Day 3---Teal Peep Toe Wedges

I have to say that the best part of this shoe adventure is the fact that my shoes are now a topic of conversation around the table at lunch in the teacher's lounge. I love that my work friends who are male are suddenly interested (or at least pretending to be interested so that I will feel supported---thanks guys---you know who you are!) in what shoes I am wearing today. If I have gleaned anything thus far from making my shoe situation public, it is that more women than I realized have just as many (if not more) pairs of shoes as I do! (thanks for throwing your wives under the proverbial shoe-bus guys!) What a relief! Not that I would change having this many shoes, but still....it's nice to know that I am not alone.

Now, the shoes that I chose to wear today are kind of on their way to shoe heaven. I first must mention that I tend to get compliments on these shoes every time I wear them, and I think it has a lot to do with their unique color. I bought these shoes from....wait for it......PAYLESS (yes, Payless) about 2 years ago, and they are still cute! They are Teal Peep Toe Wedges and I wear them with anything and everything. I don't like to wear them with pants because they really need to be seen to be appreciated. Sadly the lining on the instep of the shoes is kind of coming "undone" and they are starting to look slightly on the "ratty" side. I think that I will have a funeral ceremony for these shoes. My favorite time wearing them was to my friend Erin's bridal shower in Northern California last Spring. I remember that it was one of the most beautiful days that we had been lucky enough to have that season, and it was a fun party in honor of a really awesome person. When I say that these shoes go with anything, I really mean that they go with anything that I put on. This might have something to do with my sense of "style" which my sister so lovingly refers to as "explosive"! I actually prefer NOT to match, so these shoes always offer a great burst of color among what could otherwise be a pretty drab and plain and boring outfit.

Morals of the story:

1. Shoes can be inexpensive and still look expensive. Payless and Henry's Shoe Experience (on Telegraph on the border of Downey and Pico Rivera....classy joint) are the bomb.com.

2. Buying a pair of shoes that are a color other than black, brown, tan, nude....will probably be the best purchase you ever make.

3. Never be afraid to buy a pair of shoes that is a unique color, because I guarantee you will be able to find SOMETHING in your wardrobe that matches/looks cute (side note: it's better NOT to match, we're not Jackie Kennedy Onassis here people....your shoes and purse need not match your outfit exactly!)

4. Accessories---shoes specifically---can make or break an outfit...choose wisely!

Additionally, my "photographer" Karen is the bomb.com and while we were taking the picture of me on the grass (we're trying to be creative here, peeps), we were getting whistled at by another co-worker who is usually the most reserved person EVER...soooooooo that explains my face :)

Day 2---Black and White Polka Dot with Red Heels

Day 2 of the challenge has not really been all that "challenging". Instead it has been kind of fun and also in a weird way, empowering. I have always wanted to be the kind of person who blogs, but I just never thought that I had anything interesting enough going on in my life to blog about. Now, I am not delusional and thinking that suddenly I have become very interesting and that I am going to be the next "Carrie Bradshaw" or anything crazy like that, but I AM proud of myself for actually following through with something that I want to do. I owe the confidence to go through with something like this to my Work Friends. For some reason they think that I am amusing and have encouraged me to just go ahead and be that (what I previously thought was unattainable) "blogger". (you know who you are, Work Friends) So, besides this being a funny way for me to work my way through my Fabulously Ridiculous shoe collection, it is also a personal accomplishment.

Okay, so enough about the "journey", right? Let's talk shoes! Today I wore a pair of my most favorite heels. These shoes are seriously kick-ass. Super cute, unique, and comfortable. They are my Black and White Polka Dot with Red High Heels, again made by my dear friend, Steve Madden. (I think I have a "thing" for him!) I actually remember when and why I bought these shoes. I purchased them to wear for my very first Open House as a Student Teacher FOUR YEARS AGO! WOW! I had not realized how long I had these shoes in my possession until my friend Karen (who is also my blog "photographer"---there's your shout-out Garineh!) asked me if I had a story behind every pair of shoes. Admittedly, I do not have a story behind every single pair of shoes. Some of them I bought on a whim, some of them were purchased for weddings (I'm a perpetual bridesmaid---but those stories will come later, with those shoes, duh!) and some of them, like these particular ones, were purchased for the confidence that they brought. I remember buying a black "professional" dress and wanting to wear somewhat sassy shoes with it. Hence, the polka dots. I love these shoes and the confidence that they brought me while I was going through one of the most stressful nights of my career---I wish I could say that they are accompanied with BLOOD, SWEAT, and TEARS, but in all reality the only one of those things I did in these shoes was SWEAT because I was so nervous!

