OH NO HE DIDN'T!!!!!!

Are women really more observant than men?  It is a debate that has gone on for centuries and I am sure will continue for centuries more between the sexes.  Personally, I sometimes think women really are, in most situations concerning everyday details, more observant.  For instance, when I walk into a room, my mind and eyes are already searching, detailing, and cataloging everything that I see.  Looking to determine if another woman is wearing the same dress, has a similar hairstyle, heels, or handbag as me.  If a woman walks by I will even notice if the perfume she is wearing is the same as my own.  Understandably these details may seem trivial to most men but alas, these are the things that women take in almost instantly on a subconscious and conscious level, wherever they go.

As detailed oriented as most men are with sports and games, you would think they would naturally be as observant as women with important details surrounding them as well.  However, how can a man who has gone out with someone for almost three months not immediately recognize the person that they had been seeing almost on a daily basis in a picture?  Actually not just one picture but several.  Not only did they not recognize you, they proceeded to ask out the other person photographed in the pictures with you, your best friend.  Was it their inability to observe the small detail of you being in the pictures? Was it merely a lapse in judgement?  Poor eyesight? A poor decision on their part?  Or possibly a lack of concern for the ensuing consequences that would surely follow such a decidedly stupid idea to ask out your best friend. Needless to say, this clear lack of intelligence will not bode well for the pursuer, as the women involved would and will clearly point out the error of this incompetent man.  Take the time to notice and appreciate the world surrounding you.  The small, insignificant details that you ignore and pass by without notice are sometimes more significant than you might at first realize. 

Cocktail dress photo found here and photo reel image found here
    

Are You Up To Bat Yet?

When I am out and about shopping, I love to experience as much as possible, especially by trying new things.  This includes going into any and every store that might catch my eye or intrigue me in some way.  No matter the price range, the eclectic nature of the store, the type of store; the more different and unique, the better the experience. Wandering into this unknown abyss intrigues and excites me while window shopping.  I savor every moment while trying a new and different experience, even if it turns out not worth my time after all.  You just never really know for sure if you will enjoy the store or not until you actually enter the building and look around, touching, feeling, even slipping into a dress or two that you have been drawn to within the store.  There have been plenty of times I have walked into a store that didn't look like much on the outside and walked out with amazing and beautiful finds by not allowing others to guide my eyes and interest.  

Just as in baseball, or any sport for that matter, you have to at least try first.  A batter doesn't step up to home plate ready for their turn, only to think, this isn't going to be my day to hit anything and put the bat down and leave the game.  They step up to that plate and do one of two things, hit the hell out of that ball and get themselves into the game or strike out.  Either way, they made a choice to try and experience all that the game has to offer.

If you aren't allowing yourself to get into the game, you aren't experiencing life.  Who cares if you strike out.  Every player doesn't hit the ball and make it home, if they did baseball games would last days and not hours.  Don't let your fear of what could or couldn't be stop you from living your life to the fullest.  Get out there and get into the game.  Go ahead and strike out!  Eventually you will hit the ball and will be rounding the bases without even realizing what you have done.  Remember, life is what you make of it, so make it spectacular!    

Photo found here

Radio Silence Anyone?

Every day it seems as if we are constantly bombarded on so many levels, demanding our attention and time.  Advertisers relentlessly seek you out through mail, computers, phones, billboards, and televisions, wanting you to consider their product(s).  You get inundated at work with calls, emails, demands, issues, meetings, and so on, from clients, staff, and management, all wanting you to stop what you are working on to assist them first and foremost; all while maintaining a smile and great attitude.  Home is no different.  Friends and family all seek you out as well, desiring your time, voice, ear, love, attention, and affection.  Everywhere you turn; there is something or someone attempting to draw you into their sphere. 

Usually this quest for our attention is not a bad thing, it is just life as we know and love it to be for each of us.  However, occasionally you find yourself tired of it all, where you just need a break, radio silence if you will, from everything and everyone.  In an effort to obtain such silent bliss, you might have to go to extreme measures.  Such as removing your profile online just to get random people that you don’t know or care to even remotely know to stop emailing, winking, and contacting you daily, by turning off your phone for long periods of time just to stop hearing it ring or vibrate, or leaving your laptop packed away to avoid emails, blogs, social networks, and online shopping sites, and even keeping the television turned off.  You might even take it one step further, by taking off somewhere without telling those you love and know, just to have a few moments to think quietly and reflect on your life without everyone else providing input and insight into every challenge and aspect. 

