Category Archives: Fashion

Recess is Back! Who wants to play?

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Recess is Back and KEEN challenges you to get out and play for at least 10 minutes on September 14th. Take a photo of your playtime, upload it to Instagram or Twitter with the hashtag of #TAKE10, and you could win a pair of KEEN shoes!

A new winner will be announced every hour on that day from midnight to midnight on September 14th!

How will you get your recess on? Inspire others with your ideas in the comment section below for a chance to be featured in JP+C’s Top Ten Ways to Recess, to be published on this blog September 13th!

Seven tips for taking care of traveling feet

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Feet need love too. (Photo by JG.Hampton.)

Whether you’re leaving footprints in the sands of the Sahara, meandering through the market in Florence, or navigating the broken sidewalks of your own neighborhood, feet take a beating, especially in summer. Last week’s article provided tips on finding the perfect summer travel shoes and, although choosing the right shoe can help keep your feet energized and blister-free, we all need to take some time to thank our feet for their hard work with a routine of regular maintenance.

For this, I turned to the expertise of a hand and foot care specialist, Ms. Patsy Mulvihill of Patsy James Exclusive Nail Spa in Bellevue, Washington. With her bright blue eyes, her ready smile, and those hard-to-miss golden curls, she may look like she’s only 25, but Ms. Mulvihill has been taking care of the hands and feet of celebrities, dignitaries, and VIPs for the last 19 years.

Before starting her own exclusive nail spa, she was Head Trainer and Department Manager at Gene Juarez, a popular salon and day spa in the Seattle area. She also spent many years building up retail shops for butter LONDON before being endorsed by them as the flagship service provider for their famous butter LONDON Waterless Manicure and Pedicure. Knowing all this, and having experienced her renown TLC first-hand, I knew she would be the perfect person to give me advice on how to take care of hard-working, traveling feet.

1. Moisturize

Ms. Mulvihill says moisturizing is the key to keeping your feet healthy. “After a nice shower, dry your feet thoroughly. Don’t forget in-between your toes! Afterwards, massage on some yummy foot cream.”

She recommends the FC5 Cooling foot creme from Arbonne, which, as an Arbonne consultant, she carries in her spa. She says it is important to moisturize your feet everyday, especially at night, so the moisturizer has a chance to do its magic under the cover of cozy cotton socks. This also keeps it from rubbing off in your shoes before it has a chance to work.

Arbonne FC5 Cooling Foot Cream

2. Exfoliate

Every other day, or as skin gets dry and flaky, it’s a good idea to exfoliate your feet as well. You can do this after your shower, once the skin on your feet has had a chance to soften up. “My favorite tool that I have used since beauty school is called the Swedish Clover™ Fot Fil.” Use it to work away the flaky skin and hardened callouses, but not so much that your skin becomes raw and overworked. Between exfoliation and moisturizing, your feet will be ready for action whenever you are.

Swedish Clover™ Fot Fil. (Photo from Spilo.com.)

3. Get those toenails in shape

Skin isn’t the only concern when it comes to foot care. Toenails need to be kept trim and shaped so they don’t cut into your socks or dig into the skin around your toes when you walk. For this, Ms. Mulvihill recommends Mehaz Professional Slant Toenail Clipper. “It has a slanted edge so it makes it very easy to get under the nail without cutting the skin. It also makes life much easier when cutting thicker nails.”

Mehaz Professional Slant Toenail Clipper (Photo from Amazon.com.)

Washable files, such as the 100/180 grit Purifiles Disinfectable Files, work well to shape and shorten the nails, she says. For a healthy looking shine, without any nail polish, reach for her favorite nail buffer, the D-File™.

Purifiles Disinfectable Files. (Photo from Spilo.com.)

D-Files™ Buffer. (Photo from Spilo.com.)

4. Don’t forget the cuticles!

Cuticles are a vital part of healthy nails and feet, too. They protect the nails from dirt and bacteria, which can lead to infection. Keeping them healthy is just as vital as anything else you do to take care of your feet. To do this, gently push them back with wood manicure sticks and then trim off the dead skin with Ms. Mulvihill’s favorite cuticle tool, the stainless steel Tweezerman V-Cuticle Nipper. Don’t tug or pull at cuticles when they loosen up and pull away from your skin. This can damage the cuticle matrix and allow dirt and bacteria underneath the nail. Just trim the unsightly and agitating dead skin with the cuticle nipper.

Tweezerman V-Cuticle Nippers (Photo from Amazon.com.)

5. Spice up your routine with a seasonal treat

If you really want to knock your socks off (pun intended), Ms. Mulvihill recommends using any of the body sugar scrubs, shower gels, and massage oils or body lotions from the Skin Organics brand to create a multi-sensory, at-home pedicure. At her nail spa, she is currently offering an anti-aging pedicure using the Cherry Marzipan line. Skin Organics is the perfect brand with which to do this because of the different variety they offer. Each season brings a new idea to keep things interesting and fresh. In the fall, she does a Spicy Pumpkin pedicure and, in the winter, she indulges her clients with the Chocolat line.

Chocolate Sugar Scrub. (Photo from Skin Organics.)

She also speaks highly of Arbonne products as well. “I will be adding the Arbonne SeaSource Detox Spa line for my pedicure services very soon.”

Arbonne SeaSource Detox set. (Photo from Arbonne.com.)

6. Splash on some color

Now that your feet are feeling soft and fresh, your toenails may be hankering for a little splash of color. While Ms. Mulvihill has seen a lot of people opting for natural fingernails these days (“Falsies are out”, she says), color is still very much in for both fingernails and toenails. According to our expert, you can’t go wrong with the many colors butter LONDON offers. Always start with a clear base coat, then do a couple of rounds using your chosen color, and finish with a top coat.

butter LONDON Girls Night Out Gift Set. (Photo from butterLONDON.com.)

