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Downsizing update – How many pairs of shoes is enough and other serious questions…

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You may well laugh! Downsizing is challenging. How many pairs of shoes is enough is a serious question, the answer of which may divide our followers depending on how wedded you are to your viewpoint. Having said that shoe-lovers and partners of shoe-lovers, this post may give you insight into each-other’s psychology and save you an argument or two.

How many pairs do I own you ask?

Firstly, does it matter? Secondly, I can’t really answer that question. I never counted.

My shoe cabinet, a causality of downsizing.
My shoe cabinet, a casualty of downsizing

I did have my gorgeous shoe cabinet and all my favourites where there along-side my statement pieces. My cabinet held approximately 30 pairs and then I had bike boots (2 pairs), 1 pair of classic black knee length flat boots, 1 pair of funky wedged heal knee length grey boots, 1 pair of flat black boots (super comfy and elegant) and 1 pair of 13 holed Doc Martins (floral patterned, yes floral). They were in the cupboard. And some odd pairs of flats kicking around.

Yes, to me shoes are art, architecture and perfectly meet my old criteria, that anything in our home had to be beautiful and/or functional and have a home. Tick, tick and tick. And they made me happy…

I also tended to buy good quality, usually on sale or second hand. It is amazing how many designer shoes you can buy that have never been worn.

My inner voice, “Do I sound like I am justifying my collection?” I ask myself. “No – not at all – I just love my shoes.” I tell myself.

The couch psychologist (aka me) is coming out again…

Serious question #1. How do you know when is it time to let go of something? For me and my shoes, believe it or not, I felt like I had enough so when I acquired a new (or new via second hand) pair I had to let a pair go. This would typically be the most worn out work shoe. As far as strategies go it is not bad… And it worked more or less when the main goal was not to extend my shoe collection. However, that goal is no longer relevant as I need to downsize. Did I mention downsizing is challenging? Oh I did… OK moving on.

Serious question #2. How do I let go of old favourites? You know what I am talking about; your “go to”, most comfortable tshirt, shorts, shoes, undies etc. The one that your partner says, “you really can’t wear that!” To which you replay, “Why not? There is nothing wrong with it?”

You know your partner has secretly tried to bleach out the stain on the front of your favourite Tee. You honestly cannot see the stain they are talking about. And some of you have even successfully rescued it from the trash. And when you are spotted wearing it again you say something along the lines of “I thought you accidentally threw it out”. And turn on your heal to do something important to end the conversation. Now you know what I am talking about.

For me there is a transition zone… You know that these shoes really need to go. How many times can you resole your favourite boots? I can answer that question from personal experience. However it does not matter. What matters is I used to have a transition zone that worked for me and I would mentally prepare for letting go of one or two pairs of shoes.

I need a new transition zone!

—

The challenge.
My goals have changed. I am shifting from not growing many of my art – I mean shoe collection. To downsizing them.

I am mentally expanding my transition zone from letting go of one or two pairs at a time to 30’ish pairs… No comments thank you… I did mention downsizing is challenging. Just saying…

—

To the rescue.

Yesterday one of my gorgeous girlfriends, who has helped me over the years downsize books and clothes appeared on the door-step with lunch consisting of beautiful ham, avocado, ash brie, yummy vege’ chips and tasty Italian biscuits for the cuppa we never had. Nothing like a care-pack in a time of a crisis’s. I tell her I will be fine and won’t need counselling – as we laugh I pour the bubbles.

Fuelled with a beautiful lunch and sparkling wine, we headed to the bedroom where all my shoes were on the floor, in roughly two piles…

Ones that I could see going and the rest. So I had about 4 pairs in the “could go” pile and a lot in the other pile. We work through the piles. I have lots of high heels for work. Many black pairs, but also red, blue, beige and one white pair of heals.

Now for the serious questions.
What heal height do a I keep? High or more sensible mid-heal height? What shoes match the work clothes I am keeping?

You ask, why do I need heals when I am moving on to a boat? Well I am still working. I still need work clothes. One of my clients has started back in the office and I had my first in-person meeting since the COVID shutdown last week. When I parked in their car-park I asked myself, as I swapped out of my flats into my heals, can I still walk in them? I had about two hundred metres up a slight hill. In case you were wondering, I was fine.

COVID has not helped the decision making. As I can’t eliminate based on which pairs I have not worn lately… The answer is any of them, except my beige pair on Monday.

Nevertheless, we successfully narrowed it down. Mostly by eliminating by their condition, then comparing similar shoes, black heel with black heel which do a I keep, which are more versatile? Etc.

We did introduce a “maybe” pile and we went through that again at the end of the process.

