By: Lilly Babineau
I am a woman who desperately wishes I could walk in high heels. I love them and literally put myself through brutal pain in order to survive them. I was also the girl born and raised with flats, and the idea that comfort was all that mattered when it comes to footwear. That didn't stop me from making a list of gorgeous heels I will try one day!
So, how do you satisfy the insatiable..? Simple answer; you do not, however if heels are involved you are going to scratch that itch a little and it is going to feel good. 
I was contacted by Lilly Babineau to do a guest post for PinkBlitz Magazine www.PinkBlitzMagazine.com. It was a wonderful and honorable request. The timing could not have been better. I needed motivation to complete some additional posts to catch up on all of the acquisition I have made the last several months.
As Spring has almost sprung, it is a good time to show off some of the awesome shoes I obtained on clearance from DSW late last year. One of the best things about end of year clearances is you can get some of the best prices and if you are lucky some awesome shoes.
Some of the shoes I obtained were priced from $60 to $90. On clearance I got them from $8 on up to %50. Talk about a double score!
I have been working in New York lately and it has been a lot of fun to see the fashion happening all around me. I intend to get to the Manolo Blahnik store before I am done working there.
Jessica Simpson Platform sandal in snake skin and nude. They do not fit my foot the best but that is not a great way to judge for a fit, but I like them. Not a huge fan of snake skin prints but a subtle amount is good.
Diba peep toe pumps with an ankle strap in Rose gold. I love metallic’s. Not something I will get out of the house in any time soon, but some day. I have found Diba shoes to be comfortable and low cost. They are also producing some great styles.
Pink Pepper black glitter platform sandal with stud embellishments. A very fun shoe. If you have a concern for walking a lot and getting tired or sore feet, this particular style is great. You get the heel height that looks great but a low heel feeling with the large platform and still remaining all sexy!!! I will confess I like the high heels feeling; but sometimes it is nice to be able to jog if you have to.
Steve Madden Espadrille wedge T-strap sandals in little beige. The material is a canvas, and as great as it looks and feels, one will certainly need to be careful with this material. It gets dirty easy due to the color and it can be difficult to clean. Still love them and will wear them while fishing.
The same wedge Espadrille sandal by Steve Madden as above but in a different material and color. This color was not a eye catcher for me when they first came out, but a great example of a awesome shoe for very little cost. This style is extremely comfortable and certainly with be a great idea to wear during the thawing of spring.
I have included several shots this time as I did in my last post. I did not have any action shots as last time but I do not want to bore you.
I want to thank you all again for your support on my blog and my desire of fashion.
I will see you all again soon.
If you are superstitious you may have an issue with this years number. Perhaps we will all place blame of anything negative happening to be an effect of the year being of thirteen. I do not personally fall into said superstition but say if that is your thing so be it.
I mention this as recently I was on an airplane sitting next to a fantastic young lady; a fashion buyer. We had some wonderful conversations. I usually keep to myself but she committed an act that induced the need to have a conversation. I often take my shoes off on the plane, as I do this my shoe falls over on its side. She observed this and felt compelled to reach down and straighten it up while I foot was half way in the shoe and explained it was a superstition from her childhood. I do not know if she noticed b pedicure but later she did mention my manicure. As this flight did not take off on time, we had several hours to chat about fashion and her superstition.
She had mentioned shoes and the conversation went to heels. She had expressed her enjoyment of them and mentioned she changed her shoes as security I encouraged her to never do such a thing in the future. Further into the conversation she asked if I would wear heels and I said most certainly. She followed with praise and positive encouragement. I would welcome our paths crossing again.
I have entirely to many new shoes to photograph and put up. I will only do a few now and hopefully get more up sooner than later. I think I have said this before. As always feel free to comment and offer suggestions.
First an Ebay purchase. Jessica Simpsons, chrome heel, grey metallic open toe clogs. Love the cut-out of the heel. I am hoping to wear these out soon.
Next is another Ebay purchase, Steve Madden Spiked, ankle strap sandals. Absolutely stunning; a bronze colored back, black vamp and heel. Extremely comfortable.
Another Ebay purchase. I got the Mrs. a pair of these while I was in California They had ran out of my size and when I found them on Ebay, I had to get them. Very comfortable and tall. Small steps only in these. I almost wore them out the other day.
DSW Jessica Simpson. I have these in another color as well. These were on clearance so I had to get them.
Steve Madden Nude pumps with color blocked heel. Clearance rack at DSW in Duluth. A fun looking shoe.
Ebay purchase, Newport News. I have this same shoe in the blue. Love the wood look and patent leather.
DSW Guess pumps. Just a fun pair of heels. Wore these to dinner just this last weekend.
Jessica Simpson open toe slingbacks. I love the platform shape these have. I also have these in the brown and teal.