For those who like a little color on their nails but hate the upkeep and drying time, Ms. Mulvihill suggests a “power nail polish” using Creative Nail Design’s Shellac™. “It looks like regular nail polish but what is so amazing about it is that, when your service is over, your nails are completely dry and they will last without chipping for ten days to three weeks!” She says her customers love it because they can immediately put on their closed toe shoes without worrying about smudges. She does recommend letting a professional do it, though, and warns that Shellac is a product name, not a service itself. “I see a lot of other nail salons that advertise that they do Shellac but, in fact, they are using a knock off brand.”

7. Leave it to the professionals

Of course, the best way to give your feet a real treat is to take them in for regular professional pedicures. Ms. Mulvihill suggests doing this every four weeks. “It is very relaxing, keeps the callouses at bay, is great for your circulation, and it keeps your nails healthy and nice looking.”

If you’re in the Seattle area, the only professional hands for your feet are, of course, those of Ms. Mulvihill herself. At the Patsy James Exclusive Nail Spa, pedicure services start at $40 with either a butter LONDON Signature Pedicure or a mini-pedicure. The Classic Pedicure is $65 and includes “a warm foot bath, skin exfoliation, nail shaping, cuticle care, mini reflexology massage, callous care, and lacquer application”. And, for an even greater indulgence, enjoy the Spa Pedicure, which is $75 and includes everything from the Classic Pedicure with the addition of a warm paraffin treatment.

Ms. Mulvihill provides peace of mind and one-of-a-kind, luxurious service when it comes to taking care of weary traveling toes and feet. Even though she has worked with a lot of celebrity and VIP clients, you don’t have to be Angelina Jolie to be treated like her. Ms. Mulvihill is a master at making every client feel like a VIP. To book an appointment, it is advised to do so as far in advance as possible. You can view all of her services and even book them online at her website.

Whether you keep your routine simple at home, or leave it in the hands of professionals, keeping your feet happy and healthy is an important step for any road warrior.

5 tips for finding the perfect summer travel shoes

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Several weeks ago, I began a search for the perfect summer travel shoes. Good travelers know that shoes take up way too much packing space, so it was important in my endeavors to search for that one pair that could do it all, without leaving bleeding blisters to contend with. One challenge for the summer, however, is finding sturdy, comfortable shoes that are fashionable, can be worn without socks, and can transition from a walking tour to a sit-down dinner.

Many suggestions were made, lots of shoes were tried, and now I have the results of my often painstaking, blister-inducing research. Below are five tips for finding the perfect summer travel shoes with my final recommendation for the one.

1. Look for suede or soft leather uppers

Suede and soft leather mold to the foot rather than rub against it. Patent leather, hard leather, and stiffer, coarser fabrics located anywhere near the heels or ankles may start off feeling comfortable, but when heat, perspiration, and miles combine, blisters are sure to follow.

As an example, I wore the Merrells pictured below for a two-mile walk for coffee. At first they seemed fairly comfortable, but by the end of the first mile, I had blisters on the backs of both heels and the undersides of my ankles. The fabric on these shoes is very coarse. The stiffness and height of the ankle collar and heel support dug into my skin. By the time I finished the second mile, my feet were bleeding. I have not worn them since.

Merrell’s Mimosa Emme Mary Jane are cute, but they rubbed some of the worst blisters I’ve received all summer.

2. Avoid slingbacks and thin straps on sandals

Slingbacks and thin straps not only cause blisters, they can dig into toes and heels, leaving the skin with terrible gashes. Ouch!

I love these heels from Aquatalia, but I can’t wear them very far before the cut-outs start to dig in. The shoes themselves are comfortable, but the longer I walk in them, the more my skin rubs against the cut-outs in the leather. Within a half-mile walk to the theater, I had blisters the shape of some of the cut-outs in these cute shoes–but trust me when I tell you, my foot was far from cute when it was all over!

I love these shoes, but the cut-outs in the leather, which make them so unique, dig into toes and cause painful blisters.

3. Make sure the shoe is flexible

The stiffer the shoe, the more likely you are to develop blisters and callouses at the points where the shoe should naturally bend (near the joints of the toes and ball of the foot). If you cannot bend the toe toward the center of the shoe without a lot of effort, that shoe is stiff and inflexible. Put it down and walk away.

One example of this was a pair of TSUBO brand shoes I tried. The support and cushioning inside the shoe were good, but it was incredibly stiff and unbending. As I foolishly walked two miles to dinner in them, the plasticky top of the toe box creased over my big toe and created a nasty blister. Sadly, they were also stiff around the ankles and heels, so I got blisters there too.

I liked the sportiness of these TSUBO’s and envisioned wearing them all over town. Sadly, they are quite stiff in the toebox and rubbed blisters onto the tops of my toes, as well as on my heels and ankles.

4. Give your toes some wiggle room — but not too much!

Toes shouldn’t squeeze together into the shoe, nor should the shoe be so large that it dangles off your foot when you walk. A tight toe box can rub your toes and cause blisters and callouses, if not also other aches and pains, whereas a floppy, wobbly shoe (such as a flip flop or a shoe that is too large) is not stable enough for two-mile walks over uneven terrain. Make sure the shoe fits secure, but not tight. Don’t wear flip flops or other shoes that you have to hold on to with your toes.

