will work for new shoes

so there we were all set for hi-top (this grocery in qc where there's an entire section for items on 50% off) when i complimented my boss on her shoes. then she mentioned the magic word: i got them on CMG where the shoe prices have not only been slashed but they're on buy one, take one as well.

uh-oh ... shoes on sale. sign me up!

i think i must've tried at least fifteen pairs of shoes ☺ boo, cause some of the pairs didn't come in my size (particularly this brown i-will-eat-you-for-breakfast-if-you-don't-see-things-my-way pair that i was super in love with) but in the end, i came home with three (i split the B1T1 with another officemate ... the beribboned flats on the top of the heart isn't from CMG but from janylin last week. i've used it for walking and commuting that they're sorta giving up on me. and i haven't even paid for them on my credit card! boo, janylin, boo!).

sometimes i can't help but think that all this shoe shopping is a disease (i even wanted to buy this bag, but i held back, if only cause i'm saving up for this fino bag that sent my heart a-flutter, or this other bag i had been planning on getting for my 35th birthday which is six months from now) but since i'm a lawyer, i can fully justify each purchase. for example, while this weekend is the first four-day weekend in MONTHS, i actually did a lecture yesterday. so i've more or less earned enough money to pay for the shoes in the pic above. good job me (pats self on the back).

as for that bag though, well, that's a different matter altogether!

have old school pink crocs, will travel

as i sat on the beach taking what i felt were artistic pictures of my hot pink crocs (so i'll never be a photographer, haha!) i realized that while i had taken dozens of pictures of my pink crocs in the past (all of which were lost in the great laptop crash of 2011), i had never written anything about them. as a matter of fact, while i had waxed poetic about my merrel shoes, i haven't even thought of mentioning anything about what must be my most favorite traveling companion of all time.

well, probably not of all time. just ever since i bought them.

i first met crocs through leuts. he visited the house for something and my brother and i saw him in crocs. eventually my brother got an orange pair (i convinced him to get them since i thought he could get away with something so bright and outrageous) and after seeing this uber-cute girl in ormoc wearing the baby pink ballet flats, i got myself a pair too.

until i realized that baby pink ballet flats -- while ultra comfy and pretty -- would most likely fly out of my foot should i ride the flying fiesta. so, the night before a slightly impromptu trip to enchanted kingdom with alex, i got myself the hot pink mary janes.

okay, i'll admit it: another reason why i got them was cause i saw this cute girl in smile magazine wearing them and i thought they were cute as well. yes, i am totally a sucker for advertisement!

so despite of all the negative comments about crocs -- how no one over the age of five should wear them, how they aren't anywhere near fashionable, how they're supposed to be for certain things only -- i don't think i've loved a pair as much as i've loved these. i've used crocs in lieu of swim shoes, flip flops, and other forms of appropriate footwear simply because they work. plus, because i've a tendency to overpack, it doesn't hurt that crocs are uber light and can be easily stashed onto the tiniest of spaces without being deformed. plus, because they were designed for boat wear (i think i read that somewhere), they're not the least bit hurt by salt water.

okay, now i'm starting to sound like an advertisement as well. boo!

but while i'll never be a (1) travel blogger, (2) food blogger, or (3) society blogger -- after all the hot pink crocs are definitely a fashion faux pas -- i know i can be the best *bleep* blogger who writes about anything and everything (including her deep dark secrets, haha!). and i'm hoping that'll be good enough for all of you ☺

2011 easter shoes

while the things i give up (or take on) for lent vary from year to year, one thing that has been constant was giving up shoe shopping. this is oftentimes difficult for someone like me who (1) is more than just fond of footwear, (2) a compulsive shopper, and (3) has a birthday that oftentimes fall during the lenten season. add to that the fact that a myriad of stores host their mall-wide sales within the 40-day fast and you've got a girl who can't wait till easter.

