Maple Time

Heading to Quebec City tomorrow. A couple of friends and I are driving up (which takes approximately nine hours from NY) so it should be a great time to sing, talk and travel.

Below are some of the items I'll be bringing with me to the trip. Packing is always such an exhausting activity for me. I never really bring anything that is too (emotionally not financially) valuable. If it's something that would be send me into a depressive spiral if lost, I don't travel with it. But because we're driving,  I'm a bit more daring with my choices.

My first pair of espadrilles. They'll look great with skinnies or even too-short shorts. 

Dye Chuck Taylor! Dye!

It's sample sale season, and I'm trying my best at something called self-discipline. But because I am a work in progress, I did venture to check out the goods at a few: Buckler (Amazing), Jil Sander (Pretty good -- better for women, really), Opening Ceremony (Ok), Steven Alan (It's been better) and The News (Same old). I purchased a few really great items that I think will blend seamlessly into my summer wardrobe.

One of the items I'm most excited about was something I came upon purely by accident. I was waiting for a friend to meet with me for dinner, and in my impatience, I decided to check out the Gap for basic, short-sleeved henleys (one can never have too many). Sadly, no henley at the Gap proved good enough for putting me in further debt. There were however a selection of Chucks on markdown, exclusive to the ubiquitous American brand. Most were variations on blue denim and some in pink. I fell in love with a pair of tie-dyed low tops that I can't wait to wear all the summer long. Perhaps with the the yellow trousers I snagged from Buckler.

Here they are below. I'm terrible at taking photos so these really do not do them justice. Eh, next time.

Another fun factoid: these Chucks come with two sets of laces: one white, one blue. A nice touch.

Put on my blue suede shoes...

As I said in the post below, I will be taking greater care in showcasing my collection of footwear -- a collection I cherish with alien devotion.

My first is, strangely enough, a pair I rarely wear, because I don't want to destroy the awesome baby blue suede. They're Lambertson Truex, and I bought them at Bloomingdale's a few years ago (for dirt cheap). The friend I was shopping with couldn't get his head around why I would want baby blue shoes, but why not? I think they're awesome and perfectly encapsulate my sartorial point of view. Everything about them is pretty subdued - - the classic silhouette and the soft pastel. But I think they still add an unexpected touch. Plus, they are incredibly comfortable. Comfort is not usually a factor in my shoe-buying excursions, but it has to be noted how wonderful these are to wear.

Get on my feet!

It has been about six months since I've last purchased a pair of shoes. For some this may not seem like a serious grievance, but for me, it's a truly unnerving reality. I just don't have the funds to buy the shoes I want. That's the bottom line. Thus, I've been living in fantasy world, and patiently waiting for sample sale season here in NY, which begins in a few short weeks -- just in time for my "25th" birthday.

It's no surprise to anyone for me to reveal my boundless love for shoes, but I am a firm believer in the vital role they play in creating your style identity. Thus, I'll be taking greater care in chronicling my footwear choices going forward.

But back to fantasy world. Below, I've selected a few pairs I've been drooling over.