Wednesday, September 26, 2007

enough


l-r: VS lace-up espadrilles; Journeys lace-ups; VS wedge/pumps; Steve Madden sandals.

A man saying a woman has enough shoes is like a woman telling a man, "You've watched enough UFC." What, for tonight? For a lifetime? Think of it this way: 1 pair of shoes = 1 "ultimate" fighting match (in which, I might add, men pummel each other senseless by wrapping their legs around each others' heads to create obscene positions and then bashing each other till they bleed out of their ears. This is all followed by the victor parading around a ring wearing a stupid, ugly belt smaller than his ego but still bigger than Texas.)


^Prettier than Joe Scarola. top l-r: VS 4-in pumps; VS 4-3/4 inch stilettos; Aeropostale ballet flats; VS patent pumps. bottom l-r: Payless fake runners; Sugar wedges; VS sandals

Sunday, September 23, 2007

i miss your old-fashioned touch



I miss these Callistos. They got left behind somewhere backstage at the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco, August 2001. This was the pair that turned me on to heels in the first place ... at first it felt funny finally being eye-level with normal-sized people. But I adjusted, and soon graduated to the realm of 4+ ...

Heel height is like drugs. The more you have, the more you want.

Thursday, September 20, 2007

rockin'


A friend and I went to "visit" this ring set today. She told me about it the day before yesterday - all she said was "princess cut" and I was mentally out the door. Anyway, the band is 18K white gold, channel set (halfway, but hey, you can only see the top half anyway) with diamonds. The engagement ring is a 1.08-carat princess cut solitaire with channel-set stones again halfway around. The kicker: it's appraised at $10,500 and selling for cost, $4800.

The seller (the designer? I was not clear) had it on her at a preschool close to my work place. We sat in my friend's car and she came out to show it to us. My friend and I oohed and aahed, but then the seller (my friend's friend) had to rush inside to conduct a fire drill with her little ones. So I got to hold it, wear it, and otherwise fondle it for a good 10 minutes.

I later gushed about it to my mom.

"Why are you showing me?" was her reply.

"Because you might give me five grand?"

Seriously, I'd propose to myself just to have this piece of candy in my life.

P.S. Rouge - almost done.

Wednesday, September 19, 2007

when it's hard to keep your hands to yourself

Too sweet for words. Zapatos, sorted by color, size, price, brand, and style - with two lovely bonuses: you can redeem your Banana rewards on the site, and shipping is free.


... Yes, I know I said peep-toe was ridiculous and ugly, but this is an objet d'art ... and a great example of apparel that sits better on a shelf than a body. (Can you imagine a foot in that thing?)

Update: The more I look at that shoe, the more I want to imagine my foot in it. Uh-oh.

red

I want to post my Red entry, but I have to harvest pics first. Background: although this time in my life is more of a Pink period (see Picasso's Blue period, subtract about 40,000 units of profundity and significance, and you've got my Pink period), my heart, soul and wannabe-fashionable brain find Red to be the superior hue.

No card reader or Adobe ... grrr.

Tuesday, September 18, 2007

le rouge

Red cheongsam, 2001.


Red and I, we have a relationship. I love Red. I have had very Red hair, berry Red lips, and now, cherry Red pants. When furnishing my apartment, I almost bought a Red chaise. (They were out of stock.) I long to sport Red nails, but one place Red does not seem to belong is on my hands. I waited a month for a Red car instead of driving an in-stock color off the lot, wear Red shoes against all fashion advice, and I contrive to wear a wedding gown that incorporates Red beadwork into the miles of white taffeta on which I am also going to insist.

"This is red red, and this is orange red.
The wrong one and I will end up looking like a hooker. Or a teacher!"
- Libby, Gilmore Girls


I love Red, but Red does not always love me back. When love is unrequited, only the weak walk away without putting up a fight. Case in point: Red heels from Skechers. If a place is renowned for its quasi-athletic shoe designs, chances are, the cutest-looking party shoes are going to be a little uncomfortable, and possibly a little silly-looking.


