The Island Shoe Girl's Blog

Where shoes meet sand…

When Local Is Lost May 20, 2012

Filed under: Key West; Not Just for Flip Flops — theislandshoegirl @ 10:10 am
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Are the days of local shoe stores over? Photo by Jean Thornton

Something happened in Key West last week that has sadly been happening elsewhere across the country—a local business announced it closure.  Fast Buck Freddie’s, a locally owned and operated department store, will close its doors at the end of May, ending it 37 year run on the corner of Duval and Fleming.  While many businesses have come and gone from Duval Street, many thought they would never see the day when this institution hung up the “going out of business” signs.

Freddie’s has long been a favorite place for both tourists and locals.  Harkening back to the days of old, it made ample use of the large display windows that wrapped around the store.  In a fast-paced world, even for those of us who try to live on ‘island time’, the windows could make anyone stop.  Freddie’s not only brought us unique gifts, clothing, and furniture, it also shaped Key West’s culture with the creation of Fantasy Fest.

But alas, windows and parades are not enough to save this local business, and all of the American Express campaigns could not help Freddie’s fight against the internet and the changing ways of shoppers.  No longer is it enough to have the product right there at your finger tips, the world of smart phones and apps have now made it so the Freddies of the world have to offer the lowest price, cheapest shipping, and have it at your door tomorrow morning.  There is no longer value in items carefully wrapped in tissue paper and placed in paper shopping bags when clicking a few buttons can get it for a few dollars less.

I am sure many reading this can recall a favorite store or shop now long gone.  The record store you visited weekly in college, the boutique you could always rely on for the perfect outfit, the little bakery that seemed to always have your favorite treat.  Perhaps now those once-loved places are convenience stores, corporate coffee shops, and places that sell cell phone charges so you can keep shopping while never entering an actual store.

Call me crazy but I still remember the joy of shopping in an actual store.  In the days before Christmas when my mom and I would wander through stores along the downtown streets searching for the perfect gift that could be held in the buyer’s hand as they imagined the joy that item might bring to a loved one.  This was when an actual human being waited on you in person, pulled items from behind glass cases that were polished and shined. Now you are lucky if you have an instant messenger chat with an “associate” in some distant place as you click your screen for multiple views.  We are quickly losing the days of dressing room fashion shows with friends and the hunt for the perfect stiletto in a shoe department. 

The ease of online shopping and the chance at a better price has left us with downtowns no longer defined by unique shops where clerks know your name and your preferences.  Instead, our main streets are at great risk of becoming more and more mainstream, filled with corporate-run businesses that offer only what they think we ‘should’ like and nothing more.  And we remain shocked when all of our friends have the same throw pillows, handbags, and clothing without ever realizing we have limited our own style in search for a better deal. 

It is too late for Fast Buck Freddie’s.  Come June 1 there will likely be paper on those famous windows and soon thereafter the sign of some new store.  I for one won’t be shocked if it is one we have seen a thousand times before.  But this weekend, before you click your way through a shopping list, think about those local stores of old and how much they once meant to you.  And then shop the local shop first, before you have to shop it one last time.

 

12 Steps to Being an Enlightened Shoe Girl April 29, 2012

Filed under: Its All About the Shoes — theislandshoegirl @ 11:19 am
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12 simple steps can lead you to place of shoe zen. Photo by Jean Thornton

1. Admit we were powerless over shoes- that our shoe closets have become unmanageable.  This is step that should not be feared but celebrated.   A weight will be lifted off your shoulders and a spring will re-appear in your step because now you have accepted that shoes control your life, and hey, it’s not your fault because you are powerless under their influence.  Embrace your personal weakness and let it be to the benefit of your feet.  Reorganize your shoe closet; this time without the shame that says you should hide your bounty of shoes but instead with says cherish them all.

2. Come to believe that a power greater than ourselves can restore us to sanity.  That’s right—there’s a higher shoe power I like to call it the Sak’s Fifth Avenue shoe department.  As far as the eye can see it’s all shoes—so big it has its own zip code.  It is the perfect place to reflect and restore your inner peace while at the same time admiring the way your ankles look into those new Sergio Rossi’s!  It may be called a “shoe section” by others, but to me it’s a Zen Garden filled with sparkling buckles and gems adorning both pointed and rounded-toe pumps.

