Photos from Another Time Part II

Continuing to expand on the photos I posted yesterday. These are all from a trip to Thailand in June 2008. Oldies but goodies.

Early morning street scene outside our very small hotel in Thonburi. You can't really tell, but there is a Buddhist monk approaching us. I thought it rude to take his pic up close so I was sneakily getting this one in and the pic came out kinda cool.

View of the Reclining Buddha at Wat Po, Bangkok

This - THIS! - Came to visit us and tried to climb onto our creaky deck outside our room. My Baby thought he'd like to throw bread into the river to feed the fish. This came out of the river instead. Along the Chao Phraya River, Thonburi side, Bangkok

The quaint little lane to our hotel.

Hubs, deep in thought, staring out at the Chao Phraya River. I was outside taking the pic of him and I thought how cool when I caught the reflection of what had him in such deep thoughts.

My Baby (and his Pooh blanket) watching the elephants get their morning bath. Somewhere on the River Kwai, Kanchanaburi

Riding the clean elephant after his bath. These were the happiest elephants and the people in this village take very good care of them. Kanchanaburi

Photos from Another Time

Reminiscing in my last blog about trips I've taken in the recent past has led me to them posted here. Hopefully you like them as much as I enjoyed going through them!

1st trip to Thailand... Spent time in Kanchanaburi, very close to the Burmese border, on the River Kwai. Hotel was a floatel, it floated on pontoon rafts along the river. Roofs were thatch. No electricity, no real running water.

My baby and me, here he's 3 year's old, floating along the River Kwai.

In the city of Bangkok. This is the view from our $100 a night hotel... Wat Arun (Temple of the Dawn) in the distance. I would stay here over and over again, I had the best time. Perfect location.

I had a feeling I was Over the Top...

Thank you to the lovely Stephanie at la belle vie for nominating me for this award! Girl, you are funny and I love your blog!

As part of this award, I'm tasked with answering some (well lots of) questions. Here goes!

1. Where is your cell phone: I don't have one. I haven't had one in 3 years! & it feels so good! I can go places sneakily! No one to call me! It's the most free feeling I've had in a long time.

2. Your hair: is darker now. I like the contrast with my lighter eyes.

3. Your mother: very understatedly chic. & obsessed with crisp white shirts.

4. Your father: lives in Denver, Co.

5. Your favorite food: I grew up with a Chinese grandmother... so my favorite foods are a little strange to most people. For instance... most dishes are incomplete...without salted duck eggs nearby.

6. Your dream from last night: You know I haven't had a dream in a long time. Isn't that sad?

7. Your favorite drink: A Dirty Martini made with Bombay Sapphire with 2 olives and lots of Olive Juice.

8. Your dream/goal: to make SES, travel the world on miles to do a job I enjoy, live comfortably and happily with successful children in a big house in Hawaii. Is that too much to ask?

9. What room are you in: my office

9. What are your hobbies: PLANNING travel, traveling, shopping

10. What is your fear: failure, losing, not living up to my potential.

11. Where do you want to be in 6 years: I would be 36. A mom to 2 kids (I only have one, should get working on that!), 2 levels higher than I am now career-wise, happy with the hubby, living in a great location and continuing to enjoy my job.

12. Where were you last night: In my office, with Hubs, watching Gossip Girl on iTunes. Did you know Hubs is obsessed?

13. Something you are not: lonely. I'm lucky for the friends and happiness that's around me.

14. Muffins: have carbs.

15. Wish list items: Ugh. Always moving and changing. But on the WISH LIST, the Olivia dress from J.Crew, and Tory Burch Jaden boots.

16. Where did you grow up: Hawaii

17. Last thing you did: kissed my baby goodnight and poured myself a glass of wine.

18. What are you wearing: my super comfy big sweater.

19. Your TV: sony flatscreen.

20. Your pets: 2 shiba inu's... Kaya and Rocky... ugh, so irritating and hairy. But I love 'em.

21. Your friends: are the best. Really.

22. Your life: busy and crazy, but fun and rewarding.

23. Your mood: content.

24. Missing someone: Hubs! He is 8,000 miles away right now. On a trip for work but also visiting his Nana.

25. Vehicle: The days of my Audi A6 are long gone as I live in Okinawa and drive a teeny japanese car. But I dream constantly of what I would get if I came back to the real world... A Mini Cooper maybe??

26. Something you’re not wearing: my Tiffany bracelet

27. Your favorite store: I would love to say the Crew. It's just so ready to come off my lips. But in truth, probably Target.

