Happy Shoe Year!

For my last post of 2008, I bring you a shoe story. It's a tale of high heels, regret, sadness, and, finally, joy...

Once upon a time, Material Girl got some money for Christmas, so she went to her favorite store, Anthropologie, to spend it. It was a great shopping day, for Material Girl liked most everything she tried on. However, that made for some tough decisions.

One of the things she liked was an exquisite pair of saffron colored suede peep-toe pumps by Chie Mihari. She wanted to take them home with her so badly. But, even on sale, the shoes were expensive. If she bought them she would have to put back several of the lovely on-sale sweaters she had chosen.


So, although it was very difficult because the shoes would be perfect with the new dress handsome prince Cheapy had just bestowed upon her, Material Girl did not purchase the shoes.

She was so happy with her new sweaters and new jacket, but she still thought of the shoes and was full of regret--and out of money.

Then Material Girl checked the website of her favorite store and lo and behold--the shoes! And in her size! And twenty dollars cheaper! She put them in her shopping cart. Pay day was only a few days away. When Material Girl had some money once again she would have the shoes as her own.

Then suddenly a mean old witch purchased the shoes right from Material Girl's cart! They were sold out! Material Girl was oh so sad. She even moped and pouted a little.

The next day Material Girl had a babysitter and, hopeful, she ventured back to the store to see if they shoes were still there. She was a bit worried because there had been but one pair when she shopped last. She quickly headed to the sale forest to the very spot where she had found the shoes before. Oh no! They were gone. Another mean old witch must have bought them. Material Girl was sad once again.

But wait...a sales associate had rearranged the shoe display--she spotted them in another place. They would be hers! Hurrah! Hurrah!

Material Girl brought the shoes home and tried them on with her new dress. They were perfect. They were lovely. And Material Girl and her new shoes lived happily every after.

Happy new year, fellow shoppers.

May your 2009 be full of happy shoe tales!

Shopping with Cheapy at Banana Republic

The Saturday night before Christmas, Cheapy and I had a babysitter and nothing much to do, so we had some wine and went shopping. He wanted to buy some clothes for his dad for the holidays. There was nothing much to be excited about in the Gap (either for me or for my father-in-law) so we hit Banana Republic, and we hit it hard.

Cheapy purchased several items for his father as well as buying another version of his favorite outfit--a grey t-shirt, a grey sweater and khakis. (I'm sure I've mentioned how dull his closet is.) He did bring in a little color with a medium green tee which was a tad surprising for the king of beige. The wine must have made him adventurous!

The wine also made Cheapy want a Material Girl fashion show. I tried on at least half a dozen dresses, even more jackets and sweaters (I bought two sweaters), and a handful of pants.

Cheapy and I and the sales person (who kept saying, "That is hot!") all loved this dress on me.


If you're a regular reader, you know that I would leave the house covered in sequins every day if I could. This dress is a beauty. But, realistically, I have no idea where I would ever where it. Not that that's stopped me before--I have a few treasures in my closet just waiting for the perfect occasion to eventually arrive. This treasure was a tad pricey, even at 40% off, to be a one-day-I'll-wear-it dress. (MSRP is $225.) It's now on sale for $129 plus an extra 20% off. If I had somewhere fancy to go on New Year's Eve and it was going to be above 55 degrees that night I'd be at Banana tomorrow to see if there's one left in my size.

Instead of sequins, I went home with black taffeta. I tried on the animal print version pictured below which I loved, but Cheapy was in favor of the black (he's got a thing for LBDs) and he was buying, so black it was. I'm pretty crazy about this dress. I really did not want to take it off when I was in the dressing room. Oh--and it's got pockets! I'm not in favor of the dress with a necklace as it's shown below, however--why fussy up that interesting neckline? I'll just wear it with formidable earring and some amazing shoes. (More on those in a future post.)


If you dig this print as much as I do, click over to the Banana Republic site or hit the store--it's on sale for $109 from $175, plus an extra 20% off. (They're having a major sale in store and online. Maybe I will be at Banana tomorrow...)

The One Thing That Always Makes Me Happy No Matter How Crappy the Weather Is: Boots

Greetings fellow shoppers! Did you miss me as much as I've missed you? It's been more than a month since I've posted. Why, you ask? Could it be that Material Girl has not been shopping?

Pretty much.

It's not the bad economy stopping me--it's winter. Getting dressed is just a big cold ball of no fun in the winter. I can't bear the thought of icy breezes wafting up a skirt or dress. And having even partially bear legs in 20 degree weather...ugh. (Sure, there are tights. But tights are not particularly warm and I've yet to find a pair that doesn't give me at least a little bit of a muffin top.) So it's pants pants pants. Trouble is I only have like two winter weight pairs and they're both too short to wear with heels. (Go buy some new pants, you say? Spend a few days being 5'2" and go pants shopping then tell me that again.)

So it's really just jeans jeans jeans which is boring boring boring. Normally in troubled times like these I would shop to cheer myself up. I went out a few times (pants shopping and otherwise) and always came home empty handed. Oh so sad. There was only one thing left to do: Buy boots.

I'd recently purchased a white zip-up pair of Docs that I really love (with my pants), but some days are simply not white boot days, so I took advantage of a sale at onlineshoes.com and bought the Doctor Marten's Zena boots in black (love the zippers!). They're make me feel a little tough on snowy and icy days (when wearing heels would just be silly).



But this basic black goth kid-ish boot, while comfy, versatile and useful, wasn't quite cutting it as the footwear to pull me out of the winter yucks . I needed something cuter, girlier...shinier.

I'd been coveting a pair of gold Alexander Hotto ankle boots on 6pm.com for a couple of months. They'd been sitting in my shopping cart. I visited my shopping cart several times a week to make sure the last pair in my size hadn't been sold out from under me. So I made a declaration: If they still have them on Monday when I get paid, I'm buying them. (Because who doesn't make shopping declarations? Come on--at least once you've said, "I know that sweater was too expensive, but if I go to the store today and they still have one in my size that must mean I was meant to have it.")

Shopping kismet was in my corner and the boots arrived on Wednesday. They're quite fabulous and, indeed, quite shiny. Kinda like wearing the sun right on my feet. Ha! Take that winter!