When I got an email asking me if I’d like to participate in an online book tour reviewing a new book by Birmingham’s own, Phyllis Norton Hoffman, and the subject is shoes, I was all over it! I mean, I don’t know about you, but I’ve had a lifelong shoe addiction. Guilty as charged. I actually did a post back in January titled Can you have too many shoes?? And I’ve concluded that no, no, you really can’t.
Here’s a little about Phyllis, from her online bio:
A leading figure in the publishing industry, Phyllis Norton Hoffman is majority owner and president of Hoffman Media, LLC.
A native of Hoover, Alabama and a graduate of the University of Alabama in Birmingham, she began her career as a Certified Public Accountant with a nationally known firm before founding a special-interest publication company in 1983 that is now known as Hoffman Media, LLC.
Hoffman is recognized industry-wide as a savvy businesswoman and talented entrepreneur. She serves as the creative engine of the company, producing an ever-widening range of beautiful magazines including TeaTime, Southern Lady, Just CrossStitch, Sew Beautiful, and Taste of the South magazines. She is also a sought-after speaker across the country, a devoted wife and mother and a church and community leader.
Did you catch the magazines that her publishing company is responsible for: Southern Lady and also Cooking with Paula, which is not listed on that. I actually got to meet Phyllis last year at a women’s event our church was sponsoring and she was the speaker. I thoroughly enjoyed hearing her and she even brought magazines for all of us, so I really loved her then. Magazines are my love language.
(In Style Home, Spring 2006, Mariah Carey’s closet…don’t we wish?!)
The tag line of the book is “Celebrating the footsteps of the Contemporary Woman”, and it really is true that as we grow and mature, so do our shoes. Phyllis tells many humorous and witty stories all throughout the book about her life growing up and how shoes played a major part in it. All done with wit, wisdom and a whole lotta fun thrown in. I sure do remember my first pair of grown up heels that I finally got to choose one Easter when I was around 12 or 13. Oh my, the excitement of looking for the perfect pair of 1” heels! You’d have thought we were shopping for gold. I think they were black patent with ribbon ties that came across the top of my foot and the heel was tiny, but oh yeah, it was a heel. Finally, I had arrived.
From Cinderella’s glass slipper, to Dorothy’s fancy red ruby slippers in the Wizard of Oz, to fashion mavens Jackie O and Princess Di, Phyllis covers the gamut of shoes and finery and what a role all of that plays in each of our lives. Most of us as women feel good in a pair of good-looking shoes, no doubt about that. They can make you feel sexy. Or sassy. Or dowdy. They can certainly make or break an outfit, as well as even be cruel at times. My days of wearing a lot of high heels are probably past me for the most part, I just don’t do a lot of dressing up anymore, but I can remember feeling really cute and sassy in certain shoes that I’ve had over the years.
My closet is still full of them, even if the heel is back down to that 1” I started with when I was around 12. Phyllis shares many of her life struggles and how she got through them and even the shoes that walked her through those struggles. A witty and fun book to read (especially if you’re Southern and even if you’re not). She laments wearing white shoes before Memorial Day or after Labor Day (a cardinal sin, just listen to your mother), which is what most of us in the South have heard all our lives. The rules have relaxed a bit over the years, thankfully. I don’t even own a white pair of shoes anymore. I do remember very vividly the white go-go boots that were all the rage when I was in Jr. High School and that Phyllis fondly remembers in the book. I don’t remember having a pair, but I think my sister did. She was older and got to do things before I did, darn it.
Phyllis Norton Hoffman takes you on a journey examining these defining moments, sharing what she has learned when she was required to wear different shoes – from a mother and wife to entrepreneur and businesswoman to publishing powerhouse to doting grandmother – and provides advice for women on putting their best foot forward, no matter their role, circumstance, or stage of life.
So, if you get a chance to read this fun and fascinating book about women and our devotion to all things shoes, I’d definitely say do it! You’ll thoroughly enjoy tip-toeing through the pages with Phyllis, in whatever shoes you might choose for the day!
I love what cooking queen, Paula Deen, says on the cover, “Phyllis and I have taken many steps together. I take mine in flats!”
Amen, Paula! Flip-flops for me.
And for the really fun part! I am getting 3 copies of this book to give away to my readers, so all you have to do is leave me a comment telling me your favorite memory of shoes and what your favorites are. You know I love some shoes! Contest closes Friday evening at 6:00 PM Central time. I’ll pick a winner and announce it Saturday a.m.
I bought myself a pair of green heels with gold trim for my college graduation. They were part wicked witch and part sass.
My favorites right now are my black leather ballet flats.
Just last week I got to visit with my 20 month old niece who spent the entire weekend wearing my brother's shoes and socks. he's 6'5, so it was quite the site.
great contest – i loved reading the comments too!
sara
ihpie at yahoo.com
Favorite pair of shoes of all time have to be a pair of boots I owned that I wore when I was 18 years old. I loved them. They were lace up boots, brown, with a significant heel and they were hot looking. I wore them mostly with jeans even though they were a little dressier than that.
These days I am mainly barefoot. LOL
I'll never forget the white go-go boots with fringe that my Mom bought me for Christmas! I must have been 14..i thought those things were HOT!
My favorite now are sleep on sandals in every color. Slip in and go!
Love your blog!
Hey Rhoda,I remember my first pair of black patent shoes. We had been out shopping and stopped at the park.Us kids ended up going around on the merry-go-round and it totally scratched up the tips of the shoes.All the leather was gone.We had gotten the shoes the day before,Mom was not to happy 🙂
This book sounds so fun! Indeed, we women all have our shoe stories. Here's mine:
About 8 or 9 years ago, I fell in love with a pair of shoes at Kohl's. They were black and strappy, with the narrowest of 3" high wedges. The strap was really just one long elastic band that was anchored over the toes and then wound over your foot.
