Comfy Shoes, A Good Book, And A Cup Of Tea

Style blogger Susan B. of une femme d'un certain age wearing red Everlane Day Heel shoes

Comfortable Heels (Not An Oxymoron)…

I’ve been meaning to tell you about these shoes for some weeks now. They were gifted from Everlane but sold out almost immediately, so I’ve been watching and waiting to see when they would be restocked. They’re going to be getting the black and natural suede back in stock in limited quantities, so wanted to give you a heads-up in case you want to pre-order. The styling is clean and classic, and they can dress up or down, depending on what you wear them with.

I’m wearing my normal pump size (7.5) and I have to tell you, they are butter soft and felt like slippers from the moment I put them on. I’ve even worn them to walk the dogs! Some of the reviews mention that they might work better for narrow feet, but my feet are on the wide side and no issues. I’m not seeing a re-stock date yet Restock date listed as 7/31 for the red ones and you can add your name to a waitlist to be notified.

Good Reads…

Style blogger Susan B. from une femme d'un certain age recommends The Price Of Illusion by Joan Juliet Buck

I generally don’t have as much time to read as I’d like, and tend to favor fiction, history and biographies over memoirs. But after reading Allie’s interview with Joan Juliet Buck at Wardrobe Oxygen, I was intrigued. And this memoir delivers. It’s just gossipy enough to be entertaining, and with balanced with introspection to add substance and humanity. I’ve especially enjoyed her accounts of the London, New York and Paris fashion scenes from the 1960’s through the 2000’s. I still have a couple of chapters to go.

A Cuppa…

I’m not usually much of a tea drinker. I don’t particularly care for most herbal teas (except for the occasional mint) and if I’m going to drink something caffeinated, it’s going to be coffee. I had my first taste of rooibos tea at Frances’ place, and really liked it. More oomph than herbal or green teas, but no caffeine. I’ve picked up this “Double Red” at the grocery store, but will definitely be trying other flavors/blends. It’s supposed to be full of good stuff like antioxidants and minerals.

Do you like rooibos tea? Any favorite flavors? Please also feel free to share anything good you’ve read lately.

Heels You Can Walk In…

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42 Comments

  1. Everlane deliver fine leather shoes you can walk in. I have three pairs – Modern Loafer, Baboa , and the ballet flat (in that very red/orange) and I like them .

  2. I just finished Option B by Sheryl Sandburg. A very inspiring, instructive book about resilience in adversity. Highly recommend. As for the shoes, I just can’t love the look of chunky heels. Comfort is important to me too, I wish there was another option! I do love wedge heels though.

  3. I discovered Rooibos tea on a trip to South Africa this past winter. It is delicious and caffein-free. As a bonus, it reminds me of a wonderful trip!

    1. Same here when we visited! We brought back the real deal as gifts (and souvenirs!). Hmm, perhaps I should wander over to the cupboard now….

  4. I love your shoes. The chunky heel is so retro/’60s. And the elastic back is smart for keeping them on while having soft leather.
    I’m reading “Nudge” by Richard Thaler and Cass Sustein. Very enlightening.

  5. I just read a great memoir “Hourglass” which I think you’d enjoy. And I drink roobios tea (not an usual herbal tea fan either) iced, all summer long. Great shoes, very Celine.

  6. I’ve just finished reading Big Little Lies but I have to say I preferred the the TV series which is unusual as I usually find the books are much better.
    When it comes to tea, I love Twinings Traditional Afternoon Tea, in a china mug of course – sugar and teabag in first, then boiling water and topped up with milk last. I’m very fussy about that!

  7. The Rooibos you liked at my place is Murchie’s Coconut Chai Rooibos (I kept saying “cinnamon,” but I double-checked after Lisa commented on how coconut-y it tastes, and she’s right).
    I love those shoes, but have very little incentive to heels these days (plus the exchange rate between our dollars is keeping my shopping home more often, tbh).
    As for memoirs, I just read Lauren Collins’ When in French — so entertaining and instructive (about learning languages, cultural attitudes toward multilingualism, etc.) and so very funny that I kept having to explain to Paul why I was laughing out loud, sometimes to tears, as I read. . . .

    1. Rooibos tea has a lovely flavor, and we started drinking it after it was mentioned (nearly every page!)
      in the #1 Ladies Detective Agency series set in Botswana, which we read years ago. I made iced tea with
      Darjeeling and rooibos tea this weekend and that was great!
      We drink rooibos tea after dinner nearly nightly during the winter.
      Thanks for the blog–packing to go to Brazil on a wildlife tour this last several weeks is interesting but I am
      sticking to your 13 item packing recommendations! And will feel that I am prepared for Africa next year!
      And I need several download books for the long flights to get there–
      Mary

      1. Funny you should mention the No.1 Ladies Detective Agency… I just watched the series premier last night and plan to watch the rest of season 1 today. I’d read the books years ago and saw the DVD at the library and picked it up as a lark (it’s due back today, so I have to binge watch it if I want to see the rest).

