Omigod, shoes.

I recently threw away a pair of flat black leather-upper rubber-soled calf-length boots after a particularly harsh winter. I had the boots for about 8 years, but wore them almost daily for the last 2. Their last few months were pretty sad (soggy, really) - the outer sole was so worn that fissures were forming and allowing water in. The place where the leather met the rubber sole was becoming unsealed, and water seeped through there, too. I thought about having them resoled, but I got a few puzzled looks from people when I asked about having rubber-soled shoes resoled. Plus, the toe was really dated (very square), too flat, and frankly, people had been poking fun at me about it. So I tossed them. Now what?

I should say now that my main beef with street shoes is that the comfortable ones are few and far between, and when you find one, they're not "smart" (as your nana probably says), and all the cute or professional-looking shoes have heels that are ridiculous. I am not a small girl. I do not want to perch all [XXX] pounds of me on top of two tiny spindles. I need a sturdy mid-height heel. I know some of you reading this might see "mid-height" and think 2.5", but I'm talking 1.75" max. This type of shoe is almost impossible to find. Welcome to my search for the holy-grail shoe.

My most recent scouting was into oxford-shoe territory, but I couldn't find a nice women's oxford shoe with a mid-height heel. Once again, I was struck by the 1/4", 3" split. So In the interest of comfort and economy, I've been looking at... wait for it... dance shoes. Dance shoes are generally heeled shoes with leather soles made for movement (duh). Enter these Latin dance practice shoes:





I got them in khaki.

Hear me out. First of all, do these shoes not scream summer? That is perforated leather, my friends, for ventilation. The heel is just under 1 1/2 inches, which is just enough to add some polish and shape to the foot while still allowing maximum comfort while using your feet for the purpose they were intended. Plus, I know for a fact that leather-soled shoes can be resoled. As in, when I wear holes through the soles, I can take them to be replaced. I know they're not great for wet or icy weather, but I'm going to try these out for the summer, and if I like them, I'm going back for the non-perforated black variety for fall. And there are some 1 3/4" choir pumps calling my name, too.

What are some of your shoe solutions?

And because nobody says it better than Kelly, a brief video from ye olde days of 2006:

March 2010 Net Worth

Emergency Fund: $3,321.27

Checking: $1,041.17

Wedding Fund: $458.71

Misc. ING Funds: $50.62

Roth IRA: $7,339.19 (out of the $7,400 I've invested so far)

401k: $4,595.48

Sharebuilder: $38.75 (out of $50 initial investment)

Amex Gift Card: $23.00

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Total Positive: $16,868.19

Rent: $850

Groceries/Utilities: $PAID

Phone: $45.00

Subway Pass: $59

Credit cards: $266.46

Student Loan I: $7,668.01 (from over $19k)

Student Loan II: $0

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Total Negative: $8,888.47

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Total Net Worth: +$7,979.72

I'm a little later than usual with my net worth update because I flew home to spend the last few days wedding planning, and I only now have a little down-time (not really, I'm at work!).

Anywho! This month's e-fund increase is due in part to about $250 in ebay sales (that's minus fees). I've also sent a few things off for consignment, so I should be seeing a check from them within the next month. The more I get rid of, the easier it is to part with more things.

It's amazing what a shift in attitude can do. My room at home has been almost exactly how I left it since I left for college more than 7 years ago. When I got home, the first thing I did was cull through everything in my room. 2 bags of garbage, and 3 donation bags later, I had gotten rid of everything that, only a few months ago, I found it so difficult to part with. The few things I kept - my diaries spanning from 1st to 12th grade, a few love notes, photographs, the occasional teddy bear, and some keepsakes - all give me too much satisfaction to toss. Those jeans that haven't fit since the LAST turn of the decade... not so much.

And as I finish off my last week at my old job, there are some challenges ahead. Namely, the fact that (i) I am exchanging my bigger paycheck for a much smaller one, while (ii) I am not gaining much flexibility/free time. Yes, it will be less stressful, and yes, in my mind, it's temporary, but it's also full-time, so it almost leaves me where I started, only with less cash. In the meantime, I am working on my personal goals and will devote as much time and energy to them as I can muster, and I won't let a piddly old job get in the way.

To be continued...