Taymour has recognized the value

“I want to make bags that are conversation pieces,” says Hillary Taymour. The 20-something designer behind the Collina Strada label is sitting in her Williamsburg, Brooklyn, apartment,Save on Christian Louboutin Pump! All the Sales, All in One Place. flipping through her look book of handbags. They bear one-of-a-kind patterns on canvas, offset by leather accents, and are unconventionally shaped—hexagons, triangles, and trapezoids. Most luxury handbags, Taymour says, “all look alike. And they all have these little [label] tags on them so you can see who made them.” A Collina Strada, meanwhile, is made expressly to look uncommon—and comes tag-free.

Taymour has recognized the value in making a product that stands out, and tempering the size of her business to stoke demand.Welcome to Replica Louis Vuitton outlet online store and buy latest replica louis vuitton handbags together with free shipping and best service. She has skillfully straddled both ends of the retail spectrum, only in reverse order, winning the attention of bigger-name shops such as Target and Urban Outfitters to court boutiques “with more street cred,” such as Need Supply and New York City’s influential OAK. To stir up buzz, she frequently creates limited editions for her retailers, which typically sell out.

It’s a strategy that's paying off. Collina Strada has garnered a following among tastemakers such as actress Chlo? Sevigny, supermodel Shalom Harlow, and even America’s Next Top Model den mother Tyra Banks. “I feel like my line is a bit exclusive,” Taymour says. Her trick: creating her own textile designs, which start out as images she Photoshops—of flowers, parking lots, and statues—until they’re artfully distorted.

A graduate of the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising (with a degree in product development and business management), Taymour started making bags for herself in 2008 while working in men’s product development at Guess Jeans in Los Angeles. Her oversize and exaggerated take on the hobo bag was such a hit that she made some for friends at their request. With interest growing among her friends in fashion, Taymour anointed her line Collina Strada, the Italian words for “hill” and “road,” simply because those words sounded nice together, she says. Then, at the behest of a fellow designer, she took a few samples to Project, a fashion-trade event in Las Vegas. Anthropologie promptly placed an order.

Shortly thereafter, before even developing a full line, Target came calling—a game-changer for Taymour. “I hadn’t even shipped a season yet and I had an order with Target,” she marvels. “Ever since then, each season something big like that would happen, where I could just keep going.” With business growing, she left her job in 2009 and moved to New York City.

Taymour’s inspirations are diverse and serendipitous. The idea behind a leather harness, for instance, came while watching an action movie. “I wanted to make a fake gun holster but cooler—like a handbag.” And her bags’ trademark geometric, layered-leather design is lifted from patterned doors she saw while traveling in Casablanca and Marrakesh. Often her designs end up being ahead of the curve. Her chic, leather-accented backpacks are edgier counterparts to rucksacks from Madewell and Marc Jacobs. Her satchels,Find a great selection of christian louboutin boots deals ! Click on any of the links below. designed to fit snugly on a set of bicycle handlebars, speak to the hipster bike boom. And her playful leather harnesses, with pouches to hold money and lipstick, predated Lady Gaga and Rihanna wearing similar accessories on stage.

Taymour’s next challenge: maintaining the cachet of exclusivity while growing her brand. A little over a year ago, Collina Strada launched a clothing line and will debut its Spring 2014 collection in August. The line includes loose jumpsuits,Latest Trends in Wholesale gucci handbags, Wallets and more‎. leather sweatshirts, and silky, feather-light pants—many boasting her wistful kaleidoscope-meets-tie-dye prints. “I just want to make easy pieces that anyone can wear,” Taymour says. “I don’t want it to be throwaway fashion.”

She’s plotting an avant-garde shoe line now,There are numerous diversified high heels at christian louboutin shoes for sale. too, and taking meetings with high-end department stores—which she’s tight-lipped about. “It’s one of those things like, ‘We’ll see you again,’” the designer says, shrugging. “Stores that I’ve been trying to get into for years are now selling out of my purses. So, it’ll happen. I’m not worried.”

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High-heeled shoes

Now is the season when women take their freshly pedicured toes al fresco, often courtesy of strappy high-heel sandals or open-toed pumps that look fabulous but sometimes feel like the masochistic torture tools that many podiatrists insist they are.

Michael Liebow, a podiatrist in Bethesda, Md., pulls out a wince-inducing photograph of a foot X-rayed in a high-heel shoe: It reveals the ball of the foot at a nearly 90 degree angle to the bones in the rest of the foot. It does not look good.

The X-ray is a prop that Liebow says he shows to patients who “walk into the office in six-inch heels and say, ‘My feet are killing me! Why?’?” He says he tells them, “That is not how your foot has evolved to walk.”

To sum up his brief and frequently futile plea for foot health: Humans are meant to walk heel-to-toe,Shop cheap christian louboutin shoes,pumps,wedding shoes,sandals with low price in our discount christian louboutin sandals Store online. with the leg at about a 90-degree angle to the foot and the ankle joint employing a 60-degree range of motion during normal daily activities.

By wearing a high heel, Liebow explains, “you’re altering the position of the foot and how the foot is to function. Therefore, lots of bad things happen.”

Among the more common problems podiatrists say they see in women are calluses and, more painfully, corns, hard nuggets of keratin buildup caused by pressure on the skin.

With high heels,Save on Christian Louboutin Pump! All the Sales, All in One Place. corns develop up under the balls of the foot where the weight of your body presses down, and they feel like small rocks underfoot when you walk.

Liebow also sees capsulitis, a painful inflammation of the joints where the toes attach to the foot, and neuromas, or pinched nerves,Find a great selection of christian louboutin boots deals ! Click on any of the links below. where pointy high heels squeeze the toes. And when the heel is frequently in a high-heel shoe, it can cause the Achilles tendon (which connects the calf muscle to the heel bone) to tighten. When you kick off your shoes and the heel comes down to the floor at the end of the day, the extra stretching of the tendon can lead to a condition called Achilles tendinitis.

Wearing high heels can also cause inflammation of the connective tissue at the bottom of the foot, the plantar fascia. That can result in severe heel pain and the need for aggressive treatments such as oral anti-inflammatories, oral steroids, cortisone injections, walking boots and crutches.

All of these conditions can be incredibly painful, requiring corticosteroid shots and, ideally,There are numerous diversified high heels at christian louboutin shoes for sale. flatter and wider shoes. His patients will take the shots, but give up the shoes?

Women, Liebow says, “will wear their high-heeled shoes until their feet are bloody stumps.”

Take Danielle Pletka, vice president for foreign and defense policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute. She wears four- or five-inch heels to work most days; on a recent Tuesday, she towered in five-inch stiletto-heeled black Sergio Rossi open-toed booties.

“There are lots of things that impact the way you look that aren’t necessarily optimal for every muscle in your body,” says Pletka, who admits that she has some high pairs “that are uncomfortable, no question.” But, she adds, “you want to look nice. I always get nice comments on my shoes. And I like it.”

Erika Schwartz, a podiatrist who practices in Washington D.C., says that when she asks her patients to stick with heels less than two inches high, “some say, ‘Oh, you’re so cute! No, I’m not going to wear under two inches, but it’s very cute of you to say that!’”

Schwartz says she understands that many are in professions that demand a more fashionable shoe than the comfy, orthopedically correct footwear she wears to work. So she tells them to at least “walk in something else. Put those dress shoes on when you get to the office. Minimizing the amount of time that you’re standing or walking will minimize the issues that come along with such an unnatural position of the foot.”

Walking too long in high-heeled shoes can result in, besides all of the above, stress fractures, or cracks in the bones of the feet.

If wearing heels, Schwartz suggests that women avoid the thin, stiletto-style heel: “The bigger the heel, if it’s chunky or a wedge, seems to be better because the shoe has a wider base of stability. A skinnier heel and you’re more likely to have ankle spraining.”

Franklin Polun, a podiatrist with offices in Washington D.C. and Maryland, passes along advice that includes going with a rubber-soled shoe over leather,There are numerous diversified high heels at christian louboutin shoes for sale. because rubber is better able to absorb pressure on nerves in the feet. He also suggests shopping for shoes at the end of the day, when your foot is most swollen, rather than in the morning.

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Shoes For Orphan Souls sets sights

“I’m always glad to tell folks about the Shoes For Orphan Souls program,” said Keith Gombash, a Cleveland SHOES volunteer for the last five years. Gombash’s enthusiasm for the annual shoe drive is well fueled as he has personally placed new footwear on the feet of orphans, from Kentucky to Kenya.

“Orphanages in most countries aren’t anything like they are here in the states,” he said.

“I’ve seen children dress themselves for the day from a common pile of tattered clothing, rags by our standards, and they don’t have any shoes. A lot of the time the new shoes we take them are the only thing they can really call their own.”

Drop boxes for gathering donations for the Shoes For Orphan Souls program have been part of the August landscape in Cleveland and Bradley County for 13 years. It’s sponsored and managed globally by Buckner Orphan Care International in Dallas.