Although the leather is super soft on the 1-inch pumps by Cole Haan shown below, they are just narrow enough to pinch my toes and cause discomfort over the course of an afternoon. If your foot is particularly narrow about the toes, this style of shoe might be just the thing for you this summer. My toes, on the other hand, had to cram themselves into a tight space. Although the leather has some stretch and give, I still ended up with a blister on my smallest toes because it was too tight.

Cute 1-inch sandals from Cole Haan pinch the toes.

The ECCO sandals below are some of my favorite shoes for wearing when I know I’m not going to be going very far–less than a mile. Beyond that, though, they require too much effort to keep them on. My toes start to ache and the strap that goes in between my toes starts to rub.

For flip flops, these are very comfortable and fairly stylish. Unfortunately, they aren’t secure on my foot such that, when I walk long distances, I have to hold them on with my toes.

5. Look for rubber soles with texture for traction

Textured rubber soles grab the earth and keep you steady, unlike smooth, inflexible wood or some other hard materials out there. Rubber soles are also the best for cushioning the hard earth beneath your hard-working feet.

The Ecco Yucatan sandals are the near-perfect specimen for summer travel shoes. If they weren’t so sporty I could wear them inside restaurants and other fancy establishments. Still, they come so close to perfect that I chose them as a summary example, before revealing to you my final choice for THE summer travel shoe.

First, notice that they are made of soft leather and fabric uppers. Their straps are thick and padded–no blisters. They are also adjustable at the heel, the top of the foot, and the toe areas, so I can tighten or loosen them depending on what my foot needs. The soles are made of lightweight rubber and the bottoms are textured so I never worry about losing my footing, whether I’m walking down a broken sidewalk to the Farmers Market or along a gravelly trail in the Boyce Thompson Arboretum. The only thing keeping them from being perfect summer travel shoes is that I wouldn’t wear them with a dress or skirt to a sit-down restaurant in downtown Toronto, St. Paul, or Austin.

Ecco’s Yucatan Sandal.

My top pick for the perfect summer travel shoes

It is without further ado that I introduce you to the most versatile summer travel shoe I could find: the Naot Kayla sandal. It’s not the most gorgeous shoe I’ve ever owned, but it is the one I pack when I am packing the lightest. They rank up there as the most comfortable shoes I have ever worn.

The leather straps are soft enough and thick enough that they do not dig into my skin. There is an adjustable strap that goes over the top of my foot, so I can secure it tighter or loosen it up. The leather gives way to my feet and hugs them gently. I have walked miles in these shoes and never gotten a blister. The footbed is made of cork, latex, and suede, so it molds to my foot, providing personalized support. The soles are textured EVA, so they are shock-absorbing, as well as stabilizing.

My feet have also never felt fatigued or achy after wearing these shoes. My biggest complaint about them is a complaint I make about any sandal: they are masters at collecting rocks when I walk over gravelly pathways. Still, they can truly go the distance when walking all day. Their style is as flexible as their soles. I can go anywhere in them and experience pretty much any activity under the summer sun. And that is what sets them apart: the Naot Kaylas are a pair of shoes I can wear in a variety of situations.

The Naot Kayla comes in a variety of colors. The ankle strap is adjustable, the footbed molds to my foot, and the sole is a textured EVA that allows for flexibility while providing stability.

Now it’s your turn

Have you found a perfect pair of summer shoes that can walk the miles and see you through lots of situations? Post the information here and help us compile a better list for travelers around the world.

Walking Toronto

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I find rain to be exhilarating. I associate it with splashing in puddles wearing brightly colored rain boots and the whimsy of spring flowers. It can be a trickster, catching you unawares without an umbrella, so that you arrive drenched like a dog just getting out of the lake. In these moments, it levels the playing field, making even the best coiffed among us into just another human being with wet hair. To my knowledge, although plenty have been reduced to humiliation by rain, no one has ever actually melted from it.

During our short time in Toronto in September 2011, we got to test this theory three times: once on the day we arrived, once when we were out running errands, and once when we were trying to get to a restaurant three miles away. Each time, Hubby seemed convinced we were either going to drown in the drops, or that the water was molton lava, because he worried and fretted the entire time we were splashing through the downpours. It was quite adorable, really, to see him so concerned about me. He looked for overhangs that we could walk under and asked me a thousand times, “Are you okay?”

I was. The streets were shiny, the lights above were softened, the colors of the flowers popped through the grayness of the day. The rain made a beautiful city even more beautiful.

Blurry lights in the night rain of Toronto.

Of course, Toronto isn’t all about rain. It is a city that luxuriates in diversity. Even the weather is diverse. What is it they say? If you don’t like the weather in Toronto, just wait 10 minutes. Its motto is “Diversity Our Strength” and everywhere you go there is evidence of all the cultures, peoples, and possibilities that make up Toronto. No wonder I love it there.

Where we stayed and why:

Two identical condos are for short-term rent by the same trustworthy owners, Troy and Maria Sedgwick, at a high rise building located at 30 Grand Trunk Crescent in Toronto. The condos are fully furnished. They both have two bedrooms, two bathrooms, and great views of Toronto Island and Lake Ontario. I loved listening to the ferry boats coming in and out of the harbor nearby. You can also see Rogers Centre, the CN Tower, and Roundhouse Park from the windows and balconies.

View of Lake Ontario and Toronto Island. (Photo from the VRBO.com listing.)

Three key features which helped us decide on this rental were:

  • a desk area with high-speed internet;
  • a washer and dryer in the unit;
  • and, of course, walkability to practically everything we wanted to do in the city.

A view of the living area from the kitchen right after we got there. The whole place is less than 1000 square feet, but it feels bigger.

