shirley manson christmas card

dennis gave me this christmas card, which he won at a christmas charity auction on ebay. i love shoes, i love shirley manson - angelfish & garbage lead singer, who i first saw perform before live at the jersey shore with ranjit. then in college, jo won tickets on the radio to see garbage in rochester - we got close to the stage and when she came toward us, we screamed 'shirley, you're king of our world'!

the original two shoes

these are my most cherished pair of shoes (costume national) and the inspiration for the original twoshooz website, along with the phrase 'my shoes go where i go' from my friend ramon. i bought these in SF shopping with hong and i've only worn them twice - once on a date and once to the mysimon christmas party. my feet were so sore from standing and dancing that i was leaning back on my heels all night for relief, and the heel was damaged. i had them fixed, but i wont wear them again since i couldn't bear to ruin them. one day when i have a custom shoe closet, designed like a mini-gallery, with spotlights on certain shoes, these will be on the highest pedestal. they are art. call me crazy...OR...call me a diva?

i took some inspiration for the categories of shoes on this blog from the book I am Diva! Every Woman's Guide to Outrageous Living by Elena Bates, Maureen O'Crean, Molly Thompson, Carilyn Vaile. This is an excerpt from the chapter Week 38 - The Spell of High Heels, p.203-4

“ All the categories of my shoes have a name, and they all have a specific job they do for me…

As a Diva, most of my shoe collection is made up of what I consider "sitters": shoes that were made basically only for a woman to sit and enjoy a leisurely time...sitters are the way-too-high-for-any-kind-of-movement shoes, but they make my legs look longer and sleeker and make me feel tall and bewitching….

My “strutters” are just below the sitters in heel length and can be danced in, although some discomfort may occur, and whenever I walk in them I feel the most sensual and feminine. I can’t help but sashay through the room when I wear them!

The cushioned but still cute and fashionable shoes with a low heel are my “shoppers”. They’re the ones best for a day at the mall. Next come the “sneakers,” which include athletic shoes and any other quiet shoes that make it easy to sneak up on people. And last are my “slippers” for home lounging, getting the mail and quick trips to the market…

…Do all the shoes in each category express a Diva in you?"

well, i sure hope so - now, if that's not a justification for an entire website based solely on shoes (get it? haha! ehem...) i don't know what is. cuz actually, it true - it's not about the way the shoes look, but the way they make you feel in them - taller, sleeker, bewitching, sensual, sporty, feminine.

long live the DIVA! and long live her SHOES!