Christmas gift; spiked pumps by Styluxe. Wore these out one night. It was tough having to think about not scratching the car or myself but I loved them!
Guess animal print open toe pumps. You can see there is two types of animal print on these.
As you can see I have added some extra pics of each shoe. Trying something new. Below are some recent shoes I have worn out to dinner. I am really enjoying the experience doing so.
Thank you all again for visiting and checking out my blog. Your support in my adventure has been wonderful and very much appreciated. See you again soon.
The Mrs. has not gotten to the same point yet. We are still working on that.
On to the shoes:
This are by the Highest Heel. Correct number size, not correct fit. Got them from E Bay and had to ask a family member to model them for me. They are a little large for her, but I let her keep them. 
As if I need to tell you, these are a DSW purchase. Guess patent open toe pumps. I wore these out over a month ago, to dinner and a movie. Had a great time.
More Guess heels. Mules with animal print uppers and wood soles. I just love wood.
These are a bitter sweet for me. The spikes on the heel of the upper are just so awesome. A Sam Edelman treat. The part I do not care much for is the low 3 inch heel. But until Ruthie Davis makes me a pair of spike embellished heels.
BCBG nude pumps with a gold platform. I have these in the mint color as well. These were on clearance so I figured I could not pass them up.
One of my absolute favorites. Jessica Simpson squared off open toe pumps with gold bump embellishments all the way down the heels. I wore these out to the movies and dinner the day I got them. I Have them in the other color they come in as well.
The other color of the Jessica Simpson heels with the gold embellishments on the heels. In these you can see the suede coverings heel and platform . That is also on the black ones. I am hoping to wear these out sometime as well.
The picture does not do them justice. These are great heels. I go them for the fun. I am not sure I would ever get out in them but it would be cool to do it I think. Guess open toe slingback heels
Jessica Simpson slingback open toe pumps. The slingback is all elastic and very comfortable. I like the shape of the platform as well as the color blocking of the heels matching the slingbacks.
OK, I am asking for some ideas for attire with my heels.
Thank you for stopping by and I hope to get some more of my shoes posted.
YEA!!! It has been one full year!!!
It is very difficult to believe it has been one whole year since I started this blog. The shoes that have been purchased over the last year have been fantastic. I have encountered some wonderful people on the blog circuit and have gained some confidence in wearing heels in public. I am working on the Mrs. to also form more confidence. All in due time.
I have offered thanks in the past and I feel I can never offer it enough. So again I would like to offer gratitude for all of the fans I have obtained and the support of every viewer I have had this past year. With that a sincere warm thank you to all!!!
I have been traveling again for work and this time, the location is not as exciting as California was but I have a wonderful time no matter where I go. I in no way a indicating the place is bad, only in comparison to a city like LA or even New York; it is a lower key place. No negative nuances implied.
Something I yet to complete is photographing all of my heels obtained prior to Heels for All was started. I may have to take some time off work just to accomplish that task… It is a cool idea in theory.
At the start of my blog I asked for suggestions for style as well as tips. I have received a few but nothing over whelming. I guess that is good to a point but I feel there may be ideas out there I can hear about.
I encourage comments and as a reminder, I encourage them to be appropriate. I am happy to say in one year I have not been on the receiving end of any negative feedback. Kudos to all, for that.
On with the selections of recent acquisition
These are a mint sandal by BCBG. I do not usually have luck with BCBG fitting very well, but these seem to fit ok. The Mrs. loved these and wanted a pair and after I found them for her on clearance, the wonderful management of DSW offered me these in my size for the same clearance price. I could not say no to that.
How about a new brand!!? By Pink & Pepper, an ankle strap open toe pump in black and nude. These are rather inexpensive and yet comfortable. I have mentioned it before, I try to find new brands that fit but it is tough when these shoes are not designed for men in mind.
The color blocked Jessica Simpson sandal in magenta, purple teal and black. There is another color combination of browns and coral, I think, they are a lot more toned down than these. I just liked the way these looked and had to have them. With the elastic instep strap, these are able to fit my foot perfectly.
A fantastic glitter fabric open toe pump by Guess. These are not sequence, studded with crystals or even covered with glitter flakes. These are a fabric upper with the glitter in the fabric making them smooth to the touch. Flashy but not to bad. I am thinking about wear these out, but I feel fear will get the best of me…
Colin Stuart Blush Mary Jane sandals, acquired from eBay. These are new and I got them for less than $15. I love the style and would have preferred then in black or nude. The blush color may be something I can get away with but I am not sure how yet. The color is one I like and the gold heel is a nice glitzy addition but I am not sure how to style these yet.
Fergalicious By Fergie sling back mock wedges are comfy and fun. I like the wedge look with the small cutout creating the appearance of an independent heel. This style is a personal favorite. I have found the Fergie brand to be very comfortable thus far. I might start focusing on shoes from them to see how far I can go with their styles as it pertains to fit.
