Maybe it's my age, but the way I choose shoes now is vastly different from how I did it before. Just a year ago I would always wander off to the flashiest section of a shoe store, giving the flats and boring wedges a wide berth. The higher the heels, the more exciting they are to wear. The challenge was fun - maintaining my balance in uneven and slippery flooring, changing from flats at just the right moment, towering over most people.

Now it's not so fun. The turning point was when I was walking down a street with a lot of sloping sides, almost slipping a few times - but not quite. I thought to myself, with a quiet fury that I reserve for those who cut in lines and those who man fastfood telephones, "Why the frick am I doing this to myself?" I don't have to walk in terribly high heels. It doesn't prove anything to anyone except that I'm stupid and prideful.

Are you a bag hag or a shoe fiend? I love shoes more, definitely. With bags I can buy a versatile one and just wear that out with everything in my closet until I get tired of it. I can rotate say, three bags only for a whole year! With shoes, I feel a compulsion to match them with the colors/mood of my eyeshadow and outfit for the day. Silly? Shallow? Who cares. It makes me happy.

Anyhoo I just want to share some of the shoes I recently purchased. Starting off with the notorious sneaker wedge! I didn't care for them at all...that is, until I saw Karrots wear hers while we're on a tea date. That's when I realized it could be wearable and cool - not just mindlessly trendy. 

Besides, I've always wanted to have Skechers sneaker heels since I was nine. It's a desire that really never went away! :P Remember those chunky platform and heels that the brand came out with a decade or so ago? All the cool kids had them so I begged my mom to buy me one. She thought they were too pricey (not to mention impractical) so I just had regular sneakers. Aw. Well, now I don't have PE classes to attend and I can buy my own things!

What is it they say? You don't look back on those nights you spent watching TV and liking stuff on Facebook. So if someone asks you to do something that sounds fun yet horribly inconvenient and unhealthy, just do it. Not all the time if you're really not the type but every once in a while is good for your sanity. These make for great stories to tell your grandchildren someday!

That said, last November 29 was epic. Ferretti and our blogger models helped break the world record for the most number of people in a catwalk! I believe 2,255 people walked that night, beating Turkey's 1,967 models at the Guiness Book of World Records. It was predictably a stressful event but everyone had their game face on. 

Murphy's Law

I was in Glorietta as early as 8:30am for the briefing and rehearsals. I limped most of the day because I stubbornly wore these new shoes that ended up giving me a centavo-sized wound on my left foot and minor ones on both feet.

The thing that I've spent most of my waking hours on this past three weeks is finally happening tonight. As you know I'm working with Ferretti as their PR and marketing manager. Now that I mention it, I'll be two years with the brand this March! How time flies.

But anyway. Three weeks ago Ayala asked us if we want to participate in the launch of the new Glorietta wing. There will be a huge record-breaking fashion show with a target of 2,500 models to walk the runway. This will happen along Pasay Road / Arnaiz in Makati across the new Glorietta tonight, starting 6pm.

So we thought hey, sounds great! No problem! Then: let's get bloggers! And so a complicated logistic waltz was danced. The Ferretti models (50 of them, 20 are bloggers), will be walking tonight and I am thrilled. And anxious.

I'm vain enough to want to appear taller every time I go out but sometimes, I just don't want to pay the price. :P Call it off days, lazy days, whatever. But for every pair of fab high heels I have, I have a "trick" pair that's high but walkable. As in I can trawl a mall in them!

Oh don't get me started on flatforms. I've tried a few but they just don't work for me. They usually don't have an arch which makes walking awkward, plus the design looks off. I much prefer platforms with a slightly higher arch (up to two inches) since they end up being easier to walk in and are more visually appealing.

Snaps approved

So I got these Merida wedges from Ferretti in Glorietta 1 for P1,499 (minus my employee discount teehee). I really don't like spending more than 15 minutes in that store - I get funny ideas! If I just go in and out I'm good. But if I stay longer I usually end up carting something!

Yesterday I felt like a walking solid block of color. It was fun while it lasted. Can I just say - this skirt needs more air time! This is only the second time I've worn it since I got it last May.

Forever 21 sweater / Ever New skirt / Pinkbox bangle and ring / Ferretti pumps

This emerald green sweater, on the other hand, is a different story. I wear it at least once a week.

It's not a secret that I love shoes. Like anyone who loves anything, I wanted to make an ideal version of the thing I love. One afternoon a month or so ago I decided to do just that!