28. Your favorite color: black

29. When’s the last time you laughed: At work. Work is fun.

30. When’s the last time you cried: A while ago...

31. Your best friend: Hubs and my 5-yr old little genius

32. One place you go over and over: San Francisco. Hubs and I used to go alot when we lived in Hawaii. I miss that place... Since we moved to Okinawa, we tend to go to Tokyo alot. We've gone to Thailand twice, and I'd go again. I've only been to Hong Kong once, but I am waiting for the day Hubs and I go back. Fun, food, and food!

33. One person who emails me regularly: My girl TOOTD. Thank goodness for her or work would be ... work.

34. Favorite place to eat: In Hawaii, Indigo Restaurant for its take on Pacific Fusion. Or Char Hung Sut for straight-from-Hong-Kong steamed char siu bao. In Okinawa, the dim sum lunch at the Hotel Nikko Alivila hotel. I'm pretty single minded. :-)

I am to nominate 6 fabulous bloggers, and I've chosen: Kelinda.Kelinda, Tres Tippy, The Outfit of the Day, Ms. Patina, Jemma at Diary of a Wonder Woman, & Ema at My Closet, My Baby & I.

You ladies are fabulous and I am a better dresser, fashionista, writer, and blogger for having you all! Thank you!

Time for the Closet Purge - Sale Time

Ladies I am purging my closet to make room for some new loverlies and I have a ton of stuff on eBay for very reasonable prices. If you are interested in checking my items out, here are the goods. I am a size 6 in J.Crew, I wear either a S or M sweater and tee. I have some great items on sale, including the Chiffon Rose tee in the picture above, starting bid at $35. I've hardly worn this tee and it needs a new home and someone that will wear it often, because it is striking. If it wasn't so darn rare, I would have sold it a long time ago. Oh well. My loss is your gain. If you're interested please check it out.

Thank you!

Yummy Yummy Breakfast

The trials and tribulations of living in the tropics: HUMANGOUS papayas for breakfast. Somebody's got to eat them!

(I'm in Okinawa, whose weather and location is so... different than mainland Japan's)

A Tale of Two [Sequin] Skirts

Tonight was a real test of 2009 Goal #9: Follow through on what you say you're going to do, not to mention my Buy It Because You Love It shopping mantra.

Well, I'd finally decided I was going to commit. The Stardust Pencil Skirt had been in my cart for almost a week. I had more or less decided I was getting it. I was pretty committed to said skirt in all its sparkly, sequin-y glory. Plus, I love the muted greyish blue color. It's still pretty reserved in nature for a sequin-covered skirt. & at $118 FP, not too shabby, J.Crew. Well played. I don't even mind the waitlist until 11.10!

Then I go check out sweaters - as is my new custom - to check to see if the Maya has been restocked. If you've read my previous entries, I've had the worst luck trying to get these cardigans. I am in love with them, I now already own the Papaya color and the Dusty Rose and was desperate to have the black and grey. Well, there they were. Black and Grey.

There was no hesitation. I quickly added them to my cart not even caring that the black is waitlisted until 12/08. I'm a patient gal, not to worry, J.Crew! I can hold my horses so long as you do your part not to send me those nasty Due to Popularity emails telling me the gosh darn things are sold out. Oh how I loathe those emails. Especially after you've paid, those are the kiss of death. Well I digressed. At this point, I am thinking what a lucky girl I am to have found the Mayas in both the colors I have been desperate to have, AND to be ordering my Stardust skirt.

There was just one little snag to my well thought out purchase --- that the Collection Dulce skirt was sitting in Final Sale in my size. At $299 it is almost $200 more than my little Stardust skirt above. It practically makes the Stardust skirt look like the steal of all steals at $118. So I quickly remove the Stardust skirt from the cart and add the Dulce. I pull the trigger and check out. The order was made. No Stardust for me, no Sir! I was having me some Dulce!

Facts to support my side-trackedness: First, that it is a Collection piece. I'm not known to be a J.Crew Collection Collector, but I have a few pieces here and there. Second, the color and the hand-sequined applique sort of had me at hello. Third, a quick Google search tells me that only 12 others are in existence. Am I totally sold on that claim? Eehhh, don't know. But the skirt's description reads:

A very limited-edition silk organza skirt (only a handful were made). A stunner in a luscious shade of burnt caramel. Sequined entirely by hand, it has our favorite new detail of the moment: a contrasting black elastic waistband. Classic pencil-skirt shape. Sits at waist. Side zip. Fully lined. 23 1/2" long. Part of the J.Crew Collection.

