If it hadn't been for the footrest on the top, Dad's shoeshine kit would have made a swell treasure chest. But instead of things a small girl would consider precious, it held a variety of brushes, cloths, and small round tins labeled with exotic and mysterious words like "kiwi" and "cordovan." But sitting with Dad while he shined his shoes left me with a different kind of treasure. Is there by any chance, a shoeshine kit in your home?

The white patent leather Mary Janes that were a staple of my girlhood Easter outfits were easy to clean and did not require polishing. They did have an annoying tendency to acquire little dark scuff marks- particularly around the heels. Mom's solution to this was the tiniest bit of nail polish remover on a cotton ball. Worked like magic. Little girls in such shoes still take me back to my childhood. Have you ever worn patent leather shoes (of any style or color)?

Sherry was the prettiest teenager in the neighborhood. Always looked like she stepped out of a magazine. Since her younger sister was my best friend, I sometimes was granted the privilege of watching her get ready to go out. Can still see her teasing her hair or applying lipstick. Was especially fascinated to observe her polishing her white tennis shoes. Liquid polish. Total concentration. Have you ever used liquid shoe polish?

My brother Jake was the preppiest of the preps when he was in high school. Chinos. Oxford cloth shirts. And of course, penny loafers. Stylishly and ever so slightly worn and broken in- complete with penny. Show-offs (which he was not) used a dime instead of the copper coin. Confess to still liking this casual yet polished look. Do you prefer to wear classic styles or are you more into whatever might be trending at a given time?

I bailed on ballet lessons after two weeks of "tippy tippy tip toe up and down," so karma made certain I would keep Capezio in business buying dance shoes for my daughter. Having heard stories of girls who had given up ballet after their first experience with toe shoes (due to the pain of standing on what was akin to a block of wood), was expecting the worst when I picked her up after her first lesson en pointe. But she alone was tearless and the other girls were looking at her with a mix of awe and envy as she walked around the studio. Her only complaint? She poked her finger while sewing the ribbons on the shoe. Have you ever taken lessons in hopes of mastering any of these styles of dance?