Day 32---Dark Brown Flat Oxfords

I must really love this style of shoes for some unknown reason!

I grew to love them after going on vacation in Europe this summer. While were were traveling in France, England, and Scotland, I saw SO MANY people wearing this style and I totally adopted it for myself into my own wardrobe.

These particlar Oxfords are 1 out of 3 pairs of Oxfords that I own. I already wore my high heeled Oxfords earlier this week (see Monday's post) and now I have one last pair to wear at some point in the next 19 days! These shoes are from a fabulous place that I tend to buy most of my wardrobe from---Forever 21! LOVE IT!

I must begrudgingly admit that these shoes are NOT very comfortable. They actually pinch my poor little baby pinkie toesies a wee bit, but however, I will suffer for style. I love that they are Chocolate Brown---not tan---I think that I strangely justify owning 3 pairs of virtually the same exact shoes, because they are all SLIGHTLY different. Just ever-so-slightly different...as in one is high heels, while the other 2 are flats---one tan and one chocolate brown. The tan flats have purple laces (I did that myself...gotta spice things up a bit!). These shoes are popular with the teenagers today. For some reason they were all really into them.

I wore them with a colorful sundress (thank you, God, for this goregous weather!) and my yellow cardigan. I also took a picture so that you can see what kind of shoes 14 year old boys are wearing these days (see above) and also took a picture with my photographer, Karen, of my Oxfords and her AllStars.

I'm so glad it's Friday! I am going to the Stagecoach Country Music Festival this weekend, where I will play round after round of kickball, drink CoorsLight (gotta keep it just a little bit "white-trashy"), and probably sweat all day long out in Indio. Ahhhh....the joys of having a tradition with your friends. Here's to camping all weekend long and waking up with the sun!

P.S. I will take pictures, but I won't post til Monday for Saturday and Sunday....I will definitely NOT be posting while camping in the dirt! Yeehaw! :)

Day 31---Leopard Peep Toe "Flats"

Grrr, Baby, Grrr.



Ahh Leopard. I went through a period of time in my life where I wore SOMETHING Leopard print EVERY SINGLE DAY. It was my "thing", you know, like how some people wear all black all the time? Except I was this chubby woman (this was pre-Weight Watchers, people), trying to finish college, and wearing the LOUDEST kind of print there is....ANIMAL! Word to the wise: if you want to be a "wallflower", DON'T wear leopard print....it tends to DRAW attention to you, not repel attention! What can I say? I've always been quite loud, so it shouldn't be shocking that my clothes are even LOUDER!

Some days when I am leaving for work (not so often anymore) my sister will say "Oh, you're wearing one of your "special" outfits"....this means that I am mis-matched, wearing clashing colors, multiple prints, crazy tights, weird shoes, a crazy headband....you get the picture. I had a student tell me recently: "Miss Davis, what's up with your clothes? Like, all the time?" A less confident person might have been offended, but I however took this as the utmost of compliments. As the great Bonnie Rait once sang, "Let's give 'em somethin' to talk about"...if people are talking, then I'm interesting. Also, I am almost 100% certain that I have a deep childhood obsession with "Punky Brewster" and I just want to be the grown-up version of her. Goal achieved. (Plus, my sister used to walk ten steps---at the minimum---ahead of me into school when we were little because kids would point at me and tell their moms things like "Hey Mommy, there's the girl who never matches"....other kids would go home and cry, but I'm telling you, I love being the center of attention and I loved it...this all probably explains my profession.)

Anyway, these Leopard Peep Toe nearly-flat shoes are the spoils of my journey through the "Animal Print Era". I bought these shoes from Target, and unlike the White Wedge Sandals from Tuesday, these are actually quite comfortable. When I am not in the mood for heels, but I still want to look a bit dressy, I will throw these bad boys on---because they are the kind of shoes that I can wear with a dress or, like I did today, with shorts. I usually end up wearing them with another print, and looking what some people might call "ridiculous". I however, think I look amazing. :) LOVE the leopard shoes. I still love anything leopard. In fact, I just got a PURPLE Leopard Cardigan for Christmas this year from my parents. They're such enablers. :)

Day 30---Black Peep Toe Platform Heels

When I want to feel like "Jenny from The Block" I wear my hair in a French Braid and put on some Platform Heels. Don't be fooled by the rocks that I got :)




I must say that I just LOVE LOVE LOVE shoes that are random brands. You know, the ones you buy from like "Vision Shoes", "Price Shoes" (all my Downey Girls know what I'm talking about!), and even from Ross or Marshall's. Even more lovable are random brand shoes that are gifted to me from a friend whose feet they do not fit!

These shoes fit into both of those categories. They are some random brand ("Anna Michelle"????) and they were given to me by Stephanie Garrido because they did not fit quite right. Look at me now....super cute shoes which were....FREEEEE!!!!!!! LOVE IT! And I really like these shoes a lot. Admittedly they are NOT the MOST comfortable shoes that I have in my closet, but they are FAR from being the most UN-comfortable. Does that make sense? Unlike the only two pairs of shoes that I have posted thus far, I continuously wear these---despite their lack of being 100% comfortable. You know you ALL have "those shoes" in your closet. The ones that are just ever-so-slightly "off", but you continue to wear them because they are cute, dangit. :) That's these shoes for me.

I really like that they are Black and have a deceivingly "woven" platform heel (aka they are wood/plastic that are painted to look like they are made out of straw or something). Nevertheless, they are cute. These are a "power shoe". I am tall---but not too tall---when I wear them. I can walk comfortably, prowl about my classroom, run out to cheer practice in Bear Alley...let's just say that I am pretty much planning on achieving World Domination while wearing these shoes.

On a random note, I read in my Cosmo Magazine that while wearing very high heels was once considered to be a danger to women, we are now instead being encouraged to wear the highest of heels because they can be used as a weapon. I could not agree more Cosmo. Thank you for confirming the validity of my "heel height" obsession. I am only trying to be safe. Duh.

