First off, I just want to say THANK YOU to everyone who came to all the readings, signings and parties of the last several months. The latest event – at the Sherman Oaks library was a total blast! It was so fun to meet everyone and hang out and talk about books.
Now..for the disaster!!!
I just discovered that I have been ROBBED!!!
I came home from my New York trip a month ago, and of course, all the shoes I brought were all in a pile in the bottom of my closet, still in their shoe-bags. I could have our housekeeper put them away, but last time she re-arranged my entire closet and put ALL my fall clothes in the front and my summer clothes in back and since then, I told her to just dust around it for now. After all, a girl has to be the mistress of her domain, and I have my own organization system going on in there.
So everyday for the past month I have looked at that pile of shoe-bags and thought, "Ooh, I should really put those away" and everyday I find a new excuse not to. (Massive deadlines on THE ASHLEYS have kept me from doing much of anything–let alone putting away shoes.)
And it always made me feel better to see the nice Chloe shoe-bag housing the cute black buckle-ballerina flats I’d bought from Ron Herman three months ago (full price at $525–gack, but I HAD to have them.) Then the other day I decided it was time to wear them again.
And what did I find????
Only a silver pair of London Sole flats!!! I DISTINCTLY remembered stuffing BOTH my Chloe ballerinas AND my cheapo $125 London Soles in the roomy Chloe shoe-bag. BUT THERE WAS ONLY ONE PAIR OF SHOES IN THE BAG!!!
I looked EVERYWHERE. Under the bed. In the baby’s room. In my parents’ house in Pasadena. The trunk of my car. EVERYWHERE.
And I had to face it.
Someone–I’m not saying who–but I’m LOOKING AT YOU Transit Authority—TOOK MY CHLOE FLATS!!
Readers of this column know I hardly ever bust out for full retail price, so this was a VERY sore loss for me. Especially when I saw the same flats (in white) for $185 at the Barneys sale.
I have been in a total STATE about the loss of these shoes. Serves me right to pay upwards of five hundred on a pair of shoes.
Oh well. When my sister was moving into to college at Yale her first year, my mom and my sister came to visit me in New York at my apartment in the city near Columbia, and we left the rental car parked on the street. Inside the trunk were all of my sister’s nice, brand-new stuff for college. Her requisite Laura Ashley comforter and sheet set among them. We were very proud of this bedroom ensemble, mostly because I had gone to college with sheets from like, JC Penney or something, and my roommates all had Laura Ashley and I had huge bouts of self-pity whenever I saw their cute floral duvets. Not that they even noticed–but you know, when you’ve been poor, somehow you always notice the nice things other people have that you don’t.
The next day, we discovered the car had been broken into, and the thief had taken EVERYTHING, Including the three-hundred-dollar comforter and sheet set. We were so INCREDIBLY sad. You don’t even understand. It was hard enough for my parents to pay for TWO Ivy League tuitions (even with our financial aid it was still a stretch) and the comforter had been a huge TREAT. And now it was gone.
My mom exhaled. Then she said. "Oh well, at least our bad luck only goes to material things."
Which meant–you’re going to have bad luck in life, but at least it was just THINGS that were stolen.
Then we went back to Bloomingdale’s and bought the same exact comforter. My mom believes in feng shui–once something is broken or stolen, IMMEDIATELY go out and replace it so you can stop feeling bad.
Since then, I’ve practiced my mom’s words. When my husband lost his expensive Calvin Klein spectacles in a cab, we just went out and bought the same exact pair the next day.
So even though I couldn’t replace the Chloe flats, I did the next best thing. I went to Barneys and I bought a pair of fabulous yellow Lanvin flats ($315 from $525) and Balenciaga white patent gladiator sandals ($355 from $895) and a gorgeous gold metallic Lanvin shoulder bag ($699 from $1785). And an APC trenchcoat ($159 from $650).
And I do feel better.
Sort of.
I still kind of wish I had those Chloe flats!!!
In other news, THE ASHLEYS is in the can (copy-edited and everything! And they’re sending me on tour, lalala), and I’m almost done with the first draft on the second book in the series, JEALOUS?
You know you are.
LOL.
Happy shopping everyone!
xoxo
Mel