You see Ferretti provides a shoe customization service - something I certainly wouldn't know if I didn't work for the brand. It's simple, you pick the design and the material you want and we'll do it in two weeks for more or less the same cost. There's no extra charge or anything, unless the material you chose is more expensive than the original material of the shoes.

I was hankering for new shoes but I didn't want to buy anything off the rack, for once. Here's what I came up with!

Penny pumps + Fiber espadrilles

Excited? Here's the finished work!

Remember these uber pretty yellow pumps from Ferretti? Well I love them so much that I asked my boss for a pair to give away. Yes, I want one lucky Project Vanity reader to win my current favorite pair of shoes! It's super easy to join. Just pick the color of Annabel Lee Pumps (out of four) you want to win and why you think it suits your personality. Go! Full mechanics after the cut.

  Aqua Blue Annabel Lees: Fun and outgoing

Lemon Yellow Annabel Lees: Cheery and positive

I'm the kind of person who doesn't mix and match while shopping. Let me explain. My modus operandi is simple: explore store minutely, buy the prettiest most cost-worthy items!

When I went on a Forever 21 rampage recently (er) I bought a few pieces that I didn't consciously match in my head. That's why I was so happy when, upon getting home, I discovered that this peach knit shirt went perfect with this black sequined skirt! #mababaw

Forever 21 top and skirt / SM necklace / Pinkbox ring / Ferretti pumps

Separately though, I think that this skirt and top can play with many other items in my wardrobe. That was one successful shopping trip, if I do say so myself.

I visited the Ferretti store in Glorietta 1 yesterday and positively ooohd when I saw the new pumps. They're the highest we've come out with yet at 4.5 inches, but of course they're still as lightweight and as comfy as ever. There's a basic black, sky blue, pastel pink, and a true lemon yellow. I bought the yellow as soon as I fitted it!

Forever 21 blazer / Topshop blouse / Ever New skirt / Aldo Revera bag / Pinkbox bangles and headband / Aldo ring

I love it! It's my third pair of pumps from Ferretti (again, yay employee discount).

I've been a lot more diligent about documenting what I wore lately. It's a great way to keep track, for myself more than anything. I also like to fantasize that my outfits are interesting, but not so interesting as to be utterly unwearable. :P

Anyway, yesterday I went to the Ferretti office for a meeting and this is what I wore! It was super mega hot, and I knew I would be out the whole afternoon and early evening. I just dressed casually with my fave Ferretti espadrilles and the Bench shirtdress I've been rambling on about.

I accessorized with some silver pieces then topped the look with a semi-forgotten pair of earrings from Naccara. Shame that I don't wear them more often!

Last May 1, Ferretti opened its doors on the ground floor of Glorietta 1. We're very happy with how it turned out, considering that everything was done in a rush! Lol. Think 30 days of no sleep for my boss, the visual merchandiser, and contractor!

Okay, so the concept is like a girl's dream walk-in closet. There's a dash of Victorian flair in the furniture and cast iron chandelier, but everything was kept clean, refreshing, and feminine - just like the shoes Ferretti is known for. We hope that the shopping experience is better with the bigger and brighter store!

Here are more pics to entice you. :P

Bright candy colors for teens and teens-at-heart

I love little white dresses, but they don't love me back. You see white is such an unforgiving color on less proportioned body types like mine. It can highlight bulges that no one even knows existed and make the body look much wider than it actually is. That's why I *try* to avoid white outfits, just to be safe!

Well, knowing all that, I still buy white dresses just because. They are so fresh to look at. There's something about wearing white that speaks elegance, clazz, and how good you are in kung fuing your way out of a ketchup stain. Fine, wine stain.

Hey folks! Hope you had a great weekend. I did - I just marathoned Terra Nova and The Secret Circle. Very relaxed, with work the last thing on my mind! Anyway, I just wanted to share an outfit I wore last Thursday. It was so very hot that day, so I kept myself cool with a chiffon top and skirt.

I didn't bother taking a picture of my makeup since it was super simple. Eyeliner, huge lashes, some contour, then a bright pink lipstick did the job. It was too hot for anything else!

Redhead top | Maldita skirt | Ferretti pumps | Pinkbox bangle | Parfois necklace | Avon ring

Hi, I'm Snaps. Today I'm going to show you some of Liz's new shoes. She was taking pictures of them a while ago, but I thought it's preposterous that she's not taking pictures of me, so I sat beside the shoes and did her the honor of having me as a model. 

You like? The first pair is from Ferretti. Liz bought them on her way to a meeting because she was wearing crummy flats. She told me that she loved the electric purple-blue color but it was really the lightness of the wooden heel that won her heart.