This is the week that Amy and I have off from going through entries over at i heart faces (yay for weeks off!) I plan to spend my time attending a ton of end-of-the-year school activities for my kids, getting ready for another day when I turn “Forever 29″ again and preparing everything for the IHF photo walk I’ll be leading in Columbus this Saturday.
Instead of our typical photo challenge, we are instead participating in “Barefoot Week” to help bring recognition to an awesome charity called Soles 4 Souls. If you have a few seconds, be sure to pop over to the Soles 4 Souls website to learn more about how they are helping others across the world with shoes that people have donated to them. Then head over to IHF to add your foot or shoe related post which will also help spread the word about this amazing organization.
I have a confession to make. I’m a little bit obsessed with shoes. Okay, maybe a lot obsessed with shoes.
I’ve always been able to justify my obsession because 1) I keep my shoes forever and 2) I rarely spend very much money on my shoe collection. I’m very satisfied with the cheaper, non-designer shoes that might catch my fancy.
During most days, I will just run around in a pair of flats or casual shoes.
But, on any occasion that calls for a bit of dressing up…I pull out my pretties that make me oh-so-happy.
Anything from basic black…
To my shiny dancing shoes that I first wore at Blissdom…
To my more summery brown heels that look great with jeans…
To my springy purple shoes (I heart these a bunch!)
These shoes remind me of the summer vacation my siblings and I took to Puerto Rico one year…
And these make me extra happy that warm weather is finally here!
There are several things that my dressy shoes always have in common though.
-They are usually pretty high heeled (we short people have to find our height somewhere):
And,
-They are always open-toed.
Which I learned is a problem if you are going to be involved in a Prison Ministry like I am.
You see, every 3 months or so, I travel with a bunch of other musicians to a prison in central Ohio where we participate in their Sunday worship service and lead part of the worship service for them.
There are a whole lotta rules if you want to be involved in a prison ministry. Things like…no jeans can be worn, skirts must go below the knee, no cleavage can be showing, you must wear hose or socks, you usually can’t have a prison record or have a relative in that prison…and many, many others.
One of the rules is that you can’t wear any open-toed shoes. Apparently toes, of all things, can put the prisoners over the edge?!
Of all the rules we have to follow, that one irks me the most because all of my dress shoes are open-toed!! And my pants are usually so long that my open-toed shoes won’t even be showing!! So please let me wear my open-toed shoes!!
But, you can’t. If you wear open-toed shoes, you will have to sit out in the open area with the prison guards watching you for three hours while everyone else is back worshipping together. Not my idea of a good time.
So, right after I became involved in this ministry I went “Prison Shoes Shopping” one night and ended up with these serviceable (and, in my opinion, extremely ugly) closed-toed shoes that I could “legally” wear to prison each time we were scheduled to be there.
Man oh man, I hate these shoes.
Unfortunately for me, our puppy liked those shoes. As in LOVED-liked those shoes.
And one day I walked into my bedroom to find my prison shoes looking a bit worse for the wear…
Dratted, rotten puppy!
And yet…
I have to admit that deep down I am extremely relieved that she didn’t ruin my purple pretties instead.
Even if it means I have to go “Prison Shoes Shopping” again. Ugh.
Show off your shoes and feet photos over at IHF this week!
I am SO in love with your summery brown heels…where did you get them? I'm sure you're going to say you got them years ago and I will never be able to find them…I absolutely loved the full walk through of your shoe wardrobe…now I must wipe my keyboard down, I think I drooled a bit.
Oh no! No way about the open toed shoes. I laughed my head off imagining someones toes sending someone over the edge…
Congratulations to Pam! She is such a sweetie! I just know there music is very pretty and a blessing to so many! : )
Good luck finding new prison shoes. I know they can never be as nice as your purple pair : )
I so love your white slip-ons (or whatever the proper term for those are)!
I think it's awesome that you do Prison Ministry… but wow, toes possibly sending somebody over the edge? Hmmm.
wow, I love your shoe collection!!!
Wow, what a great post…love your shoe collection…my doggy goes for the panties…sigh…
Love those purple shoes!
Great story. Great shoes. Thank goodness the precious ones were spared.
YaY!!!!!!!! I am SO excited about winning… of all of the contests I've entered, this is the one I wanted the most. :<) I can promise you I'll put those CDs to great use! And I love this post and your shoes; as a fellow "short person", I feel the need for height. Unfortunately, at 50, my feet feel the need for comfort. I FINALLY found some stacked, super-high Rocket Dog thongs that work for me. I am a happy (and tall!) girl now. :<)
Alright, now I have the urge to go shoe shopping. Darn you, Angie Arthur, and all your pretties.
What a smart little puppy
Shows what good taste & judgement she has !!!
Best post I've read all day…that puppy DOMINATED those shoes. {giggles}
I think maybe the pup saw the look of loathing in your eyes when you looked at those apparently UNsexy heels. And since he/she is such a GOOD dog, decided to save you the eyesore in your closet. Smart dog, really…Loyal too…
i heart shoes
I love the third pair of shoes. Your puppy and my puppy should get together for a shoe chewing party.
You are so cute!
I'll take a pair of those brown summer shoes and maybe a pair of those purple beauties.
I LOVE that you included the dog chewed pumps. I have so many favorite shoes that took the same fate!
Fun! Great shots!
What a wonderful ministry…I have to say it makes me giggle the way you describe the whole thing. Those shoes aren't so bad! They have the cute little split detail.
I could never wear the shoes you wear…my feet would really rebel. Like stage a coup.
Your pictures are great, and your story is too!
@Danielle – I actually just got those shoes last month (the brown summery ones) at Famous Footwear. I looked online for them…couldn't find them in brown, but here is a link to the white ones: http://www.famousfootwear.com/Shopping/ProductDetails.aspx?p=99580&pg=1019890
I hope you can find a pair for yourself. They are yummy!
The purple pretties came from Maurices (I love that store!)
http://www.maurices.com
@Buckeroomama – I bought the white slip-ons probably three years (or more) ago from Payless. They are so cute!!
Wow I'm jealous! I LOVE these shoes! The purple ones are to die for!! I would wear those with everything, matching or not, lol!
http://idreamofdaisy.blogspot.com
Great shoes! Better to have torn up shoes than a cat that knocks water on your computer!
-Amy