I like sling-back pumps (more comfortable and show off the almost diamonds on our toenails!) and what I call “hooker shoes,” although my daughter says, scandalized, that they are to be referred to as “exotic dancer shoes.” Huh? You know…very high-heeled platforms? I really need that extra five or six inches of height…will hunt for My Lovely Big Feet, even though I wear a 6 1/2. LBT

That’s what the free market is all about. It’s fine with me if their products are high-priced but ONLY if the provide superior value for the additional cost. GREAT comment, thanks.

Linda

MY favorite shoe shop (I’m the world’s balance for Imelda Marcos and am barefooted or wearing Warm Sheepers as much of the time as is possible. Usual disclaimer, no, I do not own stock in sheepskin slipper companies. DSW–Dallas Shoe Warehouse–also has great prices, same stipulation.) is in Dallas, where almost everything is $19.95, with a few at $29.95. The FUN part is that they carry very, very pricey brands, mostly European. I love buying the Gray sandals with the original $450 price tag still on them.

WEAR shoes that cost that much? What a ludicrous idea! I just put them on a rack and admire them. I can never make myself see them as twenty dollar shoes, so I consider them to be “closet art.” They never wear out, sandals never go out of style, so I had a lot of pleasure for a Bernanke.

Gary and I were talking about lifestyles, today. I was delighted to hear about his because in my eyes he has achieved the closest thing to the leisured life in the country we have that a city-dweller can get. We haven’t “down-sized,” horrible word, we have simplified our lives to include as much as possible of what we really want with as few inconveniences as we can manage. We defer gratification, enjoying the anticipation, and get the biggest bang out of finding exactly what we want on Craig’s List, just as you had fun shopping around until you found shoes you liked (that have clearly lasted very well, and are probably comfortable and attractive, as well) at a price you were willing to pay.

My darling Charles is a a treasure in many, many ways, and one of them is understanding this thing we ladies have about it being a lot more fun if you get it on sale. Besides, when you are thrifty (even though picky!) almost all the time, then you can laugh gaily when you buy shoes you know you aren’t ever going to wear enough to talk about just for the fun of having them!

Charles spends a lot of time on Craig’s List while I am writing, and he comes up with incredible bargains. Another good thing is that the sellers only take cash, which keeps people on the straight and narrow budget-wise. He just came home with enough gorgeous gray and taupe marble, half an inch thick tiles, to take care of the new kitchen we’re starting building this week. He paid $1.87/square foot, and no sales tax, of course! Yes, I think I’ll tell you about the project because it describes our methods and joys very well.

We are living in a small, old, battered house I inherited, and in the process of renovating and expanding it. The kitchen has NEVER had enough room for all of the cabinets I want (giggle…could be that having three refrigerators in it is a contributory cause?!) so we’re tearing out a wall between the old one-car garage and an enclosed breezeway. One operative word is “WE.” WE (me, Charles, and the two hands) are going to do almost everything. Charles is an electrical engineer, and there is easy access to water, drains, gas, 110, and 220 electricity. We’re going to end up with 12′ 6″ X 19′8″ kitchen with an island that looks into a bigger room that has never been used much but will become a basic family room and casual dining area.

If you have had a kitchen re-do you know that this could easily be a hundred thousand dollar project that had you eating out of the microwave for ten months. Nope. We will NEVER be without the basics, even on the day when we move the dishwasher. We hunted until we found a Wedgewood gas range (2 ovens, 2 broilers, 4 burners, enormous griddle in the middle, with parts still available) that was built either just before or just after WWII. We paid a massive $100. for it. This could make you cry if you have purchased a new stove recently; a lot of drop-in tops, alone, are $2500.

Including the thousand dollar “instant on” hot water heater we bought (already here in the box, the current one will be relocated nearer to a pair of bathrooms), we figure we’ll get everything we want INCLUDING custom built maple cabinets and counters–and I mean REAL wood!–a friend is building, for a total budget of $3500. That covers the marble, radiant barrier paint on newly exposed vaulted ceilings, and a second food prep sink!

Doing it ourself is our idea of FUN. “We have the technology,” as Charles quips. Richard, a professional builder, will get another book out of the project and will be part of our extended family if/when the Depression becomes so bad we all live here and raise chickens, goats, and our own produce. I’m very excited because Richard is planning all sorts of custom cabinets and pull-outs for spices, chopping blocks, and so forth. Every step of the way will be photographed, and we think it is going to be Architects’ Digest-worthy when we’re through. The only thing he told me I can’t have is wood cut here on the place because it would take too long to cure!

The moral here isn’t that Linda gets the kitchen of her dreams at a ludicrous price, but that with old fashioned “sweat equity” and willingness to substitute thought and time for money still works, just as it always has…and they keep you out of movies where you’ll spenf a hundred dollars for a couple of hours’ “entertainment.”

Thanks again for writing. I just realized it is 10:10 and we haven’t eaten! Writing is very addictive, particularly whrn I get nice letters.

Linda