Birthday Shoe Challenge

Five days before my birthday,

my husband managed to surprise me with a birthday challenge.

I usually don't readily know what I want for my birthday.

Which can be a bit of a problem for my family.

But not this year.

As I was packing away my summer clothes and bringing out the sweaters and boots

I realized that my "old friends"  shoes weren't happy to see me anymore.

Wait. 

It may have been the 

other way around.

I bagged up four bags of clothes and shoes and boots to donate.

Four. Bags.

And I do not have a walk-in closet.

I discovered a pin striped suit.

Pin striped.

I texted Carisa if she had heard any rumors 

of my secret life as a mobster.

Of course, she said yes.

So I put it in the Halloween costume box.

Because you never know…

It was right then and there that I decided that I wanted at least 4 or 5 pairs of shoes for my birthday.

I know, very Veruca Salt of me.

You know, the spoiled girl from Charlie
and the Chocolate Factory. The good
old one from the 70s, not the new
creepy Johnny Depp one.

Last week my girlfriend mentioned that it was Nordstrom's annual sale.

I am not a Nordstrom shopper.

I am a bargain shopper.

I shop at places where there are items of clothing 

with price tags that say 90 cents.

But for some reason, I decided that I might want to check out this sale at Nordstrom.

You know, the whole Veruca Salt thing.

As Carisa, Sumita and I were getting off the escalator and heading to the shoe department,

Carisa turned to me and said,

"Happy Birthday".

Which was odd since it wasn't my birthday. Yet.

In fact, HER birthday was just 2 days away.

So why was she wishing ME Happy Birthday?!

She and Sumita moved to reveal Monte sitting in a chair in the shoe department.

I instantly said something intelligent like,

"Who are you and what are you doing here?"

So surprised I had to close my eyes while being
photographed.

Monte handed me these:

They were four envelopes with different amounts of cash in each so I could pick out my own

4 pairs of shoes!

Part of me felt WAY too overwhelmed with the sweetness to accept this gift.

Then the Veruca Salt part slapped that part down so I could shove the envelopes into my purse.

Monte explaining that he was giving me a week
to find 4 pairs of shoes within the price range
of each envelope.

Me probably asking something profound like,
"Say, what?!"

Sumita checking to see how much cash we have
to work with.

Monte had called and arranged all this with Sumita. She guided him away from the "shoe scavenger hunt" that he was cooking up.

Thank you for that, Sumita!

While I do love me a scavenger hunt, 

not when shoes are at stake.

I tried on a few pairs of boots but settled on one pair. 

These are Tom's. So someone else gets a pair of shoes
too. Win-win.

I quickly decided that I was going to take my time. I didn't want to rush this just because I had cash in hand. 

I wanted to stretch each buck as much as I could.

Over the next week, I tried on a TON of shoes. 

I took a lot of pictures getting opinions.

The verdict isn't in on all of them.

These didn't make it home with me.

Judging by my numb pinkie toes,
these might be too small.

LOVE these!!

Still deciding. That is two different shoes, by the way.

Carisa even surprised me with a pair for my birthday so it wouldn't go against my "shoe challenge cash".

They are orange--love them!

They match my living room!

This was the gift that kept on giving. Such a great idea!