A special "shout out" to all of my random readers out there. Every day I have had at least one person---friends, long-lost friends, friends of friends, co-workers---tell me that they've been reading my BLOG. Random. But it is the kind of random-ness that I love. Not as much as I love Random Shoe Brands, like the ones I wore today, but loved all the same. Thank you for reading my ramblings. It means a lot to me.

And use a High Heel for protection. Cosmo says to do it.

Day 29---White Wedges

Unfortunately I must say that today's pair of shoes is another pair that I do not wear very often, and after wearing them today, I remember why. They are uncomfortable. Ugh. They kind of pinch my toes. The arch is kind of weird. The fact that they are from Target MIGHT be the reason, but I have had a lot of shoes from Target and have been perfectly content with them. So, I am just thinking that it is these particular shoes. Not fun.

What is fun is that as I was leaving to come to work this AM, I remembered when and why I bought these shoes. I totally bought them about 4 years ago to wear to my good friend Joanne (Iskarous) Azer's wedding shower. I wore them with a red dress and I looked so cute....or at least I thought I did! As I have said many times, all shoes have a story to tell. These shoes remind me of an INSANE time of my life---the first 2 of my friends were getting married (Lori&Dave and Joanne&Andrew) and it was CRAZY! They got married 3 weeks apart from one another and everyone was in both weddings...including the brides! We had such a great time planning showers, bachelorette parties, shopping for wedding/bridesmaid dresses, pushing Joanne in a wheelchair through the Ritz-Carlton in Pasadena three days before her wedding (we can't forget the epic "slip down the stairs" that resulted in a fractured foot for the wedding, now can we Jo???) It was just so fun. Little did I know that we would fast forward, 4 years later, and I would have been in NINE other weddings!

1. Joanne&Andrew---July 1, 2007
2. Lori&Dave---July 22, 2007
3. Renee&Pat---February 16, 2008 (they have a baby girl, Bailey)
4. Alex&Steve---April 12, 2008
5. Erica&Craig---September 12, 2009 (expecting Mia on May 16th)
6. Krisi&Michael---January 2, 2010 (they have a baby girl, Ella)
7. Brittany&Isaac---February 6, 2010 (expecting Scarlet on May 16th)
8. Erin&David---July 1, 2010
9. Stephanie&Anthony---October 23, 2010
10. Bianca&Danny---November 7, 2010
11. Summer&Kelly---May 14, 2011

Wow. Insanity. But awesome. It is so cool to add more people to our group of friends. The men that my friends have married are amazing. The babies that we have been blessed with are SPECTACULAR. But, I must admit that I am looking forward to Summer's wedding being the last for a while. I love my friends, but I'm ready to be done being a bridesmaid. These white shoes I wore today signify, to me, the beginning of all of the bridemaid madness. Maybe I will ceremoniously get rid of them and shed my "bridesmaid role"...at least for a while :)

On a sidenote, my work friends threw me an AWESOME Birthday Party today! (see the photos!) My dad made my special birthday cake, the cheerleaders gave me a Keurig Coffee Maker...I felt so loved. Thank you to KAREN, JACKIE, DANIELA, BIANCA, ERIN, RYAN, JUSTYN, ALLAN-TO-THE-T, AND MATT (AND DAD AND MR. HARRIS---MY BOSS EVEN CAME!) IT WAS AMAZING! I am really so blessed to have such wonderful friends. When you enjoy the people you work with, all of the other stresses of work tend to fade away---or at least be minimalized---because people are what make life better, right? I am on Cloud Nine this week. I am SUCH A LUCKY GIRL!

(P.S....I'm throwing away these shoes)
(P.P.S....Happy Birthday Dr.Joanne Medhat-Iskarous Azer! Love you!)

Day 28---High Heeled Oxfords

Today is a big day. It is the first day back after spring break AND it is....drumroll please......my sister's birthday! (Happy Birthday Jos!) I attribute much of my "shopping problem" to my dear old sis. She once told me "When you feel bad, go shopping, it will make you feel better." Fast forward to my present day closet---with it's 51 pairs of shoes. I must have been feeling REALLY bad over the years! :)

The shoes I chose to wear today are so fabulous. I really adore them, because they were purchased from Forever 21 (that's right, once again the F21 pulls through for me in the shoe department!) sometime last year. These shoes are really comfortable and are also really cute. The heel is just the right height (you know how I feel about that), and I just ADORE the "Oxford" style of shoes. It is with a sense of embarrassment that I admit to the fact that I have these Oxfords, a pair of dark brown flat Oxfords, and another pair of flat light brown Oxfords (with purple laces) in my closet. Eeeeek. I guess I REALLY like the "Oxford Look". OMG. Embarrassing, and nerdy, right?

I also have to give a shout out to my dad, Phillip Warren Davis, and say THANK YOU for my kick-ass tassel belt that I wore today. Miraculously it matched PERFECTLY with these shoes. My dad picked this belt out for me especially for my birthday because I mercilessly made fun of his UGLY black dress shoes with tassels...so now, I have my own tassels. Thanks Dad! :) It's super cute, so I think that your plan to buy me something that would be weird with tassels is backfiring on you, because LOOK! I actually wore it TODAY! And just because the tassels on this belt are cute, that DOES NOT mean that you should start wearing those tassel shoes again. They are not so cute. I love you.

I am realizing more and more that Forever 21 is actually a great place to purchase shoes from...IF you catch them on a good day. And don't go to the Forever 21 at the Cerritos Mall...it's too overwhelming (too much of a good thing can be a bad thing, my friends). Instead, do it Downey Style...head over to the corner of Firestone and Lakewood. Grab a taco and a Monday Night Margarita from Acapulco and then take a stroll into the Stonewood Mall. The Forever 21 there is the best in the land. Seriously. But don't take my word for it. Check it out. I swear you won't be disappointed. Their shoes rock.

