Late Post: June 2013 Mini Shoe Haul

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So I recently discovered what Off Broadway Shoes was. I’ve been to DSW Shoe Warehouse before but never Off Broadway Shoes. I got to say that I can’t believe I’ve been living without them for this long. I love shoes and that is something everyone should know about me.

I moved into my current apartment two years ago and I stupidly decided to throw away over half of my shoe collection. So now I am trying to rebuild it to its former splendor. I’m not a loyalist to specific brands nor am I someone who buys things to up my social status. I believe in quality and that’s basically it. If a pair of shoes catch my eye, look beautiful on my feet, and are of decent quality, I’m basically sold. I’m also a sucker for a great deal. I don’t mind paying sticker price, but if I can get away with paying less, I certainly don’t mind.

In this blog post, I want to write why I love to shop at Off Broadway Shoes.

1. Constant deals!

This place always has a sale going on. It’s either a 60% off summer clearance sale or just a clearance sale in general. I generally never find anything I like in clearance but occasionally, I do get lucky.

2. Easy-to-get customer loyalty program

They have this program where you get a dollar amount off your next purchase. Off Broadway determines this amount by taking 10% of what you spend on your last shopping trip. For example, if I spend $100 on one shopping trip, I automatically get $10 to spend on my next trip. You just have to bring in the receipt and the good thing is that it can be combined with another coupon. This is how they have been running things but I was informed that they are going to change their policy. The sales associate informed me that the new system is going to store all of your receipts and purchases online (like Sephora does) and discounts will work as a point system. Every dollar spent equals 10 points. When you accrue 2000 points, you get a $15 reward.

3. Huge shoe selection

I am a picky person when it comes to certain things (pr maybe all things except for food) and shoes are no exception. I have normal-to-slightly lower arches and it’s very important that there is significant arch support. I like high heel platform pumps, stilettos heels, anything in black, comfy loafers, and sparkly/bejeweled shoes. I like going to Off Broadway Shoes because the selection of shoes they offer seem to be endless. I could easily spend a few hours there trying on countless shoes. They have high end designers, low end, midrange, sports shoes, mens’ shoes, sandals, wedges, moccasins, etc. I like the idea of being able to go into one place and get every type of shoes I’d need for various occasions.

4. Low prices

The prices are very reasonable in my opinion (even more than DSW). Instead of buying a pair of Nine West Boutique 9 platform heels at $150, you can wait a few months and get them for $30. I notice that you have to pick the pair with the best quality and be mindful of what you want. A lot of high end designers have strict standards when it comes to quality control so when a pair of shoes look slightly different from their counterparts, then they are sent away to shoe warehouses.

So what I do every month is treat myself to Off Broadway Shoes. I don’t spend much and I always get three pairs of shoes. They can be any style as long as it’s three in total. For the month of June, I got a pair of Pour la Victoire platform pumps, Guess jelly sandals, and Madden Girl by Steve Madden bejeweled sandals.]

Pour la Victoire Irisa

Guess Casta

Madden Girl by Steve Madden Marvelz

I hope you enjoyed reading and I’ll have more posts to come (especially since I got my shoe fix for July a few days ago). I haven’t been posting lately  because I’ve been between two jobs and I’m waiting for a few things to finalize at this point (which you all which hear about soon enough). Take care and good night!

Getting Ready for Jackson’s Birthday Party

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Cake

Jackson’s second birthday will be coming up this Sunday the 30th. I hadn’t planned on anything elaborate so I went to Publix to order a cake today. Peter and I wanted to get Jackson a cake with the characters from the Cars movie but the baker said that they were out of the character figurines. She offered to call another Publix about their inventory and they turned out to be out of stock as well. We even opted to go for a Spongebob cake and they were out. I took matters into my own hands and called five other Publix locations about the Spongebob cake that I had taken a liking to (I generally do not like Spongebob but I will watch it from time to time.). This cake had two levels, was airbrushed with water, waves, and sand, and it looked super cool of course! I called the relatively new Publix nearby my house about the design. Although they did not carry the specific design, she did mention two other designs that I had not seen. So I held my breath and decided to go see if they had anything better. And they did.

The figurines on this Spongebob cake are slightly different than the other one but it still comes with two tiers, airbrushing, and it’s “luau-themed”. It was priced at $49.99 and I said I’d pay when I picked it up. I’ve had bad experiences in the past (not just Publix but in general) so I avoid paying upfront by all means. Typically, I would get a cake from Joli Kobe but like I said earlier, I didn’t want to go all-out this year. I just wanted to take him out to play, eat some cake, and take a few photos between the three of us. I wanted to buy some nice candles for Jackson so I suggested going to Party City and man, that trip changed everything. 

Party City Haul

I’m just going to say that I ended up getting a lot more than I had originally anticipated. I picked up a candle, then another personalized candle, then some personalized balloons, and then we came across the Spongebob section. We figured that we’d get invitations, then favors, then everything just kind of came together (and I am glad about that). We purchased some luau-themed items and next thing you know, I’m prepping favors while Peter’s on the phone inviting people to the “party” that we had never anticipated having. So I am telling you, if you walk into Party City, even if you don’t intend on having a party, you will end up having a party. 

About Me and Parties

I honestly like parties. I am just picky about them though. I dread the college and high school kids parties. I was never really invited to them until later on and their atmosphere seriously felt gross and chaotic. I like themed parties. I would love throwing a Halloween masquerade party with everything in the house decorated in Halloween decor while serving ghoulish martinis and etc. Scary movies would be playing the background while people could snack, bob for some apples in the corner, or even play with a Ouija board. So in case you haven’t noticed, I love going all-out. Go big or go home is just the way I like to do these things. 

I had asked Peter about Jackson’s birthday two months ago. I originally wanted to throw him a carnival-themed party. I started looking popcorn stands, hot dog rollers, snow cone machines, bean bag toss games, and everything related to a carnival. I even looked at the inflatable moonwalk things. Peter never made up his mind so I didn’t put aside the budget for it. I put aside some money for a cake and maybe some entertainment and that was about it. I think I will always keep trying to take things to the next level but I won’t really ask for a second opinion in the future because that really stalls everything. 

Home

I haven’t really thrown parties and there is another reason. I think my home could look a lot better. Many have said that they don’t mind the way it looks but I hate it. I know I could get better furniture instead of the cat scratched ones I have now. My cats just won’t stop scratching my furniture and it is starting to drive me crazy. They won’t even touch the cat scratcher. There’s a puke green sofa in the living room that belonged to the last tenant and it doesn’t match with anything in the house. I would like to have a lot of artwork to stop the walls from looking so bare. I feel like the place needs so much TLC and Peter’s the type to not care about these things mostly because he doesn’t like spending money on anything than electronics. 

So that’s how I feel about parties. I love them but I just have to figure out how to incorporate them into what I have at the moment. I’m looking forward to Jackson’s birthday party this Sunday although party-planning really does wreak havoc on my poor nerves, My poor, poor nerves (made me think of Mrs. Bennett all of a sudden). 

Have a good night everyone and see you all tomorrow. :)