Since 1999, Buckner has distributed more than 2.3 million pairs of new shoes and countless thousands of new socks to orphans in 74 countries, including the U.S. and here in East Tennessee.

Gombash explained, “One of the things that drew me to this effort is the fact it’s mostly driven by volunteers. Not everyone can travel overseas to put the shoes actually on the feet of orphans, but a lot of us are able to [do so].” This and volunteers who live near orphanages served by SHOES help ensure that shipments of the new footwear get to and stay with the children.

“It takes people to buy and drop off the new shoes, the local volunteers who re-box it all to get them ready for shipment, as well as people to take them to orphanages to make this happen,Find a great selection of christian louboutin boots deals ! Click on any of the links below.” he added.

Gombash listed three reasons why a new pair of shoes is so important to a child:

Most important is disease. Without shoes a child’s foot will develop thick calluses because they must walk everywhere they go. Cracks in the calluses become ports of entry to young bodies for a large variety of pathogens — bacteria, viruses and parasites. A pair of new athletic shoes gives an impoverished child the extra edge he or she may need just to survive.

Second is education. In many impoverished countries “no shoes” means no entry to school. Education is the major factor in breaking the cycle of poverty.There are numerous diversified high heels at christian louboutin shoes for sale. Children who learn to read in turn have a family and teach them to read. Access to education can start with a simple pair of shoes.

Last, but very important, is self-esteem and thankfulness. The children who receive new footwear feel less cut off from the world. Volunteers who have traveled with the shoes from the Cleveland area in years past universally report the overwhelming joy the gift of shoes brings. To some children the personal notes of love and encouragement,Save on Christian Louboutin Pump! All the Sales, All in One Place. along with snapshots sent by shoes donors and stuffed down in the shoes, are as precious to the kids as the new footwear itself.

Buckner stipulates that all footwear must be new in order to conform to customs regulations. They report that there are about 145 million orphans worldwide.

“This all happens in August each year,” said Cleveland SHOES volunteer Bobbie Reagan, “so we can repackage and get the shoes and socks down to Dallas so they can get them out to children around the world in time for Christmas.There are numerous diversified high heels at christian louboutin shoes for sale.”

In keeping with the local volunteer spirit of this effort, each year a local trucking company, U.S. Express, furnishes for free a tractor-trailer and driver to get the regionally gathered footwear down to Dallas. For the last several years Cleveland area residents have helped to completely fill a large semi-trailer.

Collections began in Bradley County in 2001 when a local church, Westwood Baptist, became the first drop location.

To be a part of the SHOES program all you have to do is go to a local shoe or department store and purchase new footwear, then drop them into a collection box at one of the drop locations listed below. New shoes, boots, socks and shoelaces are needed for children from birth to age 18, but sturdy athletic type shoes are the best.

“Don’t forget to include a personal note of care and encouragement,” quipped Dave Whitaker,Shop cheap christian louboutin shoes,pumps,wedding shoes,sandals with low price in our discount christian louboutin sandals Store online. a local volunteer. “Stuff it well down into the shoe or securely attach it in some way.”

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Mike Cox steps into Ed Vos’ shoes

A veteran of the Canadian IT channel who helped build OnX into the Canadian channel leader it is today, Vos left the company last month to pursue other opportunities. He was named CDN’s No. 9 Newsmaker of 2011 for overseeing a number of acquisitions in Canada and a key one in the U.S. – Agilsys Inc.Save on Christian Louboutin Pump! All the Sales, All in One Place. of Cleavland, Oh. – that gave OnX a key platform on which to grow that U.S. business.

Cox came to OnX last year to run the U.S.There are numerous diversified high heels at christian louboutin shoes for sale. business for OnX, building that Agilsys base into a wider managed services play in the U.S. market. A veteran of the channel, he had previously served for eight years as president and CEO of solution provider Logicalis Inc, overseeing six acquisitions and growing U.S. revenue from $170 million to $600 million. Before Logicalis he held several senior positions with HP, including as vice-president and general manager of North American sales for the business customer organization.

“When the opportunity presented itself to come and run the U.S. business for OnX I jumped at that, and when Ed chose to leave, the board felt I was the right person to step up and run the larger company,” said Cox. “I’m very excited about it.”

As he takes on the new role as CEO, Cox said he will also continue to run the U.S.There are numerous diversified high heels at christian louboutin shoes for sale. business,Find a great selection of christian louboutin boots deals ! Click on any of the links below. relying a little more heavily on the U.S. leadership team. In Canada, Paul Khawaja has primary responsibility for the Canadian business as executive vice-president for Canada and COO of OnX’s cloud and managed services business.Shop cheap christian louboutin shoes,pumps,wedding shoes,sandals with low price in our discount christian louboutin sandals Store online. Cox will continue to be based at OnX’s Cleveland office, with frequent visits to Thornhill, Ont. He noted OnX will continue to be based in Thornhill, and three of the top five OnX executives are still based there.

Growing the company both organically and through acquisition will be a priority, said Cox, adding the company is definitely in invest and growth mode. In addition to continuing to grow OnX’s U.S. operations, he said opportunities in Canada as well as Europe – OnX has a UK office – will also be considered.

“(Deals would be) complementary to our existing footprint, business and portfolio,” said Cox.

He did mention he’d like OnX to be stronger in the networking space, to complement its legacy strength in the data centre market.

“Our challenge is getting sales people to represent our broad portfolio in a way that is accurate, correct and good for the customer,” said Cox.
OnX made a major investment in its Canadian business just over a year ago, spending $20 million to upgrade its data centre facilities here to Tier 3 status to target growth opportunities in the cloud and data centre with enterprise clients. It’s already paying dividends, said Cox.

“It’s a profitable business. We had new bookings in the neighborhood of $30 million last year total contract value in Canada, and we’ll do 1.5 times that in orders this year,” said Cox. “It made OnX a force to be reckoned with in Canada.”

It has allowed OnX to grow its managed services business, which Cox said is the fastest growing business for the company in both Canada and the U.S., with clients such as BlackBerry and eHealth Ontario. One strategy for OnX has been going deeper with these large enterprise accounts. Cox plans to complement that this year with an aggressive push in the midmarket.

“We’ll be bringing on new customers that want to look to a major player in the market to have their equipment hosted and managed, and our hope and expectation bringing on those customers for managed services is to be able to step in and sell them hardware and software too, and do the install, integration and professional services,” said Cox. “I think that growth engine for the company will be managed services. We’ll be able to take a complete portfolio to the customer.”

With an aggressive growth strategy, OnX may continue its climb up CDN’s Top 100 rankings next spring. It moved up to from No. 6 in 2011 to No. 5 in 2012.

“I wouldn’t be surprised to see us climb up a new notches,” said Cox.

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Church sponsors shoe

Saint Peter Lutheran Church in Southport will sponsor a mission trip to Haiti, probably in March, to distribute tennis shoes to needy children in Haiti. This will be the first mission trip scheduled by the church.

Sandra and Randy Huth heard about the Sole2Soul program and approached Pastor David Nelson, asking if the church would like to sponsor a mission trip. His reply was an enthusiastic yes.

The Huths contacted Mary Dahlke and Amy Gowan,There are numerous diversified high heels at christian louboutin shoes for sale. co-founders of Sole2Soul, and invited them to come explain the program. In July the women visited Saint Peter.

They told about wanting a program that would improve the quality of life of impoverished children worldwide by meeting their physical and emotional needs in positive and practical ways. After much consideration, they said, Sole2Soul was launched.

The women, both of Longview, Wash., have adopted children from a poor country and are familiar with what conditions are like for children in these countries.

Following the earthquake of 2010, many Haitian children became orphans and live in orphanages, special schools or on the streets.There are numerous diversified high heels at christian louboutin shoes for sale.

By going barefoot, the children are exposed to parasites that can cause diseases.

For their first mission trip in 2012, Dahlke and Gowan collected 423 pairs of shoes, and socks.

As the women talked about their first trip, they remembered the children and their reactions as they put on the shoes, but one child's reaction was special. Stevencia was 10 years old and was very sad. She was also a little awed by the commotion surrounding the shoe distribution.

When they put a pair of shoes on Stevencia, her face lit up with a huge smile.



Saint Peter Lutheran Church in Southport will sponsor a mission trip to Haiti, probably in March, to distribute tennis shoes to needy children in Haiti. This will be the first mission trip scheduled by the church.

Sandra and Randy Huth heard about the Sole2Soul program and approached Pastor David Nelson, asking if the church would like to sponsor a mission trip. His reply was an enthusiastic yes.

The Huths contacted Mary Dahlke and Amy Gowan, co-founders of Sole2Soul, and invited them to come explain the program. In July the women visited Saint Peter.

They told about wanting a program that would improve the quality of life of impoverished children worldwide by meeting their physical and emotional needs in positive and practical ways. After much consideration, they said, Sole2Soul was launched.

The women, both of Longview, Wash., have adopted children from a poor country and are familiar with what conditions are like for children in these countries.

Following the earthquake of 2010, many Haitian children became orphans and live in orphanages, special schools or on the streets.

