Goodbye 2012, it's been a slice!

Well, we've made it... Nearly. Just a few hours to go!

I'm all ready to tear the night apart! I'm headed to help a friend set up her party, and then attend another with my man. I'll show you the shoes tomorrow!

Here I am:

I hope that everyone has a great new years and I can't wait to see what 2013 has to hold for us. It's going to be a fantastic year full of opportunities. Sky's the limit, my darlings!

Hope your evening sparkles!

Walking in a winter wonderland

This past Friday, I took a little trip with my man to Whistler, land of winter and snowflakes.

It was so lovely! I took a bus up and spent the night the Summit Lodge and Spa, had a lovely dinner at 21 Steps, and then got to wander the village and relax, all with my charming boyfriend, Milos.

Being the shoe-aholic that I am, I, of course, was in heels for dinner. One of my favourite things is when Milos and I get all dressed up and go out together, so I was not going to waste an opportunity because of the cold. So, with a wool overcoat and a velvet scarf over my lacey dress and tights, I popped on a pair of Vera Wang stilettos and stepped out into the snow.

They're a little hard to see in this photo, but those are suede, and strappy with open-toes. Not necessarily the cleverest choice to go tromping through the snow, but I made it work. The platforms kept me high enough off the ground to get wet, and the dry snow didn't stick. It was a chilly stroll, though!

I probably won't be attempting open-toes in the snow again in the near future... At least not unless there's a vehicle involved!

The rest of the trip was spent in my knee-high black boots, a much more winter-friendly choice, with their fuzzy lining and unexpected waterproof exterior (I was pleasantly surprised by my bone-dry toes after 90 minutes of kicking through fresh powder).

Overall, it was a sublime weekend, and got me very much in the Christmas spirit. So much so, in fact, that I spent all day Sunday baking Christmas goodies with my best friend, Estee.

Happy Holidays, everyone!

23? Done for me. 24? Time for more!

Today, I am another year older.

Not that that really changes all that much in the grand scheme of things, but it's worth noting.

Or, at least I think so.

It's been a lovely day so far, I saw my Mum this morning, got some beautiful flowers from my Daddy, and a gorgeous bracelet from my man, followed by dinner with his family.

Tomorrow night, I'll put on some tall heels and a pretty dress and celebrate with my some of my favourite friends, and on Sunday, I'll see my family. Overall, pretty stellar!

Now, I think that one's birthday is a prime time to reflect, take stock of the last year, and come up with some goals for the next year. New year resolutions, as opposed to the traditional New Year's resolutions that tend to appear on everyone's Facebook feed on January 1st.

So, looking back on the year, I feel accomplished. Not only has my shoe collection grown, but I feel like I have too. I've gained some life experience, perspective and some fabulous people. I met the love of my life this year, as well as my best friend (two different people, to clarify, and I love and adore them both!). I've travelled, shopped, revamped, decluttered, and rebuilt my life. 23 has been very good to me.

And now, 24, is a clean slate, full of possibilities. I can tell already that it's going to be full of love, laughter and adventure, but there are some things I want to accomplish this year, beyond enjoying every second.

24 is going to be a creative year. Lots of projects (I won't give them away just yet...). I've been steadily becoming more domestic in the last few months, and part of that is bringing my sewing machine out of hibernation. For you guys, this also means that I'm going to work harder to make sure that reading What's On My Feet never gets boring!

Not that it ever would be.

So, there are going to be many adventures coming, and stories, trends, photos and many, many posts to follow.

Thanks to everyone who reads me here. It's so much more fun to write knowing that you enjoy reading!

Here's to another year together!

Mix or match?

There are a lot of interesting flats out and about in stores right now. I think they're darling. Especially these little charmers I picked up in New York (of course):

Just a little Missoni knit to brighten your day! They aren't real (unfortunately), but adorable none-the-less.

We're also seeing lots of bright colours (remember my bright blue tassels?) and details (cap-toes, fabric, studding, etc, etc, etc), and the big dilemma becomes: mix or match?

Do you mix patterns, colours, metallics, brights, fabrics, or let the statement stand alone?

And the answer is: it's really up to you. 

Depending on the day, I will do both. Today, I'm wearing those lovely little cobalt tassels, but the rest of my outfit is neutral (actually, black, to be honest), so that those shoes are my statement piece, and they get the spotlight (it's working, too, I've had three compliments on them, already, and I've worn them to my office already). But, I've also worn the Missoni knit flats with a bright cobalt polka-dot shirt (I'm just realising that that is a lot of cobalt for one paragraph), mixing patterns, quite boldly.

