Post 52---Scarlet's Shoes and Where to Now?

So, somewhere along my Shoe Journey (51 Pairs Of Shoes, Oh My!) I discovered that the obsession with shoes and pretty much all things "Fabulous", that my feelings and experiences were not unlike the experiences/feelings that many other people have. Now, this was not some "AHA!" moment for me, but it was pretty enlightening. I thought that this "shoe obsession" was a problem, so I began blogging about it. However, along the way, it brought me closer to many people whom I would otherwise not be close with. I realized that some men have a lot of shoes (and they definitely have their opinions about MINE!), I also realized that a lot of people read what I have been writing. I was utilizing some of the cool features of "blogspot" and saw that I could track the different states, countries, and YES, continents, where people are reading my blog. Crazy, but someone in GERMANY and also someone else in MEXICO are reading my blog. WHAAAAT???? (Hello to you, my international readership!) I am in shock and awe over this fact. I mean, I believed that some of my friends and family would read what I write, but never did I ever believe that I would have as many others as I do.

Now, this brings me to my next point. Where to go from here? I have been thinking about this for about a week now---okay, let's get serious---I've been thinking about where to go next since my first posting! And I have decided what my plan will be---at least for the time being. We have about 17 days left of the school year. I don't know about you, but when I was a high school student, I had a countdown going in my planner from about Spring Break and on....the last days of school always dragged on and on and coincidentally, the most interesting things tended to happen on those days. Both in school and out. Therefore, I am going to write about the last weeks of school, but with a twist (duh, how could there NOT be a twist, right??) I am going to write from the perspective of my shoes. Where did I take them that day, what weird things did they see, what strange experiences did I have whilst wearing them? We'll see. This has the potential to either be cool, or to really really suck. You just never know, right?

On another note, check out Little Miss Scarlet Rose Gutierrez's Sock Shoes!!!! Isn't she freaking adorable??? I got to thinking as I was holding her, that, unlike me, she has her WHOLE ENTIRE LIFE stretching before her. Those socks are just the first of many socks that she will own. They are just the first of many (hopefully) cute and Fabulously Ridiculous shoes in her wardrobe (if her Auntie Ali has anything to say about it!). She is full of life, and potential, and beauty to do and be whatever and whoever she wants to be. Gosh, I am so excited for her life. I am so excited that I get to be a part of such a beautiful thing. It makes me realize that I need to be very conscious of where my shoes are taking me. What stories do I want my shoes to tell? Do I want them to say that I am bad at my job, am rude to people, and have no patience? Or, do I want them to have adventures and a shelf life of Fabulous Ridiculousness? Hmmm....let's see.....what option sounds better???? :)

So, I will be a taking my cue from Scar-Ro, I will be seeing each day with new eyes. I will embrace new people and new experiences. I won't be afraid to cry. I won't be afraid to need my mom and dad. I will be demanding, but not be a diva. I will grow, in more ways than one. And I will try to be the best that I can be.

Ahhh, shoes. They make me all sentimental and stuff :)

Day 51---Payless Slip-Ons

Today is bittersweet. It is the end of my 51 day "challenge"! Can you believe it? I am seriously amazed that this is coming to an end. I am nowhere near finished with my blogging life though. This has been such an enlightening experience for me. I have always wanted to write in some capacity and as an English Major in college, I did a LOT of writing. But, as a teacher, I have not really found a niche for my writing....until NOW! I feel like I have been able to "get out" my creative writing (debatable if it is enjoyable for everyone!) urges on this blog. My goal was to write about my shoes, but also to write about the experiences that my shoes might be able to tell everyone about---if they could talk. I hope that my "voice" (as my professors were always encouraging me to use) was loud and clear while you have been reading my blog. It has been so fun and fulfilling to write again. I know that I am nowhere near being finished with my "Fabulous Ridiculousness"...I promise! Plus, I still have to blog about my Shoes' Journey to the Big Apple AND we have to have a Shoe Funeral/Memorial Service for all of those shoes that are no longer going to be a part of my closet.

Speaking of shoes that will no longer be a part of my closet, allow me to highlight the pair of shoes that I chose to leave for last. I think that I subconsciously left these shoes for the end, because I knew how FREAKING UNCOMFORTABLE they are and I was dreading wearing them. Today has been PURE TORTURE. These shoes hurt my feet more than any other pair that I have ever owned. Seriously. They are from Payless---so it shouldn't come as a surprise that they are just a little bit "off"....from my vast shoe experience I have gleaned the fact that Payless shoes tend to all be a little bit weird. Does that make sense? There is something to be said for classy, expensive, well-made shoes. They just tend to be more comfy. For example, my Nike Free Running shoes are comfortable enough to wear on a daily basis for hours and hours on end, but these shoes are just NOT those kind of shoes. I bought these because I was taking advantage of the "BO-GO" (Buy One, Get One) one time when I purchased some other equally uncomfortable shoes, so I don't feel any real connection to these shoes, but for some reason I have never gotten rid of them.

After doing this blog, I have come to see that the reason I have these uncomfortable shoes in my closet is because I just have TOO many pairs of shoes, and then I tend to wear the same 5 pairs and never branch out and then I forget how uncomfortable they are and then they just sit there in my closet gathering dust. HOWEVER, I am NOW proud to say that I have at least 5 pairs of shoes that I will be ridding myself of later this week. (The best part is that I am going to take them to The Salvation Army and some other unsuspecting woman will be suckered into buying them, just like I was! I'm so evil!)