By going barefoot, the children are exposed to parasites that can cause diseases.Find a great selection of christian louboutin boots deals ! Click on any of the links below.

For their first mission trip in 2012, Dahlke and Gowan collected 423 pairs of shoes, and socks.

As the women talked about their first trip, they remembered the children and their reactions as they put on the shoes, but one child's reaction was special. Stevencia was 10 years old and was very sad. She was also a little awed by the commotion surrounding the shoe distribution.

When they put a pair of shoes on Stevencia, her face lit up with a huge smile.

Research from Harvey Nichols has revealed that female customers "typically make a purchase on fashion or accessories every 34 days, whereas a returning male customers makes a purchase on fashion or aaccessories every 30 days."

The customers insights were revealed yesterday as Paula Reed, Harvey Nichols Group Fashion Director showcased key AW 13 trends at their Dundrum store including ‘Boy, Oh Boy’ classic suiting from Dries Van Noten, Paul Smith and Goat.

Paula confirmed active male shopping in Ireland, especially on their online Click and Collect service.Shop cheap christian louboutin shoes,pumps,wedding shoes,sandals with low price in our discount christian louboutin sandals Store online. A trawl of customers transactions across eight Harvey Nichols stores in the UK and Ireland over the last six months showed that top spending male and female customers share a love for Christian Laboutin,The latest trends and best prices on Michael Kors Bags 2013. Dolce& Gabbana, Gucci, Alexander McQueen and Balenciaga.

When it comes to women's accessories, it seems to be a case of the M's win, with McQueen, Mulberry, Michael Kors, MICHAEL Michael Kors and Marc by Marc Jacobs featuring on the best sellers lists.

Key trends for AW13, according to Irish-born Reed, former style director at Grazia magazine include the 'Palette Cleansers' with neutral and pastel colour blocking from Tara Jarmon and DKNY.

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What's it like to be a firefighter?

Smoke was slowly billowing out of a storage shed in Fireman's Park as I knelt just outside of the door.

I had been waiting for this moment all day. My heart pounded and sweat dripped in my face. I hoped my deodorant would hold up. The heavy gear weighed me down so much that it felt like someone was standing on my shoulders.

That wasn't the first time I put on a full firefighter suit July 23. When I was first handed a pair of pants by Capt. Matt Karpinski of emergency medical services at the Germantown Fire Department earlier in the day, my only hope was to get them over my butt. No female wants to ask a man for a bigger pair of pants.

With a little shimmying, I was able to Velcro them shut. I was fitted with every piece of firefighter gear that afternoon. I had no idea there was so much to it.

Here's how it went: One leg into the pants and a boot, then the other. Put your coat on. Latch every hook. Velcro your jacket shut. Put a face mask around your neck and hang it like an oversized necklace. Put a black fire hood over your head, leaving it sit on your neck. Next, swing the air pack onto your back, latch it tightly around your torso. Shove and fasten a helmet onto your head. Pull the hood over your helmet. Put on the air mask. Make sure it suctions to your face. Lastly, put on gloves. Once it's all in place, turn the air tank on and connect the tube from the tank to the mask.

And, do it all in two minutes. If you don't, you fail and you can't be a firefighter. Putting gear on in two minutes is a requirement.welcome to replica shoes web,best service and low prices.Shop bottega bag online and get complimentary shipping today.‎ I failed — by about 13 minutes.
Darth Vader issues?

The face mask didn't sit well with me. Something about wearing a machine to help breathe made me uneasy. Trust issues? Perhaps. Whatever it was it made me twitchy.

Karpinski had me try the gear on in preparation for the training exercise that night, which tested me in more ways than one. The exercise was simple enough. You go up stairs, over a picnic table and through a wooden tunnel in full firefighter gear and make it through the obstacles strategically placed to slow you down. You do this blinded by smoke, requiring you to crawl on your hands and knees.

The point of the exercise was to practice falling through a weak floor and getting tangled by debris. This can happen anytime firefighters have to go inside a burning building and they have to be prepared. The exercise was meant to simulate that. The firefighters have training every Tuesday so they are ready for any scenario.There are numerous diversified high heels at christian louboutin shoes for sale.

The second time I put the gear on for training,Up to 40% Off bottega purses, shop farfetch today!‎ it took 10 minutes,The latest trends and best prices on Michael Kors Bags 2013. and Karpinski still had to help me. It had to be done correctly because this time I was going to enter a smoky building.

Even though I knew what to expect because I helped set up the training exercise, I was nervous.

As I slowly crawled into the building, the smoke was so thick I could barely see my hand in front of my face. The only thing that mattered was crawling blindly one knee at a time, up each stair and across the room.
Dreading the fall

As I slowly crept forward, I knew what was coming. I was going to fall and I didn't have a choice. I had to crawl forward.

I felt the floor bend beneath. I paused. Karpinski yelled to keep moving. There was a loud snap as my weight broke the plywood and I tumbled onto the padded floor. I rolled to my right. Karpinski landed on the floor after me. I twisted back to the crawl position and felt for a wall. The only way out was through a tunnel. I thought maybe I would be small enough to continue to crawl on my knees. It was impossible and I had to army crawl on my stomach. I've never army-crawled before in my life, much less through a small tunnel.

Halfway through the smoke-filled tunnel, irrational panic began to set in. "Is that sweat in my eye? What if the air tank breaks? Will they pull me out of the tunnel in time? My neck hurts, is this helmet going to break my neck? Am I going to die in here?"

I stopped mid-tunnel and thought back to what some of the firefighters told me earlier in the day, when I was not so subtly hiding my nerves about the training exercise.

"If you feel yourself beginning to panic, stop and take a deep breath. Just control your breathing." I did just that and started moving again.

Then, I hit the wires. They were lined tightly in the way. I tried to shimmy under them. Unless I could transfigure into a mouse, it was impossible.

In the past when I have found myself in unsettling situations, my instincts were not to fight or to flee. Rather, my instinct was to just sit. I go blank. For a few seconds in that tunnel, I just laid there and had no plans to move. Karpinski snapped me out of it, handing me a pair of wire cutters, shouting at me to use them. Wire cutters never really had much significance to me before last week. To a firefighter, wire cutters can save his or her life.

At last I was free. Free from the wire, free from the tunnel, free from the smoke and back outside. I wanted nothing more than to rip my face mask off, pound my chest and yell like a wild beast. I did none of this as everything at the fire department has a routine and stringent protocol, including taking off your gear.

I was actually grateful for the protocol because there were about 20 firefighters sitting on a hill watching me and waiting for their turn to go into the building. Seeing as I had a hard time just putting my gloves on, I didn't want to embarrass myself further. For me, the exercise was physically demanding, terrifying and well out of my comfort zone. For the firefighters, it can be a normal day. I emerged from that building with a great sense of respect.

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HIGH-HEELED SHOES MAY LOOK GOOD

Now is the season when women take their freshly pedicured toes al fresco, often courtesy of strappy high-heel sandals or open-toed pumps that look fabulous but sometimes feel like the masochistic torture tools that many podiatrists insist they are.welcome to replica shoes web,best service and low prices.

Michael Liebow, a podiatrist in Bethesda, Md., pulls out a wince-inducing photograph of a foot X-rayed in a high-heel shoe: It reveals the ball of the foot at a nearly 90 degree angle to the bones in the rest of the foot. It does not look good.

The X-ray is a prop that Liebow says he shows to patients who “walk into the office in six-inch heels and say, ‘My feet are killing me! Why?’?” He says he tells them, “That is not how your foot has evolved to walk.”

To sum up his brief and frequently futile plea for foot health: Humans are meant to walk heel-to-toe, with the leg at about a 90-degree angle to the foot and the ankle joint employing a 60-degree range of motion during normal daily activities.

By wearing a high heel, Liebow explains, “you’re altering the position of the foot and how the foot is to function. Therefore, lots of bad things happen.”

Among the more common problems podiatrists say they see in women are calluses and, more painfully, corns, hard nuggets of keratin buildup caused by pressure on the skin.

With high heels, corns develop up under the balls of the foot where the weight of your body presses down, and they feel like small rocks underfoot when you walk.

Liebow also sees capsulitis, a painful inflammation of the joints where the toes attach to the foot, and neuromas, or pinched nerves, where pointy high heels squeeze the toes. And when the heel is frequently in a high-heel shoe, it can cause the Achilles tendon (which connects the calf muscle to the heel bone) to tighten. When you kick off your shoes and the heel comes down to the floor at the end of the day, the extra stretching of the tendon can lead to a condition called Achilles tendinitis.

Wearing high heels can also cause inflammation of the connective tissue at the bottom of the foot, the plantar fascia. That can result in severe heel pain and the need for aggressive treatments such as oral anti-inflammatories, oral steroids, cortisone injections, walking boots and crutches.

All of these conditions can be incredibly painful, requiring corticosteroid shots and, ideally, flatter and wider shoes. His patients will take the shots, but give up the shoes?

Women, Liebow says, “will wear their high-heeled shoes until their feet are bloody stumps.”