Fast forward to present day. Four years later I am getting ready for my 4th Open House, but now as a "real" teacher with my own classroom and with a whole lot more confidence. It's next week---one week from today, actually---I wonder what shoes will bring me confidence this year? Hmmm....stay tuned. :)

Until then, I will continue to be Fabulously Ridiculous---some might argue that I am just ridiculous, but I promise, my mom thinks I'm Fabulous too. That counts, right?

Day 1---Tan Steve Madden Heels

So, I am embarking on this quest to prove to myself that I REALLY must continue to own 51 (that's right people, 51) pairs of shoes. Today was Day 1 of this epic journey.

I have been talking to everyone about this idea that I have, and surprisingly have been feeling encouraged by their reactions. Because, while this is admittedly a weird endeavor, it also has potential to be interesting. My friend Lori suggested that I label all of my shoes with a number, 1-50, and then just wear whatever shoes correspond with the day of the "challenge". Great idea, Lor! But then, her husband Dave suggested that I take it a step further and not only label them, but also put those numbers in a hat and then pull a number out of a hat each night and include whatever the shoes are going to be for the NEXT day with the blog from that day's shoes. Even better idea, Dave! So, thanks to my ever inventive friends, this idea became even more Fabulously Ridiculous. However, I think it is too late on this, the end of the first day of my challenge, to really change the rules of the game, so instead I am going to share my shoes from today and just glance over into my closet and see what shoes look interesting....

Today's shoes were fabulous. My tan heels with gold embellishments made by my good friend Steve Madden. I personally love the, because I bought them for a portion of the full retail price from Marshalls. I got them this past summer and boy, have they taken me places! Today they took me all throughout the halls of my work, and I even ran in them (proving my theory that I really CAN do everything in high heels!) We went to Happy Hour together---note to self, do not wear high heels to BJ's during Happy Hour...those floors are slippery and I almost ate it several times. These shoes have been good to me. They were a great choice to "kick off" this challenge, but I am sad that I now have to say goodbye to them for 50 days. Au Revoir my dear friends, I will miss you. But I am confident we will meet again.

Tomorrow's shoes....black and white polka dot pumps with a red heel.

You have how many pairs of shoes?????

I was recently out to dinner with a few of my male friends and we started talking about the most ridiculous accessories we have ever worn that we believed were cool. I was forced to relive my "pooka shell necklace days"...which was nowhere near as embarrassing as my friend Trent's "highlight" (aka guy-lights) hair days. But, that's neither here nor there. Somehow this conversation segued into the accessories we love today. I ADORE my blue knit hat (even though it is huge and tends to fall down over my eyes on a regular basis), and then I began naming off pairs of shoes that I own and love.

Enter the realization that I own MANY pairs of shoes. I could not even count in my head every single pair that I own. So I went home and proceeded to count all of them. They are divided into categories in my closet...high heels on the shelves, boots on the floor, and sandals/flats/tennis shoes in a hanging apparatus inside my closet door. As I began counting I became very uncomfortable...when I realized that I have 22 pairs of HIGH HEELS ALONE, I broke out in a cold sweat (not really, but that would have been fitting)....brace yourself people, I HAVE 51 PAIRS OF SHOES. That's right. 5-1. Fifty-One. Cincuenta y uno. I don't know any other language in which to say this but....HOLY CRAP! I have a LOT of shoes.

Thus, I came up with the challenge to see if I can wear a different pair of shoes every day for 51 days. I have shoes that I wear every day, like my Gray and Pink "Nike Free Run" running shoes. But I tend to wear at least one other pair at some point throughout the day. I think that I have several pairs that have been neglected, so this challenge is for me to fully appreciate my wardrobe. It is, after all, Fabulously Ridiculous (I mean, who has 51 pairs of shoes anymore?)

Here are the rules:
1. I will wear a different pair of shoes every day---along with my Nikes, because I wear those every day already.
2. I will take a picture of myself, my outfit--shoes and all--and upload it here.
3. I will give a brief desription of my daily experience with those shoes on.

Basically, this is just going to be something to keep me interested during these last couple months of school and to help me not to just wear the same shoes all the time, because who has 51 pairs of shoes if I'm not going to wear them?

The challenge begins today! Read on!