These Are a Few of My Favorite Shoes

I enjoy crafting and creating. One of my favorite things to volunteer for at my daughter’s preschool is decorating the classroom door. I typically choose to do something detailed. Something hand-drawn with a lot of writing and cutting. Something that forces me to use many curse words. It’s all worth it in the end though- my daughter is proud and happy, and I get a little flutter of smug mommy feelings when I drop her off at school each day. Last April, I made a Lorax-themed door.

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This year, I chose February. I knew I wanted to do another book; a popular book that the kids enjoyed, and I wanted it to tie in with Valentine’s Day.

Enter Pete the Cat. Pete loves his white shoes. They change colors but does Pete care? Goodness no! “It’s all good,” says Pete.

We’re big Pete fans in our house- those books and anything by Mo Willems are a must-read- and when I emailed my girl’s teacher to ask for some help, she was pretty excited about a Pete door.

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Like Pete, I’m also a fan of white shoes. Well, no. Not white shoes, per se. I don’t think I’ve owned any white shoes since my sorority days. But shoes? Yes. I love those. It may sound cliche (A girl who likes shoes? No way.) but my email is shoe-related and so is my voice mail message. My birthday and Christmas gifts are usually shoes. It’s all very Carrie Bradshaw.

Sharing is caring, my friends, and today, I’m going to share some of my favorite shoes with you.

First, my running shoes- the Nike Pegasus. I’m basically married to these shoes. I can’t tell you if they are low to the ground, or have a lot of padding, if they are snug or have lots of room. I have nothing to compare them to, because they’re the only shoes I’ve run in for the past four years. I love them. They come in so many beautiful colors (right now I’m sporting an ombre purple pair) and they just feel good to me.

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This next pair just makes me happy. Who doesn’t smile at Hello Kitty? As my girls and I like to say, “What will they put her cute face on next?”

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These shoes are stylish and functional. They’re rain flats! Florida is way too hot for Hunter boots- trust me, I have some and I’ve worn them twice. I keep these babies in the car during rainy season and I get so many compliments on them.

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Going back to Carrie Bradshaw- there’s an arc in one of the seasons where Carrie goes to write for Vogue. She visits the accessories closet, finds a pair of Manolo Blahnik Mary Janes, and exclaims, “I thought these were an urban shoe myth!” They’re not so elusive now, but they’re still amazing. So beautiful and surprisingly comfortable. I got these a few years ago for my birthday and I love fall and winter because I get to wear them.

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I’m a girly girl. I love sparkle. These were another birthday gift and they’re perfect for holiday parties or New Year’s Eve.

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I only wore gold for a long time, and then only silver and now that gold is back in style, I mix metals. My wedding set is white gold, so I have no choice if I want to be on trend. My watch is rose gold, my arm party of bangles is usually gold, my favorite ballet flats are silver and my favorite sandals are gold. So I just go with the mixing. I bought these last summer and I love their femininity.

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Josh and I visit NYC a few times a year. He goes to work, I go to see shows, visit museums and shop. One of my best friends lives there, so I try to persuade her to skip out on work and join me for some retail therapy. We both bought these two years ago and I just adore them. They have a little kitten heel, so they’re very comfortable, and I will never be over the polka dot trend. They make me smile.

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My next big shoe purchase will be a pair of red heels. My brother got engaged on Christmas Day and his fiancé wants her bridesmaids to wear red shoes. I’m already searching for the perfect pair.

What’s your favorite running shoe? Do you collect shoes? Share your faves with me!

Yes, You Should Be Happy I’m Wearing A Backpack

There’s a line in Swingers that always makes me giggle.

Okay, if I’m being honest, the entire movie makes me laugh- massive, clutch-my-stomach, tears-streaming-down-my-face belly laughs. But as someone who was a teenager in the 90s, a girl who dreamed of living in Cher Horowitz’s closet, this line takes me back to that time.

“I spend half the night talking to some girl who’s looking around the room to see if there’s somebody else who’s more important she should be talking to, and it’s like I’m supposed to be all happy ’cause she’s wearing a backpack, you know?”

Because we all had backpacks. I had a mini silver one, similar to the one Cher wore when she failed her driving test. (Purchased at Contempo, of course.)

90s fashion is making a comeback- flannel, overalls, docs and backpacks. Now, as a babywearing mom, I’ve carried a backpack for a few years. Don’t get me wrong, I love my totes, but it’s a lot more comfortable to have my things on back when I have a baby on my front, rather than carrying things on one shoulder.

As a runner, I know that a backpack can help save my core from unnecessary stress. It can help me maintain good posture throughout my day. And lucky for us, there’s a lot to choose from this season. Thank you, style gods!

My current backpack is the Herschel Supply Camo-dot backpack from J.Crew. It’s kid-size, so slightly smaller and just so cute. Below are some of my other favorites at various price points. I love the floral Marc Jacobs or the striped Baggu for spring, and the Pashli is just drool-worthy. My littlest just spilled cold “hot” chocolate all over my bag during a recent trip to Target, so if it doesn’t come out, I might be on the lookout for a new bag. Oh, who are we kidding? I am always on the lookout for a new bag.

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Do you carry a backpack? Who was your teenage style icon?

Ho Ho Ho! Chick Chat: Secret Santa Edition

We Chicks love a celebration, and usually, we don’t even need a reason to throw confetti and clink our glasses in cheers. However, with the most wonderful day of the year upon us, we decided to shout ’tis the season in the most jolly of ways: with a Secret Santa gift exchange! Read on to find out who gifted whom, and see if there’s anything that you want to add to your holiday wish list.