Day 27---Yellow Peep Toe Flats

I was born and He is Risen. Today is a good day.





So, if you can't tell from the top photo, it is my birthday!!! (yay me! And my mom told me that I have to "clear something up"....I was not "pushed out of her body"....it was more of an "extraction" aka C-section. Gross. My kids are being dropped off by the stork. Or by the guys who deliver my shoes from endless.com---next day delivery!) I chose to celebrate yesterday (because duh, today is EASTER!) by doing a couple things. I already wrote about getting my nails done and going to Gloria's for Margaritas with my pals, but the night kept going and going my friends.

The natural choice of places to celebrate my birthday was, of course, The Auld Dubliner (aka The Dub) in the LBC. It was, as always, a ridiculously random/crazy/weird/super fun night. It culminated with a late night visit to Denny's (because we ADORE the ambience there, right Dr. Barnes??) with some of my favorites. All in all it was a fun time. And it wasn't even actually my birthday yet!

Today I had a surprise breakfast/Easter Egg Hunt with my family and friends before we headed off to church. To church I wore a cute floral dress with my ADORABLE yellow peep toe flats from....PAYLESS!!!! (I bought them at the same time that I got my Teal Peep Toe Wedges from like, a zillion posts ago!) They are super cute and super comfy. I like to wear them to work usually, because sometimes I need to "mix-in" a pair of flats into my work wardrobe. If you notice from the pictures, they really look cute with anything....fast forward to me coming home from church and immediately putting my pajamas BACK on and throwing on one of my Bro's OBEY sweatshirts....and then realizing that I don't have any shoes at my mom and dads, except for my yellow peep toe flats. So, I am strolling around wearing this ridiculous mish-mash of PJ's paired with my semi-fancy shoes. But you know what???? It's my BIRTHDAY and I can do WHATEVER I WANT!!! (Small confession....I'm a little bit of a Birthday Diva) Therefore, I will wear pajamas and inappropriately matched shoes as much as I want. For today at least.

Remember people, shoes make the outfit. A cake is not truly a cake until it is frosted. An outfit is not truly an outfit until it is accessorized. Shoes = Frosting. That must explain why I LOVE frosting so much :)

He is Risen. He is Risen, Indeed.

Thank Heaven, I'm Twenty-Seven!!!

Day 26---Black Forever 21 Sandals

These shoes were chosen VERRRRRRY carefully today. More carefully than I typically choose my shoes. These were chosen because I needed to wear sandals---and I did not want to wear ANOTHER pair of Old Navy Sandals---and I was wearing a gray/black sundress. I HAD to wear sandals because I went with a couple of my very best friends and my Mama to get a "mani/pedi" and drink champagne in the nail salon and then go out to drink margaritas to celebrate my birthday a day early!

For any of you who have ever gotten a pedicure, you know how crucial it is that you either wear a pair of sandals TO the salon OR you BRING a pair of sandals to wear out of the salon....because you do not want to

#1: mess up your beautiful toesies by putting on sneakers

OR

#2: be forced to have to wear those silly foam flipflops that they give you if you are unfortunate enough to have forgotten your own sandals

I have experienced both of these scenarios and disliked them both equally. Therefore, I brought my own sandals along. These sandals do not have an exciting story---besides the fact that they are from FOREVER 21 which means, if you have ever purchased sandals from their store, they usually break within the first 2 weeks of buying them. These particular sandals however, have been with me for about three years now!

I don't know why I remember this story about wearing these, but as I have said before, all shoes have a story to tell.....I wore these particular sandals when I signed my VERY FIRST TEACHING CONTRACT WAAAAAAY BACK IN 2008. I had just turned 24 years old, and I wore a pair of black shorts and a yellow shirt (also from FOREVER 21 haha) So, I guess that it is fitting that today, on the eve of my 27th birthday (yes, I am now entering my "late 20's"....Dirty 30's HERE I COME!!!) that I wear these meaningful sandals. They are cute. I love them. They are comfortable. It IS challenging to wear them on slippery concrete because the traction on the soles is LOOOONG gone, but despite the level of danger that comes with wearing them, I am willing to take that chance, because they are cute.

Here's to living life a little on the wild side (even if the closest I get to the "wild side" is wearing sandals that I might or might not slip on wet concrete while wearing) and here's to turning 27! Yay!

P.S. A very special "Thank You" to Brittany Gutierrez, Lori Pryor, Erin Hanohano, Daniela and Jeremy Keeler, Jocelyn Cook, and The Woman Who Pushed Me Out Of Her Body (aka my Mommy) for spending the afternoon with me!

Day 25---Yellow Wedding Shoes!

LET THE JANKE WEDDING COUNTDOWN BEGIN!!!! T-MINUS 22 DAYS!!!

Here is the Bridesmaids Dress #11 and the potential Yellow Shoes I will be wearing....





Now, you might be asking yourself "Why is Ali Posting shoes that she has not worn yet? And furthermore, why is she posting "potential" shoes?" Well, my answer is that I spent ALL afternoon SEARCHING AND SEARCHING for YELLOW FREAKING SHOES to wear with this ADORABLE Bridesmaid Dress....did I mention it was #11????....AND FOUND NOTHING!

Well, except that is, for those yellow shoes that you see above. If you have not come to realize this fact yet, I am kind of a picky high heel purchaser. The heel must be the correct height. They must be comfortable. They must have potential to be worn multiple times, with multiple outfits, for multiple occasions. If they do not fit this criteria, then NO DICE!