This may be the "end" of this particular Chapter in my blogging life, but I can say with full confidence that I am nowhere near done being "Fabulously Ridiculous", so stay tuned---because I WILL be gracing the screens of your computers with more of my Ridiculousness. Mark My Words.

Day 50---Brown Forever 21 Oxfords

Here they are friends! My third and final pair of Oxfords! I am still disgusted with myself and the fact that I have THREE pairs of these shoes. Seriously. It's slightly out of control. I have a problem. I see this style of shoes and I want to buy them. And the real problem is, they are flat shoes and, as you all know I don't typically wear flat shoes. However, I love these for some unknown reason more than I love any other pair of my Oxfords. Weird.

I must confess that I wore these while I was in NYC this past weekend as well as wearing them today. They are just too cute to pass up. I wore them out to dinner with my brother and our good friend Rick Lands. Rick has a place in The City and we met up with him and he took us to eat at this amazing place called "Cafeteria"....sooooooooo bomb.com! They have DELICIOUS mac'n'cheese and lots of really yummy food. Apparently they are THE hot spot for late night after hours dining and it really gets crazy there after the bars close. Probably a good thing that we don't have one here, because I would want to eat there all the time! Wes and I had a really good time with Rick...eating, chatting, drinking Belini's....so great!

So, when I wore them today, I couldn't help but think about where I was the last time that I wore them, in comparison to where I am wearing them today. Traveling is crazy, people. One day you're living it up in a new city, surrounded by fun opportunity and new experiences to be had, and the next I am back at Warren High teaching ROMEO AND JULIET. Oy Vay! How things change!

Speaking of change, my best friend had her baby! Scarlet Rose Gutierrez made her Grand Debut on Saturday, May 21, 2011. She is BEAUTIFUL! I told Britt that she really didn't have to go to all the trouble of getting Scar a "Baby Wig" (look at all that HAIR! She needs a BOW STAT!) I was overcome with emotions when I met her. It is such a strange feeling to hold a baby that was JUST inside your best friend, and feel the immense responsibility that comes with having a baby. I can't believe that Britt and Isaac are parents. It seems like yesterday that Britt was telling us all during lunch at DHS our Junior year about this guy that she met that is pretty cool and she thinks she kind of likes him. Fast Forward 10 years....SCARLET! Wow. I am in love. It's official. She is amazing, and beautiful, and SO SMART. I can tell! She needs high heels ASAP. Auntie Ali to the rescue!

Day 49---Blue "Michael" Heels

I'm baaaaack! So, I was gone this weekend in New York City (and let me tell you, I had the BEST time with my brother and sister! Thanks Diana and Brendan for getting married and inviting us to come!) I will have a post later this week detailing the trip and the shoes that went along with me!

However, we must move onto THESE AMAZING SHOES. These are the shoes, my friends, that have been taunting me from the top shelf of my closet for months. My sister got these shoes for me 2 years ago as part of my Christmas present, and I HAVE NEVER WORN THEM! I'm not really sure why I have not worn them until today, but boy am I glad that I did! I got SO MANY COMPLIMENTS on these shoes today. From several of my students to the NICU nurses at Long Beach Memorial Medical Center where I visited Brittany and Scarlet Rose Gutierrez this afternoon! Scarlet is amazing and beautiful and wonderful and is going home from the hospital tomorrow! I would have to say that these shoes took me on one of the best journeys I have embarked upon as of late: to meet my beautiful pseudo niece. Of course, I had a minor meltdown at the hospital because I am just overwhelmed with the emotions that accompanied the fact that my best friend is now a mom. So weird and so cool.

These are serious shoes. They are super high, they have velcro (yes, VELCRO...like "grandma Reeboks"), and they are BLUE. I have a LOT of shoes (did I mention that??? LOL) but these are my only blue shoes. I feel like Elvis (you know, "Don't Step On my Blue Suede Shoes")....minus the drug addiction and crazy high fat diet....regardless, these shoes make me happy. They were a gift from one of my best friends, Joslyn, and they took me throughout the halls of Long Beach Memorial on my way to meet my precious baby Scar-Ro.

What a good day. What a fun weekend I had (more on that later). What fun shoes!

P.S. It was "Disney" Spirit Day today at school---hence, the Minnie Mouse Ears (a gift from my work wife, Karen). So fun. I've got spirit, yes I do, I've got spirit, how 'bout you???? I live for this stuff, people. That's why I teach high school. So I never REALLY have to grow up. Duh. :)

Day 48---Black Peep Toe "Steve Madden" Flats

Geez. I didn't realize how many Steve Madden shoes I have in my closet! So Many Pairs! I mean, I don't have really any other shoes that are same brands as other pairs. I have a thing for STEVE! :) Love Him!

These shoes are great, but were probably not the best choice for today. As I mentioned yesterday, we are in the middle of Standardized testing, and I was "click clacking" all around the gym trying to monitor my students. Needless to say, I was getting some dirty looks from the dang Honors kids. (MY students, on the other hand, like to hear me before I arrive so that they can look "alive" and as if they are taking the test seriously!)

These shoes are totally from my college days. I bought these from Ross in Long Beach right by BayCrest (the WORST PLACE TO LIVE EVER!) and I used to wear them with leggings and this dress from H&M that I wore so often it was like it was my job. They are slightly too big (the shrinking feet syndrome that accompanies losing weight) but they are a "staple" to my wardrobe. It is important to have at least a couple pairs of classy flats in case I don't want to wear heels one day (like today!)

