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As a writer myself I know what you mean, but have found some limited uses for it. I have a fairly big printer (Plotter) so AI does a really nice job of taking a smaller sized photo and then scaling it up without any distortion even in poster sized pictures. It's kind of nice now to be able to take a thumbnail image and print it out at 3 feet by 5 feet and have it look good. The other thing I like is that in the United States anyway, the Supreme Court ruled AI Images are not able to be copyrighted, so I can use AI pictures for book covers and not have to worry about models, model releases, etc, and later being sued. Like @Mr. X but a little different, we just bought another house and wanted to see what the place would look like differently. Since we were swapping rooms, as in the kitchen being the living room and vice versa, it was nice to take pictures of the rooms then just make it a kitchen based on different kitchen styles of architecture. It was just Mr X did, but with rooms, and it was nice to see what we ultimately envisioned.

For me... and just me only, I like the contrast of the white socks, but I would like to see a white top. A kind of "black and white is always right" kind of fashion statement that is a staple of the world. But I admit I like contrast on my fronts. An ex-wife of mine always insisted her socks or hosiery always matched her shirt. I am not saying what she did was right, but that was her fashion rule for herself.

I also had a demanding week, but may break out my highest presentable heels today. I am to attend a music recital this afternoon, which will involve about a 600 m walk each way. The key for me is warming up a little bit first. Once I get to that height, I can't just put on my shoes and go. There has to be preflight.

The younger one says he doesn't care at all, and I believe him to an extent, but I KNOW for a fact that he enjoys his reputation as the kid who shows up to school in greasy jeans and beat up work boots who can also write and speak well and play the heck out of a saxophone. It's a subtle statement saying, "I am one of the few kids who knows how to drive a manual transmission, and I am the ONLY kid in my school who knows how to rebuild a carburetor." He might also be the only kid in his school who knows how to spell carburetor, and that there are two possible ways to spell it, depending upon which side of the pond you're on.

I’ve been lured away into mid-heels. Very heavy rains and temperatures down to 4°C have prompted me to dig out my heavy suede OTK boots with chunky 8cm heels. They are lovely and warm and very appealing on nippy mornings in the boat. We’re at that tricky transitional point in the year when it’s nippy enough in the mornings to want warm boots but not quite nippy enough for me to want to start the coal fire - yet. The daytime temperatures are a pleasant 15°C or so. i can change into my stilettos in the afternoon

I suspect I’ll find it challenging to find the “right” pair of sandals as I too am very picky about appearance, comfort and quality. Boots I know and understand. I’ve always worn boots, going back to a childhood in the mountains where hiking boots came to be a kind of personal trademark - something that distinguished me from the other kids in my class, with their natty town shoes. I’ve had this bias ever since and been fortunate that my choice of career allowed me to avoid wearing both neckties and brogues!

You and both of my kids. I have no idea how I managed to raise two boys who never wear shorts and always wear work boots. They arrived at this fashion/function/comfort decision independently. I threw "fashion" in there because there certainly IS that element in the mix, particularly with the older boy. Sandals are very tricky. In my experience anyway, it's much harder to find a "good" pair of sandals than it is fully enclosed shoes or boots. Then again, I'm probably pickier than most people, both about appearance and comfort.

You make shorts presentable, although I just don’t wear them myself - other than for cycling or to the gym. It’s always jeans for me and I usually manage to find a reason to extend boot season to year round, something that’s not really too hard to do in the north of England. I will say though, that you do make sandals look appealing - enough so that I am contemplating investing in a pair if I can find something nice in my size

As many of you know, I do like to wear shorts. Now is the time when it will soon be time to say goodbye until next year. These are perhaps my favorite jean shorts from l.e.i. I like the fact that they are pretty short, but not super tight in the legs, making them a little less racy than would otherwise be the case. They are size 5, which means they are juniors and not misses (which is the U.S. term for "women's"). One would think that juniors would fit my nonexistent hips better, and they probably do, but the downfall of that slimmer cut is that they are much better when standing up than when sitting down. Were it not for the fact that I have certain plumbing installed that was not really designed into these shorts, I would have no complaints. In other words, they are a bit tight in the crotch when the legs are not parallel with the torso. I have actually had compliments from strangers on these shorts in the past, with one gal even asking what brand they were. To be sure, I was in a standing position at the time. Paired with the shorts (and my 175th anniversary of our local church t-shirt) are my Bruno Magli Kira suede mules. Suede and summer might seem an odd combination, but somehow with these sandals, it works. They could probably use a good cleaning, though. For something casual and comfortable, they fit right in. One of the things I like about them is that they are a very narrow wedge, so they are not clompy at all, as many wedges can be. It is almost like walking in stilettos without the worry of putting your heel down a crack. *** A technical note: These sandals are size 38 1/2. I do not care what many size conversion charts say. 38 1/2 ≠ 8 1/2 U.S. Women's. I made them work, but they are just *this* close to being too small. I could have probably used a 39 or 39 1/2.

