My favourite shoes

I love high heels. Ever since I got pregnant and gave birth, I've found that my tolerance for high heels has increased. Must be I've got used to all that weight.

I can't resist

• wedge heels (but I stop at 4"-high ones)
• anything with snakeskin, faux and real
• embroidered/embellished shoes
• something silver that's not cheap-looking

At the top right hand corner are my 3"-high Pedder Red silver wedge slingbacks. Check out the heels. They are hollow in the middle, and are so shiny Daphne commented that I can see my reflection on them!

Then I have my Beverly Feldman's (my only pair btw) which just looks like embroidered art. The heels are very low by my standards. I don't usually like to wear flats or low-heels these days. But the embroidery was done so well, so intricate, even on the insoles; there are even tiny sequins on them. When I found out they were 50% off, I just had to buy them. I've only worn them twice but I think they'll be used more often when I'm pregnant again.

Good places for shoes in my opinion:

• Dorothy Perkins (only GWC branch has shoes)
• Pedder Red (the sales are must check-outs)
• Gripz
• Zara (when there's a sale)
• Nine West and Aldo (for the occasional splurge)
• Charles & Keith (cheap & stylish but don't last)
  
  

5 pairs of shoes are not enough

I risk sounding bimbotic writing about shoes but since I won't ever work as a fashion writer, I might as well do it on my blog. That's called living vicariously.

HM once said I should consider a career as a fashion stylist. I thought about it but hmmm I know what I look good in, it's a different thing suggesting what someone else should wear, though I can give pretty good suggestions. ;) How about a shoe stylist, if there's such a thing.

I had this conversation with my husband sometime back about why I think two, or three, or four, even five pairs of shoes are not enough for a woman. For a man, that's ok (of course there are men who'll beg to differ).

Why are five pairs not enough?

You need at least a black, a brown, a nude, and a coloured pair EACH of working shoes, ditto the above for casual shoes.

Double the above with covered and non-covered toe shoes (non-covered for non-pedicured-toes days). Don't forget shoes with different heel-heights, stylish sneakers for walkalot holidays, flip-flops for different occasions, dress shoes for evening dresses etc etc etc. And pretty shoes that look like works of art which you are happy to just buy and keep. Oh, and you need new shoes when you are pregnant as well.

I know many women are not as particular about my shoes as me but I wish they won't do things like
1. wear open toe shoes without a pedicure
2. wear open toe shoes with stockings!!!
3. wear casual open toe shoes (e.g. with cork heel or fabric heel) with a suit or office clothes!
4. wear brown shoes with a black suit or vice versa
5. wear the same pair of shoes everyday (you should air your shoes)

I can go on. I guess that's why I've 30 pairs of shoes. And only part of my collection is in the photo above. I had a wall to ceiling shoe cabinet (with display case for my husband's collectibles in between) built for my new place. Thank God there's enough space for all my shoes and thank God Alv doesn't complain when I bring home another pair of shoes!

Special moments with Ian

I only get to spend time with my son at night on weekdays, not counting the short sweet snuggles in the early morning before I finally drag myself out of bed. Ian likes to play on my bed on such nights, lying under the quilt, watching videos of himself, doing a bit reading, noticing things on the tv programme at the time, jumping around. Recently he has learnt how to pose for me, and he'll want to see the photo immediately after. Here's one of those poses.

These times may not be long but they are special. Just me and my little boy.

Finally! A playschool for Ian

It's been almost two months since I last wrote an entry! Was so caught up with things to do for a house move and work. Even after I'd moved, living in a new place, helping Ian adjust to a new home and his new room, travelling further for work, all took getting used to. Nowadays I'll be up at 630-7am (depending when my little boy wakes me up), and will doze off when I pat Ian to sleep at 9+pm. By the time I wake up from that "cat nap", I'm too tired to go online. Would rather watch a bit of tv and talk to my husband before I try to hit the sack by 1130pm.

Today Alv and I finally decided on a playschool for Ian - Mothergoose at Jalan Hajijah! Praise Jesus!

We checked out Kinderland Tampines but wasn't impressed - they are charging quite a lot for no structured curriculum or activities. They position themselves as a "sports playschool" but when we asked what sporting activities they have, the teacher said the curriculum is not firmed up yet. Huh. We saw bore2+ year old sitting around, laying around and playing on their own.

I'm not the type of mum who believes in sending my son to a gazillion enrichment classes even before the age of two, or that my son needs to have a certain number of words in his vocab by age whatever (why do some parents like to boast how many words their children know by a certain age? every kid grows at a different pace). But I think just letting the kids sit around and play on their own (not even with one another) is a waste of my money. My mother-in-law can do better at engaging my son. Like Alv said, it looks like just a "h0lding area" for kids when their parents are at work.

Mothergoose comes highly recommended by Khay. And like Khay said in her blog, there are really a lot of things to like about it, despite the slight travelling inconvenience for me. The teachers speak well and look interested in what they are doing (most of the schools I've recced have teachers who look utterly miserable or just look at the children blankly). The environment is nice - bungalow with outdoor area. There is a slightly different programme everyday. The children looked engaged.

Actually I wonder why parents today take so much effort to select a school for their pre-schooling children. I went to PAP (and so did many of us) and turned out fine. But now I'm such a parent. Haha. I guess all of us want the best for our children and with our higher earning power these days, we'll rather spend more on our children's education.

Thank God He cares about my son more than I ever can. I know Ian will grow up into a fine young man because he is ultimately taught by my Lord Jesus. :)