so i promised i'd write about where to find the best shoes

and so far, nary a word from me on that topic, just doom and gloom wartime commentary. in an attempt to lighten the mood, i'll begin my shoe advice. my usual favorite has been tootsi pluhound, but i have to say their buying appears to be a bit off this season. i am not seeing the beautiful costume and dries collections i am used to, instead an odd assortment of some type of shoes that look rather hand-made crafted. only have seen a very few really stellar picks. my other favorite of course is barneys warehouse sale--though it can be rather catch as catch can, best to go on the very last day, and if you are willing to go outside your normal comfort zone, i.e. black heels, you can always find some unusual finds that are quite cheep cheep, the sort that will have people asking for years afterward, where did you get those delicious little green alligator strappy numbers? other than that, i am searching for new shoe hotspots, kerquelen always good, but sometimes too pricey. who wants to pay the same price for a sandal as a boot? eew. the truth is, you can always stick with the 200 dollar rule, which is to say never pay more than 200 dolllars for a pair of shoes, boots or sandals. if you scout efficiently and are flexible to more adventurous styles you can even whittle that down to into the 100 dollar zone, or in the case of barney's warehouse on the last day, under 50. (yes i did get those navy blue corduroy laboutins for 35 dollars there).