I distinctly remember wearing these out on St. Patrick's Day my last year of college. Ahhhh THOSE were THE DAYS! You know, the days when you still celebrated any and all holidays (Cinco de Mayo, Cesar Chavez Day, 4th of July, St. Patty's Day, Margarita Mondays....you get the idea....) by going out and drinking copius amounts of alcohol. Now, I am less likely to do this, because let's get serious people, I just can't function after a late night out like I used to be able to. But, back to St. Patty's Day 2007....we got ready, headed over to the Passport Stop (no drinking and driving for us!), and arrived at The Dub right as it was opening. We proceeded to have a crazy day in which we all ended up with "Jameson Whiskey" temporary tattoos on our necks, trips into the men's restroom (girls lines are too long!), a journey to ColdStone's, and a weird interaction with a man wearing an afro wig and a kilt. Yes, it really did happen. I love my friends, and I love that I remember wearing these shoes, with a pair of jeans and my traditional "St. Patrick's Day" Target tank-top that Britt made by cutting up a huge men's shirt and reconstructing it (using all of our Delta Gamma date party skills!) and that Summer, Britt, and I all had matching shirts of varying styles (Britt was REALLY creative) and that we had the BEST TIME.

Now, as a responsible adult (debatable), I just don't "Go Big" like I used to. However, I am so happy that I did all of the things that I did, had all of those adventures, met all of those people, and lived my college life to it's fullest, because you never get those days back. I was in such a hurry to grow up and get a real job, and now here I am. And honestly, what I wouldn't give to be able to be a student again. When my biggest worry was where I was going to go out on Thursday night (The Dub or MaiTai??) Don't get me wrong, this new phase of my life is awesome and I wouldn't change it at all, but if I could be transported back, just once, I would wear these shoes and that St. Patrick's Day shirt and hope that I was lucky enough to run into the kilt wearing afro man.

P.S. I'm leaving tonight for NEW YORK CITY! So, I am going to try to blog, but I'm not sure if I'm going to be able to! I apologize to all three of you who regularly read my blog :) haha....I'll catch you up on Monday for sue! xoxo

Day 47---Puma Tennies

I can remember EXACTLY when I bought these shoes, who I was with, and have a very specific weird feeling when I put them on. This already does not sound good, right?

I bought these shoes when I was dating this guy---he shall remain nameless---and this relationship, well, it kind of sucked. These Pumas are super comfy and pretty cute and are just sporty enough for my liking---even though I am realizing as I look at the pictures from today, they are kind of not very clean, I still like them....but I have a hard time wearing them for a couple of reasons. And, if you have ever been in a relationship, and then not been in that relationship, random things/places tend to remind you of that relationship---in both good and bad ways. So, these shoes are like that for me.

1. Each time I tie the laces on these shoes, I can hear his ever so slightly condescending voice telling me how much HE likes these shoes and how I should totally buy them---as if HE had better shoe style than ME...blah blah blah....

2. On the right shoe there is a very distinct coffee stain that did NOT come from ME spilling coffee on my shoe, but instead from HIM spilling coffee on my shoe at a Starbucks and NOT apologizing. Ugh. So, even if I did not associate him with these shoes initially, every time I look down and see that stain, I think of him. (and his lack of apologizing and his stubborn machismo attitude...I'm such a brat, but there is NO way that he reads this, so who cares?)

3. I bought these at the Nordstrom Rack in Long Beach---great store, but I don't like going there, because---you guessed it---it reminds me of our stupid, ridiculous relationship.

Now, these things all might be misinterpreted as me actually thinking about him, caring about him, or still being under the spell of our relationship, but it is quite the opposite. When we broke up, I never spoke one more word to him again. Seriously. Not one word. Never have even seen him in like 3 years. The End. I move on. That is why these shoes are so frustrating: because no matter what, when I put them on, I associate them with him. I can't help it. I don't spend any time thinking about him and I sometimes forget that I was ever even in a relationship with him (how sad, right?) BUT HOWEVER, when I wear these shoes (on the rare occasions that it actually happens!) I see his face for at least a split second and experience this inner questioning of "Why did I date him?" Bet you never thought shoes could tell you all of that, huh?

Any male readers are currently thinking to themselves "Women are crazy" and my ladies are thinking "Hmmmm....I have some things in my wardrobe/life that remind me of a former relationship." Why do we hold on to this stuff? What am I hoping to glean from these possessions? I am thinking that maybe I should just get rid of these shoes. I obviously have a negative association with them---but unfortunately I actually like these shoes. What's a girl to do? Continue to wear them and be haunted by this past relationship? OR, perhaps invest in a new pair of cute, sporty tennies that are free of ghosts? I'm thinking probably these are going to be a part of the "shoe funeral" that is going to take place in about a week.

Weird.

P.S. A BIG SPECIAL THANKS TO KAREN, my photographer, FOR BEING SO CREATIVE OVER THESE PAST 47 DAYS! LOVE THE SHOE PIC TODAY! (we are in the midst of standardized state testing, and I made these papers for my kids and got pencils made for them to use during the test to try and encourage them! Fun times!)