Levity Orange chunky platform sandal is a mix of today and the 70′s. The color, the vamp style and the platform design remind me of the platforms of the 70′s. However I do not recall seeing anything like a sandal with snake skin print from that era. These are fun and comfy. I have been wearing these around the house for weeks now. The Mrs. is not a fan of them so I guess I will not be getting her a pair.
Style & Co. yellow thong wedge obtained from eBay. These look better in the picture. No kidding, I got these for $3 including shipping. I like the color and the style but they are not comfortable on me. The thong style can be tricky on me. I will end up reselling them or sending them on to someone else through donation.
I look forward to your thoughts and hope I can get the next post up sooner than I have been. If you did not notice my Pedi, they are a French tip in purple and the glitter does not show well, but that was my limit for the 4th of July. I could not go all out with tons of flashy stuff as I am in the airports a lot and already get some interesting looks from people. A friend has asked me to put together a website for them so I might be preoccupied with that for some time. Thank you for visiting & see you all soon!!!
Thank you for visiting & see you all soon!!!
Finally!!! Right..?
So I get home and work harder than I did when I was at work in California. It was like a vacation rather than work.
From the absence of my contribution to the house, things were in need of.., attention. I do enjoy house work for sure, but the more creative type stuff like building a room, finishing the basement; not that washing the cars and the toys are not fun as it gets me outside in the sun shine.
I have recently obtained an assignment in Michigan. Not sure it will be as much fun as California was, but I will make the best of it. It will be interesting to see if I can get to a DSW there or perhaps I will venture out to purchase at other stores. That statement makes me nervous.
So on with the second part of the shoes from California. Of course most are from DSW, but I did get some eBay items, and I also had some shipped from DSW before I returned. I will also include some I have purchased since being home. Please leave some comments on the selections as well as recommendations.
Here we go:
These first three are all the same style by Steve Madden, colors Black, Grey and Brown. The brown is traditional leather and the black and grey pairs are suede. Round toes are a favorite style of mine as they are very comfortable. I find I have more toe space in them. The stacked wood half round heel is the exact same in all of them. I got these on line and I could not decide what color I like the best. Since they were all on clearance, I figured I would get three of the four (The forth color was a bright red in suede) and decide after I saw them. I have not decided yet.
These purple chunky suede covered platform pumps are also by Steve Madden. I wanted to add some color to my collection and decided to try these. Comfortable as always and certainly eye catching.
These are also a purple suede pump with a stiletto style heel and a almond toe. I have a few shoes by Sam Edelman and thought I would try more of his designs. I like the low cut vamp exposing the toe cleavage. I know not everyone finds that appealing but I find the shoe fit better with a low cut vamp as well as enjoy the appearance.
Snake skin, single strap vamp sandal with a patent leather ankle strap by Jessica Simpson. These are an awesome fitting shoe. I got these at a DSW at the Galleria in Sherman oaks in CA. One thing I did not notice when I got them was the right foot ankle strap is backwards. The buckle is on the inside of the foot. I kind of like the difference. I do not think I will exchange them. I will confess I am not a huge fan of snake skin prints but these have a style that tones that down a bit.
I got these on eBay. The brand is called “it’s”. I bid on them not expecting to win as I was not sure about them. They intrigued me but I was not sure why. I like the wedge, the red color is nice and the uppers are all really low cut, the ankle strap is one with the upper and I like the open toes. I am unsure of the vamp embellishment. Tell me what you think. In the end, they were only $8 and that included shipping so it will not be a big loss.
Now with the shoes I got in April while at home.
These are a patent black sandal with a cork platform. The ankle straps are adjustable but they also have a zipper back so you do not have to get in and out of the shoe by undoing the buckles. Very comfortable shoe without a doubt. They come in a nude color as well, and they are on clearance. Certainly a favorite for the summer.
An open toe, cork embellished platform & heel pump, again by Jessica Simpson. The red is very bright. I think bordering on the neon side and almost a pink. The picture shows up a little more pink than they are. You also can not see the small color specks in the cork but there is some aqua, purple, teal, black, white, yellow and red that really looks cool. The Mrs. liked these so I found her a pair as well. She agrees they are very comfortable and they look amazing.
Last but not least, a pair of open toe, sling backs by Guess. The grey, blue and red are a satin material and the brown straps are leather. I saw these when I was in CA and almost bought them. I decided to wait and I am glad I did. They ended up on clearance! I think the satin is toned out of the elegant standings with the color combination as well as the leather straps. I guess I am saying they will not need to be dressed up, I can wear these with jeans for sure. When I dare.
Believe it or not I have already acquired some new shoes for this month of May. I did not included them here as I will hopefully have some new stuff to write about to include them with. I will tease you and say they are some fun ones for sure.
