far too inflexible, sadly. I debated this but in the end they had to go. The Jamocha t-straps are up for debate as well.
I did get my final rabies shot. Whoo Hoo! No more hospital visits. On the way home I made the mistake of going into Target and the Fall stuff in trickling in. I'm loving this whole plaid suit set in the Mizrahi line. There are 2 jackets, a skirt, and sheath dress and possibly pants. I got the swingy jacket and the pencil skirt with some cute knit tops to go with. I also plan on pairing this with the brown camisole from a previous Go International line, my new Alice blue bow from Lou Lou Loves You and probaly my Nine West teal pumps. And I'm sure my new teal and metal Bebaroque tights will get in the mix too.
The Payless shoes arrived at the store. I went to go try them on and, well, they didn't make the cut.
These were okay but the shape in person didn't thrill me.
These were amazingly clunky in person. I'm a size 5 and they looked mutant-large. They were both returned right there. Hey, I gave them a shot, right?
We went to our local farmer's market and, as always, they had the best stuff. If you have a farmer's market near you and you aren't shopping there, you're crazy. This is the only reason I look forward to summer. Everything looked so great I decided to take a bunch of pictures. Again, more pics on Flickr.
As we walked around we picked up the best breakfast - frozen goat milk yogurt from the renowned (and local) Goat Lady Dairy... topped with fresh blueberries.
They also make these amazing soft spreadable goat cheeses mixed with herbs, etc. We usually get Sunny Paris, which is goat cheese with basil and tarragon (and probably more) but they also have a horseradish blend which is great on burgers. This visit we tried a Fig and Honey blend which was out of this world. I almost got that but we had a container of the Sunny Paris at home and I wanted to buy their Sandy Creek, which is camembert-like with a layer of grape vine ash. Annnndddd, which I somehow seem to have eaten the entire thing of while I was sitting here typing!
That is some good frickin' cheese.
We also got a pumpkin and a chocolate whoopie pie when we bought our bread from the Amish bakers. They may or may not have made it out of the market parking lot. I'm just saying.
We did go out to dinner and a movie one night. We had dinner at our favorite local Indian restaurant. We liked them before and they are, obviously, still great due to all of the vegetarian options available within the cuisine.
It was nice to go out, putter around the bookstore for a while and mooch some free magazine browsing. Then we went to see Bottle Shock.
Have you heard of this movie?
I don't think they're doing much to promote it, if you ask me. The true story it is based on is great. And the trailer made it look really good as well. Sadly, the editing/pacing ruins it. It's too bad because the reality of the Judgement of Paris seems like it could be much more riveting. Supposedly there is another movie being made based on the same George Taber book. I'll be interested to see how that one compares.
A part of my job in Advertising and Marketing is to think about the perceived value of products and services for my clients. What are people willing to pay for something and what can I do to enhance the product and how is it positioned? The goal, of course, is to find that point on the cost curve where profit will be optimized. Price and production are a part of it but I also have to think about perception as well (oh yeah, place and promotion go into it too!).
If people don't think you product is worth what you are charging, then you will go out of business quite soon. Obviously that is why branding is such a huge issue to all of the luxury companies these days. If you pull that curtain aside, it can be difficult to tell some brand's products from other lower priced brands.
Most of the time I'm aware when I am being the object of a marketing campaign. But sometimes I feel the product is worth it. Or at least it is for me. At other times, there is no amount of branding that can push me to spend a single dollar.
Then there are those products that I like and would buy but my perceived value does not match up with the price tag shown. That's how I feel about Té Casan's shoes. They're cute. I like them. I'd buy about five pairs right now but I just don't feel they should be priced the way they are (JCrew's shoes are another one in this category).
Take the Natalie Portman Plath pumps. I think they are adorable. I love the pink. I love the purple. I love the pom-poms.
Cute, right? And vegan. They make me happy.
But I just can bring myself to spend almost $400 for them. Not sure why that is. In my mind they should be about $85. Maybe a hundred. But four hundred?
No. The fact that they are out of my size and therefore unavailable to me does push them up the curve a bit, but still not $400.
These sneakers aren't really that bad. Just sort of middle-of-the-road neutral. I can't say that I like them but I dont' care enough to hate them really.