I suffer gladly:


Redder than red hair. It cost a lot. I loved it:



Shmaybe ... red lips:



Yes, yes, yes! Red (and some others) jacket, Zhongshan 2001:



The piece de resistance: me new Red pants. Sweetheart cut Old Navys, thoughtfully scooped up by Vickie. I've coveted Red pants since, oh, birth. [Pic to come.]

Friday, September 14, 2007

my loves

My five all-time favorite pieces of clothing:

5) Cinnamon girl black cardigan, c. 2001. Elegant, classic, indestructible. Lost. Irreplaceable.

4) Peasant dress, c. 2000.

Positively medieval. Cream with brown and orange paisley print. Bought it so I could look at it (have not yet invented an occasion to wear it). Caesar's Palace Express, $74.

3) Old Navy Jeans, c. 2002.

Regular blue denim. One orange paint stain on the left knee from grad school art class. Hem chewed up by my puppy.

2) Silk Nina Austin gown, July 2007.

An extravagant birthday gift from my sweetie. Wore it in a fashion show in May and fell deeply in love with it. Cream with brown and black print, subtle beading.

1) White cheong sam, November 2000.

My hand-sewn, hand-embellished stage gown that saw me through Miss Chinatown, Miss Asian America, countless public appearances, dinners, and photoshoots. If I can still get into it, I would love to wear it on my wedding day.

My five all-time favorite pieces of jewelry:

5) Tiffany heart tag toggle necklace, 2004.


4) My navel ring, 1999. So twentieth century, but I'll always love mine. A coworker and I decided to get pierced on rather a whim. For me it was a reward for another semester of ass-kicking hard work. It's the one "subversive" (Mom) piercing I'll never get rid of.

3) Diamond drop necklace, Valentine's Day 2007.

From Maui Divers. They know rocks.

2) Jade bracelet that used to be my mother's.

It cracked in two places when she banged her hand on the table one day, pissed at her students. The two 24K braces holding it together are a visual reminder for me to keep a sense of humor at all times when teaching.

1) My grandmother's engagement ring. Simple platinum setting, round cut solitaire, side stones. I wear it whenever I can but recently my parents made me put it back into the family safe. Boo.

Wednesday, September 12, 2007

the kickoff

A list of things I can't not buy:

pens - noBo bedsheets from wal*mart - aussie 3 minute miracle and other bath products - travel lit - composition books - cheap jeans - tropical scented dog shampoo - u.s. history books - white elephant book deals - jack russell/pug hybrid puppies ...

A list of things I have difficulty not buying:

jellybeans - high heels - anne tyler novels - sesame street old school - in style magazine - purses - retro shoes like jellies, roos, or mary jane-style skechers - complete season DVD sets of tv series I truly love (there are so precious few) ...

It turns out I'm not a purse or shoe whore. Though I do love me some arm or foot candy, my function standards for purses eliminate most of the cute ones (must have a shoulder strap, secure closure, enough space for a paperback book and a camera; if it's too shmancy to sit on the floor, forget it) - and shoes, well, I love them as much as the next woman but if someone handed me $500 free and clear with only one stipulation - that it must be spent on a single item - let's just say I've never met a pair of shoes that would make the cut.

So I guess this is the blog for my material compulsions, addictions, impulse purchases, deliberations, remorse, and subsequent resolutions and wagon fall-offs (falls-off?). It's the newest addition to the family of blogs that includes the worky/real-lifey blog, the boyfriend blog, and several old cast-off bastard blogs buried somewhere else entirely ... yar.

P.S. I don't make or spend unbelievable piles of money. So posts wistful in nature will greatly outnumber posts reflective/victorious/remorseful in nature.

Coming soon:

- Recent conquests
- Buy me love?
- Happiness is a drugstore
- Just because