Purple

For many years I had a bright red winter coat. A knee-length swing coat, kinda posh. People loved it. I bought it Before Children, when I had money to spend on myself. I wore that coat nearly every day for 8 winters, because we'd run out of money for spending on anything that wasn't necessary. It meant that I got very sick of that coat. (If you've ever read Rilla of Ingleside, think of how Rilla ended up feeling about her frivolous hat and you'll have an idea how I felt.) Because winter always started with What a fabulous coat! but ended with Couldn't miss you in your red coat!! or suchlike. In the last 3 years I just wanted to scream at anyone who mentioned anything about the sodding red coat. And mention it they did. Here's my advice to coat buyers. A bright coat should only be purchased if you have more than one to choose from. Take it from me. They should tell you that in coat shops.

This winter, purple is very much in fashion. And the tap business is doing quite nicely. So this was the year I retired the red coat (hur-RAH!!!) and bought myself a funky little purple parka from K-mart; for under $50 I might add. It's warm, it's my colour and it's not bright red. I'm a happy coat-wearer once more. Meantime, what with my extra dollars and the profusion of purple everywhere, I can, if I wish, step out every day adorned in my favourite colour. And generally I do wish. If you've got it, flaunt it, I say. Also, given that my handbag, wallet, gloves and coat are all purple these days, even if I don't dress in purple I am still predominantly ... purple. What this currently means for me is that every day someone makes a comment about my purpleness. I'm not exaggerating. E-v-e-r-y day. Not that I really mind, I don't dress the way I do so that I'll fade into the background. It's just that I now understand parents of twins who roll their eyes when they get the inevitable "double trouble" type comment. I wonder if it would happen if I wore brown all the time.

Anyway as if to prove I really do have a problem with my current levels of lavender, look what I bought:

Yep. Purple tap shoes. Unsurprisingly, I have been lusting after these for ages but it was a want-not-a-need. Eventually, however, I realised I wasn't quite happy with my oh-so-comfortable Capezio Oxfords - I used to swear by Capezio tap-shoes but this particular model was just not as good as they used to be. Then the last pair of shoes I bought were the ladyshoes which I needed for doing girly-tap performances. I justified this latest purchase to Fixit (What do you need more tap shoes for? How many pairs do you have now?) by telling him but these ones are PURPLE; furthermore, they were on sale!! (reduced by 20%). This is always a good thing to say, I've found. And in this case it was true, but it was just a happy accident that I rocked up to buy them at sale time.

When I wore them on Tuesday night I was shocked by how heavy they were. They weigh 150grams more than my old shoes, the difference felt enormous. But it didn't seem to make much difference once I got used to them. They're absolutely great. I loved tapping in them. And I think the extra weight in them means less work for me in terms of belting out the sound - very important for teaching because it helps keep the students on the beat. And the purpleness I think just adds to the sound. All right I made that up. But chances are I'll look very colour co-ordinated when I wear them, always a bonus.

So.. umm.. yeah. My name is Stomper Girl and I am a purple-holic.