3. Make a decision to turn shoes over to the care of our higher shoe power, as we understand it.  In life it seems we always want to question what we are given.  In this step it is time to stop wondering if we are supposed to click on that Bluefly sale banner and trust that our higher shoe power wants us to.  It is not our job to question why we get the personal email invites to shop or if the sale is good enough.  It is our job to accept that sale as a gift and what our higher shoe power really wants us to do. 

4. Make a searching and fearless inventory of our shoes.  Get into the depths of your shoe closet and make an inventory of what is truly in there.  Rediscover shoes that have drifted to the back and reintroduce them to your rotation.  Hey, maybe those Cole Hann’s you bought for that wedding two years ago are the perfect partner for that new Kate Spade handbag!  For the thrifty shoe shopper, sometimes the best deals are the ones we find in our closets (or that of our friends).

5. Admit to our higher shoe power, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our shoe wrongs.  This is the hard one.  It’s time to admit that time you wore those Crocs out in public.  And while you are at it, confess to those times you did not treat your shoes with the respect they deserve.  Oh sure you were so tired you could not put your Jimmy Choos back their sleep bag… enough excuses! 

6. We’re entirely ready to remove all these defects of shoe character.  Open yourself up to make a real change in your life and remove those bad shoe habits from your future.  Let your mind be free from judgments about shoe designers who have left you flat in the past.  Some day in the future that same designer may just release a fabulous selection of wedges. 

7. Humbly ask to remove our shoe shortcomings.  This is hard and I am not sure it works because I have been praying for my foot to be the perfect size 6 for years but my big toes have not yet started to shrink. 

8. Make a list of all persons we have allowed to wear bad shoes, and become willing to make amends to them all.  We all have that person in our life who does not shoe as well as we do.  Perhaps we have tried to reach out; perhaps we have kept these concerns to ourselves.  Regardless, now is the time to right these shoe wrongs by helping them right their bad shoes.  As long and as difficult as it may be, it is time to teach those who shoe bad how to shoe good. 

9. Make direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.  Talking about shoes is always fun, even if the person listening does not know that.  But if you keep reminding them about how great shoes are, sooner or later they will get it.  The only time you should not help someone to shoe better is if they have a medical condition.  For example, my grandmother has bad knees and foot problems, so it is okay to excuse her sneakers.  (Plus, I have seen some photographs of her in her younger days and I definitely get a little bit of my shoe streak from her!)

10. Continue to take a personal shoe inventories and when we shoe wrong promptly admit it.  Now that our lives and our shoe closets are in order, keep that organization in your life.  When you make a bad shoe choice, admit it and grow from your mistakes.  It really is the only way to become a better shoe girl.  Perfection is a something we have to constantly strive for, and once one shoe goal is met, set another to keep yourself moving forward. 

11. Seek through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with our higher shoe power—and our favorite shoe salesclerk, praying for knowledge of insider sales and the latest trends that will give us the will and the power to carry out our shoe purpose in life.  Only when we open our minds and we free our inner shoe detective can we embrace the glory of shoes.  A good shoe girl loves a good deal and to be on top of the latest shoe trend… especially when that means being on top of 5-inch heels! 

12. Having had a spiritual shoe awakening as the result of these steps, we now carry this message to others and to practice these principles in all our shoe affairs.   You have let your inner shoe spirit out.  No longer are you someone who focuses solely on your own shoes—you are now someone who shares the message of shoe enlightenment.  Take this message to the masses and carry your wisdom far and wide… if you can carry it in a cute Marc Jacobs tote.

 

Let Them Wear Flats March 11, 2012

Filed under: Its All About the Shoes — theislandshoegirl @ 10:58 am
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Not everyone wants to live in stilettos, but that just leaves more for everyone else. Photo by Jean Thornton

Lately, it seems like no one can let anyone else have his or her own opinions.  It’s not just that you have your own opinion and someone with a differing opinion says, “Oh, okay that’s nice” and then goes along with their day—or even just offers a respectful reply that states a differing view point without attacking.  But, no! Instead, the disagreeing person has to attack the speaker with the differing opinion, not based on any inaccuracies in their statements, but with horrific personal attacks that have little to nothing to do with the original issue.