If you're going to mix colours, try to stick with two brights, max. Do bright shoes with a bright dress, and then black tights, or bright tights with bright shoes and neutral clothes. Some people can get away with three (I remember nights where I would be in a bright skirt, bright tights, and bright shoes of all different hues), but, especially if you're not used to colour-blocking, play it a little safe. At least to start.

As for patterns, if both are multi-coloured and obvious, keep them as far from each other as possible. For example, you'll look more fashionista with a bold patterned shirt and bold patterned shoes, but if you wear a bold patterned dress, shoes, belt, and tights, you may look more like you got dressed high on acid. And these aren't the kinds of things one wants to broadcast.

If you want to mix patterns closer together, look for pieces that are tone-on-tone, or softer colours and that the patterns lend more texture to, for example: tweeds, flocking, meshwork. Keep it subtle, and you can mix all sorts of patterns!

Metallics are neutrals, so you can do whatever you want when it comes to mixing them. Don't be shy!

Except maybe this:

So, you really can mix or match, to your heart's content! As always, go with your gut, as to what you're comfortable with, but have fun with it! Who says that because the winter weather is dull that your look has to be?

The great UGG debacle (Or: Why I hate UGGs)

It's no secret that I can't stand UGGs. My mum thinks they're adorable, I have friends who adore them, had classmates in fashion school who wore them daily, and am sure that many people will disagree with me and proclaim their undying love of them after I post this, but I hate them. With a firey burning passion. (I also hate Crocs, but we'll talk about that another day)

Here is why:

They are slippers. Slippers are meant to be worn inside.

Now, I'm not innocent in this, I've worn slippers outside. But, I learned my lesson, fast. Though my "boots" were much cuter then flumpy UGGs, they got wet in rainy Vancouver, instantly. And I threw them away when they had gone through the wash a few times and still smelled like someone's feet had died inside of them. Ew, not pretty.

But, I'm getting side-tracked. UGGs originated as surfer boots, to wear between sessions, so one's toes didn't get too cold. Sounds like slippers to me: footwear that one puts on during periods of rest between activities so that one's feet stay warm and toasty.

Plus, they just look like slippers, and if everyone would just wear them inside, I would be totally ok with that. But, more often than not, the street is taken over by girls in their skinny jeans and squealchy UGGs as soon as the weather gets a little nippy.

And, they think they look like this:

All cute and cuddley and Kate Hudsoney (notice she's wearing pyjamas in this photo, proper UGG-wearing attire). When in reality, most UGGs end up looking like this:

Slouchy and crumpled and more bag-lady than fashionista. Not to mention that they take about 30 seconds to go from snuggly to soaked:

Ew. Who would want to put their foot in that? Not to mention that they take eons to dry, and smell like wet dogs in mud puddles during that drying process. I've had roommates who like them too, I know.

You'd think that, as a booties made for people who surf (a water sport), they would be waterproof, or quick-drying. Apparently not.

Recently, I was at Nordstrom, killing time while I waited for my mum, and I thought I would check out the shoes. And, of course, I stumbled upon a whole bunch of UGGs.

Look! Slippers! Oh, no, wait, those are supposed to go outside?

And sparkley slippers? Sure, why not.

But, then, they admitted it! These are actual UGG slippers:

That's not to say that everything the UGG company does is terrible. Their riding boots are pretty spot on:

And, though I'm really picky with motorcycle boots (most of them are too clunky for me), the styles in their Motto collection are pretty on trend:

So, let me end the great UGG debate by saying: UGG, you and I can be friends! Just, please, stick to making real footwear, and keep the slippers at home.

What do you think of them? I've love to hear your thoughts, whether you are pro- or anti-UGG!

Oka-b? Ok by me!

After we finished about 90% of the work portion of our New York trip, my mum and I decided to take a day off and do some leisurely wandering. And, what did we end up doing? That's right, shopping!

But, this time, we found ourselves at the fabulous GreenFlea Market on the Upper West.

Flea markets are so much fun, as long as you're not searching for anything particular. The treasures that you stumble upon are so much more fun, because you didn't stress and race about trying to track something down. And that's just what this flea market was, a treasure trove!

