It seems sort of obvious, but yet, you’d be surprised.

It has been my experience, after several decades of existence, that New Yorkers have very bizarre reactions to snow. In short, we fear it. And while a few inches of snowfall is a mild nuisance in other parts of the world, here, it cripples everything.

Schools close and flights get cancelled before the snowflakes even begin to fall, and people waver from social commitments on the warning of POSSIBLE snow showers. Seriously?!?

Snow will not kill us. Wear gloves and the right attire, and it’s actually pretty darn pretty.

This weekend, I had planned a birthday party – and 30 of my closest friends were supposed to attend. As the weather grew worse, few bothered to call to say they couldn’t make it, but most didn’t show up. I guess they felt the weather was THAT bad – that it was just simply implied. No, it wasn’t. Were they going to melt?

Perhaps people would fear the elements less if they just were wearing the right attire. I spent the duration of my party in my Ugg Classic Tall Wool boots - $200 at Zappos.com. And, you know what? I was warm and cozy – and enjoying my wine and brie. Something they could all learn from.

My 16.5-month-old son has been a notoriously bad sleeper from the day we brought him home.

If you have noticed fewer posts from me in the past year, it is largely because every moment not spent feeding or rocking the boy is spent half comatose, watching bad reality TV or sitting on the couch drooling.

Until three weeks ago, I was up each night, at least once with my youngest child.  I love him, but this was a daily living hell.  Until these arrived:

These babies from new shoe designer Coye Nokes arrived on my doorstep, smelling of new leather and sparkling like copper.  Immediately, Alan wanted to hold them.

“Shoes!  Shoes!  Shoes!” he screamed.  And at first, I was thrilled.  Not only had the shoes inspired yet another new word in my boy, they were also keeping him from throwing a fit, which is usually what he does when I deign not to hold him for 3.5 seconds.

He cradled the shoes and scooted about the floor whispering “shhhh” into its shoe-ear.  Odd, I thought, but figured he would eventually let me try them on.

What I did not count on was the way this pretty little flat would change our lives.  After cradling his new friend most of the day, Alan insisted the shoe sleep with him as well.  When we put him down for the night, he asked for his “ishy (blankie) and shooooe!”  And so we complied.  Guess who slept through the night?

In the morning we rushed into his room to make sure he was still breathing and there he was, curled around his copper friend as though it were a stuffed toy and not a cold leather piece of footwear.

Since that night, my boy has slept 8 p.m. to 7 a.m. every night.  Now, I am not completely crediting the shoes.  They happened to arrive the same day we were making some other changes–putting him in his own room, ceasing night nursing.  To me, though, it was all the shoes.

Okay, so yes, they are beautiful and comfortable and can transition from playdate to date night with the hubs with ease, but these shoes are so much more than that.

Anyone with kids, particularly ill-tempered sleepless ones, I urge you to try these before you hire the $200-an-hour sleep consultant.  It will be $400 well spent and you will have a little something to sport on your feet that can help show off your bagless eyes.

Thanks to the New York Post, we all now know that “Lindsay Lohan wannabes now can dress just like her. The actress is selling off second-hand clothes on her family’s Web site, Lohanhouse.com. Up for grabs are a pair of Stella McCartney black leather boots and jackets, jeans, hats and handbags, starting at $25.” (I tried clicking the “Authentic Shop” button but nothing happened. Sigh.)

Lohan-like black boots from Stella McCartney

Less weird, more star studded: Clothes Off Our Back is a 501c3 foundation that hosts charity auctions of celebrity attire. Through Feb. 26 you can bid on a pair of Ruthie Davis shoes that Beyonce wore to fashion week’s “Fashion Rocks” red carpet event, and autographed. Proceeds benefit Feeding America, The Art of Elysium, Hope North and H.E.L.P. Malawi.

Web site Who What Wear talks about the recent 7th on Sale — “Touted as the ‘world’s biggest sample sale’ the event was started in 1990 by the CFDA and Vogue to raise money for services and housing for people living with HIV and AIDS — which includes designer goods and celeb-worn items like “the four-inch Calvin Klein heels Madonna wore to the Vanity Fair Party.” Can’t make it to the 7th on Sale gala? Shop the ebay’s Fashion Vault. (Currently the site is readying for the next designer sale, but interested shoppers can sign up for alerts.)

Calvin Klein heels, worn by Madonna to the opening of "RocknRolla"

Across the pond, The Daily Mail reported today that “Stars from Robbie Williams to Boy George have contributed footwear to be sold from the boots of 40 smart cars at Covent Garden in central London. All money raised by the sale, hosted by auction house Christie’s, will go to the HIV and Aids awareness charity, the Terrence Higgins Trust.” Shoes for sale include “a pair of Dr Marten’s boots signed by the cast of EastEnders.”

