This post is sponsored by Zappos in support of its “Friends with Benefits” Road Show.

Last weekend, the rain abated and it finally felt like spring with balmy temps and sunny skies. To celebrate the changing of the seasons, I went out to visit with a posse of puppies—not to mention a number of my local friends who all joined me in Midtown on the fringe of the Vandy campus for the Nashville stop on the Zappos Friends with Benefits Road Show.

I can’t tell you what a genius nationwide event this is on Zappos’ part. It’s not necessarily designed to sell merchandise—though there is a little bit of shopping available, of course— but rather to genuinely have a great time and reward its customers with one uniquely awesome (and free!) experience.

There was free food from The Grilled Cheeserie. There was a bar with complimentary mimosas and beer from local Nashville breweries. And the coolest part of all? One tricked-out porta-potty that had all sorts of cool designs and functions inside and dispensed individual prizes once you flushed.

Plus, there were a lot of blow-up toys (including a gold swanicorn!). The kids, big and small, had a blast.

Nashville’s Agape Animal Rescue had a handful of its adoptable pups on site to mingle with guests, and other event-goers brought their own four-legged friends.

Ella was mad that we told her she had to stay behind, and she definitely gave me the cold shoulder after she smelled other dogs’ scents on me when I got home!

Obviously, for the occasion I had to order a new pair of shoes, right? Any excuse to shop, y’all. Just four days before the event kicked off, I found these amazing Kate Spade striped wedges on Zappos.com, ordered them, they arrived pronto with a day to spare, and I dare say they’re going to be my shoes for every wedding we’re attending this spring (at the moment, that’s three and counting…). So if you see me at any weddings, don’t be surprised!

I think Blaze the foster pup enjoyed my new kicks as much as I do.

While we’re on the topic of shopping, I also noticed that Zappos is carrying my very favorite Michael Kors Damita wedges again. Since I often get questions and emails about what I wear in images on this blog, I’ll take a moment to plug these bad boys. They’ve been staples in my wardrobe for two solid years—I bought them after seeing my sis wear them (#sorrynotsorry I’m a big sister copycat!) and I take them everywhere for all occasions, from casual to dressy—and I’m a big proponent for finding something I love and ordering it in every color of the rainbow.

So you won’t be surprised to hear that since I was already shopping for shoes for the event, I popped a second pair of the Damitas in my cart, too (in denim, in case you were curious).

I’m only human (and female), after all, friends.

If you love shoes (or clothes and accessories for that matter) as much as I do, don’t miss out on the Zappos Rewards program. I’m embarrassed to say that I’ve been shopping with Zappos for years and only recently signed up. Why did I wait? I have no idea. It’s free, and you get points toward incentives and other perks the more you shop.

And for those of you who love good food, good company and a great cause, be sure and keep your eyes on Zappos Friends with Benefits Road Trip to see if it’s headed your way next. You can even head to the website and vote for the show to come to your city next.

Thank you, Zappos, for providing awesome 24-hour customer service always—those free returns and that quick shipping are clutch for an indecisive gal like me—and being so devoted to finding homeless dogs their fur-ever homes!

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