RANDOM SHOE SHOPPING EXPERIENCE

So, I tormented myself last night by going shoe shopping with my friend Daniela (she is looking for black flat boots) at the Stonewood Mall. Besides being so frustrated everytime I saw a cute pair of shoes that I am not allowed to buy (self-imposed shoe drought for at least one more week!), we encountered some of the most annoying human beings that I have ever interacted with. Now, as you know, I usually have positive experiences at this mall, but I promised myself (and Daniela) that I was going to put these shoe salespeople on blast on my blog. Here is how I am choosing to do it:

Dear Salespeople at Bakers and FootAction,

I would greatly appreciate if you could please tone down the volume levels of your voices when I walk into your store. There is no need for you to SHOUT AT ME "HI! NEED SOME HELP? WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR? WHAT'S THE OCCASION?" If I tell you, "Thanks, I'm just looking", please accept that. don't continue to follow me around the store, asking me irrelevant questions OR trying to pretend that you remember Daniela and I coming into the store last week and buying matching running shoes. (While believable, we unfortunately did not buy matching running shoes....yet) Unless I ask for your help, I do not want it. Except, of course, if I am shopping at Nordstrom's and you are super smokin' hot, then and only then will I want your help. You are obnoxious. I'm not sure if you went to training and they told you that the best way to sell something to people is to shout at them, but you have been misinformed. Please take this as some friendly advice. Talk softer, people will listen. AND they won't be totally turned off by the shrill harshness of your loud voice like Daniela and I were.

Thanks A Bunch,
Ali

Day 46---Black Boots

These are my most expensive pair of shoes. As you have probably realized, I tend to buy "bargain" shoes (ie: from Marshalls, Ross, Henry's Shoe Experience, Target...) because I believe that they are JUST AS WONDERFUL as ones that cost hundreds of dollars. However, I can definitely say that these boots are SO AMAZING and SO WORTH THE MONEY THAT I SPENT ON THEM. And, I can tell the difference between these boots and all of my other, less expensive, ones....which can either be seen as a good OR a bad thing. It's like flying first class. Once you've done that, it's kind of difficult to go back to flying coach on Southwest. Right?

I can vividly recall the Fall day that I purchased these boots from the swanky South Coast Plaza Nordstrom. I was with Brittany and Summer and we were just spending the day together, doing some shopping and we decided to just "stop in" to Nordstrom and see if we could find YELLOW SHOES (yes, those dang yellow shoes have been driving me crazy for MONTHS!) for us to wear for Summer's wedding. If you ever shop at Nordstrom, then you know that it is nearly impossible and takes some SERIOUS self-control to just "stop in" there. While we were perusing the shoes, I happened to stumble across the display with all of the boots that are this style and was telling Britt that I didn't think I could "pull them off"....you know what I mean? These boots take a certain kind of "styling". You can't wear them with just any outfit. For example, today I decided to wear them with my Big Star jeans that I got from The Denim Guy (www.thedenimguy.com) and with my super cute headband, homemade by my BFFFE, Renee. Despite my initial styling challenges, I decided to try them on, along with about ten other pairs at the urging of the SUPER SMOKING HOT SHOE SALESMAN (of course he HAD to be sexy....he could have tried to sell me a pile of crap and I would have bought it---he was THAT cute!) and, of course, the ones that I fell in love with happened to be the most expensive ones. Duh. Isn't that the way it always works? Simultaneously, Summer was finding, trying on, falling in love with, and ultimately, purchasing, her Vera Wang wedding shoes. We both got suckered into buying pretty much the most expensive shoes that we tried on that day. No regrets. :)

However, as I mentioned before, they have proven to be totally 100% worth it. And, even though I am pretty sure that the salesman knew EXACTLY what he was doing (picture Wendy Peffercorn a la "Sandlot"...."She knows what she's doing, she knows EXACTLY what she's doing"---Squnits @ the public pool) as he seduced me with these boots, I have to say that I loved the seduction. I'm so simple. Put a pair of fantastic shoes on my feet and I will melt and hand you my VISA card. HAHA!

I love these boots. They are perfect for a gloomy, rainy, cold day like today. I feel like a bad-ass when I wear them. I want to get a boyfriend with a Harley just so that I can put these babies on and go for a ride. Instead, I guess I will just wear them to school and daydream about my imaginary motorcycle riding boyfriend. He's out there somewhere, right? :)

Day 45---Gold Strappy Heels

I have really had these shoes for about 5 years. I used to wear them ALL the time when I was student teaching. As I have come to realize with a LOT of my shoes, I have a problem because I find a new pair of shoes that replaces the old pair---in the sense that I wear the new pair with all of the things I used to wear with the old pair---but I never actually get rid of the old pair---and then I end up with 50 someodd pairs of shoes in my closet. These shoes, unlike other shoes that I have not worn in a long time, are actually quite comfortable and I am befuddled as to why I choose never to wear them. I guess it's a problem of having too many options. It's like my closet is the menu at "Cheesecake Factory"....they have SO MANY OPTIONS, and it is really hard to choose sometimes (right???) So, I have all of these shoes, and I end up wearing the same 5 pairs all the time. You know what I mean? And my poor other shoes are sorely neglected.

Part of the reason that I might not always choose to wear these shoes is because of their heel height. And, if you have learned anything about me and my shoe choices over these past 45 days, it would be that heel height is of the utmost importance. These heels are slightly "kitten-heel-esque", and as my sister's coworker said "Kitten Heels are the MULLETS of shoes". How very true. I HATE KITTEN HEELS. Now, although these heels are NOT truly kitten-heels, they definitely ride the proverbial "fence".