Botega Veneta t-straps

Charity auctions are great, but if you just want to feel famous and aren’t invited to a fundraiser gala, Celebrity Owned on ebay sells shoes, accessories and apparel previously owned by “Hollywood stars, designers & producers.” Newly arrived: a pair of red and purple Bottega Veneta t-strap heels, size 38.

When I was in college, there was a boy who was my everything.

6pm.com

Except, I was not his. And so while he was my first…well, everything…ultimately our relationship ended with a random – and abrupt – end of communication when he went off to law school.

Years later, he contacted me again – he was living in another state, married, with a child, and he started to get sort of flirtatious. “Um, hello….what’s going on here???” I’d ask…often via late-night IM…confused, and, quite honestly a little bit offended.

But there was a part of me. A part of me who was tempted – to let him get close and then be the one to reject him. Until I started to feel a little bit sorry for him.

We all have these ideals we think we crave — that great love, that great passion – and often, we eventually get what we think we want, and discover it wasn’t remotely what we were envisioning.

And so I find myself filled with empathy – for his wife, his child, and honestly, even for him – I found myself, and I’m so incredibly happy – how awful it must be for him, to have what he thinks he wanted, and realize how miserable and alone he really is?

Just a few days ago, he sent me a text message that his wife had found some of our old conversations, and he was going to have to distance himself. I waited for that familiar tug to come upon my heart…and it never came. I texted him back and wished him well – I was wearing my French Connection Dolly sandals, $37.50 at 6pm.com, and packing for a getaway to St. Lucia…what do I have to be sad about?

My mommy’s birthday is in a couple of weeks. She’s not an easy woman to shop for, so when this time of year comes around, I can’t help but struggle. She’s a woman of fabulous taste–a total fashionista, which is where I probably get it from–but she hates uncomfortable shoes. So okay: no heels or super-pointy shoes for mom… But something just as fabulous? Enter, UGGs. I know, I know–everyone’s got a pair, but my mother doesn’t! In fact, there are lots of non-converts out there. Many say these boots are “fuggs,” but I disagree. You just have to know how to wear ‘em. Here’s how:

1. Only rock ‘em with skinny jeans. Don’t do the sweatpants and flare-leg jeans thing. It makes it look cheap. 
2. Showcase the boots. Not sure if you can show off black or brown ones? Go with metallic! Yes, they have metallic UGGs.
3. Be confident no matter what. Don’t walk in UGGs as if you’re trying to hide ‘em. Just flaunt ‘em.

Hopefully, those tips will convert some of you. Check out the fabulous UGGs at WhatSheBuys.com, for starters. If not, oh well. Good luck in those uncomfortable, pointy things.

How would you like to pump up your Black Friday buying power and give back to nonprofits in need at no extra cost to you? Well, if you do click over to GoodShop before you hit over 900 online stores, you can take advantage of stash of coupons. It only takes a few extra seconds and up to 30% of your purchases will be donated to the nonprofit of your choice. (There are over 85,000 charitable organizations registered with the site.)

Trust me, I realize that this sounds suspiciously like a scam but my dance organization, Monkeyhouse,  has worked with this site for three years. Checks really do arrive each fall and somehow they are always slightly larger than we were expecting.  In fact, Monkeyhouse just received another Goodshop donation on Monday.  I am so encouraged by this passive revenue stream that I have personally offered to match all the money that Monkeyhouse earns through GoodShop in November and December.

GoodShop has teamed up with over 180 participating shoe stores, and they have got deals for you whether you are into stilettos, sneakers, or retro roller skates. For instance, if  you got inspired by Shoetube’s recent Tess Tuesday post,

you could cut $10 off a $100 purchase and send 6.5 – 8% to your favorite school, charity, or religious organization with GoodShop.

Or, if Wendy’s romp through nostalgia reminded you to revamp your running shoes, you could save 20% if you rush to GoodShop by 11/29/09. But don’t worry if you miss out on that deal’s deadline, there are several other coupons and they will always kick back 4-8.5%  of your total to a worthy nonprofit.

Even if you have got to get golf shoes after this week’s Quick Fix, you can support your favorite cause by swinging by GoodShop beforehand.

So hop on over to GoodShop and discover how easy it is to give this holiday season.