I had always been a pretty conservative dresser, never worn any shoes that were too high or too 'crazy', but I had to have these shoes! I got them and wore them to work, telling my boss that I felt like my feet were naked. She told me that every woman needs naked shoes, and to this day, I will ocassionally pull those 'naked shoes' out and wear 'em for a special outing.
My favorite memories of shoes were a pair of low cut white boots I wanted when in high school. My mother took me all over the area looking for this certain pair of shoes. I am certain we used more gas than what they were worth, but she knew how bad I wanted them. Now, my favorite shoes are flats – Clarks are my favorite.
Christie
dctm at bellsouth dot net
I went from the 60s when I worked where you had to wear high heels and skirts and dresses to work (no pant suits yet), I even climbed stairs and was pregnant in those heels. As time went on and clothing got more comfortable and we went into pant suits and 1/2 inch heels to today as a little old lady who wears slip on loafers with non-slip bottoms from L L Bean.
I am a shoe person. My favorite shoe memory is picking Easter shoes when I was a little girl.
Verna
ageefamily at windstream dot net
As I was getting ready to turn 30 I knew I needed to embrace it. I was single, owned my own home, had a good job and had no reason to stress over it (although many of my friends had when they hit the big 3-0). I threw myself a big bash with dinner for a ton of friends and drinks and cheesecake after at a martini bar. In order to really bring in my day with style I found some beautiful (and pretty cheap) turqoise heels with lots of sparkle! My little nephew (3 at the time) even pointed to them and said "pretty shoes" when he saw me getting dressed. The kid knows style!
Those shoes were so much fun that night and were not my typical style which made them even more special for such a special occasion. They helped me celebrate a wonderful milestone and just 2 short years later they were my 'something blue' when I walked down the aisle to marry my sweet husband. I love those shoes and will never get rid of them!
Now, I don't know that I'll have much reason to wear them anytime soon as I am chasing an almost 1 year old, but they were my "Heck yah, I'm turning 30" shoes and then my "Forever I choose YOU" shoes. They are priceless and are a part of my history! They even have a picture in my scrapbooks.
I love shoes too, and typically they are flip flops. 🙂
Heather
OMGOSH!! My love affair with shoes began back in 1st grade I think! LOL I had a pair of shoes that I loved…I even named them "bandit" (not sure why, but I remember telling my parents and grandparents that's what I named 'em, and they gave me funny looks…like you are NOT supposed to name shoes – are you crazy?! I do have a few favorite brands too!! Bivel, Cordani, and sometimes Franco Sarto…sometimes Cole Haan, and for comfort, UGG slippers…man are they comfy! I hate how they look, but oh so cozy in winter! 🙂
My shoe story is a sad one. I used to have shelves and shelves of shoes. Then I had three kids. Then I worked on my feet for several years. Now my feet are D width size 10 and it's almost impossible to find cute shoes 🙁
But I still love them and buy everything I find that fits!
My favorite shoe memory is a pair of little red patent shoes that my youngest daughter loved when she was a toddler. She wore them with everything even though they didn't match. My favorite shoes are Yellowbox flip flops. They are the best!
Rhoda, I can't believe how many shoe memories I have. You mentioned the white go-go boots..I asked my Mom for a pair for Christmas and received white galoshes…No Nancy Sinatra styling there!
My mother hated to take me shoe shopping so my grandfather volunteered for the job, how could a shy little thing like myself be a problem. Well, he didn't realize I was like the princess and the pea…I had to try on dozens before I found a pair that fit me just right. Never again for him!
I went to Parochial School and in 8th grade the school required that we buy ugly oxfords for 30$. That was alot of money in 68, so my Mom bought me loafers instead and the rebel that I wasn't started a "loafer fad" in school, the only stylish moment in my life!
So please enter me in your contest, I would enjoy the book very much!
I'm one of those people who finds a pair of shoes I like and I'll buy them in 3 or 4 colors. I'm not the most awake person in the morning and I went to work one day, was standing around waiting for the elevator and realized I had on one black shoe and one navy shoe. It was already lunchtime, so I just wore them all day.
Please enter me in your contest.
Gretchen
Yea – I found the comment section, Rhoda. Thanks for your help with that!
Oh, I'm lovin' my animal print Crocs – thanks to you! I would never have even looked on their website if you wouldn't have posted yours.
Please enter me in your contest.
laurieortmeier at msn dot com
My fav shoes now are all yellowbox…sandals and flops! Love them. As a child the patent red maryjanes! ha!
Great Giveaway.
Vee
[email protected]
Hi Rhoday, I would love to have this book. I am a Northern girl, I live in Canada, no less. But, I have great respect for Southern anything. My mom is from Oklahoma. My favorites are flip-flops, and my most memorable shoes were my first heels. I was twelve and my dad said I could start wearing heels. They were not new, they were second hand, but they were HEELS!! I will never forget the excitement! I sure hope I win this, I would love to read it. Hugs ~CINDY S~
My husband cannot understand why I NEED so many shoes! And I cannot understand how he can only live with 4???? My fav shoes are wedges, LOVE LOVE THEM! I have a pair of white strapy Kristan Davis wedges ~ they are my favs but have only worn once because it keeps raining in FL!
My favorite shoes were a pair of grey suede loafers I got for Christmas about a 100 years ago – loved them- also got a pink poodle skirt –
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