So I would like to shed some light on how to be a polite adult when dealing with someone you do not see eye-to-eye with.  It’s a well-known fact that I am a bit of high heel fanatic.  I prefer a good five inches beneath me on a daily basis.  I think a day without towering heels is like a night sky without stars; sure you can still look up, but what is there to see without a little sparkle?  My legs are permanently altered by my love of high heels; my foot doctor is basically convinced I can never wear flat shoes again without doing actual physical harm to myself.  While this might cause some concerns for those not so enthusiastic about stilettos, I look it as a huge achievement…not to mention it might keep me from ever having to participate in any forced physical labor. 

Nonetheless I do not attack those who do not share my desire to see the world from atop of stilettos.  Sure, I might not like when others wear flats.  I might think to myself that a girl in flip- flops and a sundress could improve her style with a cute kitten heel or perhaps a strappy wedge…okay so sometimes I do tell the flip-flop wearer.  But what is important is that I do not attack that flip-flop wearer I try to educate them to my point of view.  At no time do I find an urge to call the flip-flop wearer a slut or prostitute.  I do not tell that flip-flop wearer I think she is cheap because those flops came from a store that ended with a “mart.” Or that the slabs of plastic she calls footwear were made in foreign country and therefore she must be a traitor. 

Yes, I may know that wearing flat shoes will do nothing to improve either the appearance of the wearers’ butts or their posture that naturally comes with wearing heels.  However, I do not criticize their butts because slamming someone’s physical traits is something a small child, mean high school girl, or bitter housewife might do.  A mature adult would simply present his/her side of the issue and let it go at that—just like a mature adult would say goodnight to her heels every night. So I say, “Let them wear flats!” Because if wearing flats makes you personally happy and at the end of the day it does not affect my own personal happiness and right to wear high heels, then what does it really matter?

After all, with all of the larger issues in the world to be upset about, and with all of the truly bad things happening out there, is it really worth getting upset just because I might choose to live differently than someone else.  If at the end of the day I can at least see the other side of another person’s point of view and they can see mine, aren’t we both the bigger person?  And one of us might even be the taller for it. 

So yes! Let them wear flats! And leave the stilettos for me.

 

Believing in Jupiter March 4, 2012

Filed under: Common Sense in Unsensible Shoes — theislandshoegirl @ 4:24 pm
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Perfect shoes for gazing at Jupiter and beyond. Photo by Jean Thornton.

The other evening on the national news there was a brief mention that, due to a rare aligning of the stars and planets, Jupiter would be visible to the naked human eye.  Later during my nightly walk with my faithful dog Stanley, I looked up at the sky and remembered this little astronomy tidbit.  From the sidewalk I could clearly see the moon and a second large, brightly glowing object slightly to the side of the moon.  While I was uncertain if this second radiant spot in the sky was merely a brighter star or truly the depths of space, I choose to believe the latter. 

I could not help but feel that by believing I was catching a glimpse of Jupiter I was perhaps also reminding myself of the larger mystery of true belief.  Sure, the thought that I was catching a hint of the great beyond that most nights would only be found by telescope might be a stretch of the imagination.  Then again, so much of life…at least my shoe life…is true stretch, especially for my calf muscles.

As I strolled along the street, my mind wandered to the many other things that I had managed to blindly believe in life.  I have the strong belief that Manolo Blahnik thinks of women like me when designing a pair of heels and not just of socialites and debutantes.  I truly believe that Mr. Blahnik imagines his stilettos beneath my toes as I glide through the grocery store.  I blindly believe that each buckle, rhinestone, and embellished strap is meant for a hardworking girl who saved and scrimped for those pretty designs.    

I believe with total certainty that while karma is a bitch, she is also very fair and just.  And while sometimes other aspects of life might not be fair, good karma will work it all out in the end.  Karma corrects what others things cannot and is the reason revenge is often unnecessary.  At the end of the day, little else matters if I am the person my dog thinks I am and, if he can have unending faith in me, I can as well. 