It happens over brunch on Sunday morning, in the locker room after yoga, by drunk-dial at 3am, and via text, causing me to ignore the red hand and walk blindly into traffic: I find out about an upcoming event. It could be a house party, or a dinner party, or a fondue night, or some fabulous gala that requires a gown. Whatever it is, once I get word of it, my mind jumps immediately to what I’m going to wear. Of course, there are endless contributing factors to consider. The most basic are the occasion, its venue and of course, the season. Some of the more minute considerations however, include, who else will attend, if there will be dancing, and whether or not I’ll be drinking red wine. (Its stains have notoriously ruined dresses forever.)

Occasionally, I hear of the event and an outfit that I own and have been meaning to wear pops into my head straightaway. It’s perfect and I’m golden, despite the fact that I’ve almost been hit by a taxi.  More often though, I have to spend a good half hour-who am I kidding? An hour and a half-trying on clothes and shoes and scarves and bracelets to construct the perfect look for the party. Once in a great while, I hear of the event and the perfect outfit simply appears. I know what it looks like and how to accessorize. It will be flattering and flawless. The only problem is that I’ve invented this outfit-it’s merely a product of my imagination. I might own a few pieces of the look, but I certainly don’t own the majority of it.

At this point I should say, “Well, that would be nice.  Too bad it doesn’t exist.” Instead, I start taking a mental inventory of all the stores in the area, who carries and what, and hours of operation. The quest begins: building the nonexistent look. If it’s made of separates, the task is easier, but the journey is long. If I’ve designed a dress in my head, the mission is in serious risk of ending in failure, through no fault of my own. I’ll take a second to brag here.  If it exists, I will find it. E-mail me!

I find that when I’m going crazy to build a look, the thing I am most thankful for is my shoe wardrobe. A shoe wardrobe full of staples will never let you down. Here are some I think every girl should own so when she’s built the perfect outfit, she can rush home from the stores, just in time to get ready in a hurry, and the shoes will be waiting in her closet to complete the ensemble.

The Black Patent Flat (All Black for Barefoot Tess Banded Flat)

The Corso Como Rachel II

The Accent Flat (Barefoot Tess Edie)

The Metallic Party Shoe (Gwyneth Princess Heel)

Speak up! What are your favorite staples?

And speaking of dreaming up styles, are there any that you’d like BFT to carry? Tell me what’s missing!

Recently, DJ and sometimes Lindsay Lohan kanoodler Samantha Ronson teamed up with Supra to produce a high-top sneaker. “The shoes are a version of the brand’s Indy pair but in a new set of colors — distressed black suede with a gold detail and white sole,” wrote New York Magazine’s The Cut Fashion Blog.

According to Ronson’s Web site, she’ll have a new sneaker out late this month. ”Originally not planned for a public release, we’ve decided to drop a limited run of these hyper-colored TK’s after hearing your cries for blood. 600 pairs of each colorway will be produced,” Ronson writes.

Samatha Ronson's hyper-color TKs

(Ronson’s brother Mark designed a shoe for Gucci for Fall 09  — which looks, oddly, like a 1980s deck shoe.)
Hello Kitty — celebrating birthday number 35 — also designed sneakers styles. “These two renowned companies have designed limited edition sneakers to honor Hello Kitty’s 35th anniversary,” said BeautyStyleWatch of HK’s collaboration with Asics. “Not only are they comfortable to wear but they are so totally hot to look at!”

Hello Kitty by Asics

And the LA Times blog writes, “When we thought Hello Kitty domination was beginning to wane, we came across these Asics sneakers and just about died and went to Hello Kitty heaven.”
Coming in Jaunary, according to Converse Shoe Store’s blog, the footwear company will release “several shoes dedicated to The Clash. Most notably is the Converse London Calling shoes which celebrates the 30th Anniversary of the album. There will also be a pair of Converse Shoes that look like a jacket with buttons and Chuck Taylors with The Clash logos.”

Converse's The Clash print

Parisian boutique Colette collaborated with Reebok on a redesign project. Explains excellent women’s sportswear blogger FemaleSneakerFeinds, “Reebok’s celebrating the 20th birthday of their Reebok Pump by collaborating with 20 elite shops to design their own versions of these classics. Here is Colette’s take, and I love ‘em!”
The catch: According to SuperXOfficial, “Only 30 pairs of these kicks will be produced so either catch a flight to France on November 16th (the day they drop) or check eBay on the 17th in the a.m.” We’re passed those crucial dates, but it’s still worth checking.

Reebok Pump by Colette

This summer, Vanessa and Angela Simmons (daughters of Run-D.M.C.’s Joseph Simmons) added to their Pastry line, which is kicks rather than cakes. Reports Sneakers and Shoes (who has been following the line since 2007), “Pastry is doing alright. I see women wearing them every other day in one way or another.”