the wonderful thing, though, is that more often than not, easter turns into such a marvelous celebration for me. and, the patience is generally rewarded. shoes that i want, in my size no less, remain on sale till i can purchase them. sometimes, shoes i've wanted that weren't on sale previously, magically go on sale. and sometimes, when i'm extremely blessed, i get free shoes.

i went home to the province to spend part of the holy week with my family. when she got back from the US, tita celia mentioned that she got me a pair of shoes but that they were in the box that she hoped would arrive before the holy week. i had totally forgotten about them until she mentioned the magic words when i got to cabanatuan: "your shoes are here."

happy easter indeed.

so shoe me!

in between the bathroom repairs, the numerous "mini-tragedies" that visited me towards the end of last year and the beginning of this year, my sudden desire to fix, clean, and renovate my home, product reviews, and food-related posts, i've forgotten the real me: a shallow shoe-loving lawyer.

so let me go back to my roots by posting my newest purchase -- one that is only a little more than an hour old:

lovely, lovely purple sneakers with fabric rosettes.

they're superga, which according to the paperbag they came in, are "people's shoes of italy".

so what if i was late this morning (after faithfully waking up early each and every day of february so i'd get perfect attendance) because of a flat tire, and so what if i'll have to wake up early tomorrow to do a lecture that i only found out about last thursday. so what if i still have to finish the minutes for two board meetings, hopefully by the end of the day, and so what if i don't have a retreat venue for this lenten season yet.

i have a new pair of shoes and i'm wearing them now. life if WONDERFUL.

major blooper

when i do my groceries, for some inexplicable reason, i get three of something. three cans of my favorite 555 sardines. three cans of my favorite whole corn kernel. three bags of chips (but not anymore!). as a matter of fact, just this morning, i bought three bags of various lettuce (bagong buhay!) from the farm girl who comes here every time the farm has excess produce.

when it comes to shoes, its usually horribly expensive to buy three of something. plus, who would want three of the same pair, right? but, i have this habit of buying two pairs in different colors when i can't pick between two. hence, one pink and one blue flowered ballet flats from robinsons a long time ago, one hot pink and one teal ballet flats from bayo, one black and one brown strappy sandals from i can't remember where, and one brown and one black round toe "sensible shoes" from aldo. it's an addiction, i tell you, an addiction i don't plan to get cured soon.

last week, three of us from the legal department headed off to trinoma cause i wanted something from landmark. my boss brought us to designer's boulevard to check out the shoes and, lo and behold, there it was -- uber lovely round-toe slingbacks from steve madden. i liked the bronze ones, but i liked the pewter ones too. so i bought both. as i said -- an addiction that will go untreated till the day i die.

the difficult thing though with having two of everything is the confusiong that comes, especially when you're up by 5 am and you're rushing like crazy to get to work on time. i grabbed the pair of shoes from my shoe cabinet in the dark and stuffed it inside my shoe bag before heading out of the house in my crocs. guess what greeted me when i opened my shoe bag when i got to work: one bronze shoe and one pewter shoe. i don't know whether to laugh or cry. here i am, feeling fabulous in one of my favorite dresses, hair blown out by the parlor so it's not fluffy or anything, face all made up (i've finally figured out how to quickly "do" my face without appearing like i'm covering a multitude of sins) only to be walking about in mismatched shoes.

then again, i can always say i couldn't decide which pair goes well with my outfit so i decided to wear both.

ooohhhh... what a major blooper, i tell you. and you know what's worse? the fact that i have to be all authoritative and what not in a work-related thing in ten minutes. gaaaah.

i just have to hope they won't check out my shoes. because right now, the choice is between my bronze/pewter heels and crocs ... and i don't think i can get away with crocs.

forgive me spike for i have sinned

dear spike,

you know i love you. you know that we've been through thick and thin, through handsome boyfriends and fugly ones. you were there when i flunked the bar and when i passed the bar. you kept me company through every job interview, lugged my stuff home after i left the UP dorm system, my teaching job, my government job, and my law firm job. you brought me places near and far, and you don't mind when i make you fly (at least as much as you can fly) and sometimes ignore humps.