Bec:

I was super happy when I pulled my sister-in-shoe-love in the Secret Santa grab! When I started thinking about what to get for Brooke, two words came to mind: Mom and baker. I’m sure you’ve gathered from her posts that Brooke is this awesome mom, and we have long shared a love of baking, specifically with our kids. So I themed my gift around that, with a touch of running in the mix. I found a t-shirt that that perfectly captured how I see Brooke, as a mother and an athlete. And as for baking, I sent her a my great-grandmother’s recipe for Sugar and Spice cookies, which are a Christmas staple in my house. I don’t give the recipe out to just anyone, since it’s been in my family for decades, I was happy to share it with a member of my Scoot a Doot family. Merry Christmas, B!

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Brooke:

I had a few ideas once I pulled Vic’s name but I hadn’t settled on anything specific. Early one morning, I was doing my daily “window” shop on the Anthro site (as one does) and came across this travel bag for fitness enthusiasts. Basically, the bag folds into a tiny pouch, taking up minimal room in your suitcase, and once you’ve run, yoga’d, hiked or whatever, you store your clothes and shoes in the bag for your return trip home. The lining of the bag keeps any stink or moisture from the rest of your suitcase. It took me about 30 seconds to decide that this was the perfect gift for Vic. She regularly travels for races (I got to see her for two of her three trips to Orlando this year and I’ll see her for at least two runcations next year) but doesn’t always get to do laundry on those trips. I hope she gets to use it a lot in 2014- come back and see me soon! Merry travels and Happy Christmas, Vic!

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Vic:

I was paired with the lovely Cam for our Secret Santa fest! I know I could have a blast here, as Cam is super-cool, laid-back and would be pleased with anything I sent her way. The pressure was off, so after consulting with another chickadee, I decided to get Cam something from Oiselle, the company I run for!

I love Oiselle and think everyone needs at least one item from the amazing Seattle-based company! So I picked a lovely indigo Runfinity scarf for Cam! (I really wanted to get her an orange one because Scoot chicks love orange – see our Scoot shirts – and Ragnar loves orange, and Cam loves Ragnar. Do you follow my rambling logic here? But alas, there were no orange scarves to be found… besides, indigo is far more versatile, right?!)

Anyhoo, I love scarves and wear them regularly in the winter so I knew Cam needed one too! Enjoy and Merry Christmas lady!!

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Cam:

I was given Meridith for secret Santa and I literally thought of about a hundred things I would have liked to give her. There were a lot of goodies in my various online carts but when I saw the Ragnar Pro Compression socks came in hot pink, well I knew they’d be perfect for my favorite future Ragnarian. 2014 is the year we shall Ragnar together!

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Meri:

Brooke introduced me to the Alex and Ani company back in September during our Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation running streak when she picked up on of the bangles for our top fundraiser, Megan. I was so impressed with their positive messages and great customer relations through social media (so important!); I love the idea of supporting them.

Jess and I share a love of words and when I saw this Alex and Ani bracelet, I knew it had to be hers. We’ve been through lots of together over the past three years and the message of this bangle What’s for you will not pass you and I feel like it really applies. She and I both have obsessive personalities and together I think we’ve learned that good things happen with time, persistence, and also patience. Finding that balance can sometimes be daunting and I think this quote is a good reminder in achieving that balance.

However, this whole message of what’s for you will not pass you is a bit ironic, as the USPS tracking on the priority package shows that it went from New Jersey to Virginia. Last I checked, Virginia isn’t exactly en route to California, land of Jess. So the bracelet hasn’t exactly PASSED Jess, it just hasn’t arrived yet. *taps foot impatiently* Fortunately, her birthday present made it there on time so you can check that out! I got her this super cute, Kate Spade wallet in Vivid Snapdragon, which I think is very close to the Patone Color of the Year, Radiant Orchid. Holla!

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Jess: 

For those who don’t know, Bec is a fabulous cook. I wish I could say that I’ve had the privelege of eating her food, but I’m certain I will someday. My stomach is counting on it!

Of course, when I pulled her name, the first thing I thought of was “cookbook!” But there are a bajillion (literally) cookbooks out there in the world, so I checked with some in-the-know friends and they pointed me to The Fresh 20. What I love about this one in particular is that it focuses on using organic, non-processed ingredients for easy, healthy, delicious meals. Plus, there are 20 ingredients in the entire book, so it’s not overwhelming.

Happy cooking, Bec! I will be at your front door at 5:30 tonight.

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Do you Secret Santa? I’ve (Brooke) been doing a gift exchange with my best girls for ten years. This year, we decided to scrap the gift part and keep the food and cocktails. I can’t wait! What’s your favorite holiday party drink? Cheers!

Everything’s Coming Up (Radiant) Orchids

Happy Monday, dear friends! Jess and Brooke here, to discuss a very important topic.

Earlier this month, Pantone named “Radiant Orchid” the IT color of 2014, and as two Chicks who love to mix trendy with our classic (okay, sort of preppy) style and who love to shop – for ourselves, and for YOU – we had to seize the opportunity to scout out some new fitness attire in this vibrant shade of…is it pink? Is it purple? Who cares; it’s fabulous. Happy shopping!

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What’s your favorite color? What do you think about Pantone’s choice? And, perhaps most importantly, what’s on your Christmas list this year?