Take Danielle Pletka, vice president for foreign and defense policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute. She wears four- or five-inch heels to work most days; on a recent Tuesday, she towered in five-inch stiletto-heeled black Sergio Rossi open-toed booties.

“There are lots of things that impact the way you look that aren’t necessarily optimal for every muscle in your body,” says Pletka, who admits that she has some high pairs “that are uncomfortable, no question.” But,There are numerous diversified high heels at christian louboutin shoes for sale. she adds, “you want to look nice. I always get nice comments on my shoes. And I like it.”

Erika Schwartz, a podiatrist who practices in Washington D.C., says that when she asks her patients to stick with heels less than two inches high, “some say, ‘Oh, you’re so cute! No, I’m not going to wear under two inches,Discover the largest collection of cheap Michael Kors Handbags . but it’s very cute of you to say that!’”

Schwartz says she understands that many are in professions that demand a more fashionable shoe than the comfy, orthopedically correct footwear she wears to work. So she tells them to at least “walk in something else. Put those dress shoes on when you get to the office. Minimizing the amount of time that you’re standing or walking will minimize the issues that come along with such an unnatural position of the foot.”

Walking too long in high-heeled shoes can result in, besides all of the above,welcome to michaels kors bags on sale,best service and low prices. stress fractures, or cracks in the bones of the feet.

If wearing heels, Schwartz suggests that women avoid the thin, stiletto-style heel: “The bigger the heel, if it’s chunky or a wedge, seems to be better because the shoe has a wider base of stability. A skinnier heel and you’re more likely to have ankle spraining.”

Franklin Polun, a podiatrist with offices in Washington D.Shop for Michael Kors Satchel in many colors and styles at hotmkbags.C. and Maryland, passes along advice that includes going with a rubber-soled shoe over leather, because rubber is better able to absorb pressure on nerves in the feet. He also suggests shopping for shoes at the end of the day, when your foot is most swollen, rather than in the morning.

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These shoes were made for

The story of Oprah’s sore feet and metallic purple Manolo Blahnik stilettos is still getting plenty of mileage in Ottawa. When the queen of all media was here during a speaking tour in April, her aching feet prompted her to take off her sky-high heels, which she offered up to someone in the audience.

Sandy Sharkey just happened to be in the right place at the right time. The former longtime radio personality was standing next to the stage trying to snap a photo of Oprah when she suddenly became the lucky recipient of a size 10? pair of pumps. Lucky, too, that this is her shoe size.

Since then, the shiny heels have been trotted out at various charity events. On Tuesday, Sharkey, who was the guest of honour at this month’s high-powered Ladies Who Lunch event at the Westin Hotel, once more pulled out the shoes and numerous ladies lined up to pay $10 to have their photos taken wearing them.welcome to replica shoes web,best service and low prices.

“It was exhilarating to walk in the shoes of the wealthiest woman in North America,” says real estate agent Cindy Sezlik. “Even though they were way too big for me, they felt so comfortable. I would have paid $25 to try them on.”

The money raised will go toward Sharkey’s pet project — a wild horse sanctuary in California called Return to Freedom. During the luncheon, she spoke about her passion for animals, nature and photography.

“Because I was on the morning show, I would often spend my afternoon driving around taking photos. When I lost my job in January, I wasn’t devastated because it was never my entire life. I was lucky to have 33 years in radio.”

“I took 15,000 photographs when I was there. I’ve always had a love affair with horses, but also protecting animals from harm. Wild horses are the quintessential image of freedom.”

Sharkey credits Ottawa photographer Michelle Valberg for showing her the ropes and her husband for buying her a really good camera.

Ladies Who Lunch is the brainchild of Catherine Landry, who wears a number of hats in Ottawa, including charity fundraiser, event planner and brand developer for Big Rig Brewery. Her countless good deeds in the city have made her almost as famous as her long dreadlocks and endless enthusiasm.

She first got the idea for a women’s networking lunch in the capital after stumbling across one in the Parrot Club at the Basil Street Hotel in Knightsbridge (which has since closed its doors) while travelling in London.

“I was zipping around seeing the sights and popped in to see this hotel because it had a lot of history. I peeked in this room, which was pink and lime green, and saw all these beautifully dressed women having tea and sandwiches. That image was captured in my mind.”

Landry saw similar lunches taking place in Miami and at the Russian Tea Room in New York with waiters in white gloves and society women dressed to the nines and wanted the same for Ottawa. Her last two events have been a sell out, with 140 ladies from every type of profession, including designers, media, small business owners, farmers, lawyers and authors, to name a few.Discover the largest collection of cheap Michael Kors Handbags .

“Ottawa, you are a cosmopolitan city and can support such an event. The Westin has been amazing. Executive chef Kenton Leier is insane and makes us the most ridiculous lunches. John Jarvis (the general manager of the Westin) is the best thing since sliced toast. I want to take this idea to the Westin in Vancouver and out East so that it’s coast to coast,” says Landry, who has teamed up with the hotel’s catering chief Ann Rickenbacker.

The luncheon, which cost $60, included a meet-and-greet cocktail and appetizer hour followed by a three-course sit-down lunch at Daly’s Restaurant overlooking the Rideau Canal. The three-hour event included a table-to-table fashion show courtesy of Valamode, a new online high-end consignment store, a Prada fragrance launch by perfume personality Sid Cratzberg and mini shopping area featuring items from Viens Avec Moi boutique, Dream Weaver gift store and Just Because doll-clothing designs.

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The boutique based in the back

Within the first few days of opening the mobile store - known in the trade as a "fashion truck" - things were going well.

Then the power went out.

"The store was mobbed, and we lost the lights and the air conditioning three hours after we opened," says Abby Kessler, co-owner of the fashion truck and its bricks-and-mortar companion.

They managed to fill the generator and the team got back to making sales. Parked on the University of Pennsylvania's campus, an area without many boutiques or clothing shops, the truck was filled with students and employees of the nearby dental school.Welcome to Michael Kors Classic Tote Outlet online now.

But three hours later, it happened again.

"It turns out you don't fill a generator the same way you fill a car's tank," says Ms Kessler, who had to make a call to the company that designed the truck to determine the problem. "But what do we know about generators?"

Prior to opening the truck just a few weeks ago, Ms Kessler and her business partner Katie Lubieski operated in a world of jewellery, handbags, retro-print dresses, pretty shoes and sparkling tops.

The finer points of car repair and maintenance were not in their repertoire.
'Perfect idea'

For eight years, the two have operated the Smak Parlour boutique in the Old City district of Philadelphia. They sell their own line of distressed T-shirts, as well as studded shorts, neon tops, cherry-print dresses and other youthful looks. Their prices - at under $100 ($65) - appeal to a diverse crowd.

The store was such a success that they began to think about expanding last year.

"We thought about a second store, but having one store is like having a baby. We weren't sure we were ready for another full-time commitment like that," says Ms Kessler.

Then they heard about fashion trucks in Los Angeles. "We knew right away that was the perfect idea," she says.

By providing their customers with a mobile shopping experience - turning the back of a box truck into a glamorous parlour, complete with dressing room, skylight and a selection of stock - they could keep costs low while bringing their product to a new audience.

"Overhead is a lot lower than a typical retail structure," says Natalie Nixon, director of the strategic design MBA programme at Philadelphia University.

"You're not paying for utilities, not paying for lighting and heating. You don't have to hire as many sales team members, and you can manage your inventory in a much more sophisticated way."

Of course, while it's cheaper to pay a parking permit fee than pay a monthly rent, there are still hefty start-up costs.

A used box truck can cost $20,000-$30,000 ($13,000-$20,000), although Ms Lubieski scoured advertisement website Craigslist and managed to get a good deal for $8,000 below budget. The truck then needed a major overhaul - French doors, hardwood floors, track lighting, air conditioning and a skylight.

To cut costs, Ms Kessler's graphic designer boyfriend designed the wrap on the outside of the truck. The two women also secured a $20,000 grant from a local small business organisation.

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Google Algorithm Busts Chinese Car

Every sci-fi movie about inventions rising up to take over the world is built upon one unchangeable seed crystal: the moment when the technology does something its inventors never predicted. As The Verge reports, that’s exactly what happened to Google engineers in 2010, with a truth-and-justice twist — Google’s AdWords software exposed a Chinese car theft scam.

AdWords is Google’s moneymaker, using your web surfing habits to beam custom-tailored advertising into your browser. To prevent these ads from tailspinning into a spamfest, AdWords uses an algorithm to filter out ads for counterfeit items or phishing sites. But as the story explains, after an update in 2010, AdWords began flagging run-of-the-mill Chinese used car ads. Google engineers were perplexed — the system was meant to block ads for counterfeit handbags, not Hondas.

But what Google engineers thought was a glitch was actually the software outsmarting its pesky human builders. The cars being advertised weren’t counterfeit,Shop the latest bottega handbag from top designers at anmison. but the ads were part of an offline fraud scheme:

Scammers were taking pictures of cars on the street, and when a hapless customer showed up a few days later offering money,Shoes, bottega wallet and more,free shipping!‎ they’d steal the car and hand it over. By the time the mark realised he had purchased stolen goods, the sellers were long gone, taking his money with them.