But why would they name this shoe "Monster Truck"? I mean who can bring themselves to buy a shoe named that? "Yes, I'll take the Monster Truck pair in size XX, please"
So I'm giving a big eeeeewwww!!! to the shoe design namers over at BC Footwera.
More and more I feel my horizons being expanded and my wardrobe being inspired by the great bloggers that I regularly follow on their sites, Twitter and Flickr uploads. While I'm not trying to copy their style, sometimes I see a color combination, an outfit or an accessory that looks so great I feel I should give it a try myself.
The first blogger I'd like to give a big thank you to is Miss Nubby Twiglet. She has an amazing sense of style with a very strong color aesthetic which, tied with her graphic design work directly contributes to the amazing art she creates.
Working in a similar field, I appreciate her design skills (so much so that I recently purchased one of her Kiss & Tell posters) and I'm also loving her wardrobe. Funny enough, I have this same cardigan.
But recently Nubby showcased these Corso Como Dodie wedges. Now these shoes are very outside of my typical "comfort zone" but I could see the possibilities. For Fall I thought they would be great with all sorts of tights, especially my solid colored ones and possibly some of my Hansel for Basel knee-patch over-the-knee socks.
I had a gift certificate from Zappos to use (although I think they are a wee bit cheaper on the Nordstrom's site) so I figured I'd give them a try and if I didn't like them I could send them back. I'd never purchased this brand before, so I wasn't sure how they would be.
Well let me tell you, these are some seriously well made shoes. They're a Brazilian brand and are quite sumptuous. The interior cushioning is amazing.
And I love the satin ribbon ankle ties, which can be tied in the front or the back.
Great shape from the back too.
I already have a whole slew of outfits planned for these and am definitely keeping them!
They also come in white with black accents (totally cute) and a forest green and black version, although I only saw this last one at Nordstroms. I just got them tonight so I haven't worn them out but so far they seem great.
I'm still on the hunt for the perfect mary janes to wear with my new Chanel two-tone tights. I haven't totally ruled out getting the Chanel pair from the show but I'm sure I can find a good substitute for the black pair. It might be harder to find another version of the tan and black pair and I like them both so much.
I have a few pairs of black mary janes but not with this same balance of chunky heel and strap. But I think this pair by Façade is the closest I've found so far. They're all patent so you dont have the textural contrast or the rounded buckle flap detail but you have the similar height and heel and shape.
These are sure to be far more affordable, at just over $100. I'm going to try and be patient and see what happens with the Chanel shoes. But I need to decide soon so I can wear my yummy new tights. I want it to cool off so I can break them out!
I want to give a warm welcome to any new folks who are visiting today. Some of you may have been pointed in my direction because today I was featured in an article in the News & Record(Do I come off sounding a little bit crazy and snobby and spendy? I hope not!). I hope you'll come back and I look forward to hearing from all of you! Every post has a link to submit comments, so please feel free to talk back. And my email address is just over there to the right.
You will also see that there are embedded links with some of the text. These will take you to additional or related info. Click on them but be sure to come back because we aren't done yet!
What is this blog all about and where did the name come from?
Well, the site does seem to have two names. "Hello, Lover..." is from SATC, Episode 66 "I Heart NY" where Carrie looks into the Louboutin store window and sighs those words to her newest infatuation. I too have felt this urge to coo at many of the shoes out there, some of which are in my closet.
The raison d'être of the site, and the Shoe Daydreams, is predominantly because I like to talk about shoes. Shoes I like, shoes I don't like, shoes I have or want, etc. I started this blog just over a year ago to help keep in touch with distant friends and to give my husband and co-workers a break. They just didn't seem to want to talk shoes and clothes all the time! I don't know why?
I like to mix high and low fashion and I don't feel anything is too precious to wear with anything else. Because I get bored with clothes easily, you'll see a lot of Target and Old Navy items in my wardrobe. But I love classic styles done in a unique way, so I tend to "invest" in some designer shoes and quirky clothing choices.
I think you can find something cute in almost any store, so one day I'll wear a pair of shoes from Payless and the next may be a pair of Manolo Blahniks. As long as I like them and the feel good, I don't care what their pedigree is.
One thing you may find a little silly is my pen name - Poochie. Where did that come from anyway?
