Just a quick reminder & heads up!

I am on a 2 week mini vacation in Canada. Hence the lack of Twittering and slow comment approvals.

Also, if your comment doesn’t show up immediately, it means you need to have your first comment approved by me the first time before you can post freely thereafter.

Don’t despair! I have approved all non spammers.

A pair of Broadway Tickets to see Chicago in October

Ends: Today at Midnight EST

Read about it here.

A King or Single sized Allersac Travel Sheet

Ends: Today at Midnight EST

Read about it here.

I love this woman and I am really sorry she is leaving the blogosphere this year.

I highly recommend you read her past posts (she is a big inspiration to me for personal finance for career advice and advancement, as she had one of the very first PF blogs I got hooked onto reading).

Consider subscribing to her on twitter here @singlema, because she always makes me laugh and gives out some pretty solid advice.

This is a great blog to grab ideas on how to dress stylishly on a budget, and damn does she do it well!

She writes: I’m a fortysomething year old hard working mom that loves fashion, but my purse string ain’t so flexible!

My 19 year old son is off at college, so I got some time on my hands *wink* Now that you got the 5 second rundown; pull up a chair, get that Latte and browse around.

Love Maegan

She’s great at taking what she’s got and wearing it well, or repurposing it. She caught my eye with this post on how to make a gorgeous chiffon necklace.

Gorgeous girl, creative, smart & an awesome stylist. What more could you ask for?

This blog just makes me smile. I love the writing style & though it’s a tad bit irritating to have to click on “Read More”, I understand that it helps shorten the space on the blog so that posts aren’t so large..

Nevertheless, his posts are interesting & thoughtful without being overly winded (like mine.. heh heh..)

First, the Birks.

Birkenstocks = $145.61 total

From the Birkenstock/Naturino store in Westmount on Greene Street.

I had desperately wanted to love the style with the cute bronzed leather that didn’t look like “original” Birks, but this is only kind of style that felt really good on my foot.

The other styles were quite tight around my foot & when I walked, it was uncomfortable.

I also wanted a pair that would stay on my feet, and the double strap was recommended.

They take some getting used to especially on my instep and under my big toe, but I’m going to slowly break them in.

10 days and counting. They’re great (so far) as shoes to wear around the apartment. They’re getting more and more comfortable by the day!

Perfect pair of brown knee high boots = $321.71

*a light appears behind the boots and angels start singing — “Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaah”*

I FOUND THEM!!!!

Okay, so I stalked them on the internet first. Big difference.

And it took me 6 hours to find them after scouring all the stores for all the brown, flat, knee-high boots of high quality in the city.

But it was all worth it.

Everyone will now call me The Girl in the Perfect Pair of Brown Knee High Boots.

Seriously.

Ecco’s new boot collection is quite cute. This is the Hobart in Espresso.

(What is up with companies naming colours things to eat or drink now? Espresso. Cocoa. Honey. Lemon Butter…. Wait. I might have made up the last one.)

The picture is a lot darker, so I didn’t expect to like the colour since it was so close to black.

I was SO wrong.

Ecco Shoes - Hobart - $275 - But I don't hate the buckle!

• Classic ridding* style with 25mm heel
• Full Inside zipper
• Highly breathable textile lining
• Uppers of rich leather

*Snorts*

I tried to feebly haggle for a bargain but there was nothing to be done.

The guy saw the fire in my eyes, smelled blood… and quite frankly, he has a valid point.

It’s the new collection — there ain’t no discounts at the start, people.

But I couldn’t chance these perfect boots running out of stock in Size 8s. I have found my Holy Grail Brown Boots and by hell or high water, I wanted them!

(I also checked for the 30 day return & refund policy first before snatching them up in my greedy paws and nuzzling them.)

Well? Ca passe ou ça casse?

(Do they pass or fail? Try not to let the price factor into your squeals of pain and/or delight.)

Other practical things I also picked up for the day, lest you think I just let my devilish Shopaholic go wild.

Worldwide Adapter Kit for 150 countries = $24.84

I could have just purchased a separate adapters but they were $9.99 each!

And I needed 3. So this was cheaper.

Plus, it saves space because they all snuggle into each other for easy travel.

So even though my trip is canceled to Asia this year, I still have to go to Europe next year for weddings…

Here are the adapters snuggling each other and doing naughty things.