Even though I am downsizing, my gorgeous Doc Martins are staying. Image of my floral Doc Martins
My Docs

At this point in time, I need (ha, ha yes I know, I chose to keep):
• One white pair of heels
• One funky red pair of heels
• One blue pair of wedged espadrilles
• One beige pair of heels
• One or two black pairs (ok.. two)
• One pewter pair (to wear at an up and coming wedding)
• One black ankle boot with heels
• My floral Doc Martins
• My black flat ankle boats
• Two pairs of ballet flats (White with blue trim and the other blackish pair)
• Two pairs of sandals (one white, one black)
• Two pairs of thongs (one beach, one more dressy)
• Two pairs of knee-high boats (one flat black, one grey wedged heel)
• One pair of bike boots
• Two pairs of sneakers

So that is twenty-one pairs. Yet when I took the photo it was twenty-two pairs. I missed one pair. Closer examination of the photo and I found my deck shoes. Kind of important.

I know it is too many. Nevertheless, it is a huge cull and I am celebrating the mini milestone as I have entered a new transition zone. The shoes will go on a rack in the shed at the marina until we go sailing further afield in December. I will still be working after we go sailing. What that looks like, in an office or remote who knows? I have also culled my clothes and will revisit both my clothes and my shoes before we set sail. More downsizing to look forward to.

But now I have a 6-month transition zone to let go of more of the shoe collection.

For now I am happy. I am proud of myself… Thank you to my gorgeous friend!!! I am pleased with my new strategy that will get me to December.

And to the answer to the question: how many shoes is enough is what-ever is right for you (and your circumstances)?

PS my girlfriend went home with another pair of shoes and some more clothes. 🙂 Thank you for your help with downsizing!!!

#Iloveshoes #Whatareyouwaitingfor #liveyourlife #downsizing #Confessionsofashoeaholic

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In Live your life

Morning-rituals, walking the cat (Zac) & me…

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Zac, standing in front of the cupboard is part of his mornings-rituals
Zac, the Brad Pitt of Cats (just ask me)

I love my morning-rituals. To me, there is something magical about the calm and stillness of a quiet morning before the world around me awakes. I think it is fair to say, almost all normal everyday things we do in this “cocooning-healing” phase (brought on by COVID) that our global village is embracing (aka isolating), is the same but different.

Over the last few months as Martin and I prepare to move onto our boat, we regularly ask ourselves or each other, how are we going to do this or that on the boat? Most things are more or less the same but a little different. 

My morning-rituals include taking Zac (my cat) for his morning walk around the house. 

He walks on a lead.

Zac sitting by me as I work at the lagoon
My advisor

He has done so from when he was 12 weeks old. He used to come with me to the park and the lagoon at Sandgate. (Image right is of Zac sitting next to me at the lagoon as I worked). And over the years he was very adaptable. I would take him to weekly visits to the hospital to visit my goddaughter. She was an inpatient for way too many months. She loved Zac’s visit’s as did all the other patients who took the opportunity to pet him. It was wonderful to see the joy on their faces. 

Ever since we moved into this house 5.5 years ago, we have not really taken him socialising. I had not consciously thought about it. Reflecting back on why, I can easily put it down to who we visited. Firstly, there is no need for hospital visits anymore… (OK you two – have you GOT that?) Additionally, one family we use to visit moved overseas and another now has a couple of dogs. The third family, was a short walk up the street to their place. Then we moved.…  

Nevertheless, I take him for walks most mornings around the house. 

He adores his morning-rituals.

Zac in my work travel case waiting for me to finish work.
Waiting for me to finish work

He has a routine; It starts at the bottom of the back steps with him tugging at the lead to go, waiting impatiently for me to let the lead out. He wants to rush down the driveway as fast as I will allow him on his lead. That speed will depend on whether I have a cup of tea in my hand, and if it is steaming hot or has been sitting a little.

He gets to the end of the drive and starts sniffing to investigate which of the neighbour’s cats have been visiting overnight. He then walks along the front hedge, stopping to scratch his nails on an exposed tree root that accepts this ritual without protest… Further stopping a second time to look out the front gate. He continues along the front hedge. I think this is his scouting run. He then turns and comes back knowing exactly where he wants to spray his scent to reclaim his territory.

Image, My yoga mat message reads "Squat as if JT is watching". JT is my trainer. This is an essential part of my morning-rituals
My yoga mat reminds to to squat like JT (My trainer) was watching!

From here the rest of the walk around the house is playful for him. Jumping under bushes, investigating climbing etc. While he is doing this, each stop he takes becomes my workout point. I either do lunges or squats. As many as the pause allows. Other the years, my exercise routine has fallen away for various reasons. However, I almost always do my lunges and squats. The reason being they are two of the three essential exercises you should do if you want to wear high-heals without discomfort.