What led AdWords to sniff out a crime where its builders only saw commerce? The algorithm decides based on thousands of factors, but it’s likely that high-price transactions on newly-created accounts tripped the fraud pattern detectors. Sounds simple enough, but it’s fascinating, and perhaps a little scary, to realise that Google’s software is so good, it can even pinpoint fraud that occurs offline,Welcome to Michael Kors Classic Tote Outlet online now. on the streets of China. For the whole fascinating story, head on over to The Verge, and if you’re a criminal, online or off, remember that AdWords has a very particular set of skills. Skills that make it a nightmare for people like you.

While searching for decor pieces for his Short North shop, Aesthetic owner Adam Johnson came across a striking, redand white-striped sofa buried in a dealer’s warehouse. Noticing its unusual pattern and mint condition, he knew it was a oneof- a-kind find.

“It’s actually a sample of something that was never created,” Johnson says. “Sometimes I have to go out of my way to find things Columbus doesn’t have. You can’t find something like that again.”

His love for the odd and exclusive dominates Aesthetic, which opened in the Short North in October after a stint in a 150-square-foot Clintonville space. The store expanded to 1,000 square feet to stock a globetrotting decor collection—Italian-designed porcelain plates, cage-like industrial ceiling lights, towels hand-woven in Ethiopia and decorative leather punching bags.The latest trends and best prices on Michael Kors Bags 2013. Later this summer, Aesthetic will carry American-made scarves and handbags, and plans for a wedding and gift registry are in the works.

“You shouldn’t buy on a trend—you should buy what you love,” says Johnson, who tracks down products during East and West coast trips and daily design-blog perusal. “If you stay true to who you are, people will follow you.”

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Shoes of Prey hunts for $20m

Online designer shoes retailer Shoes of Prey has been named Kogan Australian Online Retailer of the Year, which will no doubt help in the founders’ bid to attract $20 million in funding.

The company,welcome to michaels kors handbags sale,Free shipping‎!The latest trends and best prices on Michael Kors Bags 2013. which was started by three friends Michael Fox, Jodie Fox and Michael Knapp in 2009, has been making a big dent in the retail world simply by letting women design their own shoes online.

The three founders have since started another company – online spectacles store Sneaking Duck. It was also a finalist in this category, and last year won BRW’s New Retailer of the Year and Innovation in Retail awards for helping transform Australia’s $1 billion prescription glasses industry.

The Shoes of Prey site, which as of Tuesday has 130,000 Facebook likes and more than 7000 Twitter followers, lets women design every kind of shoe imaginable from ballet flats, to stilettos and sandals, to ankle boots.

Customers can jump on the site, pick the type of shoe, the colour and the material (including snakeskin, soft leather, silk and suede). It takes about five weeks to make a pair. The shoes, which cost $139 upwards, are then delivered for free to the customer’s door within days.

Shoes of Prey has already attracted big investors, including the co-founder of software company Atlassian, Mike Cannon-Brookes, Silicon Valley investor and blogger Mike Arrington (he co-founded venture capital firm CrunchFund), and US start-up investor Bill Tai of Charles River Ventures.

The company previously raised $3 million from investors and is now looking for an additional $20 million in funding to employ more staff in its Sydney-based office as well as boost marketing efforts.

Shoes of Prey’s director of fashion Jodie Fox, who recently ran 3km in high heels, says more than 10 million shoes have been designed on the site. The company opened its first actual store in Australia earlier this year, at David Jones’s CBD store in Sydney. Fox says the David Jones store has helped boost recognition as well as sales.

“Customers always ask what our shoes look like in real life – this is the best way to show them,” Fox tells BRW. “We’ve been outstripping our [sales] targets since we opened our doors.”

The Kogan Australian Online Retailer of the Year was announced on Tuesday morning in Melbourne by the peak industry body representing Australia’s $258 billion retail sector, the Australian Retailers Association.

The Visa Australian Retailer of the Year award went to Specsavers, while the eBay Inc Australian Multichannel Retailer of the Year award went to Specialty Fashion Group.

ARA executive director Russell Zimmerman says Shoes of Prey stood out as a leader within the online retail sector, with its “groundbreaking website”.

“This retailer demonstrated to our expert judging panel a strong track record in building their business through superior customer service, cutting-edge marketing strategies and an innovative approach,” he says.

Shoes of Prey is also a finalist in the World Retail Congress Awards to be announced in Paris in November. Other finalists in the “store design of the year” category include big names like Haus Cumberland from Germany,Shop the latest Michael Kors Jet Set Bags on the world's largest fashion site. the Chilli Beans Flagship Store from Brazil and Karl Lagerfeld’s concept store in Paris.

“We’re looking at raising another round of funding,Find the Latest Michael Kors Kingsbury Here. Shop Today! so awards like this really help in raising our credibility,” Fox says. “One of our pillars is to be innovative in everything that we do.”

Fox says the directors may also look at opening more bricks and mortar stores like the David Jones flagship. Shoes of Prey has also partnered with Australian designer Carla Zampatti for an exclusive collection of shoes. Fox has also been heavily promoting the company, recently attending New York Fashion Week.

A number of Australian start-ups such as Kaggle have flocked to Silicon Valley to try and grow their business, but Fox says she and the co-founders chose to stay in Sydney. “There wasn’t a good enough reason to leave Australia,” she says. “There’s great talent and opportunity here.” Find the Michael Kors New Arrival you will want to use for-ever!

Fox says while it’s harder to raise capital in Australia than in San Francisco, “we love being in Sydney and want to be part of the tech environment being fostered here”.

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Airline gives lesson in bad customer relations

OK, I know I'm running late, especially in a modern airborne world monitored with unforgiving strictness by a pyramid with the TSA at its peak,Shop discounted mk handbags on hotmkbags. Congress just below and dozens of hundreds of data-crunching passenger advocacy groups forming the base.

Still, everything seems comparatively routine as the door thumps closed behind me on Delta's overbooked Flight 2376, scheduled to make the run from Atlanta to Tampa. It's Monday and it's about a quarter after 5 p.m. Five minutes to push-back.Shop hotmkbags for the latest fashion trends in Michael Kors Shoulder Bags for ladies. The plane, a Boeing 757,Buy Michael Kors iPhone Cases Michael Kors handbags with big discount and free shipping! is full. More than full, in fact, as we shall discover.

After all, airports and airlines have rush hours, too, which was made abundantly clear in my dash from the nether end of Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport's Concourse D to its counterpart of Concourse B. The walkways were clogged. The underground “plane train” was jammed.

The reason I was spurred to uncommon urgency was twofold: An already tight connection had been abbreviated by the 15-minute hold air traffic control in Atlanta placed on my originating flight from Asheville, N.C.Welcome to Michael Kors Classic Tote Outlet online now.; and there was a delay retrieving my FAA-authorized carry-on, which had to be checked because the overhead bins in the 28-seat puddle-jumper out of Asheville were designed when the traveling public was ladies in white gloves carrying small handbags and makeup cases and businessmen gripping slender leather briefcases.

But I had hustled and presented myself while a handful of standbys were awaiting the outcome of their status, only to discover my original destination — a dreaded center seat — had been reassigned.

Hadn't Delta's super-smart computer network logged my presence on the flight from Asheville? Wasn't my arrival at Gate B-2 anticipated? Maybe it assumed I'd ditched my itinerary in favor of the peculiar charms of the Samuel Adams Atlanta Brew House. (Briefly, no: Since all the Paschal's restaurants closed, dining in the Atlanta airport is dead to me.)

Reassignment required the intervention of the gate supervisor, who applied swift typing skills and her license-to-override ID card to the task, and it was quickly done. New seat: 34A. A window? A window. This could not have worked out better.

Moments later I was settled in, and here came a member of the Tampa-based flight crew down the aisle, her gaze fixed on me like a drone's laser targeting a missile strike. Had I left something at the gate? Was I eligible for an unclaimed upgrade?

Guess again, lowly coach monkey.

Braking at Row 34, clamping hands on the seats along the aisle, she leaned over the couple returning from a week in New Orleans and, with a prosecutor's accusing glare, declared in a voice that dominated the rear third of the cabin, “If you get up during this flight, you may want to go back and thank the pilot in the jump seat who gave up this seat for you. You were the last passenger on this plane, and they wanted to take you off, but he said he'd take the jump seat. So you may want to say 'Thank you.'”

Wait. What?

Had that just happened? Had the flight attendant, pinning me down with herbrace-for-impact posture, just publicly chided/scolded/embarrassed a 30-year loyal client who's logged more than 650,000 lifetime miles on her airline?

All for the sake of a free-riding employee who, following long-standing protocol, relocated to a less comfy seat for a 90-minute hop so the paying customer can occupy the seat he paid for?

