Report ®
Leather Gladiator Wedge

These are my favorites, hands down. All of the color shades are rich, classic, and earthy. The leather gives it the perfect classical look and these would go with a lot of different outfits -- dress them up or dress them down. Besides, what girl doesn't want to "unleash her inner Greek goddess"?



















Luichiny ®
Ankle Wrap Sandal

I normally don't go for this flat of a sandal -- doesn't look comfortable to me -- but I love love love the look of the ankle wrap. It's really natural and stylish, and I don't think I've ever seen anything like it before. It almost seems like a spin on the ancient greek/roman style that the gladiators have brought into this season, but it's very original and definitely makes a statement.

















Dani Black ®
Fringe Sandal

The carved heel on this sandal is what really makes it stand out from the crowd. The fringe looks a little cheap but with the right outfit, this could be really stunning. Only problem is that the shoes look better when you're walking away than when you're making an entrance ...




















Colin Stuart ®
Chandelier Thong Sandal

I love the middle-eastern influence used here. Even though these don't have a heel to speak of, the jewels make it a major focal point and they'd be the perfect accessory to a lot of summer outfits. I especially like the chain closure, it makes the whole thing look more genuine.




















Two Lips ®
Zig-zag Wedge Sandal

If there's one thing that always catches my attention when it comes to shoes, its ones with crazy artistic heels. I love the zig-zag shape of these and the drama it lends to the whole shoe. The gold ankle-wrap isn't bad either, though in my opinion the rhinestone embellishment could probably have been omitted. Otherwise, a great, dramatic shoe for really special occasions.


















Miss Sixty ®
Tye-Dyed Wedge Sandal

I love the cut-out look on this heel. Also, the twisted tye-dyed cloth makes the shoe both bold and feminine, and this could go with a lot of different styles.

Last night at Kohl's a customer was signing the PIN pad to complete his transaction. You know the type: middle aged, average height, face with wrinkles that can't be interpreted as either laugh or frown lines, hair that's not any particular color but isn't exactly gray, eyes the same color as his hair, clothes no one would ever notice or remark on, normal sized feet even ... all in all, someone who looks like he's spent his whole life following the crowd -- no, wait, scratch that -- following the example of the average of all Upstate New York middle class middle age middle income businessmen. Anyway. He suddenly hesitated in the middle of signing his name, as if something had suddenly occurred to him and he couldn't remember if it was a memory of something that had once happened or a reminder or something he was supposed to do. Then he looked at me for the first time in the last 10 minutes he had been at the counter and inquired, "How often do they clean these things?" Surprised, I answered that I had no idea. He gave the PIN pad an almost-frown (his face actually remained more or less expressionless, but I imagined that he was probably giving it a sort of mental frown at least) and then asserted in an authoritative tone "They ought to be cleaned on a regular basis, what with everything that's been going on lately." I was so confused as to why anyone would actually say that, that I didn't even laugh about it until after he'd left (thankfully).

People are ridiculous. Another POS associate told me about some lady who came through her line with a packet of hand wipes and wiped down the counter before she put her clothes on it and the PIN pad before she signed. I really don't get why they are so worried about the swine flu and all, it's just another version of the flu, no reason for mass hysteria. And if they're going to get it, the chances are pretty slim that it's going to be from the PIN pad at Kohl's. We need a serious reality check people ....

Last night around 1 AM, I was really really tired but couldn't sleep ... so instead I ended up filling out one of those random surveys on facebook. I didn't actually publish it, but I saved the draft, and just now I thought it would be really funny to fill it out again and see how different my answers are. It's perfect because they'll be almost exactly 12 hours apart :) Just another one of the random experiments I do to amuse myself when I don't feel like doing homework ....

One
Approximately 12:30 AM

First thing you wash in the shower?
My hair. So the shower is full of the smell of Cloud 9 shampoo :)

What color is your favorite hoodie?
According to Aeropostale, the color is "oatmeal". Looks off-white to me.

Would you kiss the last person you kissed again?
N/A

Do you plan outfits?
...sometimes

How are you feeling RIGHT now?
Too tired to do anything but procrastinate. Is it weird that I even procrastinate sleeping, when there's nothing more that I want to do right now? I think so.

