Earthquakes and Practical Shoes

Around 2pm yesterday afternoon, I was just finishing up my routine teeth cleaning at the dentist when the ground started shaking. I stared at the receptionist. She stared at me. We both froze. And then she yelled, “It’s an earthquake! I’m from California!!” and bolted towards the door frame.

Insert nervous laughter.

Then minor panic.

Then relief.

Once the earthquake passed, I walked back across the street to my office building to find my coworkers filling the sidewalks and side streets. It almost looked like a block party.

With trusty smart phones in hand, we read about the ‘quake on Facebook and debated correct earthquake safety tips (crawl under a desk? stand in a door frame? run outside?).

Then my eyes gazed down to our feet (always a fashionista, even in times of crisis) and I realized that all the women were still wearing their heels. I couldn’t help but think: earthquake safety tips should include advice about changing your footwear before evacuating! A girl needs to be prepared!

So let this blog post be a lesson to us all. The next time you have to evacuate a building (fire drill, power outage, terrorist scare, earthquake), grab flats, flip flops, or sneakers. It’s the practical shoe choice when descending 10 stories out of your office. You would never be caught up a creek without a paddle — nor should you find yourself in the midst of a natural disaster in stilettos.

Take it from by best friend. Her building in DC closed down as a safety precaution after the earthquake. With crazy Metro delays, she decided to make the hour and a half walk home. In heels.

She told me: “I was wearing my damn work heels.  At first it was fine. Then I thought I stepped on glass but it turned out to be a blister on my heel, which is awesomely painful today.”

Luckily, a blister will heal, but had the earthquake been bigger or something worse than an earthquake, proper footwear would have been a crucial part to any evacuation plan.

So I ask you, readers: do you know where the closest flip flops are? (filing cabinets make great storage bins!).

Practical shoes never looked so good.

Poolside Style: Make a Splash this Summer

Growing up, Memorial Day always marked a pretty huge occasion in my family: it was the day the neighborhood pool opened. From Memorial Day to Labor Day, you could find me in a sweet one-piece Speedo swimsuit, Marco Polo’ing my way through those hot summer days. The sun, the freckles, the Choco Tacos!… gosh, so many great memories happened amidst the smell of chlorine!

Today, Memorial Day weekend still triggers that feeling of nostalgia as pools open for the summer. Before you cannonball into your apartment’s swanky rooftop pool, here are a few cute must-have pool items for 2011!

Mix & Match Swimwear
Victoria’s Secret has an entire section devoted to bathing suits all under $49. Score! If you’re like me, it can be tricky to find a suit where the top and bottom fits perfectly, so why not have a little fun and mix & match to get the perfect fit?

Whimsy Cover Up
When I was 10, we rode our bikes to the pool and never bothered putting on a coverup. Hang on to that youthful feeling by choosing a whimsy coverup like this tank top from Billabong.

Pool Tote
I never go to the pool empty handed. Books, gossip mags, iPod — all these poolside essentials need a home! Grab a cute canvas or straw tote that doesn’t break the bank. These totes from Old Navy are only $12.50.

Flippy Flops
I like a rubber/plastic flip flop at the pool so I don’t have to worry about ruining any leather or suede. I challenge you to browse Havaianas’ web site and not find a pair that matches your swimsuit perfectly. They have everything!

Sunscreen
You can be the most stylish gal at the pool, but if you’re not wearing sunscreen, you’re breaking my heart! A nice, light fragrance-free option is Coppertone Oil Free Sunscreen Lotion, SPF 15 ($8.19 from Drugstore.com). My fellow fair-skinned friend, Meg, turned me on to this. It’s not greasy and as close to “fragrance-free” as you can get!