I believe that when so much else in life is completely impractical there is no point in my shoes being pratical.   Sometimes my thoughts may seem outlandish and my ideas might seem larger than my brain can process.  Yet, my most ridiculous ideas have become some of my best, and my biggest regrets are the ideas I let fade away.  It is because I can believe in those crazy thoughts I can still believe that Paris is more than a picture on a postcard; it’s a destination within reach some day. 

So…if I can believe in all of these things, then surely thinking I can see Jupiter as I stroll down the sidewalk on a little island far below the stars is not so out-of-the-realm of rational thinking.  Because just maybe, as I walk along, somewhere Manolo is sketching a heel for a single shoe girl who walks her dog in stilettos, and maybe somewhere karma is correcting whoever hit and ran my car in 2006.  After all, as long as Paris is just a passport stamp away and my dog loves me, seeing the farthest corners of space is very easy to believe too.

 

Ignoring What I Know Now February 26, 2012

Filed under: Common Sense in Unsensible Shoes — theislandshoegirl @ 5:22 pm
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Should you sometimes ignore past blisters and wear the shoes again? Photo by Jean Thornton

Before I can begin my normal blog this week, I think I should explain my sudden absence.  My laptop had a very-near-death experience not too long ago.  Did you know there is a ’blue screen of death’ that can take over a computer?  Well, I learned about this blue screen of death the hard way when it was staring me in the face.  Luckily for me, I happen to know someone who can bring a computer back from the blue screen of death and return it to the multi colored screen of life…or at least in my laptop’s case, the background of shoes.  Let this be your friendly reminder to back up your documents!  Thankfully, blue screen of death only affects computers and cannot spread to stilettos.

Amazing how much you need to write when you are without your laptop and how little of that you can remember when it is returned to life.  May I say that I had a great deal to say about Valentine’s Day this year, and I will advise you that updating your Facebook status with pictures of flowers and cheap teddy bears does not make me think you are loved, but only that you can be fooled by gifts bought at the grocery store. 

With nothing to type on these last two weeks, I had an amazing amount of time to read words written by others and to take my faithful dog on long walks while listening to some of my favorite lyrics.  One night I re-played the old Rod Stewart song When I Was Younger that contains the song lyrics, “I wish that I knew what I know now when I was younger.” I couldn’t help but ponder these words that evening—especially since without the Internet you have far more time for pondering too.   I could not help but think that I did not agree with those words.  In fact, I think I don’t even want to know now what I know some days.

If this song is accurate then having the wisdom we gain in life (or should I perhaps be even more cautious and just go with ‘knowledge’) should perhaps make things better.  I would argue the opposite: I think if I knew less of life’s little lessons I would be a braver shoe girl.  For example, I know now that too much alcohol will result in a far more difficult morning.  Yet, when I was younger I was more naïve about “one more drink” and, instead of paying my tab and bowing out gracefully, I stayed and laughed far later into the night. 

If I had known when I was younger about those hidden costs of life such as flat tires, broken AC units, and dogs that will swallow anything just to see if they can get it back out, I would have certainly put more ‘savings’ aside and in the process cut back on a trip I could barely afford or a pair of shoes that made my heart race.  Heck, if I had known there was going to be a power spike two Saturdays ago I would have unplugged my laptop.  But to be honest E! News was also to blame for that too.

Yes, I realize that those who do not learn from our history are doomed to repeat it.  And I am not saying that there are not good lessons to learn.  It’s true that a blister can teach you a lesson about the dangers of wearing new heels out dancing.  But sometimes these lessons can hold us back from experiences.  And even when these experiences turn out to be bad they can still offer a lot of good.  Sometimes we have to ignore what we know and put on the ridiculously tall heels for a night on the town—or order another drink even if it might make tomorrow morning a little slower.

So perhaps what Rod Stewart should sing is, “I am glad I learned what I did at the appropriate time in my life.”  I guess it’s not as catchy.   But maybe at times we need to ignore what we have learned or maybe acknowledge it while still doing as we please.  After all, the best lessons in life might be worth learning twice.