Whats the closest thing to you that's red?
See the answer to question #1

Tell me about the last dream you remember having?
I generally don't remember my dreams. Deja vu is a possible exception.

Did you meet anybody new today?
...no. Unless you count the cashier at Jo-Ann Fabrics.

What are you craving right now?
Sleep.

Do you floss?
Only the teeth I want to keep. (Too bad you can't see my dentistry advertisement grin.)

What comes to mind when I say cabbage?
Those little adoption certificates that come with cabbage patch dolls.

Are you too emotional?
I am too emotional internally, and not emotional enough externally.

Have you ever counted to 1,000?
When I was little I tried to count sheep to help me sleep, because it was always in cartoons and on Sesame Street and all. It always had the opposite effect because I concentrated on it so much. I got way past 1,000.

Do you bite into your ice cream or just lick it?
There are few things more painful than biting into ice cream.

Do you like your hair?
See the answer to question #6

Do you like yourself?
What's not to like?? haha jk

Would you go out to eat with George W. Bush?
Depends on the restaurant and whether or not he's paying.

What are you listening to right now?
The rain and the washing machine.

Are your parents strict?
Haha do I even have to answer this?

Would you go sky diving?
HELL YEAH!!!

Do you like cottage cheese?
HELL NO!!!

Have you ever met a celebrity?
I have met a lot of authors but that's pretty much it. And Constantine Maroulis winked at me once. lmao

Do you rent movies often?
The Red Box in Greene got me through the winter.

Is there anything sparkly in the room you're in?
Some glittery leaf pendants I just bought at AC Moore

How many countries have you visited?
Does crossing over to the Canadian side of Niagara Falls count?

Have you made a prank phone call?
Hasn't everyone?

Ever been on a train?
Yes. At Steamtown. One of the many benefits to being homeschooled. Ah, the good old days ....

Brown or white eggs?
I usually eat white eggs but I've always wanted to try brown ones cause they look healthier. This is going on my list of things to do before I die.

Do you have a cell-phone?
Um. Where have you been?

Do you use chap stick?
I carry my Burt's Bees everywhere.

Do you own a gun?
Nope. I'm a bow-and-arrow type girl, through and through.

Can you use chop sticks?
You're laughing at me. I can tell.

Who are you going to be with tonight?
Ayn Rand. hahaha

Are you too forgiving?
That's what they tell me.

Ever been in love?
Oh sure.

What is your best friend doing tomorrow?
Working.

Ever have cream puffs?
If I did I don't remember it.

Last time you cried?
Um .... idk ... last Friday?

What was the last question you asked?
"How can she marry Sam less than eight weeks after Jim died???" (in an incredulous tone of voice).

Favorite time of the year?
Autumn!!!!

Do you have any tattoos?
Eeew. No. I don't mind needles but I hate anything permanent.

Are you sarcastic?
No, really?

Have you ever seen The Butterfly Effect?
Unfortunately no. But I really want to! Thanks for reminding me

Ever walked into a wall?
Ahem. Have you ever walked into a wall?

Favorite color?
Green. The thing about growing up in Greene is that I always forget and spell green with an e. Sad but true.

Have you ever slapped someone?
Haha yes.

Is your hair curly?
No :(

What was the last CD you bought?
Ordinary Riches by Company of Thieves

Do looks matter?
Depends. Are we talking about interior decorating or food?

Could you ever forgive a cheater?
Accept, yes. Forgive, no.

Is your phone bill sky high?
I hope not.

Do you like your life right now?
YES!!!!

Do you sleep with the TV on?
No. I'm pretty sure that's impossible.

Can you handle the truth?
Probably not, but go ahead, shoot.

Do you have good vision?
No. I'd say I'm blind as a bad but bats aren't blind. Then again I'm not either so it would probably make sense. In the wrong sense of making sense.

Do you hate or dislike more than 3 people?
I truly hate only one person in this world. Generally I don't dislike anyone.

How often do you talk on the phone?
Every day.

What are you wearing?
Nothing.

What is your favorite animal?
Songbirds. Especially bluebirds.

Where was your default picture taken at?
Here.

Do you have a job?
I have 3. Please don't remind me.

What was the most recent thing you bought?
Beading supplies.


Two
Approximately 12:30 PM

First thing you wash in the shower?
I always shampoo first. It makes the most sense.

