Caffeine wean...

As much as I love coffee, I've been requested by the hubs to decrease my caffeine intake!  **Gulp!**  From his Google research, he found out that a Venti Starbucks Bold Coffee has ~ 500 mg caffeine.  The normal recommended maximum amount of caffeine intake is 300 mg.  I was drinking 2 maybe 3 Venti cups in a day!  Initially, hubs was trying to get me to cap at 200 mg, but a tall Starbucks coffee has ~285 mg, so obviously that was out of the question.  So 300 mg cap it is.  The first time I tried to wean a little while back, it was a disaster!  I cut back too much too quickly and had to go back to full caffeination.

Over the past 2 weeks, I've been drinking a Grande (16 oz) Starbucks coffee in a Venti cup (I needed to trick my mind).  So far, it's been going really well, I think one (hmm, maybe few)  more week of the grande and maybe I can even cut down to a tall coffee.  Every now and then I crave my afternoon coffee and post-dinner coffee, but I'm staying strong and will have a small decaf coffee if I really crave one. 

Hopefully, I'll be able to meet my goal max caffeine intake.  Will update with status reports here and there!

Mama got some new shoes!

I wasn't really having a good week, so what better way is there to cheer oneself up than retail therapy?  I bought 3 pairs of shoes in 2 days!  I'm glad I did because I discovered two brands that I've never worn before that I'm currently loving, Vince Camuto and Kensie Girl.

Here are the kiddies together!  From left to right are, Kensie Girl's Selina, Vince Camuto's Saran, and Vince Camuto's Sades.

Here are some closer looks.  First up, Kensie Girl's Selina in Berry:

 

I don't own anything in purple and it seems it's a color I've been seeing a lot of lately, in shoes and handbags, especially a grape-y purple like the Selinas.  These shoes looked really fun and cute, especially that bow in the middle!  After trying them on in the store, I was surprised how comfortable they felt and not tight at all around the toe box.  The Selina's would look great with jeans or pencil skirt for fall.  I can't wait to wear them out!

Next up, Vince Camuto's Saran in patent leather black. I could always use a pair of black heels for work and these certainly fit the bill.

Again, comfort was the selling point for me.  I've always seen Vince Camuto shoes and never thought to ever try them on.  I'm so glad I did.

 Last, but not least, is another beautiful pair by Vince Camuto, Sades in Ash Suede.  The color is a very light gray and the suede is so soft.

When I stepped into these shoes, I knew I had to get them (hmm I seem to say that for all the shoes I buy), but really really had to get them.  The fit was absolutely perfect!

I've been noticing conical heels lately from all brands.  Strangely, they initially remind me of the peg legs the old sea captains from long long ago!

Arrrrrr matey!

Both the Vince Camutos have the conical heel and I love them!  They provide more stability than a stiletto heel does, yet doesn't look too chunky/clunky. 

Now I have to find some space for the new kiddies!  I may have to swap out some shoes from my new shoe cabinet!

Project Shoe Cabinet COMPLETE!!

After much procrastination, the hubby and I finally finished putting together my shoe cabinet!  Following in the footsteps of one of favorite bloggers, Princess Poochie of Shoe Daydreams, I purchased an Ikea Bergsbo Glass Door Cabinet to house most of my shoes.  She used 2 cabinets, but I decided that I only really had space for one cabinet since the other half of the room would be a family room.

The hubs and I were so careful with putting together the cabinet until one crucial misstep...we put the back piece on BACKWARDS!  Since the back piece had to be nailed in and involved 50 nails, it wasn't worth it to pry it apart, flip it, and re-nail it the right way.  This delayed the completion of the project until I could figure out how to cover up the ugly brown backing that was now showing through the front of the cabinet.  One day I had to purchase some wedding cards from Hallmark and found some pretty turquoise blue and white gift wrap and had an idea.  I could use the gift wrap to cover up the back!!  Two rolls of wrapping paper did the trick along with my tape runner.

After that was done, I put the pegs and shelves in, then screwed in the hinges and added on the doors.  The doors was the most awful step of the whole process, it was heavy and not cooperating.  After much swearing and sweating, my cabinet was finally complete and ready to be filled with shoes!  I was able to cram in 84 pairs of shoes and am happy with the end result.  Now I have to figure out what to do with my remaining shoes!

Adding to my growing shoe want list

I got an email today from Lori's Shoes and in the email were a pic of these gorgeous boots:

Sam Edelman Pierce

These over-the-knee boots are by Sam Edelman in Whiskey.  They come in black also, but I think I'm partial to the whiskey brown.  I'll add them to my mental shoe want list for now, but I have a feeling in a few days, I may just have to get them!