Hubby’s workstation set up and ready for business.

The kitchen seemed well-equipped. I say “seemed” only because we really did not use it for much other than storing the food we bought. We never actually cooked there. It even comes with a Keurig coffee maker and supplies, but we ended up going out for coffee a couple of times a day.

This is a view of the kitchen for the unit on the 35th floor. The kitchen on the 26th floor is identical, but has darker cabinets. (Photo from the VRBO listing.)

One surprise bonus was that, just leaving the condo and walking to the elevator gave us about 100 steps each time. It adds up if you do it enough!

All step and mileage calculations listed below are based from the front door of the building to a particular location.

Groceries and other necessities:

Longo’s: This higher-end grocery store had everything we needed for our stay in Toronto, including a Starbucks for a quick morning coffee run.

Longo’s = 200 steps one way (.1 miles)

A view of Longo’s grocery store located about a block from the condo building. (Photo provided by VRBO listing.)

Convenience Store: At the street level of the building was a small convenience store where I bought an umbrella and we picked up soft drinks and juice. Because it is in the same building, it is hard to give the mileage, but I believe it was about 100 steps one way.

Coffee:

Starbucks: If we had had more time, we would have explored the quirky coffee places I have read about in Toronto. As it was, we got a little lazy and stuck with the Starbucks that was in Longo’s, which was the closest coffee we could find in the zombie-like state that is early morning.

Starbucks = 200 steps one way (.1 miles)

Here are two places I’ll go for coffee the next time I’m in Toronto:

Balzac’s: First of all, how can you see the name of the place and not at least secretly smile like an adolescent boy? I fell in love with it in Stratford, Ontario, which I have written about in another blog and will be writing about again very soon! I did not make it to the Toronto version in the Distillery District at 55 Mill Street in Building 60. It is definitely high up on the list of “must-dos” for next time.

Balzac’s = 3000 steps (1.5 miles)

Tequila Bookworm Cafe and Books: Located at 512 Queen Street West, this little cafe came to my attention after returning from Toronto.

Tequila Bookworm = 2820 steps (1.41 miles)

Other:

Enterprise Rental Car: We rented a car to drive out to Stratford, Ontario for the Stratford Shakespeare Festival. It was easy to return from the condo building because it was less than a quarter of a mile away at 200 Front Street West in Simcoe Place.

Enterprise Rental Car = 600 steps one way (.3 miles)

Restaurants:

Scaramouche: In our nearly three weeks in Ontario, Scaramouche was a stand-out above all others. Located at 1 Benvenuto Place, it was our very favorite place to eat. The food was delicious and the service was some of the best we’ve ever had.

We learned about Scaramouche through one of those serendipitous moments travelers rely on. We happened to have been seated next to Morden Yolles, one of the partners of Scaramouche, when we were at a different restaurant in Stratford. We were also lucky to see him again when we visited his restaurant in Toronto.

On the evening we were to trek to Scaramouche, we encountered another downpour. A quarter of a mile into our walk, Hubby decided we needed a cab, so, after much strategizing during the rush hour rain, we managed to get a taxi to take us to the restaurant. Happily, by the time we finished eating and were full as Australian sheep ticks, as my dad would say, we were able to walk the 3 miles back to the condo, enjoying the different neighborhoods and parks as we went. As a result, this was my favorite evening in Toronto.

Scaramouche = 6200 steps one way (3.1 miles)

Volos: This Greek restaurant, located at 133 Richmond Street West, was also a favorite. Not only were we warmly welcomed, we were treated to the bright, bold flavors of a talented chef and staff. We savored the rich earthiness of grilled vegetable orzo and spanakorizo. I had the freshest Horiatiki (Greek) salad I have ever had outside of Greece. It had olives that practically burst with juiciness and feta that melted on my tongue. To top it all off, they had an espresso that had a pleasingly smooth aroma and flavor. For more about our experience at this restaurant, please visit another article I wrote about Volos.

Volos = 1400 steps one way (.7 miles)

Things to do:

Hippo Tours: I took the 90-minute city tour with this company, but I have learned they are not operating in Toronto anymore. If you’re in Vancouver, though, you might want to check them out!

How can you see a bus with a purple hippo painted on the side and not want to ride it?

Me on the Hippo Bus, tooling around Lake Ontario. See the waves out the window?

A beautiful view of the city from the Hippo Bus/Boat in Lake Ontario. See? The rain cleared up! It was a gorgeous day!

With the purple hippos ambling toward Vancouver, allow me to recommend the other tour company I was considering if I hadn’t chosen the Hippo:

Toronto Tours: The Hop On Hop Off City Tour appealed to me because I could customize the tour to what I wanted to see and do, or, I could sit on the bus for 2 hours and catch it all at once. Rates for adults start right at $40US. Children are $20US. This tour picks up from a variety of locations. I chose the pick-up location closest to where we were staying.

Toronto Tours = 600 steps one way (.3 miles)

Toronto Eaton Centre: I am not a mall or shopping kind of person, but I know others make a sport out of it. So, if you’re jonesin’ for some shoppin’, Toronto Eaton Centre will set your cravings at ease. While we were in Toronto, we made the trek to Eaton Centre because it was where the Apple store was and Hubby needed something from there. They have arranged the mall such that, the higher floor you go, the higher the price tags. I thought that was pretty clever.

Toronto Eaton Centre = 2200 steps one way (1.1 miles)

Roundhouse Park, Rogers Centre, CN Tower: All three of these landmarks are just across the street from the condo building. The whole area was sort of magical to walk around at night with the way it was lit. Next time Hubby and I are going to stop into the Steamwhistle brewery located in Roundhouse Park for a tour.

