Score!

On Sat Spouse & I did a little shopping.  I needed a baby gift for some clients/friends who recently had their 1st child.  Found a great gift for a great price at HomeGoods.

I also needed some shoes.  I was looking for something not as dressy as a hard sole dress shoe, but not as casual as a Sketcher shoe.  A middle-of-the-road shoe is just what I need for the Dockers-style pants I wear to work most days.

1 of the stores we looked in was the Bass outlet/factory store.  I'm a rather picky shopper and never buy anything that isn't at least on sale, if not on clearance, so I was delighted to find not 1 but 2 pairs of shoes I liked in my size on clearance.

On the left is an updated wingtip in black with a grey plaid inset.  On the right is a tan saddle shoe with dark brown suede.  I normally wear size 10 but these were a little snug so wound up getting size 10 1/2.  They fit great and are very comfortable.

The shelf label claims the "regular price" was $160. for each pair, but were on "clearance" for $29.99.  That's more than 80% off.  While I'm skeptical that these shoes ever actually sold for $160. I felt that $29.99 was a very, very good price for these shoes.  Score!

So I bought both pairs.  I figure I'll wear the black ones with my navy and grey pants and with jeans, and I'll wear the tan ones with my various shades of khaki pants.

Latest Legends photos

Last Sat Steven & Thad and Spouse and Joe P came to see me in the Legends show.  I performed as Elton John, and Joe P took these great photos!

Beginning the medley with "Your Song"

Letting them have it with "Bitch is Back"

Those shiny white platform shoes 'can't keep still' in "Crocodile Rock"

Close up of those sassy platforms in "Philadelphia Freedom"

Steven, Elton John (in the finale tuxedo) and Joe P after the show

Shoe-tastic!

I grew up with 3 sisters and a mother, so 4 women in the house, and having been a young gay boy I have a pretty vivid memory of the styles and fashions of my youth.

I remember my sisters wearing huge platform shoes in the 70s...
and Candies in the 80s.But I don't think anything has had a greater effect on women's shoes than Sex and the City. I bet nobody outside of NYC had ever heard of Manolo Blahnik or Jimmy Ch00 before Carrie, Charlotte, Miranda, and Samantha made them household names.

Designer shoes have become a huge industry necessitating custom closets with shoe shelves and in some cases, bedrooms converted into walk-in closets. Its no longer about having the perfect pair of black heels. Now its about having a pair of black heels for each outfit.

And who can forget the Alexander McQueen's armadillo shoes worn by Lady Gaga?
With all the creativity and technology out there, shoe-aholics will be practically orgasmic over these:

Friday fragments

Welcome to Friday fragments, my weekly recap of topics too big to forget, yet too small to be their own post. Let's get started, shall we?

Mayor Adrian Fenty signed the bill for marriage equality in DC. Same sex couples should begin to marry in March! Woo hoo!!! Expect DC's budget deficit to go down in 2010 due to the marriage license fees and taxes on services such as catering, flowers, tux rentals, limo rentals, and hotel ballroom and guest room rentals. When will struggling states understand that marriage equality is good for residents AND good for the economy?

Earlier this week I got very excited when I found this postcard in our mailbox:
My childhood wish of being a "Nielson household" had come true! How great that Nielson would track my gay TV viewing and report it to whomever gets the Nielson results! However, my excitement was short-lived when I flipped the postcard over I saw that it was addressed to my neighbor.

While out Christmas shopping I couldn't resist buying myself 2 new pairs of shoes. I am so frugal when it comes to shopping for myself, but I won't buy something I don't love just "because its a deal". (Seriously, Spouse will sometimes buy something he doesn't really like just because he thinks its a crazy deal. I tell him its not a deal if he doesn't really like it and won't wear it.) But this time, it just worked out. I found 2 pairs of shoes that I really like a lot AND they were both 1/2 price.

These are Sketcher knock-offs and I got them for $20. I don't spend a lot for shoes because I like the ability to toss them in the trash when they get smelly or go out of style and not feel bad that I'm throwing away a $100. pair of shoes, so these were perfect for me. Merry Christmas!!

I find it highly ironic that 2 of the most liberal states, CA and NY, have voted down marriage equality for gays, while conservative TX just elected its 1st gay mayor of Houston. Apparently they don't mind us doing their hair, creating their floral arrangements, styling their clothes, decorating their homes, and holding public office, just as long we can't have equal rights.

I lifted this from JavaJunkie's blog:
Just because you can be in constant contact with your friends doesn't mean you should. Inappropriate cell phone use is RUDE!

My buddy Jared provided me with this holiday gem:

and this one too:

Jared said he wanted to be Bitchy and I responded "Want to???" Which elf are you?

Here's a little holiday tip for you: add 1 tsp of ground cinnamon to your coffee grounds before you brew, OR, use eggnog instead of creamer. Both of these will turn ordinary coffee into a special taste treat for the holidays.

Have a terrific weekend!!

Crush du Jour: Santiago Aragon