Booties and boots and pumps, oh my!

First of all, a very warm and heartfelt thanks to all of you who have left your get well wishes for me. I'm very touched, and I must say I have missed visiting and conversing with you all. I am feeling slightly better, and I have some down time, so I thought I'd write a post. I'm trying to get back to my regular schedule of daily blogging (including reading other people's blogs), but I'm still not quite 100% (or even 70%), but I'm better. I do really miss working out and being active, but I must take it easy to get over this stupid cold. But anyway, thanks again, I really appreciate it.

Anyhow, I had really wanted to share my spoils with you from this weekend, but couldn't due to illness. So I'll start with the footwear. Yes, shoes! Are you surprised? Then you don't know me very well, ha ha.

Back to the shoes...First, my niece Isabelle and I headed to Target on Friday night to get some groceries and such. When we were almost done with the food shopping, she asked me if I was not going to walk through the shoe aisle. I laughed and said, "Seriously, Iz, do you think I would not look at all the beautiful shoes while I'm here? Ha!" Once in the shoe department, we had fun trying on various shoes and doing little shoe parades for each other in the aisles. Then I rounded the corner and saw these funky Sigerson Morrison for Target booties on the clearance rack, the last pair in my size, and just begging for me to try them on.



So I did, and it was instant love. And they were marked down quite a bit, so I figured I'd take them home with me, introduce them to the others, you know...make them part of my collection.

Then I had a salon appointment at Ulta in Naperville on Saturday (for a long overdue haircut), which was conveniently located next to DSW. So of course I had to stop by. Isabelle was again in tow, and she marveled at all the beautiful shoes on display as we roamed the aisles. I was on a mission, and I could focus on nothing else.

I was on the prowl for the perfect high shaft boot, which, alas, I did not find. Not that there wen't tons of kickin' boots to choose from. Oh, no no no. The problem was I couldn't fit my chunky calves into the shafts of 99% of the boots. This doesn't just seem to be my problem, however. I've heard from numerous women—even small, petite, skinny women—how they have difficulty fitting into most boots, and they tend to be on the snug side (if they're able to zip them up at all). This was my problem, and it was very discouraging. And while I'm trying to shake off those 20 pounds, which will help (I've already lost a few), I will never be one of those women whose boots are gaping and slouching all the time.

So I had run the gamut of boots and nothing was fitting right. I had just about called it a day when I remembered to check out the clearance shoes, which I normally do first. I scanned the shelves and wasn't finding too much. Then I reached the end of the last aisle and looked down, and lo and behold, there was a pair of CL by Laundry black boots!



I couldn't believe it. The papers were still stuffed inside them, so I wasn't quite sure why they were on clearance. I looked them over and they seemed okay, but I figured they wouldn't fit. But I couldn't resist trying. So I tugged them on, pulled up the zipper, and...they fit. They fit! Yes, they were rather snug, but again, I'm getting in shape and losing weight, so that should get better in the next several weeks and months (still in time to wear during winter/early spring). Isabelle happily approved of my selection, and I practically hugged them to me like a baby, in case someone tried to snatch my treasure away from me.

That was such a find, I was glowing for the rest of the afternoon. I also snagged this wallet.



Which was a welcome relief, since mine has been falling apart for the last year or so now. The only problem is it wants to pop open all the time (too many cards, not enough cash). But I figure I can stick some slim magnets inside the metal bars so that there is extra holding power when the wallet closes. That'll be my project this weekend.

Then Izzy and I were off to the mall to search for that ever-elusive black A-line skirt. We went from store to store but didn't have much luck finding anything. So after an hour or so of fruitless searching, I spied a Payless store right outside the JCPenney store entrance, and we bee lined right for the size 8 aisle. And of course the first thing my eyes landed on were these lovely orange wool Lela Rose for Payless D'Orsay pumps, complete with bows.



I have seen them every time I go to Payless, but never bought them, thinking they don't match with too much and that I can't justify buying them. But has that ever stopped me? Of course not. And they actually do go with quite a few colors: brown, tan, cream, white, even black (although that starts to look very Halloween-ish to me). And they were finally on sale, so I couldn't pass them up.

After that purchase, we decided to call it a day. Aunt Chris had spent enough money on herself, and we were tired. So we headed home to look at fashion blogs and eat ice cream (well, Izzy did, anyhow). After a soothing cup of chamomile tea, we called it a night.

Next up: My spoils from a jaunt at Goodwill!