All of this silence doesn’t mean you don’t care or stop loving those around you.  It certainly doesn’t mean you want to give up all the wonders that technology affords us, like our cell phones, Twitter, and Facebook. Radio silence merely indicates that even those of us who are highly social and always happy to be with others also need a moment of quiet reflection and a chance to re-organize our mind and soul.  Silence anyone?  I am sure you are listening.   

Image found here

Make A Decision Yet?

When I was growing up I tended to take forever to make a decision.  My grandmother would get so disgusted and frustrated with my lack of urgency that she would finally just scream "Kimberly Ann!  Either piss or get off the damn pot!"  I realize that is definitely not the most ladylike thing to say, as it is rather crude.  However, there was great clarity in that statement by my grandmother.  Too many times we take forever in making a decision when unfortunately we realize only too late that the answer we were seeking is no longer attached to a valid question. 

When we are making our decisions we tend to be so afraid of the outcome or answer instead of focusing on the pure essence of the ride we end up losing out altogether.  The questions, the self-doubt, it can be relentless, almost like an unending loop of a bad ending to a bad movie.  Asking in your head over and over again, should I buy those heels, should I make those plans, should I stay in budget, should I ask them out, should I say yes, should I say no, should I try to kiss them, should I turn away, on and on it goes!  Should I, Should I, Should I, Should I……..   

Personally, I am still plagued as an adult with taking much too long in making many of my decisions.  At times I think I can actually hear my grandmother yelling at me as before when I was a child, encouraging me in her own unique way to really just be brave and make a choice.  The choice doesn't always have to be perfect or even right; it just has to be made sometimes.  That is the beauty of life, even with mistakes we learn and grow.  So jump off and see where the ride takes you, who knows, you might actually enjoy it!

Photo found here

Discovery is fun

By no means am I an expert on kids, at any age.  However, I do know this much, small children between the ages of twelve to about sixteen months are fantastic to watch!  Everything they see, touch, smell, come into contact with is pure excitement, complete uncensored joy.  The simplest, smallest thing can bring absolute happiness to their faces to the point that they squeal with delight, running as fast as their chubby, uncoordinated little legs will carry them to their destination of amazement. Unfortunately, as they begin to grow and talk, their sense of wonder tends to fade. As adults, they no longer allow themselves the simple joy of squealing over an ice cream or puppy.

I, on the other hand, try to channel my inner child frequently, trying to obtain that same feeling of happy bliss in my everyday life as often as possible.  Fashion definitely pulls out this type of excitement easily for me, whether it is a beautiful heel, gorgeous gown, or some shiny, sparkly piece of jewelry. Any of these type of items can easily garner a squeal, smile, and sigh from me.  What is truly odd or amazing, however you choose to decide, is that dating also brings out this same sense of wonder and joy for me.  Before a date I begin to ponder what will we talk about, will he laugh at me or with me, will he get my off-balanced sense of humor and outlook on life?  Once I actually go on the date, if things are going well and the chemistry is there, I can feel the inner child bursting in me at inappropriate times, wanting to squeal and clap in delight for whatever reason. Does this make me weird?  Probably.  However, I am totally okay with that, as I see my sense of wonder and delight for life, people, and everything surrounding me, as an attribute, just another added layer of my quirky attitude and behavior. 

The next time you see a small child running to grab some random stick on the ground to touch it in unabashed amazement, squealing upon touch, stop and enjoy that moment.  Savor and store that memory away for yourself.  Later, when a future occasion presents you with an opportunity, pull out that memory and use it yourself.  Squeal with delight and clap like no one is around when your waiter hands you that slice of cheesecake or glass of wine, when the sales clerk hands you the bag containing your newly purchased heels, or when your date shares something hysterical and honest revealing a little of their true self to you.  Laugh, enjoy life's delights, and above all, love everything and everyone unabashedly!  

Image found here

Online Vs Instore Shopping

When you go shopping how do you prefer to do it, is it online or in an actual store?  I always thought I would be just the "in-store" sort of gal for everything I ever purchased.  As I do love to touch and get to know the item more personally, up close.  However, lately, I am all about the on-line shopping experience when it comes to certain items of interest in my life.  You can check out a multitude of merchandise without being interrupted, you can block unwanted solicitation, viewing only items "matching" your criteria, and weed out what you are and aren't looking for much faster online than in the store.  Once you have your "select" items, you can then decide which are really worth your time and energy viewing in person.  Don't misunderstand, I still absolutely love slowly perusing any and every store I come across that has clothing, shoes, bags, and/or accessories of interest.  Shopping online for other items of interest in my life just frees up more time for my passion for fashion!    