        Rooibos is really the only herbal tea I like. I’m a big black tea drinker! I guess I’ll have to brew up a pot to drink as I watch the lady detective…

        I have to agree with the other reader that chunky heels are not my thing. I prefer the stacked-leather cowboy heel as it slants in a bit. Yes, less stable but a bit more feminine.

        I’ve just finished reading four murder mysteries set in Provence by author M.L. Longworth. They are the Verlaque and Bonnet Provencal Mysteries. The first book in the series is “Death at Chateau Beaumont”. I’ve enjoyed them, and if you are looking for some summer reading, you might enjoy them too.

        Cheers!

    2. You weren’t wrong about the cinnamon, though. According to the website description, “this blend combines tangy cinnamon, cloves and other spices with mellow coconut flakes.” Interesting that you and I picked up the cinnamon, while Lisa noticed the coconut. At any rate, it was delicious and I’m going to order some. Thanks again!!

    3. Frances, I read “When in French” a couple of months ago, and I agree completely with your comments about it. I now will read anything Ms. Collins writes!
      After being a black-tea drinker for two decades, my new favorite is Jasmine Silver tip No.96, by Steven Smith Teamaker. Consisting of China full-leaf green tea scented with jasmine blossoms, it is heavenly.

  8. Hi Susan,
    I usually buy the Twinings, Pure Rooibos Red Tea at the supermarket. If I feel like something a little different I get the Republic of Tea, Good Hope Vanilla Red Tea Bags.
    I haven’t read anything lately, but the book on Joan Buck looks interesting.
    Thanks,
    Marilyn

    1. I like plain rooibos (which means Red Bush in Afrikaans, similar to Dutch) and discovered it when working in Amsterdam, as there are renewed ties with South Africa, boycotted by many Dutch organisations, businesses and individuals during the Apartheid years. They have a lot of wine from ZA, and of course diamonds…

      There are some tisanes I like, such as nettle tea – no, it doesn’t make your throat break out in hives – very good for the digestion.

  9. Do you have a Teavana near you? They sell a wide variety of loose leaf tea, including some delicious rooibos flavors. Just be careful, because the price adds up quickly. I was shocked once when my three small bags of tea added up to $100.

    If you like a heartier flavor tea without caffeine, try Harney and Sons decaf hot cinnamon spice. It’s very bold and full bodied and needs no sugar at all. Delicious! I recommend the sachets over the tea bags. Another full bodied, full flavor tea is the herbal tea Cinnamon Apple Spice from Celestial Seasonings, which is seasonal in grocery stores, but available year round on their website.

  10. A rooibos that I really like is called “Cheif of 10,000 Islands” and it makes the best iced tea ever.

  11. Fortnum and Masons Ceylon Orange Pekoe Tea. Twinings does a version as well. Always served in a cup with a saucer. When at work, standards dropped and it would be the bog standard English breakfast tea (with milk) and alas, no cup but a mug.

  12. I really like the natural suede pumps but there is the exchange rate! I’m going to try the rooibos as an iced tea if the weather ever warms up in B.C. I just finished Hillbilly Elegy which I found an interesting description of life in the “rust belt” of the United States. I’m not sure that all of the problems can be attributed to geographic or economic factors but it is an interesting read.

    1. I live square in the middle of the setting of that story ( Hillbilly Elegy) and it’s all true and more. It’s a cultural thing from what I can see. Proud people, keep to themselves and what goes on , stays in the family.

    2. One of my work colleagues is from that exact place in Kentucky and moved to that exact place in Ohio. He read the book and was astounded at its accuracy.

  13. I’ll be interested to read your take on JJBuck after you finish the book. I ended up feeling rather ambivalent about the book–and about her.

  14. I’m simplifying my life (purging my wardrobe) so no more shoes, for a while at least. Currently reading and enjoying An Unnecessary Woman by Rabih Alameddine. Having a latte now, but always enjoy a cup of Kusmi Tea BB Detox. and so it goes…

  15. I love coffee, and the stronger the better. Having said that, I am a huge fan of PG Tips, British Tea. Lovely in the afternoon, but must be drunk before 3 pm! — with milk and sugar. Just delish.

  16. There is also a lovely Rooibos product called Red Expresso. It is also caffeine free and used in a stove top coffee machine giving a wonderful crema top. It is very popular in South Africa.
    It is the product my French and Dutch friends most ask me to bring back for them after a trip to South Africa. Well that and Rooibos gin!

  17. I’m a coffee hound come morning. Afternoons I’m addicted to Scottish Breakfast Tea (Taylor’s) though it seems funny. Always with a little milk, as the package suggests. Usually have to order it online. (Pumps are beautiful; I too am on a simplifying jag as I clean out a messy big closet. I’ll tag them for later!)

  18. After Twinings stopped stocking Orange Pekoe tea here in New Zealand, we searched for alternatives and very happily found a wonderful “proper” tea stockist called Tea Total. And even better they are not too far from our rural home. Whilst it’s unlikely you would be able to obtain their teas in your home countries, I urge you to check out their website (http://www.teatotal.co.nz) to give you some great ideas of what could be out there for you to try. We currently have 10 varieties in our pantry and would never go back to tea bags.

