Yesterday I read Lourd De Veyra's blog post about his thoughts on the Filipino Holy Week. He made a lot of relevant points, but what spoke to me the most is his introduction of the "bliss station". It's "a room, or a certain hour or so a day, where you don't know what was in the newspapers that morning, you don't know who your friends are, you don't know what you owe anybody, you don't know what anybody owes to you. This is a place where you can simply experience and bring forth what you are and what you might be."

I didn't know it until yesterday but apparently my bliss station is where I lay out all my painting and drawing materials on the dining table. It's the part of my day where I don't care about anything else except creating something and exploring what I can do with what I know about painting (so far). ^_^ What or where is your bliss station? Will you be doing more of it this long weekend?

Anyway I just want to quickly show you something I purchased recently: these white blocky sandals from Stradivarius!

Yesterday, I got these ugly pair of shoes from Topshop in Powerplant. I saw them last November and wanted to get them then, but I'm so happy I waited. They were at 50% off! I shouldn't be surprised though. They are rather ugly, after all.

I like how chunky and awkward they look. It's kinda trendy at the moment, this affair with 90s grunge. But the main reason I got them is that I used to have the same pair of shoes before.

Maybe it's my age, but the way I choose shoes now is vastly different from how I did it before. Just a year ago I would always wander off to the flashiest section of a shoe store, giving the flats and boring wedges a wide berth. The higher the heels, the more exciting they are to wear. The challenge was fun - maintaining my balance in uneven and slippery flooring, changing from flats at just the right moment, towering over most people.

Now it's not so fun. The turning point was when I was walking down a street with a lot of sloping sides, almost slipping a few times - but not quite. I thought to myself, with a quiet fury that I reserve for those who cut in lines and those who man fastfood telephones, "Why the frick am I doing this to myself?" I don't have to walk in terribly high heels. It doesn't prove anything to anyone except that I'm stupid and prideful.

There is no such thing as principle when it comes to FitFlop. These things made my feet so spoiled that I hardly wear flats, sandals, or flip flops unless I absolutely have to! I admit that I didn't understand why women would love such chunky, ungainly-looking footwear. The first few designs looked like platformed tsinelas, and they were sooo expensive to boot. I didn't get it. Until I got my own pair as a gift.

I love it because THE SOLE IS SO SOFT. It's like I'm perpetually walking on a cushion when I have these on! It was a little weird when I was breaking them in though. My feet kept slipping for some reason, but the rubber eventually softened and molded to the shape of my feet. Since then we've been more or less inseparable wherever appropriate.

Are you a bag hag or a shoe fiend? I love shoes more, definitely. With bags I can buy a versatile one and just wear that out with everything in my closet until I get tired of it. I can rotate say, three bags only for a whole year! With shoes, I feel a compulsion to match them with the colors/mood of my eyeshadow and outfit for the day. Silly? Shallow? Who cares. It makes me happy.

Anyhoo I just want to share some of the shoes I recently purchased. Starting off with the notorious sneaker wedge! I didn't care for them at all...that is, until I saw Karrots wear hers while we're on a tea date. That's when I realized it could be wearable and cool - not just mindlessly trendy. 

Besides, I've always wanted to have Skechers sneaker heels since I was nine. It's a desire that really never went away! :P Remember those chunky platform and heels that the brand came out with a decade or so ago? All the cool kids had them so I begged my mom to buy me one. She thought they were too pricey (not to mention impractical) so I just had regular sneakers. Aw. Well, now I don't have PE classes to attend and I can buy my own things!

Don't you just hate it when you buy shoes in the wrong size? It can be an online order so the blame isn't as heavy. However sometimes you go in a store, fit the pair meticulously, then still end up with something that doesn't wear quite right. That's what happened to me when I bought a pair of black pumps some weeks ago.

Anyway, the solution is those black/ lilac shoe inserts to tighten the fit. I don't like using them though because I always have to cut them to fit my small shoes. Besides, they look so obvious in open sandals! Best solution: the transparent Watsons Foot Ease Gel Cushions. I have a few of these and I thought I'd finally write about it. ;)

This is pretty cheap at less than a hundred bucks if I remember correctly. I love to use them for my loose heels, but aside from that these inserts are intended to cushion our foot pads from the stress of wearing high heels. The gel insert is soft and comfy under the feet.

I'm a big believer in the power of heels but of course I don't wear them all the time. I'm usually in flip flops, espadrilles, or boat shoes when I'm erm "off duty". Not off duty like a model, I mean off duty from work as in alila mode! That includes walking the dog twice a day, doing groceries, and various other errands that are part of running one's own household. 