 Image found here

Playing Games

Being that I am still fairly new to the dating scene again, so many of my friends, both male and female, have spent many hours in trying to assist me in the art of "the game."  Personally I enjoy playing games but detest all of the rules, the more complicated, the less likely I will want to play.  Clear-cut, simple, non-complicated, that is me for the most part.  If I am required to follow "rules" I want to at least know what they are so I can follow them as precisely as possible.

Unfortunately that is not the case with dating as the rules are more gray, if anything, and continually change.  Why must I pretend to not like someone when I do, not answer when they call when I want to talk, ignore a text for a few days, or worse, pretend to be busy when I am not and would like to see them?  It is simply exhausting all of the rules that I am told to follow by everyone, leading me to absolutely abhor these games.  It is like trying to find a bargain basement sale of Manolo Blahnik shoes. The only way to find the sale is with the use of an encrypted map, a map that has streets and landmarks that have changed.  Nothing is decipherable on this map and the location continues to move.

I understand and appreciate the idea, the necessity of the hunt, if you will, between a man and a woman.  However, even a hunter and its prey realize you need some form of direct, understandable, and reliable information and direction to lead you through the forest either away or towards one another.  Otherwise, you won't ever make it out of the woods. 

Image found here

Cuz Breaking up.....Blows! Finale

As I was writing the first two parts of this series, I hadn't really intended going into a third.  After all, how much can one person write about concerning a break-up and all that it entails?  Okay, I am sure there are authors out there that can fill up books on the subject but here things are left brief.  It wasn't until I was writing the second part that something occurred that really pushed for this third and final installment. 

The "reconnection."

Oh it will happen and typically when it does, it takes you completely off-guard.  You have finally pushed through all of the pain and questions, moved on to a better mind-set, maybe even started dating again.  When suddenly it happens, the dreaded text or call arrives.  What do they want?  Why now?  Why in the world have they decided to contact you when they made it perfectly clear that they wanted to move on without you in their life?  Seriously, this can cause all sorts of problems, even a possible brain explosion from the new questions that will form immediately in your mind upon seeing that number appear on your cell phone.  

Obviously I am not a scientist, so my research into this phenomenon is purely unscientific at best but I am pretty sure this information is spot on as being close to accurate.  After discussing this with several different male and female friends, it was determined that men don't know anymore about what they want than women do when it comes to relationships and men want to always feel in control.  Now this first assumption (and who are we kidding, these are only assumptions, as again, not scientific here) is definitely plausible.  After all, we all think we know what we want but just watch people that go into any sort of bakery or ice cream shop.  They will change their minds a hundred times only to arrive back at their first choice.  Seriously, I am not one to disagree with this just based on my shoe shopping habit alone. 

It is the second assumption that really confused me the most; it required me calling and texting several different male friends just for re-verification.  The mutual consensus was that for men, when they break off the relationship, they are then in control at that moment in time.  If you throw a tantrum, act crazy, call or text them a dozen times a day, you are fueling the assumption you are crazy and they remain in control.  However, if you act maturely and let them walk away without a firestorm of emotions it apparently leaves them confused, disarmed, and of course, feeling not in control.  By texting out of the blue they are looking for re-assurance that they can maybe regain that lost feeling and be in control once more of the relationship.  How you respond (or if you respond) is very important at this stage of the break-up.  

The best course of action would be to politely ignore any and all attempts from your ex at this juncture. You will continue to remain on top, while leaving them perplexed and desiring you more than they did when they were dating you. However, it is understandable that for some, this will not be a possibility.  The lure to respond, to re-kindle is too great.  To those, I say be cautious.  Make sure that this is really the road you want to travel down again as sometimes recuperating a second time can be twice as devastating than the first.  Just consider, if you walked into a shoe store and the salespeople were awful, the prices were too high, and the heels were of poor quality, would you still purchase something?  If you did, and the new high heels you bought fell apart after a week, would you go back for a refund?  Would you ever shop there again?  If you answered no, then more than likely you would consider the same for your past relationship. If you answered yes, please talk with friends and family, you really are in need of an intervention of the fastest kind from loved ones!  Don’t look behind you for your future, it isn't there. Always look straight ahead.  We leave things behind for a reason, even if we don’t fully understand, appreciate, or even realize it at the time.     

