Happy Holidays

Happy holidays to all of you! These are cool nail designs from the Nail Art Gallery. I hope this season was well spent in the company of friends and family. I'm taking a break as well as my piggies. I just actually 'clipped' (OMG) my toenails very short as they had grown weary and looked rather nasty. They had discolored from the continuous polish wear and became dry. Ugh! Fortunately, this only involved the last third and the more proximal portion looks healthy pink. I do file the fine ridges away and keep them shiny. No product. For now. I can't wait for liberating spring to come. Be safe out there and to those who are wise and spend the winter in warm outdoor weather proudly displaying their love for colored toesies, YOU SUCK! Maybe you could show me what you're wearing and I'll post it for us poor snow bound creatures.

TOMS for Fashion and Charity

I first noticed these shoes on my most recent trip to L.A., strolling through the shoe department at Neiman Marcus. Among the $1000+ leathers, there were these simple cloth shoes in a variety of colors. TOMS. I never heard of it but they are cute and fashionable shoes. Of course, the offerings at NM were pricier than the usual set, having exclusive NM versions. These shoes really reminded me of the classic black kung fu cloth shoes so I naturally took a liking to them. I had a pair as a kid. I think all Asian boys had them at some point, to wear with their traditional silk outfits on holidays.

TOMS is a rising corporation now who's being recognized internationally. Blake Mycoskie is the founder. During a visit to Argentina, he came across many poor children who ran around barefooted. Something in him sparked his kind heart and he set out to make a difference by starting this One for One Movement. To those who have never been outside of the U.S. and have visited a third world country, there is poverty in this world that is unimaginable. Sure, there are also kids here that are poor and starving and I don't want to undercut that fact, but poverty is a whole level worse. TOMS shoes has already delivered hundreds of thousands of shoes to needy kids around the world. It all began in 2006. Their goal for 2009 is to reach 300,000 donations. I've spotted young people wearing these shoes around town.

As you can see, I have joined in the movement and purchased a black pair. I have another one being shipped and also got my wife a girly pair. I bought the T-shirt and sweatshirt as gifts too. That amounts to five pairs of shoes that will be given to those in need. I certainly love its philanthropic angle but won't deny that I also love the shoes. They are super light, comfy and casual, and it makes a personal statement. I do hope they hold up to frequent wear. They come in a simple box with instructions on how to direct the shoe donation. There is a unique code on each box that you can use online to assign which country you want to ship your donation. These delightful treats cost $44 and up. I got mine at Nordstrom for $48. They recommend staying true to size but I found that they ran small. I ended up with a M8.5. Children's sizes are also available.

Check out their website at www.tomsshoes.com and join the cause to improve a child's life.

Marine Blue over Soft Soles in Winter

It snowed for the better part of the day though the chill didn't bite as sharply as it did a week ago. I had gone bare for longer than usual and my piggies were sadly devoid of color. I know that others report that polish will make your natural nail discolor and yellow, especially if the nail isn't given time to "breathe" between coats of lacquer. It's been many months since I started this craze and truly haven't let them air too much. I'm guilty. My nail doesn't flake or change in contour or thickness so I don't think that I have any infectious problems. I should have posted a picture of them bare but I couldn't resist dressing them.

I came across this color because my compulsive self saw this Sally Hansen gift set with mystery colors inside at the supermarket. Somehow going out to get bread, ham, chocolate syrup, and tea became another opportunity to pick up a fetish-related item. One or two 'mystery' colors were far out there. I will post them later as I'm sure to give it a chance, especially since my cold toes will spend life sheltered.

Sally Hansen Marine Scene turned out to be quite a surprising and cheerful color for this time of year. It's a metallic swirl polish in baby blue with fine silver specks. In the sunlight, it's so shimmery and mesmerizing. I wish it was summer already. My daughters really liked it when they saw me change socks this morning. It's a lighter blue than the image depicts.

My feet and their soles continue to be pampered. It's become a habit now to slather them with the lotion(s) of the day and it's no bother. It only takes a few minutes. I crave the daily foot soaks which have fallen off precipitously due to time constraints. I did treat them to new foot bamboo files for the shower. Again, fetish items brought home with the bread. Honey wheat. I'm proud to say I have no calluses or cracked skin. The pressure points of my feet are obviously mildly thickened but soft. I don't think I can or even want them to be thin because a barefoot walk on my stone flooring would be painful.

Grape Looking Toes

Winter has come late this year but has presented itself unpleasantly with snow and chilly temps. The hours of the day are short so it goes that I rise in the dark to work, spend the day indoors, and depart under the blanket of night. The fashion sandal or thong will only be for those daring supermarket runs in between the snow falls. I doubt it's worth frostbite. Sad are my toes as they anticipate the coming of spring in a few months. I should move to Arizona or Southern California. Texas? They'd shoot me for wearing polished toes. Ha! Sorry, I'm sure it's quite safe.

I sported my last new bottle of lacquer. I chose OPI No Spain No Gain from the Coleccion de Espana. It's a solid purple that's quite pretty and made me think of grapes every time I admired my toes. Since I've been keeping my feet sheltered and warm, the polish has kept it's gloss for the better part of a fortnight. It wasn't until the past few days that it started chipping, as you can see in the picture. I am not flawless and having been busy, I let things go for a while. The nails are grown out at the base. I will eagerly await the day in spring when I can wear this out.

I was looking at my blog picture and thought of how awful my toes and nails look. Any of you think that? I'm wearing my favorite pair of Rock & Republic jeans, which have sadly faded. I will have to replace it, the picture I mean. I am looking for more designer denim and thought I might give 7 for All Mankind a try or Citizens of Humanity. I have several pairs of R & R and True Religion and should expand. I almost bought a pair of Rag & Bone jeans but I had already gotten a jacket and pants so jeans would have been much on my current budget. Rag & Bone has such great items and some that are out there. They're an American designer brand. Check it out.

I will continue to wear polish through the cold season and make the best use of the bottles that I've collected. My wife no longer buys any and just takes from my selection. I have a drawer that is slowly filling up. What the hell will I blog about now? I will file and smooth my toes as usual and perhaps just gloss them with clear, or clear with sparkles. My soles had been the softest through any spring and summer of my adult life. With shoes and socks everyday, they are already softening up even further. I love them and how they feel. I am quite proud and happy about how well I've taken care of my feet. It's certainly enriched my life and health a little better. For those few fans out there, I hope to continue to share my silly experiences with colored toes and healthy foot care.