Roundhouse Park, Rogers Centre, CN Tower = 1000 steps one way (.5 miles)

The CN Tower and Rogers Centre.

Nathan Phillips Square houses the modernist Toronto City Hall on one of its corners. We watched a moving memorial in this square, dedicated to those whose lives were lost and those who gave themselves in service during 9-11 in New York. It seemed always bustling with activity and is a great people-watching destination. Bonus: According to the National Geographic Traveler, if you visit Toronto in the winter, you can ice skate on the frozen reflecting pool in the square. How fun is that?

Nathan Phillips Square = 2000 steps (1 mile)

A gorgeous night shot of Nathan Phillips Square and the impressive Toronto City Hall. (Photo by Benson Kua from Wikipedia.org.)

Queen’s Park: This is a lovely, lush park that I found to be delightfully quiet in the heart of such a grand city. It borders parts of the University of Toronto and is home to the Ontario Legislative Building. Free guided tours are available through the Legislative Building, if that is of interest. Call 416-325-7500 for more information.

Queen’s Park = 2800 steps (1.4 miles)

The Legislative Building at Queen’s Park lit up at night. (Photo by Paul (dex) on Wikipedia.com.)

When I go back:

Royal Ontario Museum: If I could spend just one day in Toronto and do only one thing, this is where I would go. The mission of the ROM speaks to a passion of mine. It is “to build bridges of understanding and appreciation for the world’s diverse cultures and precious natural environments”. Its exhibits showcase a mixture of natural history and world cultures.

Adult tickets are $15CN. For more information on ticket prices, or to buy them online, visit their website. If you go on a Friday between 3pm and 5:30pm, the ticket prices drop significantly.

If I was there on a Friday night between April and late-June, I would go to the Friday Night Live events where special guests provide sneak peeks into exhibits and activities. You have to be 19 years or older to get in for those events. The cover charge is $8 for students with ID and $9 for everyone else. Members get in free.

ROM = 4200 steps one way (2.1 miles)

Distillery District: The culture of Toronto seems to have been distilled (pun intended) into one place, the Distillery District. There are not just historic breweries housed on these brick-lined streets, there are art galleries, cafes, theaters, restaurants, boutiques, and other facets of culture unique to Toronto. This is where lots of music and art festivals are held. Check the calendar for events happening during your visit to Toronto.

One of my favorite things to do is ride a Segway and you can do that here with a Segway Distillery Tour. Prices start at $69 per person and last 60 minutes. There are also shorter tours and walking tours available in the Distillery District.

Distillery District = 3000 steps one way (1.5 miles)

St. Lawrence Market: Go to their website and try not to drool. It’s almost impossible. This market, located at 92-95 Front Street East, was named the Number 1 Food Market in the World by the National Geographic. It seems practically brimming with local vendors selling local wares to locals.

St. Lawrence Market = 2000 steps one way (1 mile)

Canadian Opera Company: When we visited, the 2011/2012 season had not yet started, but we passed the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts quite often during our walks. It was dripping with gorgeous images of operas to come. The National Ballet of Canada performs in the Four Seasons Centre as well. I’d love to be in town for one of their shows. The Four Seasons Centre is located at 145 Queen Street West.

Four Seasons Centre = 1600 steps (.8 miles)

In search of the perfect traveling shoes

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The summer is approaching and, for me, that means an extended period of travel to different places with different climates. In all the places, Hubby and I will walk at least 5 miles a day. Sometimes we walk to dinner and back. Sometimes we walk to the theater. Other times, we’re just strolling through town, window shopping or cafe hopping. No matter what we’re up to, I have to have comfortable shoes that can see me through all those miles and different situations.

It’s easier in winter to find comfy shoes that look grand in a variety of situations. These boots from Aquatalia by Marvin K saw me through the hills of San Francisco, a downpour in Toronto, dinner and Shakespeare in Stratford, Ontario, and countless other places where I had to walk outside for miles in occasional inclement weather.

Knee-high flat boots from Aquatalia by Marvin K are comfy and weather-proof. They also fit will in a variety of situations.

When attire isn’t as much of a concern, or casual wear is the norm, the Nikes below are my go-tos. They’ve seen me through some of those same San Francisco hills, an architectural tour in Palm Springs, a Segway tour in La Jolla and another one in St. Paul, Minnesota. I wore them to dinners at local jive joints with black pants and a top with a jacket for a sporty urban look that was incredibly comfortable. (I actually got compliments from that outfit!)

Nike Air Pegasus sneakers. I think the black color and shine of the fabric help them fit into a few other situations where white sneakers would stick out. Still, I only wear them for casual dinners and events.

With just two pairs of shoes needed for pretty much any situation, it was easy to pack and fairly light to carry. The boots come off quickly for airport security and go back on just as quickly. The sneakers were actually slightly more trouble since they have laces, but they were lighter and easier to pack in an overnight bag.

So, now we approach the summer and, as I pour through my closet, I feel woefully unprepared for the summer’s upcoming trips and events. The Nikes can probably transition to summer in the same capacity as before. And I have one pair of sandals that are the most comfortable I have ever owned:

Sandals by Naot. They seem to fit into several different situations and I have walked more than five miles in them in one day without blisters or pain.

These are great for probably 70% of the things I do in a given day and, unlike the Nikes, they look good with long skirts. Still, my problem with relying solely on sandals is that, they’re not as comfortable during those summer rain bursts. And, when I walk long distances through dusty or gravelly areas, I always end up having to stop in order to free the little pebbles that try to hitch a ride under my heel.