 

Men of Science vs. Women of Stilettos January 29, 2012

Filed under: Its All About the Shoes — theislandshoegirl @ 10:14 am
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Who needs science when you have stilettos? Photo by Jean Thornton

Sometimes I think men are just jealous of how strong women really are.  How else can you explain some men’s constant attacks on women’s footwear?  The most recent of these attacks came from two scientists whose recent research findings were published in the Journal of Applied Physiology.  These men of science say their research shows that women who wear heels for 40 hours or more a week moved with shorter, more forceful strides, and that stiletto strutting ladies’ feet were perpetually flexed in a toes pointed position.  These movements continue even when barefoot (okay, here is the first issue I have with this study—why are they taking off their shoes?) because the fibers in the calf muscles of shoe girls had shortened, thus putting much greater mechanical strain on their calf muscles than those women who had the poor taste to wear flat shoes. 

Men of Science, such as these researchers, might have a few x-rays, statistics, and charts on their side and perhaps some proven facts.  But as a Woman of Stiletto I cannot help but find fault with this study.  First of all, the designers did not study each woman in heels of varying heights.  I think it’s perfectly logical to assume that any woman who wears heels for 40 hours or more a week likely has a vast variety of shoes in many types of styles, heel heights, and support.  A Mary Jane pump might provide greater support than a strappy sandal.  A good shoe girl would recognize this and consider this when selecting shoes for the day.  Yes, many of us shoe girls will push ourselves to extreme for a cocktail party or evening out, but we generally have better sense when preparing for a busy day at the office.  It is logical to wear those more sensible Mary Jane Pumps when strutting up the street. 

Another problem I see with this study is that is was not done in a natural environment, but inside a laboratory instead.  Here the women were put through controlled tests, walking certain distances while having their every move (or lack their of) recorded with electrodes.  But Women of Stilettos do not simply walk back and forth in a laboratory!  We strut down the street with confidence and grace to a sound track in our mind.  Show me a girl wobbling in her heels, and I will show you a girl with no personal theme song playing.  This study also gave the Women of Stilettos a lack of purpose in their walk.  A woman with a destination and drive behind her walk is a woman on a clear mission.  She is moving not to go solely from one side of a room to another, but to go somewhere, to do something with her actions. 

But beyond these issues I see with how the research was conducted, and I offer another theory, which is this: Women of Stilettos are women of faith.  We climbed on top of something that should scientifically and logically not hold our weight.  No one would design a building with the logic of putting all the weight onto two tiny spokes.  Yet, women do it and have faith that we can hold ourselves up.  Women of Stilettos are women who believe that we will not fall down; even when we wobble a little we can self correct.  We see the world of cobble stone roads, loose gravel walkways, or grassy fields not as hindrances but just other challenges to overcome.  They are just another step that must be taken to move forward. That step might be shorter but they are forceful steps as the research of Men of Science shows. 

Men of Science might be able to measure how my toes point even when resting or that my calf muscles have been altered by my choice of shoes.  But as a Women of Stiletto I kind of have to shrug my shoulders and say, “so what” and simply keep on walking.  Because a Women of Stiletto does not stop long enough to hear what Men of Science have researched; we are too busy moving ahead.

 

No Reality January 15, 2012

Filed under: Its All About the Shoes — theislandshoegirl @ 9:10 am
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A shoe girl lost in reality. Photo by Jean Thornton

Over drinks with a friend, the conversation somehow wandered to the topic of the reality TV show The Amazing Race.  My friend commented that she thought it would be so fun for her and I to be on the show together.  I was about to counter that that my idea of a trip around the world involved several luxury hotels and far more luggage than one backpack’s worth.  Before I could speak, my friend stated the obvious, “you couldn’t do that; they wouldn’t let you wear heels.”   For a brief moment I did think of scaling the pyramids in a pair of Michael Kors’ wedges….before thinking I would much rather scale the escalator at Bergdorf Goodman’s. 

My friend was speaking the truth of course.  I am not a girl who easily gives up her heels; just ask my poor foot doctor who has had to twice force my broken foot into an orthopedic boot.  So thoughts of seeing the Seven Wonders of the World without my standard six-inch stilettos just might the eighth wonder.  Yet the more I thought about it, the more I realized The Amazing Race is not the only reality show I am disqualified from.  In fact, I cannot find one that would welcome a shoe girl like me.

