Big and Elegant Shoe Boutique Blog

NEW SEASON….

Amy — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 13:41:37 +0000

It is with mixed emotions that I am announcing that we will be making changes in the way we do business. As you know the change in our economy has affected all of us in one way or another which is why we have decided to close down our store front at Memorial Hwy.

Though it makes me sad to close the physical location where I first birthed my dream and had the opportunity and pleasure to meet so many great people and supply their shoe needs; I do look forward to what is to come for Big and Elegant, after all, we still need our wide, comfortable and fashionable shoes! It’s not the end but a beginning of better things to come…

We will continue to operate and meet your shoe needs however it will be via special ordering, the web (which we are still working on) and for our local customers on an appointment basis only at a location we have secured for these purposes.

Due to these changes for the next two weeks we will be liquidating our inventory with a “MOVE OUT SALE” with all regular priced items on sale at 50% off. We will be open on Monday September 4th (Labor Day) from 10 am to 4 pm. Fridays we’re open by appointment only and Saturdays we have our regular hours from 10 am – 4 pm. You can contact us at (813)928-8609 for more information.

Thank you for your patronage, I look forward to seeing you soon!

What’s On Amy’s Mind…

Amy — Fri, 26 Nov 2010 15:08:58 +0000

I am reflecting on the events of this past year and the first thing that comes to mind is how grateful I am for being able to write and reflect on the past year. Many trials and hurdles to overcome but I can say once again I survived and as a result I am a better, stronger and wiser person. Its’s definitely not what you go through but how you go through and what you take out of your experiences. I am thankful that I have my health with all its limitations I can walk, see and even run if I choose to. I have a wonderful family, great friends, a job I enjoy and a business that has a lot of potential and has managed to survive yet another year despite the difficult times we are facing as well as a patient landlord. Life is good and I am a blessed woman.

As this year comes to an end I encourage you to do an inventory not only of the negative or not so good experiences you’ve endured, but reflect on the good things that happened and the lessons learned. Remember joy and happiness come from within and when you locate those feelings within you only then will they manifest in your everyday life regardless of what you are going through.

Thanks to all who have touched my life in one way or another and to all who have given me the pleasure to touch their lives. I look forward to an exhilarating 2011 with lots of promises coming to pass.

The best is not behind us but ahead of us!

With love,

Amy “Your Shoe Lady”

WHAT’S ON AMY’S MIND…

Amy — Fri, 17 Sep 2010 17:01:59 +0000

I want to thank the Tampa Trib and their reporter Cloe Cabrera for the great article written in the 4You section on Saturday, September 18th regarding the difficulty women with larger feet are having to find comfortable and fashionable shoes. We had a huge response and know that this is the beginning of many great things to come. Specializing in wide shoes brings its challenges when it comes time to get the word out but it’s articles and exposure like this that help, so feel free to share it with the women you know.

To find out how to contact us, go to the Contact Us page for more information and thank you for looking us up. I look forward to meeting you soon!

Amy “Your Shoe Lady”

BETWEEN YOU AND I

Amy — Thu, 16 Sep 2010 12:17:39 +0000

I just thought I’d share some of the things going on with Big and Elegant…

A while back we had an interview with Lisette Campos from ABC Action News and her community segment where I represented the Hispanic business owners that have benefited from the Hispanic Business Initiative Fund (HBIF). If you didn’t catch the interview, feel free to check it out on ABCactionnews.com/community and look for the HBIF segment.

Last week Cloe Cabrera from the Tampa Trib did an interview at Big and Elegant regarding the difficulty women with larger shoe sizes have finding shoes. The link to that segment is http://www2.tbo.com/video/2010/sep/09/stylish-shoes-for-the-ample-footed-woman-31651/. The print portion of that interview will run this Saturday 9/18/2010 in the Tampa Trib.

I’m excited with all this exposure; it’s time all my wonderful women know that we are here and ready to serve there needs for wide shoes.

As I’ve told many others, I will continue to fight for my dream and do all I can to continue to serve my customers and provide options for them. I know the store schedule may not be convenient for all of you, but keep in mind we do offer private viewings by appointment only so if the Saturday 10 – 4 pm doesn’t work for you, give me a call and we can set something up.

Till next time, I wish you the best and hope you can come by and visit Big and Elegant where Fashion and Comfort come together at Affordable Pricing.

New Level

Amy — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 02:53:06 +0000

I’m so excited and full of anticipation for what’s to come. Today I had the chance of participating in a mini interview done by Lissette Campos from ABC Action News on HBIF and the services they render which gave me the chance to talk about my baby “Big and Elegant”. I’m thankful for all the support of my customer’s, family and friends that have encouraged me to continue pressing through these tough times. Determination, Faith, Relentlessness and Persistance are definitely key when you are pursuing your dream. No matter what, DON’T GIVE UP! Press on and press through and you’ll see the pay off.