Shoes such as those I seek do exist. Last summer, I wore these shoes through visits to St. Paul, Minnesota, Ann Arbor, Michigan, and Mackinaw Island, not to mention return visits to Phoenix and its hot, hot summer:

Suede penny loafers with Nike Air technology by Cole Haan. They looked great with jeans, capris, and certain skirts.

They were far more comfortable than I would have imagined them to be at first. They’re built to look like loafers but they bond to the foot more like flats, thanks to the moldable suede. The difference, though, is that with loafers, the leather is usually stiff and, in flats, the support is usually minimal. Walking miles in either kind of shoe often ends up in blisters and/or incredibly sore feet. These, however, rocked like Elvis’s shoes of the same variety (blue suede), fitting into a variety of situations and going with a lot of different outfits. But, as you can see, they have seen better days, and I’m afraid their support is starting to break down after so much wear.

This brings me to the contenders of new shoes that can be supportive, sporty, dressy, and closed-toed to fit a variety of summertime situations. At 41 years old, my trotting around all day in high heels are over. Still, I can’t help but salivate over these (and I may get them later for those times when I’m going out but not walking far):

Not exactly sporty or closed-toed, but...drool. Karma heel by Aquatalia by Marvin K.

As of yet, I have not found the one that fits all of my requirements. The shoes I have tried either rubbed horrible blisters, made my feet sweat, or they were just downright uncomfortable.

These Merrells had promise, but when I wore them to walk a mile to coffee and back, they drew blood from the blisters they rubbed! Ouch!

These adorable little shoes from Privo by Clark's are spunky, sporty, and incredibly comfy, but they make my feet sweat. Ewew!

I tried these as a dressier shoe that could fit into dress-up/dress-down situations. I thought since they are by Cole Haan with Nike Air Technology that they might actually work. And they are fairly comfortable. The problem is that they pinch my toes and do not provide the stability I need when walking along uneven sidewalks.

The comfort lines out there, like Ecco, Mephisto, and Clark’s make fine shoes, but a lot of them are either too wide for my dainty feet or they look like a shoe my grandmother would wear. (In fact, I bought my grandmother some Ecco’s for Christmas because she loved them so much.) These lines have started putting out some really great looking shoes lately and I have bought pairs in hopes of finding the one. But, alas, I am still looking for that summer staple.

So now, ladies and gentlemen, I put the question to you: Have you found stylish, comfortable, lightweight, summer shoes that are urban casual AND closed-toed?

If you have great traveling shoes you would like to share, drop me a note! Phoenix, as well as many other parts of the world, it seems, are starting Spring/Summer early. That has me antsy to find what I need to get on the road with style and comfort.

Sipping coffee and talking Seattle

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Welcome to Jet Planes and Coffee, my internet friends. I am coming to you live from my desk in Arizona, bubbling over with stories about my recent visits to Seattle. Just before sitting down to write you, though, I did what I always do when I want to share life with good friends–I grabbed a favorite mug and poured myself a good cup of joe.

Coffee's ready. Desk is a little cluttered. Let's talk Seattle.

It’s not Starbuck’s coffee, in case you were wondering. I can see how you might think that since I just returned from Seattle (and since you can get Starbuck’s coffee pretty much anywhere). There is a bag of Starbuck’s Tribute Blend™ sitting in the bottom of my unpacked suitcase. For now, though, I am drinking from another Washington State roaster, Grounds for Change. It’s their Bolivian Taipiplaya Limited Edition roast and, although it is a little lighter than I usually like, it’s good. Grounds for Change always has good stuff. I’ve been buying my beans from them since about 2005, when I still lived in the Seattle area.

This is the next bag of coffee, not yet opened, from Grounds for Change. I always like trying different flavors from Grounds for Change. Señor Owl, the cookie jar, looks on approvingly.

I could go on and on about coffee but that’s not why you’re here. You’re here, I presume, to check out what Seattle has to offer; maybe to get some tips on where to stay and what to do.

Well, you’re in luck. I just came from there yesterday. Hubby and I were there from Thursday of last week to Sunday morning–about 72 hours. It was our second trip in the last seven months. I have much to share, so grab your own cup of happiness, and let’s get started.

First things first: Where to stay.

Both of our recent visits took us to the fabulous Hotel 1000. I cannot say enough good about this place. It has a relaxed, “old friend” feel to it that meets the warm welcome one might receive at the Four Seasons just up the road. It is not right on the sightline of the water and, therefore, is a little cheaper than the Four Seasons. We felt it to be just as service-oriented, though, and it is located within walking distance to everything downtown. It also offers a lot of great perks, such as free wifi throughout the hotel, a cozy spa, virtual golf, full-service concierge, and electronic “Do Not Disturb” and Housekeeping notifications built into every room.

The front of Hotel 1000, conveniently located on the corner of 1st Avenue and Madison, near to where all the action happens, when it's not happening at Hotel 1000, of course. (Photo by EMS Shane in Portland.)

Our room--a Deluxe King Water view.

Nice desk space for the business traveler. Hubby got set up right away and very easily.

Cool bathtub, which is filled from the ceiling, is visible through a glass wall that separates the bathroom from the bedroom. For more modest individuals, there is a screen that moves up and down the wall with a flick of a switch.

Price per night for a Deluxe Waterfront King room, according to the Hotel 1000 website: $272

Price per night at the Four Seasons for a Deluxe Bay-view room, according to their website: $435. (You can get a city-view room for $285, though.)

Another Hotel 1000 perk? They drove us to Crush Restaurant, located about two miles east of the hotel, in the Courtesy Car. If our friends hadn’t been able to drop us back at the hotel, the friendly valets from the hotel would have picked us up.