And when I break them apart they can be adjusted to fit any kind of socket.

I just twist the prongs for the European plugs, or add the Continental Europe plug on top of the others.

Cotton Swabs & Feliz Rey Knockoff – $2

The Coral Purse was to satisfy my Feliz Rey for Target lust. I really wanted the coral bag.. but I live in Canada.

And lo and behold in the dollar store! Look what I found for $1.

Other damages not shown:

• $12.75 = Subway tickets
• $263 = Vehicle registration. They’re a bunch of PIRATES here, our local DMV.
• $1.39 = A drink. I went 8 hours without eating or drinking searching for those boots. I needed it.

Total Damage for the day: $771.30

Close to a grand.

I still have a chance to return those boots, so I may go back for another scouring to see if I can find another pair I love as much, for cheaper.

(What a lie. You know I love these boots.)

I’m really not that picky.

I just know what I want and at what price I am willing to pay.

Criteria for a simple pair of dark brown knee-high boots

• Knee-High
• Rounded Toe
• Cannot be slouchy at the ankle
• ..or too tight at the calf
• Dark Rich Brown
• 100% Leather but not Suede — it’s a b*tch to maintain & keep clean
• Nothing Shiny
• No lace-ups
• Rubber heel (plastic sounds and looks cheap)
• Flat or Low Heel (under 1″) — I should be able to short sprint in them
• Comfortable
• Full zipper — no pull-up boots, they stretch out
• No weird prints, ruffles, belts, cowboy buckles or fringes
• No fur or faux fur styles
• Around $200 because they’re boots and good boots cost money

Is that really too much to ask?!

Apparently.

Links to Canadian Online Stores I’ve tried:

• Aldo Shoes
• Reborn
  
• Browns Canada
• Soft Moc
• Forzieri
• Groovy Shoes
• Nine West
• Naturalizer
• Little Burgundy
• Tony’s Shoes
• Spring Shoes
• Payless Shoe Source
  
• The Shoe Company
• Miller Shoes
  
• Zappos Canada
• Ecco Shoes — Had the best results here

So far I found ONE option at Zappos Canada that I am not in love with, but don’t hate.

And they’re sold out of my size. Of course.

Kenneth Cole Reaction - $114.76 USD - Naturally they are also sold out in my size, and i am not keen on the look of it, but they do look comfy.

But I really loathe buying shoes without trying them on first.

Especially when they’re trying to charge me $10 for shipping.

It’s like sunk money.

They just don’t fit everyone, and I am picky about it fitting correctly, where some may not really care for the sake of fashion.

I also found a doable pair at Ecco Canada but it’s $75 more than I wanted to pay and a half zip.

Ecco Shoes Hoffman - $275 - The Cognac colour is kind of nice.

And I found another pair at Ecco as well:

Ecco Shoes - Hobart - $275 - And I don't hate the buckle!

Hmm. Maybe I should revisit the budget I have for these boots.

Maybe $300 is the real price for what I’m looking for.

I don’t want a cheap looking pair, and it has to be soft, high quality leather that is made well with a good zipper and with a rounded toe that isn’t squared off and stumpy.

$300 it is then!

As for the truly perfect pairs of boots, I found a couple of great options on Zappos USA.

This is kind of the style I’m kind of looking for but they don’t have it in their Canadian stores.

Bandolino Renoir - $109.73 - If only they had them in Canada.

Pour La Victoire Malorie - $404 -- *cries at the tag*. It also doesn't have a full zipper.

And the Holy Grail of all Brown Boots if you don’t look at the price tag:

Or these ones are perfect, also not available in Canada, with the zipper at the back.

But not for that price.

Delman Aden - $479 -- OUCH!!! But they are perfect.

Makes a girl wish she had a personal shopper and stylist like Rachel Zoe to pull an entire, cute wardrobe for you, along with boots and shoes for your everyday life that cost $200 or less.

I feel like the toothless, boot-less Canadian over here, drooling at the breadth of choices available in the States.

I mean, seriously?!?

Kappa Boots - $148 - I mean it. These were part of my sad Canadian choices. I have a feeling all the shoes that don't find homes in the States make their way up here.

Coming up tomorrow: I bit the bullet.

Via Ms. Taken Blog.