you, spike, are the best.

a month ago you shocked me when your aircon stopped being cold. and you shocked me more when the talyer said you might need P12,000 to get better. i took you to your version of asian hospital, you know for a second opinion, and they agreed. and, oh, they even said it might even cost me more, in the event there are maladies that they might have missed in their cursory inspection. plus it's going to take time -- like a week, if not more -- cause they'll have to order the parts and take the engine down (or something like that). so i promised, maybe after the break. after all, we do need to lug all my presents and what nots to QC for the holidays, right?

then bathroom repairs took over. you know, i may have bored my readers talking about my plumbing woes and leaky pipes. but you, oh you were the best. you just took me to ace hardware and wilcon builder's depot and my friend's hardware store without fail every single time i needed another elbow joint or epoxy or pvc pipe. we went around metro manila in aircon-less conditions, and your upholstery might have gotten ickier in the process, but you carried on. you're my steadfast little soldier, and i love you all the more for it.

after i said goodbye to the plumber last sunday, and promised myself i'll hold off all repairs until i get my next bonus, you probably thought, hey it'll be my turn. you probably had visions of being brought to the casa, getting your aircon fixed and repaired, and consequently, being able to spend more time with me since you'd be fully operational after the quick trip to the doctor.

that was the plan, really. it was sooooo the plan. until i told my officemates, hey, let's go to trinoma. you see, i saw some perfect ceramic stuff where i can store my kitchen sponges. at Php29.50 a pop, they'd only cost me Php59. no biggie, right? but then my boss brought us to designer boulevard, her personal shoe haven. and i flipped over this uber gorgeous steve madden round toe slingbacks to discover that the pair i wanted was on sale. on super happiness kind of sale. and then my officemate pointed out that it came in two other colors. i was able to resist the black pair (way too many black pairs of shoes, IMHO) but the bronze and pewter ones, ooohhhh, i was a goner.

i paced back and fort, pretending to think it over. but you must understand, these were shoes. shoes!!! you see, spike, before there was you, there was my love affair with shoes. i LOVE shoes. i used to make at least two trips (with a cart!!!) from my dorm room to the car just to bring out the shoes i've stashed beneath by dorm bed. i had shoes with me in my law school yearbook creative pic. i love you spike, but i guess i am addicted to shoes.

can you just imagine how pretty and confident i'd feel wearing them to work (as a matter of fact i'm feeling mighty pretty and confident right now)? so, i'm hoping you'd understand. i'm relying on the hope you'd understand. i'm so sure my love for you isn't unrequited. so inasmuch as i love you and have forgiven you for breaking down just when i needed you the most, i'm pretty sure you'd understand and forgive me too for breaking down and buying two pairs of shoes when i should've been setting aside money for your repairs.

and if you don't, well, so shoe me. (hahaha. i so have a sense of humor. tee-hee)

with much love,

rosa

shoe love

you know me. i love shoes.

to even use the word "love" might be an understatement. but let's just say that that's the most extreme emotion one can feel for some inanimate object that can never return the feeling no matter how hard one tries.

having established that my heart more than flutters at the thought of shoes, let's just say i try not to buy shoes full price. because given the amount i already spend on shoes, buying them full price would make me financially irresponsible already. and, come on, we all know that if there's one thing i'm responsible with, it's with my money.

yes, i really am, notwithstanding the accusations that were hurled my way when i bought myself ferragamo sling back pumps for my 30th birthday. come on -- not only were they Php5,000 only, they also were my exact shoe size. no making pilit, no corks -- it was as if god knew then that i was going to pass the bar and needed lawyer shoes to wear on my signing of the roll.

once in a while though i fall in major love with a pair of shoes. and when that happens, all thoughts of fiscal responsibility, savings, and never paying for anything full price flies out of the window.

enter my merrell shoes.