Don’t get me wrong. I love the Four Seasons. I love the lobby with its rough-hewn, stacked stone lining the walls, and the sleek fireplace. We met some friends for dinner there at Art Restaurant. It is a great place and very popular. I highly recommend going, even if you only stop in to the lounge for some nibblies and a drink.

Four Seasons/Art Restaurant Lobby.

Where to eat

That brings us to, where to eat.

If you go to Art Restaurant during the summer, make sure to get a table by the window so you can watch the sun set, and the ferries go to and fro. This last time we went, it was dark by the time we got seated, so we just focused on the lovely company of our friends and the delicious food. The photo below is from our visit in August.

Sunset as seen from the window at Art Restaurant in August.

The thing about Art, besides the beautiful surroundings and the excellent service, is that they give you these homemade potato chips with a mouth-watering sour cream style dip. Oh, it is so good. And, I was hungry when I sat down so I ate a lot of those things. I couldn’t get enough of them, really. So…by the time the second course arrived–a gnocchi of some sort–I was full. The flavors were just too much for my satisfied tummy. I shouldn’t have eaten so many chips, but I did and, frankly, I’m not really sorry for it. They were really good. Sorry I can’t tell you more about what’s good there from my point of view. I can tell you that Hubby loved his fish–an Indian-spiced salmon–and our friends enjoyed their beef tenderloin.

When we lived near Seattle, we had heard great things about another restaurant, Crush, but we never actually made it there until this last visit. Now we have a huge crush on Crush Restaurant, located just a couple of miles east of Hotel 1000 on Madison. Chef Wilson and the team there manage to create the kind of eating experience that leaves you feeling like a regular, even though it might be the first time visiting (which it was for us). The food was thoughtful and delicious. I loved every minute of my baby beet salad, minus the crispy pancetta, and the mushroom risotto. I’m vegetarian. They were very gracious to provide wonderful options throughout the meal. My favorite part of the meal, however, was dessert: salted chocolate-covered caramels. Yrrrmmmmm. If I close my eyes I can still taste the marriage of salt, chocolate, and caramel.

Hubby had the same salad with the pancetta for his first course and then he had a duo of salmon and pork cheek. My description of it does not do it justice. Let me put it this way: I thought he was going to squeal with delight as he polished off his main dish.

The cleverest dish, however, was our friend’s first course called “Bacon and Eggs”. It was parsnip flan with smoked Ikura roe, bourbon maple syrup & bacon crème fraiche served up in the tiniest little dish. Our friend loved every bite and grinned from ear to ear because he knew he had the most fun of all the first courses.

Bacon & Eggs, Chef Wilson style. (Photo from Crush website.)

The service was top-notch and very friendly. The surroundings were an eclectic blend of at-home charm with contemporary design. We will be back.

The front of Crush restaurant. (Photo from the Crush Restaurant website.)

Serious Pie is the pizza place we found to be seriously delicious, another restaurant by Seattle’s genius restauranteur, Tom Douglas. Reservations might not be available, but we had no trouble getting in on Thursday night. Things were different when we went there on a weekend back in August and had to wait. They took one of our cell numbers and called us when it was time for dinner–about 30 minutes after we arrived–so we could have walked around and shopped a little if we had wanted to.

Inside the small Serious Pie restaurant. It reminds me of a pub-style pizzeria. When the restaurant is full, it can feel claustrophobic with foodies squished into the tables elbow-to-elbow. (Photo by mightykenny.)

Serious Pie is the best pizza we have found in Seattle. We lived in the area for about seven years and never found “the” pizza place. Now we have. Serious Pie is where we will go whenever we want pizza in Seattle, even if we have to share a communal table with six other people we just met. (Knock on wood, we’ve gotten a two-seater table each time we’ve been there. I’m not big on spaces cramped with strangers, even if I do end up adoring them by the end of the meal.)

Our favorite pie is the very simple Buffalo Mozzarella, Red Sauce, and Basil. Yum, yum, and triple-yum. It has a thin crust that is charred just right–not too much to choke on smoke, but not too little to leave the dough chewy. I could eat a whole pizza by myself–and I never usually have more than two slices of pizza anywhere.

Serious Pie mozzarella, red sauce, basil pizza. (Photo by greenplasticamy.)

Things to do

Our most recent visits to Seattle took us there for business and pleasure. Having lived there for several years, the touristy places don’t really speak to us. Touristy things never really speak to me anyway (see comment above about cramped spaces). We’ve done the Space Needle a thousand times with out of town guests. It’s worth doing at least once just to cross it off your list. The Seattle Aquarium is nice, especially if you have kids. I used to love going to the Ballard Locks to see the salmon swim upstream. I also hear good things about the Experience Music Project which is located near the Space Needle, but I haven’t yet been there myself. Being a major fan of the Fine Arts, I’m always eager to go to the art galleries and the Seattle Art Museum. The Seattle Symphony and Pacific Northwest Ballet are both tops in my book as well.

This last couple of visits one goal we had was to get a sense for what it’s like to live downtown, so our journeys took us where our feet could go with a focus on art and nature.

Last summer we were there during an “Out to Lunch” music series that seemed to take place regularly on the Harbor Steps. If I am not mistaken, a band strikes up around lunchtime and the steps themselves become a little amphitheater where people sit and listen to the music. The combination of music, sunshine, and sea air was intoxicating and I loved how it brought out the authenticity of the city. This man, in particular, delighted me beyond measure. He was out of this world wacky and completely true to himself. How could you not love him? I call him the Scarf Dancer.