Then Buyers' Remorse set in. I thought, Dear Lord what did I just do? I was supposed to buy the Stardust, that's what I said I loved and here I am buying a skirt that #1, was never on my list, and #2, costs a fortune!

So I changed the order and cancelled the Dulce and ordered the Stardust. I felt I had wanted the Stardust more, I had thought out the Stardust purchase, I loved the color and its discreet sparkliness. But then the Dulce... how can one not love the Dulce?? It's questionable if there is room in my life for 2 sequin skirts (seriously, how many places could I truly go, how many events could I attend? I'm a Business Analyst, not exactly an A-Lister). But the idea of not seeing both IRL and having the option to choose just bugged me. Both skirts had great reasons behind them to come home to momma. & then I called the hubby, telling him of my indecisiveness. Let me just say, I normally do NOT go to Hubs to tell him anything of J.Crew orders, especially ones involving frivolous sparkly skirts that cost anything more than $5. (Hubs lives in that alternate universe my Grandpa lives in. The one where a Quarter still goes far and $5 better get you through the week).

The shocker: Hubs says to get them both! He says to order the Dulce. I follow through and diligently go back on the site to stake my claim. He counsels that if I don't like it, I can return it or sell it on eBay (I am not one of those rip-offy, high priced eBay sellers either - I'm a nice girl!). & then he says, if I like it, to keep it and be happy.

Do I seriously deserve this man? Am I really getting 2 sequined skirts? Did I just spend a small fortune tonight? To the first, gosh I hope so. To the others, OMFG, yes!

Yellow is Where its At

Tonight I'm victim again of the Reappearing-Disappearing Maya Cardigan. This time in that gorgeous amber color. Damn J.Crew and their in-control inventory levels, this quarter. Oh the good times of last year when inventory was high and you could buy the Tartine cardi in every shade of the rainbow for $19.99 in Final Sale. Yup, those were the good ole days. I did however get the Maya in the Dusty Rose color today in the mail, along with the Anton dream cardi in black. Going back to J.Crew will be the toothpick ankle cords (I don't like the fit at the waist - if you have a thick waist, you might want to think 2x about this one) and a pair of leather gloves. I must have man hands or something. The medium was just so tiny, IMO.

Well it looks like I'll be buying the Stardust Pencil Skirt. I have no willpower or backbone and can't help but love to love it. It shall be mine. Oh yes, it shall be mine.

& now on to the OOTD (well... this is yesterday's OOTD). I was feeling graphic and bright.

Tartine Cardigan (Maize? Not sure the color name), J.Crew Fall 08

Black & White dress, Banana Republic

Skinny Black Belt, J.Crew

Black peep-toe slingbacks, Calvin Klein

Bracelet, J.Crew

Striking a pose so y'all can see the bracelet.

& the pee-pee pose. Tinsley Mortimer approved.

I threw this pic in here because I love this look. Me hates - hates - the model's sloucheriffic pose. Absolute horrors. But the tights, simple dress, boots, and fancy necklaces together with the bedroom hair says, Sigh I am awake now but just woke up only a few moments ago and threw on this ensemble which I put absolutely ZERO thought into but still looks like a stylist was at me for hours. I am casual, boho-chic meets Grandmother's closet. Don't hate.

The best part of this look is that it should be pretty easy to recreate with things I already have. Thanks for the style tips, J.Crew!

Oh... Well, I spoke too soon. I've been pondering these tonight. I was wondering (as I pass these over and over on the site) if I keep seeing the ankle-hosiery and shoes/pants look, will I want to break down and wear it too? Because OH NEY if I ever get to that stage.

I am no where near the florescent look.

Nor am I near the forest green ankle hose, slingbacks and a skirt ensemble.

I'm not even near the mindset to grasp the fishnets at the ankles look. All of the looks, IMO, tend to be very Miss Hannigan from Little Orphan Annie.

Like Zeeeeeeesss:

It's Official - We're Dating.

oh dear lord. by nojcrewinjapan featuring J Crew

Lordy, lordy. I've blogged recently about how I like this skirt but wondered where would I wear it in my everyday-work-home-work-home life. & I just can't figure it out, but I keep coming back to the gosh darn skirt. Ladies, I am constantly staring at it online. My mind blanks out when I see it, thinking, preeeeeetty......