Exactly. I agree, I do think there is community out there who would happily join and contribute if they knew about us, and understood that we simply wear heels as a point of fashion.

It certainly is! I’m back on my boat, unpacked and practicing!

For me it's also helpful and if I didn't have the conversation with you I probably wouldn't even have started this, or sometime later in the future. Oh yeah that would be so nice, to meet in the challenge heels! But talking about our experiences online is also nice 🙂

What a great day that you encountered two who realized your shoes and even almost correctly knew the model! I have the Hot Chicks and am starting to wear them out more. They absolutely turn heads, but so far no one approached me about them. The Hot Wave are absolutely gorgeous too 🙂

Yes, the challenge is very much about personal goals. Speaking for myself it has been quite helpful knowing both of you @mlroseplant and @higherheels are doing it too, in different styles and in different countries! What a pity we don't live closer - what fun it would be to meet up over coffee in our respective challenge heels!! I know I've definitely benefitted from all this - gaining skill in my 12cm boots and really moving fluidly in my 10cm ones!

For sure you're not that far off. I'd also guess this translates to 11,3 cm or so. I think the challenge isn't that much about absolute numbers anyways but more about the personal goals from each of us 🙂 Don't restrict yourself because of the price tag, the heels you already have are absolutely fine. I wouldn't buy the Hot Chicks for practicing either, it's more of an coincidence that I can use them now because I already have them. When I bought them I didn't even really think about wearing them, I just bought them for the looks. And for that it was hell a lot of money!

I just hope they fit. I'll write more once I get them. One feature I really like is a full inside zipper.

I like those!

Tease Hopeful coming to my feet this weekend. I do hope it fits. Jessica Simpson Mixtesa Slouch Bootie in Dark Cherry

Absolutely! And given your mileage you’re way ahead of me in any case! Im en route back to my boat at last! Freedom!

It would seem unlikely without an invite, but who knows? I believe that there are any number of people who might like to join our community if only they knew that we actually wear heels instead of just fantasizing about them. We've had our dress-up-in-front-of-the-mirror people also, but I think they tend to find us very boring (and vice versa).

Ah yes, but were we rich enough for such luxuries. I'm talking about Italian Heels as if I'm going to buy some. Not until I procure the Next Big Job. I will certainly be laid off from the one I'm on right now, it's only a question of whether it will be in a couple of weeks or a couple of months. So for now, I'll have to participate in the challenge with slightly low heels. I'm not THAT far off. 12 cm on size 40 still translates to what? 11.3 or 4? What's a few millimeters among friends?

Mlroseplant, I must say any previous fear you may have has apparently passed. 5.5” heels is an achievement indeed. You coordinate it all well. I get heels selectively now usually to match a pair of pants, dress, or skirt I have. Keep making that corner of Iowa a stylish place. HinH

I stand corrected - at least one of my group wears heels apparently. And when I think about it she was the one most likely, a southern lady. I didn’t see her heels but she referenced them in a conversation we had while attempting to do a walk around one of the lakes only to find it was flooded. She was not happy about getting her hiking boots wet as they are going back to America tomorrow and she’d planned to wear them in the plane, saying that she didn’t want to wear her heels in the airport and on the plane. From which I deduced she had brought heels and presumably wore them after hours. And now that I think of it she was also the only one in the group that was familiar with the story about men in heels back in the 17th century …

Thank you mlroseplant for the history lesson, the 80s were before my time. In the 90s and 2000s high heels weren't worn that much for tours/trips I would say. I still like to wear my heels for city trips and such. It's mostly only strolling around anyways so I find a low heel very suitable.

That was also my first thought - why these sandals? Who knows, maybe she'll end up here on HHP one day and we can ask her this question 🙂