Shoes out

It's official, I have to many pairs of shoes. I started going through them using some key criteria:

1- have I worn this pair at least once in the past two years
2- did I pay more than 100 euro for them
3- would I still pay the same amount today?

If the answer to all questions is yes, I get to keep the shoes. If the answer is no to more that one question, I chuck the shoes.

Before chucking them (or donating them) I decided to take a picture each pair, so I can have a photographic memory of all my shoes and changing taste.

Soldes! Sales in Paris

The people went crazy inside the Repetto store!

Dresses, closets and shopping

The battle with Mr R on the food pantry- shoe closet continues and while most consequences of this war are negative (the house is a mess, my shoes are everywhere..) there is one positive aspect to it. I am rediscovering some of my long forgotten shoes. From Repetto, to Sergio Rossi, Giuseppe Zanotti, Borini, Church, Gucci, Prada, Ferragamo and the list goes on.

Changing shoes allows you to re-invent an outfit, make it sexy or sporty, elegant or casual.
I pulled out my dresses and started wearing them with heels, strap sandals, flat sandals and of course this led to more shopping, because some of the shoes really needed a new outfit to go with them:-)

So I purchased 3 dresses in 3 days (not good Petulia , not good): the first is a long black dress from Jucca , the second is a tailor made wrap dress a-la DVF, the third (just picked up) is from a local boutique called Le Gallinelle. Le Gallinelle (the chicks) is a wonderful space where Wilma Silvestri and her two daughters create clothes for women and men who love fashion but can go beyond the big names.

Le Gallinelle is in a former butcher shop, and still today you can see the barble counter where the poultry and meat were sold. Today, Le Gallinelle is a hip stop for Romans and foreigners alike...I am still hoping to bump into John Galliano who is rumored to be an admirer of Wilma's style!

Shoes vs. Food..the eternal dilemma

What is a woman to do?

Food is becoming increasingly important in my life with Mr. R. We started taking classes from my mom, going to wine tastings...we write about restaurants, we cook together, discuss pros and cons of certain cuisine styles, we experiment new recipes but now we have reached the tipping point.
We are possibly close to a schism...or at least I am.

Mr. R's enthusiasm for food has brought him to demand a proper food pantry. Not a section in the kitchen, not a couple of cupboards but an actual room entirely dedicate to food.

This would not be a problem if we lived in a 200 square meters flat, or if we had two closets in our current apartment, but in order to create a dedicated space for the food, we had to empty the shoe closet.

Now, where am I supposed to store my 96 pairs of shoes????


Mr. R owns about 4 pairs of shoes, so this is no problem of his..but since the pantry idea has popped up I finds myself turning and tossing trying to find a solution.
I bought a shoe storage device, but it only fits 12 pairs. I tried packing away the winter boots, but still there are lots of colorful sandals and black pumps that need a home.

Right now, the apartment looks like a disaster took place. Shoes everywhere, the closed half full of food, Mr. R anxious to get his project going...me distressed about finding a home for my heels.

Snow in NY (and ode to Ferragamo shoes)

After a delicious dinner at the HCNY, I went back to Chelsea where my friends apartment is. I fell asleep immediately after reaching their place, tired, full and with a bit of chill from the walk back.
This morning I woke up at 5:30 (ok, ok, I am jet lagged) to find NY covered in snow. The view from the apartment was beautiful, but I was dreading going outside eithout appropriate shoes.
I had a breakfast appointment at Balthazar and had a bit of walking to SOHO..what to do?

I ventured out, with my 5 inch heels and no socks. The snow was already turning into slush and I was fearing for the worst. My feet stayed dry all the way to Spring street (where I walked into a puddle) and I started believing in the divinity of Salvatore Ferragamo. Who else can design a shoe that looks beautiful, feels great and keeps you dry in the snow???

After all the walking, Balthazar felt like a warm blanket on a cold night..I had Eggs Benedict with home fries. The best eggs benedict I ever had (but don't tell Mr.R)!

A new start, with a pair of Ferragamo heels and a great haircut

2008 ended calmly, with friends, eating curry and not worrying too much about the new year that was about to begin. But then, a couple of days later, I felt the urge..the rush coming through, the need to mark the change of the year.
I started making lists- as this is a ritual I carry over every new year- I cut my hair and went out shopping!
After waiting in line in the overheated Ferragamo boutique for about 1 hour, Patient Amina and I were finally escorted by the Ferragamo lady to the shoe section of the shop.
My feet were swollen as I had been standing for hours wearing heels. I had on my green shoes from Paris, so I was running the double risk of: green and possibly larger than life feet!

Luckily all went well, as I took my shoes off and slipped on the Ferragamo pumps, I felt like a princess. Not only the shoes fit perfectly, but they felt light, comfortable, they made me feel as if I could wear them for hours and never be tired. What they say about this brand is true, their shoes really are incredible. I feel like Mr. Salvatore's descendants have made to measure heels for me, and left them in the Rome store for me to pick up. Thank you!

So here they are. I will take a better picture later. Time to go to bed, and take off the shoes:-)

Fashion and Food

While my friend J is at the Fendi outlet doing some shopping (I hope you get some good stuff) I am perusing the windows of boutiques in Paris, looking for a new pair of shoes. I want them with a medium- high heel, black, not sure about patent leather or not, but no laces.
They have to be classy yet fun..I have poked into my usual stores, and even ventured to Martin Margiela but haven't found anything appealing yet.
What is a girl to do? Find refuge in some chocolate? And what if the chocolate comes in the shape of shoes??
These right here are 100% edible shoes, made of pure chocolate by one of the artisian chocolatier in the Marais..to eat or not to eat??