Well, when I snap back to reality, I start to think, Pretty expensive or Pretty unpractical or even Pretty bling blingy. In fact, all of the above are so, so true.

But DANG am I in love with the skirt. It's even transitioned and is now sitting in my cart. You know what that means right? We're dating, me and the skirt. The skirt and I are an item. We were flirting, not really getting each other, and now the skirt is in my cart. You know, not to get too philosophical, but putting a piece of clothing in the online cart is like a promise ring. As in, I promise to possibly buy you soon, dear sparkly sequiny skirt. Despite your $118 price tag and your limited wearability. J.Crew is a disease, y'all. A sickness! Why else would a sane and mostly smart gal like myself let herself be moved to spend $118 on a sequin-covered skirt?! *Sighs*

Like Forrest Gump said, "'That's all I can say about thy-at.'"

Ok, new topic! Let's discuss wearing J.Crew to Europe this Christmas and how I will be trying to look chic while being very, very cold. My wardrobe is going to revolve around the following:

Europe Foundation by nojcrewinjapan featuring J Crew

Or atleast that's my train of thought right now. I like to pack around specific color themes so that everything can go with everything else. You know, matchy-matchy like. In my mind, this should be simple for a trip to Paris since everything will be revolving around black and grey. & the specifically, everything will revolve around black, skinny pants or jeans, flat boots (either semi motorcycle-ish low to mid calf, or your more typical equestrian style). I plan to bring one pair of dressy heels just in case, TB Revas just because, and a pair of Chuck Taylor's.

Your thoughts always welcome!

Why You Need to Watch The Proposal.

Ladies I just finished watching The Proposal and have to tell you:

1. I actually covered my face watching certain scenes and then laughed like a foolish, giddy 10-year old girl. More than once. Ok, maybe a bunch of times. You know when a movie scene is so... You're so embarrassed for the person, you can't watch, but then you do anyway? Yup.

2. I have a GINORMOUS married-lady crush on Ryan Reynolds now. Thank you, Canada.

3. I want to be Besties with Sandra Bullock. Me love her.

4. I also want to be Besties with whoever styled Sandra Bullock in this movie. It is so ... Posh Spice Harsh (is that a look? Because I think if it's not, that should be the technical term). She is so severely styled in this movie, but every look is so utterly 1950's Dior that I can not help but fall over and swoon over every dress, every skirt, every pair of Louboutins... *sigh*

5. Any movie that has Rob Base's "It Takes Two to Make a Thing Go Right" as part of its soundtrack gets two very high thumbs up from me. & she chants Vanilla Ice, too. That's about where I covered my face and watched the movie through my hands while laughing like a freak. For the 4th time.

It was just one of those movies you get on DVD for the weekend because you're bored, that you watch after the hubby's gone to bed, and the babies are sleeping, and you want to zone out by your lonesome. I was pleasantly surprised. It was not a total waste of time. In fact, I thoroughly enjoyed the last 2 hours. & if it wasn't 1 am & I didn't work tomorrow, I would totally. totally. watch it again.

Smitten!

Current Obsessions: J.Crew's Latest Rollout

You know you have J.Crew issues when you are sneaking a peek at the new collection at work. Now that I'm in the comfort of my messy home office, I can blog about the pieces I can't get out of my head! There a few pieces I'm interested in, a whole range of those I can live without for now until they hit the sale pages. But for now...

I am loving - LOVING - this turtleneck. & I usually hate turtlenecks. They make me feel like I'm choking, though for the way this one looks I could maybe deal with it. I like the cables and I like the overall look with a pencil skirt. I'd probably get this in black, though if there was an additional savings and depending on how it felt, I'd get it in the snow color as well.

These boots, the Vintage Short Roadster Boots, I know, are not part of the new rollout. But in searching for cute, flat, comfortable, chic boots, these are the best of what I see. & I love how they are a little bit slouchy, as noted in most pics from the site that they are styled in. They seem to be very versatile. Skirts, jeans, leggings -- they complement them all. I haven't been this in love with a pair of J.Crew shoes since the Trixie heels last fall. I love the distressed look, the mid-calf length. They are biker and rugged, so they offset the girl-factor of some outfits, but yet for biker boots, they are rather subdued. Oh I love them and want to take them to Europe with me this winter. But they are waitlisted until 12/21st and by then I'll be on a plane. Boo, J.Crew. Boo.

