Mama Needs A New Pair Of...

**This post was originally slated for publication on Thursday, November 9th, but in being the busy career woman that I am, I found that I had to hop around a bit. The lesson here is that life is so not a straight line. So sit back and enjoy. And like Bartells and James used to say: "Thanks for your support!"**

It seems like people are always on the go in this town. In living in this fast paced city I’ve come to learn that we have to find ways to keep up. If we’re not rushing around by cab, bus, motorcycle or subway, the next best bet is that we’re walking. And we sometimes need fabulous accessories to make the walk through this New York life a little more fun. And what better way to do that than to shop! I may not be the smartest or the prettiest girl in the room, but I can always tell you where to get the best deals! I had what can only be described as an interesting week at work and felt the immediate need to unwind. I called my former co-worker and good friend Justine and asked if she wanted to go shopping. She and her friend Anna were initially gung ho to participate in our version of retail therapy. And it would have been great to think that we would have been able to conquer the bargaining beast, but the girl power shopping spree was derailed as the cat nap that Justine said she would take, turned into an all day slumber fest. (It’s ok Jus, I know you were tired but you’re still cool with me!) With that, I hopped on an uptown train and decided to go it alone.

I was a woman on a mission. I was determined to bypass the experience that was my work day and end it as the queen of what I like to call “retail relaxation" and DSW Shoes was the perfect place to indulge. I climbed the escalator and soon found myself alone and adrift in the sea of shoes –- Michael Kors, Steve Madden, Prada, Stuart Weitzman and Chinese Laundry to name a few –- also known as discounted dreamery. I wandered up and down the aisles wondering which whimsical wedged boot or sexy stiletto stunner would call my attention. I was excited as these shoes would be a great way to pull together this year's fall/winter wardrobe. There was a cool pair of nubuck high boots that I saw and liked immediately. Along with thinking of what fashion statements could be made, I also had to think how these boots would fair in New York’s infamous winters. In looking at the material and heels, I’m sure they would be ruined after the first walk around the block. New York sidewalks can be brutal on any pair of shoes (one would have to wonder how it was that Carrie Bradshaw navigated all the pot holes and unpaved streets of this city in four hundred dollar Manolo Blahniks), and with that I put the boots and my fashionista fantasies back on the shelf and kept looking.

As my fellow shoe enthusiasts bounced around happily with their purchases, I found myself settling in and whining. I had been looking around for a while and there was nothing that was pulling me…nothing that said “buy me!” I even went so far as looking in the clearance aisle. There were purple, green and red stickers. Fifteen percent, twenty percent, twenty five percent off…and still nothing. Here I was, in Nine West Nirvana…Prada Paradise being weighed down by the drudgery of having not found my perfect shoe. I took a deep breath and decided to give it all one last look. Nothing. I felt totally defeated. I was finally prepared to walk out of the store when I found myself charmed by a pair of boots; no loud colors or bizarre adornments here. I looked all around that store, how could I have missed these? The boots were brilliantly simple…just like me. I sat on a bench and tried them on and in that moment, my mission was accomplished and the shoe enthusiast in me was satisfied. The joys of shoes are as good as the joys of sex...and some may be happy to know, they last longer!

Here they are, my latest purchase...my new boots! These boots are made for walking and I now have "Happy Feet!"