a week or so before my HK trip, i stumbled upon lovely addidas ballerina flats. i didn't try them (i found the sale price still prohibitive ... in hindsight, it really wasn't, at least compared to what i paid for my merrell shoes) but it entered my mind that i needed non-rubbershoes, but with rubbershoes comfort, walking shoes for my upcoming vacations. i had envisioned lots of walking, for which rubbershoes would really do the trick, but i figured that i don't really look great with rubbershoes and shorts.

however, we searched high and low in the week leading up to the HK trip but i wasn't able to find anything that made me happy. so i ended up walking around HK in my ratty, dirty pink ballerina crocs. they were comfortable, and i still love them dearly, but i wouldn't mind replacing them for the vietnam trip.

so the night (yes, night!!! i was cutting it close!) before my friends and i were set to leave for vietnam, (and ironically the night before a hearing! crazy lawyer girl) i went on a search for some non-rubbershoes walking shoes once more. my store of choice, SM. oh, henry sy, you must love me so.

i first saw the fila stand. there were cheap shoes (not that cheap, but let's just say i wouldn't mind paying that price for those shoes) but they weren't exactly what i needed. they would look great with jeans, but not with my shorts. so a big fat x. i checked the others and while i marginally liked some -- and even tried on a couple -- there was always something wrong. one which was really cheap hurt the back of my ankles, and if it hurt just walking to and fro the mirror, i can't imagine how much it would hurt walking around an entire city. so goodbye cheap, pretty shoes. there was another one i liked -- i really liked -- but they didn't have it in my size. the guy said he could order one for me, but i didn't have the heart to tell him i needed them in less than 24 hours. nahiya ako.

so i left sm and walked around the mall. some were okay, but as i said, unless they had the word SALE marked on them (or that tiny second sticker saying it's now so and so less than the original price) i wasn't really tempted. this girl wasn't going to pay more than what was absolutely necessary for shoes that might not see the light of day once i ceased being the globetrotter i briefly turned into this year.

and the i saw the merrell shoes at sporthouse. they were lovely. and expensive. so i walked away. i looked at more stores but none came close to the merrell shoes. oh there was one -- and it was mighty cute too -- except that they were for kids. me and my juvenile taste.

i went back to SM to try the others once more, especially the one-size bigger shoe but, unfortunately, it really was one size bigger and there was no way it would fit my feet. i tried on even shoes i marginally liked once more but by this time, i knew i was a goner. i truly had fallen in love with the merrell shoes.

add to that the memory of my mom praising the merrell shoes she wore all over HK (and her entire manila vacation for that matter) and i could not help but want the shoes.

so i looked at them. and looked at them once more (they also had a booth at SM ... kanis). and i walked away. they were beyond my budget. they weren't on sale. and while they were exactly what i wanted, it wasn't like i was going to climb mountains and cross rivers and need protection from oil slicks. as a matter of fact, all i was going to do was walk along the paved streets of ho chi minh. so i needed none of the fancy-shmancy stuff that went with buying hi-tech shoes.

so i bought snacks. and looked for a raincoat (my aunt's instructions). and i went back and looked at the shoes once more.

sigh. they were pretty.

so i said, hey, maybe they're pretty, but they (a) won't fit me well, (b) won't look good on my feet, or (c) didn't have them in my size. so i told the saleslady (who was already laughing at my indecision by this time) i wanted to try them on.

and they had it in my size. and they looked great on my feet. and they fit me like a glove. i couldn't have asked for more.

i closed my eyes, and paid for them, and prayed that lightning wouldn't strike me for spending that much money on a pair of shoes that i won't ever get to use regularly. then again, they made me extremely happy and happiness isn't exactly something you could buy in a box ... unless they were these pair of shoes.

p.s. here comes the sad part -- SM is having a mega shoe sale this coming weekend and merrell is going to be one of the brands on sale. i want to go (cole haan is going to be on sale too) but there's a part of me that's scared to see my merrell's on sale. i might just die (or some approximation of it). after all, remember the puma's i sort of wanted but passed up on? a week later, they were 50% off.

