Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Magic rainboots
The problem is that they're mischievous, (little bastards) and are bent of making me look stupid.
Ok, now I do sound crazy. Let me explain.
If I put on my rainboots in the morning, and look outside and it's not raining, but it looks like it's planning to, it won't rain (result=Katy looks stupid for walking around in the sun with rainboots on). On the flip-side, if I look out the window on the same day and decide to risk it and wear any other kind of shoes, it will, without fail, rain (result=Katy looks slightly less stupid, but stupid nonetheless for running around in the rain in open-toed stilettos).
Sneaky, no?
Who would have thought that 20$ Walmart rainboots would have such an effect on the universe. Now I know how those kids felt when they put the hat on Frosty...
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Nothing bad can happen in Birmingham!
Ok, well, I'm going to try. It's really quite tricky to keep up when you're so busy!!
Anyways, when I say back, I mean two things... Back in the blogosphere, and back at home!
You see, my counterpart, D, and I just returned from Birmingham, Alabama!! We had gone for our friend Jimi King's album release, and there were good times had by ALL! And, of course, excellent footwear ;)!
Ok, so quick side-note here: I am notorious for wearing the worst and most inconvenient footwear in airports. For some reason, I always end up in laced-to-your-knees boots or 20,000-strapped gladiators, and security becomes an incredible task. So, this time, I decided I would be insanely clever, and ditch my work pumps (the little brown ones I showed you in the summer) for my favourite ugly blue flip-flops!
This was a great idea until I stepped off the plane and realised it was freezing in B'ham.
D had been clever enough to wear Uggs, which, I'm sorry if you love them but, I hate with a firey burning passion. I think they're hideous, and that they look like slippers. (I share the same sentiments about Crocs, but that's a rant for another day.) Unfortunately, (and I think this is karma for wearing them in the first place) they had started to fall apart the moment she stepped out of the house to come and meet me.
So, after checking into the hotel and having a nap, we headed to Target (which was across the street) to get something more suitable. What we found were these:
Now, here's where I become a bit of a hypocrite, because, if you click on the link provided above, you'll notice that these are not shoes, but slippers, which is the precise reason that I hate Uggs so much. But, if you look at these guys, they're so much cuter than Uggs!
Anyways, hate me if you must, I wore them outside, and I liked it! Plus, I don't think I've ever gotten more compliments on a pair of shoes in my life! Wait, I think the general concensus on my Sam Edelman fringeys was a little more exuberant. But not by much!
The other darling shoes that we got on this trip were these:
(Although, I got the black ones and D got the pink... the website won't let me save the black picture. Weird.)
Now these babies are from Wet Seal. This place is a goldmine for going out shoes. D and I have both bought shoes from these guys before, and they are our go-to going out shoes. Mine are wedges and I have had to glue them back together a million times, and D's are stilettos that have been worn so far down the leather on the heel is starting to peel back. This is how amazing these shoes are, and how often we wear them. If you're in the states, go there now.
The other thing that's amazing about Wet Seal is that their shoes are cheap. Like a friggin' steal. These were 12.50$. No, I don't think you understand. Twelve-friggin'-fifty!!!! And they'll last forever. And you'll never have to take them off at midnight because 1 hour of wearing them was plenty thank-you-very-much. My wedges? I've slept in them. Amazing going-out shoes. Amazing.
Anyways, sorry for the stolen photos, my camera hasn't been unloaded from this trip yet. More to come, I promise!
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Man, busy makes it hard to blog.
But! I have stories to tell you. Promise!!!
Ok, where did I leave you off....? Right! I was working at Vorum and trying to make the best of the summer while still wearing fabulous footwear.
What has happened in the meantime? Ohhh, sooo mucchhh!
Let's go chronologically:
Labour day weekend, we went to Nola! (New Orleans for those who don't know) and practically lived in my indestrucible flipflops (as always). Actually, by the time that the real fall weather hit, I had a pretty impressive tanline...
Anyways, after that, I continued working at Vorum for awhile, and we were told that we were going to get AMAZING custom boots from our partner in the UK and I picked THESE beauties:
They're forest green suede, and black patent. Yum, no?
You can check them out on the website too! Anyways, this whole process involved getting my feet scanned so that custom lasts could be made, so that custom shoes could be made! Neat, huh?
