Friday, April 11, 2008

happiness is a friday with red shoes

Every time I looked down today, this is what I saw. Happy red shoes! Happy patent leather red shoes! Happy patent leather red shoes with straps and buckles. So friendly. Like they are red lips that are smiling at me.
I found these shoes at Payless right after Thanksgiving. My mom gave me a gift card and I was able to get several new pairs of shoes. These made me so excited. The work with socks and bare feet, and are pretty comfortable.

It's nice how a $17 pair of shoes can lift your mood. I know we often talk about the things I want and how I feel so inadequate in life, but I love it that something that is less than $20 brings me so much joy. The little things, I guess. There are other cheap things I love, and here they are, in no particular order.

  • Rice and Shea Flower Bubble Bath from Bath and Body Works...love that smell.
  • my dogs
  • my clearance down throw...so cuddly
  • a good alfredo sauce
  • paper clips
  • ziploc sandwich bags...for, oh so many reasons
  • chai tea
  • a great pen...do you write your name over and over with a really good one like I do?
  • Friends, The Office, Gilmore Girls
  • real life friends
  • butterfinger candy bars
  • Barnes and Nobles...I can spend HOURS in BN!! The soft music, smell of paper, coffee bar, and bargain books.
  • TJ Maxx
  • space heaters (the husband likes it COLD)
  • fun socks

Is there anything out there that you love that costs less than $20? Include whatever comes to mind that makes you happy and makes you feel good inside because you didn't spend a lot? My friends Emily (Chatting at the Sky) and Alison are expert thrift shoppers. Emily and her sister are the queens of Goodwill. My friend Megan is the queen of yard sales. I am the queen of the clearance rack. I claim the title with honor. I start at the back of the store and work my way forward. Why pay full price when they will mark it down in three weeks? Charlie laughed at me when I said I wanted to get up at 4am the day after Thanksgiving for a pair of shoes (another pair, not the red ones.) But they were gonna be 50% off and I would have to pay more at 10am. I was up at 3:45, at the store at 3:57, and out by 4:45. Back in bed by 5:00. Deal done... I proudly wear those shoes with the knowledge that I paid less. And I have a great, ok, not so great story to tell about it.

Share with me your finds! I can't wait to hear about them.


9 comments:

Unknown said...

You are so awesome. I love the way you describe things, and just the fact that those shoes make you happy is so endearing...what a neat person you are.
These are a few of my favorite things:
A good cup of coffee on a Saturday morning.
A fire in the fireplace on a winter evening.
My husband grilling steaks and putting them with his own homemade recipe of cream sauce with veggies and noodles.
Finding a good bargain.
Creating something.

Marshamlow said...

I agree with Sniz you are have a great way of expressing things. I enjoy a great bargain too. I love to save money. Some of my favorite things are a spiral notebook - because I love jotting down ideas and drawing and getting a new one is a fabulous feeling, I love finding good books at thrift stores and garage sales, I recently got a really cute bed spread cover and pillow case shames at a garage sale for less than $5, I also got some really cute table clothes and doilies because my four year old daughter really loves to play tea party and now we have a smoking hot tea party. Nice to meet you, great topic.

Hunny Bee said...

I luvs me some payless too! I got a cute pair of ballet flats last fall and have been able to start wearing them finally. I have always had to go on the cheap for most things (my wedding dress I got on clearence for $260...normally like $600 or something).
I have some great pants I got at the gap about 6-7 years ago that were originally $60-$80 and I got for $10 I think. I still get complements on those pants. They are the single greatest purchase ever, in terms of clothing.
I love your happy red shoes. Dorothy. I'll call you Dorothy from now on cuz you have pretty red Dorothy shoes.

click click.
There's no place like Pottery Barn. There's no place like Pottery Barn.
click click.

Jennifer P. said...

I HAVE THOSE SAME RED SHOES! Love em! I feel like Dorothy every time I wear them--which I only do on days I need to feel special becuase I don't want to wear them out :)! I'll have to give some thought to stuff I love that's under $20.

shay said...

Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment. I'm so glad to be able to read your blog. It's sweet fun and well written PLUS...I love those shoes! And they were cheap - awesome!

I also hate paying more for something. I often won't buy something if I know it was cheaper last week and I just missed the sale lol. CRAZY lady I know!

I love so many cheap things.

A good cup of dark roast coffee.
A long run with my friends.
kisses from my kids.
Books. Books and more books. (you can always find a good book cheap!)
And shirts! I love shirts especially on the sale rack!

Good post!

Rebekah said...

Cute shoes but I couldn't help but think
There's no place like home
There's no place like home
There's no place like home

;)

Ann said...

Hi Sissy
My favourite things, ooooooh here goes.
1. The smell of a new book/old books
2. Sweet Pea flowers.
3. The smell of new mown grass.
4. My battered old cowboy boots.
5. A good laugh
6. And at times a good cry
7. Chocolate.(has to be cadbury's)
8. Bonfires in autumn.
9. Sanctury of convent garden body products (Mmmmmm they smell of orange bergamot and marigold)
8. My dogs ears (very soft)

Ann said...

oh and my kids all cuddled up with me on the couch in front of a big log fire.
these are as Julie Andrews said

" A few of my Favourite things"

Heather said...

OH MY STARS I love those shoes. I really really really do.