On the other hand, these shoes remind me of my Master Teacher (weird, right?) from when I was Student Teaching. So interesting how there are so many pairs of shoes in my closet that remind me of that time period. Unlike the other shoes though, these ones remind me specifically of him. He would always tease me about my "sassy" shoes and tell me that they were shiny and distracting. I must tell you that I adore my Master Teacher. He is an amazing man, teacher, and mentor. I still keep in touch with him, and I owe much of who I am as a teacher, to him and our semester we spent together. He taught me how to really enjoy my job. He taught me about consistency and routine. He taught me about the importance of organization and staying "on top" of grading and planning. He also gave me a lot of freedom to develop into the kind of teacher that I wanted to be. I feel so lucky to have been able to learn from him. So many people have very negative Student Teaching Semesters, but how lucky am I, that the main things that I remember about Student Teaching, are my shoes????

Shoes tell stories. Shoes are a reflection of who we are, who we want to be that day, and where we want to go. My attitude is reflected in my shoes. Sure, I probably WAS sassy, shiny, and distracting while I was wearing these shoes, but at least they were focusing on me and maybe, just maybe, learning something at the same time.

P.S. CHECK OUT LITTLE MISS MIA GRACE CARTOZIAN! She is the most beautiful little pumpkin of love! Mom and Dad (Erica and Craig) are doing wonderfully and are so mellow. I am so proud of my friends. It is a great experience to see my friends go from being single ladies, to being wives, and now to being mothers...what a joy!

Now we are on "Scarlet Rose Gutierrez Watch 2011"....hurry up and come before Thursday please---your Auntie Ali will be very happy with you and buy you lots of shoes if you make that happen. Thank You, Love!

Day 44---Yellow Platform Pumps

First of all, CHECK OUT THESE SHOES!!!! AMAZINGLY WONDERFUL AND SO HOT, right???? These dang yellow shoes have been the bane of my existence for about 2 months now, and it is crazy how, under pressure, I was able to miraculously find the perfect pair! For those of you who have not been "following" my madness, I was in my best friend, Summer's, wedding and we were instructed to "Buy yellow shoes....not neon yellow, but not mustard yellow---you know what I mean, right?"....No, Sum, I love you, but I must admit that finding the PERFECT yellow shoes (and clearly, I eventually did---Thank Goodness!) proved to be a difficult task! But, it all worked out (thanks to Off Broadway---check it out! AND my trusty shoe side-kick---you know who you are!)

The wedding was BEAUTIFUL and SO MUCH FUN! I of course cried the entire time. From the moment that Summer put her veil on, to the moment they said "I Do", I was a wreck. I have a problem. Our yellow shoes ended up being the perfect complement to our slate gray dresses and our AMAZING vintage jewelry made especially by the Mother and Grandmother of the Bride just for each of us. It was wonderful. We all looked great and everyone's yellow shoes were fantastic. AND guess who caught the bouquet???? Yep. That's right. yours truly. Oy vay.

I love weddings, and I am having (which I am totally surprised by) a little bit of a bittersweet feeling going on right now. This is the very first time in 5 years that I do not have a wedding in which I am going to be a bridesmaid "on the horizon" and it's kind of strange. My friend Erica's husband, Craig, (yes, I was in their wedding too...purple dress...silver shoes with the bow, remember those???) said it well. He told me that most weddings have about 150 people at them and usually about 5 bridesmaids and that means that about 5 percent (or some mathematical situation like that) of the people are in weddings about 5% of the time. But, I on the other hand, have been in 11 weddings and have probably been to about 20 weddings in my life. So that means that I am a bridesmaid about 50% of the time, and that means that I am special. Thanks Craig---you always know how to make me feel good about myself and put a positive twist on everything! It is an interesting thing to have dedicated so much of my time, money, and energy into these weddings, and now they are over. And what do I have to show for them? Let's see: 11 bridesmaid dresses, 2 wine-tasting bachelorette parties (Krisi and Lori), 1 Palm Springs bachelorette party (Erica), 2 San Diego Bachelorette Parties (Joanne and Summer), 4 Las Vegas bachelorette parties (Brittany, Bianca, Steph, and Alex), and 1 Mexican Cruise (Erin)....and a trip to Etna (Renee), one vacation to Maui, Hawaii, countless necklaces, earrings, bracelets, flowers for my hair---all matching with 5-10 other girls! On a different note, I have gained 11 men into my life who are so special in their own unique ways. They are the men who take care of me, who initiate and interrogate every new guy I ever bring around, who make my best friends so happy, and who are now becoming the fathers to a very precious new generation of wonderful people.

So, out of this process I can choose to either dwell on the fact that I could definitely have put a down payment on a house (seriously) if I had all of the money that I spent on dresses, shoes, hair, make-up, traveling, bachelorette parties, presents, showers.......OR I can choose to look at the gifts that I have been given because of all of these weddings. And their names are: Andrew, Dave, Pat, Steve, Craig, David, Isaac, Michael, Anthony, Danny, and Kelly. And I wouldn't trade anything for all of those guys. Not even a down payment for a house. I would do it all over again....but come on guys.....please don't make me! Love you all.

Day 43---Gray Slip On Converse All-Stars

Gosh! I love these shoes! I have saved them until almost the end of this challenge because I knew that I would have a day when I would want to wear them. I tend to wear these shoes a lot during the fall. I am one of the Cheer Coaches/Advisors (is cheer a sport?) at my school and I have to go to every football game on Friday nights during the fall. So, jeans, a Warren shirt, my Cheer jackets, and these shoes tend to be my "uniform".