If The Amazing Race is out, then Survivor is most definitely a pipe dream.   Each season generally starts with the contestants jumping off a boat or being dropped randomly in the wild.  Then trudging through jungle or swimming for dear life to make what they call “camp,” I am not sure what “camp” is or why I would want to “make” it, but I hear it lacks a walk-in closet.  Besides, I don’t like to take my shoes anywhere a GPS system cannot find. Sorry—if Tom-Tom doesn’t go there, neither do I.

A few of my married friends might hope to marry me off and perhaps The Bachelor just might be the reality show for that.  Yet, the thought sharing a house with 30 women just plain terrifies me.  No, it’s not the thought of sharing a bathroom or failing to land a “solo date”…FYI ladies, ALL dates should be “solo dates!”  But the worry that the band of skanks that regularly appear on this show might pilfer my shoes?  Sorry, no rose, ring or slightly damaged bachelor is worth the risk of another contestant stretching out my Jimmy Choos.

Fortunately, I do not qualify for such MTV reality shows like The Real World because I actually live in THE real world where people actually pay rent.  And because my parents were smart enough to let me take sex education in high school and I was smart enough to take notes, I have missed my chance to be on Teen Mom.   As a side note to the Teen Mom stars, if you are too embarrassed to buy a condom, you should be too embarrassed to have the consequences on TV.  Of course, since my skin tone is a normal color and not baked by UV rays, Jersey Shore is out.  And because I can spell both Jersey and Shore I am also eliminated from casting. 

I would keep my fingers crossed for a spot on The Real Housewives, if the franchise ever moved to Key West as perhaps my shoes would be safe on that show.  Due to my ability to drink extreme amounts of wine and live beyond my means, I would think this would be the perfect place for my shoes and me on Reality TV.  However, since I have a real job that would not allow for 3 hour long lunches to keep up with the busy Botox schedule and wine drinking in the middle of the day, once again I am out.   It’s such a shame because I would be a really great guest on Andy Cohen’s Clubhouse—Mazel, Andy!

So alas, out of reality I must stay…at least out of Reality TV.  There might be people out there who would be interested in seeing an everyday girl in extraordinary shoes face real realities like trying to finish the monthly reports on time, pumping her own gas, cleaning her own toilet and walking the dog.  They might be fascinated at all the amazing things I do like pay my bills and not be followed around by cameras and boom microphones.  These people, however, are most likely busy being “Reality” TV and thus have no time for reality.

Until the day when the tables turn and true reality becomes the NEW reality, I will just keep dreaming up my show.  Hey, what about a reality where a shoe girl spend hours organizing her shoe closet and trying on designer heels?  Sounds fascinating to me!

 

Skip This Ad December 4, 2011

Filed under: Common Sense in Unsensible Shoes — theislandshoegirl @ 9:05 am
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Who would skip an ad for these fabulous heels? Photo by Jean Thornton

As a die-hard fashion lover, I digest my fair share of fashionable reading.  It ranges from glossy-paged magazines, to biographies on designers, to blogs, to online magazines and newspapers that proclaim to be the end all guide for all of my fashion needs.  All of these fashion sources have a cost and some have a significant amount of advertisement.  Now I love a shoe advertisement probably far more than the next girl, but some of these ads are simply out of control.

I understand completely that nothing comes for free.   There is no free ride on the catwalk of life and delivering fashion insight and news is certainly no exception.  But at times I feel that these ads have spiraled out of control.  No matter if I am reading—the Fashion section of the New York Times or skimming a website—it seems that I cannot avoid an advertiser intruding on my pleasure time. 

When it comes to magazines I will gladly pay a price to have fashion at my finger tips, ready whenever I need it whether that be on a plane, on a train, or while waiting for a doctor’s appointment.  Tell me as many times as you want about the convenience of an electronic book, you will not win over this lover of pages.  It’s like telling me to wear a ballet flat; sorry, I am a stiletto girl and there’s no way around it.  Just the same, I am a real live paper-between-my-fingers girl.  (Plus, I think one of the most stylish accessories is a book cover that reveals a little bit about its reader.)

The advantage of advertisements in print is the ease with which one can choose to stop and observe or move along.  Some fashion advertisements are as informative, thought provoking, and attractive as some articles and photo spreads in those same magazines.  There is also the added bonus of being able to fold down a corner on the ad for those new Prada pumps with a casually scribbled shoe size for subtle birthday shopping hints. 