Image, the thongs I am learning to walk in.
Learning to walk in these…

As most of you know, I love wearing high-heals. My body shows the evidence of it. I have shortened tendons in my calves, My big toes in a natural relaxed position no longer sit flat, they curl up and because this I have been unable to walk in thongs. For many years now my feet just don’t work as they should in a flat position. With the slight upwards tilt of my big toes they are simply not in the right position to flick the thong back and stop them from falling off my feet. So when I need to wear flats I have always worn sandals (preferably Merrill’s or something like that) with the arch support or my sandshoes. It is hard to find elegant sandals. 

So, this is where the same but different comes in.

With our cocooning, I have not been wearing heals and gradually I have found myself starting to wear my two pairs of thongs (one ordinary everyday pair and the other slightly more elegant) that have been sitting neglected for so long in my wardrobe. Previously, I would wear them for short bursts until I kick them off in frustration. They would stay there neglected until I walk past them and maybe put them away. Now this in one habit that must change when we are on the boat.

But now I find wearing them more and more and am becoming comfortable with them. I am learning how to walk in them.

I have already been downsizing my heals. However, I have not downsized them enough. I imagine myself going back to my client’s office wearing my heals. I am wondering, will I still have my super high-heals? Will I keep my mid-heal height? What will stay and what will go? Will I be able to spend all day in heals? Will my lower back start hurting as I get back into heals?  I had better start doing my core strength exercises in anticipation…

And as for the answers, time will tell.

What is the same but different for you?

Image, Morning ritual of quiet time Zac is chilling in front of th garden buddha.
Zac’s Morning ritual in our old house chilling with Buddha

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In Down sizing

Attempting to get serious about downsizing…

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It is hard to get serious about downsizing. The conversations that go on in my head are funny, hardly significant however an inner dialogue that can keep me occupied for hours if I let it. 

OK, time to get serious about downsizing. I’m throwing a pair out today… I am saying this more to myself, than you. Why, I selected this pair to be the next to go several weeks ago and I have been admiring them ever since.

These beautiful babies have been a practical “go to” pair that I can honestly say I have worn to death. Not like worn to death because OMG I am so in love with them I have to wear them all the time. No, this is the type of worn to death resulting in the simple fact that they were not the best quality. Hence worn to death…

Notwithstanding, they are, (soon to be were) stunning… 

Specifications

Brand: Some Chemist brand that ends in ‘neise.
Heel height: 3.5″ or 9 cm 
Colour: Black, Fawn and White with a stunning red slash ankle strap
Purchased: A chemist shoe in Stones Corner

I spotted them walking past a chemist store (I know, amazing right). I quickly tried them on. Gorgeous, $50, bargain, decision-made! I bought them before a meeting with a client. We were meeting at a coffee shop near her office. I ran back and to put them in the car, so I was not seen with my shopping bag… He, he, he…

Not sure why because after the meeting, as we walked back towards her office, we walked past my car and I dragged them out of the car to show her. 

It’s a girl thing, OK…

Favourite moment 

Loved looking for the perfect handbag to go with them. 

Picture this… I wore them only with a black dress… As most of you know I wear mostly colour and these shoes are a statement on their own. So, finding a handbag that really worked, complimented them and the dress without competing with the shoes. Yes, you heard (well read) right, without – competing – with – the – shoes. 

So, shopping for the handbag took, two summers of great enjoyment, wandering through shopping centres. This was not a full-on pursuit… It occurred two or three times over two summers. Most likely with a Xmas gift voucher from my mother-in-law in my hand and the two pairs of shoes the handbag had to match in a tote bag. Sometimes these adventures were with a girlfriend, other times not. It was a chill-out time of looking at and admiring handbags…

Funniest moment 

Leaving the Caf’ at Amberley RAAF base walking beside a 6ft 4 Group Captain on a 40-degree Queensland summer day. Offered said group captain a lift back to his building (due to the heat). My shoe blew out… And while the ankle strap held on (around my ankle – funny that) the sole was doing it’s own dance trying to take off and fly, as one does at a RAAF base, and I was trying to walk as elegantly as possible given the circumstances.

I did not have another pair of shoes in the car and had to navigate the rest of the day this way…

Again, I had to walk beside said Group Captain, who I am sure was trying not to laugh from the car into the building and up a set of stairs. Just glad I did not run into the Safety Officer who would have had the dilemma of trying to work out if it was safer for me to walk this way or bare-foot (which I am sure there is a policy against) or ask me to leave base. Glad to have been spared this dilemma.

Fair-well my friends. You have served me well.

Side note 1: Downsizing in general… Much, much easier. Especially when you start to get serious about downsizing.

Rehomed:

– 3 seater and 2 seater red lounge suite
– 4 white dining room chairs, and
– 2 teal coloured dining chairs (feature chairs) And before you ask what we are sitting on, we still have 6 dining room chairs and a big couch in the lounge.

#Confessionsofashoeaholic #Iloveshoes #Ilovesailing #TandM #Anewbeginning

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