These shoes are so comfortable. And I love that they are gray. I have a pair of Black converse (I wore them during the first week of my challenge) and they are my oldest pair of shoes. These shoes LAST FOREVER! One of the best things about these shoes is that Converse has a ton of different colors. And Converse Brand has been around since what feels like to be the beginning of time. You know? These shoes are "sporty" but not Athletic shoes.

They are cute, but not high heels. They are unpretentious. I feel slightly like a "tomboy" when I wear them, but that is not a bad feeling. It's just a different feeling than I get when I wear my heels. In my heels I feel powerful, but in my Converse I feel cool. And "cool" is totally a state of mind, right? All you have to do is believe that you are cool, and it is so. Therefore, when I wear these, I am cool. I can't say that anyone else agrees with me, but I can say that I know how I feel.

I will be on my way to Yucaipa for Summer and Kelly's wedding in a few hours---after I take care of setting up the drinks for Mona's baby shower---and I am starting to be really excited! I think it is going to be a really fun weekend and I can't wait to wear my new yellow shoes. I went on a journey to The Block last night with my friend Justin to try and find yellow shoes at this store called "Off Broadway"...Justin swore that they would "FOR SURE" have yellow shoes. And, guess what???? A liar he is not! I found the perfect pair of yellow shoes. I love the color, I love the style; I am going to rock this wedding, people! Get ready! I will not post tomorrow, because bridesmaid duties call! And "Wedding Ali" is going to be out in full force!

Day 42---Black and Gray Heels

Ouch. These shoes are SO cute, but they are just about a 1/2 size too small! Eeeek! But I love them. And I bought them from Marshalls during the summer, and you know how it goes at those stores....they usually have one pair of one kind of shoe you just have to hope that the pair they have is your size! You know? I don't think this outfit did them justice....the jeans were too long and covered up their cuteness. But, just because you can't see them, doesn't mean they aren't there. Right?

I wore these shoes to my friend Randy's wedding in December to his beautiful wife Megan (this is actually one of the few weddings that I have ever been to that I was not actually a part of! Crazy!) I wore them with gray tights, a gray dress, and my black blazer. Super cute. Super fun wedding. They are such an awesome couple. Their wedding was 100% a reflection of their personalities. Randy is a really special friend in my life. He has been my friend since our freshman year of high school, we even went with each other to our very first high school dance! (oh Homecoming 1999, how fun you were!) We were on ASB together, he introduced me to one of my very best friends, and he is just an all-around awesome guy. It was interesting to attend a wedding for a male friend, because he is really one of my only male friends that is married (besides all of the men who married my girlfriends!) and it was surprisingly just as emotional and touching to see him get married as it has been to see all of my girl friends get married.

These shoes have a story. And even though they are a teensy wee bit too small, I am still going to wear them, because I just can't bear to part with something that carries such nice memories as these do.

P.S. I FOUND YELLOW SHOES!!!!! The BIG day is in two days for Summer and Kelly! I am super stressed, but super excited to get their wedding weekend started! I just have to get through the rest of this week and then HERE COMES "WEDDING ALI"!!!! (she's really fun, super irresponsible, and an AMAZING dancer---if you've never had the pleasure of making her acquaintance!)

Day 42---Black Platform Knee High Boots

"RegBevWilsh"---name that movie!!!! 5....4....3....2....1......PRETTY WOMAN!!!! Only one of the best "Cinderella" stories out there! That is if Cinderella was a prostitute in the early 1990's in Hollywood.. 

You might be thinking, "Why is Ali talking about this movie?" And, my answer is...check out my boots!  These are STRAIGHT OUTTA JULIE ROBERTS' prostitute closet.  Duh.  They are ALMOST, but not quite, Over The Knee (which is always a debatable shoe topic in my life....should I? Or shouldn't I?) and they are SUPER HIGH. They even have a platform sole, so they have the appearance of being even higher than they really are. You know? And, much like my platform heels from yesterday's post, I AM IN LOVE WITH THEIR COMFORT due to the platform.  These are some serious boots my friends.  I mean business when I wear them.  I purchased them from Forever 21 earlier this Winter and I actually have only worn them about 3 times (sad sad tale...Julia Roberts would NOT be proud of me!) I love that they are from F21 (in the Stonewood Mall, of course!) and that I got about a bazillion compliments on not only them, but also on my dress today.  

Speaking of the dress, this wrap dress has been in my wardrobe since probably about 2007....that's a pretty long time, especially for something from Forever 21 (i'm not putting F21 down, but i am going to step out on the proverbial limb and say that GENERALLY clothing/shoes/accessories from F21 do not last longer than one season.)  But however, this dress has lasted about 4 years! Crazy! My sister and I both have this dress (it looks better on her, just in case you were wondering!) and surprisingly, we have never both stepped out of our bedrooms wearing it at the same time!

So, besides the fact that this 51 day challenge is winding down, I am also coming to notice something else about myself.  I have about a zillion different outfits.  If you go back and look through all of my postings (if you're extremely bored and have nothing to do, then go for it!) you will notice that I really never wore the same exact outfit twice.  A new challenge??? I think this might be the concept "in it's diapers" so to speak.  I have so much stuff.  I read about a person who doesn't believe in having more possessions than she can pack up in 10 minutes or less....ummm...let's just say that it took me about one whole week to move into my apartment....and most of that time was devoted to moving CLOTHES and SHOES! EEk! 

Shhh....don't tell Summer (even though she reads my blog every day....HI SUM!)....but I am still on the hunt for a fabulous pair of yellow shoes.  I have a pair....so, no worries, but I just know that these shoes "Could be better." Maybe I'm just being picky.  But, if I am going to spend money, I want to LOVE them.  We'll see. Worse comes to Worst, I will wear my back up pair! 