And is dressing down a passenger what Delta CEO Richard Anderson meant when he said, in the July 2013 issue of Sky magazine that was conveniently in the seat back pocket at my knees, “At Delta, we've found that common values are far better than any detailed manual could ever be. ... Delta people, from the CEOs [sic] office to the front line,Shop for Michael Kors Monogram at hotmkbags. rely on our culture and our core values to guide our business decisions every day”?

Monday afternoon, one brand-loyal passenger received the whip-lashing of a lifetime from one employee's interpretation of Delta's core values. Or is that how the biggest companies work these days? Delta's press office did not respond to a request for comment.

Sigh. I guess I'm old-fashioned. I liked it better when Delta loved to fly, and it showed.

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It’s All in the Details

Without breaking the bank or knocking out walls, a walk-in closet can be reconfigured and glammed up to create a dressing room that reflects a homeowner’s personal style as much as his or her clothing.

It’s All in the Details (Less than $50)

For a low investment and small time commitment, consider your closet hardware. Brackets, knobs and hooks in a richer finish can add panache “in the same way a suit jacket or coat can be spiced up with an awesome button,” says professional closet designer Denise Butchko, of Butchko and Company in Chicago.

Another easy addition is an area rug, which makes a walk-in closet more comfortable and inviting. Because you’ll be padding around barefoot, consider a soft material like sheepskin or chenille.

And sometimes it’s the elements you choose to exclude that make a difference. For example, celebrities’ closets often have custom shelves built at an angle, all the better to display all those rows of designer heels. But angled shelves are neither adjustable nor versatile — you can’t put anything else on them, Butchko says.

To maximize closet space, she prefers shallow adjustable shelves with sections to accommodate high heels, flats and boots.

Embellishing Extras ($50 to $150)

One easy addition is a dressmaker form. It’s both pretty and practical, providing a place to hang scarves or long necklaces. An ornate standing or tabletop candelabra (minus the candles, of course) can serve the same function, says Kristie Barnett, also known as The Decorologist, a Nashville-based home design blogger and consultant.Latest Trends in Wholesale gucci handbags, Wallets and more‎.

Another option is to add more color the space with wallpaper or paint, Barnett says,Find great deals on hotmkbags for michael kors wallet Michael Kors Hamilton Bags in "Women's Clothing, Handbags and Purses". Shop with confidence. which can give you more bang for the buck. “A lot of people don’t think about painting the inside of a closet anything but white. Of course, your clothes cover a lot of wall space so mainly you’d have just a background color, but you can paint the ceiling or even do wallpaper on the ceiling for a pop of color.”

You can also paint or paper the shelves, she adds.

Glass shelving is another option. Butchko likes to include one or two frosted glass shelves with fancy brackets to display lovely items – stacks of hats, perhaps, or a row of handbags. “It’s an expensive element but a little bit goes a long way,” she says.

Make it Luxe (more than $150)

You might want a full-length mirror, but “with closets,Buy Michael Kors iPhone Cases Michael Kors handbags with big discount and free shipping! most people need every inch of space so I don’t ever want to take up wall space with a mirror,” Butchko says. She uses pullout mirrors that pivot or simply mounts a mirror on the door.

On the other hand, if you have the room, “a mirror is super functional and expands the space,” Barnett says. “Choose something with an ornate frame if you’re going for glamour.”

Space is also a concern for clients who want an island for storage, Butchko says. While few have room for the island, most people can add an ottoman or a chaise in the middle of the closet. “Having a place to sit down is worth the space and expense because it just makes life easier,” she says.Welcome to Michael Kors Classic Tote Outlet online now.

Barnett concurs: “It’s nice to be able to sit down and put your shoes on.”

And most of all, consider the lighting in the closet. Builder-basic closets usually have boring flush-mount light fixtures and insufficient light, which is why people mix up their blues and blacks. “Choose a fixture that drops down a little bit from the ceiling to distribute the light better and make a statement,” Barnett suggests.

Supplement ambient lighting with LED strip lights,welcome to michaels kors handbags sale,Free shipping‎! available in bulk at home improvement stores. “LED lighting has evolved so much,” Butchko says. “Earlier, when you lit a closet, you had to be concerned with things catching on fire.”

LED strip lights can safely illuminate shelves and closet rods while providing mood lighting. “It’s a terrific upgrade. It improves both functionality and appearance,” Butchko says.

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The left is necessary again

I found myself last week searching out my left shoes.

Sometime during the previous 2 1/2 months, they had been swooped up and stored away.replica louis vuitton handbags

They had, after all, become unnecessary household clutter — useless obstacles blocking an otherwise clear pathway to the door. It had made sense to retire them in the same fashion as the winter hats, mittens and boots.

My left shoes hadn’t crossed my mind for weeks. But, at that moment, I needed one.

At least my hunt proved short and satisfying.

Short, since I found them all in one left-shoe pile in one lonely left-shoe corner — like a coordinated team of misfit toys exiled to their forgotten island.

And satisfying, because it signaled progress.
No more boot

I had been allowed to discard my scooter — my walkabout — more than two weeks earlier and place my full weight on the left foot, my once ruptured Achilles tendon finally ready to return to its original purpose.

But the ankle hadn’t quite been ready to go it alone, still requiring the support of the plastic, fabric and Velcro walking boot that had encased my calf and foot most of the time since the day after my softball injury.

Now, as I prepared to head out for my doctor’s office Wednesday, I was expecting to leave the appointment under my own flesh, bone and tendon power.

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My recovery I knew was still far from over, although the healing had progressed as scheduled so far.

Six weeks off my foot. At least two in the boot. And physical therapy — three times a week for a month — ahead. And it could take up to a year to feel 100 percent, the doctor said.

But I already had experienced the freeing feeling of a scooter-free life, the joy of tackling curbs and stairs instead of constantly seeking out elevators and the relief of sliding into a restaurant booth without needing extra room to elevate my foot.
New steps

At that point, I felt ready to take the next steps toward normalcy, especially taking a shower with both feet planted firmly on the floor.

It has been eye-opening at times, my temporary trip into the world of the disabled and the previously unconsidered challenges it poses.

It has been humbling at times, with so many people I know and don’t know offering their help, expressing their concern and wishing me well.

And it has brought introspection at times, especially thoughts about how fortunate I am to have the expectation of a full recovery.

More than anything, as I grabbed the proper shoe from the pile and headed for the car, I felt anxious to put my ankle to the full, weight-bearing test.welcome to michaels kors handbags sale,Free shipping‎! I couldn’t wait to give my boot the boot — and never look back.

Now if I could only find a left sock to match the right.

With NFL rookies already at training camp and veterans due to arrive this coming week, the New Orleans Saints begin the process of preparing for another Super Bowl run. Compared to the beginning of last year’s training camp, I have high hopes and expectations for the Saints this year. Head coach Sean Payton is back, Drew Brees is coming off of his second consecutive season throwing for 5,000 or more yards and new defensive coordinator Rob Ryan is here to correct last year’s defensive deficiencies.

Despite all the reasons I have to be excited, there is a bit of a mystery on the offensive line, specifically at the left tackle position. Previously, Jermon Bushrod filled that spot and performed fairly well. The Saints, however, value their guards more so than their tackles and let Bushrod test the waters of free agency.Find the latest collection of Michael Kors Wallets at hotmkbags. It’s no surprise that the Chicago Bears ended up signing him to a five-year deal worth $17 million guaranteed.Wholesale gucci handbags

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I just wear better shoes!

"I still have my feet on the ground, I just wear better shoes!"

That quote is attributed to Oprah Winfrey.

Supposedly Marilyn Monroe said, "Give a girl the right shoes,Find the latest collection of Michael Kors Wallets at hotmkbags. and she can conquer the world."

Oprah, and Marilyn before her, loved their shoes.

My four-year-old granddaughter, Charli, loves her shoes too; the fancier the better.

We can't keep shoes on her cousin Kori's feet. She would much rather be running around barefoot all the time.

I like a good pair of shoes myself.

I have numerous black pairs; brown and tan pairs; gray pairs; blue ones; orange ones; and I even have a pair of multi-colored Reebok running shoes. I am not a runner, but I sure do like those shoes; comfortable to the extreme.

My granddaughters have shoes that light up and blink every time they take a step. They love those shoes, and they love to stomp through the house watching their toes sparkle up at them. Kori will keep those shoes on her feet longer than any others.

I was almost run over one day by a boy at the supermarket who had wheels in the heels of his shoes. He came whizzing by me, much to his mother's chagrin. She apologized for her son with the zooming footwear.

In the movie, "Forrest Gump," Forrest explains to his girlfriend, Jenny, about his special footwear that was developed for him by a doctor to correct his curvature of the spine and his pronounced limp.

Forrest said, "Mama says they was my magic shoes; they'd take me anywhere."

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As a preacher, the footwear that I'm most concerned about is what the Apostle Paul refers to in Ephesians 6:15, as "having your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace."

In Isaiah 52:7, the prophet said, "How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, 'Your God reigns!'"

As a preacher, it is my responsibility, and my privilege, to tell people about the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. And as long as I have on a good pair of shoes I have "beautiful feet."