Well, Poochie is a nickname between me and a good friend. Since Poochie was an adorable dog who went on adventures and loved pink, I thought it would make sense to keep using it for the blog. You can't resist a pup with pink paws and fuzzy pink ears. And don't forget her purple sunglasses!
In addition to talking about shoes, I like to write about all the other things I love - travel, vintage, Etsy, afternoon tea and crazy funny singers. Along the way we'll cover shoe searches and shoe luck; I'll probably ask for your advice and I'm happy to help track down some answers or options for you.
I also write Bubblegum Plastic, which is about jewelry, accessories and more, and The Daily Coop, which is about what happens when a city girl and guy try to raise some chickens!
Some ofthe big themes you'll see are:
- Ensemble du Jour - The outfit I wear for the day. I hope they'll inspire you to try a new combination or look at something in a new light. Most of the collages are created on Polyvore which is a fun site to play around with.
- Lots and lots of shoe pictures - often mine or on me or ones I just admire and pine for.
- TheEeeewwws!!! - some times good designers go bad. We have to let them know we won't just let it slide.
- Store and Designer Focus - There are lots of amazing designers, big and small, and some great stores out there. We can check them out together.
- Imitation = Flattery? - Being inspired by a design and interpreting it is one thing. Blatent knocking-off sucks! Get some originality, people!
- House Tour - And if you can't make it by for Tea, I'll still invite you in for a house tour.
My Favorite Posts
You'll see a lot of posts over there in the archive, so there is lots of reading you can catch up on. But here are a few of my favorite posts to give you a quick snapshot of what this site is all about:
Now, go and read some more and then let me know what you think. If you have something you're excited about or a great pair of shoes that you just adore, drop me an email. I love to hear about the things you're excited about too.
Stop by everyday or add me to your RSS feed. I publish new content at least daily if not even more often.
And if you want even more Poochie-ness, especially on those in-between times, make sure to follow me on Twitter - click here then click the "Follow" button. Are you not on Twitter??? You should be! I could give you a whole slew of reasons, but I'll let another advocate tell you all about it. Check out what the CEO of Zappos.com has to say and get started.
Also, while I try to add lots of pictures to my posts, I have even more on Flickr. If you add me as a contact you'll see the latest and greatest as soon as they're added. Or just stop by and leave a note.
On the right there, you'll see some other great, smart and funny bloggers, check them out as well!
As I've been looking through shome of my shoe shots and uploading things to Flickr, I see shoes that I haven't worn for while. I get sad... why have I been neglecting them???
So I've been trying to wear some old loves and give them the attention they deserve.
On Monday I wore a white v-neck and linen skirt with a skinny red belt from Target.
The center of attention were my Louboutin gold and cork Prive peep-toes.
Red!
It's amazing how high they are and yet how comfortable. That hidden platform really does it's job.
On Wednesday I had a client meeting so I wore something that I knew would look good and be comfortable - this black dress which I think I've worn about 5 times already. And to keep me from totally freezing, I wore my cropped olive cardigan. The dress is Target and the cardigan is Old Navy.
Oh, yeah... and these gorgeous vintage brocade heels.
Classic, classic retro shape. One of my favorite heels shapes of all time.
And today, I just wanted to hav fun. I mean, I'm not going to be doing much but work work work, so why not?
Grey jersey top with metallic threads, khaki pencil skirt, sparkly silver knee-socks and vintage liquor tag necklace from Etsy.
My favorite part of this is the fact that the silver is a bit worn off. It gives the tag and extra dimension and shows it's age.
Sooooo cute!
But for fun, it was all about the socks and shoes. I always find Delman shoes to be a bit big but I just didn't care. These pink silk stripe-y oxfords were just too adorable.
Yes, I'm wearing them with super sparkly silver knee-socks. That's right. I'm mature.
Oh, yeah. And pink fluffy pom-pom sock garters from Sock Dreams. Pink! Fluffy! Pom-Poms!
I got these from Anthropologie. They called the Parrotfish Oxfords. They look like candy to me. I like. I need to get some baggy khaki pants, suspenders and a white shirt to get all 1920's Garden Party.
Or a cute white swiss dot sundress.... wait! I think I have one of those. I'm off to go search through the closets!
