The Sisterhood Of The Traveling Mary Janes
Call this blog an evergreen. I'll probably rerun it every time I'm on vacation or when my life gets too boring to blog.
If you're male, you might as well just click on the TVGasm link on the right because you're gonna be bored by this one. It's a story about love, about generosity, about mothers and daughters, and, most importantly, about adorable shoes.
So there's this pair of Mary Janes. They're magical shoes. They're basically the perfect shoe for any special occasion and any outfit. They're black, patent leather, little heel but not too much. Classy, a little fancy, elegant. Just gorgeous. For years, they belonged to and were beloved by my mother.
One day last December, I was in town for cousin April's wedding. The outfit I brought for the event (a knit dress) just didn't seem good enough to me, so about five hours before we were to leave, I ran to Target and got a beautiful Audrey Hepburn-ish black cocktail dress.
Nevermind that ridiculous dancing. Anyway, The Dress was amazing, but I realized that I had no suitable shoes with me to match its amazingness. I panicked and thought, "Do I have to go back to Target and spend more money???" Mom, ever the fashionable problem solver, came to my rescue by bringing out the beautiful black MJs. I was hesitant as she is a full size smaller than I, but somehow, magically, the shoes fit and were even comfortable. That's The Naturalizer for ya! Mom had saved the day (and the outfit).
They even matched the Mary Janes that Austin was wearing with her own bombshell dress.
Upon my return to New York, I remained enamored of The Shoes. I couldn't stop thinking about them. I dreamed of all the elegant outfits I could complete with them, all of the perfect waltzes I could perform around the city in them (I do that sort of thing all the time). I decided I should get a pair for myself. I went to Naturalizer.com and although the shoes I found on the site weren't exactly the same, I figured they were good enough. Big mistake. I remember a commercial from years ago that gave sage advice: "If you always settle for 'good enough,' will anything ever be good enough?" I try not to take my life lessons from advertisements, but this particular sentiment always stuck with me. It applies to many situations in life (add Staten Island Girl laugh here).
Anyway, it rang true in this instance, as the shoes that were delivered to me were treacherously NOT good enough. You may remember this instance. (It's at the bottom of the post.) They came to me looking worn and weathered.
So that put a damper on my already-damp February day. I was disappointed, my dreams of black patent leather waltzes crumbling all over the tattered box in which my shoes had arrived.
What I didn't know was that my mom had searched in Arizona for the same pair of shoes, and found the same crappy knock-off style, and made the same sacrifice by buying the decidedly NOT shiny shoes so that she could send me her beloved originals. My blog post about the Un-Mary Janes simply made her laugh with irony and wait for my excited phone call, which I promptly made when the box containing the gorgeous MJs arrived. I was flabbergasted and delighted, yet felt guilty about wearing the shoes I knew she loved.
I still wore them though.
That was for Dustin's and my 2-year anniversary. I loved those shoes so, but I realized that they weren't an exactly perfect fit. They were a bit snug. The snugness was fine when I was in Arizona, because one doesn't walk much; one drives. But in the city, where walking is a constant necessity, the squeezed toe phenomenon becomes a bit of a hassle. I realized with regret that I likely wouldn't wear the shoes as often as I'd like to.
Therefore, when I went to Arizona last month, I brought the MJs with me. I sat Mom down and explained that as much as I completely adore the shoes, I just can't keep them in good conscience, because I know they'd have a better home with her.
She nodded quietly and then squealed, "I'm so glad! I really really love those shoes! I've been missing them!"
And so the legendary Janes are returned to their rightful owner, to be worn time and time again by the best feet to fill them.
love,
*jenna*
If you're male, you might as well just click on the TVGasm link on the right because you're gonna be bored by this one. It's a story about love, about generosity, about mothers and daughters, and, most importantly, about adorable shoes.
So there's this pair of Mary Janes. They're magical shoes. They're basically the perfect shoe for any special occasion and any outfit. They're black, patent leather, little heel but not too much. Classy, a little fancy, elegant. Just gorgeous. For years, they belonged to and were beloved by my mother.
One day last December, I was in town for cousin April's wedding. The outfit I brought for the event (a knit dress) just didn't seem good enough to me, so about five hours before we were to leave, I ran to Target and got a beautiful Audrey Hepburn-ish black cocktail dress.
Nevermind that ridiculous dancing. Anyway, The Dress was amazing, but I realized that I had no suitable shoes with me to match its amazingness. I panicked and thought, "Do I have to go back to Target and spend more money???" Mom, ever the fashionable problem solver, came to my rescue by bringing out the beautiful black MJs. I was hesitant as she is a full size smaller than I, but somehow, magically, the shoes fit and were even comfortable. That's The Naturalizer for ya! Mom had saved the day (and the outfit).
They even matched the Mary Janes that Austin was wearing with her own bombshell dress.
Upon my return to New York, I remained enamored of The Shoes. I couldn't stop thinking about them. I dreamed of all the elegant outfits I could complete with them, all of the perfect waltzes I could perform around the city in them (I do that sort of thing all the time). I decided I should get a pair for myself. I went to Naturalizer.com and although the shoes I found on the site weren't exactly the same, I figured they were good enough. Big mistake. I remember a commercial from years ago that gave sage advice: "If you always settle for 'good enough,' will anything ever be good enough?" I try not to take my life lessons from advertisements, but this particular sentiment always stuck with me. It applies to many situations in life (add Staten Island Girl laugh here).
Anyway, it rang true in this instance, as the shoes that were delivered to me were treacherously NOT good enough. You may remember this instance. (It's at the bottom of the post.) They came to me looking worn and weathered.
So that put a damper on my already-damp February day. I was disappointed, my dreams of black patent leather waltzes crumbling all over the tattered box in which my shoes had arrived.
What I didn't know was that my mom had searched in Arizona for the same pair of shoes, and found the same crappy knock-off style, and made the same sacrifice by buying the decidedly NOT shiny shoes so that she could send me her beloved originals. My blog post about the Un-Mary Janes simply made her laugh with irony and wait for my excited phone call, which I promptly made when the box containing the gorgeous MJs arrived. I was flabbergasted and delighted, yet felt guilty about wearing the shoes I knew she loved.
I still wore them though.
That was for Dustin's and my 2-year anniversary. I loved those shoes so, but I realized that they weren't an exactly perfect fit. They were a bit snug. The snugness was fine when I was in Arizona, because one doesn't walk much; one drives. But in the city, where walking is a constant necessity, the squeezed toe phenomenon becomes a bit of a hassle. I realized with regret that I likely wouldn't wear the shoes as often as I'd like to.
Therefore, when I went to Arizona last month, I brought the MJs with me. I sat Mom down and explained that as much as I completely adore the shoes, I just can't keep them in good conscience, because I know they'd have a better home with her.
She nodded quietly and then squealed, "I'm so glad! I really really love those shoes! I've been missing them!"
And so the legendary Janes are returned to their rightful owner, to be worn time and time again by the best feet to fill them.
love,
*jenna*
posted by jenna at 10:54 AM
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