the quest for metallic shoes goes on and on and on...

remember this? that day, after consulting a number of friends via text, i went to work, and actually attended a client meeting, wearing silver shoes with tiny silver balls and black grosgrain ribbons. and while those shoes died a natural death after being worn one too many times, my shoe closet has never been without a pair of shiny metallic flats - from bright palara silver to lovely matte gold. as a matter of fact, the other day, i barely restrained myself form buying yet another pair of gold flats. i so wanted them, but i couldn't afford them anymore, not with an upcoming trip to vietnam.

but then, i read anthology shoes's tweet. and i followed the link. and there it was: anthology's shanghai in gold.

ooooh. it's just too lovely to contemplate. and a size 8 at that. i'm beginning to think the shoe gods finally heard me.

*sigh* it would be perfect on the plane to vietnam, with a simple pair of dark jeans and a plain white button-down top. it would be perfect while eating those fresh spring rolls wearing a loose white summer dress (to hide the overstuffed tummy). it would be perfect walking around the market wearing cream shorts and a plain white tee. oooh... it would just be perfect anywhere, and considering that we're flying there and back with no check-in luggage, having one pair of shoes to go with every single outfit would just be heaven. and if i, the always over-packed shoe addict were to bring only one pair of shoes on a trip, then it would have to be something as fabulous as the shanghai in gold.

and did i say i was a size 8? at the risk of being repetitive ... it's just PERFECT.

back to regular programming

power's back on (at least at 3:45 a.m. in my part of the world) and with the sun out, life is pretty much back to normal. work clothes are ironed, drinking water is cold, and i actually saw myself on the mirror as i got ready for work. save for the extra couple of minutes (okay, the extra hour) that i spent in bed this morning (i just wanted to savor it a little bit more), i must say that i ought to be back on regular programming and i can no longer use the excuse of lack of sleep, fear of flying yero, and what not to prevent me from doing what must be done.

that said, here's what my work schedule is like (oh my):

♥ hearing at rtc qc on monday afternoon

♥ memorandum for the court of appeals on tuesday

♥ comment on a petition for certiorari with the court of appeals on wednesday

♥ motion for reconsideration for a court of appeals decision on thursday

♥ hearing at nlrc calamba on thursday afternoon

and, oh, take note, those are all different cases. make it work, rosa, make it work.

in between writing up a storm, i must:

☺ get my laundry done

☺ wash my suits -- i've really nothing else to wear for next week's two hearings

☺ sweep the front, sides, and back of my house to get rid of the leaves and other basyang-related debris

isn't my life pretty boring? thank goodness i'm not. hahaha.

anyway, i'm a bit sad cause yesterday, when i passed by subway, the sign for sub of the day wasn't there anymore and i was too shy to ask the counter guy if, well, there is still sub of the day. i'm beginning to think they recognize me already since i've eaten there at least twice a week since i've re-discovered the joy of subway. maybe later i'll ask. i'm too addicted to the sweet onion dressing to actually stop now.

and, on other news, i wore one of my new pairs of shoes yesterday, and another one today. so fun, i tell you. i know i am shallow, but what do you know, the drama of last week, including the "why am i a lawyer" and all that has all but basically dissipated. i do know that it'll take more than retail therapy to get to the bottom of things as deep-seated as that, but sometimes, it's the shallow things that count.

sea of shoes*

you know it, and i know it.

i have way too many shoes.

see, this picture was taken four years ago and i can't remember half the shoes these boxes contained.

and let's not even get into the fact that i have twenty or more pairs outside my home right now, in my pseudo garage sale, waiting for someone to just get them and love them as much as i did when i first bought them home in a shiny paper bag.

today, though, i said "no" to a pair of free shoes. and, i couldn't help but think, am i still me for turning down absolutely gorgeous shoes? wait, absolutely gorgeous and FREE shoes?

*with apologies to the blog of the same title.