Artwork and Photo found here.

Cuz Breaking up blows.....Part Deux!

Once the break-up has occurred, the questions and self doubt creep in leaving the injured party (and in some instances both parties) feeling left adrift in soul-cringing pain.  How do you pull yourself out of this mire? That is the main question you should ask yourself.  Instead we tend to focus on what WE did wrong, was it US, should WE change, how can WE be better.

On and on we run through question after question as to where things turned in the relationship to lead to the inevitable break-up. These questions are completely ridiculous.  You should never want to change yourself for anyone other than you, but of course, we all find ourselves questioning and thinking heavily about doing just that in a vain attempt to keep what was apparently never meant to be in-tact.  This fruitless questioning only prolongs the pain and prevents the healing process from beginning. 

Once you stop questioning and accept the loss, it may take a few days of crying, lots of wine, chocolate, and really great friends to help you through the pain and onto a better state of mind.  Of course, sometimes it takes quite a bit of time to get to that point, especially if the relationship had lasted a very long time.  No matter how long it takes, though, things can and do get better.  Especially if you keep telling yourself again and again everyday that it will, it will in fact happen.  You will eventually wake up one morning and realize that the sun is still shining as it always does and that your heart and soul feel mended and open again, ready for your next phase in life.

Image found here

Cuz Breaking up.......Blows! Part One

I know we have all heard that song from the sixties and can probably sing along with the chorus "Cuz Breaking up is hard to do."  Yeah, yeah, yeah. We all know it is hard to do, we don't need songs to remind us of this fact.

Finding the courage and the right words, to tell the other person that you have been seeing that you are no longer interested in seeing them anymore can be a challenge.  Sometimes it is even done with an inappropriate text.  At least with a call, face-to-face meeting, or even a ridiculous text you have been given some sort of acknowledgement that closure has been sought.  Because often times you are left trying to decipher if you have in fact broken up due to no calls or texts from the other person.  They have simply gone M.I.A. and you are left confused and hurt without any sort of real closure.

What the song doesn't tell you is that the breaking up part is actually easy in comparison to what happens afterwards.  The shattering pain that rips at you night and day, at unexpected times, leaving you feeling helpless and without control. You are left feeling as if your entire world has ended without warning.  Your mind and body become filled with only questions. Can I piece myself back together?  When will the pain end?  How do I breath?  What did I do wrong?  Can I fix it?  The questions are relentless, on an unending loop in your mind, asking over and over again until you are just completely exhausted from it all.  Unfortunately, many of the questions will never be answered.

 Image found here

How long do you take to reply?

Lately it seems like I am always waiting for someone to return a call or text me back.  Why are they always taking so long in responding?  I am completely perplexed by this phenomena. Before, when everyone didn't have cell phones, droids, iphones, or ipads at their side 24/7, we relied on speaking with people in person or via a land line.  If someone sent you a letter you were ecstatic to receive it knowing they took the time to write.  You always answered your phone at home or ensured that you returned the missed call immediately upon arriving. 

Personally, when someone emails, calls, or texts me, I am always quick to respond.  I believe it is polite, just good manners really, to respond to the person as soon as I can.  After all, they have taken time out of their own busy day to think of me.

Being that we are in the holiday season, we tend to reach out more than usual, thinking of others we may have lost touch with over time.  Do yourself a favor and take a moment and think of the person reaching out to you during the season and respond with warmth, kindness, and above all timely.  Don't leave them hanging like a forgotten, dropped phone call. 

Phone image found here.

  

Saying Goodbye is Always Difficult

Why is saying good-bye so difficult?  I recently had to finally say adieu to someone very close and special to me. It was so painful and still is and probably will be for some time to come.  The only thing that keeps me going is knowing that I was able to say adieu to them properly before they passed, that I was able to smile, laugh, kiss, and hug them one final time and remember our last moments together as being wonderful and happy.

Today I wore something of theirs that is so simple and beautiful, don't know why I don't wear it more often because I do love it, so I have thought of them all day long.  How is it that happy thoughts from something so small, like the pearl necklace I wore today, merged with a painful loss, can actually make the pain in one's chest seem less?  Quite remarkable really.

