Purge

I went through a huge closet purge that involved getting rid of around 40 tops, 10 skirts/pants, and 30 pairs of shoes. Between removing anything that I really hadn't worn since we moved to New York and accepting that I will probably never get back to the same size/shape that I was before having babies, there was a lot that needed to go. 

I also got rid of a few pairs of shoes that were a little bit painful to wear.  When I was working at a desk all day, I could wear shoes that pinched a bit and it was fine, but now that I don't have the luxury of sitting all the time, it just doesn't work so well!

So here's a run-down of what a got rid of (because I know you're dying to see).

A great purchase from Forever Young shoes.  My favorite part (which you can't really see in the picture) is the pink polka dots on the inside of the shoes.  So cute!

I got these from Zappos.com after getting the same style in a bright green. They're so beautiful and came in so many great colors, I just had to get another pair!  (Unfortunately, in the great clothing purge, I got rid of the few things I had that actually matched this so it seemed silly to hold on to them.)

I got these for super cheap at Payless (something like $7).  The snake print is so unique and fun!

I got these at Mervyn's in the summer of 2008 (I miss that place...they use to have some really cute shoes).  I love me a good espadrille!

 Also from Mervyn's.  These shoes are what really got me going with fun colors of shoes.

I had been looking for red heels for a while and finally found these at Mervyn's.  (What did I tell you about Mervyn's having great shoes?)

These are handmade shoes from Chile that I got in high school to go with one of my formal dresses.
 

I got these to go with a dress I bought to wear at Severin's cousin Kristin's wedding.

These are the first slingbacks I ever bought.  I went shopping with my sister Janae specifically looking for sling backs and t-straps.  I found these at Payless--I especially love the floral print on the bottom.  These shoes always had a bit of a 70's vibe for me (am I crazy?) which I thought was fun.

I went to see Mamma Mia! with my friend Lia while Severin and Lia's husband, Peter, saw The Dark Knight.  We got out before they did so we did some shopping and I picked these up at Payless.

Found these on clearance at JC Penney and loved them immediately (I love a unique shoe).  Luckily, I came home and actually had things I could wear them with!

I really don't remember where/when/why I got these shoes....but they're cute! :)

Got these from Payless on the shopping trip with Janae when I was looking for t-straps and slingbacks.  They were my first pair of t-straps.

Got these at Payless back at the beginning of my pumps phase. Don't you love that little cutout flower on the inside? Sometimes the cutest part about shoes is the inside. Too bad nobody else sees it!

Another pair of handmade shoes from Chile.  I got these to wear with my green formal that I wore for my high school graduation.

I got these at Charlotte Russe.  I was looking for a strappy, "sexy" pair of heels.  Ta da!

I found these on clearance at Kohl's a few days before we got married.

 I got these at Ross when I went shopping for a college graduation outfit.

Got these on clearance at Mervyn's.  They have been well loved!

Also a Mervyn's clearance find.  Who doesn't love a leopard print shoe? (Rhetorical question.)

 Also on Mervyn's clearance (surprise).  I loved the fun color.

After I got pregnant with Hamilton, I wanted to get some more low heel/flat options so I went to Payless and found several great pairs, including these.

A few years ago I spent some birthday money on a few new pairs of shoes at Charlotte Russe.  I just loved the bright color of these (and I happened to have a jacket and a purse that matched).

Another pair from the birthday trip to Charlotte Russe.  The color plus the pattern made these hard to say no to!

Another pair from the Charlotte Russe birthday shopping trip.  So bright and happy!

When Severin I decided to privatize our family blog, I was super against it so I made a deal that I could get some new shoes if we went private.   These were one of those (from Payless).
 

My other brown flats were getting a little worn so I got these at DSW Shoes.

When I got my new job with BYU Athletics, Severin took me shopping to celebrate and I got 5 new pairs of shoes. These ones are from Forever Young.

I got these ones from shoebuy.com.  So many great things about them--I loved the straps/buckles on the side, the snakeskin pattern, and all the different colors.

Part of my first purchase from shiekshoes.com.

From Justfab.com...I had been wanting a pair of light pink heels for a while and finally found these.
 

The Return of the Flat

I've updated my slideshow with a few pairs of new shoes (from Christmas and my birthday...NYC budget doesn't much allow for just-for-fun shoe purchases).  You'll notice a stark contrast between my newest pairs and most of my other pairs, namely heel height (or lack thereof).  As I suspected/feared, high heels just really aren't that practical for city living. I walk almost everywhere I go, and I'm usually pushing a double stroller too.  And as much as I love heels, I really don't want to walk 20 blocks in them on a regular basis.

Come to find out, despite having what some people would call a ridiculous number of shoes, what i don't have a lot of are sandals or open-toed shoes that are flat, a.k.a. good for walking.  As the weather warmed up here I was not loving the idea of wearing socks/closed-toed shoes all the time so I used some birthday money to get a couple pairs of basic sandals.  This may have to become a tradition as long as we live here!

Now I know some of you are feeling bad for all my high heels that never get worn anymore (I would be if I were you).  Never fear, I still wear them.  Of course, not nearly as often as I did before.  Mostly just for church (and even then, I wear flats to walk to and from church and only change to heels when I get there), but every once in a while I will wear them around the house if I know I don't have to go anywhere far that day.  I do miss them sometimes, but there is a time and a season for everything, right?