Start Their Shoe Fetish Early

I was surfing Etsy the other day when I stumbled upon the cutest shop ever called bitty chou chou. I couldn’t help myself from going ga-ga over every single pair of pint sized baby booties that this seller creates by hand. If only I knew someone with a baby girl, I would surely buy these "Party Cupcake Shoes":

I also love the "Rosey Red Darby Shoe" and these "Brown Floral w/ Flet Flowers and Pearls" ~ you can even get a hair clip to match them! Many styles are available in colorful prints and with snazzy embellishments to add to the cuteness factor. I gather that these stylish baby shoes can be made to fit 0-18 months. They are priced affordably, especially when you compare what you would pay in a high end baby boutique for something not nearly as unique.

All of the little girls in my family are too big for these booties. If only I would have known about bitty chou chou when they were little ones. Oh well, I guess this gives me the perfect gift idea next time a baby shower rolls around. :)

New Shoes Cure the Blues . . .

. . . At least that’s what the magnet on my refrigerator claims. A bit of birthday money has been burning a hole in my pocket, so last weekend we headed to the outlet mall in search of work appropriate sandals for me. Mission accomplished . . . times three! I had great luck finding cute pairs that actually fit at the Bass outlet. When I think of Bass, I used to envision these stupid loafers that were popular among the preppy crowd in high school (back in 1990-something). Actually, Bass has evolved from those brown leather loafers with the green tag to some really great styles. I have trouble finding shoes that are somewhat stylish and comfortable at the same time. My feet are pretty small (size 6 ½), but wide, so shoe shopping can be a challenge. I’m not ready for orthopedics yet, for crying out loud, but I am not willing to suffer for the sake of fashion either. What’s a girl to do?

I almost always have luck at this store, so it was worth the hour long drive to go there. I found these strappy wedge sandals that have a bit of a heel. I can’t do skinny heels but I do like some height. I got a great deal on them, too! They were 55% off the retail price. I’m a member of their rewards club, so I brought along coupons to help me save more. On top of that, the outlet mall was running a coupon for 10% off a purchase of $50 or more. The sales gal let me use all those coupons! I am finding that many retailers are bending their rules just to get people to buy. That definitely works in the favor of the consumer!

I was overdue for some retail therapy. We’ve really been curbing our spending on non-essential items over the past few months. I do think you need to treat yourself when you can. If you’re smart about it, you can do it more often than you think!