Since I’m the only “woman” in the CD of Arrowsmith Shoes who rides a motorcycle, I know that we have many women customers and I like to think that they are stylish and trendy – like me! I also like to think that these fashion gals follow the fashion shows like I do but if you don’t this spring you’re going to see a lot of motorcycle inspired trends for women.

Women of the world, . . .unite and face down your fears. You’re more than just a pretty face and arm candy. Aren’t you? It was the guys against the gals last week in our lively little discussion group as we were pummeled with all the stuff we can’t do and our “why would we want to” responses were mere fodder for more pain from our “male superior” counter parts. Blah! Blah! Blah!

It all started with a minor repair that need to be done on my desk drawer and I was unable to distinguish between the different tools that were needed to get the job done as well as the stupid names that identify them – it went downhill from there.

Guys, for some reason know this stuff and I think that we pretty little things do not have a need to know them. That’s what guys are for. If God wanted me to bend over and fix stuff all the time he would have put diamonds on the floor. Right? That’s sound logic there my friends.

Here are a things women need to improve on to help shut the guys up. (Jim in particular)

1. Using power tools – Yes it’s true. Guys aren’t always going to be there when you need them for this stuff. Why is a Phillips screw driver called Phillips anyway. I always thought it was the ‘pointy screwy’ thing.

2. Being disliked – Guys don’t really care that much about this problem as I was informed but I’m upset if I even think a cab driver doesn’t like me. Even Mother Teresa had people who didn’t like her for God’s sake. Why do I care if people like me or not?

3. Going to the gym – I only go to the gym with other women and will rarely set foot in the weight room. Too intimidating!

4. Saying “I don’t know” – If you’re wrong admit it. If you don’t know something say it. Learn it if you must but it’s OK to not know everything, (hint hint, Mandy you were no help)

5. Asking a guy out on a date – This one will take some time. I’m a girly-girl and the wires are locked firmly into place by sisters and mother on this one. Although. . . .there’s great looking guy who parks at the other end of our parking lot . . . . .

6. Decorating – I’m embarrassed to have friends over to my apartment because I have nothing on my walls except old ridiculous posters and my furniture sucks. How hard is it to learn how to decorate a little bit. It’s upsetting to think that my apartment hates me.

These are a few thigs we discussed and lost at. Men are not superior beings as they like to tease me about but I will get even.

Julie

but no one’s happy. . . !

Jim sent me to the movie The Social Network. . . ! It was my turn to go to a movie and write about it and this is a topic of particular interest because I am a Fan of Facebook. As the list of people who read Arrowsmith Shoes blog is growing I had a big responsibility to write an accurate review. My review in short is this: I love this movie and so will you!

The Social Network is fascinating and the dialogue is impressive. The two hours it takes to see this movie goes by so fast that the only disappointment I can write about is that the the movie wasn’t three hours. This is a fascinating movie. I’m a techie and freely admit it so I was anxious to watch how this incredible phenomenon started.

It makes an untellable story clear and fascinating. I’ve heard that its supposed to be impossible to make a movie about a writer, because how can you show him only writing? It must also be impossible to make a movie about a computer programmer, because what is programming but writing in a language few people in the audience know? Yet director David Fincher and his writer, Aaron Sorkin, are able to explain the Facebook phenomenon in terms we can immediately understand, which is the reason 500 million of us have signed up. Including me!

For brining us Facebook, we possibly have to thank a woman named Erica. “The Social Network” begins with Erica’s date with beer sipping Zuckerberg. During the date, Erica gets fed up, calls him an asshole and walks out. Zuckerberg is a social moron of course, and a total geek and he gets upset over being treated this way and Facebook is born out of revenge. Zuckerberg goes home, has more beers and starts hacking into the “facebooks” of Harvard dorms to collect the head shots of campus women. He programs a page where they can be rated for their beauty. This is sexist and illegal mind you, and proves so popular, it crashes the campus servers. After it’s fertilized by a mundane website called “The Harvard Connection,” Zuckerberg grows it into Facebook. Incredible. . . . ! (I work for a company that is kind’a similar in nature. )

Is Zuckerberg a genius? Yes! Did he create Facebook alone? No!

Zuckerberg may have had the insight that created Facebook, but he didn’t do it alone in a room, and the movie gets a narration by cutting between depositions for lawsuits. Along the way, we get insights into the pecking order at Harvard, a campus where ability joins wealth and family as success factors. We meet the twins Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss (both played by Armie Hammer), rich kids who believe Zuckerberg stole their “Harvard Connection” in making Facebook. We meet Eduardo Saverin (Andrew Garfield), Zuckerberg’s roommate and best (only) friend, who was made CFO of the company, lent it the money that it needed to get started and was frozen out. And most memorably we meet Sean Parker (Justin Timberlake), the founder of two legendary web start ups, Napster and Plaxo.