& here are the boots paired with this fabulous Stardust Pencil skirt. I love this skirt! Where would I go in this skirt, seriously? What fabulous occasion could warrant the purchasing and then choosing of this skirt? With said fabulous footwear? I don't know. But $118 I think is a reasonable starting price for this skirt -- Not that I am inclined to pay $118, mind you, but in the sense that usually J.Crew charges a premium for anything with so much as a sequin sewn on it, and this price point is unusually low for a change. Which worries me about how quickly the sequins will fall off. That being said, I still love the skirt. But nothing is worse than having such a glorious item and having no fete worthy of its emergence from the darkness of one's closet.

While me likes the skirt, in all seriousness, the turtleneck and the boots are where I'm at. I've even polyvored them with some things I already have, further PROVING why I think they are so fabulously necessary.

the holidays are coming by nojcrewinjapan featuring J Crew

& on a side note, has anyone else noticed the pins styled with the puffer jackets? Are we to be subjected to more pins? Oh my...

The Case of the Disappearing Maya Cardigan

Here is a photo of the Maya cardigan that is consistently disappearing from my cart. Oh the days of last fall when you'd put something in your cart and then **poof!** it would be gone. I know this still happens, but not at the speed like last year.

I own a Maya in the Papaya color. I love it. I actually think it's softer than older merino sweaters I bought from J.Crew last fall and winter. I love the drape and it's a very flattering cardigan. I'm sure they will revive this for the Crewlet at some point - it's just one of those pieces that have done well.

Using the 20% discount earlier this week, my goal was to finally get more Mayas in other colors. There were only Dusty Rose, Black and the Papaya in my size by the time I got to order them. I put black in my cart and it immediately disappeared. Not even the big orange outline, just one minute it was there, the next gone. I ordered the Dusty Rose but it is pretty close in color to the Papaya, so my situation is not really resolved. Again, by the time I got to make the order -- gone. The next day and totally frustrated, I check the site. Now they have all 3 colors (again) in my size, plus grey. Great! I choose Black and grey. Gone. Grrrr!! I am desperate for the grey or black. Desperate!

Sales Sales Sales

J.Crew 20% off all orders of $150+ ... 3 Days and Online Only .... Code: SHOPFALL

Saks Fifth Avenue Friends & Family 25% Off Online Oct 13-18th .... Code: FRIENDS2

Enjoy!

& the winner is....

Thanks to random.org, the winner was drawn and it's

Sweet Tea in Seattle!

Thank you to everyone who participated in the giveaway. There will definitely be more drawings in the future.

J.Crew Earring Giveaway is Now Closed. Winner Announced Shortly!

Thanks for the interest in the J.Crew Earring Giveaway. I won't be accepting anymore commenters. Columbus Day has officially came and gone here (in Japan it's Monday night, 10pm) and I'll be drawing a winner shortly.

Operation Get Fine '09 Update: Finally, some REAL evidence of change!

My favorite Super 120s dress. I swear I didn't go on the diet just so I could fit it again. Really. & can I tell you how much I love this dress??? An oldie but such a goodie.

Well, a month into my low carb / ACV diet + No exercise and I'm seeing some real changes in how my clothes fit. I can't tell you how many pounds I've lost because I don't keep track. I started on this because I had gorgeous clothes in my closet of which I could fit only 25%. I've been testing 3 dresses to see how they fit over the course of the last 30 days and I can tell you that yes, finally - FINALLY! - see improvement. Like, I could actually walk out of the house sans rigid undergarment. Somehow, I have made my hips shrink. & seeing that, dear reader, is better than any gift, any shoe, any ANYTHING. I sighed a huge sigh of relief today, wearing a Super 120s dress -- my favorite -- that I haven't been able to get my arse into in 6 months. I should have been prompted by the "black jean incident." Over the last week, I've noticed my beloved black skinny jeans (of which I bought 2 pairs of in August from the JRs section at Nordstrom) are falling off said backside. I've actually gone down a size.

Dress Test #2: J.Crew Collection Jeweled Cady Shift. Fits perfectly again. I love this dress!

But here's the curve ball - I'm not quite sure I'm done. I mean, the diet isn't so hard to stick to. Turns out I don't mind giving up rice and pasta and granola bars and cereals and oatmeal (Well... I miss oatmeal and "indulge" every once in a while). I miss the wine, but not as much. & I like staying on the diet because it keeps me mellow all the time, I don't crave anything, I don't have highs and lows and I never feel like my energy level crashes anymore. I really feel like I'm on an even keel, sugar-wise.