As always, please share your comments and suggestions. I enjoy the encouragement as well as the insight.
HELLO TO ALL MY FANS!!!
I want to thank you for your patients and express my appreciation for your dedication to stick with me while I was unable to tend to my blog. Join me in welcoming some new fans as well. I am happy to get new fans and am surprised as I have not been very active recently.
As many of you know, I went to California for a few months for work. I was hoping to post while out there however it was not working out well. I did however find some time to seek out several shoe stores. There are some fun ones out there. I did stick to DSW for my purchases as I get points and I can return them with ease.
For those unfamiliar with DSW rewards, you get points for purchases and every 1500 points gets you a discount coupon. I think it is $5. Once you become a premier member, you get a $10 certificate for 1500 points. The program is free.
Enough of that stuff. Now for some fun;
I will admit, prior to going to California, I always would say I would never go to California as I am not interested and the hype was certainly not worth the time. Now after my visit, during the winter months, the place was absolutely great. I enjoyed my time there in every sense. Wonderful weather, most of the time, great food, lots of great people, awesome styles to see and without a doubt, the best high heel place on the planet. Gals walking in heels for miles if not blocks; now understand when I say heels, I mean at least four inches tall. A lot of boots as it was winter but several shoes and often.
I have always constituted heels go with everything. I saw this be true several times. I witnessed heels with sweat outfits and everything above. Other things I would never frown at are nylons or tights with short shorts. Add heels and a sweatshirt and it was fantastic. Various patterns and colors were also a great idea. As I think about it, I never saw a combination of things that did not look good. That being said, I am never a fan of flats… Enough said.
Some great things that I had experienced is several visits to the Griffith Observatory. I recommend this place for everyone. Wonderful views of the sunset and surrounding scenery as well as wonderful things to learn about. Santa Monica Pier was fun to visit just to see it. But the ocean is great to visit anywhere and another great place to watch the sunset. Other great things included drives up and down the mountains, hiking parks on the mountains; cities I visited were always interesting. I enjoyed the public transportation system as well as walking everywhere. A favorite place for anything was The Grove. I was there almost every day. For meals, walking, people watching… as mentioned, anything.
So, on to the shoes I obtained while there. I warn you… There are a lot!!! With that information, I have decided to split them up into two posts.
First up we have a pair of MIA’s in taupe. I tried these on in the store. I remember very well, I was in Pasadena. I always liked these but did not know if they would fit. I was so excited to find they fit very well. Now I am hunting for them in black.
A pair of Steve Maddens peep toe chunky pumps in black. I have these in a dark maroon that I got before I left. Found them on clearance and decided they were a must get. These were the very first pair I purchased in California.
Here we have another black pair of suede sandals from Steve Madden. I got these on clearance as well.
Maroon & black with a brown heel and instep strap all suede material. Steve Madden as well. Very comfortable and they look great. I am thinking of wearing these out perhaps this weekend.
A very inexpensive eBay purchase; I just love wood heels and sometimes I take a chance on how great the shoes look in the picture. Sometimes it does not look as good in person but I think I can use these around the house a lot.
These are a Jessica Simpson platform in brown and teal. As I mentioned I really like wood heels. I was not too sure about these at first but they are comfortable and I do like them. I try to keep my purchases to things I would wear out and I have not decided on doing that with these yet.
A great pair of Jessica Simpsons in beige & black with a sculpted platform; after seeing these on someone else, I felt they needed to be added to my collection. Very comfortable as well and they look very cool. I may have to wear these out next instead.
The trifecta of Steve Maddens; yes just another color of the ones above. Peep toe chunky pumps.
These awesome strappy zip back booties in black suede are by Jessica Simpson. They have a pedestal style platform. I got these when I stopped in Las Vegas. They were a steal on the clearance rack.
I have been looking for a brilliant Blue and I found that in these Steve Madden Sandals.
Another gamble on a new designer and it worked out great. These peep toe pumps by Fergie are just awesome with the open side. These are comfortable and rather inexpensive.
These beige pumps by Guess have a couple small cut outs and are accented with gold piping. These were another try on in the Pasadena store when I was getting the Mrs. a pair of shoes. I was a fan of these last year when they came out but Guess are sometimes tight on me and I did not bother to give them a second look. These were such a low clearance price I had to try them out.
My last pair for this post is the beige and black open toed mock sling backs also by Guess. Another great clearance buy. These are very comfortable and another contender for the next pair getting worn on an outing.
I thanked everyone at the beginning but I wanted to express my gratitude again for the patience and loyalty everyone has shown me. Your support means a lot. I am still working on my confidence to be in the public eye in the styles I want to wear. With the wonderful words and positive comments being left, it is making it easier to endure. Please visit often and I will start working on my next post soon.