One of my granddaughters' favorite movies is an animated delight called "Happy Feet," in which the Emperor penguins find their life companions by singing. One of the young penguins, a male by the name of Mumble, is not much of a singer, but he is quite the tap dancer.

Kori and Charli love to watch Mumble dance with his "happy feet" and I love to watch my girls dance along with him.

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When I stand in the pulpit, there are many times that I develop happy feet too. Sometimes I feel like "cutting a rug" and dancing across the platform with my beautiful feet.

Much to my wife's relief, I generally contain myself. But, my inner happy feet are dancing up a storm.

One of the common benedictions I share at the close of a service goes something like this, "Lord, here are our hands, touch through them; Lord, here are our feet, move through them.Wholesale gucci handbags Use us to reach our world."

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Austin O'Malley said, "Practical prayer is harder on the soles of your shoes than on the knees of your trousers."

I believe that we need to put our faith into action. Our beautiful feet need to be happy feet. And we need to put on our shoes and go!

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The Australian designer

When it comes to summer produce, California has everyone beat.The cheap Wholesale High Quality Balenciaga wallets is a very good fashion items for you. And now that Melbourne-based jewelry designer Lucy Folk has brought her brand of metallic crocheted pineapples, currant seed studs and woven watermelon collars to L.A. accessory Mecca Tenoversix (her first time selling at a brick-and-mortar establishment in town) the fruit capital of the country is juicier than ever.

Since launching her line in 2008, the blonde, beachy designer has been known for quirky, culinary-themed wares (past collections have included pizza slices and Bento boxes full of "sticky rice" bracelets). And her latest offerings — dubbed "Tropicalismo" — are focused on fruit.

"Pineapples are a symbol of hospitality," Mad Men costume designer Janie Bryant told a crowd of revelers (which included super stylists Karla Welch and Jessica de Ruiter) at an in-store event celebrating Folk's L.A. arrival earlier in the summer. She rocked a fruit-festooned collar with unique panache, while actresses Gia Coppola and Nathalie Love and fellow jeweler Gabriela Artigas looked on. Folk herself has always been into pieces that convey whimsy, and compares her native land down under to our own sun-kissed city, sartorially speaking at least.

"I love L.A.," the bubbly designer said while surveying her display at TenOverSix, which is co-owned by stylists Kristen Lee and Brady Cunningham aka Mrs. Jason Schwartzman. "The sensibility between here and [Australia] is so similar, so now is a good time to bring my pieces here."

The goods start at $45 for a colorful, metal mesh chain bracelets and go up to $420 for a multicolored metal chain complete with a trio of metallic crocheted pineapples (slightly more than produce prices at Gelson's, but not by much).Latest collection of Wholesale High Quality Prada handbags.

Unlike actual fruit, Folk's pieces promise to stick around long after farmer's market season ends, with the likes of L.A.-based Clover Canyon and Dolce & Gabbana showing subdued forms of from-the-earth edibles for both fall and resort 2014.

Fine, Swiss watch company BALL Watch USA announces its partnership with Northeastern Fine Jewelry, who will serve as the preferred timepiece sponsor and jeweler for the entirety of the Saratoga Race Course Meet held in Saratoga Springs, NY in conjunction with the New York Racing Association (NYRA).

Northeastern Fine Jewelry,Shop the latest Wholesale High Quality Yves Saint Laurent jewelry at mybag1. an Authorized BALL Dealer, who was voted the leading jeweler in the Capital Region, is the preferred jewelry partner of the NYRA. Jeffrey Hess, BALL Watch USA’s CEO & President states, “BALL Watch is truly honored to be the preferred timepiece of the Saratoga Race Course this year and we are also thrilled to be in such good company as Northeastern Fine Jewelry throughout this exciting partnership”.

BALL Watch will have five, railroad style clocks located throughout the concourse, and in conjunction with Northeastern Fine Jewelry,Buy the Michael Kors Skorpios and luxury leather purses at hotmkbags. will also have a Clubhouse Box each day of ‘The Meet’.

On August 19th,Shop online for Wholesale High Quality Louis Vuitton handbags. BALL Watch USA, along with Northeastern Fine Jewelry, will be sponsors of “The Union Avenue Stakes” and presenting the winner of that race with a BALL watch in the Winner’s Circle. In addition to this presentation of awards, each and every person attending the Meet on the 19th will have a chance to win a $10,000 BALL watch.

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Social networks hold a bounty of consumer information

There’s over 2.5 billion content items -- over 500 terabytes of data -- added to Facebook’s databases each day, including over 2.7 billion “likes.” The introductions of Graph Search and hashtags to Facebook have generated waves of excitement among advertisers and marketers to tap into that data. Facebook’s marketing potential has increased dramatically.

Graph Search is intended to make it much easier for Facebook users to locate people, photos, and videos. But it’s now possible for marketers to search across the collective network of over a billion worldwide users to identify common opinions, “likes” or interests. The results will be different depending upon the preferences of individuals within any given social circle – or, in all probability, market segment.

It’s possible to “ask” the Graph what the best pizza in New York is, or to locate individuals living within the East Village who are vegans. Research shows that vegans are more likely than others to try new things,Latest collection of Wholesale High Quality Prada handbags. so the upside for businesses is evident.

Hashtags, which were introduced to Facebook last month, aggregate conversations that occur across Facebook onto a dedicated page to create greater advertising opportunities. Presumably,Shop online for Wholesale High Quality Louis Vuitton handbags. an advertiser could “own” or “brand the page” for a show like #dancingwithstars or a major event like #worldseries. Brands can also reach beyond their current follower base by tapping into conversations that have the hashtag, or by creating conversations and encouraging people to join in.

Social media buying firm OMD estimates that 75% of its clients, which include major brands such as GE and PepsiCo, have already tried hashtags on Facebook. Sotrender has found that 61 of the UK’s top 100 companies are also trying it out. Fashion brand Michael Kors has recently attempted to start conversations about handbags with the hashtag #WhatsInYourKors. BET used the same strategy for its recent BET Awards and had over 9 million Facebook interactions,The cheap Wholesale High Quality Balenciaga wallets is a very good fashion items for you. Mashable reports.

That all sounds terrific, but Sotrender has found that the influence of hashtags isn’t as great as anticipated. The U.K. brand data demonstrated a real but weak relationship between hashtags and engagements. Let’s examine what’s missing.

Graph Search and hashtags are major advancements for marketers and advertisers, but their respective benefits won’t be fully realized until they are integrated. The issue is that hashtags are driven by keyword search, which is arguably dated. That alone this won’t serve as a long-term strategy for targeting campaigns. Advanced semantic technology is what’s required to bring those concepts together.

Semantic search provides the ability to access unstructured data such as chats or video that would give marketers the opportunity to tap into conversation streams allowing them to create highly targeted micro campaigns. These would include: likes, interests, associates, hashtags and content of conversation over Facebook. Buy the Michael Kors Skorpios and luxury leather purses at hotmkbags.

It then becomes possible to micro-target BET viewers, dancing fans, fashion enthusiasts, potential GE customers, Pepsi drinkers, and World Series watchers.

The real marketing power will come into play when hashtags are folded into Facebook’s Graph Search, which is powered by semantic search.Shop the latest Wholesale High Quality Yves Saint Laurent jewelry at mybag1.

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A succinct collection of antiquated photographs

A succinct collection of antiquated photographs, crime artifacts, deadpan write-ups, and charmingly outdated communications equipment is housed at the Seattle Metropolitan Police Museum in Pioneer Square. Apparel creeps in, too. There are dozens of patches and badges, and several historic uniforms showcased behind glass,Shop discounted Wholesale High Quality Hermes wallets on mybag1. though they're too infested with utilitarian details to bring a lot of thrills.

In the back room, a 1987 photograph of "The Nation's First Mountain Bike Patrol" is much flashier than the other displays. It shows two uniformed men posing before a cityscape. The cops are fit and young and clean and alert, and the sunlight surrounding them falls down like poured gold. In keeping with a certain formal dignity, they have classic button-up collared shirts with western-cut pocket flaps, muted navy tones, and long sleeves. But their upper and lower bodies are not the most perfectly matched pairs. The officers wear crisp short shorts accessorized with Velcro-close high-top sneakers, and their identical athletic-stripe, calf-length tube socks are lightly scrunched for a casual effect. The resulting ensemble imparts the perfect blend of visual spice and symbolic urgency.

Additional style visuals are sprinkled throughout the museum: a perpetrator's knit ski mask, a call-center employee's feathery pompadour, a policeman's bulbed woolen helmet from the 1900s. But if you need more elaborate insider write-ups, you'll have to look elsewhere.

Start with the 1985 book of interviews Cops: Their Lives in Their Own Words by Mark Baker. In it, an anonymous police chief finally explains the cop-and-mustache connection. Once upon a time, the decoy section entrapped purse snatchers by posing officers as harmless old ladies who carried handbags and trudged the city's dark streets: "You want a woman victim, so we have to dress up one of the guys... The guys outsmarted me at first.Welcome to Replica Louis Vuitton outlet online store and buy latest replica louis vuitton together with free shipping and best service. They started growing mustaches. Before long, they all had one."