Anyway the folks at Cushe sent me one of their shoes and I am currently deeply in like with it. It's so, well, cushy! As in! The foam on the sole is super soft and lightweight, it's like I'm walking on air! It's so soft it has to be illegal. :P This is the cushiest pair of shoes that I've ever tried. You can put that on record.

I'm vain enough to want to appear taller every time I go out but sometimes, I just don't want to pay the price. :P Call it off days, lazy days, whatever. But for every pair of fab high heels I have, I have a "trick" pair that's high but walkable. As in I can trawl a mall in them!

Oh don't get me started on flatforms. I've tried a few but they just don't work for me. They usually don't have an arch which makes walking awkward, plus the design looks off. I much prefer platforms with a slightly higher arch (up to two inches) since they end up being easier to walk in and are more visually appealing.

Snaps approved

So I got these Merida wedges from Ferretti in Glorietta 1 for P1,499 (minus my employee discount teehee). I really don't like spending more than 15 minutes in that store - I get funny ideas! If I just go in and out I'm good. But if I stay longer I usually end up carting something!

A male friend of mine asked me last week, "How much pain are you willing to go through for a pretty pair of shoes?" I said, "A lot!" Someone once said that good shoes can take you to good places, so if you're willing to take some pain for your vanity then you can potentially get some satisfaction out of it.

Anyways, I recently got two new pairs of shoes just to update my wardrobe. I've been mooning over them for a few weeks beforehand - they're not exactly cheap, so I had to think long and hard if I really needed them. I just felt miserable until I gave in. Next time, I won't put myself to all that trouble! If I badly want something, I'll just go freakin' get it if I can afford it.

First off, I finally got these Zara Basic Sandals. I've seen a lot of fashion bloggers wear them (especially abroad). I'm not the type to fall for trendy things, but I just love how beautifying these heels are!

It's not a secret that I love shoes. Like anyone who loves anything, I wanted to make an ideal version of the thing I love. One afternoon a month or so ago I decided to do just that!

You see Ferretti provides a shoe customization service - something I certainly wouldn't know if I didn't work for the brand. It's simple, you pick the design and the material you want and we'll do it in two weeks for more or less the same cost. There's no extra charge or anything, unless the material you chose is more expensive than the original material of the shoes.

I was hankering for new shoes but I didn't want to buy anything off the rack, for once. Here's what I came up with!

Penny pumps + Fiber espadrilles

Excited? Here's the finished work!

It's so fun when people leave interesting questions! It gets my brain working and compels me to do some research. In my legs post, one reader asked me about high heels. She said:

Hi, I've been always meaning to buy heeled shoes but I've never really gotten to wearing them...I just can't last wearing heeled shoes for prolonged periods of time (prolonged period = 1 hour or more). Is there a tip you can give on how to last in heels? Or am i just wearing the wrong kind of shoe? Are there heels that are actually comfortable? Thanks!

Walking and enduring high heels is like writing or learning how to bike - once you get the hang of it, you can't unlearn it. It just becomes an automatic skill! It's only difficult in the beginning but trust me, once you're past the initial barrier of pain and suffering, you will find your balance and a level of comfort.

Why wear heels anyway? Heels can instantly make your legs look longer, your butt perkier, and your back straighter. You will also be forced to take smaller, slower steps, so you look more graceful and poised.

There are nice stores, but then there are stores where you want to take every single thing home. "It's so me!" you squeal. It takes an epic amount of self-control to walk out with only a few choice pieces but it is done.

Something like this happened to me when I visited Ever New on their opening day.

The store is fabulous, for lack of a better word! The pieces are all feminine and sophisticated - think Blair Waldorf on A-grade crack. Colorful prints and fabrics are arrayed according to a theme.

In one corner, you'll see summery white, orange and hot pink affairs. On another there is a modern nautical combination of green and navy blue. A wall displays glamorous formal wear while another has body contouring dresses in glitzy gold and black. 

Take a look!

Last May 1, Ferretti opened its doors on the ground floor of Glorietta 1. We're very happy with how it turned out, considering that everything was done in a rush! Lol. Think 30 days of no sleep for my boss, the visual merchandiser, and contractor!

Okay, so the concept is like a girl's dream walk-in closet. There's a dash of Victorian flair in the furniture and cast iron chandelier, but everything was kept clean, refreshing, and feminine - just like the shoes Ferretti is known for. We hope that the shopping experience is better with the bigger and brighter store!

Here are more pics to entice you. :P

Bright candy colors for teens and teens-at-heart