This is what is making finding a pair of shoes for Summer's wedding so difficult. It seems (and can I get an "AMEN" if this is the case for anyone else out there) that when I am not looking for a particular pair of shoes, I seem to find 85 pairs that I MUST HAVE IMMEDIATELY. But HOWEVER, when I am searching for an exact color/style to match a particular dress, I come up empty handed. It is going to be the end of me trying to find these shoes. So, while at the Stonewood Mall today (I know, I know....I need to go to someplace OTHER than the Stonewood Mall---but I'm a Downey Girl and it's my first stop shopping place!) I went into Macy...nada. I went into Bakers....zilch. I went into Vision Shoes (I know, 1998 called, they want their ghetto homecoming shoes back....)....NOTHING! I was beginning to become very frustrated because I AM the shoe girl. And I rarely have trouble finding at least one pair that catches my eye. I reluctantly walked into Charlotte Russe and immediately SPIED this BRIGHT YELLOW PAIR. It seemed that the Stars were aligning for me....they had my size, they were marginally comfortable, they were on sale....but, for some reason I just could not seal the deal.

Here's the deal, I'm nervous about the one thing that is always my criteria---HEEL HEIGHT. That's right, me, the girl who can't find a heel high enough, is nervous about wearing too high of heels with this dress. This is Summer's big special wonderful day. She is wearing flats. Our Bridesmaids dresses are a TEENSY bit short (not too short, just in the "above the knee" genre) AND, the last thing that I want to do is go all "Pretty Woman" on the Janke's wedding day and wear some hooker heels and look like a "you know what" up in front of all their friends and family while they say their vows and declare their undying love and devotion for all who will listen. You get the point. It's Summer and Kelly's day, I want to look nice for them. I want to just be a classy bridesmaid. I don't want to be "that bridesmaid" who wore the crazy hooker heels. So now, my obsession with heel height is working against me.

I need help. Where to find yellow heels. No "cork" bottoms. Not too pale. Not too bright. JUUUUUUUUUST RIGHT. Ugh. I'm telling you, these shoes are going to be the end of me.

So now, if you're wondering why I am posting about shoes that I don't really own yet and that I did not wear today, please understand that I tried on, unsuccessfully, about 15 pairs of shoes and the last thing that I wanted to do was take off my Nikes for what seemed like the ZILLIONTH time and put on another pair of shoes to go out to dinner. So I did what any sane and normal girl would do....I wore my Nikes, gym clothes, and sweaty ponytail all day long. And I am counting the 15 pairs of shoes I tried on as the equivalent of wearing another pair of shoes. I promise, tomorrow I will do better. Until then....off to searching the World Wide Web for "YELLOW + PEEP TOE + HEELS + WEDDING".....ughhhhhhh :)

Day 24--- My Favorite Lil' Cowgirl and her Pink Boots

Over the past four days I have seen what True Love is. I thought that I Truly Loved all of my shoes, but until I saw my BFFFE and her daughter, Bailey, together in action once again, I did not know.

True Love is:

1. Continuously reminding your child to say "Excuse me_____________, May I please have_______________" as many times as you need to throughout the day.

2. Putting up with the crying fits that take place about every ten minutes, and then STILL cuddling her on her lap after all of that took place.

3. Just laughing when, after she has declared she is "SO HUNGRY" and you go ahead and pour a bowl of cereal, only to have her say, after one bite "I'm Full"

4. Attempting to put her to sleep for FOUR HOURS (that's right, four hours!) and just laughing when she comes wandering out into the kitchen AGAIN, looking for a drink of water.

5. Having dinner ready for her husband, and telling me that she "Always makes extra, because you never know who is going to 'stop in for a visit'"...everyone needs to take a lesson in hospitality from Renee Michele Johnson. I love her.

I realized that True Love is the kind of love that exists between my Best Friend and her Pink Cowboy Boot wearing Daughter---because despite the "Terrible Twos" and the crying, snotty noses, and load after load of muddy laundry that comes with it, it takes True Love to be able to be happy at the end of the crazy day.

I have only been here for 4 days, but I AM EXHAUSTED! I don't know how Renee does it. She is the definition of SuperMom. She never gets worked up, she never yells, she just calmly (and politely) models the behavior that she wants from Bailey. That is amazing. (Oh yeah, her husband, Pat, is pretty awesome as well!)

Additionally, out here in the country, it is not so easy to be fashionable. BUT, my Little Miss BaileyMarie has surpassed all of my fashion expectations for a two year old growing up in the country. I mean, come on! Check out those BOOTS!!!! So cute! I want some for myself! (maybe after this challenge is over, I will treat myself to some!)

At the end of the day, I admire my Johnson Family for all of the love that they have, and am so happy that Pat and Renee will still get Bailey PINK COWBOY BOOTS....a girls gotta have some style, even while riding a horse!

Day 23---Red Toms Shoes

We may be the Worst Cowgirls Ever, but we are deinitely the BEST Farmers EVER. (just call Renee "Farmer Johnson" please)....after our horse/cow feeding debauchery yesterday, we were ready to try and tackle a job that had low possibility of being messed up. Therefore, burning the pile of weeds, wood, and random stuff was on the agenda. Then, we decided to "till" the garden, move wheel barrels full of dirt from one location to another, and pull weeds....fast forward to my prediction for tomorrow---100% chance that I WILL be sore. hahaha...

I chose to wear my red TOMS SHOES (buy one pair and they donate a pair to a child in need to shoes....awesome philanthrophy...check it out...www.TOMS.com). These shoes have really gone lots of cool places with me. I took them to Europe this summer, I wear them to work on a regular basis (you know, when I'm not wearing my ridiculous heels!), and now I am rocking them "Etna Style"---attempting my hand at being a "Farmer"....whatever, as long as I can be successful at ONE of my endeavors on this trip, I will be happy! My Grandpa aka Farmer Davis, would be so proud of my gardening skills :)

My TOMS are filty, I have dirt all over my face, motor oil is permanently encrusted into my nails...ahhhh SPRING BREAK. Others might choose more glamorous locations in which to spend their break, but give me a shovel, my best friend, and a mimosa (yes, we garden with a shovel in one hand and a goblet full of champagne and OJ in the other)....and I am a happy girl.