Dress Test #3: J.Crew Abstract Rose Print Dress. A tad snug in the bosom still.

& now that I actually have a steady level of energy, I'm starting to go back to the gym. What I'm hoping and shooting for is another 5 pounds or so. What I DON'T want is for my clothes to not fit because I lost too much. But a little bit more drape in the curtains may not hurt.

On another note, I won the sand colored patent TB Revas on eBay. Stalking mission complete! More on that in an upcoming post of the dreaded European vacation that is giving me premature grey hair. & on that note... Adieu, Adieu, to you and you and you!

My Very First Giveaway - A Pair of J.Crew Earrings

Guess what?

I don't have pierced ears. I wasn't allowed to have them until I was 16, and then I got them and found them too high maintenance (WTF, I know) and let them close up. I never got them re-pierced and I don't think I will.

Why is this relevant? Because my closed-up earlobe problem is your possible gain! I was one of those lucky gals who got randomly drawn, it seems, to be mailed the J.Crew VIP card and earrings. While I buy a lot of J.Crew - 99.99% of closet - I never get the special anythings (I didn't get a Lookbook for the fall collection) and I'm not a card member. So go figure. My catalogs don't even arrive on time and how they pick people for these things is so, so random.

So back to my non-pierced ears. They won't be wearing these gorgeous earrings, so I thought... Why not give them away on the blog??

Here's what you need to do to win:

1. Follow this blog.

2. Leave a comment to this post.

On Monday, Columbus Day, I'll choose a winner and contact you.

That's it! Someone deserves a gorgeous pair of earrings!

Sorry for being M.I.A.!

Big apologies for not being my usual bloggy self this last week but it has been so busy in the real world that I haven't even had time to peruse my favorite store's website - A travesty! Well, catching up, given the new fiscal year, work has been crazy busy and it's "Self-Assessment" time, where you write up how much of a stellar performer you've been over the last year in the hopes you are given a high rating by a panel of senior execs so that you can get your measly and well-deserved raise on Jan 1st. Here's to hoping! I've done some successful projects this year but it's all in the write-up and when you're left to say all these fabulous feats of accomplishments in only 2,000 characters (including spaces, bullets, etc) - well, it comes down to:

" 1. Me go work. 2. Me do job. 3. Me go home"

I mean seriously, that what it basically looks like.

I've also been busy with planning our Christmas trip to Europe, which has been moving steadily towards fruition. We've booked our tickets, flying into Frankfurt on the 19th of Dec and leaving out of Paris on Jan 1st. Let me tell you, planning this has been like a 2nd job, I swear! Deciding where to go, trying to find suitable lodging- 7th arrodissement, Eiffel Tower view and close to the Rue Cler area, for 3 people over New Years Eve and all at a reasonable budgeted amount - is hard. In fact, "hard" is putting it mildly. & this is just one city on this trip! I feel like Cathy, from the comic strip. ACK! It makes me want to pull out my hair.

On top of it all, I'm beefing up my resume for a few positions back home that may be strategic moves for me. & it all has to be done this weekend. Yey.

Ok, enough about work! I blog to get away from work! Not to blog about it!

So here is the only -- ONLY -- outfit I took a picture of this week. & sadly, it was not even executed very well.

Maya Cardigan, J.Crew

Falling Petals silk tank, J.Crew

Black Minnie pants (not shown), J.Crew

TB Black Reva Ballet Flats

A polyvore of the outfit:

mascara and lipgloss are all I need to succeed by nojcrewinjapan featuring J Crew

& since I'm showcasing the shoes, can I tell you how much I LOOOOOVE my TB black Revas?? The other day I saw a girl leaving my office building in a pair of sand colored patent leather ones, and I immediately hit every -- EVERY -- website I could think of to find them. No dice. So I diligently paged through 8 pages of Revas on eBay to find 1 in my size. I am currently bidding and can I say that at this point, though I'm in the lead, these shoes are going to cost a fortune. Like, more than they would have originally been retail, fortune. But they're sold out in this color. EVERYWHERE. So what am I to do? I love them. Here's a pic. You tell me. Am I crazy?

P.S. - For those who know Europe like the back of your hand - Hubs would like to go skiing while we're there. Where would you suggest? He wants the "Quintessential Alpine Experience," complete with quaint village atmosphere, beautiful backdrop, etc. Any help would be appreciated! I'm in a mind-meld trying to figure anything out at this point!