Also read David Ziskin's book The Real Police, a meticulous recounting of his service to the Seattle Police Department. From the "Uniforms" chapter: "Most departments wear clip-on neckties in uniform, so that a suspect cannot choke an officer by grabbing the tie," Ziskin writes. And for plainclothes duties,Shop cheap christian louboutin shoes,pumps,wedding shoes,sandals with low price in our discount christian louboutin sandals Store online. "I had a couple of ties cut and then tacked back together in a place that would be concealed under my shirt collar. If anyone tried to choke me by grabbing the tie, it would part under the collar and pull free." recommended

Pirates, predators, power lines and poor luck — they brave it all for hundreds of miles, while carrying along the million-dollar hopes of the haves and have-nots. Pigeons are the new thoroughbreds in China and everyone has taken notice — breeders in Europe and even the feed industry in the United States.

Pigeon racing goes back hundreds of years and probably a lot longer. The races are held in countries across the globe, but the sport is at fever pitch in China. From Vice: “Twenty years ago — sort of a poor man’s delicacy,Shop the latest Wholesale High Quality Gucci jewelry on the world's largest fashion site. but now with the new Chinese economy, it’s become a rich man’s play thing.”

China’s nouveau riche love designer handbags, the finest wine, and sleek cars — but they’re also quick to slap down bags of cash on a pigeon. Money is swirling around Chinese pigeon racing, and the torrent shows no signs of abatement. In 2011, a Chinese entrepreneur payed $200,000 for a pigeon — Blue Prince — at PiPa, the world’s premier pigeon auction house located in Belgium. PiPa sold 218 pigeons that day — for an astounding $1.Shop the latest Wholesale High Quality Chanel wallets on the world's largest fashion site.8 million.

And in 2013, PiPa sold Bolt (named after Olympic sprinter Usain Bolt) to another Chinese businessman for $400,000. An entire lot of 530 Belgian-bred pigeons went for almost $6 million that day, with nine of the 10 most expensive birds headed to China or Taiwan. (In 2009, The Telegraph reported that Chinese mafia gangs were hitting Belgian pigeon coops and stealing the prized birds. “Rather than attempting to smuggle their prey abroad, criminals will kill the pigeons and cut of their identifying rings to be used on much less valuable birds bred in Asia.”)

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Katwalk Casa, which first opened in August last year

Mayor Linda Frost was on hand earlier to open two newly expanded businesses in the Apsley House shopping arcade in the High Street, which have experienced growth despite the poor economic climate.

Katwalk Casa, which first opened in August last year, has now doubled in size after taking over the next-door unit.

They now sell leather shoes, jeans and casual clothes imported from France and Italy as well as fashion accessories including handbags, purses, scarves, jewellery and belts.

Annamaria Quinn, who owns Katwalk Casa with Mary Lloyd, said: “Many of our customers had asked for a shoe shop, and when the unit next door became vacant we felt it was an opportunity not to be missed.

“Royal Wootton Bassett needs shoes – and we are very pleased to provide them.”

Visitors to the opening earlier this month made the most of a 10 per cent discount on all stock as well a enjoying a glass of sparkling wine.

An hour after Katwalk Casa opened,Shop the latest Wholesale High Quality Gucci jewelry on the world's largest fashion site. so did its neighbour, Seasons Tea Rooms, which has also taken over a neighbouring unit.

Lesley Allcorn and Caroline Little took on the little cafe and eatery in the Arcade last October with a view to expanding the business.

They have now redecorated and doubled in size, and introduced a brand new menu for the occasion.

Lesley said: “We are at that point where we’re really looking forward to expanding and opening up the new business.

“We’re going to have a new deli bar, where customers can choose their sandwich fillings and watch the sandwiches being made, and we are having a new kitchen installed so customers can watch their breakfasts and lunches being made.”

They are now also offering a range of takeaway food and are providing free wi-fi and the use of computers. Customers can also hire the premises for private functions and make use of an outside catering service.

The same afternoon welcomed the opening of a brand new business in the arcade, The Jewellery Nest, owned by Anastassia Mihova. She makes much of the jewellery on sale by hand. Jute is obtained from Corchorus plant that is found in abundance in West Bengal, Assam and parts of Andhra Pradesh.

Raw jute costs Rs. 45 per meter and the coloured varieties may range from Rs. 80 to Rs. 150 per meter. Finished products are sold at a profit of 25 to 30 per cent.

The fabric is cut in required shapes and sizes and is stitched on machines using thicker cotton threads.Blends like jute cotton and jute canvas are also used for bags and pouches.Logos, patterns and designs are mostly screen-printed and rarely hand-painted with chemical dyes or natural colours.Welcome to Replica Louis Vuitton outlet online store and buy latest replica louis vuitton together with free shipping and best service.Embroidery,Shop cheap christian louboutin shoes,pumps,wedding shoes,sandals with low price in our discount christian louboutin sandals Store online. patch work and stone embellishments are also being done on jute products.

In Madurai, jute making units are spread over Thirumangalam, Narimedu,Shop discounted Wholesale High Quality Hermes wallets on mybag1. Andalpuram, Kadachanendal, Kalavasal and Kochadai.

There’s her mysterious pal from rehab, Rochelle, and her designer friend Guy Somé, who featured her as a dark angel in a famous ad for his company, along with her model friend Ciara Porter. There’s her nasty and racist Uncle Tony; her ailing and drug-addled adoptive mother, Lady Yvette; and her money-grubbing birth mother, Marlene Higson. Then there are her apartment building neighbors: a famous American rapper by the name of Deeby Macc, an odious movie producer named Freddie Bestigui and his now-estranged wife, Tansy, who claims to have seen Lula’s fatal plunge.

“The Cuckoo’s Calling” is flawed by a “Psycho”-like explanatory ending — in which Strike explains how he put all the evidence together and identified Lula’s killer, but most of its narrative moves forward with propulsive suspense. More important, Strike and his now-permanent assistant, Robin (playing Robin to his Batman, Nora to his Nick,Shop the latest Wholesale High Quality Chanel wallets on the world's largest fashion site. Salander to his Blomkvist), have become a team — a team whose further adventures the reader cannot wait to read.

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The second day of the Bisat Al-Reeh festival in Jeddah

The second day of the Bisat Al-Reeh festival in Jeddah
The second day of the Bisat Al-Reeh festival in Jeddah was attended by around 2600 visitors — all sophisticated women with a taste for trendy wearables and accessories, so much so that even sellers at the event described their clientele as classy and full of vigor.

This year, some exhibitors are showcasing products that are environmentally friendly and are helping to raise awareness on green practices their merchandise.

“My products are from Bahrain. I focus on organic beauty products that smell good and look great,” said Nadia, founder of Green Bar.welcome to michaels kors handbags sale,Free shipping‎! “The bottles are made of glass because I wanted to stay away from plastic and wanted more environmentally friendly materials,” she added.
Her booth offers all sorts of oils,Shop for Wholesale High Quality Coach handbags in many colors and styles at mybag1. soaps, lotions, creams and lip balms that enrich the body with vitamins and organic fruits scents.

Another booth, Alnabta is a non-profit organization that aims to spread environmental awareness in Saudi society. They are involved in developing awareness campaigns and programs about the importance of the three Rs: Recycle, Reduce and Reuse. They are offering educational curriculum to schools for grades one, two and three. Alnabta also offers other awareness programs designed especially for offices and schools by inviting them to an environmental club that stresses on the importance of protecting our planet.

“All these programs need funding and we usually collect money from selling different products. This year we have stylish and limited handbags made from recycled canvas. These bags represent Jeddah and Riyadh with the city map printed on the canvas,” said Dina Al-Shahwan,Find the Latest Michael Kors Kingsbury Here. Shop Today! who works at Alnabta. “Princess Lama bint Mansour and Deema bint Mansour were the designers behind these bags. They decided to support the organization by designing for us and helping to spread the word. As for Jeddah’s map,The latest trends on Wholesale High Quality Chloe handbags. it was provided by Zaki Farsi, former mayor of Jeddah,” she added.

The environmentally friendly bags are indeed one of the major attractions at the festival. Some visitors are buying them for every day use while others are thinking they make wonderful Eid gifts.

“These bags are really nice and colorful and I was attracted to the booth before even knowing it was good for the environment. I loved the colors and the idea behind the map and so I got one for myself and one for my best friend,” said Youssra Abdullah. “I also loved that when you purchase one bag you are offered to use a pin and mark the location of your house on the map because they want to know which area has the most number of people who are interested in saving the planet,” she added. Shop new season Wholesale High Quality Juicy Couture jewelry & more.

Kuwaiti shopper Lamya Al-Saleh thinks the bag is the perfect gift for her friends back home. “It is rare to find something beautiful, useful and environmentally friendly all in one. Usually such products are not as beautiful and creative as these bags,” she said. “I love the city of Jeddah and I love its people so I decided to buy five pieces. I was very excited to see that the bags are affordable as they only cost me SR 800 per piece,” she added.

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