I consider myself lucky to have purchased a house whose previous owner was likely a shoe-lover like me.  At somewhere over 120 pairs of shoes, even I have not yet managed to completely fill up this legacy  walk-through closet.

But, one glaring omission in my closet set-up is the lack of any proper stool or chair on which to sit when actually putting on the day’s shoes. Admittedly, it’s not exactly a crisis - but the daily hopping around on one foot while stuffing my other foot into a shoe would be a bit less comical and more dignified were I to correct this small wardrobe issue.  And, while it need not be fancy - we are after all talking about a piece of furniture that is only briefly needed on any given day - something pretty or fun would be a nice way of starting out the day.

Luckily, today’s postal offerings included some intriguing shopping options in just this area (in the form of a new catalog ‘Design Toscano‘ - on whose mailing list I have apparently been recently added).

Included are a fair selection of salon chairs, tabourets (of which I have always been fond), and boudoir stools to fit a wide number different styles, tastes, and decors.

Among them:

French Salon corner chair $198 $225

Mademoiselle Cezanne’s French slipper chair $249 $298

King Leopold’s cross-frame tabouret $175

Acanthus leaf mahogany tabouret $495

Lady Annette Boudoir stool $89.95

Madame Bouvier boudoir stool $85.00

And, finally, the piece-de-kitschy-resistance:

Folis Bergere boudoir stool $75.00

How much fun is this last piece - definitely not for those who take themselves too seriously.

Which one would you choose - assuming you have a place to even put it?

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If you can’t beat the recession, then work around it. That’s shoe designer’s Ruthie Davis’ mantra during these trying times. The collection of shoe “combos” consisting of one Davis by Ruthie Davis pump and one takedown flat in the same color so you can guarantee that the outfit will match the shoes.   Each shoe is crafted from Italian leather with some featuring hardware details. The two shoes are sold together for $698 to $798, which isn’t exactly a recession bargain but you are getting 2 shoes where you would typically only be able to purchase 1.   The shoe combo comes with a Ruthie Davis graffiti bag, made for toting the shoes around for work or travel.  And in keeping with the sushi-named collection, the styles  bear the names such as Tempura, Edamame, and Sashimi.  Anyone up for some sushi?

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Here’s the thing -

I am really interested in adding a cute, criss-cross, strappy pump to my closet. There are dozens and dozens of shoes that fit this description, yet I keep coming back to these shoes:

Shoes for Lovely People Bombshell $90 $126 at Zappos.com

I have been grooving on these shoes since spring. And, while I really like the black pair, it is the somewhat impractical, metallic red,  faux-snakeskin pair that keeps drawing me back in to see if these have gone on sale yet anywhere online (wow, they are now on sale at Zappos)….the gold ones just give me flashbacks to 80’s Solid Gold episodes - high heels and spandex, *shudders*.

Also, for some reason when I look at these, the phrase “Surrender Dorothy” runs through my mind….but in a fun way. But there’s no way you’re gonna get me to wear a blue-gingham checked dress with these.  More like a black cocktail dress or dark wash denim paired with a tailored button-down blouse.

I was expecting the siren call of these to fade as the months passed, but something about them won’t let go of me.  Perhaps I am subconsciously seeking a pair of my own iconic ruby slippers with all of their magical and transformative powers?

Or, maybe it’s more simple and  I’m just doomed to remain hopelessly, happily shoe-obsessed.

I can handle that.

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I will continue to wax obsessive on all things boot-like when it comes to footwear.

And, unlike yesterday’s Gucci boots or Sunday’s oh-so-lustworthy Dsquared2 styles, these little booties from Sofft are even potentially budgetable - especially if I luck out and find them on sale sometime over the next several months.

Take a look:

Sofft ‘Orlena’ $154 at Zappos, $149.94 at The Walking Co.

These little pretties have been growing on me since I first glimpsed them about a month ago.

Seriously, how cute are those buttons and the slightly-oversized cuff? And look, they come in either black leather or grey suede; both are beautiful fall options.

Delicious….and falling nicely under the unfortunately-becoming-too-common $200-$700 price range.

Plus, these are made by Sofft - which has a well-known reputation for producing styles that are comfortable as well as fashionable.

These are definitely on my mental short list for ’shoes to keep an eye out for during sales season’.

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These are not your Grandma’s boots. And, to a boot-lover like me, that is a good thing.

Gucci Riddle Lace-up Boot $1690 at Saks.com

I love the equestrian-reference of the lower lacing.  Add to that the slightly military-feel of the buckled calf details and you wind up with a boot that is not quite granny, not quite riding boot, and 100% fabulous.

I love how these boots feel like an updated classic. They are just fresh enough not to blend in as just another cookie-cutter granny boot, but are still classy and sexy enough that you can easily get years of wear-ability from them - whether they are matched with casual jeans or a hot pencil skirt.

How would you wear a pair of boots like these?

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