I wound up coming home with a beautiful 1940's navy velvet evening bag (it even had the tiny matching change purse still intact and on a chain inside), and something I've been seeing in magazines for awhile:

These are Oka-b flats. They are jelly flats, but they're nothing like the jelly shoes of our childhoods! These clever little friends are waterproof, odor and bacteria resistant, and recyclable.

That's right! When you've worn them into the ground (and believe me, you will, they're super comfy, and have massage beads in the soles.), you can mail them back to their roots just outside Atlanta, Georgia, and they will be fully recycled into either new shoes, or industrial mats. That's pretty cool, if I do say so myself!

They'll also recycle the shoebox, so you can send them back in that. If you hold onto it that long without recycling it yourself, of course!

The waterproof part really appeals to me too, being a West Coast Rainforest dweller. It's nice to have another option to wear in the rain without having to worry that they'll get ruined. Did I mention that they're machine-washable?

Georgia's answer to the rainboot has arrived! And it's cute!

Hurricane Shopping

I've returned, once again, from New York. Ah, New York, shopping mecca of North America, fountain of life for my sizeable closet! My second home.

It was, as always, a whirlwind trip, a hurricane of retail insanity, if you will (too soon?).

And, of course, there were shoes.

The plane ride was spent doing some much needed research in InStyle, and I have a few quick gems to share (pick up the issue if you have a chance, there's some good stuff in there, footwear and otherwise!) before I get on with my stories!

Just a couple of cute things!

After a good nap and some page flipping, we had arrived! Then it was off to the hotel, then straight out to shop. And we didn't stop for three days.

At one point during this spree, my mum spied these in the window of New York Look:

Naturally, we popped in for a closer look. And, that was when I found something glorious!

Beautiful, no? Ok, I admit it, I was afraid to look at the price tag. The floral booties were $218, these had to be around $500, right? Wrong! They were $96! That's just all sorts of right. And, my amazing mummy offered to purchase them as an early Christmas present!

So, the only possible outcome was:

Floral booties for mum, and purple tweed for me! How divine!

Of course, I picked up a few more pair through the rest of the trip, but I'm not going to give the whole game away just yet.

Although, to my previous point about tuxedo slippers and androgyny, I did pick of these pals:

Blue, tassels, tuxedo? How can you go wrong!

And, I tried on the closet thing I'll ever wear to tacky New York tourist souvenirs:

Which I think are actually rather adorable. Irregular Choice. But then, who else could pull off putting the New York skyline on a pump?

Sadly, Tuesday came all too soon (though I was glad to come home, as I was missing my man and my kitty!) and it was time to pack up and fly away!

I think that that last photo is evidence of just how successful a trip this was! Eight pieces of newly-filled luggage later...

Leaving on a jet plane...

Heading to New York again tomorrow.... Stories to follow!

Velvet, my dear chap!

Something that was hugely popularized by Coco Chanel and then by Yves St. Laurent, was the idea of menswear as womenswear. And it's still huge now.

Not going to lie, some of my favourite shoes are feminine takes on men's styles, including floral brogues and patent oxfords:

But, the big one that been coming out this season is the velvet tuxedo slipper! I picked up a pair in navy when I was in New York last, and the luxe look is to die for! They bring all the charm of a gentlemen of a bygone era in his smoking jacket, and still look divine and ladylike with a mini dress and pair of tights, or shorts and a blazer.

Plus, how can you go wrong with studs?

Or a royal purple! Decadent!

Velvet is such a rich fabric, always present for fall and winter, and beautiful in jewel tones. But, typically, it isn't reserved for footwear. No more! The snuggly velvet will keep your toes warm on those bitter November days, and you'll look like royalty (or at least silverscreen nobility) doing it.

Rainboot 911!

Things break. We all know it's true. The trouble is that we live in a throw-it-away-and-buy-a-new-one society, rather than the oh-well-I'll-just-fix-it society of many years ago. Things are too accessible to us, and we're lazy. I'll admit it.

But, like any good relationship, sometimes these things take some work. The relationship between you and your footwear is no different. Sometimes, your shoes need a little TLC.

And so it was with my rainboots. (Check them out here, if you don't know the ones I'm talking about)

The black ones are my favourites, of course, and I actually have two pairs in that colour combination, because, travesty that it was, I didn't repair them soon enough, and something terrible happened.