It is the mercurial Parker, just out of work but basked in fame and past success, who grabbed Zuckerberg by the ears and pulled him into the big time. He explained why Facebook needed to move to Silicon Valley. Why more money would come from venture capitalists than Eduardo would ever raise with his hat-in-hand visits to wealthy New Yorkers. And he tried, not successfully, to introduce Zuckerberg into the fast lane: big offices, wild parties, women, the availability of booze and cocaine.

“The Social Network” is a great film not because of its fascinating style or visual cleverness, but because it is very well-made. Despite the complications of computer programming, web strategy and big finance, the director makes it all clear, and we don’t follow the story so much as get dragged along behind it. I saw it with my fiance’ and we both loved. This film is very interesting and I highly recommend it.

Julie

New York’s Second annual Fashions Night Out is the unofficial start of the fall fashion season. Anyone who’s anyone is out on the town and looking their best.

I have no problem with this. New York deserves a great night out in the wake of the September 11 anniversary. Good for them! I am only upset because I wasn’t there. I would have loved to have been all dressed up going for drinks and then to the red carpet to see and be seen.

The after parties are huge and I have a friend who lives in New york who went to to some of the parties, I should say he was a party crasher. The trend for New York kicking off fall fashion for the season is a good thing. It smell like fall and feels like fall everyday. I’m in the mood for fall too!

Fashions Big Night Out was started a couple of years ago by Ann Wintour and the city was electric! Amazing! And, all the stores and designers had wine and cheese at different locations to support the event.

In Chicago, fall is in full swing too. The stores have changed over although it seems later this year than before but it’s still a good thing. Someone should start a Big Night Out in Chicago!

What do you think? Let me know.

Julie

You can tell it’s Tuesday morning after having Monday off for Labor Day.  I was complaining about something and Jim heard it and went on a rant about how spoiled I was.

Jim reminds me a lot of Robing Williams.  Very witty but very humorous when he gets on a rant about how spoiled kids are today.  I just want to let you know, I’m 27 years old!  I’m not a kid.

Ok!  I admit it!  I was complaining about some friends of mine who I couldn’t reach and it became a huge headache because I was saying that a friend didn’t have her cell phone with her putting our entire group at a huge inconvenience.  Jim heard the comment and it went down hill from there.  Here’s a snippet from the conversation.  Also, we did this just get get him going because it’s really fun to watch.

“. . . . You spoiled kids, seriously!  You couldn’t reach your friend for an hour?  OMG the horror of it all.. . . .  When I was a kid.  (here we go)! there was no Internet, no flippin’ cell phones, no email, no texting no Facebook, no nothing.  There wasn’t call waiting or caller ID.  If you made a call and someone was on the line you got a busy signal.  I grew up with party lines where 10 houses could share a telephone line and if you wanted to make a call you had to wait until your neighbor got off the phone.. . . . . (what?)  Kids today look at texting as communicating.  What ever happened to actually walking up the house where your friends house and knock on the f****** door.  “What up” and “hey” on a cell phone text isn’t communicating or asking you out on a date.  When I grew up there wasn’t Child Protective Services.  My dad actually told all my teachers that they have permission to kick my ass if I got out of line.  Not only that, my friends parents had the same permission.. . . .  You could get your ass kicked at any given moment.  (too funny)  You’re all soft and a bunch of whiners who expect everything while earning none of it.  Your mom and dad paid for your college?  Four years of college!  OMG!  My mom and dad paid for nothing and I went to school and had to work the night shift at the Swiss Colony Cheese packaging plant for three years to pay for it. You’re all spoiled rotten and I have to live with it in HD!  Holy hell!  You couldn’t get ahold of your friend for an hour.  I’m going to run out side and check to see if the world ended.. . . “

See what I mean!  His head spun right off into space.  He was on a rant and sounded exactly like a Robin Willaims comedy routine when he would shake his head and flail his arms around but we were dying laughing. 

Spoiled Julie!  LOL!

This is the best story I’ve seen in a long time and completely fascinating.  This just warms my heart and makes you feel good!  Elephants are amazing creatures and if you don’t believe me watch this video.

I have the duty this weekend and our work piled up.  I’m taking a break and a friend of mine sent me the link to this video and I thought I would share it with everyone who visits the blog.

Enjoy!

Julie

This is how I think I look on a motorcycle!