As a little girl I loved newspaper ads.  I would sprawl on the family room floor each Sunday and look through all the shopping flyers that were stuffed inside our Sunday paper, planning an imaginary shopping trip to my favorite stores.  Of course as an adult many times these are still imaginary trips since living on a mall-less island prevents such weekend shopping sprees.  Yet, these advertisements fuel my luxury-filled dreams. 

But in today’s online world, the happy web surfer is bombarded with advertisements.  Try to read a story online about Elizabeth Taylor’s Estate Auction and you’ll find yourself bidding on ways to avoid pop-up ads.  Some of the pop-ups even have pop-ups!  One advertisement blocking my view had the nerve to say “your requested video will play in 5 seconds” as it download an unwanted image onto my screen.  My requested video!  When did I click the “annoy me with advertisements” box?

Not only do these advertisements insert themselves into my online life, they almost stalk me across the World Wide Web.  Look at a Kate Spade bag online this morning but don’t be shocked if an ad for it lingers along the side of your inbox while you check your email.  And that cute little clutch just might follow you to your favorite gossip site as well.  Next thing you know that bag is stalking you when you Google driving directions. 

Perhaps these advertisements wouldn’t be so frustrating if some sites did not limit your time without a subscription.  So after clicking “skip this ad” twenty times while trying to read up on this winter’s scarf trends, you get a notice that says, “Your free views have been exceeded for the month, click here to subscribe for unlimited access.”  And thus another advertisement has blocked me from my supposedly free reading.  Of course if you add up all the time I spent clicking ‘close’, ‘skip this ad’, or suffering through an annoying advertisement for something I don’t really want, I have more than paid for the pleasure of reading that article. 

Thus a shoe girl like me resorts back to good old-fashioned….fashion magazines.  Sure there are still advertisements and I run the risk of paper cuts, but at least I can drool over Chanel mules without a pop-up advertisement offering to tell me the meaning of my name.  The only name I want to know the meaning of is the one stamped on the soles of my stilettos.  And that you can advertise!

 

Life Lessons with The Island Shoe Girl November 20, 2011

Filed under: Its All About the Shoes — theislandshoegirl @ 10:59 am
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An important life lesson...a Manolo can go a long way. Photo by Jean Thornton.

The other day an acquaintance at a meeting casually mentioned that she would be catching up on some shows on her DVR.  When I asked what shows she had on stand by (expecting something of quality viewing like some of the Real Housewives franchise), she told that she was watching Oprah’s Life Lessons.   This caught my interest because I had thought the competition between Oprah and I for who would be America’s most influential woman was at a standstill with the end of her show. 

But Oprah has restarted the race with her new show, which just so happens to be on her own television station, OWN.  If you ask me, this comes across as a little “me-ish”.  Apparently, one of the OWN’s shows is Oprah sitting around talking about her talk show and what she learned from each episode…a little life lesson!  Get it?  If not, I am sure Oprah will sit down and talk you through it.  Similarly, if you didn’t get the extremely high level of thought Oprah used in her afternoon talk show, she will break it down for you to a level even easier for you to comprehend. 

I must admit I have never watched one of Oprah’s Life Lessons.  I somehow have a feeling that these lessons would not be very helpful in my own life, seeing as how Oprah and I have a vast differences in our lifestyles, our economic standing, and more than likely, Oprah’s closet is the size of my entire apartment…in her weekend house.  I am guessing that the overall lesson of Life Lessons is that Oprah can get people to watch reruns of her talk show, sell advertisements for it like it’s a new show, and make even more money without very high production costs. 

I figure if Oprah can do it then why not me?  Okay, not me because first of all, I don’t have my own television show, let alone television network.  Secondly because I don’t think I have the same following. I am basing this on the fact that when I recommend a book, I generally lend it to a friend, not make it a best seller.   However, I do have this blog; so I figure this can be the starting point of my own set of life lessons…take that Oprah!

Life Lesson #1:  Once you start buying designer shoes, it’s hard to go back.  This can be an expensive lesson to learn.  Let’s face it, once you go Manolo, you can’t go back.  When you become accustomed to nicer and nicer things it’s hard to appreciate the slightly less nice things.  So take your time when acquiring more expensive shoes; like growing up too fast, you can’t go back once you’ve worn a Prada pump.