The bows are gone.

About 6 months ago, I was riding on the bus out to visit my parents, and I looked down to see that a bow was missing. It must have fallen off while I was waiting for the bus or something, because it was no where to be seen. Of course, I couldn't walk around with just one bow, so I pulled off the other:

I kept it, in case I needed it for something one day, and ordered another pair from DNA footwear and decided to keep these in case I found some cute buttons or something to glue on in place of the bows.

And life went on. I still haven't glued buttons onto the old ones... Projects for another rainy day.

But, then the most terrible happened. I noticed that one of the bows on my new ones was loose...

Crap.

But! This time, I vowed to make sure I didn't repeat the same mistake, and, today, I pulled out my handy Shoe Goo.

Shoe Goo is a godsend. It's marketed for use on tennis and running shoes, but it works just as well to restick bows on rainboots, and seal the edge on that peeling platform. It's incredibly inexpensive (I picked mine up years ago at Canadian Tire for around $8.00) and, after about a day of drying, is waterproof and foolproof (I've tested the latter a few times).

Et voila!

Like new!

So, remember, don't give up a pair of shoes just because they're no longer perfect. Sometimes, they need a little love, too!

A place for everything and everything in it's place...

Well, it's taken me a good bunch of weeks, but I've nearly finished my closet overhaul. Close enough that I can show you anyway.

Remember those shoe racks that I wrestled with many months ago? I've finally sorted out my storage systems.

I had to buy another rack (this one is black) in order to get them all put away (placing me well above 100 pair... I feel like I should have had a centennial pair party when I hit that landmark. That's what I get for not paying attention. Alas...) but, they're finally all off the floor and look pretty good!

Check it out:

As you can see, the one on the left is going to need some doctoring soon, it's a little bowed, but, at least for the time being, I'm pretty proud of myself! They take up a full wall in my closet-room (yes, I have a full room dedicated to my wardrobe), but so worth it.

Speaking of my closet! In the same post where I was setting up the first of these racks, I told you that I was in dire need of a new clothing organization system as well, and that was also part of this week's projects!

My fabulous boyfriend, who I have thanked profusely, built me a whole new closet system. I now have a full twelve feet of sturdy hanging space to replace the 3 1/2 flimsy racks that used to house all my hanging clothes.

I haven't finished loading everything in yet, but take a look:

Looks pretty great, no? And, he put a shelf up at the top, so I had a new place to put all my hats! They were previously living on the top shelf in my make-up room (yes, I also have a whole room for hair and make-up), but my little kitty had a really entertaining habit of pulling them all down while I sleep. Now, they're seven feet off the ground, and little kitty paws can't reach them!

This makes getting ready in the morning a dream! What does your closet look like?

What Mikal made (Or: my new slippers)

Something delightful has happened!

If you remember, back in July, I had reposted an entry from my friend, Mikal's, blog, in which she had made some adorable little knitted bootie slippers.

We had gone for tea a little while after that, and she had offered to make me a pair. I was happy to graciously accept her offer, and we didn't really speak of it again for a long while.

As I've been insanely busy with New York trips and a major undertaking of closet organization and clutter purging, I hadn't seen my dear Mikal in a few months, and, as we hadn't spoke about it, and she's getting really close to her due date (she and her husband are expecting their first child at the end of November), I assumed that she'd forgotten about my booties, and continued on with my life.

But, I was wrong! We finally managed to get together for tea once again, she presented me with these beauties!

They're so comfy, and perfect for wearing inside my raccoon slippers when it gets really chilly at night. Plus, I've slept in them a few times, and the ties make sure they stay on my feet. The few times a year I sleep in socks, I end up finding them in the bottom of my duvet or on the floor in the morning. 

Thank you so much Miss Mikal! I love them! 

And, again, if you want to check out her blog, it's here. It's a great spot if you're looking for a project! 

Tea and snuggles

One of my favourite things about cold weather is that it means it's time to bring my slippers out of retirement. There's nothing more pleasant than curling up on the couch with a cup of tea, a good book, and a pair of snuggly slippers. Especially if it's raining. 

About two months ago, I was on a short roadtrip to my grandparents' house for their 60th anniversary party (I can't even start to process the idea of being alive for 60 years, let alone being married that long! Congrats Gramma and Grampa!) and we needed to make a detour through Bellingham so my mum could pick up a few things. 

