Mmmmmm, Manolos!

Is there anything as wonderful as the feel of new shoes caressing your arches? While they're not Manolos, my new shoes are just divine! I got them at, of all places, Target (pronounced tar-JAY, thank you very much). They're chocolate-toned pleather, fake croc, with a stiletto heel and a darling little bow at the vamp. I could kill cockroaches in corners with the toes on these suckers, too. I can't stop admiring my feet. I can't help but remember lines from Bye Bye Birdie (thank you, Ann Margret) "it gives you such a glow just to know you're wearing lipstick and heels." How 1950s, but, in my case, how true...

Pardon me while I wax rhapsodic over my footwear - it's been a long time since I've been interested in fashion. Somehow, being overweight dampens your ardor for couture. I'm sure I can lay the blame on the latest trend in TV - makeover shows. I'll admit, I love watching Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, What Not to Wear (although I prefer the British version with Trinny & Susannah), and the new Ten Years Younger. I should probably be on one of these shows myself...

Now, regarding shows like Extreme Makeover and The Swan, well, there's just something gruesome about getting yourself cut up and stitched back together. Ummm, Frankenstein? Hello? While I see the contestants' motivation, I still wish that people didn't have to resort to such drastic measures to feel better about themselves. I like that they give the women who go on The Swan counseling - that has to help them no matter what they look like.

For me, though, all it takes is a new pair of shoes. Thank God for Retail Therapy.