Pastry sneakers

“Come out and join us as we pack a simple shoebox gift that (can change) a needy child’s life forever.”

-Michael Alder, Martinsburg, WV

There’s nothing like opening a new  shoebox and glancing down at a fresh pair of stilettos that have yet to be marred by city sidewalks and sudden downpours. As time passes, though, so does that new stiletto thrill, and more often than not that same magical shoebox is tossed aside or trashed. But for a less fortunate child, a shoebox from Operation Christmas Child (OCC), can hold items that are much more magical than any pair of Manolos.

Operation Christmas Child is a Samaritan’s Purse project that delivers goody-filled shoeboxes to children around the world.   You’ll also be able to track your shoeboxes to see where they go, and I think it’s safe to say that your shoebox will cover far more miles than your stilettos ever will. Collection week  runs until November 23, so if you don’t have any extra shoeboxes I think this is an excellent excuse to acquire a new one   Participating in OCC takes only 5 steps that, truth be told, are probably easier than walking in 5 inch heels.

1. Find a shoebox (like that will be hard)

2. Figure out if your gift is for a boy or girl

3. Fill ‘er up!

4. Include a $7 donation (it’s only $7, I know you spend more than that on martinis)

5. Find a drop off location by clicking here.

Not to mention, why hide your shoes in boxes anyway?!  Empty those shoe boxes, put your shoe collection on display, and start filling those shoeboxes for OCC!

However, I guess this means Henry is going to have to find a new bed

In case you have pressing questions about where to find pink steel-toe work boots, or whether to wear hiking boots or work boots, or what sort of footwear an auto collision tech needs, there’s a site for that: CoolWorkBoots.com has all the answers. (Turns out MoxieTrades will be carrying the Betsy Xtreme protective boot in pink nubuck starting this month.)
If you’re not looking to protect your tootsies while manning a jackhammer or scaling scaffolding, here are some work-ready offerings with plenty of jeans and skirts-pairing charm.

Georgia Renegades steel toe waterproof boot

• Says shoe retailer Safetygirl.com, “We carry these boots designed specifically for women so you can be prepared for any job!” One pick from among the company’s many safety-first options: The Georgia Renegade steel toe waterproof boot.

Redwing Logger

• Redwing Boots makes footwear for serious jobs — loggers and linemen. But just the boots can work hard doesn’t mean they have to. Try the women’s lug sole 9-inch logger in black.

Ariat Heritage Lacer

• The Ariat Heritage Lacer has the cute double kiltie that says “Yes, I just got back from the stables.” Heft hay bales to your heart’s content (or just lace ‘em up with leggings and go out for espresso.)

Free People's studded combat boot

• Free People offers a rocker-tough studded combat boot. The boots are actually men’s sizes and each pair is hand detailed with silver pyramid studs.

Reiker Romina 41 ankle boot

• Sure, Reiker shoes might now seem the obvious choice for blue collar enterprises. But the company bills its footwear as “antistress” and the moccasin cute-meets-butch practical Romina ankle boot has all the makings of a workhorse. A cushioned footbed, stretchy vents for a good fit and the gum sole that recalls athletic shoes.

Dr. Martens Industrial

• Shop like the pros at WorkingPerson.com. Among the women’s work boots, the unisex Dr. Martens Industrial lace-to-toe boots have garnered raves, including, “These boots aint for sissys.” Sizes are in UK measurements; women should order two sizes down from their normal number (wear and 8? Order a UK 6).

Chippewa 8-inch Bay Apache Loggers

• Pair them with a short plaid shirt and a crisp white Oxford for the Catholic school girl gone bad look: Chippewa’s Bay Appache Loggers pair serious lug soles with nearly 2 inches of heel height.

Doc Marten Capper

• Doc Martens have stood the test of time. Their utilitarian designs are made for heavy duty but come off more punk than hick. Case in point, the Vintage Collection 8-inch Capper in oxblood is all grommets, rivets and welt construction.

Harley Davidson's Faded Glory Steel Toe

• Another old faithful boot maker is Harley Davidson. Yes, many of the company’s styles are biker-chic, but they don’t joke around when it comes to takin’ care of business. The 6-inch Faded Glory has a steel toe and Goodyear welt construction. Oh yeah, and a super-cool buckle across the foot.

Blundstone

• Blundstones, those classic Tasmanian boots, balance globe trekker penache with git-r-done fortitude. Pull on tabs, kid toes, elastic gore and waterproof leather make these a bad weather go-to.