Of course, this meant swinging through Kohls, and that was where I found these little darlings:

They're raccoons! And, on sale, if you want a pair... 

I think they're charming. To be honest, I'm not really much of a cutesy person. I don't like hearts and stars on my clothes, I don't really have much use for stuffed animals (although, I do have a few that whose company I enjoy very much), and my iPhone case, while pink, does not have cartoon characters on it. 

The only exception to this rule is sleepwear. I have pyjama pants printed with Spongebob, and slippers that look like raccoons are a-ok in my books! Outside the house, I want to look like a sophisticated adult, but pyjamas always remind me of slumber parties and Christmas morning. Disney princesses belong here. 

It's starting to look a lot like... winter?

It's cold.

Delightfully so.

After a great summer, I am so very ready for fall. But, after about 2 weeks of what felt like fall weather, it is extra nippy today. I definitely had to wear cozy gloves to walk to work today.

But, this means something excellent! It's boot season!

While I was in New York, I bought a few pair, including these darlings:

Just some little Chelsea boots. Adorable, no? My mum and I were reading the September issue of InStyle on the plane on the way to New York, and they highlighted Chelsea boots for fall!

I love them. And, they're so comfy, and so easy. They go with pretty much everything, I'm wearing mine today with tights and a floral dress. Trust me, it's chic.

I also picked up a really great pair of black knee-length leather boots, very equestrian. They're a great staple, and will come in handy to cut the wind on all those chilly October days, kicking through piles of leaves.

So, box up your sandals, retire your indestructible ugly flip-flops for another year, and revel in the toasty tootsie goodness of boots! Happy October!

A very different kind of monkey feet...

 

 

These appeared in my shoe calendar on the day we left for New York.

 

I thought that was slightly applicable.

 



The quest for spikes. (Or: Wishes unfulfilled.)

On my list for New York was the perfect pair of spiked stillettos. They were the one thing I didn't get.

My heart is broken.

I don't think I was asking too much. All I really wanted was a little something like this:

 

... but with a smaller price tag. Love you, Mr. Louboutin, but I'm not there yet.

 

This is not the first time I've shown you spikes, if you remember. I've had spikes on the brain for awhile...

 

So, having thought long and hard about the lack of metal in my life, I decided it was time for some spikes of my own.

 

But, this was not in the stars. Every pair of spiked heels I came across were either the wrong colour:

 

Or too expensive...

 

Or tacky leopard print...

 

 

Or, in the case of the black beauty below the Jersey Shore mess going on up there, the wrong size...

 

Or, the studs were too short, too long, too big, too small, or too ugly.

 

 



It seemed everyone was getting studs and spikes but me! There were even skull-studded shoes for men! This just seemed unfair.

 

So, I figured I'd give the whole thing up, and just buy the Heel Condoms (actually these are panty-style) that I had showed you previously.   

 

But, wouldn't you know it, I couldn't even find those. Check the website, I dare you. They're no where to be found!

 

And, after 10 days of looking for the perfect spiked heels, I gave up. For now...

 

There's no time like November to check out those sale racks... Watch out New York, I'm coming back...

Sky's the limit

More tales of New York!

One of the things I noticed, while I was wandering the streets of New York City, was how often shoes were used in advertising, art, and the creative ways they were used in displays. So, I present, a post in photos: A creative shoe-case from New York!

 

 

These tasty bread shoes were on a sign at one of the café/delis that are everywhere in New York, either Au Bon Pain or Europan, or something like that. Delish!  

 

My mum and I stumbled upon the Museum of Sex randomly in our travels one evening. These were on display, and yes, those are penis sneakers. And, for the bargain price of $300.00, you, too could have peeners on your feet. Hooray?

This is a great and creative way to display your shoes... Can you imagine a whole room lined with these? Much prettier than my shoe racks, but I'm not sure how I would be able to get my extensive collection to fit... This window was at Cole Haan, and their Chelsea pumps are actually named for NYC DJ Chelsea Leyland, and are extra flexible (and hopefully extra comfy!), claiming that you can wear them for 20 hours! I didn't get a chance to test drive them...

 

I want this on my wall at home. At World According to 9 (part of the Nine West world) on Madison.

 



 

 

Blocks and blocks of Cons. Not really much of a sneaker person (though I do have a pair of pink ones from a long time ago), I thought these made for an interesting window. Taken somewhere in Soho.