I’m not a geek although everyone here teases me about being one. I’m the only girl among three brothers and I’m the youngest sibling in my family. So knowing that, I learned more non geek stuff growing up than I deserve to be teased about. I had hand me downs but all of it was sports equipment – baseball gloves, knee pads, hockey sticks, golf clubs and tennis rackets, etc. The one thing all of us kids learned how to do growing up was riding motorcycles. I learned how to ride my oldest brothers motocross bike when I was nine years old and I’ve been a fan of motorcycles ever since. 

I have several reasons why I I like men on motorcycles:

1. The Sex Appeal

A man on a motorcycle turns me on because a man on a motorcycle is automatically bad — a little bit tough, a little bit rugged — and, for pretty much any woman, automatically hot.

2. The Leather Jacket

Leather and motorcycles go hand and hand, and nothing — nothing — is sexier to us than a leather jacket and biker boots. Even if you don’t know how to ride yet.

3. The Throbbing Engine

That sound a bike makes starting up? Makes me feel alive. It gets me revved up — gets your heart pumping — like hearing a good rock song.  I don’t have a Harley yet but as soon as I can get one I will.

4. The Freedom of the Road

A woman likes a sense of adventure, especially when it’s spontaneous. And there’s something about getting out there on the road — on front, on back, whatever — that lets you see your surroundings in a whole new way. A woman likes endless possibilities.  None of the geeks I work with have a motorcycle so therefore they do not have endless possibilities. 

5. The Forbidden Drive

Girls aren’t supposed to ride motorcycles, and I love breaking stereotypes. Just seeing my Harley-Davidson Nightster in my garage feels like I have an escape vehicle — an automatic sense of empowerment and control, and my outlet to break free. Doing a burnout? Let’s just say women like to push themselves, too.

Julie

Hi friends and fellow shoe shoppers! I passed my graphic design task and posted a new home page for all to view. Phew! It was touch and go there for awhile but I completed my task and I’m done for the day.

The new Florsheim “Buffalo” Loafers are in and they look fantastic so I created a home page to show them off. I have the weekend duty her in the Graphic Design Bay and I’m making sure everyone is happy and there are no tech issues lingering around out there.

The computer that contains the video software and some other equipment has arrived and it’s out of the box but not set up yet. A new desk station is in pieces and it looks like it will be up and running this week. Fun stuff! I’m looking at the manuals now and tech stuff always amazes me.

Summer is closing in around us and fall is right around the corner. I here rumblings of a sale in the near future and if you’re a preferred client you will be getting an email about that pretty soon. A few select markdowns have already made their way to the site. This Nunn Bush “Brown Leather” Boot is one of my favorites boots and a perfect fall item. Pick up a nice plaid shirt and a great pair of jeans and you’re ready to head off to soldier field to watch the Bears or to your favorite sports bar to watch you’re Alma Mater. I’m a University of Wisconsin graduate.

Go Badgers!

Julie

This is a tough job and a lot tougher than I thought it would be. When you’re new and working with creative people there’s an expectation that is 100% results driven only. That’s it! There’s no faking it. “There’s no such thing as perfect in this kind of thing, it just needs to work.” I’m struggling with this concept and I need help.

I had my second home page rejected in so many days and received some “instruction” on “speed” and “message” before I was subsequently removed from the assignment and demoted to watching. Yuck! That’s like being benched.

I was wearing my Frankie Says: Relax t-shirt and a pair of designer jeans and looked cute as can be and subsequently started to stress out over this and have self doubt in my skills. I have the technical skills but obviously lack the marketing skills. I was told that I should listen to my t-shirt and just relax. So, I decided to write a blog about this to be posted on Sunday.

We create a lot of web and print work during the week and some days you have time to take your time and other days you don’t.

Julie Says: RELAX!

Julie

It’s 8:00 a.m. Friday morning and I’m sitting at my computer bay and the morning meeting begins in one hour. I’m the newest graphic designer on the team who, by the way, had to take a whole lot of challenging graphic design tests to get the job and I’m ready for whatever the meeting brings. Some of the exam tasks I passed and some of the tasks I flunked. At my review I was told by Jim that “there’s no school like the old school” and that I shouldn’t forget that. I’m 24 years old don’t even know what that means but I agreed and determined that Jim must be old.

Hi friends & fellow shoe lovers! One of the most popular brands of designer footwear we sell at Arrowsmith Shoes is Giorgio Brutini. This brand has been in our store for years and is a long time favorite by all our clients.

This Black Calf Blucher is one of the top selling brands we carry in the dress shoe section. Very comfortable and priced at only $69.98, this brand is hard to beat for quality and value.

For the past two years or so it seems that lace up dress shoes have grown in popularity which is contradicting the dressing down of footwear. It seems that people still want and need dress shoes and if you fall into that category then all of us at Arrowsmith Shoes suggest you try Giorgio Brutini.

Julie