My local Target has some really cute socks on clearance for only sixty-two cents a pair.  I know that knee-high socks are the last thing some of y’all want to think about in this heat wave, but a deal like this is hard to resist.

On a more positive note, I gave blood today! And, since this is the first time I’ve worn these shoes this year, I figured I’d make a Shoe Challenge out of it. I bought these wedge sandals when I went to Hawaii in 2007.

What: Montenegro Bay Club white wedge sandals.

When: Friday, 13 May 2011.

Where: The American Red Cross, to give blood.

With: Orange tank top (Poof! Apparel, from Rugged Wearhouse), capri pants (Ellen Tracy, hand-me-down from my aunt).

I’m sick of it. No wonder I never seem to have extra cash, and no wonder I can’t keep my weight down lately. Something’s got to give, and it’s a pretty easy decision as to what. Y’all have heard of shopping detoxes, right? Well, I am going to go on a restaurant detox. For the month of April, I’m going to give up restaurant food entirely.

That’s right. I’m going to cook, Heaven help me. And I’m going to document it on this blog. I probably won’t post every single thing I eat, but I’ll at least post once a week with how successful I’ve been at sticking to it, and to talk about any new recipes I’ve tried.

Speaking of new recipes, did y’all know you can make pulled pork in a slow cooker? I did not really have room in my kitchen for a slow cooker, but as soon as I found that out, I made room. The pulled pork turned out absolutely delicious:

Maybe this month won’t be so hard, after all. (Who am I kidding? It will be an uphill battle against my own laziness, but I will persevere!)

I’m going to have Elvis in my head all day now. Why, you ask? (Or maybe you didn’t, but it’s okay. I’ll just have this conversation on my own.) Well, I broke out my blue suede shoes for my first Shoe Challenge post!

What: Steve Madden Prego sandals.

When: Sunday, 27 February 2011.

Where: I went for a drive to enjoy the 82(!) degree weather.

With: White shirt (thrifted), orange tank top (American Eagle Outfitters), shorts (DKNY).

You know, this time two years ago, I had just moved back home and it snowed on the first day of March. (Which was also my first day officially out of the Army.) I was pretty put out about it. This past week, the coldest day we’ve had still had a high of somewhere around 60. It’s definitely an improvement.

I’m not a cold weather person anyway, plus it gives me an early start on all my open-toed shoes. Fingers crossed that it stays this way.

PS: I didn’t pay retail for a single thing I’m wearing in this outfit. I love when that happens. Thank goodness for Marshalls, Ross Dress for Less, and Burlington Coat Factory!

I’m doing the Shoeper Shoe Challenge. What’s that, you ask? It pretty much means that, over the course of the next year, I am going to wear every single pair of shoes I own, and document it here on this blog. Next February, any shoes that I haven’t worn get tossed or donated. I only have 26 pairs, so this should be a breeze, right?

Well, maybe not. I guess I have to stop wearing the same pair of flip flops every day. Here’s my shoe hoard:

I don’t even know where I’ll wear those stiletto boots in the back, but I am determined not to part with them, so I guess I’ll figure it out.

This is Isobel. I usually call her Izzy or “Dammit, cat!” Adorable, isn’t she? Well, under that fuzzy exterior lies a heart of pure malice that is out to get me. (Warning: the following story contains vomit and the death of my dignity.)

Just yesterday, I was in the grip of a stomach bug. I was a pretty pathetic sight; I don’t really handle being sick well. I am a big baby about it, is what I’m trying to say. Now, does my cat comfort me in my misery? No. She ignores me all day, then waits until I am running urgently towards the toilet and runs right into my legs.

Blam! Flat on my back on the floor. Then she has the nerve to glare at me like she’s the injured party. It would have served her right if I barfed on her.

Evil furball. She’s lucky she’s cute.

Also, the greatest socks ever:

These over-the-knee socks are by Betsey Johnson, and came as part of a two-pack with a pink and purple argyle pair. They’re comfortable in addition to being awesome to look at. The best part? It only cost me $3.99 for both pairs. That’s a dollar a sock, and when you consider how long these socks are, that’s also a lot of sock for your dollar.

I thought about starting over with a new blog, but in the end I decided to simply expand the focus of TCGA. This blog is very near and dear to my heart, after all. I’ll still review products from time to time, but I’ll also have more “Look at this; I haven’t tried it but isn’t it neat?” posts and I’ll cover a wider range of subjects.

Don’t worry, I still have an allergy to paying full retail for things. It’s just now when I find a bargain that’s not beauty-related, I can post about it here, and I can also post about things that I wouldn’t necessarily ever buy, or things that aren’t even shopping-related, but I still think are interesting.

I’m still not sure how regular updates will be, but after the last six months, I guess posting at all is still an improvement, huh?