P.S. Check out Bailey's kick-ass Cow Converse All-Stars....she is such a Fashionista :) So proud of her shoe choices! She's on her way to fashionable living...along with her dirt covered clothes from playing outside all day long. A Country Girl CAN Survive.

Day 22---Gray and Pink Nike Free Running Shoes

Feed Cows? Check.



Etna does not disappoint.

Renee's husband, Pat, says that everytime I come to visit, he leaves to go to work and comes back home and all we have been doing all day is baking and cooking. And yesterday was no exception. Except that along with preparing a DELICIOUS dinner of Indian cuisine, we also drank Bloody Mary's allllllll day long. So, he walked in the door and we were laying on the floor in the kitchen, taking pictures, with all the windows open in the house because we started a kitchen fire. Awesome. This leads me to my shoe choice for today...

I HAVE To wear my Nikes today, because I woke up this morning with a purple and blue toe. And i'm not quite sure how it happened. Why is it that I always get injured???? I'm a disaster people. And there is just no way that I am going to wear any shoes other than my Nikes. They are so comfortable and fit my feet like a glove. These are my "default shoes", which means that I get to wear them every day of this 51 day challenge....and I figure I should blog about them at some point along the way. Today is that day.

I love these shoes because they are so cute---who doesn't love pink AND gray together?? And you know how some exercise shoes are just not cute? Well, these ones are totally fabulous in the sense that they are cute AND are great running shoes. I no longer get shin splints when I am running long distances and they are also great for the gym as well...you know, for when I am pumping some serious iron :) In all seriousness, these shoes are totally worth the $80 that it cost me to get them. I recommend them to anyone who runs, walks, lives an even mildly aerobic lifestyle. They are THAT awesome. You will not regret them.

Today, these shoes helped me plant Renee's garden, go feed the cows (see photos for proof), catch the horses that escaped the corral (I'm telling you, the weirdest coutry things happen to me here) and just be generally active. And also they did not irritate my randomly sort of broken toe. OUCH! What a fun day! I LOVE ETNA!

And, also just because Pat makes fun of our cooking hobby, we are also having a "Southern cooking" themed dinner. So who knows, maybe he'll come home tonight with us laying on the kitchen floor, surrounded by fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and Margaritas....as long as I don't break another toe, anything goes in Etna! :)

Day 21---"FUGG" Rite-Aid Slippers

See, I told you....it's BEAUTIFUL here~





I am so happy that I am able to still get my "blog on" while I am in ETNA~ I woke up this morning to the sounds of.....wait for it....NOT Police Sirens (thank you for that usual wake-up call DPD), NOT the crazy next door neighbor lady playing video games with her head-set on (ahhhh Apartment Living), and NOT even to my alarm clock (like I normally do on Monday Mornings!)....instead I woke up to the sound of SILENCE. Ahhhhh....it truly IS Golden my friends.

After an epic flight situation yesterday at LAX---my flight was delayed for 2 hours---which made for some pretty awesome Airport People Watching---socks with sandals GALORE---tourists trying to "Fit In" and failing miserably---a lady running through the terminal in Stiletto Heels (not even I, the self-proclaimed High Heel Queen, would be silly enough to wear heels whilst traveling). So, even though I experienced some wait time at LAX, it was worth it, because shoes are shoes, and seeing the interesting decisions that people make is always entertaining.

I am now sitting in the Premier SPring Break Location...no, not Cancun....ETNA, CALIFORNIA, enjoying a nice cup of coffee (getting ready to make a Bloody Mary...it IS Spring Break, come on!) and being SO excited about still being able to blog. Good thing I went ahead and brought along shoes to blog about! These slippers are SO GROSS, but SO COMFORTABLE! I bought them this past Winter with my friend Karen from Rite-Aid/CVS (can't remember which one...) all that really matters is that you understand that, similar to my Payless "FUGGS" from a couple weeks ago, these are the Cost-Friendly Version of UGG Slippers. (which, I clearly STILL can't bring myself to pay ridiculous amounts of money for!) They are so comfy, and are perfect for relaxing with my Best Friend, planning what we're going to make for dinner tonight, and enjoying some "BaileyMarie Free Time" before Bailey-Bug wakes up and things get crazy! These slippers are like a heater for my feet....and because SummerTime is quickly approaching, I am thinking that my days of wearing these are slipping away from me.

My vacation has begun...and although I am NOT in Cancun, OR Jamaica (Erin and David!), OR anywhere I will get a Tan, I AM in a place that makes me happy, with people who make me even happier, enjoying the slippers that make my feet happy.

Day 20---Knee High Brown "Born" Boots

ETNA, HERE I COME!!!!!




So, even though it is about 75 degrees here in Sunny SoCal, I have my jeans and KNEE HIGH BROWN "Born" BOOTS on because I am getting ready to jump on an airplane and fly to NORTHERN NORTHERN NORTHERN California to visit my BFFFE, Renee Michele Johnson, and her husband Pat and daughter BaileyMarie! CAN YOU TELL I'M EXCITED?!?!?!?!?! (I am also currently sweating....it's too hot for jeans AND boots, people!....but it's raining in ETNA....i've gotta be prepared!)

I am so excited to have these boots on for a couple of reasons:

1. Whenever I put these boots on, I am reminded of when and why I purchased them (remember, all shoes have a story, my friends). I got them right before I went to the Stagecoach Country Music Festival last year, and boy, did these shoes see some fun! I stood on top of walls and rocked out to Toby Keith, danced to the music of Sugarland, and ate copius amounts of corn on the cob. It was my birthday, we played a zillion games of kickball, drank a lot of BudLight...it was overall a GREAT time.