Anyways, moving on! I've since left my job at Vorum, although I'm still getting my boots ;), and am working at a new company called National Speakers Bureau/Contemporary Communications, as an office administrator/accountant of sorts... So far, so good!
But I'm getting ahead of myself. I've also been to the Vancouver Museum to see a shoe EXHIBIT with my mum! Check out the flyer, as found on a lamppost:
Those gorgeous stained-glass leather boots are Fluevogs, and he was one of Vancouver's FIRST fantastic shoe-designers. Now, he has a cult-following. Anyways, it was an amazing exhibit, and ran through all the history of Fox & Fluevog as designers and as a company. Neat stuff if you ask me! This was my favourite sign:
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
The best of both worlds?!
Anyways, it's been SO hot out lately that I'm quite reluctant to revisit the whole wearing-closed-toes-in-summer idea, at least until we get a breeze or two.
So, for all your shoe-anistas out there who LOVE a little heel in your life, but hate the idea of sweating in your pumps all day, I bring you the solution:
Heeled flip-flops.
Again, these are a Payless purchase, and they're actually about 5 years old (shhhh, we'll call them vintage), but they're pretty freakin' cute. The little sequins give them some sparkle, and the bright pink makes them really cute with a super casual outfit. Nothing quite like a splash of colour on your tootsies to bring life to neutral shorts and tops.
Do me a huge favour though and ignore the dirty feet, the unshaven legs and the flaking toenail polish, please. Remember that I've been camping for 4 days.
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Who says you can't wear closed-toes in the summer?
I've been pretty much living in my flippy-floppies all summer (you know the ones... they're bluueee) but today I opted to go a little classier.
I'm going camping tomorrow with my partner in crime Miss Dominique, and we all know that you can't wear classy heels at the lake. At the VERY most, you can get away with wearing wedges... but even then... it's CAMPING, you crazy shoe-anistas!
Anyways, these are Payless Shoes. They were cheap, I won't lie. I bought them when I was just starting doing officework and I still believed in work-appropriate clothing (very much a thing of the past, I'm in shorts and a t-shirt right now, but believe me, I'm still smashing).
I used to hate Payless Shoes with a fiery burning passion because I thought they were cheaply made, and therefore:
a) uncomfortable; and
b) going to fall apart at any moment.
Payless was my store of choice when I was in high school and it was incredibly important to purchase 18 pairs of shoes for less than 100$ cause I was working in a grocery store for minimum wage and a shopaholic.
Anyways, I love these. they're pseudo-spectators with the suede and patent patches, and they're actually comfy and durable as all hell. Enjoy!
PS Like I said, I'm going camping, so I won't be posting for a few days for sure... Have a grand weekend!
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
The return of the flat!
Ok. So, today, I want to tell you about my obsession with crazy sandals. I've shown you my gold ankle wrap flip-flops, but these lil babies were a very excellent purchase made in the FABULOUS city of New York!
We (Mum and I) found them at this store Laila Rowe (if you REALLY like these, and want a pair, they're on sale for 15.00$US) that was a few different places in the ol' NYC, and we kept stumbling upon them in our travels around the city (which was opportune because we couldn't figure out where the first one was that we found, and we really wanted to go back).
I think that they're quite clever because they have ankle straps, but also zippers down the back of the ankle, so you can just unzip and jump out. I always find it frustrating having to contort my body into odd pretzel shapes so that I can see the buckles placed strategically just out of my normal range of sight.
Anyways! I am absolutely LOVING the crazy flat sandals that have been coming out this season. There are studs and anklestraps and pseudo-sandal-boot-hybrids (like the ones my mum bought on our San Fran trip) all over the place and I think they're fantastic. It's nice to see something other than your typical strappy heel (not that I don't love a good strappy heel, they just get tired after awhile) or mangy flip-flop. Plus, there's a shift with these towards a less delicate look. The studs and beadwork are all very strong looks, sometimes hinting at tribal or military, and this allows them to pull together and step up a casual look.
For example, I've worn these sandals with a pair of short-shorts and my (men's) I <3 NY shirt, and really felt as though the shoes pulled the outfit together and made it an outfit, rather than looking like I just pulled the first two clean items of clothing off my floor and threw them on (which is very possibly what actually happened).
