Wear Comfortable Shoes to Rebuild Seaside Heights, NJ

Today marks the 6 month anniversary or Superstorm Sandy made landfall in the northeast.  People have volunteered their time, donated supplies, and opened there wallets. In all $174 million has been donated, according to The Chronicle of Philanthropy, as reported by CNBC. Yet, rebuilding continues.

As a current coastal Staten Island resident, I have shared how Superstorm Sandy affected my local area. Recently, I was able to see the damage along the Jersey shore in areas I regularly visit like Seaside Heights and Ocean Grove.

While, Seaside Heights is often associated with "Jersey Shore" and wild partying, it actually a pretty beach with lots of family fun, likes rides and arcades.

I went twice 3 weeks apart and the progress was visible. The first time, was the St. Patty's Day Parade and the streets and bars were jammed with people in green. It was nice to see people coming back and the arcades re-opening. Three weeks later, right before Easter it was much calmer but more was open. Surprisingly, instead of having Easter baskets galore to win, the holiday was skipped over.

The boardwalk and the rides were destroyed. The building were flooded and contents needed to be thrown out Areas are roped off and marked with no trespassing signs. However, construction is ongoing and the boardwalk is slowly taking shape again.

Since pictures often tell a story better than words, I will be sharing my Seaside Height pictures, which show both the devastation and the recovery.

Early March 2013

The boardwalk was been destroyed and was in the process of being rebuilt. The post visible are the supports for the new boardwalk. Many famous places for food, like the lemonade stand (left), remain closed.

The boardwalk rebuilding with the destroyed Casino Pier in the background. Casino Pier had many rides, including the roller coaster which fell into the ocean and was shown in many newspapers. What is left of the roller coaster is visible in the background.

In the sand, you can see debris that needs to be cleaned out. Many cats have called Seaside Heights home and luckily they survived and are being fed now.

Prabal Gurung for Target: Nice Design; Sometimes Poor Execution Part 2

Three looks for the Prabal Gurung for Target collaboration.

Prabal Gurung brought fun patterns, bright colors and feminine shapes to Target. Yesterday, I reviewed the shoes in the collection, finding that the designs were nice but sometimes the construction was poor.

I was able to buy items from the collection both online and in my local store.

I tried more of the clothing than shoes, so I decided that since this collection contained both, I would review clothing for the first time on this blog. Moreover, the clothes are designed to go with the shoes, as the looks above show.

I purchased  this long sleeve tee in Nolita print ($19.99) to add a fun pop of color to my outfits.

I also purchased the long sleeve t-shirt in Floral Crush print ($19.99).

The two items of clothing I purchased were the long sleeve t-shirts in the two fun prints ($19.99). The Nolita print is bright uneven vertical stripes. The Floral Crush pattern has bright flowers that fade out to white. 

The materials were soft, but not sheer. The sizing runs large.

I thought the shirts would add a pop of color under black at work or dress up jeans. The floral print will also look cute with shorts as the weather warms up. At $19.99, I was happy to buy both.

I was less excited about the rest of the collection. Below are the items I tried on.

Prabal Gurung for Target: Nice Design; Sometimes Poor Execution Part 1

Prabal Gurung brought his patterned clothing and fun femininity to Target. The designer is known for dressing both Michelle Obama and the Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton. 

The Target collaboration includes shoes, clothing and accessories. After trying on both shoes and clothes, I found that the items well-designed and that they came at a nice discount (the most expensive shoes were $39.99, while most clothing ranged from $19.99 to $49.99). However, the execution varied, sizing was not standard and materials used were sometimes poor.

The line outside Target in Manhattan the morning the collection came out.

Shoppers quickly grab items from Prabal Gurung for Target's collection. Images from Racked.

Neverthless, the collection drew large crowds and some items quickly sold out online. Not wanting to sleep out, I shopped online. If you spend over $50 shipping is free, and you can return items to the store. Also, if you keep checking, items become available after previously being sold out. I finally made it to my local store this weekend, and found that they still had some clothes and shoes, including items that were sold out online. A store associate said the items will likely go on clearance soon.

Lets discuss the shoes first.

The Prabal Gurung for Target shoe collection included pointy-toed flats in solid colors and a colorful pattern. Picture from Elle.

Even More Ways to Decorate with Shoe Art

Shoes represent more than a way to protect your feet, they are a decorative way to show personality and style. In December 2011, I first shared how I use to shoes in my decorations to show my interests and to surround myself with things I like. Recently, I have added new ways to decorate with shoes, calendars with different shoes each day, and a chocolate shoe to display.

As holiday gifts I received 2 different shoe calendars. My family and friends know me well. 

This is the cover of the Shoes page-a-day gallery camera that I have on my desk.

The larger of the calendars is the Shoes page-a-day gallery calendar, which provides daily shoe inspiration. Each day you change the cover card to see a new design. The calendar has both new shoes and those from prior centuries. A variety of styles are shown although most are high-heels.

Happy 3rd Birthday Day Through the Sole!

On this day in 1952, Elizabeth the II was proclaimed the Queen of England. In economic news, the NASDAQ, the world's first electronic market, opened for trading.

In shoe news, on this day in 2010, Through the Sole: A Shoe Blog was founded.

I want to thank all my readers, my friends, and family for their continued support. 

In the past year, I have written about a variety of topics, including the history of the stiletto, Madonna's new shoe line, and Kate Middleton judging a shoe contest.

The first post of the third year was on Linsanity, which kicked off a sneaker theme, such as how to shop for sneakers, and new sneakers made of a woven material. 

This year, I also looked at using shoes for a cause. Although shoes are often thought of as frivolous, they are a necessity. In Detroit, they are using recycled material to protect the feet of the homeless.

Through the Sole took on a more personal tone as I wrote about my experiences living through Superstorm Sandy, and documenting my experience through the lens of shoes. For the first time I share pictures of myself and my neighborhood in order to illustrate the devastation and the help we have recieved.