    1. Fortnum and Masons do the best Orange Pekoe tea (loose and in tea bags). You can do an on-line order if desperate and David Jones Australia also stocks it.

      1. Orange pekoe is the variety of tea they grow in Sri Lanka. So maybe Ceylon tea is similar. But we lived in Sri Lanka for two years and our friends who managed tea estates always brought us huge parcels of tea fresh from their tea factories and their on hillsides (we used to give them bottles of good whisky and brandy when we stayed with them – it was super expensive in normal shops but we had diplomatic access at good prices) whenever they visited Colombo. It has spoiled me forever. Nothing ever matches up to tea like this. You couldn’t even get tea like it in Colombo. It was fabulous – so fresh and full of flavour. But I guess Twining’s Orange Pekoe is the closest you can get to it. Best wishes, Pamela

        1. The Fortnum and Masons is from Ceylon (Sri Lanka), but I envy you getting yours so fresh. I hope Susan doesn’t mind me hijacking her site to talk about tea….

  19. Oh Rooibos tea reminds me of a trip to Sth Africa and I adore it as a change from black teas. I was introduced to Twinings Orange pekoe in my early 20s from an English girl I worked with and never looked back. She still sends me care packages of teas from Fortnum and Mason, 30 years on, so lovely.
    I read Only, a wonderful memoir by Caroline Baum about growing up as an only child.

  20. I haven’t tried Everlane’s shoes yet, but I do love a good block heel. Maybe its time to check them out. I’ve not managed to join the tea bandwagon yet, as I prefer my caffeine in the form of coffee and have not been thrilled with most herbal teas. I haven’t tried Rooibos though.

  21. Many thanks for the book recommendation – sounds very interesting. I follow her posts on IG so should try to get a copy of this. The beauty spa at the hotel where we stay every year in Antibes always gives clients a cup of Rooibos tea at the end of a treatment. I guess you’re already feeling heavenly (after a body massage or facial – after a long haul flight) and in a spaced out way so the tea always seems like ambrosia to me. Hadn’t realised there was more than one flavour – they just say it’s Rooibos and I’ve never tried to buy it. In a way it seemed uniquely tied to a whole lovely relaxing experience. Must track down that too. Best wishes, Pamela

  22. Regarding JJBuck: I was very disappointed. Lots and lots of tiresome name-dropping. Nothing there.
    Insipid at best.

  23. Thanks for the book recommendation. I saw an interview with her in the latest InStyle magazine. I just finished rereading “The Handmade’s Tale.” I saw the series on Hulu and had to reread the book.

    I read “Big Little Lies” after I had seen the series. I just finished reading “Golden Prey” by John Sandford. (I am not fond of the violence in the book but he writes a great story.)

    I have read I’ll Drink to That: A Life in Style, with a Twist” by Betty Halbreich and found the book amusing.

    My sister gave me “The Book of Joan: Tales of Mirth, Mischief, and Manipulation” by Melissa Rivers a year to two ago, and I found the book to be very funny.

    I read “The Martian:” last year after I had seen the movie. I would like to read the book upon which the movie “The Arrival” was based.

    I am not a fan of the block heel but my husband said that many of the young women in his office building are wearing them with dressier clothes. I haven’t work heels for years although I will wear a low wedge.

  24. So here’s an interesting train of thought. I had been planning on buying the Salvatore Ferragamo Varas in bone. They’re classic, well made etc. Those everlane shoes are the same lines but not the same style, but are much more inexpensive and w anything I’ve bought from everlane would last maybe two seasons? I wear bone and beige in warm month only. I’m torn and waiting for the Nordstrom Anniversary to see if the Varas make it and then decide. I would be interested to hear thoughts on that. And I love that style. My work wardrobe is just a little bit 60s.

    Teas. I have an addiction. Straight English breakfast (usually tea pigs), and then what I call welnesss blends. I find these from Rishi, Art of Tea and very few at Teavana. Roobioos is one that I buy but oddly only in colder months.

    1. McKristie, I’d be very surprised if the Vara’s went on sale. They’re a classic style, very “evergreen.” That said, I think if they suit your style, it would be hard to go wrong with them.

      1. Good to know. I thought I saw them on sale in past seasons but it could have been “hoping/remembering”. I’m hesitant as I love the lines but I have not bought straight beige shoes. Ever. Arg. I’m also trying to invest more instead of replacing shoes and clothes every few seasons for my work horses. I went through 3 pairs of Chelsea boots before I finally bought quality.

        1. It’s possible that certain seasonal colors or styles were included. I’ll keep an eye out and be sure to post if I see any Vara’s in this year’s sales offerings.

  25. I do enjoy a good cuppa! For rooibos, my favorite is the Bond Street Chai from Townshend’s Tea in Portland. I order it in bulk because I haven’t found a local replacement. It has cacao nibs in it and is so delicious. I brew the tea three times. http://www.townshendstea.com/chai/bond-st-chai/
    Their herbal teas are also nice. If my herb garden is particularly lush I make my own herbal tea with mint, sage, rosemary, etc.