I would almost equate this trend to all the gorgeous flat boots we've been seeing for Fall/Winter the last few years. Flats are coming back, baby, and the boardwalk is the perfect place for them.
Friday, July 16, 2010
Stepping it up a notch...
Anyways, back to the task at hand. These lil babies are Steve Madden, they're leathah, and they have this cool faux wrap thing going on the toe. I've also had them since high school. In fact, I'm pretty sure I walked out of a Value Village in Victoria wearing them. Oops...
They're actually one of my favourite pairs of shoes, but I always end up wearing them on days when I have to do things you don't really want to be doing in heels. For example, these shoes have climbed a ladder today. They also went to the bank, but I like running errands in a pair of nice heels!
I'd said previously that I decided to wear these guys today cause the sun is shining. I don't know about YOU, but I LOVE to wear crazy bright coloured shoes with a dress of a contrasting (but still complimentary) colour, shake my hair out and run out the door. I think that being coated in bright colours (but please don't wear more than 2 or 3 bright hues, we're not trying to look like a skittles storm here) is one of the best ways to do summer. Extra points for a white sunhat.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Ugly flip-flops
As you can see, my beautiful pedi is LOOONNGGG gone, and I've been to the beach a few times this summer... Well, and Vegas. Lots of tanning going on (I promise, this is the last year that I laze about in the sun, walking that fine line between gloriously golden and, as we've lovingly dubbed the shade of pink our good friend Seanie turns in the sun, cotton candy pink. Well, until I change my mind next year.).
Anyways, these BEAUTS (I actually think they're some of the ugliest shoes I own...) came into my life the morning after a pool party we went to out at a friend's place in Cloverdale. Of course, being the ridiculous glamazon that I am, heels were worn (you'll see them soon, I promise). Yes, yes, I wore heels to a pool party, don't judge, just be jealous. Continuing on! The next morning, my DARLING friend Miss Annie and I went out to Metrotown to do a little shopping, and I decided that flipflops were in order! So, we went to a dollar store (of all places to buy shoes, I knowwww!!) and these guys were stuck in a shelf somewhere obscure (I think they were with the birthday crowns and Disney princess plates. It doesn't make sense to me either) and when I scooped them up and put them on my feet, they were just my size! 30 seconds after I had de-tagged them and stowed my heels, we walked around the corner to see a HUGE wall of flipflops just like them, but these ones are lucky. I think.
Well, that was a frightfully convoluted story, but here's the scoop on my flippy-floppies. They're made out of the same material as Crocs (ew, I hate Crocs) so, they're SUPER comfy. In fact, they're the BEST shoes to slip into after a LONG night of dancing (read: drinking) cause they also have killer arch support and massage your poor lil tootsies while you walk. I'm the kinda girl who dances to the point that she can't walk the next morning, and these guys have saved me. Often.
And, for 2$, how can you lose? ;)
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Fresh Beginnings...
Anyways, here's our fresh beginning. We'll start again. A little different rules (how about NO rules, whaddayathink?) and a little more fun ;) More stories, maybe? We'll see. More shoes? Well, that's a given :D! Talk soon!!!
To continue...
And, I don't know about you girls, but these things ALWAYS break on me, and always in the most inopportune places (this time in Fred Meyer, where we had parked pretty much across the country >:[ and I had to walk barefoot across the parking lot, pretty much ruining my perfectly pedi-ed foot!). Anyways, keep a pair in the car, toss em in your purse (we're all carrying huge bags this season, don't think they won't fit), something! Then, spontaneous pedicures won't leave you stranded on asphalt with one shitty foam slipper.
Long time, no shoes.
I HAD to jump in on the action, and slipped on some delicious Givenchy before I nearly melted to the floor. ("But, oh, Katy, wouldn't they just be PERFECT for that event we have to go to?" "Oh, yes, Mummy, absolutely DIVINE!")
And then we walked into Armani. And my heart stopped. Sorry, Givenchy, but these shoes are my soul-mates (no pun intended :P)
Ok, I'm going to continue in another post. See you in a sec :D!
Friday, May 7, 2010
Gladiators!
Also, I'm heading down to Seattle tonight, and flying to San Fransisco tomorrow, so I may have to mass post on Sunday night, unless I can figure out how to do it from my phone...