2. I am wearing these boots because I am going to one of the most beautiful locations (in my humble opinion) in the state of California---the Scott Valley---and in the Scott Valley, there are cowboys. We're talking REAL MEN here, people. Not the fake Cowboys like at Stagecoach, but the legit, rodeo bull riding, cow wrangling, rifle shooting, rope swinging kind of Cowboys. It's my kind of party. :) Nothing like good looking men who aren't afraid to get their hands dirty. Sorry my Southern California Men, you are amazing, but I must admit that there is nothing hotter than a man on a horse :) And I am wearing the right boots for the occasion!

3. These boots ARE SO COMFORTABLE! I love them. They look good over jeans, they look good with shorts, they look good with dresses. They are so versatile and that is what I love the most about them. Seriously awesome. AND I bought them at Marshalls for what I'm sure was about 1/2 the price of what they normally are! SPECTACULAR!

On a sidenote, I am not sure if I am going to be blogging....Etna tends to be a "Black Hole" into which I get sucked and I usually forget whatever is going on in the outside world. I DID end up bringing along shoes to blog about, so hopefully I will be able to do that and keep up with my plan! We'll see!

Have a happy Spring Break, all my teacher friends!

Day 19---Orange Old Navy Sandals

Gooooooood Morning!!! It's the first day of my Spring Break and look at this....I am up EARLY! It's okay though, because I am up for a GREAT reason......

I am going to Glen Ivy (that's a Day Spa, folks) and San Diego with my friends for Summer's bachelorette party! Woohooo.....I am really excited!

However, because I am anticipating the consumption of champagne and also of being in a "Relaxation Coma" due to my need for rest after the ridiculous busy-ness of the past few weeks of work, I am just going to go ahead and blog right now. I am so paranoid that I won't be able to post....and I know that no one is hanging around just WAITING for my next post, but I promised MYSELF that I would do this EVERY DAY! (with the exception of Monday-Wednesday of this week possibly....more on that later)...

Anywho, similar to my Gold Old Navy Sandals from last weekend, these Orange ones are from the "Wall of Fabulousness" aka the wall covered with a plethora of flipflops at Old Navy. I bought these at the same time that I bought my Gold ones, but (embarrassingly) in order to put them on today, I had to take off the price tag. Now, that always embarrasses me, because it is just a reminder of my "shoe habit"....I mean, I purchased these sandals for the reason of wearing them and yet here I am, 2 years later, JUST NOW taking off the price tag? Embarrassing, with a capital E. Seriously people. THIS is why I have 51 pairs of shoes. I buy them, thinking that I just NEED them, but however I do not need them. In all reality, I only NEED one pair of flipflops, but for some reason I have about 10 pairs in my closet. Why??????? Well, my "Inner-Ali" is saying: "OOOOOO! These will go PERFECT with that_________________dress/shirt/skirt! I have to buy them! And they're only $2.50, so even if I don't wear them, it's not a big loss, right?"

WRONG! 2011 is going to be my "Year of Saving Aggressively", so I'm sorry "Wall of Fabulousness" at Old Navy, but unfortunately I am going to hold off on buying every pair of flipflops in every color this year. While I am 100% sure that I can find something to wear with every single pair of those sandals, I DO NOT NEED THEM! I repeat I DO NOT NEED THEM! (can you tell this is going to take some serious will-power, people???)

Alrighty, off to a weekend of relaxation! i can hardly wait! Woohoo! Yay for the beautiful bachelorette, Summer Lee Wagner! LEt's get WILD! Butanas for LIFE! xoxo ITB.

Day 18---Gold Bedazzled Sandals

It is the best time of the year right now! It is not hot, not cold---juuuuust right! (I'm like Goldilocks, apparently!) And, because the weather is great, sandals are totally appropriate.

It is funny that I chose to wear these particular shoes today, because I am gearing up for Summer's Bachelorette Party this weekend and these are the shoes that I wore in my friend Erin's wedding in Maui this past summer. Ahhh the life of a Perpetual Bridesmaid. There are very few things in my life that do not have some type of connection to a wedding...and these shoes are no exception.

Similar to other pairs of shoes that I have written about, these shoes remind me of a very specific, very wonderful window of time in my life. I got to be a Bridesmaid for one of my very best college friends and sorority sister and now co-worker, Erin Hanohano, last summer. The best part about her and David's wedding was that it took place in Maui! AWESOME! Our dresses were SUPER cute and we got to wear these cute sandals! Erin HATES heels, so she didn't even wear SHOES!

I love them because they are sparkly. But mostly I love them because everytime I slip them on, I automatically think of a fantastic wedding and how happy I was to be honored by being asked to stand up beside Erin while she married such a wonderful man. I guess I'm just a romantic at heart, and these shoes are a concrete representation of that.

Additionally, my mom accompanied me on the trip to Maui for this wedding and it was such a great time. I just ADORE my mother and we had adventure after adventure hanging out around Maui. It's funny how shoes have feelings and memories attached to them if oyu really stop and think about where you've worn them. Try it.

Day 17---Gray Gladiator Sandals

First off, check out these ADORABLE shoes that Dr.Jo bought! She was unsure of the level of their cuteness, but I personally am having some serious shoe jealousy over these babies. Great purchase Jo! (don't listen to Andrew! He doesn't know shoes like we do!!!....we still love you Andrew, even though our taste in shoes is better than yours!)


Now, on to MY adorable shoes!!!!





