Serendipity

I hate sensible shoes. They give me blisters. Really. If I wear flats for practical reasons, I end up with giant water blisters on the soles of my feet. But give me heels – the higher the better – and I am walking on air; tiptoeing through the tulips; on cloud nine… and all those other pretty clichés.

Baby-blue suede peep-toes were not really on my shopping list of essential items, it must be admitted, but who is going to walk past such pretty little things – especially at bargain-basement prices?

On a long trip back into the city from the country (far-off Narre Warren), I fell asleep on the train and missed my stop. I could have caught the next train out, but I decided to take a gander through DFO at Southern Cross Station. And lo and behold, what should I find but bargains galore? (Remember, a bargain is not a bargain unless you really need it… and unless they are very pretty shoes.)

(Remember, a bargain is not a bargain unless you really need it… and unless they are very pretty shoes.)

I did need new sunglasses, since I had played fast and loose with the Agnès B pair I purchased in Dubai and subsequently scratched by improper storage. And I am pleased to report that I found the perfect pair by Calvin Klein for the princely sum of $37 – but this story is not about sensible purchases. No. This tale is about those serendipitous purchases that delight your heart because they are gorgeous and inexpensive.

So it was when I walked into the David Lawrence factory outlet and saw the stacks of shoeboxes, I could hardly believe that these sweet baby-blues were reduced to $54… with a further reduction of 25%. I had to check with a salesgirl that I was indeed awake and not dreaming. This global recession is good for something!

And sometimes falling asleep on the train is not a bad thing.