My Ideal Shopping Trip

1. Don't go until you need something.

2. Know exactly what you need.

3. Enter store. Find correct department quickly or clerk to point out the way.

4. Peruse options briefly.

5. Find what you're looking for.

6. Try it on and find a size that fits without too much trouble.

7. Pay for purchase.

8. Leave.

I am delighted to say that this describes one of my shopping expeditions this evening. When I returned from my trip last week, I discovered (after I'd arrived at church) that the heel of one of my black, thin strappy sandals had been reduced to a nail head. I don't know if it came off when I was salsa dancing (highly possible) or if it got smashed to bits on the airplane journey because I (perhaps unwisely) stuck them in the outside pocket with the heels facing out. But it was not a good way to wear shoes, if more so for the church's floors than my own stability. So I ran home and changed shoes.

But tomorrow I have to do a wedding and it's June so I don't want to wear my winterish black dress shoes. So tonight I went to replace these shoes. Last time I was filling this slot in my shoe wardrobe (I'm pretty frugal about shoes: only one pair in each useful category), it took me forever to find something even close to what I was looking for. At the time, lowish heels were very hard to find. So I was a little worried this wouldn't work out so well.

The pair I got are not quite the same, but since I could conceivably (and might) get the heel on the old ones fixed, it's probably better that they're not the same. And the new ones have a little bow on the front. I'm a big fan of bows.