Until then, I am going to sit back, relax, and enjoy the feelings of wearing OTK Boots a la Julia Roberts.

Day 41---Black Platform "GUESS" Heels

I am going to borrow some inspiration from one of my favorite poets for this posting: Elizabeth Barrett Browning.

How Do I Love Thee?

How do I love thee, my Black, Platform, Super High Guess Heels?
Let me count the ways:
I love thee because you are the perfect heel height. Absolutely perfect.
I love thee because you have a platform; this means that you are high, but not uncomfortable.
I love thee because I wore you while in Vegas for Britt's Bachelorette Party and basically had the craziest time EVER.
I love thee because you are seriously the PERFECT dancing shoes.
I love thee because you make my legs look long, lean, and amazing.
And above all, I love thee because you go with everything in my closet. I would wear you with sweats.
I love thee to the depth, and breadth, and height that my soul can reach.
Ahhh....I love thee.
---An original poem by me, Alison Elaine Davis

These shoes are pretty much the hottest shoes I own. I saved them for the end, because I really look forward to wearing them. I am starting to get nervous with the end of this challenge, because I only have 3 more pairs of heels left! And then I am stuck with all of my nasty flats (you know, they ARE a sickness after all!)

As I mentioned in my original poem, I wore these shoes on Brittany's bachelorette party in Vegas and ran wild throughout that city for three days. Insane. I wore my cocktail dress, and these shoes through security at the airport (not unusual in Vegas) with my friend Erica Cartozian. I tell this story because Erica is currently in the hospital giving birth to her first daughter, Mia! Yay! We are on "Mia WAtch 2011"!!! It is so crazy how much can change in about a year. A little over a year ago, we were running through the streets of Vegas and going through airport security in our clothes from the night before, and now the very girls (Brittany and Erica) I was wreaking havoc with are both 9 months pregnant with baby girls! Crazy! I am so excited to be an auntie. I vow that I will buy them their first pair of black platform heels---when they are old enough, of course! (Don't worry, Craig and Isaac!)

Here's to being sassy enough to rock a platform heel! BTW, you should try them---if you haven't already done so---they are life-changing! :)

P.S. Please bury me in these shoes. I plan on dancing through the Pearly Gates and I'm going to need my Dancing Shoes.

Day 40---Black NineWest Peep-Toe Heels

These are my "go-to" black heels. The heel height is acceptable (it's a little shorter than I typically like) but it makes for a comfortable day whenever I choose to wear them.

I have had these shoes for about 3 years....I have come to realize that a lot of my shoes are from "about 3 years ago" because that is when I started teaching. When I started teaching, I really had to "dress-up" my wardrobe. In case you don't realize it, the fashion of a college student is VERY different from that of a person who has a career. Although my personal career choice DOES allow me to be more relaxed than say, an office job where business suits are mandated, I still did not think that it was acceptable to wear FlipFlops and an "I <3 CSULB" t-shirt every day!

Hence the shoes. I bought these from Marshalls and I have worn them just about once a week every school year for 3 years. Therefore, I really need to get these shoes "re-heeled" or at least have the shoe repair man (at Stonewood Mall---right next to Sears---he's the bomb.com!) put new little rubber thingies on the bottoms of the heels, because I have just about worn them out! They make this HORRIBLE schreeching noise whenenver I walk across the linoleum on my classroom floor....eeeek! It sounds like nails on a chalkboard! However, these shoes would totally come in handy in a self-defense situation, because I am pretty certain that the metal protruding from the heel is the equivalent of a switch-blade. I'm telling you, Cosmo is my guideline to life---Cosmo told me that my high heels are encouraged because they can be a weapon. AMAZING.

Sidenote: today was "Beautiful Day" at work. This means that my friends Daniela, Mona, and I challenged one another to show up to work without any make-up and with hair straight out of the shower...no product, no blowdrying, no bobbypins/hair-ties/headbands...just straight NATURAL "Beauty". The response to our "Beauty" is astounding. Most of the kids were asking if I was sick, tired, or a combination of both. One of my students told me that I look like a "Furby" (google it!) and my friend Karen (also my photographer) told me that I looked like a Troll. Awesome. I decided to show the kids what I used to do to my hair for "Warren Wimp" dress-up days when I was in high school---needless to say, I think that the kids were more distracted by my "natural beauty" than they are from my normal "look"!

My friend Justin had this to say:

"To The Men Of Warren High:
How do we handle beautiful day? If we tell them they look beautiful…are they excited or offended. “Oh, so I’m not beautiful every other day of the week?” If we tell them they look “good without makeup”…..”Well did you expect me not to look good without makeup?”

If we tell them they look just as good with or without it….”So are you saying that all the hard work I put into my face in the morning is pointless?”

Men, there is no win on this day. I will probably go with the…”You know, you look different today and it looks good. You should mix in this look throughout the week with your other look…because that looks good too.”

He really is wise beyond his years. I appreciate your well thought out statements, Justin.

Here's to high heels making even the most "Beautiful" day bearable.

Day 39---"Guess" Slip-Ons

"All that I am, or ever wish to be, I owe to my Mother."---Abraham Lincoln





HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY TO THE MOST AMAZING MOM IN THE WORLD....JUDY DAVIS!!!