Seasons

Amy — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 14:07:37 +0000

It’s funny how we go through different seasons in our lives. I’m very grateful for this season in my life. It’s been the worst of times and the best of times. For a minute there we thought we were stuck in a place we knew was not the place of utmost living, but we are coming out and I must say we are doing better than ever. Our family is stronger than ever and as we as individuals are also stronger & wiser than ever.

Earlier this year we were told that everything that could be shaken would be shaken in our lives and that only that which belonged to us would remain and boy have we felt that shaking. The great thing is that as I look at what we’re left with, I can happily say, it was worth it. The things we lost are only things, the people who left weren’t meant to be with us at this time and most importantly our faith has grown by leaps and bounds as well as the appreciation for what is truly important. We learned valuable lessons that will help us be better people as we move into our destiny and take those experiences to help others. We survived and we are moving forward!

Take courage, whatever you are going through, it will pass and you will survive, just don’t give up!

Shoe Drive for Haiti

Amy — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 19:11:05 +0000

Thanks to all who supported our Shoe Drive for our Haitian brothers and sisters. We managed to collect what seems to me like 100 pairs of shoes which means Big and Elegant will be donating 10 new pairs of shoes that will go to the victims. I pray God bless you all for your heart of compassion and remember that no good deed goes unnoticed.

The donations collected will be taken to Pinellas Christian Center located at 1315 9th Ave N St. Pete Fl 33709. For more information on what the urgent needs are and how you can help, please call (727)898-2389.

Remember, we can all do something whether big or small.

Amy “Your Shoe Lady”

We are blessed to be a blessing!

Amy — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 21:53:07 +0000

We may not have all we want but when we take a look of what others are enduring we realize we have more than enough. I was hearing a radio talk host today talk about the donations that some affluent people are making to the relief efforts in Haiti. He said that though he was empathetic towards the situation in Haiti he felt the money should go towards fixing the problems we have here in the US. It truly saddened me to think that someone could say they are empathetic and yet not want to help. I realize we have a big mess on our hands when it comes to our economy, however, I believe our Haitian brothers and sisters are suffering much more now and we can make a difference in their lives. If we were the ones enduring such distress, would we like to hear that other countries won’t help us because they have to fix their mess first, I don’t think so.

We cannot let opportunities like this pass us by. It’s an opportunity to sow a seed in someone else’s life. We are blessed to be a blessing. We may not all be in a position to give money, but I’m sure there’s something we all can do; whether it be donating canned goods, clothing or even your time to the charities that will need help to box and ship the goods.

I urge you to take some time to count your blessings and then find a way to help those less fortunate. I assure you when you give out of a heart of love and compassion, it will come back to you in blessings.

Amy “Your Shoe Lady”

Let’s celebrate Christmas!!!

Amy — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 11:30:07 +0000

We’re only 4 days away from celebrating Christmas, time sure flies. Let me start by once again wishing you all a Merry Christmas. May you be granted your hearts desires during this Christmas season.

A typical Christmas celebration for my family actually starts on Christmas Eve. My grandmother started the tradition of having our Christmas dinner on Christmas Eve and I’ve wanted to perpetuate it and since my husbands birthday is on Christmas Eve I kill two birds with one stone and I have some friends and family over to celebrate him as well with lots of good Spanish food. I make rice with pigeon peas (arroz con gandules), roasted pork shoulder (pernil) and Green bananas in escabeche (guineitos en escabeche) along with a delicious birthday cake and lots of good music.

Christmas morning for us is waking up to thanking God for allowing his son Jesus to come into this world, after all had there been no Jesus, there’d be no Christmas. We then go to opening gifts and last but not least a hardy breakfast. The rest of the day is spent resting and seeing my son enjoy his gifts. My husband and I take this time to just relax and enjoy each others company (that’s if he doesn’t have any runs given that this is a high season for his airport transportation company).

What about you, how do you spend your Christmas?

Enjoy your Christmas and don’t forget to be a blessing to someone else during this season.

Regards,

Amy “Your Shoe Lady”

What to give for Christmas?

Amy — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 20:57:53 +0000

Someone recently commented on one of my discussions I posted on a social networking site and I thought I’d share it in the event that you’re stumped and have no clue as to what to give a person that has it all. She will be giving her mom a decorative jar and in it are 375 thank you notes. Imagine that, 375 messages of gratitude, one for every day of the year. I think that is a unique and an awesome gift. In times when we are all watching our budgets, I can’t think of a better gift. First it makes you have to think of that person and secondly you have to think of the influence they’ve had in your life. I think that is the true meaning of Christmas. It’s so sad to see the amount of debt that people go in to in order to get others gifts they truly can’t afford. I say, lets go back to basics and give from the heart; after all, those are the gifts that will last a life time. I wonder what other creative ideas we can come up with for this Christmas.

What has been the most unique gift you’ve received or given?