Hong Kong Chronicles: Happy Feet

Eighteen months and 30 pairs of shoes later, I have found My Ideal Shoe for Hong Kong.


The 18 months is in migraine time. If I didn't have chronic migraines, I might have found these shoes in 6 months. Ah, well. I've found them now.

I saw a billboard advertisement for Geox shoes that said, "Geox breathes." I bought a pair of the Geox shoes three months ago when yet another pair of my shoes wore out. Three months later, they are holding up fantastically. They look as new as the day I bought them. They do breathe better than normal shoes, which is tremendously helpful in humid Hong Kong. They did need a little breaking in, since they are leather, but with gel cushions, I have been able to wear these babies all over and walk with very, very happy feet. They are a little pricey (I think about $125) but for the wear I've been able to get with the first pair, it's worth the investment.

I had a brief period of life (maybe 5 years) as a shoe fashionista. That era ended with my arrival in Hong Kong. I have attempted some 2-inch heels. My feet were not happy. With all the walking I do here, all heels have been banished in favor of comfortable, durable flats. Geox offer some cute styles in flats. And I'm very happy to find shoes that I can buy in shops near where I work. Yay! No more shipping from the US shoes that were probably made in China. It's beginning to feel like home!

Studio Time: Mad Hatter Earrings and Pendant

Hi, Chickadees - I've been fearfully absent from the blog, but the good news is that I'm getting more organized and streamlined. I hope the trend continues...I keep seeming to run across situations that change my home organization...anyway...

These pieces are still a little messy (and therefore being kept for continued testing purposes), but I liked the quirky feel of the pendant and earrings.



I threw in a riot of colors in tiny dots to make it more interesting. Quirky. Just like the Mad Hatter.



Thank you, Mandy, Sue, Lori, and Shaiha for checking in and commenting even though I've been pretty absent lately. I appreciate your support! Lori - if you like those earrings, I can do more of the little teardrops if you would like. Just let me know the colors! Same goes for anyone who sees anything I'm doing.

Take care for now! Will try to post before three weeks go by.

Studio Time: Polymer Clay Progress

Hello, Blogland! I am making a brief appearance. I am hoping it will be more frequent, but who knows. I have been suffering from a case of the "blehs" after traveling. I always seem to suffer from the "blehs" after traveling.

Bleh = (adj.) the state between blah and functional human being

No, it's not a full-blown case of the "blahs". Just...bleh. I sometimes am able to return home and take care of everything instantly (wash, put the clean laundry away, put the suitcases way). And then there are the other times where it takes me weeks to return to the normal life rhythm. I know it sounds bad, but this is a reason I don't like travel. I'm really caught up for a while. Then I travel and I'm playing catch-up for weeks. That and I don't like being folded in half in a seat in a cramped space. I'm sure chronic health problems play into that feeling...

But, we've had some fabulous weather in Hong Kong. Usually the two seasons are cold and damp and hot and humid. This year, we had a spring...an actual spring! From the years I've been traveling here and experiences I've heard from my friends, it's been a rather nice spring. I've actually had a few days where it was pleasant to be outside and I wasn't melting into a pool. And on top of that, we finally had sunshine! Imagine that...comfortable temperatures and sunshine!

The latest in my polymer progression.



I love what you can do with scrap. I tried a few more versions of this, but I think I may need to invest in a "real" toaster oven. This one seems to heat up quite a bit and bubble up my clay. Then again, I've been noticing it bubbles more easily on thin pieces. I'm sure there are ways around that. The spectacular part about polymer is how fabulously light it is, especially on the ears, even for large pieces like the ones below.



I want to make sure my polymer clay "children" are well behaved before I release them into the wild... A little more testing and practice. Then we'll start working on the shop again!