Okay, okay, enough with the "mushiness"...let's get down to business. These shoes are RIDICULOUS. And NOT in a Fabulous way. They are ridiculous in a "Wow, you're wearing a pair of shoes dripping with the "Guess" logo" way. I am a firm believer in the concept that I refuse to pay hundreds of dollars for a purse, shirt, shoes (you get the point) that has the brand all over it (ie Coach, Louis Vuitton, GUESS...etc) They should be PAYING ME to wear their stuff. I am not free advertising here people. Am I right?

Therefore, these shoes are ridiculous. My sister reminded me when I bought them---and it is Textbook Me. I bought them, like I buy much of my wardrobe, based off of a feeling. I had this idea that I needed to buy "cool teacher clothes, shoes, accessories" right before I started student teaching. Hence, these sensible (and ridiculous) Guess flat tennis shoes. They are just HIDEOUS. And furthermore, they do not fit. They are about one whole size too big (I bought them in my pre-Weight Watcher days and my feet shrunk about one size when I lost weight), so they continuously slip off of my heel and rub the back of my foot in a totally uncomfortable way. WOW! I sound like such a complainer. But, if I have discovered anything from this 51 Day Shoe Challenge, it's that if I want to downsize my shoe "situation", then I need to more selective when it comes to choosing my shoes. And, I need to aggressively purge my closet of at least a few pairs of my shoes.

So, if memory serves me correct, I am now up to 3 pairs of shoes that I will get rid of at the end of this. It is also funny to think about why I bought these shoes and how my clothing decisions as I have become a more "seasoned" teacher have changed throughout the years. I have come to realize that I do not need to dress "like a teacher", but just as a more polished/conservative version of myself. Does that make sense? If I can't wear all of the stuff that I buy in all aspects of my life, then why am I buying it all?

Something to consider. I really need to stop shopping. The only problem is---gosh....it's just so fun. I love clothes. And duh, I love shoes even more. It's a sickness. Like flat shoes. Only not as serious.

Day 38---Brown Leather Knee High Boots

These are my "I Want to Look Like Megan Fox in TRANSFORMERS" Boots. I bought them on a whim, off of ZAPPOS.COM, the day after I saw TRANSFORMERS 2 in the movie theater. You know how Megan Fox's character is running all around the desert in white jeans and brown, knee high, leather riding boots? And she looks smoking hot? And all the guys just want her so badly? Well, I wanted to "channel" that vibe. Now, I know that I am NOWHERE near the hotness level of Megan Fox (married to David Silver aka Brian Austin Green) but I try nonetheless.

So, let me just telllllll you something! I wore these boots to THE PRINCE CONCERT LAST NIGHT!!!!! This is by far the coolest, most kick-ass place that I have ever worn these boots! Prince was amazing. He is playing a total of 21 shows at The Forum in Inglewood and I WANT TO GO AGAIN!!!!! I danced my BOOTY off all night long with these boots on!

I went with my friend Daniela and her husband Jeremy and his friend Mike. And we had a dance party for about 3 hours straight. IT WAS AWESOME. Prince is fantastic. He is such a cocky little man. I hilariously thought that I was the sassiest high heel wearer in the greater Los Angeles area, but that was before I was in the same arena as Prince. HE is THE MAN. Never has there ever been a man who wears high heels as well as The Artist does.

Ahhh....I will never be able to think of anything other than Prince when I wear these boots now. I am so happy that I got to go to this concert. I always ask people weird questions, and one of the questions is always "If you could be front stage, have a backstage pass, hang out with the band after their show, who would you choose?" I have always said Mariah Carey (circa the "Always Be My Baby" Era) but however, after seeing Prince, I think my mind has been changed!

Thank You Daniela and Jeremy! What an amazing birthday present it was! I love the Sancheelers! (and Prince)

Day 37---Dark Brown Ankle Boots

I have had these boots for a couple of years now and sadly I do not wear them often. I totally should! When I first bought them, they were sort of in style and then they weren't in style at all and now they are back in style. Phew! Just goes to show how "fickle" fashion can be! I'm never getting rid of anything! It might come back in style!!!!

Do you remember Sarah Jessica Parker's clothing line "Bitten" that was sold at Steve&Barry's??? Well, these are "Bitten" and I bought them from the Steve&Barry's at the Block. I bought them right before I started student teaching because I really needed to "class up" my wardrobe....aka....it was NOT going to be okay for me to wear flipflops or my FUGGS to class as a teacher. Dang!

These boots are super cool. They have a little side zipper with a bow detail at the top of the back of the boot. They have a round pointed toe and a totally acceptable Heel Height. (of the utmost importance, duh!) I love that they are now back in style! Even one of my cheerleaders told me today that SHE OWNS THESE SHOES! (she's super stylish and apparently has been since middle school...Middle/High School were not the "Fashion Show" back in my day that they are now!)

What I love about ankle boots is that they can be worn with skirts (if you're daring, have long legs, and are not worried about looking like you have "cankles"---calf-ankles), they can also be worn with long pants and they look just like any other pair of boots, but they are not as restricting (nice!), or they can be worn how I chose to wear them today, with a slouchy pair of boyfriend denim jeans cuffed up, a loose t-shirt, and--as always--some cute accessories. These shoes are truly versatile. Too bad that the "Bitten" brand seems to have gone by the wayside; they had some really cute and inexpensive items.

I can't believe that I am ALREADY on Day 37! Wild! I am really getting down to the "nitty gritty" of my shoe wardrobe....yikes! You are going to start seeing some super interesting shoes---readers BEWARE!