What color is your favorite hoodie?
"Oatmeal" with pink lettering

Would you kiss the last person you kissed again?
....

Do you plan outfits?
What kind of a question is this? Of course I plan outfits every once in a while. Usually I don't have time though. And who wants to know this?

How are you feeling RIGHT now?
Lazy, a little sad, and a little hungry even though I just stuffed myself with thin mints and orange coffee.

Whats the closest thing to you that's red?
Since I no longer consider my hair to be red, it has to be a tie between the red shoes, the red bra, and the red scarf that are all in a pile on the chair next to me. What? I don't have time to put everything in the closet. That takes extreme organizational skills!

Tell me about the last dream you remember having?
Something about failing French class. And I'm still not motivated enough to study Chapitre 10. If that was the gods trying to give me a warning, maybe they should start helping the next door neighbor mow the lawn, it might be a little more productive.

Did you meet anybody new today?
Not yet. Lucky for them.

What are you craving right now?
A chocolate meltdown cake.

Do you floss?
Um yes ... about that ....

What comes to mind when I say cabbage?
The Devil's Dictionary quote:
CABBAGE, n. A familiar kitchen-garden vegetable about as large and wise as a man's head.

Are you too emotional?
I often get in trouble for not being emotional enough. But I think I'm just one of those people who feels too much to show it.

Have you ever counted to 1,000?
Haha yes.

Do you bite into your ice cream or just lick it?
It hurts to even watch people bite into ice cream :(

Do you like your hair?
I guess so.

Do you like yourself?
I guess so. But I probably wouldn't if I were someone else.

Would you go out to eat with George W. Bush?
I guess so. But it would be a little awkward.

What are you listening to right now?
The neighbor mowing her lawn.

Are your parents strict?
Everyone already knows the answer to this question.

Would you go sky diving?
If I had the money, yes! It'd definitely be on my bucket list though.

Do you like cottage cheese?
One of the few foods I don't like.

Have you ever met a celebrity?
Not really, no. Unless, like I said before, authors and poets are considered celebrities. But I think not.

Do you rent movies often?
Pretty often, yeah. But the library is free.

Is there anything sparkly in the room you're in?
Not that I can see.

How many countries have you visited?
Just Canada. As far as I know. Unless I was actually adopted from Finland or something.

Have you made a prank phone call?
Haha yes.

Ever been on a train?
Yep. Just a couple of times at Steamtown. But I think it would be fun to go on a long journey by train. I've always wanted to have one of those really fancy railroad cars from the Victorian era, with the mahogany paneling and velvet upholstery and all.

Brown or white eggs?
White. But I'm going to buy brown next time and see if they're any different, just because of this survey.

Do you have a cell-phone?
Yes ...

Do you use chap stick?
"Take the chapstick, put it on your lips, crack a smile, adjust my tie ..." ~ Vampire Weekend

Do you own a gun?
I wouldn't know how to use it. Maybe I should learn and see if I can get a pistol license.

Can you use chop sticks?
You're laughing at me. I can tell.

Who are you going to be with tonight?
I don't know.

Are you too forgiving?
Apparently. But I don't think my definition of forgiving is synonymous with everyone else's, and as a rule, I don't actually believe full forgiveness is healthy. Move on, yes. Forgive, no.

Ever been in love?
Believe it or not, yes I have.

What is your best friend doing tomorrow?
I don't know.

Ever have cream puffs?
I don't know.

Last time you cried?
An hour ago watching A Walk to Remember.

What was the last question you asked?
"Why?"

Favorite time of the year?
September

Do you have any tattoos?
Nope.

Are you sarcastic?
No, really?

Have you ever seen The Butterfly Effect?
Not yet.

Ever walked into a wall?
Please, let's not go there. And don't ask me about clotheslines either, or street signs, or metal columns, or line dividers at amusement parks ....

Favorite color?
Green.

Have you ever slapped someone?
Haha yes. But there are many people I wanted to slap and didn't. Maybe I should go back and do it again.

Is your hair curly?
Sometimes. When it's humid outside.

What was the last CD you bought?
Ordinary Riches by Company of Thieves

Do looks matter?
Got to be a little more specific here...

Could you ever forgive a cheater?
Probably not.

Is your phone bill sky high?
No. I have unlimited texting.