Life Lesson #2:  There’s always a bigger shoe closet out there.  You might think you might have the biggest or the best shoe closet, but let’s face it—somewhere out there is a bigger, better shoe closet.  You can’t compare your shoe closets to others; it will only frustrate you.  Instead seek to create the shoe closet that makes you happy.

Life Lesson #3:  A good cobbler is a hard to find.  There are some things in life that are plentiful: cheap wine, red nail polish, and Lifetime movies.  But cobblers are like parking spaces—you can’t find a good one when you really need it.  A cobbler should be treated like a good friend…good friends that can save your favorite pair of Stuart Weitzman’s.  And really, if you have a friend that can do that, you are a lucky girl.

My 4th and final Life Lesson: Never give away all your lessons at once!  Hey! A girl’s gotta keep a few tricks up her sleeve or in her knee-high boots.  If I give them all away here and now, why would you keep coming back to this blog?  I am sure Oprah has a whole vault of her life lesson programs tucked away somewhere in case she needs a Christmas Special or something.  Besides aren’t the best lessons in life the ones you learn on your own… notice that’s a little ‘own’ and not Oprah’s OWN.

 

Playgrounds & Simple Things October 2, 2011

Filed under: Common Sense in Unsensible Shoes — theislandshoegirl @ 9:03 am
Tags: , , , ,

 

Sometimes its the simple shoes and things in life that make us happiest. Photo by Jean Thornton

This week I spent a fair amount of time in my high heel sneakers… yes, they do make such a thing, but they are very hard to find.  You see, when I am not being a fabulous shoe girl, I am usually a case manager at a homeless shelter.   When people visualize a homeless person, they might conjure up an image of a man or woman begging on the streets.  During this down economy, the homeless person on the street holding a sign asking for work or pushing a shopping cart has become a more common sight.  Yet, one of the greatest increases in the homeless population has been the growing number of children.

As the numbers of families being affected by joblessness, increasing home prices, and the always-rising costs of living have grown, there has been a shift in who is homeless in America.  Many shelters, like the one I work for, have found the demand for family shelter greatly increasing.  Sadly, the amount of funding to provide for such beds has not increased but instead has declined steadily in recent years. 

For those families that do find shelter, the reality of life in a shelter can be a hard thing to handle.  While I am proud at the quality of the shelter where I work, I know it still isn’t a home in the traditional sense.  Most “homes” don’t have drop-ins from case managers, rules and chore lists posted on the refrigerator, or many of the other institutional touches that come with running a shelter safely and effectively.  Thus as homey as anyone tries to make a shelter, at the end of the day it still is not a permanent place to call home.

But this week a little bit of home was added to our shelter—the reason why I was wearing my high-heeled sneakers.  This week through a generous donation and the volunteer work of the USS Spurance crew, a playground was built for the children staying at the shelter.  Over two days in the HOT Key West sun, crews spent long hours laying out pieces, cutting wood, constructing a fence, and spreading mulch.  At the end of those days all of these activities led to a pretty awesome playground… and a few sore backs and muscles. 

What was constructed might be simply described as a few swings, a couple slides, a tree house and some things to climb on.  But in reality, what was built was a sense of normalcy—a place where kids can come after school and play with one another, be pushed on a swing by their parents, and have a little bit fun at no cost to them or their parents.    Maybe even for a short time, those families can feel like they are just everyday people in normal homes and not in a homeless shelter. 

There has been a lot of news coverage and talk of how the current recession has returned us to appreciating the simpler things.  Maybe that’s true and not just media lip service; maybe we are getting back to simpler things.  The funny thing is that many of those simple things are actually values that perhaps got lost in the glamour of expensive living of years past. 

As a child, a swing set was an amazing source of personal adventure—as opposed to video games and hand-held entertainment devices.  I couldn’t help but remember the fun I had spending my summer days swinging as high as I could and the feeling of happiness that accompanies flying through the air.   The thought of another child having that feeling made the sore muscles and sunburn worth it. 

Playgrounds might be seen to be something that brings happiness to children only.  But sometimes they can be just as much fun for adults; especially if you let your happiness be determined by how high you can let someone else swing.

 

 
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