Redemption!!!

Hello Honeeyz! I am happy to announce that after a certain someone (Benjamin Fitzgerald Hamilton) decided to snack on a certain favorite pair of shoes (see pics included herein)  and do a certain amount of damage (I talked about it at length here), I was able to have my shoes repaired to almost as good as new!! And to think, I was a little discouraged after a few people told me they didn't think there was much of anything that could be done to fix them and I was considering just giving up and letting it go.  However, my favorite shoe repair shop, Fast Feet Shoes, in the Concord Mall in Wilmington, DE welcomed the challenge and looked at the shoe for a second and said, "yea, we can fix it but it won't be ready til next week" without even blinking.  With that said, I paid the bill (which was super duper cheap by the way) and walked off expecting nothing particularly special in return.  I basically would've been happy if they could just even up the chew mark so that I could maybe wear them with long pants and not feel self conscious. Obviously, the shoe isn't perfect but its darn near close, considering the damage that crazy dog did and I'm more than happy!  I can wear them and unless you are some psycho weirdo all up in my business around my ankles (or a Honeey who knows this story b/c they follow my blog) you'd never know the history of this shoe.

The moral MILK of the story is: don't ever give up on something or someone that has a little damage without at least trying to repair it; and don't ever underestimate the potential for redemption! :-)

While we can clearly see where the repair was made (mostly b/c we just know), who the heck cares! Anything looks better than the prior damaged state (see below for a revisit of the trauma)! 

BEFORE- The Tragedy

AFTER- Redemption

Match Your Financial Profile with Your Shoe Game!!!

I don’t know many Honeeyz that wouldn’t bleed for a great pair of shoes.  Well actually, I’m probably being melodramatic but I can guarantee you that I will bleed all the way out for a great pair of shoes!! And I’ll be the first to admit that my little shoe shopping habit, well my entire shopping habit in general, hasn’t always been the most beneficial thing for me. My feet looked good and I was cute and what not but my savings account was essentially nonexistent.  And after I got divorced and wound up with the majority of the marital debt in my name with a single income,  a new house on my own and two hungry pre-teens, my credit was looking real beat too!  I spent the next few years trying to stay afloat and figuring out how to get back to where I was and belonged!

Once I sort of stabilized somewhat from all the trauma and adjusting, I spent the next couple of years trying my darndest to reign in the bad habits (aka shoes and all that) and devise a plan to reduce my debt, increase my savings and credit score, but do it without totally compromising my love of all the other pretty stuff out there (aka shoes).  Remember, I just want to reign it in and not completely eliminate.  Anywho, this past year, in particular, I’ve made even deeper strides to just do betta and I’ve been on a roll! I’m beginning to really see the fruits of my labor! I've been grinding hard, making some welcoming sacrifices and learning a great deal about how to maximize my income and many other financial resources and tools to better my financial profile.  At the end of the day I had to come to a place and admit that it’s really quite ridiculous when your shoe accumulation totally out values your savings account and college fund for the kids…siggghhh.  But things are looking very nicely balanced these days and I'm loving it.  

Now I know that it’s easier to want better and dream better than it is to actually do better.  I totally appreciate the difficulty in trying to balance out the need to save and maintain your bills with the desire to purchase the things you want, especially when you get up and go to work everyday and stay on your grind (I kinda feel like if I’m gonna be working 70 hours, 7 days per week, and melting my little brain down on a week to week, a sista can get a pair of shoes…I mean darn!).  I can honestly say that I do fairly well career and income wise but even still it can be difficult for me as a single woman with 2 teenage kids (who will milk you dry if you let them) so I can only imagine how difficult it may be for someone who has more children, less income, or an overwhelming amount of expenses. It’s not easy, no matter your status. But it's not impossible either.   

In this day and age and in our current economy, most people live pay check to pay check, no matter what they are bringing home, and they find it difficult to take care of their expenses, household and family needs to the extent that there is extra money to save and invest at the end of the day.  But it can be done if you really take an honest look at your circumstances, devise a reasonable plan, and commit to it.  Below, I’ve listed a few useful tips that have been helpful to me and I’ve shared a few tools that I’ve used and information that I’ve received that has helped me meet my financial goals...and keep the shoes!  

Check out the tips, resources and more pics after the break!! 

And remember, if your shoes are fly and cost you more than you have in your savings account, it’s time to step your game up. I’m not judging, I’ve been in that same boat, but I’m saying it’s time to do something better.  At least give it a real shot because material things are great for now but they wear, tear, go in and out of style, and the electric company and university financial aid office will not take shoes, bags and jewelry for payment!  Let's get it together boys and girl! How about that full glass of Milk with your honeey! 

There's nothing like a fly bootie and money green color shirt to drive home the point!

Shirt: Forever21; Salt and Pepper Skirt: NineWest; Pony Hair Platform Bootie: L.A.M.B; Bag: Louis Vuitton; Jewelry: H&M, Siglo, BCBGeneration, Marc Jacobs

When Tragedy Strikes

Super cute, lovable and innocent right? Well think again....

You honeeyz may have gathered from previous posts that I have a younger son, a 3.5-year-old shih tzu named Benjamin Fitzgerald Hamilton (yes, very regal and presidential).  He is as cute as a button and frequently poses in pics with me.  However, he recently committed the ultimate crime and I'm having a very difficult time forgiving him and moving past his most recent transgression... 