Waiting for a Sale?

Always find yourself waiting?  Waiting for your chance to turn, waiting for a table, waiting for a coffee, the list just continues and grows of all of the things we continue to wait for everyday.  The one thing most of us invariably wait for time and time again is "the" sale.  You find what you believe to be the perfect pair of shoes but they are new, just out for the season.  The store is of course asking full price, you want to pay less, so you wait.  You wait and wait and wait some more.  Finally the great sale at the end of the season arrives, the shoes are now 75% off.  Fantastic!  Time to purchase your lovely find.  Only problem now, they no longer have your size or color.

Why did you wait so long for the shoes that you fell in love with months earlier?  They were perfect, would have lasted season after season, looked fabulous when you wore them; they were simply amazing.  Instead of treating them with the desire you felt for them, you chose to wait for a bargain basement deal and treat them as an anything purchase.   

Can you wait for a sale?  Absolutely.  However, you should save items to be purchased on sale for what they are, a random find that really matters not whether you acquire them.  When something unbelievable comes along, you should snatch it up immediately because you never know when or if that item and opportunity may ever come your way again. If you wait too long, you just might find that what could have been something wonderful for you is now owned and adored by someone else instead.  Don't lose out waiting! 

Photo of sign and sale found here.

Words. How do you use them?

Words.  What are they really?  Just a jumbled bunch of random letters that when placed in some sort of order or pattern, they take shape and make perfect sense.  Words alone really have no impact.  Though occasionally, when certain words are chained together they can turn something meaningless into something beautiful, articulate, impassioned, or even thought-provoking.  More commonly, however, words can be thrown out quickly, without thought.  Those words are sharper than a knife and move faster than a gun, injuring the receiver and at times the sender as well. 

Style, like one's body type, is unique to each and every individual; it should be embraced and owned.  You may not agree with another persons choices but that doesn't mean they are wrong for making them.  Leopard shoes not your thing?  So what, they have been around forever and aren't going away anytime soon. Kitten heels aren't my personal style choice but they look fabulous and fantastic on tons of ladies.  What works for one, definitely does not work for all.  Negativity and critical words should be held in check by the sender because the receiver is more than likely very happy with their style and doesn't require, desire, or need your insulting input. 

Learn to embrace your own inner beauty, style and self worth.  Once you do, words will find a way out that are meaningful, warranted, and appreciated by all receivers and most importantly by you, the sender.

  
Photo and dictionary found here.

Where Do You Shop - Local, National, International?

When I was much younger, my tastes and interests were pretty limited.  Unless something was familiar, I didn't venture too far out from my comfort zones.  However, with age, my horizons and tastes have expanded.  Cheeseburgers no longer hold the same appeal to the newer version of me, they don't nearly capture my attention like a freshly made sushi roll.  Soda will never make me stop in my tracks the way the smell of freshly ground and brewed espresso will every time.  Or how I can pass aisle after aisle of shoes without a passing glance but will immediately stop for a moment of heel reverence in the designer shoe section at Nordstrom.   

Remaining only "local" no longer entices me or holds my interest as it did before either.  Seeing and discovering what is available, maybe only a few cities over, a state or more away, even in other countries is so much more intriguing. Learning how different and unique something is in the UK, Italy, or New York in comparison to what is available to me locally is not only an experience it is a true education. Seeing firsthand how unique and different an item is from Italy as compared to something locally is just a  magical gift.  Everything is not always perfect though, sometimes local is better in comparison to the foreign version. Unfortunately, if you don't have the free spirit and open mind to take the step to make that determination you will never know either way.  Enjoy the journey; wherever the path might take you, don't hesitate to follow.

 

 
Photo can be found here  

How many halves do you have?

Ever notice how so many items come together as a pair, or how things will be marketed and sold as a pair?  You would never buy just one heel, there are always two involved.  A perfectly matched pair meant to be sold and worn together.  Anything else would be less than perfection. Or how a single item can actually be considered a pair by how it was created?  Jeans are always referred to as a "pair" of jeans probably because there are always two legs involved when they are manufactured.  

Thankfully, this is not true of everything. For instance, purses aren't sold in pairs. A single purse can be quite lovely and perfect in its own right, without anything additional to make it so. 

Why in life do we always gravitate to the idea that in order to obtain true happiness we must be a part of a pair?  Granted being half of a pair can be truly wonderful but not necessary for one's life to continue.  A life shouldn't be spent seeking "my other half," it should be spent appreciating one's whole existence and those around them. Anything else would definitely not be perfection.