The Scarf Dancer.

The Scarf Dancer, floating, twirling, and beaming with joy in rhythm to the music.

I don't know how many scarves he had, but he twirled them, held them up to the wind, or tied them around his waist. He was having a blast, and so was I.

We also roamed over to the harbor itself, up to the Seattle Art Museum’s Olympic Sculpture Park. Long, long ago, we contributed some moo-lah to their campaign to get that park going and, lo and behold, they put our name on a railing along the waterfront with all the other people who donated.

Our donation turned into a railing at the Olympic Sculpture Park.

It was great to see how beautiful the park had turned out and how many people use it for their nightly strolls and jogs. (We had moved a few months before the park opened, so we never got to see it before then.) It is a very peaceful part of Seattle, with the water licking the shoreline off to one side and the city sparkling quietly on the other.

Of course, no visit is complete without a trek to Pike Place Market. It’s not just for tourists, you know, although much of it is taken up with people who traveled for miles to see the men throw fish in the air. We were there for lunch and then again, later, for coffee. It quiets down at night when the homeless guys curl up to sleep in the darkened thresholds of stores no longer open. Seattle is kind to their homeless, treating them like the human beings they are, so they tend to be harmless even if they do ask for some change or have the desire to tell you something important. (Always use Street Smarts, though, whenever dealing with strangers, homeless or otherwise.)

Pike Place Market is a little quieter at night, but most of the shops are closed then too.

Along First Avenue are a handful of art galleries. We stopped into Vetri, a gallery specializing in exhibits of glass glass artwork. We loved the Mods by Jamie Harris.

Mods by Jamie Harris at the Vetri gallery in Seattle. (Photo by M Dryja.)

We also learned that Dale Chihuly, perhaps the most famous glass artisan of them all, creates paintings that are splattered and circled with vibrant colors. These paintings are the blueprints for what goes on to become his famous glass pieces. He has taken what he uses as a guideline for blowing glass and turned it into another work of art worth sharing.

One of Dale Chihuly's Limited Edition Prints

Finally, our steps took us over to the shopping district where I bought some new sunglasses. Yes. I needed sunglasses in a city known for its rain. Little known fact: sunshine happens in Seattle. It’s most known to happen in August, but it can cut through the clouds in March as well. Since I had gotten new contacts from my all-time favorite eye doctor, Dr. Mark Hamilton, who is also located in the Seattle area at Highland Vision Clinic, I needed some sunglasses that weren’t prescription or clip-ons. Nordstrom helped me out with some new Kate Spade shades. And ten minutes later it started raining again.

So, there ya go. My coffee mug is empty now. How about yours?

Talking about Seattle makes me miss it again and I’ve only just been home for a little over 24 hours. Fortunately, Hubby is making arrangements for us to stay for a little longer this fall in a vacation rental in a neighborhood of Seattle called Belltown. I can’t wait.

Go Red! for Women hosts a red-hot night of cocktails and shoe fashion in Tempe

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The Halle Heart Children’s Museum in Tempe, Arizona was a sea of red dresses and sparkly shoes last Wednesday night as a group of ladies (and a few gentlemen, not in red dresses and sparkly shoes) came together for a cocktail party fundraiser for the Go Red! for Women program affiliated with the American Heart Association.

Margo, Carol, and I at the American Heart Association Red Dress Cocktail Event.

We all knew going there that heart disease is a serious issue. Who doesn’t know someone who has either had a heart attack or stroke? We also knew that the American Heart Association takes on the hard work of educating the public about heart disease and helps to fund research into the causes of heart-related diseases. In fact, as my friends and I were on our way to the event by way of pre-event manicures, a woman who looked to be in her 60s noticed our red dresses and told us her life had been saved by the American Heart Association, thanks to a surgery she received when she was a child. She thanked us for participating in the ongoing work of the organization and gave me goosebumps in the process of telling her story.

Maria Benson and the Go Red! Ambassadors somehow managed to balance those serious truths with some light-hearted fun. We were surrounded by the colorful and informative Halle Heart Children’s Museum, where we could push buttons to light up the giant heart at the center of the museum, or listen to how the brain is impacted by the health of the heart. We could even compare the sizes of hearts in other mammals, such as dogs, cats, and elephants! The museum itself is already a colorful, vibrant setting in which to have a party, but Maria and her team turned the Children’s Museum into a rocking fashion show and cocktail party that got the Go Red! message across with great fun and lots of laughs.

Those who went were treated to a fabulous spread of food and wine sponsored by Whole Foods, Urban Tea Loft, Citizen Public House, and Paletas Betty. Several tables were lined with valuable treasures, such as home decorating baskets, gift certificates, theater tickets, and spa baubles, all of which were raffled at the end of the evening to great success. Between the raffle and the donations, they raised almost $4000. E&J’s Designer Shoe Outlet in Scottsdale sponsored a fabulous fashion show, complete with shoes from the Spring lines of Coach, Cole Haan, and Anne Klein, and we each got a coupon for even larger discounts from the shoe outlet.

Margo won two raffles!

No one went home empty-handed, even those of us who didn’t win in the raffle. We each got a goodie bag filled with coupons and travel packs, but my favorite take-home treasure was my very own Go Red! for Women lapel pin. Now I feel official.

My very own Go Red! for Women lapel pin! I love it!

The fundraiser brought in a good amount of cash for the American Heart Association, but perhaps more importantly, it made countless supporters in the process. I know I, for one, will be back next year, sporting my red dress and red dress lapel pin. Congratulations to Maria and the ladies on the Go Red! Ambassadors team for a successful event!