I heart Halloween. Seriously, it’s not every night you get to dress up like a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader without eliciting haughty stares in San Francisco.
This year one of the only parties worth the hype was Vintage 415’s sold-out Stay Puft soiree at Yoshi’s, benefiting the CPMC SimSurg Education Center. Good music. Good crowd. Good costumes. Both floors were swarming with glitzy show girls, temptresses from the Garden of Eden, military men, and (my favorite) one very clever Alan and scene-stealing baby Carlos from the movie The Hangover. 
Getting to Yoshi’s and back again in one collective group was half the adventure (it always is). Naturally, we learned plenty of lessons along the way. If you’ll be rocking cheerleader costumes next Halloween, savor these nuggets of wisdom:
1. Do the math before deciding how high your heels should be: 6 hours x 4 girls x 10 toes each adds up to some serious whimpering at the end of the night. Don’t spend much money on snow white boots—especially since they’ll be stained with other people’s drinks by midnight. Make like a genius (me) and slip a pair of white tube socks over your boots and poke the heel out with scissors.
2. For dinner, head to Mamacita to stuff your tiny white shorts with chips and guac and whatever those delicious pink shots were, and remember that Brazen Head serves desert until 2 pm. Something in that carrot cake and fallen angel cake relieves sore little piggies from a night of abuse.
3. Appoint a squad leader to “do the honors” when you’re approached by unsavory suitors dressed like creepy characters from A Clockwork Orange. One cheer that comes to mind: “U-G-L-Y you ain’t got no al-i-bi.” Or bust out with your own rendition of “I Kissed A Ghoul And I Liked It.”
4. Plan to take a cab everywhere, preferably with a male escort dressed as a very convincing police officer. Light-reflecting pom-poms make it exponentially easier to hail a cab out from under the noses of wealthy old socialites, which come first in this city every other night of the year.
5. If you desire to be seen before the promoted parties kick off, skip the house parties to “strut the nut” (Chestnut, that is). Busting a spontaneous move from outside the window at the Mac store can provide endless entertainment. Good luck getting the very serious, non-costumed computer shoppers to look up from the display merchandise.
6. Think before dancing with a man dressed like an injured superhero. Neck and knee braces mean Velcro, which equate to shredded nylon stockings. This goes without saying: always carry a back-up pair in your bra. The fact that I also managed to fit my trusty notepad and pen, blackberry, lipstick, gloss, cash and driver’s license is worthy of its own blog, no?
7. Don’t be fooled: You can’t be completely convinced you did Halloween “right” until the following morning at The Grove when you hear the tales from the parties you never made it to, or run into friends who slept in their makeup and are still going strong, striaght out of Night Of The Living Dead.
I’m all about buying footwear with enduring value and comfort—you know, rather than indulging in fleeting trends that collect dust in the back of the closet. This is precisely is why Halloween always stirs up some commitment issues. Last year’s challenge was to find white, high heeled boots that would complete my Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader costume. Quel nightmare.
My approach to fashion has always been fairly simple: Feet first. In other words, I’ve been known to buy a brand new outfit with no other purpose than to match my favorite pair of shoes. It’s a nasty little habit that’s depleted my bank account—and converted me into a sneaker junkie in recent months.
Despite the fact that I spend most of my time in San Francisco, I’m still a mud-slingin’, dust-kickin’ kinda country girl at heart (definitely more rodeo than Rodeo Drive). How do you incorporate the “yee-haw” spirit into a modern metropolitan lifestyle where Juicy Couture totes and Tory Burch tunics are the order of the day?
The standard dating application shoe lovers should distribute before the all-important first date (i.e. how to tell if he’s worth dating in 9 questions or less).
Come spring, a young (and happily single) San Francisco woman’s fancy turns to thoughts of cute boys and the shoes with which to snag them. These are my choice for a very festive GNO (girls’ night out) in the big city: Nanette Lepore’s tumbled metallic leather 
News flash! Walnut Creek’s Deliciouz has moved to a new location: the space formerly belonging to Hush clothing boutique at 1353 North Main Street. Although this deliciously chic shoe destination is awash in mood-lifting color, the selection is heavy on neutrals: think chocolate, caramel and sweet plum-colored sandals (gold grommets and eye-catching cutouts are the proverbial icing on these treats), licorice-hued boots and sturdy, chunky heels (not a single stiletto exists at this shop). As you may have guessed by the darling name, owner Tamara Vladic curates confections that have the same effect on your brain as tiramisu or a fresh-baked chocolate éclair. European designers are the draw: Think meticulously crafted treats by Chi Mihara, Colleen Cordero, Cynthia Vincent and Sigerson Morrison.
I am saddened by the recent loss of so many indie boutiques in the Bay Area…and the infiltration of so many chain stores. There comes a point in every woman’s life when cookie cutter clothes and accessories just don’t cut it and personalization becomes an imperative part of the buying experience. Enter 