Do you like your life right now?
I love my life like it's a sibling.

Do you sleep with the TV on?
I can't.

Can you handle the truth?
Let me get back to you on that ...

Do you have good vision?
I need to get my eyes checked one of these days cause I can't really read road signs any more :( But I keep putting it off ...

Do you hate or dislike more than 3 people?
I truly hate only one person in this world. Generally I don't dislike anyone.

How often do you talk on the phone?
Every day.

What are you wearing?
My comfy clothes. I don't want to change for work :(

What is your favorite animal?
Horses.

Where was your default picture taken at?
Here.

Do you have a job?
I'm going there from 4:30 to 10:30 tonight. I don't want to think about it...

What was the most recent thing you bought?
Don't remember.

Carol Ann Duffy was just elected as the first female poet laureate ("poetry's most prestigious job") after four hundred years of male domination (I have no idea how she can be the first, but there you go). As part of this job, she will receive a yearly stipend of £5,750, which she plans to donate to a prize for the best poetry collection of the year. She will also receive the "butt of sack" -- the traditional 600 bottles of sherry that each poet laureate is given -- and supposedly she has demanded that she be given hers up front after learning that the last poet laureate, Andrew Motion, has yet to receive his. I thought that was hilarious. She is definitely a character, and I would love to be around to see how she gets along with the Queen and all the other high society she'll have to relate to while she writes about royal events and such. Actually, come to think of it, I can't wait to read what she writes, it should be an interesting take on whatever is going on politically during the next 10 years. If anyone's interested in reading a really good article about her election, go to the one at the Guardian website.

In the meantime, here's why I believe she really deserved this role. I had to read this poem for poetry class last semester and I think it's brilliant:

Mrs Midas

by Carol Ann Duffy

It was late September. I'd just poured a glass of wine, begun
to unwind, while the vegetables cooked. The kitchen
filled with the smell of itself, relaxed, its steamy breath
gently blanching the windows. So I opened one,
then with my fingers wiped the other's glass like a brow.
He was standing under the pear tree snapping a twig.

Now the garden was long and the visibility poor, the way
the dark of the ground seems to drink the light of the sky,
but that twig in his hand was gold. And then he plucked
a pear from a branch - we grew Fondante d'Automne -
and it sat in his palm like a light bulb. On.
I thought to myself, Is he putting fairy lights in the tree?

He came into the house. The doorknobs gleamed.
He drew the blinds. You know the mind; I thought of
the Field of the Cloth of Gold and of Miss Macready.
He sat in that chair like a king on a burnished throne.
The look on his face was strange, wild, vain. I said,
What in the name of God is going on? He started to laugh.

I served up the meal. For starters, corn on the cob.
Within seconds he was spitting out the teeth of the rich.
He toyed with his spoon, then mine, then with the knives, the forks.
He asked where was the wine. I poured with shaking hand,
a fragrent, bone-dry white from Italy, then watched
as he picked up the glass, goblet, golden chalice, drank.

It was then that I started to scream. He sank to his knees.
After we had both calmed down, I finished the wine
on my own, hearing him out. I made him sit
on the other side of the room and keep his hands to himself.
I locked the cat in the cellar. I moved the phone.
The toilet I didn't mind. I couldn't believe my ears:

how he'd had a wish. Look, we all have wishes; granted.
But who has wishes granted? Him. Do you know about gold?
It feeds no one; aurum, soft, untarnishable; slakes
no thirst. He tried to light a cigarette; I gazed, entranced,
as the blue flame played on its luteous stem. At least,
I said, you'll be able to give up smoking for good.

Seperate beds. In fact, I put a chair against my door,
near petrified. He was below, turning the spare room
into the tomb of Tutankhamun. You see, we were passionate then,
in those halcyon days; unwrapping each other, rapidly,
like presents, fast food. But now I feared his honeyed embrace,
the kiss that would turn my lips to a work of art.

And who, when it comes to the crunch, can live
with a heart of gold? That night, I dreamt I bore
his child, its perfect ore limbs, its little tongue
like a precious latch, its amber eyes
holding their pupils like flies. My dream-milk
burned in my breasts. I woke to the streaming sun.

