Impractical

I o consider myself a very smart shopper. Sure I have moments of weakness when I have myself completely convinced that I absolutely have to buy this certain item, even if I have 3 look-a-likes already hanging in my closet. I would like to think that every woman has those moments, and I am proud to say that those moments have become less frequent. I was making not well thought out purchases each week just a year ago, and now not only am I only shopping every other month or so, but I've also become much more purposeful about my purchases. Along with that, I've also become fantastic in the art of purging. Typically I keep a pile of clothes to be given to my younger sister, and a pile to be donated. Whenever something sits in my closet for a period of time unworn, or when it simply doesn't fit it goes into the appropriate pile. After reading Kendi's series on Cleaning out your closet, I felt motivated to take my skills a step further.I took the hint from Kendi, and following a format similar to Kim's limbo land and I added a laundry basket of 'maybes' to the bottom of my closet. These are the items that will be off to donation if I don't miss them during the next few months. All of these things have lead me to say that I am on my way to a well rounded working closet. I think that closets are always a work in progress and I am proud and happy of the fact that in my closet, I know that everything fits and has a million ways to be worn.

For the last year or so, I have contemplated the idea of my shoe purchases. Sometimes I fall in love with a pair of shoes because I know how versatile they will be in my wardrobe. Other time I buy a pair of shoes because their price tag is low and I absolutely love them, despite the fact that they will only really work for the occasional dinner. When I first started improving my closet, I stopped all shoe purchases. I have all of the pairs that I need, and I am still finding new ways to work them with whats in my closet. A year ago however, I bought my first pair of 'collection' shoes. I fell in love with an amazing pair of light pink and brown platform stilleto shoes, but left them on the shelf in the store knowing that they would never be practical. They haunted me for days, until finally a few weeks after our initial meeting, I decided that there is nothing wrong with buying some shoes just for display. I paid my $40 ( more than I had ever spent on shoes) and brought my new shoes home and placed them in the perfect decorative place, where they have been sitting ever since. Outside of a few trips up and down our hallway, and in and out of the kitchen those beauties have never been out of the house, and even after all of these months, I don't regret the purchase. I love those shoes, and I love looking at them. I don't smoke and I rarely drink, we don't have any pets or children and I don't have any collections and my most expensive hobby involved buying pretty things with low price tags to hang in my closet. With my money going no-where else but bills, Is there something morally wrong with buying shoes if the intention isn't to wear them but to look at them?

Enter the Jessica Simpson Dany shoes. I fell in love with these shoes as soon as I saw them, adding them to my sidebar ' shoe obsession', and stalking every blogger who I knew owned them. These shoes are sassy and feisty all while being romantic and dainty. I love everything about them. I also know however that these shoes would never see more than a trip or two outside of the house. Possibly to a dinner, but never to much else. At over $100 a pair I have had no problem leaving these on the website, and occasionally stopping by to drool and dream. The sale has started though, and these shoes are now $49.50. It would be silly to buy them, because I wouldn't ever wear them. But I've been drooling for months, and I've dreamed for even longer. Some people buy snow globes are magnets to mark a moment in time, I could buy a pair of shoes to do the same right??

So the search begins for any discounts I can find to help this purchase be justified. A 10% coupon ( promo code: capt10) brings the purchase down to $44.50. Really these are only $5 ( before shipping) more than my first 'collection' purchase, and maybe these will be worn more, but really is the purchase worth it?

Enter the Christian Siriano for Payless Mena Dress Boot. Christian and I started dating during his season on Project Runway ( he just doesn't know it). I have read and re-read his book, and have followed each of his designs for Payless. I adore his style, and I love each and every collection he puts out. Each debut of his shoes at Payless and I wonder, is this the one? Could this be my first Siriano shoes? Thus far, I've loved them all but I haven't swooned. Not until this shoe came out that is. I didn't just swoon in awe of this shoe, I swooned at the possibilities. This shoe would spend most of it's time on display, but I can already imagine the potential outings. Perfect with a sleek pair of skinny black jeans, these boots could handle snowy conditions and take me from dinner, to concerts, to movies and back again. So a few outings here and there, but could I justify this purchase as well? The Dany have had my heart for longer, but they won't be worn as much. Whose to even say these amazing booties would be worn! Am I just justifying because I have waited so long to find my first pair of amazing Siriano Shoes?

So the search begins. Taking BOGO out of the occasion ( because I am not that crazy just yet) these shoes are $59.99. With a 20% discount ( promo code: 40130 ) these beauties are down to $48.00 ( before shipping) . They are $4 more than the Dany, but I know they will get worn more.

And so with a shoe obsession currently at close to $100, I find myself pondering the age old questions. Are impractical purchases really all that impractical? If I spend $100 on shoes, and than make no more purchases until summer is it money well spent? Is it better to spend more money on things you really really want, instead of a few dollars on a bunch of shoes I'll never end up wearing and won't really like? Is $100 really worth all of this thinking? Some people claim to be Cat Ladies, can I be a Shoe Lady?