Picture of Burberry items can be found here

Adieu Vieil Ami

Is there anything harder or more tragic to do in life than to bid farewell to something or someone that you love?  As I sit here writing this, the knowledge doesn't make the passing any less painful.  The box, so simple, yet full of what I love and hold dear, cherished really, stares back at me almost mockingly.  So happy have I been with the contents that saying goodbye is almost unbearable.  How could something so wonderful no longer find a place in my life?  It all seems a bit surreal.

Opening the box, it reveals what I already know by heart.  Something practical yet beautiful all the same, that was always able to go with anything I so desired.  However, now as I hold the box and stare within, I see that nothing is quite the same anymore.  Nothing seems to work with its contents, its almost as if the contents have changed, morphed into something unfamiliar and unwelcome.

As I think of closing the lid, I pause again.  I think maybe I have overlooked something.  Surely I am mistaken, there must be at least one thing left in my closet, in my life, that the contents can magically still work with beautifully.  Do I dare grasp for a bit of hope?  Do I hold onto this precious bit of past in the vain belief that "one day" will come again?   Alas, no.  For I know, that no matter how beautiful the contents may have once been for me they will never ring true quite the same ever again.  So I bid farewell mon ami, you were loved and cherished, even if you were not aware; you will not be forgotten as you pass on to your new phase of life without me. I know that I will mourn this passing, for a bit of time, as I now finally close the lid forever. Adieu. 

 Picture can be found here.
 
 

New vs Old

Does fashion really have an age limit?  At what age do you decide to stop wearing a particular style? Who makes these choices anyway, you, the fashion industry?

Personally, I don't believe that fashion has an age limit.  If something looks wonderful on you, who cares if it is something made for a younger person, or shudder, for someone of a "certain age."  What matters most is how you look and, more importantly, how you feel when you wear the item. On the flip side, if something ages you or makes you uncomfortable, it isn't worth your time.  No matter your age, fashion is what you make of it, make it great or leave it at the store!

Image found at ninavintage.wordpress.com

Are you really that thirsty?

Occasionally the desire to go on a wild shopping spree will hit me.  During that fanatic shopping excursion I might spend several hours going through store after store, carefully selecting and trying on many varieties of shoes.  At the end of my trip, my splurge might result in three or possibly even four pairs of new shoes to enjoy throughout the season.   Can you imagine, however, purchasing as many as ten or twelve pairs instead in just a few hours?  Even if I had the funds to warrant the expense of that many pairs of new shoes, would I have the opportunity to enjoy all of them properly?  More importantly, would I have made wise selections in that short period of a time?

The more time that you spend carefully selecting a pair of new shoes, trying them on, looking at them from different angles, walking around to sense their feel, the better you will know if you and the shoes are a perfect match.  Is a first date any different?  Why would you during this time of getting to know someone for the first time, to judge if you are compatible or if you have the right things in common, consume more than a dozen drinks in under three hours? Are you so nervous that you need to consume large amounts of alcohol just to conceal it or are you so confident in yourself that you believe that amount of consumption is somehow okay or even acceptable?  Can your thirst be so great that it outweighs the realization that any chance of moving forward with your possible first encounter has been crushed?  Dating etiquette can be very similar to shoe shopping.  If you stick to less than one purchase per hour, you are probably making very wise choices indeed. 

Photos found here

Feeling Fruity?

Life can be quirky and amazing at times.  Other times it can be a kick in the face reminding you of the things you take for granted and the things you should just walk on past.  Recently I met someone that definitely fell into the category of what I should have walked away from instead of stopping by to meet. 

After a few weeks of dating, the running joke among my friends became that two of us were fruit, he was Orange and I was Kiwi. Separately these two fruits are quite delicious.  However, we all know that oranges can sometimes be tart if they aren't ripe yet and rotten when over ripe.  On the flip side, kiwi is a rather sweet and tender fruit that doesn't always pair so well with a citrus based fruit. The two of us together at first glance to outsiders seemed a perfect pairing, like a beautiful pair of heels.  However, after one bite I knew I had gotten an unripened orange that just wasn't mature enough to be even taken out of the orange grove.   It was almost like running around with two different colored heels on, they may be the same heel but the feel and look is just all wrong.  

Photos of heels found here.