So he had to move out. We'd a caravan
in the wilds, in a glade of its own. I drove him up
under cover of dark. He sat in the back.
And then I came home, the women who married the fool
who wished for gold. At first I visited, odd times,
parking the car a good way off, then walking.

You knew you were getting close. Golden trout
on the grass. One day, a hare hung from a larch,
a beautiful lemon mistake. And then his footprints,
glistening next to the river's path. He was thin,
delirious; hearing, he said, the music of Pan
from the woods. Listen. That was the last straw.

What gets me now is not the idiocy or greed
but lack of thought for me. Pure selfishness. I sold
the contents of the house and came down here.
I think of him in certain lights, dawn, late afternoon,
and once a bowl of apples stopped me dead. I miss most,
even now, his hands, his warm hands on my skin, his touch.

MIDDLE CYCLONE
Neko Case 2008

OH BABY, WHY AM I WORRIED NOW?
DID SOMEONE MAKE A FOOL OF ME BEFORE I COULD SHOW THEM HOW IT'S DONE?

I CAN'T GIVE UP ACTING TOUGH
IT'S ALL THAT I'M MADE OF
CAN'T SCRAPE TOGETHER QUITE ENOUGH
TO RIDE THE BUS TO THE OUTSKIRTS OF THE FACT THAT I NEED LOVE

THERE WERE TIMES
THAT I TRIED
ONE FOR EVERY GLASS OF WATER THAT I SPILLED
NEXT TO THE BED
RETCHING PENNIES IN A BOILING WELL
IN A DREAM
THAT AT ONCE BECOMES A FOUNDRY OF MUTE AND HEAVY BELLS
THEY SHAKE ME DEAF AND DUMB
SAY SOMEONE MADE A FOOL OF ME
'FORE I COULD SHOW THEM HOW IT'S DONE

IT WAS SO CLEAR TO ME
THAT IT WAS ALMOST INVISIBLE
I LIE ACROSS THE PATH WAITING
JUST FOR A CHANCE TO BE
A SPIDER WEB TRAPPED IN YOU LASHES
FOR THAT, I WOULD TRADE YOU MY EMPIRE FOR ASHES
BUT I CHOKE IT BACK, HOW MUCH I NEED LOVE

Last night I fell asleep to the sound of the spring peepers. There must be dozens, even hundreds, of them in the pond next to my house, and they come out for springtime year after year, as if they're emerging from hibernation. As long as I can remember, I've been able to tell when summer has finally arrived by the sound of them. This is what I love about summer nights in the country -- falling asleep in my big room in our 1840s farmhouse with its steeply sloped ceiling, the floorlength windows thrown open to the cool darkness. I love hearing the shrill melody of the tiny chorus frogs, accompanied by the occasional throaty note of a fat bullfrog, like a bass or a trombone randomly thrown in with an orchestra of violins or piccolos. (I read once that in Martha's Vineyard spring peepers are called "pinkletinks" -- I've remembered because this is almost exactly the sound that they make.) There is also the soft fluttering noise of moths against the windowscreen, and the occasional cricket or katydid perched on my windowsill, keeping me awake. By the time they are silent, the lonely call of an owl echoes in the forest, or a pack of coyotes celebrates a successful hunt on the field next to the pond or on the hill by Thunder Lake. When I'm awake to hear this, I feel a slight thrill at the eeriness of their sound, and think about the freedom of their lives, and am again reminded why I love living in the country. Around 4 or 5 in the morning the birds start to wake up, hesitant at first as if they're trying to sing the sleep out of their minds. Their song is a hushed for awhile, as if they're self conscious about waking up before the sun. Or maybe because I'm still half-asleep they just seem quieter while my mind blocks out their sound. But by the time the sun has fully risen, their volume has been turned up completely, and I am entirely awake. I don't mind getting up then, when the whole world seems awake and they seem to be singing about a day that has already begun. It makes life seem like something I don't want to miss out on.

I am going to miss living in the country. In the summer, I'm not sure how I'm going to live without it. And I have so little time left ... I don't know how I am going to let go.

Every minute hatched into reexistence
(Light creating shadow
Where nothing was before).
One eye blind, the fingers
Float in empty space, and my hand
Feels nothing.
Where was form when everything was flat?
The spirit of the world beating against itself
Like moths against the glass.
And, like God, I wonder
...Why can't I live like that?