The Tragedy

A few days ago I discovered him in the living room chowing down on a pair of shoes I paid several hundred dollars for and  that I have come to love.  Why he decided to do this when he has rarely ever chewed on anything in the past 3.5 years he's been in our household is beyond me.  In any event, my shoes are just about ruined and my  relationship with Benji seems irreparable (I have not had the desire to even look his way). I'm planning to send my shoes out to this awesome cobbler/shoe repair phenomenon in New York City, Mina's, who has previously restored a pair of shoes I nearly destroyed back to better than brand new.  

The biggest issue here is leather and pony hair has been chewed away so I don't know if it's even possible to make them wearable again with missing material.  My thoughts are if I can find someone who can even out the edges, add the black piping to seal the edges that they could be better again but in that case it won't be identical to the other shoe bc the edges will be shorter than the unscathed shoe.  Or maybe I just give up and start over...who doesn't need an excuse to purchase a replacement shoe? But the thing is I don't think I can "replace" this particular shoe. I can find an animal print pony hair shoe, yes but I liked this shoe for so many reasons...the print is not a traditional leopard, it's giraffe, the shape isn't a round toe, point toe or traditional square toe, it sort of has a shape of it's own.  It's a unique shoe in many ways but a the same time very much a staple (animal print and pony hair will never leave us) and very much classic that I could've had forever.  Or maybe I just put Benji's destructive @ss on craigslist!!! Sigghhhhhhh..... What do you honeeyz suggest? Check out the damage below and let me know...

The culprit

The end result... salvageable???

He's sorry (I don't care)

Looks perfectly fine from the top front... shouldn't give up right??

A hot mess from the back side with an entire chunk missing...what to do???

All Black Everything and the Ballet

I'm very excited about this weekend because I will be attending the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater  show at the Kennedy Center! The Alvin Ailey Dance Theater was established in 1958 for the purposes of bringing African American cultural expression and American modern dance form to the forefront. The show encompasses a mix of ballet, jazz and a few other forms of modern dance.  This will be my first time attending a dance show of this magnitude.  I expect to be totally wowed for so many reasons.  I love the arts, I love new experiences and I love to be educated while entertained and I believe that it is extremely important to support African American initiatives to keep them coming and going.  From what I understand, every one and their mother and anybody who is somebody will be out for the show... including all the big wig politicians and the creams of the crop...possibly even my Black President.  Heyyyyy Barack!! :-)   

The Milk and Honeey Of It:

While  it's absolutely cool to kick it  and do the usual at times, it's equally as important to participate in things with substance and value and to expand your experiences.  Learn to operate outside of your comfort zone and expose yourself and children to new things. 

Bringing Sexy All the Way Back, literally. :-) 

Obviously, the question of what to wear to such an event was immediately on my brain after securing the tickets.  I decided that I wanted to wear something a little more sophisticated and dressed up than usual considering the occasion; however, I didn't want to compromise my sexy, comfort, and edge.  The first decision I made is that I would wear black b/c black makes it so hard to NOT be sexy, classy and sophisticated.  I ultimately decided on this BCBG black, jersey maxi-like dress.  The length makes it a little more formal than the usual dresses but the jersey keeps it fun and comfortable and adds more sexy (ask Donna Karan...jersey is the most forgiving and sexy material out there).  The added surprise in the back, the asymmetry of the cut at the bottom (shorter in the front and longer in the back) with the added slit in the front and back sealed the deal.  And to keep the edge, I paired it with a pair of rockin' booties as opposed to a classic pump or boot.  I think I got it! What do you honeeyz think of this look? 

You've Got Mail!

One of my absolute favorite things is to open my mailbox and find something super duper dope inside! This is usually followed by a big smile and a few shallow screams.  These days, since relocating, I usually get an email that I have a package awaiting me at the concierge and that makes it even more exciting! It sounds so sophisticated and upscale! Oh, the little things that make a girl happy.  Anyways back to the matter at hand...this weekend resulted in more than a shallow scream.  When I opened the package and found these darlings inside I just grabbed them and hugged them nice and tight! Yes, I ordered them and already saw what they looked like and yes, I was expecting them so there was no real surprise but who cares??!!!    These babies were just EVERYthing! You will certainly see them again on M&H in a post to follow b/c I can't wait to wear them over and over again!  Do they make you honeeyz scream too?? What cha think? How would you rock them? 

Black pony hair booties with suede obvious platform by L.A.M.B.  - I'll have to hide these from my animal activist daughter. Good Lord. 

Although these booties boast a 4.5" inch heel with an added platform they are super comfortable! 

Heels, Heels, Heels...

Dream Closet on HIGH!!
Photo Courtesy: Nicky Hilton closet featured in past InStyle Magazine

Can you pay my heels, can you pay my luxury-heels??!!! LOL. Ok, I'm tripping and stealing Destiny Child themes just for an opportunity to talk abut shoes.  I love me some shoes!!! I buy shoes often but I always end up in the same pair over and over again.  I guess that's the whole Style versus Fashion thing.  You don't need quantity and trends for style.  Style is timeless and inherent and stays with the piece (or shoe) forever.  Fashion changes and doesn't necessarily mean stylish and timeless.  Here are a few of my favorite shoes over the past few years that I wear time and time again regardless of new purchases or what's going on in fashion. Happy viewing, and Honeeyz, please share with us your favorite go to shoe and why or your style theory?? Photos and commentary would be much appreciated!! 

BCBG Max Azria, Retail $300 - I love Max Azria and I have for years. It is one of my go to lines for everything from shoes, coats, clothing, accessories, etc... These were a birthday present to myself and a great addition to my collection.  2 years later and they are still one of my favorites.  They are extremely comfortable, high heel, great neutral color and diverse in textures and colors...elastic, wood heel, metallic patent leather, and suede. LOVE.

 More Heel Favorites After the Break... Click Below>>>>