Several amazing things happened to me today while I was wearing these shoes. I got an amazing review from my boss after she observed my lesson yesterday (I'm apparently the "Freshman Whisperer"....I'm like Cesar Milan, but for Freshman! LOL). I got my taxes done and had to stop myself no less than 10 times from making "That's What She Said" comments after everything my Tax Man said. AND got an unexplainably awesome tax return this year----I ask no questions----I just accept it! Lastly, I reluctantly tried on my Bridesmaids dress for my BFF Summer's wedding (which we ordered online, like, last summer, and I never tried on...eeeek) AND IT FIT!!!! Amazing. And I did all of this whilst wearing my super cute Gray Gladiator Sandals from Forever 21....I love these sandals almost as much as I love all of the awesome things that happened to me today....I am choosing to call them my "Good Luck" Sandals, because generally my luck pretty much sucks. Gladiator sandals are tricky, because they are after all, GLADIATOR sandals. When you put them on, you risk the possibility that you might actually look like a Gladiator (and Gladiators are generally dudes...and who wants to look like a dude----unless you are a dude, right?) OR you can get lucky and they can be super cute and full of good luck---like these particular sandals.

I love these sandals. They are cute. They were not expensive. And they are clearly my new good luck talisman. Rock on Gladiator Sandals, Rock on.

Day 16---Gold Leaf Heels

Today is the first day that I have worn a pair of shoes that I was truly reluctant to put on.

I was wary of these shoes for several reasons:

1. I could not remember the last time that I wore them. So, this leads me to wonder, WHY have I not been wearing them?

2. They have a pretty low heel. This means that they fall into the "not quite flats, but not quite heels either" category. I don't like this category.

3. They have ankle ties. Ankle ties are not a good look for people who have short legs. I fall into that genre of people.

So, after wearing these shoes all day long, I came to some startling realizations:

1. I HATE these shoes. Yes, they ARE cute, but appearances can be deceiving. Because, while these shoes are admittedly adorable, they are only adorable in theory.

2. These shoes were purchased from H&M, and while H&M has really awesome stuff, these are not the most well made shoes that I have ever owned. In fact, they are intensely uncomfortable. They pinch my feet right where the leafy straps hit my foot. OUCH!

3. They have these ankle straps. Now let me premise this with the statement "I DO NOT HAVE 'CANKLES'" (you know, calf-ankles), but these shoes give the appearance of that. And I HATE that!

4. The heel is just not up to height standards. As you have most likely noticed from my posts, I WEAR VERY HIGH HEELS. And, these are just an awkward height. I spend a lot of time on the stairclimber at the gym for the one purpose of showing off my sweet "stems" (hahahahaha JUST KIDDING!) and these shoes do nothing for my legs. But seriously, I enjoy a higher heel. Is there something so wrong with that???

All in all, these heels are just not my favorite. I need to designate an area in which I am putting the shoes that I no longer love. I am sure that at some point of my life, I adored these shoes, but that time has passed. And I am now going to get rid of them. So, if there is anyone out there, size 9 (eek!), who REALLY loves these shoes---even after my SCATHING REVIEW---let me know, and I will send them your way.

On another note, I realized that I am going to be "out of touch" with technology while up in Etna, California visiting my BFFFE (Best Friend For Freaking Ever, duh) Renee Michele Johnson during my Spring Break next week. So, I am considering, against what I really want to do, not posting for a couple of days. Because I will run into problems such as: How do I wear high heels while shooting rifles? How do I wear heels while riding a horse? How do I wear heels while drinking Coors Light and throwing the bottles at trees for points? How do I wear heels while attending a cow castration? So you see, it might be a tad difficult to fit in all of my shoes when the only shoes I typically wear in Etna are my running shoes or boots. We'll see....the decision has not been made yet :)I don't want to disappoint "All Hail"...I know you wait expectantly each day to read my witty posts :)

Now, off to rip off these HORRIBLE HEELS! (hehehe)

Day 15---Black Heels with a Gray Bow

These shoes totally remind me of a VERY distinct time in my life...this time of my life I speak of is called the "My friends and I discovered the Aldo Shoe and Accessory Outlet in Huntington Park" Era. We went through a period of time in college where we went EVERY SINGLE WEEKEND to HP to buy copius amounts of shoes and gigantic purses from the Aldo outlet. This was also known as the period of time in which I had an unreasonable amount of HUGE purses (purchased from the outlet). It was basically ridiculous. The spoils of this Battle (Ali vs. Aldo) were spectacular, however the only ones that remain are these GORGEOUS heels....

I mean, LOOK AT THEM! They are phenomenal! So adorable with their cute little bow. So comfortable (really, I swear!). So indicative of a time in my life when all I thought about was figuring out how to get my next "Aldo Fix"! I can still picture my friends and I gathering at one of our houses and making the Journey waaaaaaaay down Florence Avenue all the way to HP, just to score a sweet deal on a pair of shoes and an enormous matching bag. Ahhhh, it WAS the life. And it was also probably the beginning of this ridiculous shoe obsession that I have!

I must also mention that as I was walking down the hall today at school, a young gentleman---who is not even my student mind you---told me "Wow Miss! I really like those shoes!" Ahhhh The Youth. I appreciate any appreciation of my Footwear....even if it is from a random kid in the halls!

Additionally, I have to give credit where credit is due: A HUGE THANK YOU to Dr. Jo for being the person who first wore the silver shoes (from yesterday's post) when she was a bridesmaid, showed them to me, and helped me to orchestrate The Great Shoe Plan which enabled me to wear them in not one but two weddings! You're the best, Joanne Azer! Love you more than I love shoes!

That's a whole lotta love!

Day 14---Silver Heels

I. NEED. THESE. NOW.
(A HUGE THANK YOU to my friend Kellie
for finding these and sending them my way! SO AWESOME!)



Now, on to more important things....like DAY 14!!!!!
TWO WHOLE WEEKS OF BLOGGING! YAY!



I have to say that I am having so much fun with this blog. It has seriously been such a great time, I've been getting a lot of positive encouragement from everyone I tell about it, I even have a few people who are unexpected "regular" readers who give me a hard time if I post too late (you know who you are, "All Hail") and it definitely makes getting dressed in the morning more fun!

As I mentioned waaaaaay back in one of my first posts, some of my shoes have been bought without any thoughts put into them---besides the fact that they are cute and I might be needing some "retail therapy", and then there are the shoes that are calculated, plotted, and purchased for a distinct purpose. These are a pair of those shoes. I have said a couple of times that I am a Perpetual Bridesmaid (my Grandma never misses a chance to tell me that my life is "Just like that one movie....what was it called again? OH, 27 Dresses! Have you seen it sweetie?"...Yes Grandma, yes I have.) Anywho....I've been a Bridesmaid ELEVEN TIMES. That's right, ELEVEN TIMES. And I am coming up on my last wedding that is on the "horizon", at least for now (yay for Summer and Kelly!) But, these shoes are a pair that I wore in TWO weddings. I purchased them online from Zappos (amazing website, check it out if you haven't done so already). I wore them first in Erica and Craig's wedding and then orchestrated The Great Plan in which I convinced another bride to have all of the bridesmaids wear them in her wedding (thanks for THAT Krisi Macshane!). Soooooo, instead of having to buy ANOTHER pair of shoes to go with ANOTHER dress that I am never going to wear again (no, you can't shorten it and TOTALLY wear it again, sorry Brides), I got to have a pair than not only did "double duty" but also got a pair of shoes that I actually WILL TOTALLY wear again (clearly!). These shoes are just cute.

End of story.

Day 13---Gold Old Navy Flip Flops

First off, check out my baby cousin, Harper's, ADORABLE "shoe socks"!!!! These are all the rage in the baby world (all of my friends who are having babies are receiving these at their showers, that's how I know)....and you can clearly see why they are so popular! Because they are so freaking adorable! When I saw them today, I knew that I MUST put them up on the blog. Cheers to baby Harper for beginning to cultivate a shoe obsession just like Cousin Ali's at such the perfect young age of 7 months! You go girl!



Now on to these gorgeous shoes.....



Sundays are typically reserved for Sunday School, a little "face time" with the Fam, and just generally catching up on whatever I need to do before the madness that IS my work week begins. Today was a little different than my usual Sundays....to keep it relatively short, sweet, and to the point, I got to eat breakfast at Pop's Cafe (a D-Town landmark) with some of my most fabulous friends---you know who you are---AND I got to be in a legit photo shoot for my good friend The Denim Guy (www.thedenimguy.com)! Those two things make today totally different than my typical Sunday! Because during the time I was doing both of those things, I would usually be teaching Sunday School!

So about the shoes, initially I put them on because I was running out the door to meet up with my friends for a few, and I was still technically wearing my pajamas, and I am keeping with my rule of only wearing one pair of shoes other than my running shoes, so I threw on my favorite Gold Old Navy $2 flip flops. You know those flip flops that they have an entire rainbow colored wall of at Old Navy during the Spring and Summer???? Well THESE are THOSE sandals! And typically, those sandals tend to break/fall apart after only a few "wears", but these ones have lasted me for like, two Summers! Which is awesome! Because they match everything, are super comfortable, and I basically wear them every day in the summer. Then I wore them to my legit photo shoot! It was awesome, I got tons of Denim and other clothing SWAG and got to hang out with some of my favorite high school friends AND my sister all morning long.

What could be more amazing than super cool friends, free clothing, AND my favorite gold sandals? Nothing! I double dog dare you to try to find something that is!

Day 12---Flat Black Boots

I feel better! I even felt well enough tonight to venture out of my Den of Sickness (quarantine/my apartment) to see a movie at the $3 movie theater in Norwalk with my brave friends (because, you know, they very well could have been infected with The Black Death). Said friends, Justin, Daniela, and Jeremy were troopers FOR SURE! We saw The Adjustment Bureau, which is just a whole other blog! Quick statement about the movie: I now question everyone wearing a hat. They are even MORE suspicious than usual, and it is just confirmation that I should continue to require students to remove hats in my classroom. If you've seen the movie, you know what I'm talking about. If you haven't seen it, then go, enjoy some Matt Damon eye candy and also the guy who played the politician who wanted Carrie to let him pee on her on "Sex and The City"....remember THAT story line????

Anywho, I was so excited to be leaving the house, finally, that I really got it together for the occasion. I even put on my boots. These boots are FAB! I totally bought them at the end of what is typically boot wearing season, right before it starts getting too hot to restrict your legs inside the confines of pleather, from Old Navy two years ago. They are cute. They are almost, but not quite, boots of the "Over the Knee" variety. You know the kind...the ones that are kind of scandalous, but you still want to wear them? Well, even if you don't know what I'm talking about, these are THOSE kind of boots....actually, now that I think about it, I think that it depends what kind of outfit it wear them with....so tonight, they were not scandalous at all, instead they were just cute. If I wear them with a mini-skirt, out to go dancing, then you better believe they are scandalous. However, when worn with spandex leggings, a tunic top (which doubles as a scandalous sundress during the summer months), and what is clearly my new favorite gray sweater (refer back to Sunday AND Monday's posts), these boots are just comfy and perfect for a Saturday visit to the $3 movie theater. And they are such an improvement from the boots of yesterday.

On another note, if you have not been to the $3 movie theater, you MUST go ASAP! It is insanely ghetto, yet amazing. The inside hallways feel like you are on a visit to a place that is a weird combination of Vegas and the line for Space Mountain at Disneyland. The bathroom has tagging GALORE (aka Gangster Artwork....the stall I chose to use had "Murder <3's Skittel" etched into the door)...and let me tell you, it was amazing. I will definitely be going back. I had a great afternoon with my great friends. Thanks guys, for not being visibly repulsed by my dry, hacking cough or forcing me to sit by myself in the back of the theater. If I were a tagger, I would etch "Ali <3's Justyn, Jeremy, and Daniela". I'm so glad I feel better, and that I got to take my awesome boots out for some fun. They deserved it.